Author: SKYNEWS

The Co-operative Bank will this week move a step closer to regaining its mutual status when it announces that it has struck a £780m deal to be bought by the Coventry Building Society.Sky News has learnt that the two organisations are expected to announce as early as Thursday morning that they have reached agreement on the terms of a transaction. Insiders said the cash price to be paid by the Coventry would be close to £800m.Their statement will mean that a combination of the two financial services businesses is increasingly probable, more than a decade after the Co-operative Bank first…

The technology behind ChatGPT scored better at assessing eye problems and providing advice than non-specialist doctors, a new study has found.A study led by the University of Cambridge has found that GPT-4, the large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI, performed nearly as well as specialist eye doctors in a written multiple-choice test. The AI model, which is known for generating text based on the vast amount of data it is trained on, was tested against doctors at different stages of their careers, including junior doctors without a specialism, as well as trainee and expert eye doctors.Each group was presented…

Olly Murs has announced the birth of his first child with his wife Amelia.The 39-year-old singer published a photo on Instagram of the couple walking down the corridor of a hospital holding hands, with the singer carrying their newborn in a car seat. He captioned the picture: “Our mini murs has arrived. Madison we love you so much already x.” Image: Olly Murs and Amelia at Wimbledon in 2021. Pic: Beretta/Sims/Shutterstock The couple announced in December that they were expecting their first child.The singer married 31-year-old Amelia, a bodybuilder, in a star-studded wedding – featuring a festival called Murs Fest…

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said that “better times are ahead” but that the fundamentals of the UK economy are “very strong”.Speaking to Sky News in Washington, Mr Hunt pointed to price rise data from today showing a drop in the rate of inflation as well as the latest jobs figures and IMF economic growth predictions. Money latest: Tourist tax warning in 10 European citiesMr Hunt said: “I think the economy, we are seeing, has turned the corner, people are beginning to feel that.””That will continue during the course of this year. But the fundamentals for the UK economy, yes, are…

A new ‘leaked’ song thought to be by Drake is causing confusion among fans, with some questioning whether it is him or an AI clone.The new song appeared on the internet over the weekend, supposedy after being leaked. In it, the Canadian rapper seems to hit out at other musicians including Kendrick Lamar and Metro Boomin.However, fans aren’t sure if it is actually him.”This is clearly AI,” posted one user on X. The song hasn’t been officially released and some listeners say they can hear small glitches in his vocal track that suggest it could have been generated by artificial…

Author Sophie Kinsella has revealed she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022. The novelist, 54, is best known for her bestselling Shopaholic book series. In a post on social media, Kinsella – whose real name is Madeleine Sophie Wickham – said she has been receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy at London’s University College Hospital, as well as undergoing “successful” surgery.She said she “wanted for a long time to share with you a health update and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so”.”At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive…

The owner of Royal Mail has rejected an attempt by its biggest shareholders to take over the business but another bid is in the works. Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky already owns 27.5% of International Distribution Services (IDS), which owns Royal Mail, but earlier this month he put forward a cash offer to buy the remaining shares. Follow Money latest:Nearly 20% of first-time buyers now in their 40sThat was rejected but Mr Kretinsky’s company – EP Group – still wants to own all of IDS.EP Group said it will “engage constructively” with the board of IDS, as the group “considers all…

The Post Office’s chief executive has been “exonerated of all misconduct allegations” following an investigation into bullying allegations.The organisation said Nick Read would continue to lead it following the independent review. Allegations about his behaviour emerged earlier this year when Henry Staunton, the former Post Office chairman, told a House of Commons select committee that an 80-page document had been written by the company’s former human resources director under its “Speak Up” policy.Read more: Exclusive – Post Office chief braced for publication of crunch ‘bullying’ report Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Post Office Horizon inquiry:…

Sesame Street writers have unanimously voted to support strike action should a deal not be reached after two months of negotiations over pay and union coverage.A group of writers for Sesame Workshop, the producer of the hit children’s TV show, began bargaining on 13 February ahead of their contract expiring on 19 April. Picketing will begin outside the offices in New York next week if a “fair new collective bargaining agreement” is not made in time, they have said.Sesame Workshop has said it is hopeful a deal will be reached before then, according to US media reports. Image: Count von…

The new boss of BT Group is dusting off plans for a sale of its Irish corporate business four years after her predecessor called off tlls a deal.Sky News has learnt that the FTSE-100 telecoms giant is working with bankers at Citi on a potential disposal of the unit. The review of its options is at an early stage and may not result in a transaction, sources said on Wednesday.Nevertheless, it represents one of the first corporate actions being evaluated by Allison Kirkby, BT’s new chief executive.BT Ireland is the main alternative fixed-line communications provider in the country with more…