Author: SKYNEWS

Elon Musk has announced further changes to social media platform X that will see certain accounts get premium features for free.The tech billionaire, writing on the platform formerly known as Twitter, said all accounts with more than 2,500 verified subscriber followers would be able to access features that usually cost $8 (£6.30) a month. Premium features include the ability to edit and write longer posts, as well as reducing the number of adverts seen by the user. It also gives the account holder a blue tick next to their display name.The Tesla owner, who took over the website for $44bn…

Nick Cave has said he has “feelings of culpability” over the deaths of his sons.The Bad Seeds singer, 66, made the comments after losing two of his children in the space of seven years. His son Arthur died aged 15 after he fell from a cliff near his home in Brighton in 2015. It came after he took the drug LSD for the first time, an inquest heard.Then in 2022 his 31-year-old son Jethro, who had schizophrenia, died in Melbourne.The 66-year-old, speaking during an interview with The Guardian, said it was “against nature” for a parent to bury their child.…

The chairman of Heathrow Airport is returning to Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street bank where he spent more than 20 years, in a key international role.Sky News has learnt that Lord Deighton, who played a key part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, is to become chairman of Goldman Sachs International (GSI), its main holding company outside the US. The appointment of Lord Deighton, who also chairs The Economist Group, was announced in an internal memo by David Solomon, Goldman’s boss, on Thursday.In the note, seen by Sky News, Mr Solomon said Lord Deighton would succeed Sir Bradley Fried…

Hormonal contraception used by millions of women worldwide has been linked to an increased risk of developing a rare type of brain tumour.Prolonged use of certain drugs containing the hormone progestogen can increase the risk of meningioma – a tumour which is mostly non-cancerous – by up to five-fold, a study found. However, experts are warning women not to stop using their birth control without consulting their doctor.Of the progestogens included in the study, the only one used in the UK linked to a higher tumour risk was medroxyprogesterone acetate, a contraceptive injection available under the brand name Depo-Provera.NHS data…

Shareholders in troubled Thames Water have blamed Ofwat for not giving the “regulatory support” needed to help the company’s turnaround plan.The nine shareholders said they had been in talks with Thames Water and the regulator to try and find a way through the “complex challenges” facing the company. But in a statement, they said: “After more than a year of negotiations, Ofwat has not been prepared to provide the necessary regulatory support for a business plan which ultimately addresses the issues that Thames Water faces.”As a result, shareholders are not in a position to provide further funding to Thames Water.”The…

Scientists have trained dogs to recognise the scent of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on people’s breath.A study, published in the journal Frontiers in Allergy, found evidence that some dogs may be able to sniff out volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – which make up a human’s “scent profile”. Certain VOCs are associated with stress, which a golden retriever named Ivy and a German shepherd named Callie both detected when put to the test.PTSD is a mental health condition caused by stressful, frightening or distressing events, with those afflicted often reliving these moments through nightmares and flashbacks.During the study, 26 people -…

Millions of people are being urged to send meter readings to their energy supplier this weekend to ensure they don’t overpay.The regulator’s price cap drops 12.3% on Monday 1 April, from a typical £1,928 per year for a dual-fuel household to £1,690 – an average saving of about £20 per month. Money blog – latest updatesPeople without a smart meter who are on a standard variable tariff (SVT) should send readings so their company has an up-to-date record when the prices change.”If you delay submitting your readings, some of your energy usage could end up being charged under the higher…

A “modest” increase in statutory sick pay (SSP) is overdue, according to a committee of MPs who say it must strike a balance between workers’ needs and what employers can afford.The Work and Pensions Committee recommended a rate in line with the flat rate of Statutory Maternity Pay. That would see SSP rise from the current weekly level of £109.40 to £172.48 per week.The MPs also wanted to see SSP paid in combination with usual wages, in order to encourage phased returns to work.The cross-party committee argued too that all workers should be eligible for SSP, not just those earning…

Up to eight million UK jobs are at risk from the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report warning that the low-skilled would be worst affected.The effects of generative AI are already being widely felt as 11% of tasks done by workers are currently exposed, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said. It said that back office, entry level and part-time jobs were at the highest risk of being disrupted during the so-called first wave, with women and young people the most likely to be affected as a result.But its analysis showed that as more employers integrate…

First-time buyers are being offered the chance to pay a modest £5,000 deposit and potentially borrow up to 99% of a property’s value.The mortgage from Yorkshire Building Society is valid on places up to £500,000 and comes without a fee – but there are a few key exceptions. Money blog – latest updatesIt’s not available for flats or new-build properties and would-be borrowers must pass strict affordability and credit scoring checks.The task of saving for a deposit is one of the barriers that many first-time buyers struggle with as most lenders like a minimum 10% up front. Yorkshire Building Society’s…