Author: SKYNEWS

Global sea levels are now rising twice as fast as they did last century, according to a major new scientific report.The study – which takes a laser focus on climate change in the 2020s, a critical decade to stop the worst damage – finds all 10 measures are going in the wrong direction. And most of them are doing so at a faster rate.The findings are “unprecedented” but “unsurprising”, given the world continues to pump record levels of planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.”We see a clear and consistent picture that things are getting worse,” said lead author Professor Piers Forster.…

A savings and retirement services group backed by Apollo Global Management is plotting a multibillion pound takeover of Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), one of the City’s biggest specialist insurers.Sky News has learnt that Athora, which was established by Apollo, the US-based alternative investments giant, is in talks to acquire control of PIC. If successfully completed, the deal – which bankers estimate could be worth between £4bn and £5bn – would represent a landmark transaction in the pension risk transfer market.Money latest: The sunscreens failing safety tests Companies such as PIC, Legal & General and Rothesay take over companies’ defined benefit…

While cinemas are struggling and London’s West End has witnessed a significant escalation in ticket prices, creatives behind immersive experiences say their sector is experiencing “a gold rush moment”.From shows built around obvious fan bases – such as Mamma Mia! The Party – to those working with established intellectual property, including Squid Game: The Experience, the UK has proven to be a world leader when it comes shows that make audiences feel part of the action, rather than just observers. Little Lion Entertainment are the team behind two shows currently running in the UK: Pac-Man Live in Manchester and the…

Every baby in the UK will have their DNA tested under a new 10-year plan for the NHS.The whole-genome sequencing will screen for hundreds of diseases and allow people to “leapfrog” killer illnesses, according to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting. Speaking to the Telegraph, he revealed plans to move the NHS towards a model of sickness prevention rather than treatment.Personalised medicine, made possible through things like DNA testing, will form a big part of that plan, with £650m pledged to genomics research by the government.”The revolution in medical science means that we can transform the NHS over the coming decade,…

Sam Laidlaw, the former boss of Centrica, is among the candidates being considered as the next chairman of BP, Britain’s besieged oil and gas exploration giant.Sky News has learnt that Mr Laidlaw is being considered by BP board members as a potential successor to Helge Lund, who announced in April that he would step down. BP’s chair search comes with the £62bn oil major in a state of crisis, as industry predators circle and the pace of its strategic transformation being interrogated by shareholders.Elliott Management, the activist investor, snapped up a multibillion pound stake in BP earlier this year and…

K-pop star Suga, a rapper and songwriter from global sensation BTS, has been discharged from South Korea’s mandatory military service.He is the last member of the band to finish their enlistment duties with Jin, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook already leaving the military. The other six members of the K-pop band served in the army while Suga worked as a social service agent, which is an alternative form of military service.His return is a big moment for BTS fans, known as the ARMY, as the band plans to reunite now they’ve all finished their service. Image: BTS members…

Minecraft users are being targeted by criminals posing as game coders online.Analysts tracked two pieces of malware spread by what appears to be Russian gangs on the code-sharing site GitHub, , according to cybersecurity firm Check Point. Its researchers said: “The malware is developed by a Russian-speaking threat actor and contains several artefacts written in the Russian language.”Thousands of Minecraft users have already been tricked into using the malware, which is designed to steal from bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, browsers and other computer applications.Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point, said it was similar to the way “gangs…

Hundreds more high street jobs are being put at risk as part of a sweeping overhaul of the family-owned fashion retailer River Island.Sky News has learnt that the clothing chain, which trades from about 230 stores, is proposing to close 33 shops in a restructuring plan which will be put to creditors in August. The fate of a further 70 stores is dependent upon agreements being reached with landlords to slash rent payments.Money latest: Why Aldi ‘could be forced to rethink’ business model Confirmation of the plans comes less than a month after Sky News revealed that the company, which…

Singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm over an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago.The US R&B star was arrested at a hotel in Manchester by Metropolitan Police detectives last month, after the singer flew to the city by private jet in preparation for his world tour. The 36-year-old said he had gone “from the cage to the stage” after he was released on bail in time for the tour. Image: Chris Brown arrives at Southwark Crown Court. Pic: PA The musician had been remanded in custody following an…

A “pioneering” new scanner derived from MRI technology could be used to track brain cancer spread and lead to improved treatment for patients, scientists have said.Researchers at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have been awarded £350,000 funding by the Scottish government to generate never-before-seen images of glioblastoma brain tumours. It is hoped the technology will improve treatment and quality of life for patients by investigating a new way to scan the tumours.Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour with more than 3,000 new patients in the UK diagnosed each year.The University of Aberdeen said…