Author: SKYNEWS

Sir Tony Blair and Lord Hague have issued a joint call for NHS medical records to be sold to fund the development of cutting-edge treatments. Britain’s former prime minister and the ex-Conservative leader have produced a report of more than 40 recommendations on regulation and state support, to help the UK remain at the forefront of growth in artificial intelligence and biotechnology. The NHS medical records would be anonymised and sold to an independent company, free of government interference, which would “strictly preserve privacy while bringing massive benefits to research, public health and patient treatment”. Please use Chrome browser for…

Searching for Taylor Swift’s name on X yields no results days after the pop star fell victim to deepfake sexual pictures circulating on the website. “Something went wrong. Try reloading” appears when Swift’s name is typed into the search box. Sky News approached X for comment.On Friday President Joe Biden’s spokesperson said the fake, sexually explicit images of the star were “very alarming”.White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said social media companies have “an important role to play in enforcing their own rules”, as she urged Congress to legislate on the issue. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted the company needs…

The legislation being used to exonerate hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted over the Horizon IT scandal should include measures to protect the specialist finance sector which helped Alan Bates to overturn Britain’s biggest miscarriage of justice, according to an influential trade body.Sky News understands that the International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) wants ministers to use the Horizon Bill to reverse a Supreme Court ruling which has cast a pall across the litigation funding sector. Litigation funding sources argue that the ruling in a case known as PACCAR, which concerned truck manufacturers accused of acting as a cartel, has made litigation…

UK scientists are to carry out studies on a new “breakthrough” blood test which could be used to detect certain types of brain cancer.Described as a “liquid biopsy”, the test, believed to be a world-first, could reduce the need for invasive and risky surgery currently needed to diagnose some brain tumours. The tests could also lead to an earlier diagnosis, which in turn could speed up treatment and potentially increase survival rates for patients with one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, experts say.Patients with inoperable brain tumours could particularly benefit – because an early diagnosis would allow them…

The singer Morrissey is being treated for “physical exhaustion” after cancelling a string of concerts.He has also been told to rest for two weeks, his tour manager said. The former Smiths frontman had been due to play at the Honda Centre in Anaheim, California, on Friday, and at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday.Both venues said on social media that the gigs had been cancelled “due to unforeseen circumstances”.They were going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his solo album You Are The Quarry. The singer, 64, is on a tour called “40 years of Morrissey” – but…

The chairman of the Post Office is being forced out of the role amid frustration in Whitehall over the state-owned company’s governance as it reels from the Horizon IT scandal.Sky News has learnt that Henry Staunton, who only became chairman of the Post Office in December 2022 after a long career in FTSE boardrooms, was this weekend told by Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, that he was to be replaced amid mounting tension with the government. Sources said this weekend that Ms Badenoch had notified him of the decision in a telephone call on Saturday afternoon.The hunt for a new…

Scientists say they have discovered a new type of star deep at the heart of our galaxy.The stars have been given the nickname “old smokers” by scientists because they have been observed “puffing” out clouds of gas. They are a type of red giant, which are formed during the dying stages of medium sized stars – like our Sun – after they have run out of hydrogen for nuclear fusion.The “old smokers” were discovered by an international team of scientists led by Professor Philip Lucas, of the University of Hertfordshire.Researchers made their ground-breaking discovery after monitoring almost a billion stars…

Spoiler alert: This article contains details of the final of the second series of The Traitors. You have been warned.Judas level treachery, the advent of Jazatha Christie, and death by fizzy rosé – this series of The Traitors has had it all. After 12 episodes, the nail-biting finale saw baby-faced British army engineer turned arch-manipulator Harry winning the entire prize pot of almost £100,000 – leaving faithful Mollie, his closest friend in the group, with nothing.Viewers of the hit show have watched Harry, 22, play a near perfect game throughout the series, fooling almost everyone while quietly “murdering” the faithfuls…

Superdry, the London-listed clothing retailer, is weighing a radical restructuring that could involve significant numbers of store closures and job cuts after reporting weak sales.Sky News has learnt that Superdry and its advisers at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) are initiating work on plans that could lead to a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) or restructuring plan, both of which are insolvency mechanisms enabling businesses to reduce their liabilities to creditors. This could be aimed at closing underperforming shops – with a commensurate impact on jobs – and forcing through rent cuts with landlords.Detailed proposals have yet to be worked up, and there was…

I’m officially a bad liar.With a blood pressure cuff pumped tight around my arm, straps around my chest monitoring my breathing, and sensors on my fingers to pick up any traces of sweat, veteran polygraph test examiner Don Cargill says he can easily spot the signs I’ve told him a fib. I’ve denied writing the number three on the piece of paper placed underneath my chair, in a simple exercise designed to show how my body reacts to lying. Even with nothing to lose, it’s an uncomfortable experience.But while commonly associated with daytime television programmes like The Jeremy Kyle Show,…