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No Writer
Mar 28
Tiger Woods' mugshot released after his arrest following dramatic car crash

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said a Land Rover, which the golf legend was driving, tried to overtake a truck "at high speeds" before it swerved and rolled on to its side after clipping a truck towing a trailer. He said Woods showed "signs of impairment" after the incident, which happened shortly after 2pm local time on Friday and not far from where the golfer lives on Jupiter Island. Woods, 50, took a breathalyser test after his arrest, which came back negative, but the golfer then refused to give a urine sample, police said. Sheriff Budensiek told reporters during a news conference: "When it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he has been charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test." None of the parties involved in the crash reported injuries. Pointing to how the smash unfolded on a small, two-lane road, Sheriff Budensiek said it was lucky no one was injured. "Had there been someone moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries. This could've been a lot worse," Sheriff Budensiek said. "He [Woods] was lethargic on scene but that we believe was because of what he was intoxicated on." The vehicle Woods hit was a truck towing a pressure cleaner trailer. Read more from Sky News:Cloned predecessor to Dolly the sheep on displayIt's difficult to see how Starmer can put this right The truck driver tried to "edge off" the side of the road to get out of the way but there was not enough room, the sheriff explained during an update on Friday. It is not known if Woods was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, as he "crawled out of the passenger door" prior to police arriving at the scene. Woods was held in custody in Martin County Jail for around eight hours before he was released on bail. 'Very close friend' of Trump President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law Vanessa Trump is dating Woods, was asked about the golfer when he landed in Miami on Friday for an investment summit. "I feel so badly. He's got some difficulty," Mr Trump said. "Very close friend of mine. He's an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty." This was the latest in a series of vehicle-related incidents involving Woods, most recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later his injuries were so bad that doctors considered amputation. He also was arrested on a DUI charge in 2017 when South Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car that was parked awkwardly with damage to the driver's side. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving after it emerged he had had five prescription drugs in his system at the time. In 2009 he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and tree outside his Florida home - an accident which inadvertently led to a spectacular unravelling of his private life. Woods' then wife, Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to smash a window of his Cadillac Escalade to get him out. 'I'm not perfect' "This situation is my fault and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me," Woods said on his official website at the time. "I'm human and I'm not perfect." The incident revealed a bitter marital dispute with Nordegren, as a host of women came forward to admit to having had extramarital affairs with Woods. Woods and Nordegren divorced in August 2010. The latest crash comes after Woods returned to competitive action for the first time in over a year on the final night of play in the indoor TGL competition on Tuesday. He had said afterwards that he hoped he would be fit enough to play at the Masters next month. Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers ​of all time. His major titles include five Masters, three US Opens, three British Opens and four PGA Championships.

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Culture and entertainment reporter
Mar 27
Oscars to leave Hollywood - organisers announce move to downtown Los Angeles for 2029

Coinciding with the previously announced broadcast switch to YouTube, the show will move from the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard to the Peacock Theatre about nine miles (14.5km) away, in downtown Los Angeles's LA Live complex, in 2029. The Peacock Theatre has a capacity of about 7,000 - roughly twice the current amount. It will come after more than 25 years of Oscars ceremonies at the Dolby Theatre, which has been home to the show since 2002. The Academy Awards will mark its 100th anniversary at the venue in 2028, before the new-look show and broadcast begins. "For the 101st Oscars and beyond, the Academy looks forward to closely collaborating with AEG to make LA LIVE the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema," the Academy's chief executive Bill Kramer and its president, Lynette Howell Taylor, said in a joint statement. AEG will make improvements to the venue as part of the deal, they said, including upgrades to its stage, sound and lighting systems, backstage and other areas. Surrounded by the Walk of Fame, next to the celebrity handprints of The Chinese Theatre and with the famous Hollywood sign as a backdrop, the Dolby Theatre was developed by the Academy itself and seemed a perfect location for the biggest awards show in entertainment. However, this is not the first move out of Hollywood. The show took place at various hotels throughout Los Angeles in the early years before a move to theatres in the mid-1940s. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, a fine arts facility in downtown LA, hosted the ceremony from 1968 to 1986. It then alternated between the Chandler and the Shrine Auditorium, next to the University of Southern California, until the long-term move to Hollywood. Read more:Inside the Oscars winners' roomThe rise of Jessie Buckley The Peacock Theatre, which opened as the Staples Center in 2007, has hosted the Emmy Awards almost every year since 2008. It is located next to the Crypto.com Arena, home to the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings, as well as the annual Grammys ceremony.

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No Writer
Mar 27
Sir Keir Starmer: 'I beat myself up' about Peter Mandelson

Beth is in Helsinki with the prime minister for an exclusive interview for the podcast. Sir Keir Starmer has said he "hates the fact" that he made a "mistake" over the appointment of Peter Mandelson. "I dwell on it. I beat myself up about it," he told Beth, who is accompanying him on a visit to Finland, where he is taking part in a leaders' summit. Beth also questions him about his relationship with Donald Trump following disparaging comments the US president made about Sir Keir's response to the Iran war. Plus, Beth, Harriet and Ruth react to the full interview. Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email electoraldysfunction@sky.uk. And if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

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No Writer
Mar 28
Tiger Woods Q&A: What we know about car crash and 15-time major champion's hopes of playing at The Masters

What do we know about the car crash? Woods' vehicle rolled over after clipping a truck on Jupiter Island in Florida just before 2pm local time on Friday afternoon, with the 15-time major champion walking away unhurt after crawling out of the passenger door. No one was injured in the incident. Sheriff John Budensiek said the crash occurred after Woods apparently attempted to overtake the trailer in front at a "high rate of speed". The vehicle tipped on to its side and then "slid for a pretty decent space before he came to a stop." Wood was described as "lethargic" by officers with police believing he was "impaired on medication". He took a breathalyser test at scene returned a negative finding but refused to submit a urine sample. Budensiek added that police at the scene and at the jail were "really not suspicious of alcohol being involved". This was Woods' fourth car crash or vehicle incident since 2009, with a previous one in 2021 lucky not to cost him his life. What has Woods been charged with? The 50-year-old was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. There were also further charges of property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He spent eight hours in a Florida jail before being released on bail. What does this mean for Woods' Masters hopes? After playing in the TGL finals for Jupiter Links on Tuesday night - his first action since teeing it up in the same competition 13 months earlier - Woods said he was "trying" to get himself in a position to play at The Masters, the first men's major of the season, at Augusta National from April 9. Woods said: "[My body] doesn't recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn't mean I'm not trying. I've been trying for a while. I want to play. I love the tournament. I've loved being there since I was 19 years old. It's meant a lot to me and my family over the years. "I don't know [if I'll play]. We'll see how it goes. I'll be practising, playing at home this week and keep trying to make progress." Sky Sports Golf pundit Andrew Coltart said: "Physically, if he feels okay body-wise then he may want to attend The Masters. If he feels like he can swing a club and walk I'm sure he will be there. "They do things very differently at Augusta - there will be strict rules regarding questioning and they will be able to concentrate on golf rather than what has happened." Sky Sports News reporter Jamie Weir doubts Tiger will take part, saying: "I think the odds were already stacked against him. He is 50 years of age now and we haven't seen him on the golf course since The Open Championship in July 2024. "He took his first meaningful swings in TGL and that raised the idea that just maybe we would see him tee it up at Augusta National. But I still think that is probably highly unlikely given he has had zero competitive reps." Will Woods suffer 'reputational damage' after latest crash? Weir added to Sky Sports News: "I think the biggest fallout, once again, is reputational damage. This is hugely embarrassing when we thought this was all behind him. "To be charged with driving under the influence, to spend eight hours in a Florida jail, to refuse a urine test. "This is the third time he has been involved in a car crash and this has echoes of 2017. "People will probably say, 'Tiger, surely there is enough money in the bank now where you can afford to employ a driver to take you from place to place'. "Surely he shouldn't be putting himself and other road users, other pedestrians at risk every time he gets behind the wheel of a car?" When asked by Sky Sports News whether Woods' legacy will be tarnished by the crash, Coltart said: "If you drill down into his golf, that legacy will always be untarnished but from a human perspective it is another one of these incidents. Like a lot of incredible geniuses, they are flawed in certain ways." What other car incidents has Woods had? Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant, a tree and a number of hedges outside his home in 2009, an incident that sparked admissions of serial infidelity. His seven-year marriage ended and he lost a number of sponsorship deals. Then in 2017, weeks after spinal surgery, Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence when he was found asleep at the wheel of his car in Jupiter. He subsequently pleaded guilty to reckless driving and it later emerged that he had five prescription drugs in his system at the time. Woods' most serious crash came in February 2021 following his car rolling over in Los Angeles after he lost control at high speed on a winding stretch of road. Fire crews had to use the 'jaws of life' cutting equipment to remove him from the wreckage. Woods was lucky to be alive and suffered extensive leg and ankle injuries that continue to hamper him to this day. He has had multiple surgeries. Tiger did not play competitive golf for 15 months after that crash and remains on a limited schedule, most recently playing a tournament at the 2024 Open Championship. He has completed just four 72-hole tournaments in the last five years and only featured in 11 official events during that period,

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No Writer
Mar 28
Police thwart suspected bomb attack outside Bank of America building in Paris

Anti-terrorism prosecutors have begun an investigation after a man allegedly tried to ignite an improvised explosive device close to the US bank's premises. The incident happened early on Saturday when officers spotted two suspects carrying a shopping bag near the building in the 8th arrondissement, or district, of the capital, according to RTL radio, citing police sources. One of the suspects, who was holding a lighter, was attempting to light a device, RTL said. He was arrested in the area at around 3.25am local time (2.25am UK time) and was taken into custody, according to Le Parisien. The second suspect fled the scene and remains at large. The detained suspect told police he had been contacted via Snapchat and paid 600 euros (£520) to carry out the act, adding he was driven to the scene by another person, ⁠Le Parisien reported. The newspaper said the device consisted of a 5-litre container ​filled with an unidentified liquid and an explosive charge made of 650g ​of powder. It was secured and handed over to forensic experts from the Paris police laboratory, according to Le Parisien. The Paris police authority declined to comment. "We are aware of the situation and are communicating with the authorities," a Bank of America spokesperson said. An investigation into alleged terrorism-related offences has been opened by the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office, or PNAT. The suspected offences include attempted damage by fire or by a dangerous means, the manufacture of an incendiary or explosive device, the possession and transport of such devices with the intent to prepare dangerous damage, and involvement in a terrorist criminal association. Read more from Sky News:Whale stranded again - just days after rescueThe AI delusion problem is bigger than we thought France's interior minister Laurent Nunez praised officers, saying on social media: "Well done to the rapid intervention of a Paris police prefecture unit, which made it possible to thwart a violent act of a terrorist nature overnight in Paris. "Vigilance remains at a very high level. "I commend all security and intelligence forces, fully mobilised under my authority in the current international context." Since the Iran war started, French authorities have strengthened the protection of Iranian opposition figures and increased security around sites that may be a target, including those linked to US interests and to the Jewish community, Mr Nunez previously said.

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Gemma Peplow, culture and entertainment reporter
Mar 26
Olivia Dean cleans up again at MOBO Awards - as Pharrell Williams takes special prize for songwriting

Dean was named best female act at the ceremony, held at Manchester's Co-op Live, and bagged both the album and song of the year prizes for chart-topper The Art Of Loving and its hit track, Man I Need. The star, whose music blends pop, funk and soul, was also among the night's performers, alongside acts including FLO, Aitch and Myles Smith, and a grime medley featuring Chip, D Double E, Nolay, Scorcher and Wiley, curated by DJ Target. This year's show - celebrating 30 years of the MOBOs - also featured special appearances from US stars Pharrell Williams, who was honoured with the global songwriter award, and Slick Rick, who received a lifetime achievement prize. Dean can now add her MOBOs to the trophy shelf after her Grammy win in January. She also dominated the Brit Awards last month. Elsewhere, rapper and singer Jim Legxacy won the gong for best male act, singer-songwriter Raye was honoured in the video of the year category for Where Is My Husband!, and rapper DC3 was named best newcomer and also picked up the prize for best gospel act. The MOBOs celebrate the best of black music in the UK and internationally, and this year marks the ceremony's 30th anniversary. Other awards included best RnB/soul act for FLO, best alternative act for Nova Twins, best hip-hop act for Central Cee, best jazz act for 2023 Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, best electronic/ dance act for Sherelle, and best producer for P2J. Read more from Sky News:Woman pleads not guilty to attempted murder of RihannaOlivia Dean among stars nominated for Ivor Novello Awards There were also international awards for Arya Starr, who was named best international act, Wizkid (best African music act) and Vybz Kartel (best Caribbean music act). Outside music, YouTuber, influencer and Celebrity Traitors star Niko Omilana was named best media personality, and Stephen Graham - fresh from several BAFTA nods and after wins at the Golden Globes and the Emmys in the US - was recognised for his performance in the groundbreaking series Adolescence.

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Beth Rigby, political editor
Mar 27
Starmer thinks he is the right man for this moment - despite what Trump says

This is a "once in a generation moment" that is going to shape the next decades of our lives, Keir Starmer told me as part of a longer-than-normal interview for our Electoral Dysfunction podcast, as he reflected on the global turbulence and how the outlook for Britain's economy had changed so massively in such a short period of time. 👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈 We also touched on the turbulent times he has faced in recent weeks, be that around the prospect of a leadership challenge or the Peter Mandelson crisis that he told me he "beats himself up about it" in a genuinely emotional moment of our conversation. What I took from this interview is a prime minister rolling the pitch for another difficult stretch for a country already ground down by crises with very long tales: the 2008 financial crash that ushered in austerity and a step down in living standards; the COVID-19 pandemic that saw the government borrow over £300bn in 2021/2 and leaving the Treasury to spend £100bn a year on debt interest alone. "I think in my life, I remember profoundly the Berlin Wall coming down. And I remember that feeling, that there was going to be peace and freedom and that the values that I held dear… and that I didn't think - I have to say - I would ever see Russian tanks going across a European border again in my lifetime. I didn't think I would see that. And yet we saw that four years ago," he said. "In the Middle East, Iran is a threat to all of its neighbours, a threat to the world and therefore, how this ends will determine what that threat is as we go forward. So this is a defining period. It's a testing period for the whole world." There are political parallels too, with say 2008. Back then the prime minister Gordon Brown was grappling with a financial crisis and a potential leadership challenge as MPs looked down the barrel of defeat at the next general election. At the time, Mr Brown warned his would-be challenger David Miliband, and his restive party, that "now is not a time for a novice". Does Keir Starmer feel the same? "That's not for me to say, in the sense of whether it's the right time for a novice, I'll be judged by what I do," he said. What he is more forthright on is that this crisis, this war on two fronts, will bring serious consequences for the UK. He acknowledged in our interview that the spring statement, in which the chancellor spoke about stability, failing inflation and interest rates, seems now like a fever dream. That the outlook for the economy has been so battered by Trump's war is, of course, a frustration. But the prime minister is pragmatic about the place he's in: "There's no point me sort of complaining about it. That's the world we live in. You've got to face the world as it is. I have to lead us through this war too on two fronts." Read more:McSweeney phone theft linked to Mandelson files 'far-fetched'Trump says he's disappointed in Starmer His immediate task as prime minister is to decide on support for energy bills. The current price cap runs out in June, after which bills could rise by an eye-watering £500 a year, according to the Resolution Foundation. The prime minister told me in our interview that "any support is likely to be targeted". This will come with controversy. Liz Truss’s administration poured £40bn into capping energy prices for all households at the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, and one in two people think the government can afford to subsidise bills, according to a recent YouGov poll. But this prime minister is clear he won't do that. "We will have to tailor support. Exactly how we do that is obviously a number of options we're looking at. But I'll be clear with you, it will be tailored," he said. With the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Thursday saying the UK will be the worse hit from the Iran war, predicting a 0.5 per cent contraction in GDP, it is an awful position for the prime minister to be in. But he seems up for the fight. When I asked him about Trump's treatment of him, he simply said that Trump might apply pressure, but he is "not going to back down" or "buckle under pressure", and when it comes to this predicament at home and the upcoming May elections, there is no way he is going to stand down. When I asked him about Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham semi-declaring on a leadership race, he doesn’t bristle, he simply says he expects to see Angela "playing a leading role in this Labour government". It is when we come to Mandelson that some of the pressure of the past few weeks and months perhaps comes more to bear. I genuinely can not understand, looking at the vetting document, how the prime minister got to the place of appointing Mandelson, when it was clear he kept a relationship with Epstein post conviction of prostitution of a minor and was sacked twice by previous Labour governments. When I asked him if he was angry at himself, he told me that "nobody has been harder on me in relation to the mistake I made". "I hate the fact I made that mistake, I dwell on it. I beat myself up about it. It’s certainly not a mistake I’d ever repeat." But as for being beaten by it, Starmer is doing the opposite, he is digging in. He promised the country this would be the year he would cut the cost of living, but the war in Iran looks almost certain to derail that, unless resolution is swift. Despite the growing complications and challenges, he seems to believe he is the leader for the moment - despite what Trump, his critics, and even some in his cabinet might say. Trump says Starmer is no Churchill, but these wars, if they become more prolonged, will put him in the unenviable position of being a wartime prime minister. He tells me he has "great determination" to "steer our country through this" even as the outlook worsens for the economy. In the coming weeks, the consequences of that will be laid bare. Starmer, despite the ferocious criticism he’s faced, clearly thinks he is the right man for this moment. He told me that his prime minister's advice to his younger self would be to rise to the challenge and accept the bumpy road - and he's betting that the worse this crisis gets, the more his party will agree with him. He is applying the rule of "never waste a crisis", but where this war, our economy and our prime minister lands is anyone's guess right now. You can catch the full interview on the podcast, which is available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, just search for Electoral Dysfunction and hit follow. You can also watch the full interview on Sky News's YouTube channel.

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No Writer
Mar 28
Caster Semenya: Double Olympic champion shapes up for new battle with the International Olympic Committee

Having fought athletics chiefs over her own gender eligibility, the double Olympic champion is shaping up for a new battle with the International Olympic Committee. "If we have to say women must stop taking part in Olympics, so be it," the South African said in an exclusive interview with Sky News. Transgender women athletes banned from OlympicsFollow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for news and more "I will encourage athletes to come together as a class action ... because this does not make sense. It does not save women's sport." The South African is encouraging a challenge against the landmark decision to reintroduce sex testing alongside banning transgender women and athletes - like herself - with differences in sex development (DSD) from women's competitions. "I'm fighting for women's dignity," Semenya said. "Those who say, 'I am not going to be tested to prove that I'm a woman' ... I will encourage them to do that to stop this nonsense." This goes beyond sport since Donald Trump seized on stopping "men beat and batter female athletes". IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic champion swimmer, and many other women in sport now align with the US president. The Zimbabwean determined it is not fair for biological males to compete in the female competitions because physiological advantages of having gone through male puberty, or the presence of XY chromosomes, can be the difference in determining medals. "This regulation is totally shameful," Semenya said. "It's something that her as a president should have not allowed such to happen." But the IOC has said there is at least a 10 per cent advantage in most running and swimming events for men - rising beyond 100 per cent for sports requiring "explosive power" like boxing, which creates dangers beyond fairness of competitions. 'There's no scientific proof - it's an ideology' I put this to Semenya. "Based on what?" she responded. "There's no scientific proof about what has been said. It's an ideology." The full scientific research behind the decision has not been published. Nor has the IOC said what has changed in recent years scientifically or medically. But is it not clear in combat sports there are safety concerns when a biological woman takes on a fighter who was born a man, with higher testosterone levels and greater muscle mass? "What do you expect in boxing?" Semenya responded. "We understand that it's a dangerous sport. We all sign in, in all sporting codes, knowing that there are safety precautions. "There are risks, but you cannot come and then try to measure someone's power based on how they look because you think they're intersex or you think that they're transgender." Semenya has become the face of scrutiny of eligibility rules since her gender was questioned based on her appearance after winning gold at the World Athletics Championships as a 19-year-old in 2009. Enforced verification tests showed that while she always identified as female and had female traits, Semenya also had the typical male XY chromosome pattern and high levels of naturally occurring testosterone. After being cleared to race, Semenya was still able to win Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016. But then she refused to artificially reduce her hormone levels as required by World Athletics and lost further legal challenges. So the 35-year-old now coaches. 'There is no respect for women' Mandatory sex verification testing for all entrants into Olympic women's events will ensure a competitor isn't singled out for tests because they might have masculine characteristics. The IOC's stance has transformed since ruling out a return to the "bad old days" of sex testing during Paris 2024 when Thomas Bach was in charge. But Semenya said: "There is no respect for women. The minute you start asking a woman to be tested to take part in sports, that's not dignity." When the IOC said this policy would apply to all their events I asked Ms Coventry if that includes the Youth Olympics. It does, meaning girls as young as 15 will have to take sex tests. She said: "We really went above and beyond, I think, talking to a lot of different athletes, around how the process should be followed and what does that look like, and the support networks that need to be in place." For Semenya this just adds to safeguarding issues: "Testing a girl, a child, it is harmful and it is shameful," she said. Will the rules stand up to a legal challenge ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? While Semenya says she is fighting for the dignity of women, the IOC insists this is about protecting the safety and integrity of women's sport but could need to produce more evidence.

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