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The US rapper had been due to perform in the city of Reggio Emilia this summer. But local official ‌Salvatore Angieri ordered its cancellation because of concerns over the potential for protests, with West, known as Ye, having faced a wave of cancellations following years of antisemitic remarks. The northern city has also banned a concert from Travis Scott, another American rapper. Scott has faced scrutiny over safety at his concerts since ​a 2021 crowd crush at the Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, that killed 10 people and injured hundreds. He had been due to perform at the Pulse ​of Gaia Festival on 17 July at the 103,000-capacity ⁠RCF Arena, with West scheduled to appear ⁠the following day. Angieri said the decision was taken following requests from a consumer group and the Jewish community ‌in Modena and Reggio Emilia, which had raised concerns about West. Italian authorities cited the close timing of the two shows and the high influx of ‌spectators expected within 24 hours as factors behind the ban. They also pointed to the cancellation of other West concerts in Europe, and the "concrete risk" of protests. This year's Wireless Festival was cancelled in April after West was blocked from coming to the UK. The ban was announced as his presence would "not be conducive to public good" after a backlash over West being booked to headline all three nights of the London event. In response, West offered to meet members of the British Jewish community. Read more from Sky News:Trump hits out at Kennedy Center ruling'Redaction errors' in Epstein files release Later that ​month, a concert in Poland was cancelled, and he also postponed a Marseille show after reports that the ​French government had sought to block it. West has apologised for his past remarks, saying they were linked to untreated bipolar disorder. He said in January: "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people". West is set ​to hold concerts in the Netherlands next month after its migration ​minister said there were no legal grounds to deny him entry. Dutch politicians had urged the ​government to bar West, citing his past remarks and expressions of admiration for Nazism and Adolf Hitler.

The "council for the progressive majority" is being instigated by Compass, a centre-left thinktank whose founder Neal Lawson is an influential supporter of the Greater Manchester mayor. The council will be comprised of two leading figures from each of the progressive parties in the UK - Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru. Voters from these parties make up what Compass calls the "progressive majority" over the Conservatives and Reform and its previous incarnations. The thinktank argues closer collaboration is needed, as while the progressive majority has won the largest share of the vote in 10 of the 11 elections since 1979, there have only been four electoral victories under the first past the post system. There have been no official appointments to the council yet, but as well as Mr Burnham, figures Compass are close to include Green Party leader Zack Polanski and former Green MP Caroline Lucas. They are both due to speak at an event on Saturday hosted by Compass called Mobilising the Progressive Majority. Mr Burnham dropped out due to campaigning in the Makerfield by-election. However in a recent Observer interview, he did not rule out a pact with the Greens - something Mr Polanski has also suggested he is open to if Mr Burnham succeeds Sir Keir Starmer, who is facing threats of a leadership challenge. Compass wants people on the council who can be close to or act as proxies for their party's leadership - so this could be former leaders or ex-MPs as well as senior sitting MPs. It will have a chair that is non-party aligned, such as an academic or a senior civil society figure. Appointments are due to be made by the end of the summer, with the group expected to meet four times a year to discuss and organise all options for how the "progressive majority" can prevent a Reform UK victory at the next general election. This will include discussions around electoral pacts as well as hosting joint conversations and data sharing, it is understood. Mr Lawson told Sky News that Britain's fractured political landscape has ended the "century-long two-party order" and we are now "staggering into a two-bloc system, with up to seven political parties holding power". He said the progressive majority "could be a long-term transformative force in British politics" but it must "actively be formed into a progressive bloc both before and after the next general election". He added: "As the potential for electoral and political chaos - in which the populist right prosper - comes into view, there is a requirement to think through and plan for effective mobilisation of the progressive majority into a force that is capable of defeating Reform and the causes of Reform. "This is why Compass... is now instigating the council for the progressive majority as a key institutional space where leading politicians and influencers can assess the need for the effective mobilisation of this majority, and examine the tactics and strategy necessary to build progressive electoral and governing prowess." Read more from Faye Brown:Union to double strike fund to prepare for Reform governmentBurnham allies meet to discuss forcing PM to set exit date Mr Lawson will be speaking in a joint discussion with Mr Polanski at Saturday's event, which will host panels on how progressive parties can find common ground on policies and values, including immigration. Labour speakers include the soft left MPs Clive Lewis and Alex Sobel, as well as senior backbencher Stella Creasey. The event will also hear from Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage, who has recently said her party needs a strategy for coalition. With Reform UK leading in the national polls, there has long been talk of electoral pacts at the next election to stop the left vote splitting. However the idea is divisive within all parties. Mr Burnham was criticised by some Labour MPs for initially being due to speak at the event with Mr Polanski. Many Labour MPs on the moderate wing believe there is a reputational risk to working with the Greens, who have been dogged by allegations of antisemitism recently. The Greens are also split on the issue. Some back the idea if Mr Burnham takes over from Sir Keir, given his support for proportional representation aligns with their long-standing party policy. But others have argued against giving him an easy ride, stating that it is the Greens' role to challenge Labour rather than assist it regardless of who is at the top.

While firmly established as one of English football's giants, Arsenal's European heritage is relatively minor, their only trophy successes coming in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the 1970/71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, both of which ceased to exist decades ago. In Budapest, though, they have an opportunity to "write a new history", to use a term popular with their manager Mikel Arteta, who has guided Arsenal to only the second Champions League final, putting the club within reach of an unprecedented feat. A first Champions League triumph would ensure immortality for manager and players. As Josh Kroenke put it this week: "Champions of England sounds pretty good and champions of Europe could sound even better, especially with the double tied to it." Josh Kroenke: Secrets of Arsenal rebuild and transfer plansAnalysis: Arsenal Champions League selection dilemmasArsenal owners to offer Mikel Arteta new contract The Premier League title win marked a culmination point for Arteta's work but, although an area of underachievement historically, it is arguably in European competition that the club's transformation over the last seven seasons is most apparent. Arsenal were in their third straight season without Champions League football when he took the job and another three followed, including one in which they missed out on European qualification entirely, before they finally returned to it in 2023/24. Since then, they have gone one stage further in three straight years, from quarter-final, to semi-final, to final. Arsenal were in uncharted territory even reaching the last four in consecutive seasons. Reasons for Arsenal optimism? So what hope of actually winning it? PSG are of course reigning champions, a fearsome opponent whose five-goal thrashing of Inter in last year's final saw them lift the trophy for the first time and complete their own rise to the pinnacle of European football. But, for all the attacking brilliance of Luis Enrique's side, Arteta will have noted the defensive vulnerabilities displayed in their semi-final against Bayern Munich, who were able to put five goals past them even in defeat across the two legs. He might also reflect that last year's semi-final, when Arsenal were beaten 3-1 on aggregate, might have turned out differently if not for a combination of wasteful finishing and a goalkeeping masterclass from the now departed Gianluigi Donnarumma. Arsenal actually had chances worth 4.54 expected goals to PSG's 2.90. Those numbers mattered little in the context of the tie. They were also influenced, to some degree, by game state, with PSG's lead putting the onus on Arsenal to attack. But they do suggest a capacity to trouble them. Arteta has more options this time too. Arsenal's absentee list for last season's meetings included Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori. Their substitutes were mostly untested academy players or out-of-favour squad options. This time around, they have both a far deeper squad and an almost clean bill of health. And as well as having more attacking weapons, Arteta has an ever-improving defence. The Gunners have kept nine clean sheets in 14 games on their run to the final. Their total of only six goals conceded is 16 fewer than PSG's 22 in the same number of games. Freshness advantage to PSG? Arsenal will be aware, nonetheless, that PSG have a level of talent to test their foundations like few other sides. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Demebele and Desire Doue are surely the world's best front three, defined by fluidity which makes them tough to stop. In fact, PSG carry threats all over the pitch, with 11 different players having scored two or more goals in the competition this season. They attack from all angles. Plug one gap and another can open. They also have the potentially crucial advantage of freshness. While Arsenal have only just completed their gruelling slog to the finish line in the Premier League, PSG have been Ligue 1 champions, for a fifth straight year, for the best part of three weeks. Eberechi Eze shrugs off critics and targets trophyArsenal owners planning new Mikel Arteta contractSky Sports' combined PSG-Arsenal XIs While Arsenal have had to scrap for every point over the course of their domestic season, PSG's superiority in France has allowed them to rotate, holding back key players for the Champions League without jeopardising their domestic chances. The result is that while Arsenal have nine players who have played more than 3,000 minutes this season in all competitions, PSG only have three. A similar pattern can be seen in terms of starts, with PSG having preserved energy for precisely this moment. Enrique complimentary of Arsenal as Arteta delivers fighting talk PSG boss Luis Enrique said ahead of the game that newly-crowned champions Arsenal deserve their title and says there is no favourite in the final. "I am not surprised, especially with what he [Mikel Arteta] has done this year, he said. "They are worthy of winning the Premier League, the best team in the league. It was not easy with Man City on their tails. "Arteta has been there six and a half years, and he knows them inside and out." Asked if PSG are favourites for the game, Enrique added: "I don't think that there is a favourite, to be honest. For us the devil is in the details, and I think it will be a very close call. "We have to give our all but enjoy the 90 minutes; there is always tension. It is about knowing how to manage that stress, that's important." Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacted to suggestions PSG are favourites, saying they are in Budapest to take the trophy from the Parisian side. "Well, they are defending the trophy, they are the champions," he said. "They earned the right last season. And we are here to take that away from them." He added: "I think it's the opportunity to own the moment because it's the second time in our history that we are here and we have the opportunity tomorrow to write a new chapter in the history of this football club. In order to do that, we have to play tomorrow with such clarity, a lot of courage and a relentless desire to win. We have those three aspects and I'm sure that we're going to be close to winning. Marquinhos: We're ready for Arsenal set-pieces PSG captain Marquinhos insisted the French side are well-prepared to deal with Arsenal's dead-ball prowess. "We've played Arsenal quite a few times, we know what their strengths are and how difficult it is to come up against them," he said. "In a game, no one knows what is going to happen. For set-plays, attacks. "Look at the teams we have faced: Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea. "All these teams are teams that have given us a run for our money. We have been able to adapt and we have always been able to deal with it. "The devil is in the details, knowing how to attack, defend and counter. Knowing how to defend from set-pieces and we have prepared for all eventualities." Saka: We have fire going into the final Bukayo Saka urged Arsenal to seize their chance to make history. "We have enough fire going into the game tomorrow. We know we can write history as players for the first time and that gives us a lot of motivation. "I am hungry and excited to have the opportunity to win another trophy, and create history for the club that I love." Martin Odegaard added: "I've been dreaming about winning these trophies, since I grew up playing football as a kid with my friends, in the little pitch next to my house in Norway. "It's something special that we can achieve that has not been done before."

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Lucas, who was married to director George Lucas between 1969 and 1983, died on Wednesday surrounded by loved ones in Rancho Mirage, California, from metastatic cancer, a lawyer for her family said. She was the editor of the original 1977 Star Wars film, 1983's Return of the Jedi, as well as George Lucas's earlier films THX 1138 and American Graffiti. In the decades since the film franchise's release, Lucas has come to be recognised as a pivotal creative force behind the development of the first Star Wars film, which is now known by its subtitle A New Hope. She was pivotal in developing Obi-Wan Kenobi's plotline by convincing her then-husband that the character, played by Alec Guinness, should have a lightsaber battle with Darth Vader and become a spirit guide to Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill. When she was editing the space opera, she was acknowledged for being able to make sense of the raw footage, including the climactic rebel attack on the Death Star, which could have descended into narrative chaos. "It was extremely complex and we had 40,000 feet of dialogue footage of pilots saying this and that. And she had to cull through all that, and put in all the fighting as well," Lucas told Rolling Stone a few months after the film was released. "Nobody really has ever tried to interweave an actual plot story into a dogfight, and we were trying to do that." Lucas was also part of the team that edited director Martin Scorsese's 1970s films Taxi Driver, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and New York, New York. Read more from Sky News:Matthew Perry's assistant jailed over ketamine deathMan jailed for 15 years after Taylor Swift concert terror plot Lucas was born Marcia Griffin in Modesto, California shortly after the end of World War II. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother after her parents divorced as a small child. She began working as a film librarian and moved into working as an editor. Lucas was an assistant editor on the documentary Journey to the Pacific, where she met George Lucas, who was then a film student. They became engaged soon after. After they divorced, she was married to Tom Rodrigues, a production manager at the Skywalker Ranch production centre, from 1983 to 1993. "Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love," her family said in a statement released on Friday. "Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity - a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen."

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Osaka had to dig deep for a hard-fought 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 victory ‌over 17th seed Jovic, in a match lasting two minutes short of the three-hour mark, while Sabalenka had a more comfortable afternoon in disposing of Australian Daria Kasatkina 6-0 7-5. Osaka's decision to play in a gold sequined top and ​skirt in Paris drew criticism from her first-round opponent Laura Siegemund, who said she was "not here for a fashion show" after exiting the tournament in a straight-sets defeat to the four-time Grand Slam champion. Latest French Open scores, results and upcoming matchesFrench Open: Order of Play and second-round draw, resultsDownload Sky Sports app for analysis, news and videoNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract But it has far from deterred Osaka, who has added different variations to her outfit when walking on court for each round, with a metallic gold bomber jacket this time offset by a tannish-gold train. "It's a surprise every time," Osaka said in her on-court interview after clinching a place in the French Open fourth round for the first time in her career. The former world No 1 wasted two set ‌points at 6-5 in the first set, and needed three more before taking the opener in a tie-break. It was a similar story in the second set, with ⁠both players earning a break apiece, but Jovic this time triumphant in the breaker to force a deciding set. The ​third was again on a razor's ​edge, with Jovic refusing to buckle and matching ⁠Osaka's power blow for blow, until Osaka carved out a match point at 5-4 on ⁠the American's serve and converted ​it to book a meeting with Sabalanka in the last 16. "Today I was a lot calmer than my first few matches," Osaka said. "I think in Slams, the further I get, the calmer I am - because it's such a privilege to be here. "I've never been to the fourth round of Roland-Garros before. This is my first time; I'm just really grateful." In a tournament full of upsets so far - particularly in the men's draw - Sabalenka restored some order when storming the first set against Kasatkina without dropping a game. Kasatkina, ranked 53rd in the world, broke and ⁠held against the run of play to start the second set, but Sabalenka would swiftly restore parity with a break for 2-2. The four-time Grand Slam ⁠champion stayed in touch before ​dialling up the intensity late on to ​complete her eighth victory in 10 meetings between the pair. Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.