Iconic Scottish distilleries to release special edition whiskies for Fèis Ìle 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
Parents turn to AI stories to get children to read
Parents are using artificial intelligence to encourage their children to start reading. Amid a national decline in children's literacy rates, three fathers have created an app that harnesses the controversial technology for their toddlers in lieu of traditional storytelling. It comes after Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, called on parents to read books to their children daily as she announced that 2026 will be a National Year of Reading. TV presenter Lara Lewington, who co-hosts weekly BBC technology show Tech Now, described the AI-led book creating app Luna as an 'interesting idea for the future of storytelling'. The app, which took two years to create, allows children to input simple answers to prompt questions before being presented with a specialised and illustrated online story 'book' based on their answers. The AI-created stories can be based around an individual child's pet, toys, foods or past holiday locations, for example. 'When it comes to doing something like this book, it fulfils the personalisation, and that's something that kids could find really engaging,' Lewington added. The presenter, who shares one daughter with her husband Martin Lewis, said: 'I was initially reticent to do anything that involved getting a phone out at bedtime, but I also thought the story was fun and the way the animations could be created to go along with it was pretty amazing. 'If in future they do extend it to AI-generated personalised print books that could be a good move forward.' The three founders said they hoped Luna could reverse The National Literacy Trust's (NLT) study which found last month that only one in three children aged eight to 18 enjoy reading in their free time. However, the idea of using AI to write books has already come under fire from top authors and editors in the industry. Last year, best-selling novelist Joanne Harris – who is the former chairman of the Society of Authors – warned that the technology posed an 'existential threat' to the publishing industry. 'Pretty much every author I know has concerns about AI, and rightly so. It is an existential threat to creators,' she said, adding: 'Translators, editors – a lot of people – are already seeing their work eroded by AI.' Luna's creators have insisted that it will not threaten or disrupt traditional books or storytelling, despite churning out digital books in under a minute. 'We see this as very much complementary to traditional, authored stories, rather than replacing them. The two can benefit from each other,' Omar Bakhshi, one of the founders, explained. However, fellow founder and father-of-two Greg Findon, said his children had created more than 100 books during their trialling, almost 'crashing' his iPad in the process. Explaining the inspiration behind starting the app, the Leicester-based 47-year-old said: 'We were frustrated by the rubbish uses of AI – generating stuff that is of no use. 'We also got bored reading our children the same books over and over again when they were young, before then finding they were less interested in any reading as they got older, so we went looking for a solution.' He added that the biggest problem had been 'making the illustrations good enough'. It comes after the NLT also found that engagement in reading between fathers and their children had fallen significantly, with less than half reading to their child daily in 2024. Mr Bakhshi added that the individualised stories make the children 'more engaged,' which in turn makes them 'keener to read'. 'Our goal was to create a space where parents and children can connect through the magic of storytelling,' he added. The trio, which also includes Dan Coppock, have not ruled out making the digital books into print versions eventually, though for now the only thing similar to a physical book is the inclusion of a turning page sound effect.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Brooks Nader goes braless for 3rd time in 3 days as she rocks see-through dress in Paris
It's the third time in as many days that the model has freed the nipple BROOKS BUSTS OUT Brooks Nader goes braless for 3rd time in 3 days as she rocks see-through dress in Paris Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BROOKS Nader has discovered an easy way to beat the Parisian heat by going braless in a jaw-dropping see-through polkadot dress. The 28-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model was spotted arriving at her hotel looking stylish in a striking The Cool Hour dress. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Brooks Nader opted for a sheer dress Credit: Splash 5 The model opted for a sheer dress from The Cool Hour Credit: Splash 5 She wore her hair perfectly coiffed and added black sunglasses Credit: Splash Depsite the late hour, the model paired her chic outfit with oversized sunglasses, topping off the ultra-glam look with bouncy waves, glowing skin, and a slick of lip gloss, oozing old-Hollywood charm with a modern twist. The star bravely went braless underneath the completely sheer dress, flaunting her model figure. It's the third time in as many days that Brooks has chosen a sheer outfit. Just yesterday, Brooks paired a daring pussy-bow blouse with fitted black capri trousers, sky-high black stilettos, a glossy clutch, and a megawatt smile, confidently striding past paparazzi. To finish off the sultry outfit, she later wore her hair in a sleek high ponytail, giving fans yet another fashion moment to fawn over. It was a big night for celeb fashion. Jeff Bezos's fiancée Lauren Sanchez, 55, also turned heads in a curve-hugging red latex Versace dress, which she paired with a black crocodile Hermès Kelly bag said to be worth over £50,000. But it was Brooks' barely-there look that really set tongues wagging. Fans have been keeping a close eye on the model since she suffered a very public wardrobe malfunction just days ago — and the way she handled it won her major praise. At Wimbledon, Brooks shared a video on TikTok after unexpectedly starting her period during a match. Dressed in a black polka-dot top and a white skirt, she turned to reveal a blood stain on the back. "Tries to be chic… starts [period] at Wimbledon," she joked in the clip. Rather than shy away from the moment, she shared it with fans and was quickly applauded for being so open. "You're so real for this," one follower commented. "Thank you for NORMALIZING it," said another. It wasn't the first time Brooks had handled a fashion slip with grace. In April, at The Daily Front Row's 9th annual Fashion Awards, she went braless again — but her top slipped and briefly exposed a nipple while posing on the red carpet. Unfazed, the model carried on smiling, proving she's more than comfortable in her own skin. Now, with Paris Fashion Week in full swing, all eyes are on Brooks once more. Fashion fans online have been quick to weigh in on her barely-there looks. "She looks absolutely stunning — confident, classy, and completely herself," one wrote. "That blouse is art. Only Brooks could pull this off," another fan said. Others pointed out that the bold outfit choices seem to align with a growing trend of sheer, skin-baring styles seen on stars from Florence Pugh to Kendall Jenner. Whatever the inspiration, Brooks is clearly owning her moment in Paris. She's expected to make appearances at several more shows over the weekend, including Valentino and Chanel, and fans are eagerly waiting to see what she wears next. From wardrobe mishaps to high fashion heroics, Brooks Nader is showing the world that confidence is always in style. 5 The star stepped out in a sheer pussy-bow blouse just the day before Credit: Splash
Scottish Sun
28-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
My mum Kerry is called a ‘trollop' and a ‘sl*g' but she's rolling in it and driving a Lamborghini, says Heidi Katona
KERRY Katona's daughter Heidi breaks down in tears as she admits: 'I saw things as a child I should not have seen.' The Atomic Kitten star's turbulent life has been well publicised over the years; from relationships to an abusive partner and financial struggles that left her bankrupt twice over. 13 Heidi Katona reveals there are things she should not have seen as a kid, as she opens up on her childhood Credit: David Cummings 13 Heidi is now hitting back at the trolls who have slammed former Mum of the Year Kerry Credit: Splash 13 Kerry is now a millionaire thanks to OnlyFans Credit: Instagram 13 But Heidi, 18, reveals she doesn't want to go down the same route Credit: David Cummings But although she's now turned her life around and is a millionaire thanks to OnlyFans, 18-year-old Heidi insists: "I couldn't do OnlyFans. Mum has said I can't do it either. "It is not the route in life I want to take, I want to be a lawyer or a property developer. "Mum sometimes struggles with men seeing her in that sexual way. I wouldn't like that at all. I've not paid to see her pictures on there, that would be weird, but I know what she does." Heidi is speaking out today, in her first interview, to hit back at the critics who have called former Mum of the Year Kerry a 'prostitute' and 'trollop'. The teen says: 'They should realise Kerry Katona is now rolling in it - she drives a Lamborghini. 'I couldn't be prouder of her. She has worked so hard. People forget OnlyFans is just a new thing; she has been singing, doing reality work and TV appearances for nearly 25 years. "She has never stopped. She put us through private school, we go on amazing holidays, she just bought me clothes for the weekend.' OnlyFans has helped pay for a five bedroom detached house in Cheshire, too. Growing up down the road in Warrington wasn't so luxurious. Kerry, 44, grew up in foster care, did topless modelling and lapdancing to pay the bills before getting her singing break. Watch the moment Kerry Katona SCREAMS about daughter Heidi's GCSE exam results She has had her own reality shows, won I'm A Celeb, appeared on Big Brother and Dancing On Ice. But that turbulent life has seen Kerry go to rehab for a cocaine addiction that was so severe she had to have nose reconstruction. Heidi says: "I'd be stupid to even try drugs after what mum has been through - I know how destructive they can be.' She was too young to remember Kerry going to rehab but she has always been honest with her kids about taking them. 'Very anti drugs' Heidi says: 'I am very, very anti drugs. 'At school there was this older boy, I thought he was cute until I overheard him say, 'You know that Heidi Katona's mum, she's a coke head. She probably does drugs in front of her kids too'. 'I was upset, it was cruel; of course I've never seen mum doing drugs.' But what she has seen is difficulties during Kerry's relationships. Kerry has children Molly, now 23, and Lilly, 22, with first husband Westlife star Brian McFadden and Heidi and her younger brother Max, 17, shared drug dealer dad Mark Croft. Kerry's third husband George Kay was father to her youngest daughter, DJ, 11. Heidi, who has ditched the surname Croft for Katona, saw George as her dad. I've never understood why someone would want to bully - or hate on - someone's parents like that. It's rude, plus, I can't control what my mum does Heidi Throughout our interview Heidi is upbeat, positive, chatty and straight-talking but it is when we mention George that tears come to her eyes - and she talks about the things she saw as a child. George violently attacked Kerry and once even threatened to kill DJ by injecting her with heroin. They split in 2015. Years later, at just 39 he died of an accidental drug overdose. Heidi says: 'I am grieving for him. But I also saw my dad hitting my mum. She didn't realise at the time how much I saw. 13 Heidi reveals she would like to become a lawyer or a property developer Credit: David Cummings 13 Kerry, above with a younger Heidi, had a turbulent life which saw her go to rehab for a cocaine addiction, and struggle with relationships Credit: Instagram 13 Kerry has children Heidi and her younger brother Max, 17, with drug dealer dad Mark Croft Credit: Rex Features 13 But daughter Heidi saw George Kay, who violently attacked Kerry and once even threatened to kill their daughter DJ by injecting her with heroin, as her dad Credit: Getty 'That is not nice, it was horrid, and has an effect on who I am now. I saw things as a child I should not have seen. 'Mum sent me to a therapist but I don't see the point of it. 'I try to be tough. Like mum I use humour to cover things up, but it's not always easy." Petite Heidi has had to be tough when defending Kerry. She says: 'There was one time I was walking through Alderley Edge when a group of lads started shouting, 'Your mum is a sl*g...a prostitute'. 'They started following me. I wasn't scared, I was angry. Mum has always told me to tell people like that where to go. "I respond to abuse by saying, 'Tell your dad to unsubscribe then!', or, 'You know that Lamborghini my mum drives… your dad helped pay for that'. 'Sometimes I say, 'Obviously, you've noticed that she's rich? Yeah! She's doing great'. 'I've never understood why someone would want to bully - or hate on - someone's parents like that. It's rude, plus, I can't control what my mum does.' 'Struggling for money' Even pensioners have attacked Kerry. Shaking her head Heidi says: 'I was in a cafe, and this woman started chatting to me about celebrities and said, 'Do you know who I can't stand…that Kerry Katona, she's a right tramp, a trollop on OnlyFans'. I didn't say a word.' Kerry and her, clearly intelligent, daughter are a joy to watch together; laughing and sharing jokes, with a relationship that looks more like friends than mother and daughter. She's done glamour before, she's been pictured with her boobs out, there's not a huge difference. This way she takes control and makes money from her sexuality Heidi But their teen years couldn't be more different. Kerry had started taking cocaine at 14 while Heidi only went out in Manchester for her first 'proper' night out in February to celebrate her 18th because, unlike many of her friends, she 'never went down the fake ID route'. She says: 'In the loos women were openly taking cocaine. They asked if I wanted some…no thanks! I thought, 'If you want to do it, fine, but I don't even want to see it'.' 13 Kerry split from fiance Ryan Mahoney last year Credit: Instagram 13 Heidi says she has to be tough when defending her mum Credit: David Cummings And although she never wants to see her mum on OnlyFans she gave her backing to the idea when Kerry suggested it during Covid lockdown. After speaking to her then fiance Ryan Mahoney, who she split from last year, Kerry sat her kids down and said: 'I want to do OnlyFans - tell me if you have a problem with that'.' She explained exactly what the subscription site was. Heidi says: 'Lockdown meant her other work had stopped. We all agreed she should do it, she's a grown woman who makes her own decisions. 'She bought us all Airpods with her earnings. I thought, 'This is great'. 'She's done glamour before, she's been pictured with her boobs out, there's not a huge difference. This way she takes control and makes money from her sexuality. 'We didn't know at the time that she was struggling for money. She has hidden a lot from us over the years.' Heidi knows she is luckier than Kerry was growing up because 'mum will never let us forget that'. Now she has decided she wants to be famous and knows Kerry can help her. She says: 'People will scream 'nepotism' but mum can only open a door, I have to make a career work.' She embarrasses me in front of boys and I can recite her catchphrases before she even comes out with them Heidi Heidi, who has appeared on The Voice, has her head screwed on. She is also doing A levels in sociology, psychology and criminology and looking at universities but would love to sing or go on I'm A Celeb. She doesn't feel she has 'enough life experience' for Love Island and wouldn't want her mum seeing her kissing on TV. But she would have had Love Island type lip filler - if her mum had her own way. Laughing, Heidi says: 'When I was about 13 I told mum I wanted them done. 'So when I turned 18 she was like, 'Right, I've spoken to the clinic, the doctor will do your lips… get them done, I think you should, they will look amazing' I said, 'No!' I'd changed my mind. But she was like, 'Go on. Why don't you?' For now I am happy as I am.' Life in the Katona household does seem happy. But surely Kerry Katona star has some faults? 'Yes, she does,' laughs Heidi, 'She embarrasses me in front of boys and I can recite her catchphrases before she even comes out with them. 'She can be so loud too…but then so can I. 'I couldn't ask for a better mum. She's my best friend - but I never tell her that or I'd never hear the end of it.' 13 Heidi has decided she wants to be famous and knows her mum, who has turned her life around, can help her Credit: David Cummings 13 She has already appeared on The Voice Credit: David Cummings 13 She thinks she could not have asked for a better mum than Kerry Credit: David Cummings
