Baroness Ruth Davidson, a Tory, had slightly harsher words - branding Sir Keir Starmer's former lieutenant Darren Jones "bitter". Mr Jones was chief secretary to the prime minister under Sir Keir before leaving government with the ex-PM. Politics live: Follow the latest updates here After Mr Burnham announced he was scrapping the government's digital ID scheme to spend hundreds of millions of pounds on cutting energy bills, Mr Jones posted on social media that the ID policy was not costed and so there was no money yet to save. It crystallised criticism that Mr Burnham is pledging money to policies that sound popular, but he does not actually have any plans for funding them. On the divisions within the Labour Party, Baroness Harman said: "[Burnham]'s also got to build bridges with the people for whom there has not been space in the cabinet, but are still members of parliament, have still got all the attributes and interests that they have, and that is perfectly possible. "So as well as encouraging and supporting his current cabinet, with the work that they're going to take forward, he's got to talk to the people who are in the previous cabinet who've got expertise - and wisdom - they could feed in. "He's got to be talking to them as well as talking to his current cabinet ministers. And if he does that, I think that he can build bridges." She added that Mr Jones should be invited in by Mr Burnham and consulted as a "repository of a lot of wisdom and expertise". Read more:What Burnham means for your payslipHow pubs will save money from Burnham's tax cuts Baroness Davidson, however, was more cynical. " Can I offer a different idea here, which is that Darren Jones knew exactly what he was doing when he sunk the first policy announcement of the new prime minister," she said. Baroness Davidson added that Jones was "bitter" and "needs to be told that that's not how you behave".

The British-Indian author told jurors about the moment he was attacked by Hadi Matar, 28, who is facing terrorism charges after being found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison last year. It was the second time Rushdie described the incident in court, after giving evidence against Matar - who has pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges - during the 2025 trial. The 79-year-old was blinded in one eye, suffered a severely damaged hand, and spent months recovering following the incident, which took place while the award-winning writer was on stage at an event in New York in 2022. Rushdie, who spent most of the 1990s in hiding in the UK after receiving death threats over his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, was stabbed about 15 times. On Thursday, he told the court in Buffalo, New York, he recalled feeling what he thought was a punch under his chin, then feeling blood coming from his neck. He said: "I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me. "It was an enormous and expansive lake of blood." Rushdie, who at one point removed his glasses to show his now sightless right eye, said knife came "a millimetre from my brain". Read more from Sky News:Follow: Iran war latestUS imposes new tariffs on 60 countries Defendant faces potential life sentence Matar faces a potential life sentence if convicted of federal charges that include engaging in an act of transnational terrorism. However, his defence has argued that his intent or mindset at the time of the attack cannot be proved - a key element in the prosecutors' claim that it was an act of terrorism motivated by an allegiance to Iran's government. In 1989, Iran's late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa - or religious edict - calling for Rushdie to be killed over The Satanic Verses, which which some Muslims consider blasphemous. Iran's government has denied involvement in the 2022 stabbing, but the country's then foreign ministry spokesperson suggested Rushdie invited trouble by insulting Islam. Asked in court if he had anticipated blowback from the book, Rushdie said "probably, but I don't believe the book to be on trial here. I believe someone else is on trial" - a comment the judge struck from the court transcript.

Baroness Ruth Davidson, a Tory, had slightly harsher words - branding Sir Keir Starmer's former lieutenant Darren Jones "bitter". Mr Jones was chief secretary to the prime minister under Sir Keir before leaving government with the ex-PM. Politics live: Follow the latest updates here After Mr Burnham announced he was scrapping the government's digital ID scheme to spend hundreds of millions of pounds on cutting energy bills, Mr Jones posted on social media that the ID policy was not costed and so there was no money yet to save. It crystallised criticism that Mr Burnham is pledging money to policies that sound popular, but he does not actually have any plans for funding them. On the divisions within the Labour Party, Baroness Harman said: "[Burnham]'s also got to build bridges with the people for whom there has not been space in the cabinet, but are still members of parliament, have still got all the attributes and interests that they have, and that is perfectly possible. "So as well as encouraging and supporting his current cabinet, with the work that they're going to take forward, he's got to talk to the people who are in the previous cabinet who've got expertise - and wisdom - they could feed in. "He's got to be talking to them as well as talking to his current cabinet ministers. And if he does that, I think that he can build bridges." She added that Mr Jones should be invited in by Mr Burnham and consulted as a "repository of a lot of wisdom and expertise". Read more:What Burnham means for your payslipHow pubs will save money from Burnham's tax cuts Baroness Davidson, however, was more cynical. " Can I offer a different idea here, which is that Darren Jones knew exactly what he was doing when he sunk the first policy announcement of the new prime minister," she said. Baroness Davidson added that Jones was "bitter" and "needs to be told that that's not how you behave".

Litter beat Rock 16-7 as he looks to become the first person to go back-to-back at this tournament since Michael van Gerwen a decade ago. In what is turning into a tournament for the record books, Littler's stats impressed once again. He posted a 109.57 average with 17 180s and a 53 per cent success rate on the doubles. World Matchplay Day Six: As it happened!Darts in 2026: Key dates, calendar, results 📅Got Sky? Watch on the Sky Sports app 📱Not got Sky? Get instant access with NOW 📺 "Another brilliant game for myself. I've gone 109, 113, 109 again [averages] so I've just got to keep it going," Littler told Sky Sports. "Fair play to Josh. He gave me a really good game there. I think it was the third session where I won all five legs. "I kind of got myself into that lead and I just had to stay there and got the job done." Littler and Rock met at the semi-final stage of this tournament just one year ago when Littler won an 18-15 epic, hitting a nine-darter on way. However after a close opening 10 legs to get Thursday's match going, it was all Littler as he romped into another semi-final. Rock was in the zone early in the contest and matched every break of throw that was thrown at him, a 129 checkout from 'The Nuke' a highlight as the pair of young stars looked in a real battle at 5-5. However, as is now customary from Littler, he took control in second session to reel off five legs in a row. Remarkably, Rock did not get a dart at double in that period. He increased that dominance to seven legs in a row before Rock could stop the onslaught. Two holds of throw were all that the Northern Irishman managed as he sat 13-6 behind. The final blow then came in the 23rd leg when the 19-year-old broke Rock's throw again as he cleaned up 44. With that, the defending champion came to hold his throw and with his third match dart, took his favourite D10. Van Duijvenbode holds on after Anderson rally Van Duijvenbode held off a phenomenal fightback from Anderson in a 16-13 thriller to book a spot in the semi-finals in Blackpool for the first time in his career. The Dutchman was 15-8 ahead, just one from victory, when Anderson roared back and averaged over 114 to take five legs in a row including a massive 154 checkout. It looked like he simply was going to pull off a miracle. However, just when he needed it, Van Duijvenbode found his form to pin D10 for a massive win. "To be fair the break couldn't come at a worse moment. You just know Gary loves the game. He never gives up," Van Duijvenbode told Sky Sports. "He's probably the best in the world when he hits the trebles. "I expected [the 154]. He didn't miss, but I always think my opponent will hit it." The Dutchman added: "At some point I felt nerves in my stomach." The opening session went the way of Van Duijvenbode, with the Dutchman finding two breaks of throw and finishing off the five legs with a 107 checkout to romp into a 4-1 lead. The second session was similar to the first and when Van Duijvenbode found another break of throw and followed it with a clutch 112 checkout, it was looking ominous for Anderson with his opponent 8-3 ahead. Anderson had work to do and he got going by taking out three legs on the spin, including a clutch bullseye finish for 84, to get back into the contest. Van Duijvenbode stopped the rot with a hold of throw but had been reeled back into a contest at 9-6. That was until Van Duijvenbode came back out on fire while the Flying Scotsman fell away in the next session with the Dutchman taking all five legs. Anderson's throw was broken three times with a miracle looking the only option for the former world champion as he sat 14-6 behind. And so nearly did a miracle occur. Anderson showed just he is one of the greats of the game, but Van Duijvenbode found the singular moment he needed to finally get over the line. What is happening on Friday at the World Matchplay Darts? The quarter-finals continue on Friday at the World Matchplay, live from 7.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Action. Gian van Veen and James Wade will do battle in the quarter-finals for a second year in a row, with the world No 3 looking to avenge his loss to 'The Machine' in 2025. Then, Gerwyn Price faces Ross Smith. Smith is through to the quarter-finals after Cameron Menzies withdrew from their second round match in the fourth leg due to illness. Who will win this year's World Matchplay Darts? Luke Littler will be defending his title and you can watch all the action on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.

The duties, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, target trading partners that make up the majority of US imports - including the UK, Canada, China, Mexico and the EU - and will come into effect today, just as the current levies are set to expire. They will effectively replace the 10% global duty that Donald Trump imposed in February, following a Supreme Court ruling that declared his previous levies illegal. As a result of that ruling, the US has paid out $81bn in tariff refunds so far this fiscal year - which began in October 2025 - compared to £5bn the year before. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), acting under the president's direction, said the new measures had been introduced after an investigation it said had found the impacted economies to have failed to "impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour". US trade representative Jamieson Greer said the tariffs "will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere". Mr Greer said the measures would fall under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which the USTR said is intended to address unfair trade practices. He added: "I am encouraged by the trading partners who have moved quickly to adopt forced labour import prohibitions, and look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement." However, the USTR said there would be exemptions, including instances where the tariffs would lead to a shortage of materials, or where items cannot be grown or produced in sufficient quantity or at a reasonable price domestically. 'No change' for UK It also said that certain products from the UK - which is facing a 10% tariff - and other named countries could be exempt, where it would "encourage these economies to fulfil commitments regarding labour import prohibitions". A spokesperson for the UK government said: "There is no change to the tariff rate facing UK businesses as a result of this announcement. "The UK remains on a 10% tariff rate and the preferential access secured under our agreement with the United States remains in place. "We take forced labour very seriously and ensure that in global supply chains UK businesses are not complicit in forced labour and human rights violations. "The US has recognised the steps the UK is taking, which is why there are no additional tariffs for the UK under this announcement." Read more from Sky News:US signs nuclear deal with Saudi ArabiaTrial date set for Venezuela's ousted president 'Arbitrary and unjustified' The measures have drawn criticism from a number of affected nations, with Brazil, which faces a 12.5% tariff, calling the move "arbitrary and unjustified" and threatening retaliatory levies. Meanwhile, Australia's trade minister, Don Farrell, said the tariffs were "inconsistent with our free trade agreement" and "should be removed". The new duties come just a few days after the US announced it will impose 50% tariffs on goods from Canada, claiming the measures were in response to the country's "continued discrimination". The levies are due to come into effect within 30 days, meaning 19 August, and threaten to revive a trade war with Canada sparked during the president's "Liberation Day" spree of tariffs last April. Prime Minister Mark Carney said that if the measures come into force, there was "a full range of things" that Canada could do. Mr Carney said that "everything's on the table" if an agreement could not be reached before the tariffs kick in, and insisted "it would be counterproductive at this stage to respond in advance".

The 45-year-old, who played Stevie O'Hara in the BBC soap, was last month found guilty of five offences between 2004 and 2019. Robertson, who won a BAFTA for his performance in the 1996 Glasgow gang film Small Faces, also appeared in Grange Hill, Rab C. Nesbitt, and Steven Spielberg's Band of Brothers. Judge Lady Drummond told him his offending had involved "violence, coercion, intimidation, and sexual abuse". She added: "None of this was isolated behaviour. It formed part of a pattern of conduct carried out by you to exert power and control over these women and to make them fearful and distressed." During his trial at the High Court in Glasgow, prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) told jurors that Robertson subjected victims to violence, threats and aggression. COPFS said he poured a bottle of wine over the head of one woman and raped another during a campaign of "coercive and controlling behaviour". The rape occurred at some point between 2018 and 2019. His victim testified Robertson had sex with her despite her making clear she was not consenting. She described going "limp" when he was on top of her. COPFS said Robertson "manipulated victims psychologically", falsely telling the friends of one victim that she was mentally unstable, letting himself into her home without her knowledge or consent, sending unwanted gifts, and threatening to self-harm. During his own testimony, Robertson admitted he was "no angel" but denied any wrongdoing. He said he is "aware" of when a woman is consenting to sex, and is "sensitive" enough to know about non-verbal communication. Robertson was convicted of two counts of assault, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner; abusive behaviour towards a partner or ex-partner; and rape and sexual assault. The actor, from Stirlingshire, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday. Appearing via video link from HMP Barlinnie, he was handed a 12-year extended sentence, with nine years in jail and three years on licence once released back into the community. Lady Drummond told Robertson he needed to go to prison for his crimes after hearing from defence advocate Gary Allan KC. She added: "You have had by all accounts a successful acting career which came to an end when this prosecution began. "I've heard this morning from Mr Allan that it is your view that it is very unlikely that upon your release you will resume that employment. "I have read the 13 character references that have been provided to me by your defence team from your family which do paint a very different picture of you, and I recognise from these that you are somebody that others have at some time relied upon for support. "I have also read the victim impact statements which make evident the lasting psychological harm of your offending. "The complainers indicate they suffer anxiety, fear, flashbacks, and difficulties with trust. It has also impacted their relationships, their confidence and their sense of safety." Robertson was additionally placed on the sex offenders' register and handed a 99-year non-harassment order. Read more from Sky News:Girl and woman dead after getting into difficulty off Essex coastWiddecombe to be honoured with private service Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook said: "Iain Robertson held a high-profile position through his career but in private he assaulted and abused females who trusted him. "This has caused lasting damage to the lives of people who thought they were safe around him. "Prosecutors from COPFS were able to show his criminal behaviour carried on over a period of many years and involved a number of women. "We are grateful that these women were ready to speak out. It is through their testimony that Robertson was brought to justice."

In appointing his new cabinet Andy Burnham has removed many of Keir Starmer's faithfuls, including previously key figures like Rachel Reeves and Darren Jones. And critics feel "traitors" who had tried to destabilise the recently departed PM are being rewarded for their disloyalty. Former Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for Starmer to go back in February. Now he's off to the Lords for a ministerial job under Burnham. At the Electoral Dysfunction Round Table, Beth Rigby asks Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson how Burnham can deal with the bad blood his choices have created. Harriet wants him to "build bridges" with those he ousted. We also have lots of questions from Dysfunctioners about a big political week. We'll be back on Tuesday for our Sky News Insider subscribers - find out how to subscribe here: https://skynews.com/electoraldysfunction Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email electoraldysfunction@sky.uk. Sky News Insider requires a paid subscription and is available to UK listeners aged 18 and over.

The England midfielder has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium with the option of a further 12 months. The deal was agreed earlier this month but finalised this week following the player's return from the World Cup after helping the Three Lions to a third-place finish. Transfer Centre LIVE!Man City news & transfers🔵 | Man City fixturesMan Utd news & transfers🔴 | Man Utd fixturesPremier League ins and outs | Papers - latest headlines Anderson said he was "over the moon" to be signing for "one of the biggest clubs in the world" and has his sights firmly set on winning trophies. "I can't wait to play for this club," the 23-year-old said. "It's a club built to win trophies and compete at the very top of the game. That is exciting for any footballer. "I think they're winners, they're relentless, and that's the sort of team I want to be a part of. Over the last 10, 12 years, they've dominated, so that's why I wanted to join." The midfielder is already relishing the prospect of playing in the Manchester derby, with City due to face arch-rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 13, live on Sky Sports. Anderson, who was a Man Utd target this summer, said: "It's one of the biggest derbies in the world and for as long as I've known Manchester, City have been the kings of Manchester. "It'll be a great fixture, and I can't wait to be involved in something like that." 'There's more to come from me' Anderson came through the youth ranks at Newcastle and made 55 first-team appearances for his boyhood club. Early in his career he also enjoyed a successful loan at Bristol Rovers, where he earned the nickname 'Geordie Maradona'. He joined Forest in a £35m deal two years ago and played 92 times for the Reds. He earned his first England call-up last season and quickly established himself as a key member of Thomas Tuchel's side. "I'm only 23, so I've got plenty of time to get to my best levels," he said. "I'm definitely not there yet and there's more to come from me. "I think I bring a bit of everything. I bring quality, I bring physicality, energy. I'd like to think I'd get the fans excited, get them off their feet and bring energy to the team." Anderson reveals admiration for De Bruyne There is extra significance in the move for Anderson, as he grew up idolising former City star Kevin De Bruyne. He said: "I think Kevin De Bruyne is someone who I've hugely looked up to over the past seven or eight years. "I've always wanted to play like him. I've watched him all the time and to be sat here in the team that he was doing it for is so special." Anderson is now enjoying a summer break and will link up with new manager Enzo Maresca's squad for pre-season training next month. Director of football Hugo Viana said: "Elliot is one of the outstanding young midfield talents in world football. We feel he can become a complete midfielder." Are £100m-plus fees for players the new normal? The average cost of a top-end signing in the Premier League has exploded. The £100m-plus player is no longer an outlier, but becoming increasingly commonplace. A trend started by Jack Grealish's £100m move from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021 has, in effect, snowballed, establishing a new benchmark for elite Premier League talent that continues to send records tumbling. Fees since have begun to accelerate far beyond general market inflation, with the average price for dipping into the premium player pool doubling over the past decade. This clear acceleration has been particularly apparent over the past three years. Between 2016-2023, average top-end costs held relatively steady. They fluctuated to a degree but not with the disparity we see now. Following on from Grealish, the idea of a £100m-plus investment became more normalised. The thought that the so-called 'top six' can force sales out of smaller clubs is less applicable in an era of high-wealth owners and greater financial gains. The strength of that bargaining power has also been leveraged to drive prices higher between competing clubs. Last summer saw moves for Florian Wirtz (£116.5m) and Alexander Isak (£125m) to Liverpool, while this window has witnessed major sums spent on Elliot Anderson (£116m), Sandro Tonali (£100m) and Morgan Rogers (£117m). Those moves have sent top-end averages soaring, up from £36.6m in 2024-25 to £70.5m in 2026.