It's widely accepted that the late republican Freddie Scappaticci was the agent, codenamed "Stakeknife". He headed the IRA's so-called "nutting squad", a notorious internal security unit tasked with hunting and executing informants, but was himself operating as a mole for British intelligence. The final report of a seven-year investigation named Operation Kenova has found that "there is a compelling ethical case" to reveal the agent's identity. Operation Kenova live: 'Stakeknife' spy inside IRA committed 'worst possible' crimes Head of Kenova Sir Iain Livingstone said that "it is in the public interest that Stakeknife is named". He urged the government to depart from its "neither confirm nor deny" (NCND) policy on the grounds of public interest. It's understood that the government believes Stakeknife cannot be officially named at this time due to some outstanding legal issues. Sky News has approached No 10 Downing Street for comment. Freddie Scappaticci died two years ago denying that he was the agent, but all sides in Northern Ireland accept his denial was false. The report also found a "significant failure" by MI5 in its late provision of materials to the investigation. "The further material revealed MI5 had earlier and greater knowledge of the agent than previously stated," the report says. Sir Ian Livingstone added that "further investigative opportunities were undoubtedly lost", and that the confidence of the communities in Northern Ireland was undermined. Sky News has approached the security agency for comment. Stakeknife produced a "vast" amount of intelligence. 3,517 reports from the agent were discovered, including 377 from one 18-month period. But the report found the intelligence was not shared with those who could have used it to save lives. Read more:Bloody Sunday shootings 'unjustified and gratuitous'Government will 'look at every conceivable way' to stop Gerry Adams payout Last year, Operation Kenova's interim report found the security forces were frequently aware of imminent abductions and murders but failed to protect those at risk. Today's report found his army handlers even took Stakeknife out of Northern Ireland for two holidays, at a time when he was sought by police for murder and kidnapping. He was flown on military aircraft and given military ID. As a result, preventable deaths occurred with the security forces' knowledge and those responsible were not brought to justice and were instead left free to reoffend. 'Wholly unjustified criminality' The 2024 report also concluded that Stakeknife was involved in "very serious and wholly unjustifiable criminality", including murder, and claims his intelligence saved "countless" or "hundreds" of lives were exaggerated. It found that the number of lives saved by his spying ranged from the high single figures to low double figures. This contradicted claims that Scappaticci had saved hundreds of lives during the years he was active, with a former defence chief describing him as "the goose that laid the golden eggs". The interim report found that claim to be "inherently implausible" and "a comparison rooted in fables and fairy tales". The 2024 report also called on the UK government to apologise to bereaved families, given that many murders were avoidable. 'Each evil act being the epitome of cowardice' There was also a call for an apology from republican leaders for "the most shameful and evil" actions of the Provisional IRA (PIRA). "It was PIRA that committed the brutal acts of torture and murder, each evil act being the epitome of cowardice," the report stated. No prosecutions connected with Stakeknife will take place, prosecutors in Northern Ireland have already decided. Families of IRA victims associated with Stakeknife will give their response to the Kenova report in a news conference later today. They want Scappaticci to be officially named, and many are seeking an apology from the British government.

The group, which performed at Dublin's Vicar Street last month, claim they were defamed in a report by RTE News that said the lead singer led antisemitic chants when they played the Somerset festival in June. During their performance, singer Pascal Robinson-Foster, whose stage name is Bobby Vylan, led a chant of "death, death, to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]". It provoked widespread criticism of the artist, including from Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, and the BBC, which live streamed their show. Phoenix Law launched legal action on behalf of Robinson-Foster and drummer Wade Laurence George at Ireland's High Court on Monday, according to court records. The firm said: "The proceedings arise from a broadcast aired by RTE News following Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury Festival on 28 June 2025. "During this broadcast, comments were made alleging that the lead singer of Bob Vylan led antisemitic chants. These allegations are categorically denied by our clients and are entirely untrue." Phoenix Law said Bob Vylan had made statements expressing support for Palestinian self-determination and criticising military actions by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces). His comments did not target Jewish people or express hatred towards any group, the firm said, suggesting they were "politically charged but not antisemitic in nature". Solicitor Darragh Mackin said the pair "are no stranger to utilising their freedom of expression to speak out against the genocide in Gaza". Mr Mackin said there was "a fundamental distinction between speaking critically about the role of the Israeli state forces, and being antisemitic". "The former is speech within the confines of political expression, whereas the latter is a form of hatred directed towards Jewish people," he added. Read more on Sky News:Who are Bob Vylan? The BBC apologised, including to the Jewish community, and said it regretted not pulling the live stream of the set and promised not to live stream "high-risk" acts in future. It partially upheld complaints made over the broadcast, accepting the live stream broke the corporation's editorial guidelines. Ofcom's chief executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, said the BBC needed to "get a grip quicker" on handling such controversies and complete its internal reports and investigations sooner. Last month, the Metropolitan Police said detectives would take no further action over similar alleged chants made at a Bob Vylan gig in London in May. The individual was not arrested but an investigation was ongoing, the Met said. Avon and Somerset Police said a man, in his 30s, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, had voluntarily attended an interview in relation to the band's Glastonbury performance. Enquiries are ongoing, the force said on Tuesday. The US condemned the act's "hateful tirade", revoking their visas, while several festivals cancelled their upcoming appearances. Speaking to Louis Theroux in October, Bobby Vylan said he had no regrets about the chants and would do it again "tomorrow". Sky News has contacted RTE for comment.

Asked twice to define success for her party at the elections, the Tory leader merely said that she is "going to be fighting for every vote". Speaking to Sky News, she added: "Success is going to be people seeing the Conservative Party as the only party that is competent and credible enough to do the tough stuff that this country needs." Politics latest - follow live The comments come as the Conservatives continue to trail in the polls. New data released by YouGov this morning has put the Tories in third place behind Reform and Labour, a space they have largely occupied throughout the year. The pollster's weekly voting intention analysis put Ms Badenoch's party on 18%, down one percentage point. Ms Badenoch gave a speech on welfare costs in London on Tuesday, where she attacked the government's plans to tackle child poverty. Afterwards, she sat down with Sky News political correspondent Sam Coates. Asked about the local elections, she said: "There are going to be local elections all over the country, and there's a conservative message that I want everyone to hear: Our country's not working properly. "There are fundamental things that need to change. We need to create jobs. Otherwise, we're not going to have money for councils." She added: "We've seen new parties like Reform come in. They're making a hash of things at council level. We need to make sure that people can see the benefits of voting Conservative." When it was pointed out that she had not defined success as winning the local elections, Ms Badenoch said: "The country is going to decide. We're going to put out an offer, and we're going to fight for every vote." May will see local council elections, as well as votes for the Senedd in Wales and the Scottish Parliament. They are seen as a crucial moment for the Tory leader - and also for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Ms Badenoch also refused to score the party's performance out of 10, as the year draws to a close, and she marks a little over 12 months as leader. She told Sky News: "When I look at the historic defeats which Conservatives suffered last year, things are definitely better." Read more:Tory-Reform pact 'not happening'Badenoch dismisses Reeves's 'mansplaining' claim Challenged on the Tories' position in the polls, Ms Badenoch said: "Of course, we have a mountain to climb. "We lost more seats [in 2024] than we've ever done in our 200-year history. This was always going to be a long road ahead."

Marc Cucurella's on-pitch explanation for Chelsea's winner that day highlighted the weakness that teams have been trying to exploit against Liverpool. The full-back was allowed to move forward into the box untracked to lay on the goal for Estevao. "We know that Salah is already ready to attack, to play on the counter-attack, so we know, and we practise, and the manager tells us, that the space is maybe there," he told Sky Sports, before adding: "Today it worked and we can win the game in this way." Salah removed from Liverpool selectionSlot: No clue if Salah has played final game In each of the next four Premier League defeats that Liverpool have suffered, the opposition have focused their attacks down the left wing - Liverpool's right. When Jamie Carragher talks of Salah throwing his right-back under the bus, this is what he means. Salah's defending has never been his biggest strength. Jurgen Klopp often used Jordan Henderson to ensure Liverpool's structure was sound on that side of the pitch. But the statistics show that Salah's own defensive work declined dramatically after Klopp's exit. Under Slot, this was the trade off, the deal that Salah alluded to having made with his coach in firing Liverpool to the title last season. The Egyptian eschewed his defensive duties but repaid for that privilege by delivering the goals and assists at the other end. "Now I don't have to defend much. It is quite difficult to say one thing, but the tactics are quite different. But I told him, 'As long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively' - so I'm glad I did. It was the manager's idea, of course, but he listens a lot." Salah might talk of broken promises but perhaps Slot believes that it is the player who failed to hold up his end of the bargain. Six non-penalty goals in his last 33 appearances for Liverpool tells the tale. Salah's output is no longer justifying the problems he causes. Against PSV, all it took was a mere drop of the shoulder from Mauro Junior for him to skip away from Salah and set up the goal that restored the Dutch side's lead at Anfield. "Salah was embarrassing in terms of the challenge he puts it," said Carragher. The gap that the PSV player was able to open up by the time that he provided the assist was alarming and highlighted Salah's unwillingness to track back. The statistics also reveal this decline, his defensive work for Liverpool steadily declining year on year. To an extent, that is unavoidable. Salah's physical decline in his 34th year is an inevitability. It is there in his attacking numbers too. His overall sprints are down and so are his top speeds. Perhaps he is no longer able to put in that shift even if he wanted to. But it helps to explain why, in a desperate bid to regain some defensive control, Slot elected to drop a player who has become a defensive liability. Salah's poor contribution is further illustrated by how rarely he tracks back into position for Liverpool. This metric measures the number of times that a player runs back into their own half to regain their defensive position. Of the 45 wide forwards to play 270 minutes or more in the Premier League so far this season, Salah makes that run less than anyone else. In this context, Slot's decision appears logical in an attempt to tighten up. "What are you going to do as a manager? You are going to take out the one player in your team who you have allowed not to defend," said Carragher of Slot's team selection at West Ham. It also explains why Salah remained an unused substitute in that 2-0 win at the London Stadium and more recently in the away game at Leeds when Liverpool were defending a lead. "Why would you bring him on? You don't need a goal, you need not to concede." Statistically, it is possible to compare Liverpool's defensive intensity with and without Salah - and the evidence is compelling. By isolating zones of the pitch, it is possible to establish how often Liverpool press the opposition when they have the ball there. On Liverpool's right side, when they are in their defensive third, they become much more intense in their pressing when Salah is not on the pitch. The clear weakness that Cucurella pointed out - and every team since then has targeted - becomes less apparent. Of course, it did not stop Leeds finding a stoppage-time equaliser. There are other problems for Slot to address at Liverpool and his failure to do so emboldened Salah to make his incendiary remarks in the belief that the coach's position was weakened. But the analysis shows that unless Salah is again able to register the attacking numbers that have made him a Liverpool legend, the fact that he has become a defensive liability is harming his hopes of being trusted again almost as much as his outspoken comments.

An investigation into NHS maternity services is under way after a series of shocking scandals. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (NMNI) is being led by Baroness Amos, who said "nothing prepared her" for the amount of "unacceptable care" families currently receive. A report has been released documenting her initial reflections and impressions after meeting families and visiting hospitals. She will investigate 12 NHS trusts in total, including Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), which runs the world-renowned John Radcliffe Hospital. 'I was left in my own blood' Rebecca Matthews formed a campaign for families failed by OUH after her own traumatic births. Asked to discuss the care she received, she said she "could only describe it as callous". "There wasn't any kindness there. I was left in my own blood," she added. Ms Matthews recently took part in evidence-gathering sessions held by Baroness Amos. But when she read her interim report, she said it was "disappointing", as it appeared to be "a bullet point list of failings that actually we've seen time and time again in independent reviews". "The reflections don't mention accountability at all," she said. Readers' stories of birth trauma - share yours here 'Why are we struggling to provide?' Based on her initial inquiries, Baroness Amos found common themes, including women not being listened to and being "disregarded" when they raised concerns. Many weren't given the right information to make informed choices about their care. She was told of discrimination against women of colour, working-class mothers, or parents who were younger. A "staggering" 748 recommendations have been made about NHS maternity services in recent years, Baroness Amos revealed - and she does "not understand why change has been so slow". She asked: "Why are we in England still struggling to provide safe, reliable maternity and neonatal care everywhere in the country?" Baroness Amos told Sky News' Mornings with Ridge and Frost: "I have been shocked…I've been shocked because there have been so many reviews before." She said she had been asked to come up with "clear national recommendations that will stop this and will make a difference". "It just cannot continue, there's too much harm, too much distress, too much trauma," Baroness Amos said, describing the long-term consequences for families as "almost unbearable". Asked if there was "systematic racism in the NHS", she said there was "clearly discrimination". "When a woman tells you that she is making choices that she knows may be detrimental to her because of her previous experience of healthcare, because of the racism that she has experienced, there is something additive here in terms of race," she said. "Inequalities is a key strand of the work that we're doing." The most recent health watchdog findings paint a depressing picture of maternity services. Almost two-thirds of acute hospital maternity services were judged either inadequate or required improvement for safety. Read more from Sky News:Three women describe traumatic childbirth This investigation is not due to report back fully until the spring. But some campaigners are already worried it won't bring meaningful change to maternity services. Ms Matthews said it "seems as though it's heading the same way that other reviews have gone in the past, leading to some recommendations but no teeth". "We need some mechanisms that are going to hold people and systems to account," she said. 'More to do' OUH chief nurse Yvonne Christley said in a statement that "feedback received from patients using our maternity service over the last year is positive overall". "However, we know we have more to do to improve our maternity services," she added. "Our present focus is on listening to the experiences of women and families, which is helping us to identify opportunities for improvement." Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK. You can also get help at support@birthtraumaassociation.org.uk

The 41-year-old also pleaded guilty to driving dangerously in areas of London before the fatal collision, which happened in Ilford, north-east London, shortly after 11.30pm on 18 October. Yubin Tamang, 20, a student from Nepal, died two days after being hit by the rapper's BMW M5 in Redbridge Lane. Police said Ghetts was driving in excess of 60mph in a 30mph zone, and hit Mr Tamang as he was crossing the road. He then failed to stop at the scene. On Monday, the grime artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, appeared for a hearing at the Old Bailey via videolink from Pentonville prison, wearing a green polo shirt. He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and to driving dangerously in Tavistock Place, in the Bloomsbury area of central London, and on other roads in Camden, Islington and Hackney before the crash. Mr Tamang's family, who had travelled to the UK, watched in court as the pleas were made. He was an only child who had been sent to complete his studies, the court heard. Clarke-Samuel, a two-time Mercury Prize nominee and MOBO winner, has been in custody since a preliminary appearance at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on 27 October. He will be sentenced in February. Judge Mark Lucraft KC told him the sentence would be custodial, but the length of his jail term is yet to be determined. He was disqualified from driving with immediate effect - with the length of the ban also still to be set. Speaking after the hearing on Monday, Detective Inspector Mark Braithwaite, of the Met's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said that while nothing could undo the loss felt by Mr Tamang's family, the guilty pleas marked "a step towards justice". He added: "Split-second decisions behind the wheel can have devastating, life-changing consequences." The Met Police said Clarke-Samuel's BMW was found by officers in the early hours of the day following the collision, parked near his home in Woodford. The car "displayed significant damage, including a smashed windscreen, extensive marks on the bonnet, damage to the front bumper and a missing wing mirror cover", the force said. On Thursday 4 December, Clarke-Samuel was further charged with causing death by careless driving while over the alcohol limit. He did not enter a plea to this charge, nor a second count of dangerous driving following the incident, the force said. The rapper was first nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2021, for his third album, Conflict Of Interest. His second nomination came for his fourth album, On Purpose, With Purpose, in 2024. He was named best male artist at the MOBOs in 2021, and received the pioneer award for his contribution to British black culture in 2024. Earlier this year, he was nominated for two Ivor Novello awards - for best album and best contemporary song. He also had a role in the Netflix drama Supacell.

Pandemic support programmes such as furlough, bounce-back loans and Eat Out to Help Out led to £10.9bn in fraud and error, the COVID-19 Counter-Fraud Commissioner Tom Hayhoe's final report has concluded. The government said the sum is enough to fund daily free school meals for the UK's 2.7 million eligible children for eight years. Money blog: mortgage rates 'will fall below 3.5% this year' in price war Weak accountability, bad quality data and poor contracting were identified as the primary causes of the loss. Of the figure, £1.8bn has been recovered, though "much" of the shortfall is now "beyond recovery", the report said. There remain areas, however, where investing to recover sums is "worthwhile" and should continue, it continued. Fraud risks were increased due to the design of the schemes and the absence of fraud expertise, it read. Government departments generally worked independently and designed schemes from scratch, which led to a "high degree of novelty" in the design and introduced greater fraud risk. This was especially the case as cross-government fraud expertise was "often not brought in" to advise on risk mitigation. Procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) involved measures which "invited mistrust, opportunism and profiteering". Lack of government data to target economic support made it "easy" for fraudsters to claim under more than one scheme and secure dual funding, the report said. Prevention Measures to protect against fraud are said to be "inadequate" in the report. Fraud prevention is "insufficiently embedded" in thinking and practice across government, it added. Activity to counter fraud and recover funds has "varied significantly" across government departments. This reflects differences in fraud exposure, in relationships to the stakeholders supported, and in the "commitment, capability and investment" to counter fraud. "Some departments" were slow to step up work to recoup funds. What next? Among the four lessons Mr Hayhoe's report recommends the Treasury has been told it should establish a "scrutiny panel" of senior officials across government with external members and chaired by a minister to review implementation of recommendations at six-month intervals for "at least" two years. This has been suggested as lessons are "often not learned and recommendations not implemented ". The work is separate from the COVID-19 inquiry, which was set up to scrutinise the decisions made around the virus and the impact they had on day-to-day life.

Paul is a social media star who has transitioned into being a professional boxer. He's beaten former UFC fighters, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, among others and boxed an aged Mike Tyson in an unlikely but unignorable event. But Anthony Joshua, unlike cruiserweight Paul, is a large heavyweight with tremendous power and unimpeachable accolades. An Olympic gold medallist in 2012, he's twice unified heavyweight world championships. Caroline Dubois to defend world title on Paul vs AJ undercardUsyk permitted to make voluntary defence of WBC title against WilderNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW But Paul not only made their December 19 fight, those closest to him insist he has planned for it and intends to win it. Nakisa Bidarian, who co-founded promotion company Most Valuable Promotions alongside Paul, told Sky Sports News: "The fight is called Jake versus Joshua and I very much expect Jake to come out the victor. "Does he go in there with the risk of getting knocked out? Absolutely. That's what boxing is about and Anthony Joshua is one of the biggest boxers, biggest punchers, most devastating knockout artists that exist. "But Jake's been predicting this since March of this year. He's been planning for this this entire time." As part of his preparations Paul has brought in elite sparring partners, including former cruiserweight champion and now top heavyweight contender Lawrence Okolie. "What you can count on is Jake is spending every minute of every day focused on how to beat Anthony Joshua," Bidarian insisted. "He has a personally-built gym focused on boxing. He has the best trainers in the world and we consistently have the best sparring partners for him in the world." Bidarian does not consider it guaranteed that Anthony Joshua will knock Paul out. "If this fight goes to eight rounds and a decision and people start to say: 'Oh this must have been something that was fixed' that just tells you how unbelievable it is in terms of the things that he's achieving," the promoter said. "If he gets knocked out, will people still say that it was fixed? No. Then they have to respect the fact that this guy got into the ring with someone of AJ's experience level and knockout power just 13 fights into his career."