German engineering company Festo has created robotic birds capable of amazingly realistic flight. The firm acknowledges that the robo-birds don’t have any business applications yet, but hopes one could be found in future. Until then, a whole fleet (or flock) of the birds have been unveiled in a video showing off how they can take
UK shopping visits are still only at half the level of last year and the reopening of pubs and cafes failed to deliver a hoped-for boost, according to industry figures. Footfall was down 49.6% for the week ending 4 July compared to the same week a year ago, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. The
10:29 PM ET The NBA is less than a month away from restarting the 2019-20 season. With teams beginning to arrive at Walt Disney World on Tuesday and training camps set to begin on Thursday, it’s time to take stock of the teams that will face off later this month at Disney’s ESPN Wide World
Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan pushed his ex-fiancee’s head into a hamster cage and threatened her with a wooden pallet in front of a child, a court has heard. The 39-year-old arrived at Leicester Magistrates’ Court this morning where he pleaded guilty to one charge of assault by beating on 9 April this year. He
TikTok has said it will no longer operate in Hong Kong after China’s new national security law demanded it hand over user data. Technology giants including Google, Twitter and Facebook have also said they will deny requests for user data from Hong Kong law enforcement while they examine the implications of the new legislation. Professional
A third of Britons have said they are either unsure or definitely wouldn’t use a vaccine for coronavirus, a poll suggests. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), coincides with the release of a report by the same group into the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation online. Members of the
7:45 PM ET The Kansas City Chiefs, who wandered aimlessly for so many years without a long-term plan at football’s most important position, know how to take care of a franchise quarterback now that they finally have one. They agreed to terms of a 10-year contract extension with Patrick Mahomes that, combined with the two
A dossier linked to former spy Christopher Steele accuses China of seeking to influence elite figures in British politics, business and academia. The report – compiled for a US-based film producer and human rights activist – also makes allegations of a spying risk to the UK posed by the technology firm Huawei. Mr Steele made
Prince Andrew has again been urged to speak to investigators by a lawyer representing more than a dozen women who claim they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein. Gloria Allred says the Duke of York should not be waiting for a “gold-plated invitation delivered by a footman on a silver platter” before agreeing to an interview
A white woman who called the police on a black man while he was bird watching in New York has been charged by police. Amy Cooper is accused of falsely reporting an incident in the third degree, the district attorney of New York has said. It comes after Ms Cooper told police Christian Cooper was
Forty charities are urging Boris Johnson to end the “patchy” help for homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic by passing an emergency law. Crisis, St Mungo’s and the Big Issue Foundation are among the groups who have drawn up a bill they say would truly deliver on the government’s “everyone in” campaign to accommodate all
Boris Johnson has been urged to apologise after he angered care home bosses by claiming “too many” in the sector “didn’t really follow the procedures” during the coronavirus crisis. During a visit to Goole, Yorkshire, on Monday, the prime minister was asked about comments from NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens – who wants to
Global stock markets have surged despite rising clusters of coronavirus infections threatening to derail economic recovery. Investors took the lead from China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite index, which jumped by 5.8% on Monday to record its biggest daily increase in five years. Analysts said the share spending spree was fuelled by cheap funding to invest in
US comedy-drama Saint Frances will be one of the first new films showing in UK cinemas since the coronavirus lockdown began. The movie is opening in a world where some cinemas remain closed, and smaller, independent chains may never open again. It’s something the film’s lead and writer, Kelly O’Sullivan, was painfully aware of when
British gymnasts, including Olympians and elite competitors, claim the sport is riddled with cases of physical and emotional abuse with some suggesting their complaints about welfare issues weren’t taken seriously by the governing body. One former elite artistic gymnast who retired after a decade in the sport told Sky News she was “beaten into submission”
Israel’s government has ordered the immediate closure of bars, gyms, nightclubs, swimming pools and event halls after a spike in coronavirus cases. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was necessary because the country was close to requiring another total lockdown. “The pandemic is spreading – that’s as clear as day. It is rising daily… it