Author: SKYNEWS

The moon will get its own time zone after the White House directed NASA to develop a unified lunar time standard by the end of 2026.The Coordinated Lunar Time, or LTC, would provide a time-keeping benchmark for lunar spacecraft and satellites that will require extreme precision for their missions. Having a standard lunar time is vital – and complicated – because time unfolds differently on the moon compared to how it is perceived on Earth due to the difference in gravitational force.”The same clock that we have on Earth would move at a different rate on the moon,” Kevin Coggins,…

Nigerian singer-songwriter Davido has said he is taking legal action after an April Fools article said he had been arrested for drug offences.The popular Afrobeats singer, 31, said in a statement on X that he had received a “barrage of calls” after the story – which claimed he had been detained after cocaine was found on his private jet – went viral. “I find the fabrication of allegations of such international crimes extremely irresponsible regardless of the light of ‘April Fools’,” he wrote.The three-time Grammy Award nominee added that the reports were “entirely untrue” and that he has since returned…

Scotland could become the first nation in the UK to ban egg companies from keeping chickens in cages.The Scottish government has launched a consultation on banning the use of cages to house laying hens for egg production. Views are being sought on the phasing out of “enriched cages”, which offer more room for the birds to nest, roost, scratch and rest than the battery or barren cages that were banned in the UK in 2012.Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie highlighted Holyrood’s most recent programme for government, which included a commitment to “improve the welfare of laying hens to ensure their confinement…

JK Rowling’s comments about new hate crime laws “are not assessed to be criminal”, police have said, as they confirmed no further action would be taken.The Harry Potter author dared police to arrest her on social media over the legislation that came into force in Scotland this week. The new measures aim to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice, extending protections from abusive behaviour to people on grounds including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity.What are Scotland’s new hate crime laws?Those who support the new laws insist they will make Scotland more tolerant. But critics such…

Annual UK house prices edged up by 1.6% in March, according to new figures from Nationwide, the UK’s largest building society. Every region of the UK experienced growth in year-on-year prices in the first quarter of 2024, the lender said. The average cost of a home is now £261,142. While month-on-month growth in house prices fell by 0.2% in March, after taking into account seasonal effects, the overall figures have been cautiously welcomed by commentators.Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner said it showed “consumer sentiment is improving” as cost of living pressures ease and inflation comes down.He added: “Surveyors report a…

Taylor Swift has made it on to a list of the world’s billionaires, according to Forbes, as her Eras Tour spanning 152 shows and five continents generated more than $1bn (£800m) in revenue.The 34-year-old superstar, who stole the show at this year’s Grammy Awards by winning album of the year for the fourth time, is now said to have accumulated a fortune of $1.1bn (£874m). According to Forbes, the estimated figure is based on the value of Swift’s music, earnings from her world tour and her real estate portfolio. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:30…

The Abu Dhabi-backed vehicle which faces being thwarted in its bid to buy The Daily Telegraph is lining up advisers to determine the fate of the right-leaning British newspaper.Sky News has learnt that Raine Group, which is best known in Britain for its roles in recent deals involving Manchester United and Chelsea football clubs, is to be appointed alongside Robey Warshaw to advise on the next phases of the Telegraph’s ownership. Sources close to the Telegraph said the two firms’ appointments were expected to be finalised in the coming days.Their roles are ultimately likely to lead to a further auction…

A lot of us don’t want to think about it.Getting old, retirement, pensions. It’s a lifetime away. And with rising bills and rent restricting finances right now, it seems planning for 40 or 50 years down the line is even further from the minds of young Britons. In the past year alone, the number of financially vulnerable 30-somethings who are failing to set aside money for their retirement has increased by more than 5%, or 72,000, according to data science firm Outra.The total stands at 1.43 million.One of these younger workers pausing contributions is Neha Solanki, 24, who works as…

Roman Kemp has opened up about his decision to leave his Capital breakfast radio show, saying being in the studio was like reliving the “horrible” moment of discovering his friend’s death “over and over” again.Kemp’s best friend and producer Joe Lyons died in August 2020, and the star learned of his death while he was at work. He went on to make a documentary about mental health and suicide in young men the following year.In February, the 31-year-old announced he was stepping down from his breakfast show role, 10 years after presenting his first programme for Capital, and hosted his…

The UK’s manufacturing industry has returned to growth and is showing “tentative signs of recovery”, according to a closely-watched survey.Both output and new orders increased in March, while business optimism also hit an 11-month high, S&P Global/CIPS UK found. The firms’ manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) score rose to a better-than-expected 50.3 last month, up from 47.5 in February.Any figure above 50 represents growth. March was the first time the threshold had been reached since July 2022 – 20 months ago – and comes following growing concern about the sector.The survey also found other signs of stabilisation, with rates of…