Science

The team behind Call of Duty: Vanguard, which launches this week, hopes to raise awareness of the unsung black heroes of the Second World War. Award-winning actor, Chiké Okonkwo, who portrays the new game’s protagonist, Arthur Kingsley, told Sky News it was time for a new perspective on the history of the conflict: “Lest we

As the world’s most powerful states pledge to limit global warming at the COP26 summit, we’ve all been following along online – but is that contributing to the problem? At its best the modern internet delivers near-instantaneous service, loading the content of rich web pages from distant data centres to our screens in the blink

Pfizer’s new experimental COVID-19 antiviral pill cuts the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89%, the company has announced. The results appear to surpass those seen with Merck & Co Inc’s pill Molnupiravir, which was shown last month to halve the likelihood of dying or needing hospital treatment for COVID-19. On Thursday, the UK became

Getting 190 countries to commit to giving up coal has taken years of lobbying and diplomatic lever-pulling by a coalition of countries including the UK and Canada. It’s a big deal. Coal is by far the biggest source of man-made greenhouse gases. But to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees, the International Energy Agency has

US Navy investigators have identified the “unknown object” that collided with a submarine in the South China Sea in October – an uncharted underwater mountain. The USS Connecticut was in a “safe and stable condition” after the incident in the disputed waters, which provoked outrage from officials in China. But the risk of fallout following

An unemployed university drop-out who was part of the notorious darknet market Silk Road’s upper hierarchy has been ordered to hand over more than £490,000 in Bitcoin. Thomas White, 26, known online by the handle Cthulhu, took over the Silk Road darknet market after a US law enforcement operation captured its administrator Ross Ulbricht in

NASA has postposed the launch of a SpaceX rocket taking four astronauts to the International Space Station on unspecified medical grounds. The space agency said the delay was not COVID-19 related, nor was it a medical emergency, but did not identify the matter further or the astronaut involved. It is the first time that NASA

A solar flare hit Earth on Halloween, treating stargazers to an eerie display of the Northern Lights. As charged particles from the star collided with the planet’s magnetosphere, they created a beautiful and spooky green and orange aurora. Astronomers, photographers, and delighted amateurs captured dozens of pictures and videos of the show and shared them

The US Senate has voted unanimously in favour of new restrictions on equipment from Chinese technology companies being installed in American telecommunications networks. The Secure Equipment Act will prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing or issuing licenses to specific listed companies, including Huawei and ZTE. It will now pass to President Joe Biden

Facebook’s parent company has been renamed Meta, prompting ridicule alongside allegations that the company is attempting to deflect recent criticism. Explaining the move, Mark Zuckerberg said the company was increasingly focusing on two different market segments – one with its family of apps, and another for its work on future platforms. But critics have accused

A gynaecologist has created what is believed to be the world’s first unisex condom. Made from a medical grade material usually used as a dressing for injuries and wounds, the condom features an adhesive to attach to a vagina or penis. Malaysian gynaecologist John Tang Ing Chinh says he hopes the invention will improve sexual

A doctor in the UK has told Sky News “we need to find some solutions” as medical journal reports suggest TikTok videos may have contributed to teenagers developing tic-like symptoms during the pandemic. Multiple reports have noted an increase in tic-like episodes among some adolescents, mainly teenage girls, in the coronavirus crisis. A report in

Scientists believe they may have discovered the first known planet outside of our own galaxy.  The “possible exoplanet” – which has been found in the spiral galaxy Messier 51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy – is 28 million light years away. It is thousands of times further than any other exoplanet previously found in

Tesla’s market capitalisation passed $1trn on Monday after its shares surged following a deal with car rental company Hertz which has ordered 100,000 new electric vehicles from the manufacturer. It is the largest-ever order for the firm founded by Elon Musk. Following the announcement of the deal, Tesla’s shares jumped by over 9.5% to top

Thousands of pages of internal Facebook documents have been released showing employees’ anger over the incitement of violence on the social network and how Apple threatened to remove the app due to concerns about abuse. The documents were obtained by former Facebook data scientist-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen who is facing MPs today as they scrutinise the

A drone pilot in Spain has received permission to try to rescue three emaciated dogs trapped by the volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma. Jaime Pereira plans to catch the dogs using a remote-controlled wide net and then fly them 450 metres across the streams of lava as the month-long eruption continues with