Instead, the country was plunged into one of the most devastating assaults since this war began. In just 10 minutes, 100 Israeli strikes rained down, killing at least 357 people across the country. Residents in Beirut described a scale and intensity unlike anything they had experienced before. Entire neighbourhoods shook. Buildings collapsed. Just before it began, on Wednesday afternoon, 13-year-old Naya Fakih was in central Beirut doing what most teenagers do - recording a playful video for her friends on Snapchat. Then, everything changed. "We heard something," she told me. "We didn't know what it was...and then they bombed the building in front of us." Naya and her father ran. "I was so scared," she said. "You never know what they could do next." Naya has lived through bombings before. But this, she said, was different: "I've never seen a building fall in front of me. I've always known I was safe where I was." That sense of safety is now gone. After an explosion...the line cut When I met her days later, she was shaken but surrounded by her supportive family. Her mother, Ghida, tells me she was at work that afternoon when her phone rang. "It was Naya. She was shouting and crying. All I could understand was 'explosion' and 'a building'. And then the line cut off." What followed was confusion layered with fear. Calls that would not connect. Fragments of information that did not quite make sense. Her husband eventually reached her and said they were safe. Even then, she did not fully understand what had happened. Then Ghida said something to me which helps explain what life is like here in Beirut now. "We disregarded it," she said of the blast she initially heard. "Because we've normalised it." Explosions, sonic booms, the distant thud of strikes have been absorbed into daily life. But this time feels different. For so many in Beirut, it feels indiscriminate. "I couldn't stay where I was," Ghida said. "As a mother, I had to go to my children." But the roads were blocked. Traffic froze. Beirut, in that moment, was paralysed by fear. It was only when she watched Naya's video that the reality fully hit. "I saw what happened," she said. "And then it started to sink in." 'No child deserves to go through this' What the video captured, almost by accident, was terror. A child filming a social media video one moment, running for her life the next. "I hope nothing like that ever happens again," Naya told me. "No child deserves to go through what I have gone through." Her mother said she shared the footage as a message to the world. "It's not about Naya," she said. "It's about childhood. About what is happening to children here." Read more from Sky News:UK not prepared for looming wider warPolice review Reform UK bills competition Israel says it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, but the strikes hit densely populated residential areas. The dead included children, mothers, elderly couples, doctors, poets. The scale of the attack raises serious questions about proportionality, with the Lebanese government accusing Israel not only of breaching international law, but of committing war crimes. Beirut has known war before. It understands loss. But this time there was no warning. No evacuation order. No time to escape. What remains is a traumatised population still searching for bodies in the rubble. Naya's video will fade from timelines, replaced by the next viral clip. But for her, and for countless children across Lebanon, this is not a moment. It is a reality that does not end when the camera stops rolling.

Cast your mind back to the early noughties: Eminem is one of the biggest artists in the world, reality stunt show Jackass dominates MTV - and two young skate-punk rappers from America are potentially on the verge of becoming hip-hop's next big thing. Silibil'n'Brains, aka Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain, had the tunes, the talent and the chutzpah. There was just one problem - they were not actually from Los Angeles, California, as they had told label bosses in the UK, but rather from Dundee, Scotland. After attempts to make it authentic were dismissed by industry bigwigs in London who made fun of their accents, they reinvented themselves as up-and-coming hip-hop stars from the West Coast - associates of the Eminem-fronted Detroit hip-hop group D12, no less. Boyd and Bain wanted to stick it to the man. But what started out as a joke turned into an audacious deception so convincing, they ended up with a record deal, TV appearances, and a support slot with... D12. Their story is now being told on the big screen in California Schemin', the directorial debut of X-Men, Filth and Atonement star James McAvoy. "I always thought it would be a cool story to tell the grandkids when I'm older," says Boyd. "Like, you're never gonna believe what I did when I was young. But that's as far as I thought it went." 'We were out of our depth' As Silibil'n'Brains, the pair really had to commit, re-recording the songs they already had with American accents, and remaining in character throughout their time in London. But as the lies snowballed and the money kept rolling in, the pressure mounted and eventually it became too much. Now, the pair are being played by Samuel Bottomley (Boyd) and Seamus McLean Ross (Bain) in California Schemin', with McAvoy starring as the record label executive who signs them. The film is based on Bain's memoir, written a few years after they left their American alter-egos behind. "When the book came out, people were reaching out to me and telling me their own stories," he says. People who had been bullied, "been the underdog... something was hitting home". Both men, speaking to Sky News on separate Zoom calls, say looking back, and seeing their lives played out on screen, has been surreal. "We were these young, wild skateboarders, musicians, just living a rock and roll lifestyle that we were so not used to," says Boyd. "We were completely out of our depth." Bain says they were running scared a lot of the time. "I think you see that in the way Sam and Seamus act it," he says. "But it's about not letting your fear hold you back - it's using it as a kind of booster cannon… "In some parts in the film, I just go, whoa... my adult brain is like, don't do that. But back then, we didn't really know the depth of it. But you look back and think, actually all of this was kind of perfect because if they didn't make fun of us the way they did, it probably wouldn't have lit a fire under us." After making the long journey from Dundee to London for an audition, the pair were mocked. "It was traumatic and embarrassing," recalls Bain. "It was a lot of tears on the way home that day. But once that was out the way it was like, they did light a fire." Supporting D12 Boyd says the American accents started as a prank. "It was almost to entertain ourselves a little bit because we were getting so many rejections, just for having Scottish accents." When they got their first show as US rappers, the idea was to walk off stage and reveal their true identity, he says. "But we got approached… I think fuelled with adrenaline from the show, it was like, 'we're from California'. It was kind of like, we're at a crossroads now." Tell the truth or continue the lie. "We went with the latter - and here we are, all these years later, with this crazy story." One memorable scene in the film comes when the pair arrive at their gig supporting Eminem's group D12, after previously saying they knew the rappers. "It was the ultimate high to the ultimate low," says Boyd, of being offered the shows. "Like, 'Oh my God, we're going to support D12!' And then, 'Oh my God… it's going to be so awkward'. It was bizarre but we got lucky, we got away with it." In the film, we see Bain pushing harder to keep up the pretence as Boyd's enthusiasm wanes. Bain says when he wrote his own book he had the "therapy of writing and seeing what I did wrong" at the time. "I can actually see in Seamus's performance... I felt angry a lot of the time, angry with the situation. I think a lot of it captures a kind of truth that's almost hard to write." There is good and bad in both characters in the film, he says, and it's not about blame. "It's more a case of showing that you can be best friends, but when you're in a situation where you're living as other people, you're gonna get the lines blurred... It was the pressure that drove us against each other." 'We weren't fake rappers' Something they both say they hated, after their deceit was exposed, was being dubbed "fake rappers". "That was the biggest issue I had with it all over the years," says Boyd. "We weren't fake rappers. We love hip-hop, we love the culture, and perfecting the craft, we put in hours and hours and hours of dedication. "We got to the point where we got signed, we got in the door by being these fake Americans, but we got signed because I guess we had the talent." Read more from Sky News:Female drug dealer who supplied fatal dose to Matthew Perry jailed The California lie was no desperate attempt to get famous, he adds. "It was us trying to open doors and prove a point that it shouldn't matter where you're from." He sees their tale as an underdog story. "It shouldn't matter what you look like, what you sound like. If you have the talent, you should be given the opportunities other people have." Comparisons were made to Milli Vanilli, the 1980s pop duo who didn't sing on their records, says Bain. "But nothing was fake about our talent." Silibil'n'Brains landed right at the beginning of the digital era. For anyone wanting to try the same trick now, social media would no doubt expose the cracks in the lie. But it might also have led to more authentic opportunities in the first place. A few years after their hip-hop hoax, MySpace launched artists including Lily Allen and Arctic Monkeys and paved the way for the removal of industry gatekeepers. Traditional geographical constraints have since been dismantled by streaming and the grip on the charts held by English language music has loosened dramatically, as proven by the rise of artists from BTS and Bad Bunny to Rosalia and Kneecap. Bain isn't convinced things have changed that much. "Us and [Irish-language rappers] Kneecap have had to have a movie break us to the world," he says. "Where are all the others? Why isn't there a Scots kid really being propelled to the world as a rapper? Because there's a lot of Scottish rappers." He says he hopes the film will shine more of a spotlight on the talent in Scotland. "Hip-hop and Scottish to labels, it didn't go together. And I still think there's that prejudice, you know, until someone comes through and has a big record and then it kind of breaks the thinking around it." But Boyd is more hopeful that things can be different now. "You don't have to be from a certain place anymore, you don't have to fit into this mould that you had to back then." California Schemin is out in cinemas now

The Department for Education this week intervened on the student loan crisis with a 6% cap on interest. But it's a measure unlikely to silence the growing dissatisfaction with a system that's been described as "a dog's dinner". And now the conflict in Iran makes reform look much harder, with ministers prioritising even more financial support to ease the cost of living, should it be needed. What has the government announced and will it make any difference? From September, interest on plan 2 and plan 3 loans will be capped at 6% to mitigate the likely inflationary impact of the war in Iran. Plan 2 loans were given to students who went to university between 2012 and 2023. Plan 3 loans cover postgraduate loans and doctorates for borrowers in England and Wales. Currently, graduates pay back 9% of their income when they earn above a salary threshold. Interest is also added to the debt. For students in university, it's RPI+3%. For graduates, it's RPI+ up to 3%, depending on income. The RPI rate currently used is 3.2%, so the highest-earning graduates will be charged interest at 6.2%. A 6% cap will therefore save a limited amount, but it will prevent any larger-than-usual debt increases. What it will not do is make any fundamental difference to a system that has and continues to see the debt of many young people increase, despite them repaying a chunk from their wages every month. 'This is a group of people we really need to look after' Unfortunately for ministers, the noise is only going to get louder as MPs prepare to investigate the system for themselves. Meg Hillier is the chair of the influential Treasury Select Committee, and she told me that more than 40,000 people have already contacted them with their experiences of having a student loan, with more expected ahead of the closure of the call for evidence on Tuesday at 5pm. The senior Labour MP acknowledged that global volatility may now "restrict some of the government's choices" but stressed, "this is a group of people we really need to look after". She said: "We're talking about people in their 20s and 30s, who should be the engine room of Britain, who are focusing on getting their career established, possibly getting a family, looking at their housing situation, and it just feels an extra weight upon people at a time in their life when they should be motoring forward." "And remember the deal was always: you pay off your student loan because you're getting a benefit from being a graduate. We're seeing that that's not always the case now." The row over the fairness of the loan system was reignited when Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in last year's budget that the salary threshold will be frozen for three years from 2027, at its new level of £29,385. It's seen as a tax rise in all but name, a Treasury tactic designed to drag more people into repaying their loans because of higher inflation pushing up wages. The Good Growth Foundation, a left-leaning thinktank, argues the threshold should be more like £33,000. This cross-party inquiry is just one of the several directions from which the calls for change are coming. Several Labour MPs, some repaying loans themselves, are willing to keep applying the pressure. Danny Beales described this week's announcement as a "welcome step" but stressed a "meaningful, complete overhaul" is needed beyond it. On the list of proposed changes are a cut to the 9% repayment rate, extending the loan term and reversing next year's threshold freeze. It all leaves the government with a student loan dilemma. While the interest cap is a sign of willingness to help, it's been widely received as the first step of many, and not enough on its own. And given the government is consistently in crisis management mode, it begs the question of whether wholesale reform is even affordable. But it's an issue ministers know they must address - and have said they will - not least to avoid the possible political cost of inaction.

Rory McIlroy is defending champion after last year's play-off victory over Justin Rose, seeing him become the sixth player in history - and first since Tiger Woods - to complete the career Grand Slam. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler was the pre-tournament favourite to win the tournament for a third time, despite entering the week without a top 10 in his last three PGA Tour starts, with Patrick Reed and Sam Burns among McIlroy's challengers heading into the weekend. The Masters round two live updatesWhen is The Masters live on Sky Sports? Key ways to watch Official leaderboard from The Masters (external site)Get Sky Sports or stream golf and more with no contract Cameron Young looks to replicate Scheffler and McIlroy over the past two years by following a win at The Players with another at The Masters, while Rose, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood are all looking to become just the third Englishman to win a major at Augusta National. There are 91 players in the field for this week's major, the first of four in as many months in men's golf. The Masters is followed by the PGA Championship (May 14-17), US Open (June 18-21) and The Open (July 16-19). The Masters weather: What is the forecast at Augusta National? There is no rain forecast throughout this year's Masters, with the temperature getting warmer each tournament day. Here's the forecast issued by the on-site meteorologist, issued the day before the tournament. Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot. Winds 4-8 mph. High temperature: 29°C (85F)Sunday: Mostly sunny and hot. Winds 5-10mph. High temperature: 29°C (85F) When is The Masters live on Sky Sports? Wall-to-wall coverage from the tournament starts at 4.30pm on Saturday ahead of full coverage getting under way at 5pm and lasting until long after the final putt is holed. The notorious Amen Corner stream will also be available, focusing on the famous three-hole stretch from the 11th, with that Featured Group offering also available on the Sky Sports+ channel. A feed of the fourth, fifth and sixth holes will go live each day as soon as the opening group reach that part of the course and another stream covers the 15th and 16th holes, with Featured Groups also available on Sky Sports+. Who will win The Masters? Watch the opening major of the year exclusively live throughout the week on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.

This includes expanding the full-time military, bolstering the number of reservists and attempting to get up to 300,000 civilians to join a "strategic reserve" - a pool of people with some form of training that could be called upon in the event of a major crisis. "The world has changed," General Carignan told Sky News. "We have to get ready for large-scale conflicts, more conventional, so we need a different military to do that and different capability." The ability of hostile states such as Russia and North Korea to launch long-range missiles that could strike Canada is a threat the military chief is tracking. She is also eyeing growing competition between NATO allies, Moscow and Beijing in the High North and across the whole Arctic - a vast area of strategic importance to the Canadians. A need to protect vital interests is one reason why Mark Carney's Canadian government is exploring the possibility of joining a multinational force of like-minded nations led by the UK, with a focus on this region as well as the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic. General Carignan visited London on Friday and Saturday to meet with counterparts from the 10-strong Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) - also fellow NATO allies - to find out more about what benefits membership would bring and how Canada could contribute. "We feel very, very welcome," she said. "From my perspective, JEF represents a lot of opportunities for more collaboration and again to better address some of those military challenges that we have." First conceived by the UK in 2012, the other countries in the grouping comprise the Nordic nations of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as the Netherlands. The addition of Canada, given its geography, would make sense. General Carignan listed some of the advantages her country could bring, including "situational awareness, sharing of information, basing capabilities as well in covering that area, various types of sovereignty or operations and exercises". Asked why Canada did not choose to join sooner, she said back in 2013 to 2014 her country was reducing investment in defence - unlike now. "We have a collective of Nordic nations who are concerned more specifically by that area. So again, the situation has changed and hence now we can reconsider being part of the group." Unlike NATO, JEF members do not need to operate by consensus. It means their forces can respond faster and more adaptively to emerging threats. JEF nations are already working to counter threats by Russia under the threshold of conventional war, such as the targeting of critical undersea infrastructure like gas and oil pipelines and communications cables. "The JEF allows to have that flexible option ready in support of NATO, complementary to NATO, which I think is a very positive thing from my perspective," General Carignan said. Asked whether she liked the idea of joining the grouping, she said: "Yes, we are definitely interested. There's a little bit of work to do, but as I said, it looks very promising." General Carignan is no stranger to conflict. Commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1990, she has served in Afghanistan and Iraq, working her way up through the ranks to become chief of the defence staff in July 2024. She is also a mother of four. "I think I'm here today because Canada decided to remove systemic barriers in our military 40 years ago," she said, when asked how she broke through that glass ceiling. This meant she was able to access various positions that allowed for promotion, unlike the many women who came before her. Read more from Deborah Haynes:UK not prepared for looming wider warPush to transform UK military 'fiasco'Trump's NATO comments 'not wise' General Carignan said she is standing on their shoulders. As for the main challenges that she faced along the way, the military chief said: "Perceptions. Perceptions that women are weak, perceptions that you can't be in a combat role and be a mother at the same time. "So those are the type of barriers that are more stereotypes than actually what the reality is. The reality of combat, the reality of serving in the military, in combat roles." She is the only woman sitting at the table when NATO military chiefs meet - something she is sure will change over time. "I'm sure there will be [more female military chiefs] because it's totally possible and NATO allies are removing systemic barriers as well, and it's only a question of time." Sky News is the official media partner of the London Defence Conference 2026. Later this year, Sky News will launch a new defence and security app, bringing together video-first reporting from our leading journalists and experts.

Disability campaigner John Davidson, who has Tourette's, was heard shouting as Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented an award during the ceremony on 22 February. The incident was broadcast on the BBC with a two-hour time delay. The BAFTA board said an independent review into the incident identified "a number of structural weaknesses in Bafta's planning, escalation procedures and crisis co-ordination arrangements" for the awards. But it "did not find evidence of malicious intent on the part of those involved in delivering the event". In a statement it said: "We apologise unreservedly to the black community, for whom the racist language used carries real pain, brutality, and trauma, to the disability community, including people with Tourette Syndrome, for whom this incident has led to unfair judgment, stigma, and distress; and to all our members, guests at the ceremony and those watching at home. "What was supposed to be a moment of celebration was diminished and overshadowed. We have written to those directly impacted on the night to apologise. "The review is clear that while this was not a failure of intent, Bafta's planning and processes have not kept pace with its diversity and inclusion goals. "We did not adequately anticipate or fully prepare for the impact of such an incident in a live event environment and as a result our duty of care to everyone at the ceremony and watching at home fell short." The academy said work was underway to address the areas of improvement specified in the review, which was carried out by Rise Associates, to "reduce the risk of this happening again". Read more:The film fighting back against abuse and 'cheap laughs' at Tourette's expense It comes after an investigation found the BBC breached its own editorial standards when it broadcast the slur. An investigation by the BBC's executive complaints unit (ECU) found the inclusion of the slur was "highly offensive" and "had no editorial justification". However, it said broadcasting the slur was unintentional. It said the slur had been edited out of the version of coverage available on iPlayer when the event finished, but a delay of several hours was caused by "a lack of clarity among the team as to whether the N-word was audible on the recording". The delay was "a serious mistake," the ECU added, "because there could be no certainty that the word would be inaudible to all viewers". The report confirmed the BBC's chief content officer has sent letters of apology to Lindo, Jordan and Mr Davidson.

Reform leader Nigel Farage said on Friday that he is "not the least bit worried" his party broke electoral rules when it offered voters the chance to win free energy bills for themselves and their street for a year. Mr Farage and his party's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick handed the winning couple - described as "staunch branch members" of the party by a local Reform UK page - a large cheque for £1,758 in a video posted to X on Thursday. Greater Manchester Police said in a statement on Friday it had received a report about the competition and that officers "are currently reviewing the matter", but did not disclose what the potential offence is. Karl Turner MP, who had his Labour whip removed in March, said Reform's competition "might be considered 'treating'" if it happened inside the pre-election period for local authorities, which started on 30 March. Reform's free energy bills competition ran from 17 March to 31 March, and the winners were announced on 9 April. The Electoral Commission said in a statement: "Some activity designed to incentivise voter behaviour may be considered an offence, including bribery and treating. "It would be for the police to consider the facts of any allegations made to them, in order to determine if an offence has been committed. Any allegations should be reported directly to the police." Concerns over handling of personal data To enter the competition, people had to submit their name, email, phone number, who they voted for in the previous election and their voting preference for the upcoming local election on 7 May. Concerns have been raised about Reform's handling of the collected personal data. A Reform spokesman said: "We've had the raffle checked by our party barrister and an independent KC. "We have two legal written opinions on it, and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has come back to us and said everything is fine." A spokesperson for the ICO said: "All political parties collecting personal information, including information for political campaigning, need to comply with data protection law. "We're in regular contact with political parties about how they use people's data. We have spoken with Reform about this competition and improving transparency in how they handle people's personal information. "People who are concerned about how their information is being used by any political party can raise those concerns with the party, and if they remain dissatisfied can make a complaint to the ICO." Read more from Sky News:British man dead in Canary Islands bus crashChagos Islands deal pulled by government It is understood that the ICO provided Reform with some recommendations around improving transparency around how personal data was collected, used and safeguarded for the competition.

A year on from completing the career Grand Slam with play-off victory over Justin Rose, McIlroy continued his push for more major success with a brilliant round-of-the-day 65 on Friday afternoon. McIlroy broke the lowest 36-hole score by a defending champion as he moved to 12 under, the biggest halfway lead in the tournament's history, with the 36-year-old now firm favourite to join Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as a back-to-back winner of The Masters. The Masters LIVE! Second round as it happenedThe Masters: Latest leaderboard from AugustaHow to watch The Masters: Key coverage timesGet Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract The defending champion birdied six of his last seven holes to charge clear of Sam Burns and former Masters winner Patrick Reed, while Rose and Shane Lowry posted second-round 69s to share fourth place with fellow Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood. "This course, it enables you to get on runs," McIlroy told Sky Sports. "I certainly didn't imagine birdieing six of the last seven, but I've always felt like when you're feeling it around here, you can get momentum, and the crowd gets on your side and you can just keep it rolling. This afternoon was one of those afternoons." Tyrrell Hatton charged into tied-seventh with a six-under 66, while Bryson DeChambeau - who played the final group last year and was among the pre-tournament favourites - missed the cut after triple-bogeying the final hole of his two-over 74. How McIlroy made more history at The Masters McIlroy held a share of the overnight lead after equalling the second-lowest round by a defending champion at The Masters, with the world No 2 quickly taking control of the tournament after firing three consecutive birdies from the second. The defending champion gave the chasing pack hope when he missed from six feet to save par at the fifth, failed to take advantage of the eighth - the only par-five he has failed to birdie this week - and then started his second nine with bogey. McIlroy briefly found himself level with Reed, who followed a first-nine 34 with a birdie at the par-three 12th, only for the Northern Irishman to reclaim the solo advantage and spark another birdie charge with a seven-foot birdie on the same iconic hole. He took advantage of the par-five 13th and 15th - just as he did on the opening day, with McIlroy firing a stunning tee shot to kick-in range at the par-three 16th to move four clear of the pack. Reed bogeyed the last to fall back to six under with Burns, who finished his one-under 71 with three birdies in his last five holes, with Fleetwood also on that score until closing his three-under 68 with a bogey. McIlroy recovered from an errant drive at the 17th to finish just short of the green, where a sensational 30-yard chip-in pulled him further ahead, before a closing eight-foot birdie signed off a memorable Friday in style. The lead matches the same halfway advantage McIlroy held at the 2011 US Open, which he went on to win and claim a maiden major, with every player this century who held a 36-hole buffer of six or more shots all going on to win. "I so desperately wanted to win here just so I could come back each and every year, and thankfully I was able to do that last year," McIlroy added. "So, doing that, when I miss fairways, it's fine. When I miss greens, it's fine. I feel like I'm sort of playing with the house's money, which is a nice feeling to have. "If I can just keep thinking well and making good decisions with whatever is put in front of me, and really just keep putting one foot in front of the other - hopefully do that for the weekend and everything works out." Just 19 of the 54 players who made it through to the weekend are under-par at the halfway stage, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler on level-par - and 12 off the pace - after a two-over 74. Can McIlroy defend his title at The Masters? Watch the opening major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 4.30pm on Sky Sports Golf, with extra coverage on Sky Sports+. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.