Author: SKYNEWS

A highly infectious form of bird flu has been confirmed for the first time in Antarctic seals, threatening one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet.Scientists working for the UK’s Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) detected the variant of the H5N1 virus in samples taken from dead elephant and fur seals on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. Dozens of animals are known to have died, with many more likely to have succumbed in remote bays and out at sea.Experts at British Antarctic Survey told Sky News that the unfolding tragedy was a “mass mortality event”.Dr Marco Falchieri, from…

George Clooney says he has more fun directing than he does acting because he gets to “boss people around”.The Hollywood star steps behind the camera for his latest project, The Boys In The Boat, a sports movie about an underdog rowing team, thrust into the spotlight of Hitler’s Olympics as they compete for gold. Image: Pic: Laurie Sparham/2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc Explaining his drive to direct, Clooney told Sky News: “It’s more fun, you have a lot more control. I get to boss [the actors] around and I don’t have to learn how to row. I still like acting. I…

US flight safety regulators are to intensify their scrutiny of Boeing in the wake of the mid-air panel blowout a week ago aboard one of the company’s planes.The announcement was made by a top Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official who is working on the investigation into the scare aboard the Alaska Airlines flight on 5 January. The incident led to all 737 MAX 9 aircraft fitted with an emergency exit door panel replacement being grounded pending the outcomes of work by the FAA and other transport safety experts.FAA administrator Mike Whitaker told Sky’s US partner CNBC that the MAX 9…

Mark Zuckerberg has revealed he is raising cattle at his Hawaiian ranch on a diet of macadamia nuts and beer to produce “the highest quality beef in the world”.The 39-year-old billionaire founder of Facebook shared details of his latest venture on his Instagram and Facebook accounts – and joked that of all of his projects, it was “the most delicious”. Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, posted a photo of himself on Wednesday eating a steak from his ranch, and wrote: “Started raising cattle at Ko’olau Ranch on Kauai, and my goal is to create some of the highest quality beef…

“Our disc jockeys are husband substitutes,” Annie Nightingale was told when she knocked on Radio 1’s door following it’s launch in 1967. So why on Earth, they said, would a woman would want to join the airwaves?”They were bewildered,” Nightingale told Desert Island Disc’s presenter Lauren Laverne, during her appearance on the much-loved radio show in 2020. The male bosses were bewildered, but Nightingale was determined. Not only was she the first woman to join the station, in 1970 – remaining the only female host until Janice Long’s arrival 12 years later – she was also its longest-serving broadcaster, male…

The fintech business founded by Antony Jenkins, the former Barclays chief executive, has secured $50m in a fresh injection of capital from investors.Sky News has learnt that 10X Banking Technology recently closed its first funding round since 2021 with new money understood to have been provided by existing shareholders in the company. 10X was set up by Mr Jenkins in 2016, a year after he was ousted as the Barclays chief, and has since raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors including BlackRock, JP Morgan and Nationwide.Records at Companies House suggest that the company’s accounts for 2022 are now…

Two tech giants are battling it out for the title of the world’s most valuable company. Microsoft had overtaken Apple for the first time since 2021 to become the world’s most valuable firm by market capitalisation – which measures the value and number of a company’s shares. Money latest:’Huge announcement’ on car finance could see millions get payoutMicrosoft surpassed Apple at numerous points throughout Thursday’s trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) when its value reached $2.87trn (£2.25trn) and Apple shares fell by 1%.But Apple reclaimed the top spot as the trading day wore on. This latest movement comes…

An American lawyer who fought a years-long battle in the 1970s to prevent John Lennon from being deported from the US has died aged 90.Leon Wildes, whose health had been declining since he suffered a series of strokes, died on Monday at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, his family said. His name became part of musical and political history after, in 1972, he got involved in the case involving Lennon and Yoko Ono, who needed help getting their visas extended.He eventually succeeded, becoming a hero among Beatles fans. Image: John Lennon in New York in 1968. Pic: Ap ‘No idea…

Vue International, Europe’s largest independent cinema operator, is finalising a fresh debt restructuring after the Hollywood actors’ strike halted the release of a string of blockbuster movies.Sky News has learnt that UK-based Vue, its shareholders and lenders are in the process of organising the company’s second debt-for-equity swap in 18 months in a bid to put the business on a sustainable long-term footing. Under the plans, hundreds of millions of pounds of existing debt will be converted to equity, with roughly £50m of new capital being injected into the company.This weekend, Vue’s founder and chief executive, Tim Richards, told Sky…

Online retailer eBay has agreed to pay a $3m (£2.4m) fine to resolve criminal charges over employees who harassed a couple by sending live spiders, cockroaches to their home.David and Ina Steiner also had a funeral wreath, a bloody pig mask, and a book about surviving the loss of a spouse, show up at their door, while their home address was posted online with announcements inviting strangers to yard sales and parties. Mr and Mrs Steiner, who live in Massachusetts, produced an online newsletter called EcommerceBytes, which had upset eBay executives with its coverage.The Department of Justice charged eBay with…