The weather has been so dry that Britain is now on track for one of its worst cereal and oilseed harvests on record, according to new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank. It comes as Wales and England reel from their driest July in at least 190 years, forcing all the former and half the latter into drought. Total output for barley, oats, and oilseed rape - key ingredients used in bread, beer, breakfast cereals, and livestock feed - is projected to drop to just 19.5 million tonnes this year. That would undercut the previous low of 19.8m tonnes in 2020, making it the poorest yield since detailed record-keeping began in 1984. UK weather: Check your local forecast The slump is expected to cost arable farmers up to £390m in lost revenue, though it is forecast to be offset somewhat by a good year for oilseed rape. Even if late yields outperform expectations, the ECIU warns that the final figure would still rank among the five worst harvests in history. Tom Lancaster, of the ECIU, said the dry and hot summer, exacerbated by climate change, has left farmers "facing down the barrel of a third awful harvest in a row". He told Sky News: "It doesn't have to be this way. Reducing emissions to net-zero would bring the climate back into balance." Wheat, Britain's main arable crop by far and a staple on most farms, has in particular suffered from the lack of rain. Desperate to salvage what they can, many farmers have harvested weeks early, gathering grain that is in some cases half its normal size. Provisional estimates from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) put average wheat yields so far this year at just 6.8 tonnes per hectare, down significantly from the 10-year average of 7.9 tonnes. 'Completely brutal' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network and a farmer in Cambridgeshire, warned that there was "only so much you can do to adapt to these sorts of extremes". He said the harvest this year had been "a real kick in the teeth". "Even farmers I know who were sceptical of climate change are now saying they're really worried about the future of their businesses and production, it's just been completely brutal for our industry," he added. And with high input costs because of the Iran war, he said planning crops for next year was "a total nightmare". Warnings over security The worsening agricultural picture has sparked urgent calls to factor food production into current efforts to boost Britain's national security - not least because the UK currently imports 40% of its food. Ed Arnold, of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defence think tank, said Britain should ramp up food production "while it's not an exercise". "If you have war on the European continent, it might disrupt import supplies for six months. There's not much faith the country is looking at this seriously." Laurie Laybourn, executive director of the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative, told Sky News: "More than any hostile nation, it has been extreme weather, supercharged by climate change, that has brought some of the biggest impacts on national security in recent years." As Downing Street pledges to boost military spending, Mr Laybourn warned that Britain's ability to defend itself abroad "is utterly dependent on the resilience of its society at home".

Among those in attendance at the cathedral were U2's Bono, actors Steve Coogan and Chris O'Dowd, former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and traditional musician Finbar Furey. Hundreds stood outside St Patrick's Cathedral where large screens were set up. Among the first to arrive at the service were musicians Hozier, Declan O'Rourke, Jerry Fish and Imelda May. Hansard, the frontman of Irish band The Frames, was killed at the age of 56 in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin last week. The accident happened hours after he took part in a music session at The Wren's Nest pub. Thousands of mourners attended a public wake for the musician at the Baroque Chapel at the Irish Museum of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Monday. Hansard featured in celebrated film The Commitments, and won an Oscar for best original song for Falling Slowly in 2008, which he co-wrote with Marketa Irglova for the film Once. He was well-known for busking with U2 frontman Bono on Dublin's Grafton Street every Christmas Eve, and was involved with various charitable and social causes. He also played a powerful rendition of Fairytale of New York during the funeral for Shane MacGowan in 2023. His funeral service began at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin at 1.30pm, with several people queuing outside for hours to attend. Read more from Sky News:Boy, 14, drowns in London dockOil giant BP profits more than double Stefania Domesi from Italy said she was in the city when she heard about the funeral and "thought it was good to come". "I really was astonished by the person that he was, so I thought it was nice to come here. "He was not just a musician and artist, but he was a great person, and he showed it in all his life." Theresa Martin travelled from Co Waterford to attend the funeral and was in the queue to enter the church. She said: "It was just the feeling that he brought to the music. You could see it in his eyes and his face. "It was true stories as well. It was unique."

Andy Burnham has blocked cuts to sentences – also known as early release – for rape and serious child sex and grooming offences, which will be welcome news to many. Politics Hub: Follow the latest Others, though, will be left wondering: what about me, or my case? Why is my perpetrator, some of them who will be in prison for really serious crimes, able to be freed early and not others? PC Andrew Harper's widow, Lissie, has called the announced review changes "disgusting" and an "utter betrayal". Thames Valley Police Federation, the force where PC Harper served, said they are "outraged that the justice secretary and the prime minister have decided that killing a police officer in the execution of their duty is somehow less serious than other offences deemed too dangerous for early release". The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, has said the government are putting "lives at risk" by not excluding domestic abuse perpetrators in the way that rape offenders and others are. "While this will be well received by some victims, most will not fall within those categories, and exclusions alone cannot guarantee victim or public safety," said Claire Waxman, the Victims Commissioner. The problem is, much of this is about pragmatism and politics. There is a perception that the general public don't care about prisons until it's a conversation about public safety and perceived injustice. This is exactly that. How did we get here? The latest row over this policy happened only days after Burnham became prime minister. He probably felt he had little option but to look again – ironically at plans which were made law under Sir Keir Starmer's government earlier this year, following an independent review of sentencing policy. Burnham has long been a critic of how previous governments have failed victims of injustice or covered up scandals. But he will also have been told that scrapping the plans altogether wasn't an option because of prison overcrowding. The male prison estate is operating at around 97% capacity still, even after numerous "emergency" or "temporary" measures, releasing tens of thousands of inmates early, under successive governments. One prison governor told me their usual "summer lull", as courts start to shut down for August, isn't happening this year. "What does this do to capacity by Christmas?" they asked. Remember, in 2024 there were just 100 free spaces left across England and Wales. Police custody suites were regularly used as alternative cells. 'A risk mistakes will be made' But there are fears too that "there is a risk mistakes will be made", according to one prison service source, with fast turnaround sentence recalculations (again) by an already stretched service. The first tranche of releases wasn't due until 2 September, but the prison and probation service had a while to plan for that date. It's now been delayed until 1 October, but with new exclusions, which could become complicated. Someone could be serving a sentence for varying offences, and things could be missed, is the worry. Probation will now only have around six weeks for release planning, once the sentences have been recalculated. Read more from Sky News:Woman who stole £300k from pensioner is jailedMan jailed after falsely claiming electric car was out of control A reminder – the Sentencing Act 2026, which became law earlier this year, meant prisoners serving standard sentences in England and Wales could be freed after serving a third of their sentence, rather than half, if they didn't break prison rules or commit further offences in jail. The rest would be spent on supervision in the community, using electronic tagging. More serious criminals, including those convicted of sexual and violent crimes, would have been eligible for release from prison after serving half of their sentence, rather than two-thirds, as is typically the case at the moment. 'Not the end of the conversation' This announced review now excludes inmates serving sentences for crimes like rape and grooming offences. But people who are in prison for a crime such as manslaughter can in theory still be released after serving half of their sentence. What this has to be about is human consequences and confidence in the justice system. For victims of rape, that's historically been a huge hurdle. The prospect that their demands are being listened to with these changes will be something. But even a lawyer representing abuse and grooming victims – the perceived beneficiaries of the review – tells me: "This should not mark the end of the conversation." "Victims of other serious violent offences also deserve confidence that sentences imposed by the courts will be served as intended," they said. This issue has troubled governments for years now. Burnham will be viewed by some as a new PM who acted decisively and who cares about victims and injustices. But what's already clear is that the outcome of this review is being seen by others as an injustice in itself.

The Gunners remain in talks with Newcastle over a deal for the 28-year-old, who would be joining a group of midfielders which includes Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly. So where and how would he fit in? No 6 or No 8? Guimaraes can play as a deep-lying midfielder or a more advanced No 8. He explained his preference for the latter position in an interview with Sky Sports in October 2022, when he was being used by former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe in the No 6 role. "To be honest, if you ask me this question, I have to say I prefer to play at No 8, but I think my role here, at No 6, is exactly what the team needs," said Guimaraes. "It is to take the ball out, to do some passes, to find the wingers and the strikers. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Arsenal news & transfers🔴⚪Arsenal fixtures & scores | FREE Arsenal highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream PL games with no contract📺 "I can play both positions, but Eddie has a choice to make and, for me, the most important thing is just to play and to help Newcastle get the three points. I think my best position is at No 8 but I can play at No 6. It's not a problem for me." Guimaraes ended up playing in his favoured role for Newcastle after Sandro Tonali took over at No 6, but his flexibility, and willingness to put the team first, will doubtless appeal to Mikel Arteta, who loves players able to slot into different positions. Guimaraes' versatility shines through when breaking down his minutes played by position in the Premier League. The graphic above shows he has played most of his minutes for Newcastle at the base of midfield but also highlights his ability to play as both a right and left-sided No 8, providing further evidence of the flexibility he can bring to Arsenal in terms of how he is used. The options he'd give Arteta Even when ostensibly starting as Newcastle's No 6, Guimaraes was platformed to attack. "With the way we are playing, Dan Burn is at left-back, so he can stay in the middle and I can go and be another player to help the attackers," he added to Sky Sports in 2022. Guimaraes finished that season with four goals and five assists in the Premier League for Newcastle, despite playing as the No 6. He was even more productive in the following campaign, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists in the same role. In total, the Brazil international has contributed an impressive total of 30 goals and 25 assists in 153 Premier League appearances for the club, underlining the extent of his attacking threat. Arsenal have plenty of full-backs capable who could tuck inside to allow him to get forward from the No 6 position. But another way to maximise Guimaraes's attacking qualities in a box-to-box role would be to use him as part of a double pivot. Rice could be the perfect foil. The 27-year-old spent most of last season playing as Arsenal's left-sided No 8, with Zubimendi playing at No 6. But he finished it playing further back, on the right of a double pivot with Lewis-Skelly, who impressed after his late-season move into midfield. Rice excelled alongside the youngster. Like Guimaraes, he has the energy to get up and down the pitch as a box-to-box midfielder but he is also tactically aware and disciplined in his positioning. Even before he was moved back into a double pivot last season, Rice often provided cover for Zubimendi, who was able to score five Premier League goals while playing as Arsenal's No 6. Using Guimaraes and Rice in a double pivot would allow Arteta to deploy one of Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze as a pure No 10. In the event of Rice being unavailable, or simply needing a rest, he could even use both players as No 8s ahead of Guimaraes at No 6. If Arteta wanted to go in the opposite direction and prioritise physicality over flair, he could sacrifice a playmaker for Zubimendi and push Guimaraes forward, into the right-sided No 8 role in which he spent much of the last two seasons for Newcastle. A midfield trio of Guimaraes, Zubimendi and Rice might not appear the most attack-minded but it would certainly allow Arsenal to win most physical battles in central midfield. It should also be noted that Guimaraes actually profiles similarly to Odegaard as a passer. Guimaraes made almost exactly the same number of line-breaking passes per 90 minutes as the Arsenal captain last season. His average of 8.6 put him well ahead of either Rice or Zubimendi. He also directed a similar percentage of passes forward to Odegaard, and was in fact more efficient in terms of forward-pass accuracy. The numbers reflect a capacity to unlock opposition defences which could mitigate Odegaard's absence, at least to some extent, while providing another source of creativity from central midfield. Would others lose out? The arrival of Guimaraes would inevitably raise questions about some of Arsenal's other midfield options but is easy to see the logic behind their efforts to land a player of his quality. Last season, the distribution of midfield minutes was too heavily weighted towards Rice and Zubimendi, both of whom would benefit from a lighter load having played more than 4,000 minutes. Arsenal's overreliance on Rice and Zubimendi was partly due to injuries. Odegaard and Merino both had long spells on the sidelines, along with Kai Havertz, who can also play in midfield. But it also reflected Arteta's lack of trust in alternatives such as Christian Norgaard, who is expected to join Everton. Norgaard's exit would free up a space in the squad for Guimaraes but Arsenal may still have work to do to reduce numbers, with Ethan Nwaneri and Fabio Vieira having returned from their loan spells at Marseille and Hamburg respectively last season. Lewis-Skelly, meanwhile, may find himself bumped down the pecking order having finished last season as a midfield starter ahead of Zubimendi. But Arsenal played 63 games last term and will be targeting silverware on multiple fronts again. The level of rotation required in that context, and the potential for injuries and absences, should still allow opportunities for Lewis-Skelly in midfield. But the reality is that Guimaraes, valued at £80m by Newcastle, would not be arriving to play a supporting role.

Data from an organisation that monitors antisemitism in the UK has revealed a spike in incidents, with 1,926 recorded from January to June 2026. Assaults, arson attacks and threats were among the incidents recorded by the Community Security Trust (CST) - with the total up by a fifth on the first half of last year. After the stabbings of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, in April, the CST said it recorded its highest daily number of antisemitic incidents of the year so far. A total of 71 incidents were recorded in the three days following the stabbings on 29 April - 16 of which directly referenced the attack, the organisation said. The week following 28 February - the date Israel and US began their war on Iran - saw a 71% jump in antisemitic incidents in the UK compared with the week before, from 52 to 89, according to the CST. The charity also noted that a series of arson attacks were carried out across Jewish sites in London, including on four Jewish community ambulances, throughout the first months of the year. It defines an antisemitic incident as any malicious act aimed at Jewish people, organisations or property, which shows evidence of antisemitic motivation, language or targeting. Greater London sees highest incidents According to the CST, the area with the highest number of reported antisemitic incidents in the first six months of 2026 was Greater London with 994. Greater Manchester saw 222, while Scotland as a whole saw a reported 76. Hertfordshire was reported to have 73, West Yorkshire had 64, Essex saw 58, and Northumbria had a reported 39. Assaults, threats and abusive behaviour The CST recorded 135 assault incidents during the first half of the year - the highest six-monthly total figure in this category ever reported to the organisation. Other forms of offences reported included 15 instances of antisemitic literature, 126 threats, 77 instances of damage and desecration, and 1,572 instances of abusive behaviour. Of the 77 counts of damage and desecration, there were seven cases of arson or attempted arson, the CST said. 'Appalling numbers' The government's independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord John Mann, said the figures "demonstrate that anti-Jewish racism in the UK remains at an all-time high and continues to pose a significant threat to our democracy". He added: "It is especially concerning to see the nature of antisemitism in the UK becoming increasingly violent, from the stabbing of two British Jews in Golders Green, to a series of arson attacks against synagogues and Jewish-linked properties." See more from Sky News:Trump sells posts to highest bidderMurderer keep family in agony Policing and crime minister Sarah Jones said: "Behind these appalling numbers are people living in fear just for being who they are. "Antisemitism goes against our country's values, and I will do everything in my power to protect our Jewish communities." She added the government is investing £250m to boost policing in Jewish neighbourhoods, and said: "We must never stop fighting to rid society of this evil." The Jewish Leadership Council said the figures "are no surprise" and that "Jews continue to face intolerable levels of hatred in our country and that should shame us". A spokesperson for the body of Jewish organisation around the UK added: "The prime minister has pledged a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism. We welcome that commitment, but those words must be matched by action."

The 66-year-old died in a Middlesbrough hospital yesterday evening after a short illness. Liddle had written for The Sunday Times since 2005 and The Sun since 2011. He was also a weekly columnist at The Spectator and had a show on Times Radio. His three children said they were "very saddened and shocked at the sudden passing of our wonderful father". "Even in hospital in the last few weeks, he consistently held the room and never let the awful situation show," they added. They said he had left "a legacy that we are all incredibly proud of". Liddle was known for outspoken and often controversial columns that riled his critics. He previously edited Radio 4's flagship Today programme but was forced to resign in 2003 over a piece in The Guardian the BBC said had breached its impartiality rules. His current employers paid tribute to a man who was one of Britain's best-known journalists. Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of News UK, called Liddle "an inimitable journalistic force - brilliant, provocative and immensely talented". She said he "challenged conventional thinking and left an indelible mark on British journalism". More tributes came from the editor of The Sunday Times, Ben Taylor, who said colleagues would "miss him desperately". Mr Taylor said Liddle "used his unique talent to speak for the readers, highlighting the cant and absurdity that bedevils modern life". The Sun's editor, Victoria Newton, said he was a champion of press freedom and a "brilliant, fearless columnist who was much loved by all at The Sun". Reform leader Nigel Farage also paid tribute, calling Liddle "one of the most prolific columnists Westminster has ever seen". Piers Morgan wrote on X that Liddle was a "true voice of common sense" and "one of Britain's most fearless, funny and fabulously entertaining journalists". Liddle grew up in southeast London and moved to Middlesbrough, where his father's family were from, when he was young. He got his first job in journalism at the South Wales Echo and later worked as a speechwriter for the Labour Party while also studying for a social psychology degree at LSE. He joined the BBC as a junior producer on the Today programme in 1988 and landed the editor's job a decade later. Liddle had a complaint upheld by the Press Complaints Commission in 2010 when he wrote that the "overwhelming majority" of violent crime in London was carried out by young Afro-Caribbean men. It was one of multiple accusations of misogyny and racism he faced while working for The Spectator. Read more from Sky News:Thousands of illegal migrants still in CeutaFormer X Factor contestant denies murder His private life ended up in the papers when he left his wife, Rachel Royce, with whom he had two children, for his 23-year-old lover, a receptionist at The Spectator. They went on to have a daughter of their own but the fallout saw Liddle and Royce, a BBC reporter, engage in a public war of words. Liddle later presented a programme about infidelity in which he argued men are pre-programmed to be unfaithful.

It comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham responded to backlash to the plan, which was initiated by the Starmer administration with the goal of easing prison overcrowding, by putting it on pause and launching an "urgent review". Politics Hub: Follow the latest Mr Burnham has also delayed the start of the scheme from September to October and said he "wanted to go even further", but it was not possible without the prison system collapsing – putting the public "at much greater risk". He is also seeking to assure the public that offenders will face tighter community supervision, including new GPS monitoring for rapists to restrict movements. The policy has been controversial since the outset but returned to prominence earlier this month when it emerged a policeman's killers may be among those eligible for early release. PC Andrew Harper was killed in 2019 while responding to a quadbike theft in Berkshire. When teens Albert Bowers, Jessie Cole, and Henry Long tried to escape, his ankles got caught in a getaway car's towrope loop, and he was dragged along a country road for a mile. While Long, who was driving the vehicle, was jailed for 16 years for manslaughter and will not be eligible for early release, Bowers and Cole were jailed for 13 years for manslaughter and will be eligible to be freed under the scheme after serving half their sentences. PC Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, had called for the prime minister to intervene. In a statement on Monday night, she condemned the fact that two of her husband's killers remain eligible as an "utter betrayal". 'I will not be able to forgive' Ms Harper said: "What abhorrent message does this send? How dare ministers say the killing of a police officer is not enough of a 'sickening crime' that deserves the stiffest of punishments." Bowers and Cole had "robbed us of our future" and "should remain in jail", she added. "This is an utter betrayal – and it's one I will not be able to forgive or forget," she said. Thames Valley Police chief constable Jason Hogg also said he was "beyond disappointed", while Aileen O'Connor, chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation, said she was "absolutely outraged". PM: I wanted to go further The prime minister said public safety is his "top priority", and he understands the "anger, anxiety and distress that's been caused" by the early release scheme. Despite the announcement regarding rapists and child sex offenders, Mr Burnham said, "I know there will still be concerns about other offenders having their sentence shortened". "That's why we will also be introducing much tougher community measures," he said. "There will be a presumption that all offenders are tagged, longer periods of supervision and tough new rules, including restriction zones for offenders." Read more from Sky News:'Worrying decline' in adoptive familiesRacist abuse of NHS staff 'getting worse' The government has also announced a £10m package of support to provide better trauma-informed contact, with a new national helpline to contact all affected victims. Mr Burnham also hit out at the previous Tory governments for not having invested in the prison estate, with adult male prisons now at 98% capacity, and pledged "the fastest prison-building programme since the Victorian era". He has also asked Justice Secretary Alex Norris to look at how the UK can remove foreign offenders faster, review outdated Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, and free up space in women's prisons. How did we get here? Under changes in the Sentencing Act around 6,000 offenders were set to be freed in September after serving a third of their sentence – rather than half – as part of efforts to reduce overcrowding. Prisoners serving sentences of four years or more would be eligible for release at the halfway point of their term, rather than two-thirds. 'U-turn doesn't go far enough' The Conservatives had voted against the scheme and said the "U-turn" from Mr Burnham doesn't go far enough. Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said "the trauma of victims being told their abusers may be released can't be undone", while Reform UK branded the scheme "disgusting".

Playing in just his sixth tournament of the year, and a first since pulling out of Wimbledon, Draper was beaten 6-3 2-6 6-2 by France's Atmane. After a rusty start, Draper appeared to have found form as he dominated the second set, but his performance suddenly dropped off in the decider as the power in his serves and groundstrokes reduced massively. What tennis is live on Sky Sports? 🎾📺Tennis news | Latest scores, results and schedule 🎾Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 When trailing 4-1, Draper sat down and spent the entire changeover crying, apparently uncontrollably. The 24-year-old carried on and almost claimed a break before spiritedly holding serve one more time, before Atmane closed out victory in an hour and 52 minutes. Draper had established himself as one of the biggest challengers to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's dominance of the men's game as he moved up to a career high No 4 ranking in June 2025. It was around that time that Draper began suffering from a bone bruise in his left arm, an injury that has continued to hamper him ever since. In 2026, he put together runs to the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in March and the semi-finals at Eastbourne in June, but has been unable to stay on the court consistently. Sir Andy Murray has been part of Draper's coaching team since May, but Montreal was just the second tournament he has been able to play in during their partnership. Draper has a wild card into next week's Cincinnati Open, but his defeat in Montreal is likely to raise fresh doubts over his participation there and at the US Open. There was better news for British tennis elsewhere, with Jacob Fearnley beating Adrian Mannarino 7-6(4) 6-4 to reach the next round. He will face 13th seed Jakub Mensik, while Cameron Norrie takes on 29th seed Ignacio Buse after his first-round win on Monday. Croft: Very upsetting to see Sky Sports pundit Annabel Croft, who was commentating on the match, said it was "very upsetting" to see Draper in such distress. Responding immediately to Draper's tears, Croft said: "This is pretty emotional. He's bent over and literally erupting with emotion here. It's very, very upsetting to see." Reflecting on the moment as the match neared an end, Croft added: "I can only assume that the arm is hurting. "He couldn't hold it in and he let it all out. You just wonder what is going through his mind for all that emotion to be there. "I think we both felt that it was to do with this horrible injury that might have reared its ugly head again, and the knowledge of what it's taken for him to get out on court again. "He actually played a very decent second set and it was looking fairly positive, but then there was this massive drop-off of pace on that serve. "And it was very obvious very quickly that he was not going after big serves, he was rolling them in. He hasn't really hit a serve since, and hasn't really gone after any too many ground strokes either." Alcaraz withdraws from Cincinnati Open There was more disappointing injury news for the ATP Tour as Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Open as he continues his recovery from a right wrist injury. The Spaniard's withdrawal raises doubts over whether he will be ready to defend his US Open title when the final major of the year begins on August 30. Alcaraz remains at world No 2 despite not having played competitively since April, when he withdrew in Barcelona because of the injury. The problem prevented Alcaraz from defending his French Open title and denied him from attempting to win Wimbledon for a third time. Watch the National Bank Open, with the WTA Tour in Toronto and ATP Tour in Montreal, through to the finals on August 13 live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.