Author: SKYNEWS

Artificial intelligence can be a “sword and a shield” against misinformation as billions of people head to the polls, Sir Nick Clegg has said.During a year in which more than half of the world’s population elects their leaders, “we should be vigilant but we should also think of AI as a tool to navigate that landscape,” he said during an AI panel hosted by Meta at its London office. The former UK deputy prime minister joined Meta in 2018 and is now head of global affairs at the company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.Of the major elections that have…

For the last four months, one of the biggest talking points in the betting and gaming industry has been who will become the next chief executive of Entain, the FTSE-100 combine whose businesses include Ladbrokes, Coral, Gala Bingo, Bwin and BetMGM.The post was vacated when, 11 days before Christmas, the former incumbent Jette Nygaard-Andersen unexpectedly resigned with immediate effect. Since then, the job has been done on an interim basis by Stella David, former chief executive of William Grant & Sons, the Scotch whisky group behind brands such as The Balvenie and Glenfiddich – but the hunt remains ongoing for…

Millions of people were mesmerised by a total solar eclipse in Mexico, the US and Canada on Monday which briefly plunged large parts into darkness.So, where you can see the next one? You will be able to witness the rare phenomenon in Spain and Portugal on 12 August 2026. It will also be visible in Greenland, Iceland, and Russia.This will be Europe’s first total eclipse for 27 years. Image: Pic: Reuters One year later, on 2 August 2027, another total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and across North Africa. If you’re in southern Africa, on a ship in…

Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant are set to return for a fourth Bridget Jones film.Two-time Oscar winner Zellweger is back in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, while Grant reprises his role as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver. Emma Thompson, who starred in the third film as Bridget’s despairing obstetrician, also returns, with 12 Years A Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor and One Day actor Leo Woodall joining the cast.Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, will not be back this time. Image: Colin Firth, who plays Mark Darcy, will not be in the new film. Pic: Alamy British author Helen Fielding previously said…

Ted Baker’s American licensing partner is a leading contender to take control of the fashion brand’s British operation weeks after it collapsed into administration.Sky News has learnt that OSL, which was appointed to run Ted Baker’s US retail business just over a year ago, is a frontrunner to take over the European business, which includes dozens of UK shops. The news comes two days after administrators at Teneo confirmed that 15 Ted Baker stores in the UK would close permanently with the loss of more than 200 jobs.The closures are understood to have been necessary in order to assist the…

Some frogs scream at an ear-splitting volume for other animals but its frequency is inaudible to humans, scientists have discovered.While out in the Amazonian jungle studying frogs, researchers in Brazil noticed something strange. Small leaf litter frogs were arching their backs, throwing back their heads and opening their mouths wide.They looked like they were screaming but the scientists could hear nothing.When they recorded the frogs using high-frequency audio recorders, the scientists captured the first documented case of “defensive ultrasound” being used by amphibians. The scream is a response to predators, according to researchers from Brazil’s State University of Campinas.It could…

Eurovision organisers have condemned the abuse and harassment of contestants over Israel’s inclusion in the competition as “unacceptable and totally unfair”.UK entrant Olly Alexander last month rejected calls to boycott the music competition amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip, although he is among several Eurovision entrants who have signed a joint statement calling for an “immediate and lasting ceasefire”. Jean Philip De Tender, deputy director general of Eurovision organiser the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has now released a statement over the inclusion of Israeli broadcaster Kan and the country’s entrant Hurricane, performed by singer Eden Golan.He said he understands…

Profits at Tesco reached £2.83bn – up more than £300m from a year earlier – as the UK’s largest supermarket group said it had brought down prices.More people are shopping at Tesco, due to improved product value and quality, the company said. Profits topped £2.83bn last year, up from £2.5bn a year earlier, while the amount of money Tesco took in was also up.Money blog – Masterchef judge closing restaurantRevenue reached £68.19bn, not including VAT and fuel sales, an increase of £2.86bn from the same period a year before. It comes after the retailer was cleared of charges of ‘greedflation’…

More than seven million people in the UK were struggling with bills and credit repayments in January, according to a financial watchdog.The number is down significantly on the 10.9 million people in the same position in January 2023. However, it’s still above the 5.8 million recorded in February 2020, before the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.Money blog: Popular pub chain owner admits ‘uncertainty’ over futureRenters, single adults with children, adults from a minority ethnic background and those in northeast England were most likely to be in difficulty, according to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) research. Almost two-thirds of renters…

Up to £11 million from water company fines will be reinvested in schemes to improve waterways and wetlands, the government has said.The Water Restoration Fund – which has now opened for applications – will offer grants to local groups, charities, farmers and landowners to help them improve rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands where illegal pollution has occurred. Initiatives that could be given money might include schemes to create wetlands, boost wildlife and river habitats, and improve public access to green spaces.The cash will come from fines and penalties issued to water companies for environmental breaches such as dumping sewage.The £11m…