Author: SKYNEWS

Hollywood star Alicia Silverstone has reassured fans she is “alive and well” after she shared a video of herself appearing to eat a poisonous fruit in England.The US actress, best known for her role as Cher in the 1995 film Clueless, shared the clip on her Instagram account on Monday. In the video, she bites into a small orange fruit, which looks like a cherry tomato, before asking her followers what it is.Social media users began to speculate that the fruit was solanum pseudocapsicum, commonly known as the Jerusalem cherry.The fruit is mildly poisonous and the Royal Horticultural Society warns…

Government borrowing rose to the highest amount since the pandemic in July, official figures show, as public sector pay increased.Not since 2021 has there been a July with such high borrowing, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It means there was a £3.1bn difference between what the government took in from things such as taxes and how much was spent on public sector services. The government has committed to borrowing only to invest and to bring down debt.Money blog: Top chef shares Yorkshire pudding secrets The sums are also higher than expected when looked at across…

Vogue, Wired and GQ publisher Conde Nast has done a multi-year deal with OpenAI.The artificial intelligence company announced the partnership on Tuesday, saying ChatGPT and its prototype tool SearchGPT would display content from “top brands like Vogue, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Wired, Bon Appétit, and more”. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.In June, OpenAI and Time magazine announced a “multi-year content deal” to allow OpenAI to access more than 100 years of Time’s content. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:53 Reports by analysts at Goldman…

The comedian whose joke was voted the funniest at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has said it isn’t the best one in his show and it isn’t the sort of gag he most enjoys.Mark Simmons took this year’s award for his gag with: “I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it”. Simmons, a Mock The Week panellist, told Sky News: “I don’t think it’s my best joke in my show, but I think it is probably the best one written down so that, you know, so everyone can understand it.”Personally, I like…

A joke by Edinburgh Fringe veteran Mark Simmons has been named the funniest of the lot at this year’s comedy festival.A vote by 2,000 people found this joke by Simmons the funniest during the August event: “I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it.” Simmons has said he is “really chuffed” with the win – which comes a decade on from his first appearance at the event.Some of the leading comedy critics and comedians in the UK were on the judging panel for the Funniest Joke Of The Fringe award, which…

A planned £2.5bn merger between British housebuilders Barratt Developments and Redrow Plc looks set to go ahead despite concerns from the competition regulator.It comes after Barratt announced on Monday it planned to push ahead and start the process of taking over its rival this week, even though the two firms will officially remain separate until the watchdog gives its final approval. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating the deal and earlier this month expressed worries that the acquisition could lead to higher prices and lower-quality homes in the Whitchurch region in Shropshire. Both firms have developments in…

Top tips for photographing the night sky Welsh astrophotographer Dafydd Wyn Morgan gives some top tips for people take pictures of night-sky spectaculars. Tip one: Get to know your local area’s darkest spots “Seek out somewhere where you live which has minimal light pollution,” says Mr Morgan. Plan ahead as to where you’re going to spend the night – make sure it is safe and you’re allowed to be there, and let someone know where you’re going. Tip two: Give stargazing a go first “Get to understand what you can see in the night sky. What are you looking at?”…

French actor Alain Delon has died at the age of 88 after suffering from ill health, his family has announced.The star was known for his roles in films such as Purple Noon in 1960, The Leopard in 1963, and Le Samourai in 1967. A family statement said: “Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as (his dog) Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father.”He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family.” Image: Delon in Rome in 1969. Pic: AP The actor had been in poor health since suffering…

ASLEF’s lead negotiator has denied the union sees the new government as a “soft touch” after announcing fresh strikes two days after train drivers were offered a pay deal.Drivers working for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) – which runs the passenger service on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh – will walk out on weekends from the end of August in a dispute over working agreements. Lead negotiator Nigel Roebuck said it is a separate issue from the long-running row over pay, which looks likely to be resolved after a much-improved new offer from the government which…

Social media company X says it will close its operations in Brazil, after claiming a judge on the country’s supreme court threatened to arrest its legal representative in Brazil if the company did not comply with his orders.X, formerly Twitter, said it was removing its remaining staff in Brazil “effective immediately” though the service will still be available there. The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has already clashed with the justice in question, Alexandre de Moraes, over free speech, far-right accounts, and misinformation on X. Image: Brazil’s Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes. Pic: Reuters Image: Elon Musk. Pic:…