top of page
970x250.png
News image template
George Nash, news reporter
Apr 22
How Leicester City went from Premier League champions to the third tier in a decade

Just shy of a decade after that remarkable title triumph, the Foxes are preparing for life in League One next season, having suffered back-to-back relegations. Their fate was sealed on Tuesday evening: a 2-2 draw with Hull City at the King Power Stadium confirming their place in the third tier for only the second time in the club's 142-year history. It marks a sharp decline for a club that, during those 10 years, boasted two top-five Premier League finishes, an appearance in the quarter-finals of the Champions League – Europe's elite club competition – and FA Cup glory for the first time ever in 2021. However, amid the highs, Leicester have also had to contend with some devastating lows during that time – most notably the death of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash in October 2018. A 5,000/1 fairytale Leicester began the 2015/16 season as 5,000/1 outsiders to win the Premier League. The season before, they had consolidated their top-flight status by just six points, having secured promotion from the Championship the prior year. Under the stewardship of Italian manager Claudio Ranieri, the Foxes defied the odds right from the start of the 2015/16 campaign, suffering just one defeat in their opening 17 league fixtures. They were top of the table by mid-January, a position they never relinquished as they stormed to the title, finishing 10 points clear of runners-up Arsenal, having lost just three league games all season. Striker Jamie Vardy, one of the poster boys of that success, finished on 24 league goals and became the first player to score in 11 straight Premier League matches – a record that still stands. Champions League football came the following year, where Leicester progressed further than any other English team that season before exiting at the hands of Spanish side Atletico Madrid in the last eight. The club's 'darkest day' On 27 October 2018, little over two years after their league triumph, Leicester netted a late equaliser in a home game against West Ham to send fans inside the King Power Stadium into raptures. But joy would turn to horror just hours later when five people – including the club's billionaire owner Mr Srivaddhanaprabha – were killed in a helicopter crash outside the ground, in what has been described as the "darkest day" in the history of the club. All five victims were travelling on board the helicopter, which an inquest later found had suffered a mechanical failure that caused it to spin out of control. In the days following the crash, wreaths were laid at the stadium, and tributes flooded in for a man many credit with turning around the fortunes of the club. After buying Leicester for £39m in 2010, Mr Srivaddhanaprabha cleared the club's debts before overseeing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time six years later. Following Vichai's death, his son Aiyawatt – known as "Top" – took charge of the club. Since then, however, the club has failed to sustain the same level of success. A rapid decline After lifting the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history in 2021 – courtesy of a Youri Tielemans goal in a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley – Leicester, under boss Brendan Rodgers, finished eighth in the league the following year and also reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Europa Conference League. But the season after, the Foxes struggled. Rodgers was dismissed in April 2023, and the team ultimately failed to avoid relegation to the second tier. They returned to the Premier League after just one season away but came straight back down again in 2025. Since Rodgers's exit, the club has failed to establish stability in the dugout, having churned through six different permanent managers in just three years. On-field issues have swiftly been followed by problems off it. In February this year, Leicester were deducted six points as punishment for exceeding the maximum loss threshold by more than £20m over the three-year assessment period ending in 2024. Last month, the club reported another significant pre-tax loss of £71.1m during the 2024/25 season. In recent years, Aiyawatt has wiped out hundreds of millions of pounds of the club's debt. But that, as well as having one of the Championship's highest wage bills and boasting a squad brimming with international pedigree, could not save Leicester from slipping further down England's footballing pyramid. Relegation to the third tier will have additional financial implications for the club and heap more misery on to an already frustrated fanbase.

News image template
No Writer
Apr 22
Bang Si-Hyuk, boss of Hybe and mogul behind K-pop supergroup BTS, faces arrest

Bang Si-Hyuk, who is the founder and chairman of Hybe, is being investigated over allegations that he told investors the company had no plans to go public, which convinced them to sell their shares to a private equity fund in 2019. The company then proceeded with an initial public offering. Police believe that the fund may have paid Bang, who is widely seen as one of the most powerful figures in South Korean music, around 200bn won (£100m) in a side deal. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has since asked prosecutors to request a court warrant for Bang's arrest. Bang, who has been barred from leaving the country since August, denies any wrongdoing. His legal team told the Associated Press that they had offered "full and consistent cooperation with the investigation over an extended period". "We will continue to cooperate with all legal procedures and make every effort to clearly explain our position," the statement said. Bang is often credited with being behind the global success of BTS, who have become one of the biggest music groups on the planet. In 2021, the firm secured management rights for other major global acts, including Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. Read more from Sky News:Children subjected to 'intrusive and traumatic' strip searchesLufthansa cuts 20,000 flights amid soaring jet fuel costs The legal troubles come ahead of the group's highly anticipated global tour after an almost four-year hiatus as they served mandatory military service. They are due to kick off a series of US events with a concert in Tampa, Florida, later this month.

News image template
Faye Brown, political reporter
Apr 21
Mandelson drama turns 'high stakes' debate on economy into sideshow

Not whether Sir Keir Starmer should stay or go, or who is telling the truth over the Mandelson vetting saga - but about how we grow the economy in a way everybody benefits. The National Growth Debate - an event organised by the Good Growth Foundation - brought together cabinet ministers, backbench MPs, senior opposition figures, business leaders, unions and think tanks to answer that question. The discussions were not about abstract GDP numbers - but something more tangible - about how you build an economy that lets everyone have a stake, so that if you work hard, you will be rewarded. It's the social contract that people all over the country feel is broken, and why they are increasingly turning against mainstream politicians. To quote Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary who made the first intervention of the day: "For well over a decade, voters have been sending the same message, 'the system isn't working, the economy feels rigged, their lives aren't getting better'. "Our tax system is on the side of billionaire owners while people who work for them are abandoned and squeezed." Haigh, who resigned from cabinet 18 months ago after a past criminal offence came to light, now leads the Tribune group of soft left MPs. She was speaking alongside Chris Curtis, who chairs the moderate Labour Growth Group. They came together to outline an economic agenda they believe can unite the party and Labour's fragmented voter base. The policies they are calling for include reforms to stamp duty and council tax - described by Haigh as "regressive property taxes" - as well as reforms to business rates, VAT thresholds and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The fiscal watchdog's five-year forecasts are holding the country back, Haigh argued, by prioritising short term costs over long term gains from investment. For her, the "obsession" with fiscal headroom to meet "shaky" OBR forecasts is one of this government's "original sins". For Curtis, it was the manifesto pledge not to raise VAT, Income Tax or NI: "It didn't win us a single vote, you shouldn't make commitments you don't believe you can stick to." That, and the "ming vase" election campaign strategy which meant "we couldn't talk about a vision, who we were for or against", the former YouGov pollster said. Read More from Faye Brown:Louise Haigh to set out economic policies that can 'unite Labour' Government looking at decoupling electricity and gas prices to bring down bills Haigh and Curtis will both publish more work on these ideas after May's local elections - which are expected to be disastrous for Starmer and could lead to fresh calls for him to go. The groups they lead represent 200 Labour MPs - almost half the Parliamentary Labour Party. Are they putting the PM on notice, or is this a signal to whoever might replace him to back this plan if they want their support? If it's the latter then Angela Rayner is certainly paying attention. Often tipped to succeed Starmer, the former deputy PM was not originally scheduled to speak at Tuesday's event but is said to have taken an interest in what her backbench colleagues had to say. During a short speech at the evening reception she thanked them for their contribution as she urged the government to be bolder: "Let's take bold action, let's tell a bold story about how we are building an economy for the one interest we should all serve and that's the British people" she said. It was not as critical as her previous intervention, when she warned Labour's "very survival" is at stake as she shot down the Home Secretary's immigration reforms. But this time it comes as the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador rears its head again - casting further doubt on whether the prime minister can survive. It's unfortunate for the Good Growth Foundation (GGF) organisers that Tuesday's long-planned event coincided with Olly Robbins' Commons testimony - just the kind of Westminster psychodrama this Labour government pledged to stop. It also risks overshadowing a significant announcement from Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on decoupling gas from electricity prices - which could massively bring down household bills. Having absolved himself of anything to do with Mandelson in a punchy Sky News interview this morning, the former Labour leader was in good spirits as he told the GGF event that the impact of his policies were being felt "straight away". Miliband added: "Hope is the commodity that we have to offer as a government - people haven't felt it since 2008." It struck a different tone to Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, who when asked about the earlier interventions of his colleagues, said there were "no easy answers". That's exactly the narrative Tuesday's event tried to push back on. Ideas put forward included a bespoke customs union with the EU, championed by Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper. For the Conservatives, shadow chancellor Mel Stride talked about slashing the benefits bill and getting people into work while Green MP Adrian Ramsey called for a bigger windfall tax on oil and gas profits. Chancellor Rachel Reeves was among those listening. As Praful Nargund, the GGF's director said in his opening remarks: "When the stakes are high people show up." But whether government is listening is another matter.

News image template
No Writer
Apr 22
Brighton 3-0 Chelsea: Every word from Liam Rosenior's explosive interview to Sky Sports after embarrassing Premier League defeat

The Blues were well beaten from start to finish in a woeful display, falling behind to Ferdi Kadioglu's third-minute opener from a corner, before second-half goals from Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck sealed the win for the Seagulls. Chelsea failed to register a shot on target and did not even muster a tackle until the 32nd minute as their season hit a new low and led to head coach Liam Rosenior facing chants from the away end to be sacked. Brighton 3-0 Chelsea - report & highlightsLive Premier League table | Watch FREE PL highlightsGot Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺 An annoyed and unimpressed Rosenior did not hold back in his post-match interview with Sky Sports' Johnny Phillips and then doubled down on the criticism of his players in his post-match presser. Read every word below... Was it the worst result of the lot? "By far. By far. Was unacceptable in every aspect of the game. I keep coming out and defending the players, that was indefensible, that performance tonight. The manner of the goals we conceded, the duels that we lost. Something has to change drastically right here, right now." Why did it happen? "Why? We need to look in the mirror. I need to look in the mirror. But I can't keep coming out here and defending some of the things that we're seeing. Manchester United, genuinely result wasn't there but I felt we turned a corner. "But the general attitude, spirit was lacking - determination from three or four of the starting 11. That's nowhere near enough for this club. I can't come out and lie. I tell the truth. That was an unacceptable performance at every level." Was it coming from the start? "The first goal was terrible. We had an easy header and missed the header. The passage before the first goal upset me even more. We had four or five moments to show moral courage, and take the ball down and play. We just kicked the ball back to Brighton. "You can speak about a lack of confidence, or results not going our way. That doesn't represent anything that I want to see, and I won't ever see it again. "The performance in terms of professionalism wasn't there. It was a really difficult night, the most difficult night - not even here at this magnificent football club - but in my career. Some of the things I witnessed today, I don't want to ever see again." Did the players throw the towel in? "You have to ask the players. If you're playing at this elite football club, or any football club, to be even accused of throwing the towel in is unacceptable. That's all I'm going to say. I'm hurting, I'm feeling numb. That doesn't represent me. That doesn't represent the football club in any way. That has to change, starting with the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday." On Chelsea being out-run in every single league game this season... "I don't want to go into that right now. I have my own thoughts, my own feelings. I have discussed in depth about this football club -regardless of who is the manager - about what needs to happen at this football club for it to be where it needs to be. "It's about this football club, Chelsea represents fight, spirit and determination. That was lacking in every department this evening." On if injuries are part of it... "We've had injuries. It's not an excuse, it's a reality. That team we put out today was far better than its engagement in the game. I will pick a team that will represent the club in the correct manner." On if Sunday's FA Cup semi-final with Leeds is massive... "This was a huge game and we didn't hit anywhere near the mark. Every game between now and the end of the season is a huge game, and it needs to look like that in the way we play." On if the players are bereft of confidence... "That's your opinion, I have to see it with the staff. We have to make sure we get it right for Sunday." On the fans chanting for him to leave the club... "I understand their frustration and it's my job as the head coach and the manager of the football club. The buck stops with me. "I have thick skin and I understand why the fans are frustrated. I'm frustrated with the performances we're putting in. I've just got to keep working hard with the staff, with the players, but what I do need to do is really look at how we go about games, how the personnel of the team, who I can trust and rely on in difficult moments because not enough players showed that today in the game. "I'm an emotional person. That's just unacceptable. The word is unacceptable. "We lost 80 per cent of duels. We didn't win a header. Two of the goals come when we can head the ball, the basics of football. At any level, if you make those errors and lack of engagement to the game, you're not going to win games of football." On whether he has lost the Chelsea dressing room... "Whether it's playing for me, it's not about playing for me. "It's about playing for the club. It's about playing for the shirt. It's about playing to win games of football. I can only speak on what I saw tonight. You can read anything into it that you want, whether they're playing for me or not. That performance in itself was damning. "It stood everything against what I believe in. "We'll find out [if the players will react]. I haven't criticised them up to now. "I've defended them. They've deserved that. "I always come out here and tell the truth and I blame myself as well. It's not just blaming the players. I'm part of that process. "I always said I will be honest and I've been honest with the players and I'm honest with you as honest as I can. I'm not throwing anyone under the bus. "We're playing for Chelsea and I'm managing Chelsea. The criticism and pressure comes with the football club. So if you can't handle that, then you shouldn't be here. It's as simple as that. And that's something that needs to be addressed this week. But it also needs to be addressed in the long term."

News image template
No Writer
Apr 22
Mars rover discovers organic molecules - hinting at possibility of ancient life

After years of lab work, a rock that the rover drilled and analysed in 2020 has been confirmed to include organic molecules. But scientists have no way of knowing if these molecules were created by biologic or geologic processes - either path is possible, the space agency says. However, their discovery provided further confirmation that ancient Mars had the right chemistry to support life. The news comes soon after the success of the Artemis II mission, in which three astronauts travelled further from Earth than any human had ever been. "This collection of organic molecules once again increases the prospect that Mars offered a home for life in the ancient past," mission project scientist Ashwin Vasavada said. "This is Curiosity and our team at their best. It took dozens of scientists and engineers to locate this site, drill the sample, and make these discoveries with our awesome robot." The rock sample was nicknamed Mary Anning 3 after an English paleontologist and was found on part of the planet's Mount Sharp - a region that was covered by lakes and streams billions of years ago. Read more:'Leopard spots' are sign life once existed on Mars Among the newly identified molecules is a nitrogen heterocycle. Its molecular structure - a ring of carbon atoms including nitrogen - is considered a predecessor to RNA and DNA. "That detection is pretty profound because these structures can be chemical precursors to more complex nitrogen-bearing molecules," said the paper's lead author, Amy Williams of the University of Florida in Gainesville. "Nitrogen heterocycles have never been found before on the Martian surface or confirmed in Martian meteorites." Also discovered was benzothiophene, which has previously been found in meteorites. These meteorites, along with the organic molecules within them, are believed by some scientists to have seeded prebiotic chemistry across the early solar system.

News image template
No Writer
Apr 22
Harvey Weinstein 'did what he wanted', says prosecutor as rape retrial begins

Weinstein, 74, was once one of the most powerful people in the industry, producing films such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Game. Since becoming a focus of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct nearly a decade ago, he has been convicted of some sexual assault charges and acquitted of others in trials on two US coasts. The retrial that began on Tuesday concerns a rape charge over a 2013 encounter in a Manhattan hotel. It has already been the subject of an overturned conviction, followed by a jury deadlock. The disgraced filmmaker has again pleaded not guilty and denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex. Prosecutor Candace White began the new trial telling jurors that Weinstein raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in the hotel room while she resisted and repeatedly said "No". "This case will come down to power, to control and to manipulation," Ms White said, accusing Weinstein of preying upon "fragile and sheltered" young women who dream of becoming Hollywood stars. Jacob Kaplan, defending, accused Ms Mann of making up the rape allegation after regretting that her relationship with Weinstein failed to advance her acting career. He told the jury in his opening statement that emails would show Ms Mann's romance with Weinstein was consensual, adding: "In the end, this case will be her word against her word." Ms White said that Weinstein "was used to getting his way". "He did what he wanted, when he wanted and with whom he wanted," she added. "Behind closed doors, power meant him taking what he wanted from the victim in this case." Weinstein shook his head slightly at one point as the prosecutor claimed he "silenced" Ms Mann by letting her know that crossing him could be professional quicksand. His defence emphasised that after the alleged rape Ms Mann kept seeing Weinstein, accepting invitations, asking him for career help and sending warm messages to him. Weinstein was convicted of raping Ms Mann in 2013 and assaulting onetime production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, but New York's highest court overturned the conviction and Weinstein's 23-year prison sentence after ruling he didn't get a fair trial. In June 2025, a jury then convicted Weinstein of sexually abusing Ms Haley, but found him not guilty of assaulting former model Kaja Sokola. That jury was unable to reach a verdict on the third-degree rape charge relating to Ms Mann, leading to the judge declaring a mistrial on that count. The latest trial, before Justice Curtis Farber, is expected to last about a month. Weinstein will face a prison sentence of up to 25 years when he is sentenced for abusing Ms Haley. Read more from Sky News:The Osmonds singer dies aged 76Singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder Weinstein is also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted of rape in California ​in 2022. He is appealing that conviction and sentence. Weinstein's lawyers ​say his health has deteriorated rapidly while he has been imprisoned in ​New York's notorious Rikers Island jail.

News image template
No Writer
Apr 22
The Cathy Newman Show to launch on Sky News

The Cathy Newman Show, launching on 27 April at 7pm, combines agenda-setting interviews, exclusive investigations and spirited debate from Sky News' Westminster studio. The show, airing Monday to Thursday on Sky News and YouTube, is designed to cut through the noise and make sense of the stories that matter. 'The perfect time to get started' Newman, who joins Sky News after two decades at Channel 4, will lead a show featuring uninterrupted conversations that challenge perspectives – with a warm but rigorous approach. The show will include interviews with leading political, public and cultural figures, original reporting and investigations, and analysis of the biggest UK, US and European stories. "With the local elections coming up, it feels like the perfect time to get started," said Cathy Newman. "I'm looking forward to welcoming guests on to the orange velvet sofa for big interviews, exclusives and real conversations that help make sense of it all. Join me from next week for a friendly but forensic chat." There will also be longer-form investigations and documentaries that sit alongside the show, with a new podcast launching this autumn. The programme is part of Sky News' 2030 strategy for premium, video-first journalism, designed to bring personality-led reporting to audiences wherever they are. "Cathy's journalism is forensic, fearless and engaging, and this new format brings that to life in a way that truly connects with audiences," said Jonathan Levy, executive editor and managing director. Join us from 27 April at 7pm for interviews that probe, investigations that reveal, and conversations that matter.

News image template
No Writer
Apr 22
Brighton 3-0 Chelsea: Liam Rosenior's side look like a broken club with head coach, players and fans turning on each other

There was Liam Rosenior apologising to the fans who had called for his head for the entire second half. Then there was Enzo Fernandez, wearing the captain's armband despite all of his comments about joining another team, shrugging his shoulders at those same supporters. Brighton 3-0 Chelsea - report & highlightsLive Premier League table | Watch FREE PL highlightsGot Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺 A 'We Want BlueCo Out' flag emerged from the away end, with co-owner Behdad Eghbali in the crowd - a week after he said: "We think Rosenior can be successful long-term." On the pitch, Chelsea were just as woeful. From the moment Kaoru Mitoma tested Robert Sanchez into a save just two minutes in, the flow of the game was set. The lack of fight by the Blues was seen in the duels. Chelsea's players took 32 minutes to complete their first tackle of the game. By half-time, 10 out of their 11 starters hadn't managed a single one. It was no surprise that Chelsea were so limp off the ball because Chelsea have been out-run by every single one of their Premier League opponents - 34 matches out of 34. True, context is needed on that particular statistic. Chelsea aren't expected to out-run their opponents most games because they have ranked highly for possession, especially when Enzo Maresca was in charge. When you have the ball, you force your team to chase you for longer and larger periods - so of course you get out-run. But look at the teams Chelsea are around in the list of the most out-run teams. All of them are underperforming this season. This Chelsea team are an underperforming side. And they could end this week in the bottom half of the Premier League table. What makes the data worse is that the message is not getting across to the Chelsea players. Despite Rosenior saying his team's habits were "indefensible, unprofessional and unacceptable", Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah had a different view. "I think the boys were running their socks off," said the centre-back. "If you look in the dressing room, everyone is tired. It's nothing to do with effort. We gave it our all. We got beat today." Brighton ran seven kilometres more than Chelsea on Tuesday night. So if Chelsea were "running their socks off", what were Brighton doing? There is a clear disconnect between the players and the head coach - that even Rosenior cannot deny. "Judging off that performance, it looks that way," said Rosenior in his press conference. "I won't lie, that was unacceptable. "I don't feel there's a disconnect between me and the players. We work very closely with them in training, individual meetings, team meetings. We are giving everything to the players. There is a lack of spirit, lack of belief." But it's in attack where the headlines lie. To go four Premier League games without scoring a goal is bad enough but to not even register a shot on target in the fifth? The underlying data is even worse than just 'no shots on target'. Their first half Expected Goals (xG) tally of 0.04 was lower than they had in any of Maresca's 114 halves of Premier League football as Chelsea boss - a sign of how far backwards they are going. It's easy to point at the injuries as an excuse - Chelsea were without Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Estevao down on the south coast from the forward line. But this is a squad that has taken £1bn to assemble. Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are established Premier League players while Liam Delap was one of the first signings of the summer. Rosenior will ultimately take the flak for not getting the best out of this Chelsea team - especially given Maresca was extracting more before his exit. His decision to revert to a 5-3-2 formation for the first time in the Premier League looks desperate - and even more foolish when he changed back to a 4-2-3-1 at half-time. "It's a really tough job for any manager to survive this environment," said Tim Sherwood. "Chelsea is a development club." Perhaps it was fitting that BlueCo's Chelsea project was exposed in such a brutal way at Brighton. Since Chelsea's new owners arrived, they have tried so hard to replicate what the Seagulls have become. They hired one of Brighton's sporting directors in Paul Winstanley to become their main man - and pinched so many players and backroom staff from the Seagulls since taking over. Rosenior is the second former Brighton figure to take the reigns at Chelsea after Graham Potter, and even the trusting in youth is very 'Brighton'. For them to be battered home and away by the team whose direction they have followed so much is the ultimate shame. Chelsea have tried to rebuild their club and got it all wrong. Now there is a desperate need to change course once again.

bottom of page