Author: SKYNEWS

Dogs have been used to successfully identify tree diseases in the UK for the first time – proving pooches aren’t just a man’s best friend.Ivor, a six-year-old cocker spaniel-labrador cross, has been trained to identify a highly destructive and deadly pathogen which is dangerous to more than 150 plant species. The phytophthora ramorum organism can cause extensive damage and even death to plants, including larch trees, which are important for timber.Ivor’s detective training from Canine Assisted Pest Eradication included techniques such as initial scent recognition.He aced the first test by successfully identifying the pathogen in soil, plant material and sterile…

HSBC Holdings, one of Britain’s biggest high street banks and Europe’s largest lender by market value, is preparing to kick off a hunt for its next chairman.Sky News has learnt that HSBC’s board has appointed headhunters to orchestrate the recruitment of a successor to Mark Tucker, who has held the post since 2017. City sources said this weekend that the search firm MWM Consulting was among the frontrunners to run the process.Mr Tucker, a former boss of Prudential and Hong Kong-based insurer AIA, is expected to step down at around the time of HSBC’s annual meeting in the spring of…

Irish language rap group Kneecap have won their discrimination case against the UK government after former business secretary Kemi Badenoch refused them funding.The trio – who have been criticised by former Tory government members for some of their lyrics – launched legal action, claiming the decision to withhold the grant discriminated against them on grounds of nationalist and political opinion. After a brief hearing at Belfast High Court on Friday, it was agreed the government would pay the band £14,250 – the same amount the grant was for.The group’s application to the Music Export Growth Scheme, which supports UK-registered artists…

Australian senators have passed a world-first law that bans under 16s from having social media accounts.The legislation is set to come into force in November 2025. It includes some of the toughest social media controls in the world and will force platforms to take reasonable steps to ensure age-verification protections are in place.The law will make platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (£25m) if they don’t systemically stop children younger than 16 from holding accounts.The platforms will have one year to work out how to implement the ban…

Qatar’s leading state-backed fund will on Friday confirm the purchase of a large minority stake in the Audi Formula One (F1) team, marking the latest major global sporting investment by a sovereign investor.Sky News has learnt that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has struck a deal to acquire roughly 30% of the F1 outfit, which currently races as Sauber but which will be rebranded under the Audi name in time for the 2026 season. F1 insiders said the deal would be officially announced on Friday, ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix in the tiny Gulf state.The investment is expected to…

Gregg Wallace will step away from presenting MasterChef while complaints made to the BBC from individuals about historical allegations of misconduct are investigated, the show’s production company said.Banijay UK said the complaints were made to the BBC this week by “individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with Gregg Wallace on one of our shows”. The company said the 60-year-old, who has been a co-presenter and judge of the popular cooking show since 2005, was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.”Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company…

At least 27 have died after flash floods and landslides hit the north of Indonesia’s Sumatra island.Torrential rain started striking North Sumatra province last week, causing flash floods and landslides in four districts, with extreme weather expected through to the end of the year. As of Thursday morning, at least 27 have died as a result of the conditions.Hadi Wahyudi, a North Sumatra police spokesperson, said a landslide in Deli Serdang on Wednesday killed seven and injured 20.Rescuers found 20 people dead in other locations during a search that started over the weekend. Image: Torrential rainfall started hitting Sumatra island…

UK car production has slowed, according to industry figures, in the latest sign of a struggling sector. For the eighth month in a row UK car manufacturing fell, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). October saw 15.3% fewer cars roll off factory lines than the same month a year ago, meaning 14,037 fewer cars were made last month compared to October 2023.The impact of this reduced production could be visible in the last week from the announcement of 800 job cuts from Ford UK and Vauxhall’s Luton plant closure.Part of the blame for the…

Davina McCall has said she is feeling “stronger and stronger” every day after having brain tumour surgery.In an update posted to Instagram, the TV presenter emphasised the importance of sleep during her recovery after having a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, removed. Sporting a bruised left eye, McCall said she is being “brilliantly” looked after by her boyfriend, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and stepmum Gabby and is “just trying to sleep a lot” and “get better”.Earlier this week, the star said she was suffering from short-term memory problems due to the operation.But on Wednesday, she said her memory…

The alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk framed the 2024 election and their bond has only deepened since.Musk has been a regular fixture at the president-elect’s Florida mansion and the pair have introduced their families. He has been privy to phone conversations with world leaders, consulted with Trump on his cabinet picks and even hosted him at Space X for the launch of the Starship rocket.Musk will co-chair the new Department of Government Efficiency, charged with cutting government spending.But how might the entrepreneur’s other views affect Trump policy? Image: Elon Musk secured the confidence of Donald Trump during his…