The deadline set by Girlguiding follows the organisation's announcement in December that membership would be "restricted to girls and young women", which it described at the time as a "difficult decision". It was acting after last year's Supreme Court ruling that sex meant biological sex in equality law, it said on Tuesday. Politics Hub: Latest updates from Westminster Since that time, the umbrella organisation said it had undertaken "detailed considerations, expert legal advice and input from senior members, young members", its council and board of trustees. The deadline gives affected members and their families "time to plan, prepare, access support, and decide when - between now and September - they feel ready to leave". By that date, any trans girl or trans woman volunteering in a role open to women only, will need to move to a role that is open to all volunteers, or in other words, males or females. Around 300,000 people aged between four and 18, are part of the organisation, members of the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers groups within Girlguiding, as well as around 80,000 volunteers. It also repeated its previous assertion that it doesn't know how many members and volunteers will be affected by the new gender rules as it doesn't collect gender identity information. Girlguiding said it is still "committed to standing up for the rights, safety and dignity of girls and women, and to supporting marginalised communities, including LGBTQ+ people, to improve the lives of girls". Campaign group Trans+ Solidarity Alliance described the news as "heartbreaking for the children and volunteer leaders that hold Girlguiding together". It said: "Inclusive organisations being bullied into excluding people against their will is a profound failure of this government to live up to its promises to the trans community." Following the initial announcement last year on the change to membership, a coalition of volunteers and parents argued that refusing a child based on their gender identity "sends a message of rejection" to young people. Read more from Sky News:The councils making unreasonable decisionsRacist attack 'could have killed me', star says Guiders Against Trans Exclusion (GATE) coordinated demonstrations in various UK cities at the time. But while some volunteers within Girlguiding have threatened to resign over the issue, others welcomed the change, saying they had expressed safeguarding concerns and were pleased at the new approach. It was also announced in December that transgender women will be banned from becoming members of the Women's Institute from April.

The Netflix drama, which follows the story of a teenage boy arrested over the murder of a classmate, leads the field with 11 - including five acting nods for stars Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Christine Tremarco. It is followed by A Thousand Blows - another series starring both Graham and Doherty - which has seven BAFTA nods, while Star Wars prequel series Andor and Trespasses, set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles in the 1970s, each have six. The Celebrity Traitors, the most-watched series on British TV in 2025, according to research body Barb, has five nods - including best entertainment performance for host Claudia Winkleman. In the news coverage category, Sky News is shortlisted for its special programme, Gaza: Fight For Survival, alongside BBC Newsnight and Channel 4 News. Adolescence broke streaming records after its release in March 2025 and Cooper made history at the Emmys later in the year, by becoming the youngest-ever acting award recipient, at 15. The series is up for the best limited drama BAFTA, alongside I Fought The Law, Trespasses, and What It Feels Like For A Girl. Doherty is nominated twice in the acting categories - as a supporting actress for Adolescence, and lead actress in A Thousand Blows - which is nominated for best drama alongside Blue Lights, Code Of Silence, and This City Is Ours. Aimee Lou Wood also has a double nomination - leading actress for Film Club, and supporting actress for The White Lotus. Amandaland, Big Boys, How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge), and Things You Should Have Done are the nominees in the scripted comedy category. Some 124 programmes are in the running for awards in total. Of the 44 nominees in the performance categories, Cooper, Doherty, Walters and Tremarco are among 21 who are shortlisted for the first time. The first-time performance nominees also include big names such as Bob Mortimer (Last One Laughing), Jodie Whittaker (Toxic Town) and Paddy Considine (MobLand). BAFTA chief executive Jane Millichip said 2025 had been an exceptional year for television and praised all the nominees. "From powerful documentaries and stand-out comedy to homegrown drama and the international series that captured global attention, this year's nominees demonstrate a medium at its creative peak," she said. "It's especially exciting to see so many first-time performance nominees, showcasing the vibrant new talent shaping the future of our industry." The BAFTA TV Awards also celebrate the best TV moment of the year, with nominees this year including memorable scenes from Adolescence, Celebrity Traitors, Blue Lights, Last One Laughing, Big Boys and What It Feels Like For A Girl. Comedian and actor Greg Davies will host the ceremony on Sunday 10 May. The TV nominations announcement comes after last month's BAFTA film awards, which ended in controversy after a racial slur was shouted out by Tourette's campaigner John Davidson, who was there to celebrate a film about his life, and left during the BBC's broadcast of the programme.

It comes as tensions between councils of all political stripes are rising with ministers, who are desperate to hit their target of 1.5 million new homes in England by the end of the parliament. Politics Hub: Latest updates from Westminster In one case shared with Sky News, a council northwest of London refused a planning application for a 256-home development despite housing minister Matthew Pennycook directing councillors to approve the case 24 hours earlier. Councillors on a planning committee at Three Rivers District Council rejected the application last week, with 10 votes to refuse and one abstention, on the grounds the plan might harm the green belt, concern over flooding, and the loss of hedgerows. However, the council's own planning officer had recommended the site be approved for development, concluding it met the government definition of "grey belt" and that while "adverse impacts would arise to the local character/landscape", the positives of the scheme outweighed those harms. Read more from Sky News:Is it time to give up the green belt? 'A declaration of war' Burlington Property Group has written to Mr Pennycook, saying the decision is "a direct affront to your ministerial authority; it is nothing short of a 'declaration of war' on the government's core policy objective to increase the delivery of new homes and for local authority decisions and local plan making powers to be exercised in support of this core national policy objective". The developer is asking the minister to "call in" - or override - the council's decision. The council did not respond to Sky News's requests for comment. Sky News is aware of growing friction between ministers and councils over the failure to grant planning approvals, despite changing planning laws and prioritising growth above all else. Ministers intend to make a major intervention after the local elections but do not want to be seen discussing planning before polling day in May in case it disadvantages Labour council candidates who appeal to those who oppose developments. This comes as Sky News publishes the results of a four-month investigation using Freedom of Information (FOI) laws to interrogate every local planning council in England about the number of unreasonable decisions that resulted in over £20m of costs paid out. Using the available data, we can reveal the first-ever league table of councils that have a high number of overturned decisions where costs were paid and those with the highest costs paid out. *Incomplete data. More than 100 local councils did not respond to the FOI requests, while hundreds more only released partial data. The information on the number of council planning decisions deemed "unreasonable" by the Planning Inspectorate, which hears appeals, is not collected by central government, meaning this is the first known exercise of this kind. Councils say they are trying to keep costs low and sometimes win costs in cases which are appealed by developers. Watch the full report on our investigation in the video at the top of this article. Will Labour hit their target? The government has already made its first major attempt to redraw the planning system through the Planning and Infrastructure Act, which became law in February. However, critics say it leaves too much of the current system in place, still giving councils too great an opportunity to stand in the way of swift and fair decisions. Privately, some figures in government welcome the Sky News research for shining a spotlight on a major problem they want to tackle. But the fact they have decided not to say so publicly shows the tension between the need to build and the strength of community opposition to projects. There has been discussion in government about a second planning bill, but that appears to have been shelved after being deemed too difficult. The closer we get to the next general election, the more squeamish MPs are likely to be about decisions that disempower communities. That makes achieving the 1.5m new homes target look like an even more distant prospect.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould confirmed on Monday that the positions of Ben Stokes, managing director Rob Key and head coach Brendon McCullum were safe, despite a resounding 4-1 series loss Down Under. Gould said "a lot of consideration" had been put in to keeping the same personnel - following a "thorough review" into the defeat, despite England's preparation, selection and behaviour coming under scrutiny. Ashes review: Key on McCullum, drinking culture and moreGot Sky? Watch cricket live on the Sky Sports appFollow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for news and moreNot got Sky? Stream cricket contract-free on NOW When questioning Key on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Atherton said: "From the perspective of people out there, they will find it extraordinary that there's been no accountability for the mistakes made in The Ashes. "It's not necessarily bloodlust people want, but I think they want genuine accountability. If there's no change to key personnel, they will argue, 'well, there is no accountability'. "In part, one of the criticisms of the players over that two or three-year period is that inadequate performance doesn't lead to accountability. That's the same at the top, it would seem to be." Key admitted mistakes were made and promised a change of approach to selection, having described the period since the series loss as 'as tough a three months I think I've had in my career, if not my life'. When questioning Key on what England had learned, former captain Nasser Hussain said: "You've talked about the learnings, but if I was an England fan sitting in there, I would have gone, 'this is your job for before the Ashes, not two months after the Ashes'. "Why are you learning now? Why weren't you doing these things? Why weren't all these things put in place? Have you been marking your own homework in the last few months?" Key and McCullum 'lucky to survive? Gould insisted football's hire-and-fire culture was not a useful model for England's cricket future, despite Key and McCullum's predecessors - Chris Silverwood and Ashley Giles - departing after a 4-0 away Ashes drubbing four years earlier. Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott bemoaned a lack of accountability in the ECB after not making changes, suggesting Key and McCullum had "sabotaged" the Ashes campaign. "Like me, cricket supporters will be asking how ‌McCullum and Key could make so many bad decisions on the Australian tour and yet the chief executive of ​English cricket decides there is no need to make any changes. Where is the accountability?" Boycott wrote in the Telegraph. "I'm sure they promised him they would do better, ​but leopards don't change their spots, so it looks like we will ⁠get the same type of Test cricket. "In trying to create a free-spirited team, he has made them too comfortable and complacent. They know they will not get dropped, whatever their performances ‌or conduct on or off the field. "It looks like a boys' club where, once you are in the team, it is hard to get out... competition for places is the lifeblood of sport. Complacency in a team does not breed a good appetite to excel." Former England captain Michael Vaughan added on the BBC's Test Match Special: "I think they [Key and McCullum] are very, very lucky [to keep their jobs]. There's not many management groups that deliver something so poor away from home in an Ashes series and get the chance to carry on. "They seem to me it's like a football management team. I actually felt if one went, they all went. They've had some exciting times but they haven't won enough. "What England fans are looking for now is, what change [will happen]." Ashes review 'will anger fans' Sky Sports News reporter James Cole: "Ashes review action-points were presented to the media at Lord's in the form of a slide-show presentation. It was very corporate. All the right noises were made; key words emphasised: "learnings", "evolve" and "culture" featured heavily. "There was, though, little new information. And all the proposed improvements around 'preparation', 'performance' and 'environment' were obvious ones that should have been implemented long before the Ashes debacle. "The fact that no one has paid for the woeful winter with their job will anger a lot of cricket fans. As much as Rob Key insists there's no drinking culture and the team environment isn't too computable and cliquey, that is the wider perception. "Key admitted that the demand for consistency in selection had been taken too far, resulting in a failure to act on poor form. This summer some hard selection decisions will need to be made. A more sensible approach to batting will be needed; and most of all, England must start winning again. "Bazball is broken. McCullum and Stokes must rewrite the playbook. Series wins over New Zealand and Pakistan will go a long way to restoring fans' faith. But you sense the team's approach, particularly when batting in pressured situations, will be key." Watch England's home international summer live on Sky Sports, starting with a three-Test series against New Zealand from June 4. Not got Sky? Stream cricket contract-free on NOW.

The survey, which also found that over half of those questioned felt Britain is poorly prepared for war, was released to coincide with today's launch of a private initiative to try to help bolster national resilience. Lady Olga Maitland, founder of an organisation called the Resilience Imperative, said: "This will be a national campaign, non-partisan and independently funded, working with a coalition of organisations across all sectors of society, informing all corners of society from individuals to the financial and business sectors, and the communities up and down the country. "We aim to inform policy debate and reinforce resolve as a cornerstone of national defence." The Resilience Imperative is a small, donor-funded outfit. The fact it is seeking to generate wider public awareness about this topic, rather than central government, signals an emerging awareness among the UK population of the importance of reviving the kind of national resilience that was second nature during the Cold War, as highlighted by The Wargame podcast by Sky News and Tortoise Media. We all need to think about resilience, says ex-commander A particular focus of the self-initiated push is to help strengthen the UK's resilience to attacks that already happen under the threshold of conventional war - such as cyber hacks and disinformation operations designed to influence minds and undermine democratic rule. General Sir Richard Barrons, a former top military commander and one of the authors of a major review of defence published last year by the government, is supporting the initiative. He said: "Now is the time for every citizen, enterprise and institution, including government, to make resilience an everyday part of how we think and act. "Doing so keeps us safer when events turn against us and restores a key foundation of credible deterrence in the face of those who would harm us. Public awareness and engagement remain low, and resilience is too often treated as a technical issue rather than a national one." Read more from Sky News:Iran poses 'grave' threat to UKFollow latest on Middle East war A new 'war book' for Britain Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the head of the armed forces, said in January that the government is committed to producing a "national defence plan" - effectively a modern version of what used to be called the Government War Book. Drawn up during the First World War and maintained until the turn of the century, this was a comprehensive set of plans for the whole country - from the armed forces, hospitals and the police to industry, schools and even art galleries - to transition from peace to war. It was shelved after the Soviet Union collapsed. Sky News first revealed the absence of a modern national defence plan two years ago. Sir Richard told MPs that work to draw up a new version is underway and is led by the Cabinet Office, as it is a whole-of-government effort, though he said the military component - which the Ministry of Defence is responsible for - would be finalised this year. What else does the poll tell us? Public First, a policy and research consultancy, will present the findings of its poll on public attitudes about threats, war and resilience today. It was not immediately clear how many people were questioned to produce the numbers. As well as highlighting the proportion of the population who think war involving the UK could happen within the next five years, the research also found that only 42% of people would feel compelled to act if Britain was threatened. In addition, the data signalled a shift in perception about the US - once a steadfast ally of the UK and NATO. The survey found 57% of people regarded the US as a threat, after Russia, Iran, North Korea and China.

The reality TV personality and mother-of-one, who was the dating show's relationship coach, was 54 and died on Tuesday. When she passed away, she was "surrounded by love", her husband Gareth Brisbane said in a post on her Instagram account. A statement said: "Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love. "In her final moments, when I thought cancer had taken away her ability to speak, she ushered me closer and whispered a message for Maddie and me that will sustain me for the rest of my life. "It took all of her remaining strength, and that gesture summed up our wee Melsie perfectly. "Even then, her only thought was for Maddie and me. This is a woman who became a new mum and a TV star at 42 - and nailed both. "This is a woman who, through two years of chemotherapy, when she could barely lift her head from the pillow, never complained and never stopped showing courage, grace, compassion and empathy, and never missed a day of filming. "To most of you, she was Mel Schilling - matriarch of MAFS and queen of reality TV. "To Maddie and me, she was our wee Melsie: an incredible mum, role model, and soulmate." CPL Productions, who make Married at First Sight UK, said: "All at CPL were deeply saddened to hear of the death of our beloved friend and colleague, Mel Schilling. "Over many years, many of us have been privileged to work with Mel on Married At First Sight, and her loss today will come as a tremendous sadness to all who knew her. "Mel went far beyond being just a fantastic on-screen presenter; she was a friend to CPL, and to many of us who worked with her. "We send our love and heartfelt condolences at this incredibly difficult time to Mel's family, friends, and all who were close to her. She will be deeply missed by everyone whose lives she touched." Channel 4 (C4) said that she "radiated joy, warmth and optimism". A statement said: "We're privileged to be the channel that is home to Mel's work, which was at the heart of Married at First Sight's phenomenal success, both in the UK and Australia. "It reflected so much about her - her fierce advocacy for other women, her passion for healthy relationships and her mission to unite people in love." Read more on Sky News:Late actor to star in new filmAdolescence dominates BAFTAsAI breakthrough worrying Hollywood Alison Hammond, who co-presents C4's The Great British Bake Off, said on the social media platform it was a "massive loss". Jay Howard, who appeared on the show in 2023, described Schilling as a "truly incredible woman" - and the news as "absolutely heartbreaking". The Siddiqui family, from the channel's hit show, Gogglebox, posted that it was "just heartbreaking". Earlier this month, Ms Schilling said on Instagram that her cancer had spread, including to the left side of her brain, and that there was "nothing further" doctors could do to treat it. While filming for the show, she had 16 rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she said. Schilling had previously announced she would be stepping back from the Australian version of the programme after 12 seasons on the expert panel.

Rachel Reeves will deliver a statement in the Commons this afternoon after advising the prime minister of her proposals during an emergency Cobra meeting yesterday. They include an "anti-profiteering framework" to detect and crack down on firms exploiting the Middle East crisis and help the Competition and Markets Authority root out price gouging. It could see the regulator given "time-limited, targeted powers" after Sir Keir Starmer told MPs he wanted to give it "further teeth". A government spokesperson said: "We will not allow companies to exploit this crisis to hike their prices to unjustifiable levels. "Whether at the fuel pump filling up your car or at the till paying for your groceries, we are working with regulators to make sure the price you pay is a fair one." Read more from Sky News:Iran poses 'grave' threat to UK Ms Reeves is also set to stress the importance of Britain diversifying its energy mix, including by not letting "blockers" stop the government's ambition for nuclear power. She will announce that she is exploring government-backed indemnities for critical energy security projects so construction can continue if a project is legally challenged. And there could be word on further support when it comes to energy bills, which forecasters have predicted will hit a three-year high when the current price cap ends at the end of June. With that in mind, and continued uncertainty over how long the Iran war could last, the prime minister has said he is "equally focused" on the next price cap. Sir Keir revealed the first suggestion the government would offer support for household energy bills through the end of the year to parliament's Liaison Committee on Monday afternoon. But he warned support would not go so far as it did during the energy crisis of 2022, during the brief Liz Truss premiership, due to the costs and state of the public finances. He also reiterated the UK would not be "dragged into" the conflict in Iran, saying it is "not our war". The biggest impact of the war on energy costs has been the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through. For more on the government's plans, watch the video at the top of this article from our deputy political editor Sam Coates. Follow live updates on the chancellor's speech later in the Politics Hub.

But hope for next season still remains - with as many as SEVEN teams still able to reach the 2026/27 competition. Got Sky? Watch the Premier League and more on the Sky Sports app📱Not got Sky? Get instant access with no contract📺Premier League table | Fixtures | ResultsHow could the Premier League have seven teams in the Champions League? Glad you asked. There is a specific but very possible outcome by which England could have seven teams in next season's tournament - almost a fifth of the overall contingent in the league phase. It would require Liverpool to win the Champions League this season while also finishing in the top five in the Premier League. Because of their qualification as holders the free spot given to their league position (assuming the Premier League retains five qualifying spots next season, more on that later) would pass down to the team in sixth, in theory. If Aston Villa occupy that sixth position and win the Europa League - which they are favourites to do, according to Opta - they too would automatically qualify for the Champions League. Leaving the team in seventh, currently Brentford, to sweep up and reach Europe's premier competition as one of a record-breaking seven representatives. And another four in Europe overall - so 11 in total?! Yep, more than half of the Premier League could be playing in Europe next season if everything falls into place. Should the Premier League earn those seven Champions League spots, that still leaves two Europa League qualifying places and a single Conference League space up for grabs, dropping all the way down to 10th in the table. Should Crystal Palace win this season's Conference League - which again, they are favourites to do - that will earn them another Europa League place. If they were to do that and finish outside the top 10, that would make 11 English teams in Europe next season. How likely is the Premier League to have five Champions League qualifying spots? Despite such a poor week for English clubs, the Premier League still has more teams left in Europe than any other country apart from Spain, and currently leads the co-efficient rankings across the continent in the race for one of those two top spots to secure an extra Champions League place. The main issue facing their hopes comes from England having only two clubs remaining in the Champions League, with the competition offering the most points for every win, draw or round progression compared to the Europa League and Conference League. On the plus side, the chances of another country knocking England out of the top two is also reduced with only one representative left in the Champions League from each of Germany, Portugal and France. Who is in the mix to qualify for the Champions League? Assuming England earn five Champions League places through league position again, there are eight teams with at least a five per cent chance of qualifying, though that will of course increase in the event the Premier League ends up with more than five places. Though they are given just a fractional chance of qualifying, even Newcastle down in 12th sit only seven points off the all-important fifth spot with as many games to go. A lot will come down to the run-in. Looking specifically at those teams currently in the top five and the two closest to them, Chelsea and Brentford, here's how their final fixtures are looking...