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No Writer
Jun 17
Healthcare worker tried to sell Princess of Wales's private medical records

The employee at the London Clinic, who no longer works there, has been cautioned by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) over the "deliberate misuse" of the Princess of Wales's private medical records for financial gain. The princess was admitted to the hospital for abdominal surgery in January 2024. The ICO, which is the UK's privacy and data protection watchdog, said on Wednesday: "Following a full assessment under the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the ICO's Prosecution Policy, the ICO issued a now former healthcare professional from London with a formal caution in relation to an offence under section 170(5) of the Data Protection Act 2018. "The conduct involved the deliberate misuse of highly sensitive personal information and an offer to disclose it for financial gain, representing a clear breach of trust." Ian Hulme, the ICO's executive director for regulatory supervision, said: "People should be able to trust that the personal information they're giving to healthcare settings is safe and protected from exploitation." The watchdog said it had also considered whether there were any wider issues related to the organisation, but did not identify failings that would "meet the threshold for regulatory enforcement". This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

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Gemma Peplow, culture and entertainment reporter
Jun 17
BBC to cut hundreds of jobs and review programmes as part of major downsizing

Director-general Matt Brittin, who took up the role in May, told employees on Wednesday that £160m of staff and non-staff cost savings would be made from across BBC News and TV and radio teams by the end of the financial year. More savings across all areas will be set out in the coming months, with 700 corporate roles also expected to go and senior leader roles to be reduced by at least 10%, he added. In a follow-up message from Jonathan Munro, the interim chief executive of BBC News and Current Affairs, staff were told details of cuts and changes to specific shows, and that a review of chief presenter roles would also be carried out. These cuts are the first to be announced as part of a huge savings plan announced in April, with up to 2,000 jobs to go in total - the corporation's biggest downsizing in almost 15 years. In his memo, Mr Munro told staff: "Our news presenters have a unique relationship with our audiences. However, given the savings we need to make across the whole of BBC News, we are carrying out a review of our chief presenter roles. "This is designed to ensure we have the right number of presenters, deployed as flexibly and efficiently as possible, to balance audience needs with best value for money." On-air editor roles are also being reviewed and a proposal has been made to close dedicated social presenter roles. In one positive for Newsnight, Mr Munro said it would move to a peak-time slot on Fridays, "building on the success of its refreshed format". 'A doubly difficult time for everyone' The scale of savings needed "requires tough choices" and all divisions "will be making significant savings", Mr Brittin said in his internal note to staff. Overall, the plan is to cut commissioning spend across the Content, News and Nations departments by about £80 million in the year 2027-28. Broadcast TV channels and the radio network portfolio would be reviewed "as audiences move online", Mr Brittin said, and steps will also be taken to "reduce duplication, clarify accountability, and increase the speed of decision making". "We live in very uncertain times," the BBC boss added. "Our audiences rely on us every day to keep them informed, entertained and equipped to make sense of the world. Making savings while fulfilling our mission means a doubly difficult time for everyone." 'Death by a thousand cuts' Philippa Childs, head of media and entertainment union Bectu, responded to the announcement by saying the cuts were "far from ideal" taking place at the same time as the BBC's charter renewal - and that they would affect the broadcaster's ability to deliver its public service mission. "In an era of fake news and an industry that is becoming more concentrated in the hands of a few multinational corporations, the UK needs a confident, ambitious and sustainably-funded BBC more than ever," she said. "The charter renewal must put the BBC's funding on a secure, long-term pathway or it risks death by a thousand cuts." Read more from Sky News:World Cup data tracker: Who will win?Jeremy Clarkson reveals cancer diagnosis The union is in talks with the BBC "to mitigate the impact as much as possible", she added. Cathy Sweet, head of TV and film at entertainment and performing arts trade union Equity, described the cuts as "devastating" and said they risked the BBC becoming "unable to live up to its aim to inform, educate and entertain". Mr Brittin, a former Google executive, replaced Tim Davie as director-general in last month. Mr Davie announced his resignation from the corporation in November last year, amid controversy and a $10bn (about $7.5bn) lawsuit over the editing of a BBC documentary about Donald Trump.

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No Writer
Jun 17
Brexit has damaged Britain and Farage knows it, claims minister

Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer, a close ally of the prime minister, will say Labour are now "cleaning up" the "mess" left by politicians who campaigned for Leave. Politics Hub: Follow the latest His speech at an event held by the European Movement advocacy group comes ahead of the 10th anniversary of the referendum next Tuesday. Sir Keir Starmer's government is seeking closer ties with the EU, and he is holding talks with key European leaders in France this week as part of the G7 summit. A second EU-UK summit since Labour came to power is scheduled to take place in Brussels on 22 July, where a youth mobility scheme is set to be agreed. The divisive issue of the UK's relationship with the bloc has been brought back into the limelight in recent weeks, with prospective Labour leadership hopeful Wes Streeting describing Brexit as a "catastrophic mistake". The PM and chancellor, Rachel Reeves, have both suggested it had a negative impact on the economy but have promised they will not go back on their manifesto promises not to rejoin the single market or the customs union. Lord Hermer will repeat the argument that Brexit has damaged the UK economy in his speech later. 'Farage knows Brexit has damaged Britain' "Strikingly, the politicians who were key proponents of Brexit and major figures in the campaign to Leave now appear reluctant to remind us of the promises that they made," he will say. "When was the last time you heard Nigel Farage proudly talk about Brexit? Or make the case for the benefits it's brought Britain? "The reason he has become uncharacteristically quiet about what he used to describe as his crowning achievement is because he knows the damage it caused Britain, our standing in the world, and our economy." Expert analysis from Sky News:Trump's left Netanyahu with a horrendous choiceWhy Ukraine could have fresh hope of US support Mr Farage has previously said Brexit "has failed" but blamed it on the then-Conservative government for "mismanaging" Britain's departure. He has criticised Labour's attempts to get closer to the EU, notably an agreement with France designed to combat small boat crossings. The Tories have dismissed Lord Hermer's criticism, saying he "should focus on his job as attorney general".

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No Writer
Jun 16
World Cup 2026: Iran the most oppressed team at tournament, says coach Amir Ghalenoei after opening game vs New Zealand

The team's build-up to the tournament has been profoundly impacted by the conflict between Iran and the US, with the squad forced to move their training camp to Mexico. They earned a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening Group G fixture on Tuesday, roared on by a passionate Iranian-American crowd after their anthem had been jeered by some sections of the 70,000-strong attendance at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. As it happened | Teams | Stats | Group G guideWorld Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World CupFollow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App Iran were not expected to even be at these finals when co-hosts the United States, alongside Israel, began a bombing campaign in February. While a peace deal may have finally been agreed on Sunday, the build-up to the game only served to highlight the complexities and polarised views around the team's participation, with Ghalenoei appearing to aim strong criticism at the US authorities. "We've spent so much time commuting in the air," he said. "They didn't even give us time to recover after the game today. They said we had to leave immediately. "It's very important for us to have time for recovery and yet we were asked to return to Tijuana and we are really troubled by that. "We do not know why they are returning us. I think it's very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us, decisions are made elsewhere, we were supposed to arrive two nights before the game and we were not permitted, we were supposed to stay tonight and return tomorrow lunchtime but I have no idea why, and they haven't told us. "Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup. "The federation is absent here. Our media isn't here. Our management team, many of them aren't here. We used to have a part of a coaching team to help with substitutions but we didn't have that. Many in the technical area had to deal with that." Sky Sports News has approached FIFA for comment. Iran captain Mehdi Taremi described their treatment as a "disaster" and revealed FIFA president Gianni Infantino had been in the dressing room, offering to "help" the team. Footage of Infantino published on X sees him telling the players "you are stronger than everything", "this is just the beginning" adding that the team were "writing history, the whole world is watching you". Infantino is also understood to have told the players he would do what he could to ensure more of the Iranian delegation, who did not receive visas, could travel to the USA for their remaining group games. Taremi added: "We don't have our President, and no one from staff, also, which is so important for us. Our manager, for example, has come here doing the job of the media, and you know everything is like a disaster for us." Protests and boos at Iran's first game Protestors gathered outside the stadium before kick-off, calling for change in Tehran. The Iran national anthem was greeted by audible boos within the stadium but minutes earlier, there had been loud cheers when images of the team in the tunnel appeared on the giant screens above the pitch, and the team also had strong vocal backing once the match kicked off. The Iranian community in Los Angeles is primarily comprised of those who fled the country around the time of the 1979 Islamic revolution, or the children of those who did, and as such anti-regime sentiment is strong here. FIFA won a case to ban flags with the pre-revolution 'Lion and Sun' emblem on from being brought to the stadium earlier on Monday, but plenty were in evidence within the venue in the lead-up to kick-off. Protesters had promised "hell" in the build-up to the match and while some aggressive anti-regime slogans were chanted around SoFi Stadium, describing the leaders in Tehran as "terrorists", many attending the match were keen to separate the team from the state they represent.

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Gemma Peplow, culture and entertainment reporter
Jun 17
BBC to cut hundreds of jobs and review programmes as part of major downsizing

Director-general Matt Brittin, who took up the role in May, told employees on Wednesday that £160m of staff and non-staff cost savings would be made from across BBC News and TV and radio teams by the end of the financial year. More savings across all areas will be set out in the coming months, with 700 corporate roles also expected to go and senior leader roles to be reduced by at least 10%, he added. In a follow-up message from Jonathan Munro, the interim chief executive of BBC News and Current Affairs, staff were told details of cuts and changes to specific shows, and that a review of chief presenter roles would also be carried out. These cuts are the first to be announced as part of a huge savings plan announced in April, with up to 2,000 jobs to go in total - the corporation's biggest downsizing in almost 15 years. In his memo, Mr Munro told staff: "Our news presenters have a unique relationship with our audiences. However, given the savings we need to make across the whole of BBC News, we are carrying out a review of our chief presenter roles. "This is designed to ensure we have the right number of presenters, deployed as flexibly and efficiently as possible, to balance audience needs with best value for money." On-air editor roles are also being reviewed and a proposal has been made to close dedicated social presenter roles. In one positive for Newsnight, Mr Munro said it would move to a peak-time slot on Fridays, "building on the success of its refreshed format". 'A doubly difficult time for everyone' The scale of savings needed "requires tough choices" and all divisions "will be making significant savings", Mr Brittin said in his internal note to staff. Overall, the plan is to cut commissioning spend across the Content, News and Nations departments by about £80 million in the year 2027-28. Broadcast TV channels and the radio network portfolio would be reviewed "as audiences move online", Mr Brittin said, and steps will also be taken to "reduce duplication, clarify accountability, and increase the speed of decision making". "We live in very uncertain times," the BBC boss added. "Our audiences rely on us every day to keep them informed, entertained and equipped to make sense of the world. Making savings while fulfilling our mission means a doubly difficult time for everyone." 'Death by a thousand cuts' Philippa Childs, head of media and entertainment union Bectu, responded to the announcement by saying the cuts were "far from ideal" taking place at the same time as the BBC's charter renewal - and that they would affect the broadcaster's ability to deliver its public service mission. "In an era of fake news and an industry that is becoming more concentrated in the hands of a few multinational corporations, the UK needs a confident, ambitious and sustainably-funded BBC more than ever," she said. "The charter renewal must put the BBC's funding on a secure, long-term pathway or it risks death by a thousand cuts." Read more from Sky News:World Cup data tracker: Who will win?Jeremy Clarkson reveals cancer diagnosis The union is in talks with the BBC "to mitigate the impact as much as possible", she added. Cathy Sweet, head of TV and film at entertainment and performing arts trade union Equity, described the cuts as "devastating" and said they risked the BBC becoming "unable to live up to its aim to inform, educate and entertain". Mr Brittin, a former Google executive, replaced Tim Davie as director-general in last month. Mr Davie announced his resignation from the corporation in November last year, amid controversy and a $10bn (about $7.5bn) lawsuit over the editing of a BBC documentary about Donald Trump.

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No Writer
Jun 17
Jeremy Clarkson reveals 'aggressive' prostate cancer diagnosis

The former Top Gear presenter shared the revelation in the final episodes of the fifth series of Clarkson's Farm, which premiered overnight on Amazon Prime Video. The show documents the trials of farming on his land in Oxfordshire. He had warned fans on Instagram that the latest episodes would be a "difficult watch". "They're really, really difficult," he said in a video posted on Tuesday evening. Clarkson is seen revealing the news in the show to co-stars Charlie Ireland and Kaleb Cooper, saying he's known since May. The 66-year-old describes the disease as "aggressive" but says it's at a "really early stage". "I've got cancer," Clarkson tells farm manager Kaleb and land agent Charlie during discussions about harvest planning. The TV host says he expects to be "fine" but will be out of action "for a while", before revealing in the final episode of the series that he has undergone an operation to remove part of his prostate. He says: "I won't know whether it's worked or not until November probably. The prostate, 10% of it's dead, the 10% where the cancer is." The programme later cuts to Clarkson in hospital, where he says "some of the treatment has gone awry". "I'm going to be here for a little while," he says. "I don't know what's going to happen." He adds: "We started season five with me in a hospital bed and here we are at the end of season five and I'm back in a hospital bed. "If this is all successful, I'll see you for season six. And if it isn't, I won't. Take care, everyone." Read more from Sky News:PM to face leadership challengeTrump leaves Netanyahu 'choice' In an earlier Instagram post to fans, Clarkson wrote: "Sombre news - Clarkson's Farm, ordinarily we try to keep the show bucolic and charming, and cheerful, but two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are, they're none of those things, really." The news of Clarkson's cancer diagnosis comes two years after he underwent a heart procedure after suffering a "sudden deterioration" in his health. He told The Sunday Times doctors believed he was potentially "days away" from becoming very ill. "It seems that of the arteries feeding my heart with nourishing blood, one was completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way," he said. Clarkson later told The Sun he had been warned by medics that "a lot" of the work he does "will have to go" - and he must "cut my alarmingly high levels of cholesterol". Charity thanks Clarkson Prostate Cancer UK thanked Clarkson for sharing his diagnosis and treatment, saying it would raise "vital awareness". Chiara De Biase, the charity's fundraising and health strategy director, said: "Thankfully he found the disease at an early stage, but sadly this is still not the experience of many men across the UK." In a statement, she added that thousands of men every year "are diagnosed too late for a cure," but the Transform screening trial will "generate the vital evidence to ensure those at highest risk are diagnosed earlier". She said those worried about prostate cancer can access the charity's online risk checker or ask their GP for a blood test. Diddly Squat becomes a hit Clarkson is best known for presenting the BBC's Top Gear and then fronting another car show, The Grand Tour, on Amazon's streaming service, before also taking the helm of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Clarkson's Farm debuted in 2021. He has since become one of the most vocal critics of the government's inheritance tax plans for some farmers. It follows the presenter and his crew as they navigate the challenges of running Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Since running the farm in 2019 and launching his reality series, Clarkson has become a vocal supporter of farmers and attended a protest in London against the Government's move to introduce inheritance tax on farmland in November 2024.

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No Writer
Jun 16
Social media ban would have stopped me quitting, says Jess Phillips

The prime minister announced on Monday that the new restrictions would come into force early next year to protect the "happiness of our children". Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Ms Phillips said the move would have kept her in government. "This would've been enough to keep me in the tent," Ms Phillips said. "Not only would it have been enough to keep me in the tent. I told them that. I was explicit about that. "I spoke to various different people in Number 10 and really tried to push them to say, look, look, go for this. This is a bold move. This is bold and it is big and it is brave and it's the right thing to do." You can listen to the full conversation on the Sky News Insider edition of Electoral Dysfunction. Subscribers to Sky News Insider will be able to enjoy ad-free access, bonus episodes and early releases. (Requires paid subscription. UK only. 18+). Ms Phillips stepped down as safeguarding minister last month following Labour's dismal local election results, accusing Sir Keir of lacking the "drive to get anything done". She also said restrictions on social media use should not "stop at kids". "I don't think the algorithm should exist. Full stop," she said. From next spring, under-16s will be banned from using all the main social media sites, including Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, and X - although messaging apps like WhatsApp won't be banned, and neither will educational sites like YouTube Kids. Ministers are also looking at an overnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, as well as banning infinite scrolling. Starmer wants a 'legacy' Ms Phillips also said Sir Keir had announced a ban "almost certainly" because he wanted to leave a "legacy". She continued: "Men love [a] legacy, don't they? "I cant give a toss about how I'm remembered, but here we are. But like, it was definitely the language we used to use to try and get things over the line. Like, this would be an amazing legacy."

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No Writer
Jun 17
State of Origin game two - Queensland 44-24 New South Wales: Maroons level series as Selwyn Cobbo scores hat-trick

The Blues were the better team in the first half, with tries from Kotoni Staggs and Origin debutant Mark Nawaqanitawase leading Laurie Daley's side to a four-point lead at half-time. However the Maroons came out after half-time firing, with Cobbo grabbing a quickfire pair of tries inside 11 minutes. State of Origin recap: Game two as it happenedGet Super League tickets hereNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract Jojo Fifita followed up with a try soon after, with Staggs being sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Queensland full-back Kalyn Ponga. Queensland made the Blues pay, with Ponga just managing to get an offload away to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who ran in for a try, before prop Lindsay Collins capitalised on a sensational break from Harry Grant to also score. Cobbo wrapped up the match with a brilliant finish just inside the corner to give the Maroons plenty of confidence heading into the series decider on Wednesday, July 8. More to follow...

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