A prolonged war could do calamitous damage to the global economy. Iran war latest: Netanyahu predicts timeline In just one day and night, Iran has hit energy targets in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Israel. So much for its military being defeated, or its leadership decapitated after almost three weeks of bombardment. One attack alone, on the Ras Laffan gas plant in Qatar, using just a handful of missiles, did an estimated $26bn worth of damage and will, we're told, take years to repair. Even less liquid natural gas will now get to market, jacking up prices. The cost of gas for European consumers has already leapt 30%. Cue a pell-mell chorus of apocalyptic predictions from analysts and economists, and that's after just 24 hours of escalated energy attacks. Imagine what weeks of the same could do. I sat down with one of Iran's most senior diplomats, Esmail Baghaei, in the foreign ministry in Tehran to ask him if this was a new policy of escalation from his government. "You cannot expect a country that is under military aggression to exercise restraint. You have to direct your call to those aggressors, they started this…" he told me. Oil and gas facilities have been hit before in this war, but the targets struck over the last day or two are of a different order of significance. The attacks were not unprovoked. Israel had taken its attacks on the Islamic Republic to a new level with airstrikes on Iran's south Pars gasfield and Iran responded without hesitation. No wonder Donald Trump issued what looked like a rather panicky post ordering Israel not to attack gas fields again and warning Iran against the same in no uncertain terms. I asked Mr Baghaei if rising concern globally would provide some opportunity for diplomacy to prevail and for all sides to step back. Is there any kind of olive branch Iran could offer to its enemies? "Do you think it would be realistic to offer an olive branch to those who want to behead you? They are killing our elites. They are targeting our leaders. We are facing acts of aggression and terrorism and this is unprecedented," he said. But the US president is also reported to be seriously considering sending in troops to secure the Strait of Hormuz. That would raise the spectre of weeks, if not months, more war. If Iran can maintain the potency of its missile arsenal that could spell disaster for the Gulf's precious energy installations with all that means for the global economy. It would be as wise as a shootout in a warehouse of crystal. The prices of oil, gas, helium, plastics and fertiliser have been sent soaring already. But we may have seen nothing yet and if the doomsday scenario unfolds as predicted we will all feel the pain.

Trials were due to start in October this year, but will now not go ahead, after all the separate lawsuits were halted earlier this month due to an undisclosed agreement being reached by the parties. A court order published on Thursday and dated 13 March said that case judge Christina Lambert ordered the proceedings paused, saying all sides had "agreed to the terms of the settlement". The judge added: "By consent, it is ordered that all further proceedings against the defendant in these actions be stayed upon the terms set out in this order and in the confidential schedule." No details regarding the nature of the settlement between Spacey and the accusers have been released. The three men, who lodged their cases in London's High Court, alleged the Hollywood actor abused them between 2000 and 2013. Two of them also gave evidence in a criminal trial at Southwark Crown Court in 2023, which saw the actor acquitted on all charges. The 66-year-old has repeatedly denied accusations of sexual misconduct, insisting that the incidents were consensual or did not happen. Sexual assault allegations against Spacey, who is an Oscar-winner and one of Hollywood's biggest stars, first surfaced in 2017. The barrister representing the three men told the High Court in a hearing earlier this month that seven other people who allege they were sexually assaulted by Spacey wished to give evidence. One of the three claimants, who waived his right to anonymity, Ruari Cannon, alleges Spacey assaulted him in 2013 at an event related to a production of the Tennessee Williams's play Sweet Bird Of Youth. Spacey's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while a spokesperson for the claimants' lawyers declined to ⁠comment following the settlement. Read more from Sky News:Plans to let AI firms use music axed by governmentAI-generated Val Kilmer to star in new movie after death Another civil lawsuit against Spacey in the US was dismissed by a ⁠jury in 2022. The actor ​stood trial in London the following year, charged ​with sexually assaulting four men in Britain, but was acquitted of all nine ‌charges. The allegations against Spacey, who was artistic director at The Old Vic theatre in London between 2004 and 2015, included an accusation from a former aspiring actor that he drugged and performed a sex act on him while he slept. Spacey, who won Oscars for the films American Beauty ​and The Usual Suspects, was dropped from the ​TV drama House of Cards and removed from the ​movie All the Money in the World after the first ⁠allegations of sexual assault emerged.

Speaking to Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the veteran Labour peer said Ms Rayner had offered just "one criticism after another" rather than "positive proposals". Politics Hub: Follow the latest "It's so easy to be popular when you are not in the hot seat, and whoever took over from Starmer would face all the same problems," Baroness Harman said. In a speech at an event hosted by campaign group Mainstream on Wednesday, the former deputy prime minister warned Labour was "running out of time". "I'm a big fan of Angela Rayner. I think she's a remarkable woman. I think she energised the party when we were in opposition building up into government," Baroness Harman said. But speaking about Ms Rayner's speech on Wednesday evening, she added: "It didn't have any proposals about what should be done. "I just don't think she should be doing this. I think it's wrong for her and it's certainly wrong for the party and the government. "It's the sort of things that are said by Nigel Farage, by Kemi Badenoch, by the Greens, by the Lib Dems. "I think it's best for you to come forward with positive proposals rather than just criticise a government, which is dealing with a very difficult situation." Read more:Labour's left unit behind 'major reset' call 'Is she saying immigration doesn't matter?' Baroness Harman also said the former deputy prime minister should not "wave" immigration "away" as an issue. "The other thing that I would take issue with Angela Rayner on this is that immigration is now, if you look at the opinion polls and just listen on the doorstep, it's the second most important issue to people after the cost of living," she said. "To just wave it away as an issue and say it's un-British to exercise extra controls… what is she suggesting instead? "Is she saying it doesn't matter that people are concerned about immigration or this is the wrong policy and we should be trying something else?" Baroness Harman said. "It's just a negative intervention."

Aston Villa's out-of-form striker Ollie Watkins also misses out despite Tuchel naming 10 forwards in an extraordinary squad selection that hands a group of fringe players one last audition before the 2026 World Cup. Leeds' Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham's Dominic Solanke are the two out-and-out strikers called up along with Harry Kane to compete for the role of the captain's back-up in friendlies against Uruguay (March 27) and Japan (March 31) at Wembley. Everton midfielder James Garner has earned his first inclusion in a senior international squad, while there is also a shock recall for AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori, who last played for England in 2023. Tuchel says he has chosen this squad, which will essentially be split up into separate camps for each game, "to open up the competition for plane tickets to the US". England squad announcement reaction | FixturesWhich nations have qualified for World Cup?2026 World Cup: Dates, venues and format Brighton's back-up goalkeeper Jason Steele, who is uncapped and has not played in the Premier League since August 2024, is named in the squad, with Tuchel planning a special role for him at the World Cup. Revealing England would take four goalkeepers to the tournament, Tuchel said: "[Steele] will support the goalkeeper group. He will support the goalkeeper coach. He will support a penalty-taking group and take a lot of workload off the other shoulders. That's why we need an experienced guy. Alex Scott and Nick Pope were named in the November England squad. They both miss out here, with Pope now having lost his place at club and international level to Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale and Man City's James Trafford are in the squad along with first-choice Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson. Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James were in the November squad but are now out injured. Tuchel explains 'extraordinary' squad selection Explaining his extraordinary squad selection, Tuchel said: "We decided to divide it into two camps, almost. We have a camp where we bring players in who we haven't seen, who haven't played so much to open up the competition for plane tickets to the US. "From Friday/Saturday, a group will come into camp who get a rest before. We will go with a new group of players into the match against Japan." Sky Sports News has been told that each nation will be able to select 26 players for this summer's tournament. 'Never seen a camp like it' - will Tuchel experiment work? Sky Sports News football correspondent Rob Dorsett: "The 35 players' selection is fascinating. Not been done before, has it? It's a new approach and the one thing we've seen from Tuchel is that he's not afraid to rip up the copybook and try things. "It's innovative. It's interesting to see if the dynamic works. If he's that clearly delineated in terms of these are our new guys, let's see how they get on and this is our more established players that we will give more rest to. "That's going to lead to an interesting dynamic when it comes to picking the squad and seeing who is available and who is still in the camp by the time we get to that first game a week from tomorrow. "I'm hugely surprised there's no Trent Alexander-Arnold. "You have to say, he will be very fearful for his chances of making the World Cup squad now." Full England squad list Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Aaron Ramsdale, Jason Steele.Defenders: Dan Burn, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, Harry Maguire, Nico O'Reilly, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence, John Stones, Fikayo Tomori.Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, James Garner, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Adam Wharton.Forwards: Jarrod Bowen, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Dominic Solanke.

In the study, scientists from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and University College London (UCL) demonstrated that a pig donor oesophagus can be de-cellularised, repopulated with a recipient's own cells, and implanted in the recipient to restore oesophageal function. It represents a major step towards personalised regenerative treatments for children born with life-threatening oesophageal conditions and could pave the way for translation to other disease areas. Other studies have previously shown parts of this technology, but this is the first time the full process has been completed with such success, the study's authors said. In the study, eight recipient animals recovered well and developed working swallowing muscles to squeeze food towards the stomach with full integration of the engineered tissue within three months. Immunosuppression was not required as the implant was developed using the recipient's cells, and the tissue grew with the animals. The first step in this new technology is to create a scaffold, which acts as a tube-shaped base for the new organ. Scientists use a donor pig's oesophagus, which is very similar to a human's. Through a process called decellularisation, the donor tissue is carefully stripped of all the pig cells, while keeping the underlying support structure intact. Next, the scaffold is repopulated with a recipient pig's muscle cells, taken from a small biopsy. These cells are multiplied in a lab and then injected directly into the scaffold. Read more from Sky News:NHS 'came close to collapse' during pandemic, inquiry findsTeenage boy dies after blaze in flat next to fire station The graft is then placed in a bioreactor, a special container that pumps vital growth fluids through the tissue for one week. During this time, the cells settle and spread, and they adapt to their new home. Overall, the process takes two months to complete. Research with pigs has shown very encouraging results, providing a blueprint for human treatment. All eight animals survived the critical first 30 days after transplant. By the six-month mark, the lab-grown grafts had developed functional muscle, nerves, and blood vessels. This allowed the transplanted oesophagus to contract and move food like a native food pipe. The transplanted animals could eat normally and grow at a healthy rate. For the first time ever, this research team were able to map the genes in the structure of the implanted tissue, using a technique called spatial transcriptomics, to show that the genes turned on in the new oesophagus were in line with what would be expected in 'natural' tissue. The engineered oesophagus was shown to contract, producing movement and pressure with sufficient strength and co-ordination to allow normal swallowing. If this technology is adapted for use in humans, different sizes of scaffold, derived from donor pigs, could be stored ready to be developed and personalised for newborns or children of varying sizes and age, whenever needed. Sean, father of Casey Mcintyre, two, from London, who has undergone multiple operations, said: "People can never tell Casey has spent half of his life in hospital, and hopefully he won't remember, but the memories will never leave us. "We've had to learn things as new parents that we never considered would be part of our family life, from feeding him through a stomach tube to what to do if the hospital call with an urgent update in the middle of the night. "To look at him, he's just amazing, and we are very proud of him. Whatever the team did for him was really a miracle, but the idea that there could be one operation early in your child's life, that could transplant a working piece of oesophagus, and then we could move on, would be life-changing." Aoife Regan, GOSH charity's director of impact and charitable programmes, said: "We are thrilled to see the success of this research, which is offering more hope to children with a highly complex and rare condition, which can significantly affect their quality of life and childhood. "At GOSH Charity, we want every child treated at GOSH to have the best chance, and best childhood possible, and providing funding for key projects like this one, demonstrates the impact innovative research can have on those that need it most." The study was published on Friday in Nature Biotechnology.

The company behind the movie, First Line Films, say it is the first-ever performance enabled by generative artificial intelligence. The Top Gun star was originally cast in As Deep As The Grave five years ago but had been unable to work on set due to illness. He will play Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist Father Fintan. Kilmer previously claimed Cherokee ancestry and was a vocal supporter of Native American rights. The filmmakers say they have worked closely with Kilmer's estate and his daughter, Mercedes. They said in a press release: "At the time that ⁠he was cast, Kilmer expressed that the character of Fintan spoke to him both culturally and spiritually." Written and directed by Coloradan Coerte ‌Voorhees, the film follows southwestern archaeologists Ann Morris, played by Tin Star actress Abigail Lawrie, and Harry Potter star Tom Felton. It focuses on their excavations in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, also exploring the lives of the ​Navajo people. First Line Films, which is based in ​New Mexico, has not revealed what technology it will be using, but described it as "state-of-the-art generative AI technology". In 2021, Kilmer used the AI voice platform Sonantic to develop an AI-generated version of his voice, which was permanently damaged after undergoing a tracheostomy for throat cancer. It used archival audio Kilmer provided, and was used in the Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, in which Kilmer reprised his famous Iceman role. As Deep as the Grave uses Kilmer's voice from after his tracheostomy. The movie, which is in post-production, is expected to be released later this year. California-born Kilmer, who was one of the best-paid actors in the 1990s, had numerous spats with directors over the years, earning a reputation for being difficult to work with. He famously admitted he had not been keen to take the role that made him famous, Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise in 1986. He also portrayed Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors. Last year, the launch of the first fully AI-generated actor, Tilly Norwood, created waves in the entertainment industry, as it continues to grapple with innovations in AI threatening the roles of its workforce. SAG-AFTRA, the US actors' union, recently wrapped up a month of negotiations with the major studios without reaching a new deal. Meanwhile, in the UK, members of the actors' union Equity voted overwhelmingly to refuse digital scanning on set in a bid to secure adequate AI protections. The AI debate has also impacted the music world, with plans to let AI firms use music without permission abandoned by the UK government earlier this week.

Angela Rayner has stepped back into the spotlight this week and straight into controversy. Her blunt intervention - warning the government is running out of time, criticising its record on "change", and calling parts of Labour's immigration policy "un-British" - has sparked a big question: is Rayner simply saying what others are thinking, or going too far? Harriet certainly thinks it's a bit much. She says Rayner's approach could be undermining the government at a critical moment, just weeks out from the May elections. On the elections, Beth has been in Scotland speaking to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Does he still think Starmer should resign? Plus, what support should the government be offering to help with rising energy costs because of the war in Iran? And can we even afford it as a country? 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.

We asked our reporters and journalists to rank a longlist of 40 of the best players in the competition right now and took an average of their answers to produce the Sky Sports top 25. The list includes players from nine different clubs, with leaders Arsenal the best represented, accounting for seven of the top 25. But which player takes top spot? And how do the rankings below compare to our last vote at the start of the season? How we ranked the top 25 at the start of this seasonGot Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱No Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺25th: Casemiro Casemiro clinches a place in our top 25 having enjoyed a resurgence at Manchester United this season. His total of seven league goals is the highest of his illustrious career. 24th: Enzo Fernandez Described by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League earlier this season, Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez comes in at 24th. 23rd: Marc Guehi His outstanding performances for Crystal Palace earned him a January transfer to Manchester City, where he immediately became an important player for Pep Guardiola. 22nd: Bryan Mbeumo The summer signing from Brentford has looked comfortable in his new surroundings ever since his arrival at Manchester United and ranks as their joint-top Premier League scorer with nine goals. 21st: Bernardo Silva A player considered by Pep Guardiola to be one of the best he has coached. Bernardo Silva was one of few Manchester City players to deliver consistently last season and continues to be key. 20th: Elliot Anderson Nottingham Forest' Elliot Anderson has excelled in difficult circumstances this season, underlining his status as one of the Premier League's best all-round midfielders. 19th: Martin Zubimendi Martin Zubimendi clinches a top 20 place having become a key figure for Mikel Arteta in the heart of Arsenal's midfield following his arrival last summer. 18th: Reece James Injuries remain an issue but Reece James has had ample opportunities to show his outstanding quality for Chelsea this season, excelling both at right-back and in central midfield. 17th: Moises Caicedo Moises Caicedo is one of seven Chelsea players to have seen red this season but he still ranks as one of the Premier League's best midfielders, according to our reporters and journalists. 16th: Hugo Ekitike One of the Premier League's best newcomers this season, Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike comes in at 16th having stepped up in the absence of injured team-mate Alexander Isak. 15th: Bruno Guimaraes Bruno Guimaraes remains Newcastle's heartbeat in central midfield, bringing outstanding quality and leadership and continuing to make a huge contribution even in a testing season for the club. 14th: Bukayo Saka The goals and assists haven't flowed as freely as in previous seasons but Bukayo Saka remains crucial to Arsenal's attack. 13th: Igor Thiago Few would have predicted a place for Brentford's Igor Thiago in this top 25 at the start of the season but the Brentford striker has scored 19 Premier League goals in a brilliant campaign. 12th: Gianluigi Donnarumma Who has the better goalkeeper between title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City? It's the former, according to our reporters and journalists. Gianluigi Donnarumma makes the overall top 10 but he's not as high as his Arsenal counterpart. 11th: Jurrien Timber Another key figure in Arsenal's title challenge, Jurrien Timber continues to add attacking threat from right-back as well as defensive solidity. His total of eight goal involvements this season is the highest by any defender in the Premier League. 10th: Morgan Rogers The highest-ranking player from a club outside the traditional 'big six', Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers comes in at 10th. He has experienced a dip in form lately but has shown himself to be one of the Premier League's game-changing talents under Unai Emery. 9th: Joao Pedro Joao Pedro's potential was clear at former club Brighton but he has hit new heights since his move to Chelsea in the summer, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists in 30 Premier League appearances to earn himself a spot in our top 10. 8th: David Raya He has been pitted against Donnarumma this season but Arsenal's David Raya, on course for his third Golden Glove award, comes out on top among goalkeepers according to our vote. 7th: William Saliba When William Saliba is available, history shows Arsenal are a much stronger outfit. The French international has enjoyed another excellent campaign in the heart of Mikel Arteta's defence. 6th: Antoine Semenyo A mid-season switch from Bournemouth to Manchester City did not interrupt the explosive Antoine Semenyo's rhythm. He ranks sixth having scored five goals in nine Premier League games for City to add to the 10 in 20 he contributed for his former club. 5th: Dominik Szoboszlai Liverpool's outstanding player in a difficult campaign, Dominik Szoboszlai comes in at fifth. His stunning free-kick goals have lit up the Premier League this season and they are just one part of his huge, all-round offering to Arne Slot's side. 4th: Erling Haaland Erling Haaland's scoring rate has slowed in the second half of the season but he remains in a league of his own among Premier League strikers, his total of 22 goals putting him top of this season's scoring charts. He has also chipped in seven assists. 3rd: Gabriel Magalhaes Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes is the top-rated defender in our rankings, coming at third overall as he continues to excel for the Gunners in both boxes. A dominant force defensively, he has also contributed three goals and four assists this season. 2nd: Declan Rice Declan Rice ranks as the second-best player in the Premier League right now, according to our reporters and journalists, after another stellar season for Arsenal in which he has made a huge contribution to their title charge at both ends of the pitch. 1st: Bruno Fernandes Our reporters and journalists agreed with Rooney, voting Bruno Fernandes as No 1 in the Premier League. The 31-year-old is enjoying arguably the best individual season of his Manchester United career having racked up seven goals and 16 assists in 27 games. VOTE! Who is the best PL player right now? Who are the big fallers and risers? Amazingly, the player ranked top in August does not even feature in the top 25 seven months later. Mohamed Salah's absence from the list reflects his steep drop-off this term after inspiring Liverpool's Premier League title triumph last season. Salah is in fact one of six Liverpool players to have fallen out of the top 25 this time around, with Alexander Isak and Virgil van Dijk having plummeted from fifth and sixth respectively. Alisson was 12th in August, while Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are also nowhere to be seen having come in at 13th, 17th and 24th respectively in the previous rankings. Other notable fallers are Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Manchester City's Rodri, who occupied the third and fourth spots in August but do not make the top 25 this time around. Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Matheus Cunha and the 2023/24 player of the year Phil Foden have also dropped out of the top 25. The standout riser, meanwhile, is Bruno Fernandes, who takes top spot having come in at ninth in the August vote. Declan Rice has risen seven places to claim second place. The highest new entrant is Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, who ranks fifth having not made the top 25 last time, closely followed by Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo in sixth. David Raya and Joao Pedro are also new names in the top 10, with Brentford's Igor Thiago another eye-catching inclusion in 13th.