Ibrahim came to the UK two years ago on a tourist visa - then claimed asylum. In the time he's been waiting to have his claim processed, he's met his partner Yvonne, who is English, and five weeks ago their baby daughter Alisha was born. But his asylum claim remains unresolved, and he says he can't return to his home near Hebron in the West Bank because of his political activism. "I can't just be stuck like this," he says. "I can't just waste day after day of my life waiting for somebody to say 'OK, we give you a decision'." He wants to move on with his life and be allowed to work, he says. "I don't think you need two years to process any asylum claim. I don't think there's any case that's complicated to that level. I'm not single any more. I've got other responsibilities now." 'I'd be happy to join hotel protests' Formerly a farmer in the Golan Heights, Ibrahim says he's well aware of the shifting public mood over immigration and shares frustration over the money being spent on asylum seekers. "I don't think they are putting their anger toward the right group," he says. "On many occasions, I spoke with a lot of them - the people who were protesting by the hotel. "I said 'if you are really angry and if you really want to save your country, I will be more than happy to come with you and let's go together to protest'." Ibrahim says he stayed in three Home Office-funded asylum hotels and claims he got scabies. He claims the food and conditions were so bad at one point, he left and slept on the streets. Huge backlog of asylum claims Meanwhile, the National Audit Office (NAO), the UK's independent public spending watchdog, has published a study on the processing and costs of people claiming asylum, examining the causes of delays and inefficiencies. It analysed a sample of 5,000 asylum claims lodged almost three years ago and found 35% of them have so far been granted, while 9% of the claimants have been removed from the UK. But the claims of more than half - 56% - remain unresolved. Ruth Kelly, NAO chief analyst, says ministers have tended to take "short-term reactive interventions to fix problems, but then these have led to other pressures forming elsewhere in the system and new backlogs forming". "That's led to wasted funds, poor outcomes for asylum seekers, and harm to the government's ability to meet its obligations to citizens." The NAO estimates in the last year the Home Office and Ministry of Justice spent nearly £5bn on asylum - more than £2bn of that on asylum hotels. It says there is a lack of a "whole system" approach within the Home Office; no shared objectives and there needs to be more robust shared data. The NAO said it found the Home Office's effectiveness and value for money are being undermined because of fundamental barriers that mean people seeking asylum spend extended periods waiting in the system. Read more on Sky News:Asylum seeker taxi banRise in asylum seekers in hotelsHow immigration system is changing The government has announced a raft of new measures to overhaul the asylum system but the watchdog points out they will take time and parliamentary approval to introduce. In November, the home secretary acknowledged some people who are coming to the UK are economic migrants seeking to abuse the system, with even genuine refugees passing through other safe countries searching for the most attractive place to seek refuge. Government vows to 'restore order' With asylum claims falling across Europe but rising in the UK, the government says it wants to reduce illegal migrant arrivals and increase the removal of people with no right to be in the UK. A Home Office spokesperson said the home secretary "recently announced the most sweeping changes to the asylum system in a generation to deal with the problems outlined in this report. "We are already making progress - with nearly 50,000 people with no right to be here removed, a 63% rise in illegal working arrests and over 21,000 small boat crossing attempts prevented so far this year. "Our new reforms will restore order and control, remove the incentives which draw people to come to the UK illegally and increase removals of those with no right to be here."

The Glaswegian, 59, took home the visual arts prize along with £25,000 at an award ceremony on Tuesday in Bradford, this year's UK City of Culture. As reported by The Guardian, she is the first artist with a learning disability to win the award. Along with Hanging Sculpture 1-10, which European art exhibitors Manifesta commissioned her to create at a disused power station in Barcelona, Ms Kalu won for her presentation in Conversations, a group exhibition at Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. For the sculpture series, the artist created the vividly-coloured works from repeated lines and wrappings of different materials, making nest or cocoon-like forms. The installation consisted of 10 large brightly-coloured sculptures that hung from grey concrete pillars of the industrial site. Meanwhile, for Conversations, Kalu presented work in pen, graphite and chalk pen on two pieces of paper. The jury, which was chaired by Alex Farquharson, the director of Tate Britain, commended Kalu's "bold and compelling work" and praised the "lively translation of expressive gesture" in the abstract sculpture and drawing. The panel also acknowledged her scale, composition and colour, highlighting "the powerful presence" her works have. Kalu is also a resident artist at ActionSpace's studio, which supports learning disabled artists across London at Studio Voltaire, and beat out fellow shortlisted artists Rene Matic, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa. The works by the four artists are currently available to see at a free exhibition at Bradford's Cartwright Hall Art Gallery until 22 February. Named after British painter JMW Turner, this year's prize marked the 250th anniversary of his birth. Read more from Sky News:Storm Bram brings 90mph winds, rain and flooding'Illegal, industrial-scale waste operation' suspected in London Previous winners include artist Damien Hirst in 1995 and filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen in 1999, while last year's winner, Jasleen Kaur, picked up the prize for Alter Altar - which covered a red sports car with a giant ornamental doily mat.

The prime minister said the way in which the ECHR is interpreted in courts must be modernised, with critics long claiming the charter is a major barrier to deportations of illegal migrants. His deputy, David Lammy, will today be in Strasbourg, France, with fellow European ministers to discuss reforms of how the agreement is interpreted in law across the continent. In an opinion piece for The Guardian, Sir Keir and his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, said the change was necessary to prevent voters from turning to populist political opponents. What's the issue with the ECHR? The ECHR, which is the foundation of Britain's Human Rights Act, includes the right to family life in its Article 8. That is often used as grounds to prevent deportations of illegal migrants from the UK. There has also been a rise in cases where Article 3 rights, prohibiting torture, were used to halt deportations over claims migrants' healthcare needs could not be met in their home country, according to the Home Office. The Conservatives and Reform UK have both said they would leave the ECHR if in power, while the Labour government has insisted it will remain a member of the treaty. But Sir Keir admitted in his joint op-ed that the "current asylum framework was created for another era". "In a world with mass mobility, yesterday's answers do not work. We will always protect those fleeing war and terror - but the world has changed, and asylum systems must change with it," the two prime ministers wrote, as they push for a "modernisation of the interpretation" of the ECHR. What is happening today? Mr Lammy is attending an informal summit of the Council of Europe. He is expected to say: "We must strike a careful balance between individual rights and the public's interest. "The definition of 'family life' can't be stretched to prevent the removal of people with no right to remain in the country [and] the threshold of 'inhuman and degrading treatment' must be constrained to the most serious issues." It is understood that a political declaration signed by the gathered ministers could carry enough weight to directly influence how the European Court of Human Rights interprets the treaty. The UK government is expected to bring forward its own legislation to change how Article 8 is interpreted in UK courts, and is also considering a re-evaluation of the threshold for Article 3 rights. The plans have been criticised by Amnesty International UK, which described them as weakening protections. "Human rights were never meant to be optional or reserved for comfortable and secure times. They were designed to be a compass, our conscience, when the politics of fear and division try to steer us wrong," Steve Valdez-Symonds, the organisation's refugee and migrant rights programme director, said. Sir Keir's government has already adopted several hardline immigration measures - modelled on those introduced by Ms Federiksen's Danish government - to decrease the number of migrants crossing the Channel via small boats. Read more: UK's immigration shake-up explained Starmer-Macron deal 'a sticking plaster' Meanwhile, French far-right leader Jordan Bardella told The Daily Telegraph he would rewrite his country's border policy to allow British patrol boats to push back small vessels carrying migrants into France's waters if he were elected. The National Rally leader called Sir Keir's "one-in, one-out" agreement with Emmanuel Macron, which includes Britain returning illegal arrivals in exchange for accepting a matching number of legitimate asylum seekers, a "sticking plaster" and "smokescreen". Read more from Sky News:PM warns of 'lost decade of kids'Storm Bram brings 90mph winds and rain He said that only a complete overhaul of French immigration policy would stop the Channel crossings. Mr Bardella is currently leading in opinion polls to win the first round of France's next presidential election, expected to happen in 2027, to replace Mr Macron.

The three points in the Champions League not only give Slot a much-needed reprieve from the noise surrounding him and a supposed breakdown in relationship with Salah, but also strengthened his side's position in Europe as they seek direct qualification to the knockout rounds. After a run of one win in six games in all competitions for Slot's under-pressure team, they are now back in contention for a top-eight finish thanks to an 88th-minute Dominik Szoboszlai penalty. "I was so desperate for Liverpool to win tonight, as I am every time they play, but more so for the manager for what he's been through over the last few days," Carragher said on CBS. "I don't know him that well, have any real relationship with him, but he's the Liverpool manager. Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool - Match report & reactionAs it happened | Teams | Stats | Live CL tableGot Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 "We know what's gone on and what was really telling was the supporters chanting his name in the first half when it was 0-0… they're right behind their manager, even more so on the back of that result. "It was a massive result, it's a tough place to go and Liverpool needed that on the back of losing their last game at home in the Champions League to PSV. "I'm happy for him more than anything. It's been tough all season for him. As a manager, he has to do better in terms of getting more results with the squad of players he's got, but that's a huge result for him and the club. I'm over the moon for him." Who should make next move in Slot-Salah power play? Slot said he wants clarification over Salah's stance before further conversations can be had about his future at the club, and accepted the situation has affected others in the Liverpool dressing room. "Of course there's a lot of things being said, and I think that always affects a team a little bit as well," Slot told Amazon Prime. "If you've been in the dressing room, you know it's about a player with the manager or with the club, but that normally affects players a bit as well, especially because he's so good and so influential. "It's never nice to see something like this happen to one of your team-mates. "Everyone makes mistakes in life, so the first thing should be, does the player think he's made a mistake as well? "Then the next question is, should the initiative come from me or from him? Now, that's another question to answer. But as I said, the focus for tonight should be about, for example, Virgil [Van Dijk], because the fans are singing for him." Slot: Salah situation has cost Liverpool 'energy' Speaking in his post-match press conference, Slot added: "I think it was really hard for the players to concede in the last minute against Leeds, where, in my opinion, we already played a very good game. We hardly conceded a chance. In the last four games in general, we've hardly conceded a chance. "To go away there with three goals conceded and a draw was really hard to take. And then that was already emotional. Then what happened afterwards was emotional. It cost maybe a little bit of energy. Fourth game in 10 days, 13 outfield players available that have Premier League or Champions League experience, that shows you the resilience of these players. "All the focus should be on that tonight, and I can fully understand if I go Friday again into the press conference that all questions will be about Mo, but I think these players deserve it now that we speak about them." Van Dijk has 'no idea' about Salah outcome Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk: "We came in on Sunday [after drawing with Leeds], and I didn't feel any difference in terms of the team. We all know what is going on but it's a world that makes it what it is, bigger than ever. "We have to deal with the facts which was a big game tonight [against Inter] and everyone has to be ready. "Of course I've spoken to Mo [Salah], it's none of anyone's business. I've been with Mo for such a long time, he's been a big part of my success and the club's success. We've all been doing it together at Liverpool. "The reality is he's going to the Africa Cup of Nations at the weekend, I hope he has an amazing tournament and in the meantime I have no idea what will happen. I'm not the decision-maker here, it's between the club and Mo but we are always friends. "My focus is on the team and at this point Mo is still part of the team. We'll see what happens after that."

In the deep blue waters of the Caribbean, visible from space, an unremarkable grey smudge. But this is the USS Gerald R Ford: the largest, most deadly aircraft carrier in the world. And it is only part of an armada, apparently set on Venezuela. From being able to count on one hand the number of warships and boats in the Caribbean, since August we can see the build-up of the number, and variety of ships under US command. And that's only at sea - air power has also been deployed, with bombers flying over the Caribbean, and even along the Venezuelan coast, as recently as this week. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro told crowds his country has endured 22 weeks of aggression from the US and Donald Trump. Things could be about to get worse. So let's rewind those 22 weeks to understand how we got here… 'Drug boat' strike On 2 September, the White House posted on X that it had conducted a strike against so-called "narcoterrorists" shipping fentanyl to the US, without providing direct evidence of the alleged crime. Sky's Data & Forensics unit has verified that in the past four months since strikes began, 23 boats have been targeted in 22 strikes, killing 87 people. Read more: The US-Venezuela crisis explained The latest was on 4 December, after which US Southern Command announced it had conducted another strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific. It was the first such strike since 15 November and since the defence secretary, sometimes referred to as secretary of war, Pete Hegseth, came under scrutiny for an alleged "second strike" in an earlier attack. The US says it carried out the action because of drugs - and there has been some evidence to support its assertion. The Dominican Republic said it had recovered the contents of one boat hit by a strike - a huge haul of cocaine. Legal issues Whatever the cargo, though, there are serious, disputed legal issues. Firstly, it is contested whether by designating the people on the boats as narcoterrorists, it makes them lawful military targets - or whether the strikes are in fact extra judicial murders of civilians at sea. And more specifically… well, let's go back to that very first video, of the very first strike. What this footage doesn't show is what came afterwards - an alleged "second strike" that targeted people in the water posing no apparent threat. That has created a crisis for Hegseth. Speaking at a cabinet meeting last week, the defence secretary said he did not see that there were survivors in the water when the second strike was ordered and launched in early September, saying that "the thing was on fire". And the 4 December strike shows this strategy isn't over. The strikes are just part of the story, as warships and planes have headed toward the region in huge numbers. Drugs or oil? Some have said this isn't about drugs at all, but oil. Venezuela has lots - the world's largest proven reserves. Speaking to the faithful on Fox News, Republican congresswoman - and Trump supporter - Maria Salazar said access to Venezuela would be a "field day" for American oil companies. And Maduro himself has taken up that theme. A few days later, he wrote this letter to OPEC - which represents major oil producing nations - to "address the growing and illegal threats made by the government of the United States against Venezuela". That's how Maduro has framed this - a plan by the US "to seize Venezuela's vast oil reserves… through lethal military force". Lethal military force - an understatement when you think of the armada lying in wait. And it may be called upon soon. Trump on Tuesday said he's preparing to take these strikes from international waters on to Venezuelan territory. Maduro has complained of 22 weeks of "aggression". There may be many more to come. Additional reporting by Sophia Massam, junior digital investigations journalist. The Data X Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

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

The government launches its 10-year youth plan today, which has pledged £500m to reviving youth services. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has also warned that young people are now "the most isolated in generations" and face challenges that are "urgent and demand a major change in direction". But despite the strong language, the Conservatives have warned that "under Labour, the outlook for the next generation is increasingly bleak". Lisa Nandy is on Sky News from 7am - follow live Launching the 10-year strategy, Sir Keir said: "As a dad and as prime minister, I believe it is our generation's greatest responsibility to turn the tide on the lost decade of young kids left as collateral damage. It is our moral mission. "Today, my government sets out a clear, ambitious and deliverable plan - investing in the next generation so that every child has the chance to see their talents take them as far as their ability can." What's in the government's strategy? Under the plans, the government will seek to give 500,000 more young people across England access to a trusted adult outside their homes - who are assigned through a formal programme - and online resources about staying safe. The prime minister said the plans will also "ensure" that those who choose to do apprenticeships rather than go to university "will have the same respect and opportunity as everyone else". The plan comes following a so-called "state of the nation" survey commissioned by Ms Nandy, which heard from more than 14,000 young people across England. Launching the strategy, she said: "Young people have been crystal clear in speaking up in our consultation: they need support for their mental health, spaces to meet with people in their communities and real opportunities to thrive. We will give them what they want." Read more:Child poverty strategy launchedYoung people may lose benefits But the Conservatives have criticised the government for scrapping the National Citizen Service (NCS), which ended in March this year. Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddlestone said "any renewed investment in youth services is of course welcome", but said Labour's "economic mismanagement and tax hikes are forcing businesses to close, shrinking opportunities while inflation continues to climb".

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