Police were called on Monday over concerns for three people who had not been seen for several days. Officers forced entry into a property in Great Denham, where they found the bodies of a woman and two children, Bedfordshire Police said. Police said they have identified a suspect, who was known to all three victims, and who they believe has since left the country. Investigators fear the three alleged victims could have been murdered. Official identification of the woman and both children has not yet taken place, the force added. Read more from Sky News:'Significant' heat health alertsCharlie Kirk's widow faces alleged killer Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy called it an "incredibly complex investigation" and said: "This is a deeply distressing incident in which a mother and her two children are believed to have been murdered. "Our thoughts are first and foremost with all those affected. "We recognise that this will cause concern in the local community and beyond." He urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward. ACC Murphy added: "While there is nothing to suggest there is any wider risk to the public, we will be increasing the police presence in and around the area to support the investigation and provide reassurance to residents."

Ward is accused of raping the woman after meeting her at a nightclub in east London. Under cross-examination during his trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Ward said that everything that took place was consensual and described the woman as an "active participant". Ward, 28, of Silvertown, east London, denies two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against the woman on 2 January 2023. Prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told Ward "you were bent on getting what you wanted". Ward replied: "That definitely was not the case. I have no interest in being with someone who does not want to be with me." Ms Ayling added: "You were bent that night on having sex with her come what may." Ward said: "No miss, it was what we wanted. She was a willing participant in everything that went on." The court heard they later messaged each other. Ward sent her a smiling emoji with a heart and she told him to enjoy the rest of his night. Ms Ayling also said: "I would suggest you were only trying to make sure that she would not report what happened that night." Ward responded: "No, I would suggest that would be wrong." Ward previously told the jury that "everything we did was wholly consensual and we were having a great time". He said they had shared a "quite flirty" conversation and "passionate" kisses, which then turned into a "developing situation". Read more from Sky News:'Significant' heat health alert issuedAt least five dead after China landslide When Ms Ayling suggested "the only person who has a great time was you", Ward said: "She was consenting by the way she was moving with me and she was an active participant in everything we did." He said that everything that took place was consensual, including the intimate acts, adding "it was something she wanted to do and (it was) not that I forced her". Ward hosted a New Year party in Gants Hill, east London, after he spent Christmas with his close-knit family, the court heard. The party took place during a pause in his work schedule. Ward said he thought the woman was "very cute" when he saw her for the first time outside the venue, as she was with a group of friends. He told the court he chatted to them, had a "quite flirty" conversation with the woman, and asked for her Snapchat details. He said they kissed and hugged in a Mercedes outside the party, and later had an intimate encounter in another Mercedes outside an after-party. Ward denied he stopped her from attempting to get out of the unlocked car, in contrast to the woman's claims that she told Ward she needed to leave "on multiple occasions". On Tuesday, Ward told the court: "She stayed which allowed us to grow our sexual contact." Jurors previously heard the woman tell the court that she "did not use the word no" during the encounter and "completely shut down". Ward said he did not force her and they kissed, hugged, and had a conversation before she departed. He wanted to see her again, but he had a busy work schedule. The court heard they later exchanged messages and he sent her a smiling emoji with a heart, meaning he was going to miss her, and the woman told him to enjoy the rest of his night. The trial continues.

From September, part of the Sentencing Act 2026 will come into force, enabling some offenders to be freed earlier in a bid to reduce overcrowding. Killers, rapists and sex offenders could be among up to 6,000 criminals released early in a few months' time, reports have suggested. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, said the extra capacity could help governors focus more on rehabilitation, but warned institutions were still failing to provide the education, training and risk-reduction programmes needed to support their release. "This is an area we've been worried about for many years," he said. "A lot of prisoners are going to be going out from jails in September, October, November, and we will watch very closely what the effect of that is in terms of reoffending rates and risk to the public." Prisoners locked up for some violent or sexual offences will become eligible for release halfway through their sentences under the changes, rather than serving the current tariff of two-thirds. Burglars and thieves are among the prisoners who will be considered for release a third of the way through their sentences, down from the current 40%. The first 700 offenders are to be released in September, the Telegraph has reported. Read more from Sky News:Farage reacts to Sky News question on his financesCharlie Kirk's widow faces his alleged killer in court Victims have started to receive letters from the government telling them their abusers or attackers are set to be freed under the scheme. Former Home Office minister Jess Phillips said last week "there should be more exemptions within the release scheme", including to keep adults who rape children in jail for longer. Meanwhile, The Sunday Times reported that Andy Burnham, widely expected to be the next prime minister, is looking at ways to tighten the early prison release scheme to stop child sex offenders walking free. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This government is fixing the prison crisis it inherited - building 14,000 more prison places and reforming sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous criminals. "Without this decisive action, prisons will run out of space entirely as early as November and we will be unable to lock up serious offenders at all." A spokesperson for Mr Burnham has been contacted.

England posted 201-7 after being inserted on what looked a belting pitch, only for India to subside to 76 all out after just 11.4 overs of a shambolic display with the bat. Josh Tongue (4-28) and Jofra Archer (3-29) impressed in blasting out the Indian top order before Adil Rashid (2-14) chipped in to confirm India's largest-ever losing margin by runs. Scorecard: England vs India, third T20I, Trent BridgeGot Sky? Watch England vs India live on the Sky Sports appNot got Sky? Get instant access with NOW - no contract India's 15-year-old wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (13 off 5 balls), playing in just his second international match, struck two huge sixes before he became the second wicket to fall, gloving an Archer bouncer behind. Earlier, Phil Salt (70 off 44) top-scored for England after a scratchy start to his innings, while Sam Curran (44no off 24) and Jos Buttler (36 off 21) also made valuable contributions. England had somewhat limped out of the blocks to start the match, with Salt batting out an opening maiden and just seven runs on the board through the first two overs of the powerplay. Salt, in particular, struggled for rhythm early on, scoring only 17 from his first 19 deliveries but Buttler bailed him out as he found his form down the other end, smashing 34 of the 36 runs added from the next three overs. He departed to start the sixth, bowled off his toes by a beauty of a yorker first ball from Prince Yadav (2-30), who impressed when called into the Indian side for his second T20I cap, also accounting for Harry Brook (16 off 12). Salt finally got motoring with a six over deep midwicket off Varun Chakravarthy to start the 10th over, and though Jacob Bethell (13 off 9) and Tom Banton would perish to consecutive Harshit Rana (2-40) deliveries in the 12th, England's innings would not be derailed. Curran proved a handy foil for Salt as he notched a 36-ball fifty, while Will Jacks (14 off 7) struck a couple of big sixes off Axar Patel (1-49) in the same over Salt finally fell, before he and Archer were run out in the last as England squeaked past 200. In stark contrast to the England innings, India signalled their intent early as Sooryavanshi hit the final ball of Archer's first over for six, before he and Abhishek Sharma each cleared the ropes within the first three balls of Tongue's second. But that was about as good as things would get for India, with their giddy top order guilty of going too hard too early and as soon as the fifth over they'd subsided to 52-5. Abhishek (10 off 7), Ishan Kishan (13 off 9) and Shreyas Iyer (5) all holed out in the deep, while Sooryavanshi gloved an Archer bouncer behind, with Axar (10 off 4) also nicking off to the quick. Buttler was fortunate to claim a stumping of Tilak Varma (3) off Jacks (1-5), as he began to lose his grip of the ball but just held on long enough to disturb the bails. He and Curran were also at the centre of a rather ridiculous missed catch in which they both called for an Arshdeep Singh skyer before leaving it to one another as it ultimately went unclaimed. Arshdeep (4) was gone in the next over at least, one of Rashid's two wickets as he and Tongue combined to clean up the lower order and clinch the most comprehensive of England victories. The hosts now have an unassailable 2-0 series lead with two to play, as the two teams next head to Bristol for the fourth T20I on Thursday. Brook hails England's 'perfect' communication England captain Harry Brook, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket: "The communication and plans going into the second half were perfect. We adapted well with the bat on a tricky surface, and to carry that into the bowling was awesome. "Salty played a mega innings, Jos' little cameo in the powerplay got us off to a good start. We realised early it was a tough surface to hit from top of the stumps. To get us to 200 on a tricky surface was a phenomenal effort. "There was a lot of conversations between me, Baz [McCullum] and the coaches. We had a plan and stuck to it well. "We didn't need to talk much before the chase, the bowlers knew exactly what we needed to hit the top of the stumps with the occasional bouncer. "As simple as it sounds, it worked beautifully tonight." Shreyas slams 'atrocious' India performance India captain Shreyas Iyer, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket: "It was atrocious. I can't use a better word. Losing by such a big margin isn't acceptable. "We need to accept this loss and go back to the drawing board and see what we did wrong. "First of all, it wasn't a 200 wicket. Losing four in the powerplay didn't create momentum and we lost our way. "You can plan a lot but once you come into the ground you have to adapt and figure out what lengths are important to bowl. Hard lengths helped the bowlers on this wicket, but we didn't execute many. "When you're chasing, you have to set patterns for how to chase. We fell short, our execution was awful. "It's a great opportunity [in the series] to come back strong, not to dwell on what happened in the past. "We've played awful cricket but there's lots to learn as well. "Players have to figure out ways to create an impact. Every individual has to see how they can win matches and take that responsibility." 'Questions to answer for India' Sky Sports Cricket's Dinesh Karthik: "It should hurt. It's not just these two games, things didn't go well in Ireland prior to this. "Plenty of questions for this young, new captain this team. This is not how you're supposed to go down. "Shreyas Iyer will know he has walked into mega territory. Being the captain of a World Cup-winning team brings a huge amount of pressure. Five games have gone by - one washed out - and the other four have not gone well. "It gives him a great opportunity to stand up as a leader and earn respect. Over the next two games, he needs to let his bat do the talking and score runs, but also drive this team forward and instil a huge amount of belief in both his ability and the direction of the side. "There is a lot for this India team to ponder. At the moment, there are more questions than answers." England's vs India - white-ball series' fixtures/resultsFirst T20 (Durham) - Match abandoned - No resultSecond T20 (Manchester) - England won by four wicketsThird T20 (Nottingham) - England won by 126 runsFourth T20 (Thursday July 9) - Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (5.30pm)Fifth T20 (Saturday July 11) - Utilita Bowl, Southampton (2.30pm)First ODI (Tuesday July 14) - Edgbaston, Birmingham (11am)Second ODI (Thursday July 16) - Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (1pm)Third ODI (Sunday July 19) - Lord's, London (11am) Watch the fourth T20 international between England and India on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 5pm (first ball 5.30pm). Not got Sky? Stream cricket and more with NOW.

Nearby buildings including a school, hotels and the Israeli consulate were evacuated yesterday in what New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called "an extremely serious situation". The 37-storey 1970s building is being converted into a residential development, but pictures through a window revealed an internal column looking precariously bent. Fire chief John Esposito told reporters any collapse wouldn't be "total" but "more of a localised collapse". An inspection found two buckled columns on the 21st floor, as well as sagging floors and multiple cracks. However, no other movement was detected and the city's buildings department said construction workers had begun emergency repairs. "We've been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement," said department head Ahmed Tigani. By nighttime, residents were allowed back into some of the seven evacuated buildings, and workers could be seen shoring up the damage inside. Building department records show the project has previously been fined for safety violations, including falling glass and metal falling and an incident where a worker fell off a ladder. The developer Metroloft says it is part of the largest office to residential conversion in New York's history and more than 1,600 units will be created. Nathan Berman, the founder of MetroLoft, told The Wall Street Journal the extra weight from widening the top 15 or so floors likely caused the damage and the two columns that buckled might not have been properly reinforced. "Why those particular two columns and nothing else? We don't know," Berman told the publication. "Ninety-five percent of the building, the structure is sound and intact," he added. "There is no way that this corner of a small extension all of a sudden topples this building."

After months of speculation, Sky is buying ITV's media and entertainment business in a deal worth £1.6 billion. So what does it mean for viewers? For now, probably not very much. The takeover still needs regulatory approval, and Ofcom will take a close look at its impact on competition and media plurality. But if it gets the green light, it could reshape the British television industry for decades to come. Read more: Why a Sky-ITV deal makes sense The deal comes at a challenging moment for broadcasters. Production costs are rising, advertising growth has slowed, and traditional television companies are facing fierce competition from global streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Apple. Sky and ITV argue that joining forces is the best way to compete. For viewers, both companies are keen to stress that the essentials won't change. ITV's channels and ITVX will remain free-to-air, while all of ITV's public service broadcasting obligations - including regional news and programming - will continue in full. Flagship shows such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Love Island and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! aren't heading behind a paywall. ITV is legally required to remain a free-to-air broadcaster until 2034. In a briefing to press, Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV, has also said Sky has made a commitment that from 6pm to 9:30pm, ITV's evening content must be original programming. Sky is also promising greater investment in ITV and says the deal will bring more sport to free-to-air television than ever before. Meanwhile, ITV News and Sky News insist they'll remain separate editorial voices. The logic behind the deal is simple - scale. The UK television market is no longer competing with itself. It's competing in a global media economy. See more from Sky News:UK set for highs of 34C this week Buckingham Palace denies Harry will stay Being bigger means having more money to spend on programmes and streaming technology, whilst also being able to spread costs across a much larger business. That's why supporters see this as one of the most significant media deals in British broadcasting history. At a time when many traditional broadcasters are under pressure, Sky believes it is securing ITV's future rather than changing its identity. And for viewers? The message is: don't expect less ITV - expect more investment, more sport and more of the shows you love.

Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Harriet Harman said that although Mr Burnham has "got a strong team of women around him and he's got a good record in Manchester of always including women and not having a boys' club", the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) "are not prepared to take it on trust any more". Politics Hub: Follow the latest Baroness Harman added that the number of women in Mr Burnham's cabinet is going to be a "central issue because the women are going to make it so". Mr Burnham is currently the only declared candidate in the upcoming Labour leadership contest, with no other candidate expected to run against him. He will likely become prime minister on 20 July if he remains the only candidate. Baroness Harman said there would be "no more playing nice by the women in the Parliamentary Labour Party", following accusations of a boys' club and misogyny in Downing Street under Sir Keir Starmer. "They really want to see their place on equal terms now," she added. Put to her by Sky's political editor Beth Rigby that, as deputy Labour leader under Gordon Brown she was denied the post of deputy prime minister, alongside reports that Mr Burnham could appoint both Miliband brothers to senior roles in his cabinet, Baroness Harman said there is "scar tissue here". The Women's PLP has drafted a letter to Mr Burnham demanding he ensures at least 50% of ministerial jobs, and jobs in Number 10, go to women, our political reporter Faye Brown has reported. Mr Burnham attended a meeting of the Women's PLP on Tuesday, with multiple sources present telling Sky News that he was receptive to the jobs idea. 👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈 'Regretful' the next leader likely be another man Baroness Harman added that while there has "been a very big welcome for Andy Burnham", female Labour MPs were also "regretful that once again, the Labour Party has got their next male leader". Labour have never had a female leader, although they have had two female acting leaders, including Baroness Harman. The party has had four female deputy leaders, including the incumbent, Lucy Powell. Some female Labour MPs have told Sky News that the demands made of Mr Burnham over jobs will make it more likely that a woman succeeds him when the time comes. "There are many talented women in the PLP. The chances of them succeeding [Burnham] are more likely if you've held high office," one MP said.

Argentina scored three goals in just 13 minutes to steer them clear of a shock exit as reigning champions, which sets up a quarter-final with Switzerland at 2am (UK and Ireland time) on Sunday. However, the dramatic late winner was clouded by controversy after Hassan claimed his side were denied a penalty moments before Julian Alvarez kickstarted the counter-attack, which led to Enzo Fernandez's 92nd-minute header. Argentina 3-2 Egypt - Match report & reactionAs it happened | Teams | Stats | Knockout bracketWorld Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World CupFollow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App Alvarez tackled Mohamed Salah inside the penalty area and caught the forward on his foot before taking the ball. VAR did not appear to check the incident. Alexis Mac Allister also pulled Hamdi Fathy down inside the area moments before but play was waved on. Those incidents occurred after Egypt had already had a goal ruled out for Zico earlier in the game with the score at 1-0, following a VAR check which deemed Lisandro Martinez had been fouled in the build-up. Speaking in the press conference after the game, Hassan said: "Life is unfair. The world is unfair. Okay, but why isn't there any fairness in sports? I'm not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match. "The referee is unfair, God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He's wasting the effort of an entire nation. The cup is directed towards Argentina." Hassan was booked by French referee Francois Letexier for protesting after Argentina's winner when he crossed his arms in front of him, which is the FIFA-backed symbol for players and coaches to alert the referee of a racist incident. The Pharaohs boss did not refer to his gesture after the match, but added: "We haven't seen respect or fair play. "A penalty [for us] was ruled out, it was not even checked by the VAR and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed. "We have all seen the shirt pulled back [by Mac Allister] and not even a VAR check. "There seems to have been pressure on the Argentine side on the referee that has brought about this outcome." 'Pressure on referee succeeded' "We were the best in everything, but the result was... there were factors influencing it, not external, but internal on the pitch, and external before the match," explained Hassan. "It is clear that the pressure put on the referee before the match by the Argentine side succeeded, because they objected to the referee, bringing up France, and the France national team. "I want to say, in life, anyone who does things the right way will face hardship. As long as you walk the right path, you will suffer. We walked the right path, we suffered, and we were harmed by external factors." Argentina win 'entirely undeserved' He added: "Argentina's victory is entirely undeserved. And I promise you, once I return today, I will not watch football in this World Cup at all, because there is no justice in it. "My personal protest is that I will not watch this World Cup again. When I get back home and back to our country, I am not watching it." Sky Sports News has approached FIFA for comment. Zico: I will not talk about the refereeing Egypt forward Zico, who scored but had another disallowed, was asked if his tears after the game were for exiting the World Cup or the refereeing decisions his team faced. "Both. We were hard done by [the referee] today, and everyone saw that," he said. "I won't talk about something like this. "We were winning 2-0. After the 2-0 result, everything went against us and worked against us. I don't even know why the second goal was disallowed. "I don't see any reason for it. But we must look for a solution so that a second goal doesn't come. He wanted to disallow the third one too, but thank God, God didn't grant him success. ''The refereeing was obvious in front of everyone. I won't talk about it, the refereeing was clear. We had a goal disallowed, and we had a penalty. "The penalty was turned against us into a counter-attack goal.''