Author: SKYNEWS

Scientists say there could be water on Mars underground, and more than enough to fill the planet’s oceans.Scientists from California universities San Diego and Berkeley say evidence suggests there is a large reservoir of liquid water under the planet’s surface. Using data from NASA’s InSight lander – which carried out a four-year-long mission that ended in 2022 – they wrote that the amount of groundwater could cover all of Mars to a depth of one to two kilometres.But the researchers warned it isn’t straightforward to find it. They believe the water is located in the rocks that form the midcrust…

Catfish presenter Nev Schulman says he is “lucky to be here” after breaking his neck in a crash involving his bike and a truck.The 39-year-old said the incident last week happened as he was on his way to collect his son from school in New York, adding he was expected to make a full recovery. He announced the news by sharing a series of photos and videos on Instagram of him wearing a neck brace in hospital as well as an X-ray of the break.In other clips he can be seen trying to stand up with assistance, gently hugging his…

The heads of the UK’s most valuable companies are being paid more than ever before – with the average chief executive paid more than 100 times that of the average worker, according to analysis from the High Pay Centre thinktank.The CEOs of the most valuable firms listed on the London Stock Exchange – the companies comprising the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 index – received an average 2.2% pay rise bringing median pay to £4.19m. It’s the highest sum ever recorded.Money blog: Unusually cheap package holidays on offerAverage pay is calculated by adding all the pay cheques and dividing…

Horses are much smarter than previously thought, researchers have claimed.Their findings came during a study in which the animals performed better than expected in a complex reward-based game. When denied treats for not following the rules of the game, researchers found the horses were able to instantly switch strategies to get more rewards.The scientists from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) said this showed the animals have the ability to think and plan ahead – something previously considered to be beyond their capacity.Dr Carrie Ijichi, a senior lecturer in equine science at NTU, said: “Horses are not natural geniuses, they are thought…

A new artwork has appeared in London, sparking speculation it might be another Banksy design.The design – featuring a school of swimming fish – differs from the artist’s characteristic silhouette artworks, and it has yet to be claimed. It appeared on a police box in the City of London.If confirmed, it would be his seventh artwork to be unveiled this week in various locations across the capital.The new design has been examined by two City of London police officers, PA news agency reports, who took pictures from the outside of the police box. One officer said they were asked to…

Coffee shop chain Pret A Manger has announced some staff members will wear body-worn cameras as a new safety measure. The company confirmed to Sky News that six shops across London started trialling the new technology last month, which will only be worn by team leaders and managers. It said the cameras will only be switched on in “specific circumstances” and footage will only be accessible to Pret’s security team.The introduction of the extra safety measure comes as companies reported increasing cases of shoplifting and aggressive behaviour towards staff in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Image: Shoplifting has reached record…

It’s the plot of plenty of sci-fi films: two astronauts are stranded in space and don’t yet know how they’re getting back.Sunita “Suni” Williams and Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June as the first crew to test Boeing’s new Starliner, which suffered helium leaks and thruster failures before it docked – raising questions over how safe it is for the return flight. Boeing has insisted the astronauts are not stuck and said “there’s no increased risk” in bringing them back in the Starliner, but NASA is contemplating getting them back on a SpaceX…

In a city with multiple arts events, in Edinburgh this weekend you’ll find two different stances on festival funding.Running alongside Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, begins Edinburgh Book Festival. Brilliant cultural platforms in their own rights, both of whom have traditionally welcomed sponsors to help them stage their various artistic and literary endeavours.But when it comes to accepting money from investment management firm Baillie Gifford, they’ve ended up in opposite positions.After on-stage protests at the literary event last year over the firm’s links to Israel and fossil fuel companies, the Book Festival ended its sponsorship deal with Baillie Gifford. While the Fringe,…

A music-streaming service whose shareholders include Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams is racing to raise millions of pounds within weeks.Sky News has learnt that ROXi has appointed Begbies Traynor Group, the professional services firm, to work alongside Rockefeller Capital Management on the hunt for new capital. Founded in 2014, ROXi described itself as the world’s first ‘made-for-television’ service, allowing viewers to stream millions of songs and download hundreds of thousands of karaoke tracks.It has drawn a star-studded list of investors, which also includes Alesha Dixon and U2 bassist Adam Clayton.Three of the world’s biggest record labels – Sony…

Elon Musk has branded Sir Keir Starmer a “hypocrite” over his approach to policing – while also goading the prime minister over a Labour MP’s historical tweets.Musk has been sparring with Sir Keir since last week after the prime minister blamed social media companies for allowing the spread of false claims that the Southport stabbings suspect was an asylum seeker – which prompted riots across the UK. The billionaire tycoon, who has proclaimed free speech as a key goal of his takeover of Twitter, which he renamed X, has also expressed his disbelief that people who incite violence online are…