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No Writer
Jun 21
Driver who died in Bedford train crash that left 100 people injured is named

His family are today paying tribute to him. They said: "We are devastated by his loss. Our thoughts are also with those affected by this incident." The collision, which left nine in a critical condition, involved two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains. Read more:Girl and two boys arrested on suspicion of murdering teenagerExtreme heat warning issued - as temperatures set to hit 38C One smashed into the back of the other on the same line just after 5pm on Friday. British Transport Police said more than 80 people were treated in hospital on Friday night, and 28 remained there as of Saturday morning. Of the 100 victims, 11 were very seriously injured, 32 were seriously hurt, and 57 suffered minor injuries, the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) said. Dave Calfe, general secretary of Aslef, the train drivers' union, said Mr Burton "loved public transport" and worked on buses and coaches before becoming a train driver seven years ago. Mr Calfe said: "We are all heartbroken by the death of Shaun Burton which leaves a hole in the lives of his family, friends, and colleagues, which will never be filled. "Shaun, a driver at East Midlands Railway, joined the railway relatively late in life. He loved public transport - he used to work on buses and coaches - before he became a train driver seven years ago. "He was dedicated to the job, and devoted to his colleagues and enormously popular at his depot. The railway family grieves his passing; no-one should go off to work in the morning and not come home. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends tonight." The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said on Saturday that its inspectors continued to gather evidence at the scene. "RAIB will conduct a full, independent safety investigation into this tragic accident," the agency said in a post on X. "We will provide a further update in the coming days once we know more." The front of the 4.40pm departure from Corby to London St Pancras was crushed when it smashed into the rear of the 3.50pm departure from Nottingham, to the same destination, on Friday evening. Passenger Pete Knapp, 40, described faces bloodied, smoke filling the carriage, and people unresponsive. "Some people screaming, crying, they were confused and scared," he said. Buckingham Palace said King Charles was "greatly saddened" by the rail crash and that his "thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured of affected by such a tragic incident". Network Rail said rail services around Bedford will be disrupted until 28 June while a "complex recovery operation" continues to remove the damaged trains and carriages from the track. Engineers will then need to assess the damage and complete repairs, it added. Passengers have also been advised to only travel if it is "absolutely necessary" within this period. Sky News understands the accident investigation will take several months to complete.

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No Writer
Jun 21
Jeremy Clarkson reveals 'aggressive' prostate cancer is in remission

The 66-year-old confirmed in an interview with The Times that a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test two months ago revealed no sign of the disease. Clarkson revealed in the latest episodes of the fifth season of Clarkson's Farm that he had been diagnosed with "aggressive" prostate cancer that had been found early. The TV host has met up with former prime minister Lord David Cameron to talk about their prostate cancer diagnoses with other famous faces. He said: "I was talking to David (Cameron) about it earlier this morning. He said the amount of people that come up to him is mostly in public conveniences and say, if you hadn't owned up to it, I wouldn't have got checked, and they wouldn't have found it. "So now there's a group of us, (food writer) Giles Coren, David, me, one or two other people, and we meet for lunch every so often. "Everybody has different Gleason scores, and everybody has different Stockholm and PSA scores. We all compare notes and I actually get muddled with what mine were." Clarkson said the diagnosis had "landed harder than I thought it would". He added: "This is why I have to say to everybody who's reading this, please, please, please go and get checked. "It's not uncomfortable, it's not undignified, and it's a no-brainer. I did, and that's why I'm sitting here talking to you 11 months down the line." Speaking from a hospital bed at the end of the season finale, Clarkson revealed he had suffered from complications during treatment, which he told The Times had been caused by him resuming a course of tablets for his earlier vascular and cardiac problems. Read more from Sky News:Three people killed following fire in west LondonSky News podcast to become landmark TV show He said: "That was horrific and it was all my own fault." He continued: "Two or three weeks after the cancer operation, I thought I'd better put myself back on those blood thinners. Big mistake, huge." He said it resulted in a "very big emergency in the middle of the night" and the treatment required as a result of that was "horrible". The diagnosis came almost two years after the TV presenter underwent a heart procedure, which saw him fitted with two stents to improve blood flow to the heart. He said his doctor had told him to stop working following the operation and that he had been advised to replace work with golf in a column for The Sun at the time. Clarkson said: "I am without a doubt, officially, the world's luckiest man." The celebrity farmer previously stopped smoking after contracting pneumonia on holiday in Spain. In a post on the X account of his pub, The Farmer's Dog, Clarkson added: "The reason why I'm fine is because the doctors caught the prostate cancer early, and they caught it early because I got tested."

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Beth Rigby, political editor
Jun 20
Huge Burnham victory begins to hit home for Starmer - as pressure grows for PM to set out timetable

For now, all is quiet. Andy Burnham has been whisked away from the frontline to spend the weekend with his family, while Sir Keir Starmer has gone to Chequers to reflect on his future with his family. Politics latest - follow live Senior party figures tell me not to expect any public interventions of top Labour figures this weekend, but there is of course, a huge amount going on – and the next few days are going to be critical: As one Burnham ally put it to me on Friday, the prime minister can have a dignified exit or a bloody one, but the die is cast, Burnham is going to become the prime minister. So, what's going on for Sir Keir? He has been adamant that he would fight any contest, and that is what he repeated when he faced the cameras on Friday. But one of those who have had conversations with him tells me that behind closed doors, it is beginning to hit home that he might have to give way, as a growing number of the cabinet and his MPs indicate that he no longer has their support. As Harriet Harman put it to me and Ruth Davidson on our Electoral Dysfunction podcast: "The herd isn't moving; it is stampeding... The Parliamentary Labour Party have made a decision that they're not hanging around with Keir Starmer. "We don't want a situation where cabinet ministers are resigning to try and push Keir Starmer out," says Harman. "One MP who's been a real big Keir Starmer supporter, who's now signed up for Andy Burnham, said to me that he doubts there's even 30 MPs now who actually believe it's possible for Keir Starmer to stay, not that they necessarily don't want him to stay, but they just feel it's over." The scale of Burnham's victory – much bigger than anticipated – has sealed the deal with many MPs, who are now convinced that Burnham is the one that will help Labour keep Reform from its heartlands and save the party from another terrible set of election results next May. "The idea that we can beat Reform has gripped the party," said one senior figure. "The notion is settling that Andy is the only hope, and members are excited that there's a change; their areas won't be taken over by Reform," says one senior source. There is little appetite for a leadership race on the Burnham side or the wider party. Sir Keir has publicly warned that it will tear the party apart, while one cabinet minister told me it would be "awful" to get to a place where the prime minister and rivals tear pieces out of each other in public, trashing the Labour government and destroying Sir Keir's legacy. Wes Streeting has been very vocal about the need for one and says he will run. Others whisper that it might be that he and Burnham do a deal. There are lots of ifs and buts in all of this... I'm told by party insiders that when it comes to MPs, "probably the majority" want the PM to stand down by party conference in September, while a "sizeable number" of cabinet colleagues are privately telling the PM he needs to set out a timetable. Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, was the latest to do so on Friday. The prime minister told me last week that he would speak to Burnham after the weekend, while Burnham's team also wants a meeting between the two men next week. Many in the party hope that Starmer and Burnham might come to an agreement and arrange something between them. There is a lot of upset and sadness among those around the prime minister as the walls close in and Sir Keir's departure becomes more inevitable. "I feel a sense of bereavement," said one loyalist. "But it hasn't worked out. I never thought we'd be here two years in." For my part, having interviewed the PM on his future a number of times, I think he would like to fight on if he could, and his allies point out to me that "the PM's agency in this shouldn't be underestimated". He has built a £100,000 war chest to fight a contest and has key staff and a leadership website ready to go. But if Sir Keir does not have enough support in his cabinet or his parliamentary party, might he conclude that he cannot fight on? That's why what the cabinet, senior ministers and Labour MPs do in the coming days is so critical.

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No Writer
Jun 22
US Open: Wyndham Clark edges out Sam Burns to claim major win at Shinnecock Hills as Scottie Scheffler falls short in Grand Slam bid

The 2023 champion saw a six-shot overnight advantage cut to just one during an engrossing major final day, where Burns threatened to produce the largest final-round comeback in US Open history and Scheffler stayed in contention to complete the career Grand Slam. Clark stuttered to a front-nine 38 and failed to regain control of the tournament over the closing stretch, with a stunning birdie at the par-five 16th cancelled out by a three-putt bogey at the next to leave him just one ahead with one to play. US Open recap: Final round as it happenedFinal US Open leaderboard and other golf scoresWhen are the majors? Key dates, results in 2026Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract The American missed the fairway at the par-four last but found the green with his approach, then two-putted from 50 feet to close out a final-round 73 and secure a second major victory in four years. Clark ended the week on four under and one ahead of Burns, who started the day seven back but charged to a runner-up finish after a three-under 67, with Tom Kim finishing third on one under in front of world No 1 Scheffler, Keith Mitchell and JT Poston. How Clark pipped Burns in major thriller Burns - playing three groups ahead of the overnight leaders - fired his approach at the first to tap-in range and added another birdie at the third, which saw him move within four of the lead when Clark failed to get up and down to save par at the second. Momentum continued to move Burns' way with a 25-foot birdie at the par-five fifth and another from nearly 50 feet at the eighth, as Clark holed from 15 feet to save par at the fourth but saw a chip roll back to him on his way to a bogey at the next. Burns slipped back when he bogeyed the ninth but found himself back within one when Clark missed from four feet at the seventh, with the overnight leader then having to produce a sensational up and down to scramble a par at the ninth to stay ahead at the turn. Clark started his back nine with a close-range birdie but bogeyed the par-four 13th, while Burns responded to missing from four feet to save par at the 15th by making a key birdie at the next to get back to three under. Burns tentatively left his birdie attempt short at the 17th then sunk to his knees after seeing his effort at the last agonisingly shave the edge of the cup, as Clark - who received jeers from the New York crowd - holed from 25 feet at the 16th to double his lead. Clark gave Burns hope when he three-putted from 70 feet to bogey the 17th and then put himself in three-putt territory again at the last, where he lagged his birdie effort to kick-in range before tapping in to claim the $4.5m first prize. "It [winning] feels pretty amazing," Clark said. "I played some ugly golf the last two days but my putter and short game kind of kept me in it. To make all the putts I did has been amazing." Kim marked his 24th birthday by posting a level-par 70 and grabbing third spot, one of just three players to end the week under par, while Scheffler mixed two birdies with three bogeys to miss out on completing the career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday. England's Tyrrell Hatton shared seventh spot on one over with Gary Woodland, Sam Stevens and Joaquin Niemann - who carded an 11 on the par-four sixth during his opening round after a misconduct penalty, as Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Aaron Rai, John Parry, Sahith Theegala and Xander Schauffele all ended the week on two over. Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 champion, faded with rounds of 74 and 73 over the weekend, while Rory McIlroy's bid for a second major of the season saw him finish in tied-32nd on six over. What's next? The PGA Tour heads to TPC River Highlands in Connecticut for the Travelers Championship, the latest Signature Event, while the DP World Tour is in Torino for the DS Automobiles Open d'Italia. Both events are live from Thursday on Sky Sports Golf, along with the final men's major of the year - The Open at Royal Birkdale - from July 16-19. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.

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No Writer
Jun 21
Girl and two boys arrested on suspicion of murdering teenager - as victim named

Police were called to reports of a stabbing in Glycena Road, Battersea, in the early hours of Saturday. A 17-year-old boy was found with serious wounds and died at the scene. He has been named by police as Jamal Coombes. A 15-year-old girl and two boys - aged 14 and 15 - have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody. Detective chief inspector Brian Howie said: "Our thoughts remain firmly with Jamal's loved ones following his tragic death. "I understand the impact this incident has had on the local community. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to speak with one of our officers on patrol in the area this week. "As our enquiries continue, I am appealing directly to the public. We believe that there was an altercation prior to the assault, so if you were in the Lavender Hill area between 03:30 hrs and 05:00hrs, specifically Glycena Road, Acanthus Road or Pountney Road, and witnessed a group of men running, please come forward. "Any information, no matter how minor it may seem, could prove crucial. CCTV, doorbell or mobile phone footage may provide vital evidence. "I would also urge members of the public not to assume that information has already been shared, any detail could be of significant importance to the investigation."

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No Writer
Jun 19
Daveigh Chase, star of Lilo & Stitch and The Ring, dies aged 35

Chase, a former child star also known for her role as the villain in the 2002 US remake of the Japanese horror film The Ring, reportedly died on Tuesday from complications of bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. Her father, John David Schwallier, told The New York Times that Chase had been homeless in Los Angeles with her boyfriend near the hospital where she died. Mr Schwallier also told the outlet that his daughter had struggled with drugs since she was 13 years old, and that she had been estranged from her parents, who are divorced. He added that he had been in touch with Chase's boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, and arrived at the hospital where she was being treated just before she died. Chase is perhaps best known for her role as Lilo in the 2002 animated film, voicing the eponymous orphaned Hawaiian girl who adopts a genetically engineered extra-terrestrial, whom she names Stitch. She voiced the same character in the subsequent spin-off TV series, which first aired in 2003. For her role as Samara Morgan in The Ring, starring alongside Oscar-nominated actress Naomi Watts, Chase won an MTV movie award for best villain. She landed another prominent voice lead in the English dub of the 2001 Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away, and also appeared in the 2001 movie Donnie Darko and the 2003 show Oliver Beene. Read more from Sky News:Explainer: What's in the US-Iran deal?Teenager dies in horse-drawn carriage accident in New York Chase was born in Las Vegas and raised in Albany, Oregon. According to IMDb, she began singing and dancing at the age of three and starred in her first commercial - for Campbell's Soup - aged seven. An online fundraiser set up by her boyfriend has raised close to $4,000 as of Thursday. A post on the site read: "Many people know her as a talented childhood actor from 'Lilo & Stitch,' 'Spirited Away,' and 'Donnie Darko'. "But behind the scenes, she's faced more than her share of hardship."

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Oscar Bentley, political reporter
Jun 20
Gay and trans conversion therapy ban bill expected to be published

The practice seeks to suppress or change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. A ban was first promised in July 2018 by then prime minister Theresa May, and it has since been pledged in four of the last five King's or Queen's speeches, where governments set out plans for new laws. Politics latest - follow live Downing Street told reporters on Friday they had no update on when the bill would be published. A government spokesperson has previously told Sky News they would "provide an update on this early in the second session" of parliament, which began in mid-May. "Conversion practices are abuse - such acts have no place in society, and this government is taking a clear stand against them," the spokesperson said. Some religious groups have expressed concern about still being able to offer counsel to people who may be confused about their sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill is expected to be published in draft form next week. This allows ministers to consult on it more widely before MPs begin the process of formally voting on it. But it also means it is likely still some way before a ban finally makes it onto the statute book and gives it a lower chance of completing all its parliamentary stages in the next year. Dr Alice Lily, senior researcher at the independent Institute for Government thinktank, told Sky News that how quickly the ban progresses "will depend a bit on how much policy work has already gone into the draft [bill] and what the response to it is like". "It does feel as though there's a lot in this King's Speech and so a lot to get through... given everything else [the government] is committing to, it might be tricky to get that particular bill turned around and passed within the session," she added. Read more:Gay conversion is still legal - why hasn't that changed yet?Draft bill will ban gay conversion practices Labour MP Kate Osborne previously told Sky News she was concerned that the conversion therapy ban is the "only bill [in the King's Speech] that specifies draft". "It just gives people more opportunity to frustrate what is an already delayed and very necessary bill," she said. However, she said she believes ministers do have "every intention of pushing this through as soon as possible". May's King's Speech contained 37 bills, a high number compared to many speeches in recent years. Labour MP Rachel Taylor said she welcomes the government's commitment to passing a ban. "LGBT+ people have waited for far too long for this vital bill, so I welcome the government's commitment to passing it, and particularly that it will be trans-inclusive. "Conversion practices are abuse, and it is high time the law made that crystal clear," she added. LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall previously told Sky News it welcomes "the government's commitment to publish a draft bill to ban conversion practices". But it pointed to the number of times a ban has been promised by successive governments and said, "We have been here too many times before". It said the government must "publish a draft bill before parliament breaks for the summer recess". Publishing the bill next week would meet this challenge. Ian Tucker-Bell was subject to conversion therapy by his church between the ages of 17 and 20 in the late 1980s. He said he was "glad to hear" the bill is being published, although he is "keen to see the detail". Referring to previous delays, he had told Sky News he didn't "understand why this is so difficult to ban" and asked: "What other form of abuse would have so much delay in banning?" Mr Tucker-Bell added he was on "the impatient side of eager to get this over the line, but at the same time I recognise our due processes take time." "I just hope there is the will, determination, and momentum to get us to the finish line."

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No Writer
Jun 21
World Cup 2026: Spain show why they are favourites as Lamine Yamal inspires statement win over Saudi Arabia

The European champions were blunt and missing a spark in their 0-0 draw with minnows Cape Verde on Monday. It was one of the most shocking results in World Cup history. But Spain reminded everyone why they have widely been regarded as favourites to win this tournament with their overwhelming 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. There are far tougher tests to come but this was a statement. Lamine Yamal was fit to start after being limited to a brief but exciting cameo against Cape Verde and the Barcelona 18-year-old set the tone. His electric start to the game lifted Spain's level and put them on course for a commanding performance. His goal after just 10 minutes was not one of his typical, beautiful works of art. But a back-post poacher finish suggests this is a player primed to add serious goal numbers to his already wonderful creativity and craft. It was his first World Cup goal but it will not be the last. As it happened: How Spain thrashed Saudi ArabiaWorld Cup tables | Group guides | World Cup kitsFollow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App The only other player aged 18 or younger to open the scoring in a World Cup match was 17-year-old Pele against Wales in 1958. Yamal, though, is used to being mentioned alongside the greats, given the way he has taken on the Lionel Messi role at Barca. Yamal has risen to that challenge at club level and he now relishes being the main man for his country. Dribbles, crosses, shots - he flew out of the blocks to deliver all three here. He showed his team-mates the way in Atlanta. When Yamal hit the net, Spain had already completed 39 passes. No team at this tournament had done that so far. They then became the first country since Germany in 2014 to score three goals inside 25 minutes. Mikel Oyarzabal - widely criticised for his failure to get into the game against Cape Verde - had crossed for Yamal to score and enjoyed netting two of his own in quick succession. The crossbar denied him a hat-trick before the break. With Spain's job virtually done, Yamal and Oyarzabal were withdrawn at half-time but the impact of Yamal's influence continued as his team-mates added to the scoreline after the break, with Marc Cucurella forcing an own goal. There could easily have been more, with Spain's strength in depth on show. There is quality running right through this Spain squad but on Sunday we saw how a superstar can inspire those around him to reach the levels they need to hit to show off their best. It was interesting to note some similarities between Spain's half-time stats against Saudi Arabia and their half-time stats against Cape Verde. Shots on target (five against Saudi Arabia vs four against Cape Verde), shots inside the box (eight vs nine), possession (71 per cent vs 70 per cent) and passes in the final third (170 vs 174) were all comparable. But their intensity and sharpness was what made the difference. That was reflected in Spain's xG (1.87 against Saudi Arabia vs 1.1 against Cape Verde), shots (17 vs 13), big chances (3 vs 1) and touches in the opposition box (27 vs 18) all significantly up at half-time on Sunday. Yamal is a joy to watch - but the substance of his importance to this Spain squad was clear to see in the numbers against Saudi Arabia. Yamal has ignited Spain's World Cup bid. Yamal: Spain have now arrived Spain goalscorer Lamine Yamal told DAZN: "That was the plan, to play for a half and get some rest, but above all to help the team. The first game wasn't really us, it was different, but now we've arrived and we're going for more. "It turned out the way we wanted - being 3-0 up allowed me to rest so it was perfect. Drawing a match that you know you should win stings. It made us think a lot, and it helped us approach this match exactly how we wanted to." Speaking about his winger, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente added to DAZN: "Lamine is in perfect condition to take on full matches now. "And what can we say about Oyarzabal? He'd been dealing with a minor issue - you can't share everything - but he always delivers an exceptional performance. "Today was an important step for what's to come. Lamine is already in perfect condition, and it's also good to take him off like that, leaving him hungry for more."

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