Science

Scientists have paved the way for future discoveries of rare diamonds after solving why they “erupt” in the Earth’s surface. The prized jewels, which are hundreds of millions or even billions of years old, have long been known to form under great pressure and are typically found in a type of volcanic rock called kimberlite.

The secrets of how planets as big as the largest in our Solar System have been revealed by a stunning new image of a young star. The picture was captured using European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes in northern Chile. It shows huge dusty clumps surrounding a star called V960 Mon, more than 5,000 light-years from

The UK data watchdog is looking into a cryptocurrency scheme launched by OpenAI boss Sam Altman that offers digital coins in exchange for eyeball scans. It comes after the billionaire entrepreneur, whose artificial intelligence company created ChatGPT, helped launch Worldcoin in cities around the world on Monday. The project gives people the chance to stare

Apple is being sued for £1bn (£785m) by UK app developers over its App Store fees. Professor Sean Ennis from the University of East Anglia Centre for Competition Policy is bring the class action lawsuit on behalf of 1,566 app creators because of the tech giant’s “excessive” charges. Some app makers are charged 15% to

Ocado shares have surged following revelations it has secured £200m in its patent battle against a Norwegian rival. It was announced on Saturday that AutoStore would pay the sum to settle all outstanding patent litigation claims launched by the warehouse technology pioneers. Ocado, which also has a separate retail arm in partnership with Marks and

More than two-thirds of people who administer cosmetic surgery injections in the UK are not qualified medical doctors, a new study has suggested. The study – which is the first survey of who is providing injectable cosmetic services including Botox and dermal fillers in the country – found dentists and nurses were among those delivering

In the early 1980s, the US labour movement coined the term “just transition”.   Clean air and water laws it had supported on health and environmental grounds had begun driving thousands of Americans out of their jobs. If environmental protections are going to benefit society, as the “just transition” argument goes, governments must ensure livelihoods

Google is testing whether artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to write news articles – but insists it won’t replace journalists. A spokesperson for the search giant said it was in the “earliest stages of exploring ideas” for how the technology could enhance “work and productivity” in a newsroom. They cited coming up with headlines

Tesla has shared a new look of its upcoming Cybertruck vehicle – almost four years after it was announced. The unusual looking electric pick-up truck, first unveiled back in 2019, is nearing full production – and company boss Elon Musk has said deliveries should begin by the end of the year. He provided the update

TikTok is now the most popular single source of news for teenagers in the UK, according to research by Ofcom. The media regulator found that the video-sharing app is used by 28% of 12 to 15-year-olds for finding out about current affairs, a higher proportion than any other platform. YouTube and Instagram are joint second,

A satellite set to return to Earth via a first-of-its-kind assisted re-entry will splash down into the Atlantic Ocean next week. The European Space Agency (ESA) said the Aeolus craft will be brought back down from orbit in stages, with an operations centre in Germany to guide it on its way. It will begin on

The United Nations Security Council has been told to “take AI seriously” as it met for the first time to discuss the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence. In the first-ever session of its kind at the world’s top diplomatic body, representatives from the 15 member countries heard how AI poses “catastrophic risks for humans”

A plant-eating dinosaur and a mammal the size of a badger have been found “locked in mortal combat” from 125 million years ago. The fossilised remains, believed to be among the first evidence of a mammal preying on a much larger dinosaur – about twice its size – were discovered in Liaoning province in China.

Eurostar passengers leaving London will be able to avoid manual ticket and passport checks by UK officials through a new facial verification system. The launch of the technology at St Pancras station is aimed at easing congestion. To participate, passengers must use an app before travel to scan their identity document and verify their face

Hostile states are using organised crime gangs to carry out illegal activity in the UK, the head of the National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned. Director-general Graeme Biggar highlighted “the emerging links between serious and organised crime and hostile states” in a speech outlining the agency’s annual assessment of crime threats to Britain. Speaking in

A survivor of sexual abuse has described her distress that her personal details could have been made public online. Sky News can reveal that a data breach at the London Mayor’s Office affecting “around 400 people” is currently under investigation. It involves complaints about policing in the capital being made wrongly accessible via an official