Author: SKYNEWS

Tesla is to axe production of two electric vehicle (EV) models as part of a shift towards robotics after the company reported its first ever decline in annual revenue.Chief executive Elon Musk told analysts on a conference call that the company would stop selling its older Model S and Model X vehicles and convert factory space to manufacture its Optimus robots instead. Tesla revealed that investment would more than double this year to $20bn (£14.5bn), with $2bn of that sum going to his artificial intelligence division xAI.Money latest: Check how much your water bill is due to rise The spending…

The BBC has announced who will carry the corporation forward after the departure of director general Tim Davie.Rhodri Talfan Davies, who led BBC Cymru Wales from 2011 to 2020, will assume the role of interim director general on 3 April. Mr Davies, who is currently the broadcaster’s Director of Nations, will steer the BBC until a new, permanent director general starts work.In a note to staff, BBC chair Samir Shah said Mr Davies would join the board from 1 February, and deputise for the current director general “to enable a smooth transition”. Image: Rhodri Talfan Davies Pic: Patrick Olner/BBC “He…

EasyJet has been banned from claiming in its marketing that the cost of adding a large cabin bag to a flight booking is “from £5.99”, after the advertising watchdog found the price was “misleading”.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said there was “insufficient evidence” that the price was widely available. The ASA banned the airline from using the phrase, and said in future it must ensure that the lowest “from” price for large cabin bags is available “across a significant proportion of flights”.In response, easyJet told the regulator the advertised price was available across a range of routes but prices varied…

Free artificial intelligence training is being made available to everyone in the UK as the government steps up efforts to prepare the workforce for rapid technological change.However, ministers acknowledge the programme will only succeed if businesses and workers choose to adopt it. From today, adults can access short, practical courses through the government’s upgraded AI Skills Hub, designed to help people use AI tools in the workplace.The training covers everyday tasks such as drafting text, creating content, and automating administrative work – with some courses taking less than 20 minutes to complete.The programme is a joint effort between government and…

Actor and scooter enthusiast Sir Idris Elba has been slapped with a fine for going more than 20mph on his moped.Speed cameras clocked the actor, 53, making his way across Chelsea Embankment in central London at 10.12am on 21 June last year. Sir Idris is renowned for his love of mopeds – so much it even made its way into a Taylor Swift song.The US singer sampled the actor saying “We can go driving on my scooter – you know, just riding in London” on her 2019 song ‘London Boy’.Meanwhile film fans will be reminded of Guy Ritchie’s 2008 film…

Ground rents for leaseholders will be capped at £250 a year before dropping to a peppercorn rent after 40 years, Steve Reed has announced.The housing secretary confirmed the move on Tuesday morning, hitting out at ground rents as a “a bit of a scam”, “a racket” and “paying money for nothing”. Ground rents are a charge that leaseholders pay to live on land they do not own. It does not require a service in return and is regarded by critics as emblematic of the feudal nature of England’s centuries-old leasehold system.Politics latest – follow liveUnder the new changes, ground rents…

The UK has lost its measles elimination status from the World Health Organisation (WHO) after vaccination coverage plateaued and cases surged.From 2021 to 2023, the country was considered to have “eliminated” the disease, but global health officials say measles transmission was re-established in the UK in 2024. Vaccination coverage has flatlined in recent years, with recorded measles infections in the UK soaring to 3,681 in 2024.Spain, Austria, Armenia, ⁠Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan also lost their status, and the WHO urged countries to boost vaccination rates to prevent the ​disease infecting more children.”It is unsurprising the UK has lost its WHO measles…

He is the Lewisham-born actor who, at the age of 73, finds himself in the running for an Oscar.While Delroy Lindo can now reflect that being an Oscar nominee “has a certain ring to it”, the Sinners star says he was taken by surprise at the news when it first broke. “My son called me,” he explains. “I will not say I was asleep, but I was not fully awake, and I’m listening to my son very excitedly say how proud of me he was.”And I then noticed on my phone I had 179 Text messages, so I knew that…

A community action group in Tunbridge Wells is demanding the “immediate” sacking of South East Water’s chief executive after weeks of outages which have left tens of thousands of customers without water.Sky News has seen a letter from Dry Wells Action, which was formed by residents and businesses in the Kent town, to Chris Train, South East Water’s chairman, demanding answers about the company’s solvency, infrastructure spending and refusal to engage with stakeholders during the biggest crisis in its history. “You have comprehensively lost the trust of Tunbridge Wells customers,” the letter, sent on Monday morning, said.”Only by providing us…

The “shambles” of the government’s plan on social media will not be fixed by banning children from accessing the platforms, Harriet Harman has said.Speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the Labour peer cast doubt upon whether a ban on under-16s using social media – as supported by the House of Lords – is workable. The proposals passed by the Lords still need to be agreed by MPs before they become law. The government wants to hold a consultation before committing to a ban.Harman pointed to existing legislation like the Online Harms Bill, Crime…