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No Writer
Jun 25
£370m to refurbish Buckingham Palace - but King won't live there

Despite the lavish refurbishment, King Charles and Queen Camila will reside at Clarence House instead of the London landmark, which will instead remain the operational centre of "monarchy HQ". The disclosure comes as the King publicly releases details of his personal tax affairs as part of an effort to increase transparency in a first for a British monarch. The documents also outline the cost of domestic and international travel undertaken by members of the Royal Family to the year ending 31 March 2026. But they only include details of trips that cost more than £20,000. The Prince of Wales's three-day visit to Saudi Arabia in February was the most expensive at £130,106. The figure also includes a staff planning trip. One journey on the royal train to Lancaster in June 2025 cost £48,460. The release also includes the cost of smaller trips, such as journeys the King takes between his residences, which can cost as much as £24,000. The document also said that the Royal Family had spent £3,316,024 on trips that cost less than £20,000, including 177 journeys by helicopter (£733,063), 60 by charter flight (£837,998), other scheduled flights (£219,819) and rail trips (£85,279). See details of the trips in the table below.

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Bethany Minelle, arts and entertainment reporter
Jun 25
Harvey Weinstein will not face fourth New York rape trial

The judge formally dismissed the case on Thursday. In May, the 74-year-old's third trial over the allegation ended in a mistrial after the jury said it was deadlocked. The majority-male jury had been unable to reach a unanimous decision over whether Weinstein had raped former aspiring actor Ms Mann, now aged 40, in 2013 in a New York hotel. Ms Mann appeared to support Thursday's decision, saying in a letter that a prosecutor read to the court: "After a lot of thought and reflection, I have chosen not to proceed with a fourth trial against Harvey Weinstein. It was clear to me at this last trial I could no longer endure going through this any longer." Weinstein had a neutral expression as court officers led him out of court in his wheelchair. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape in the third degree, and has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. The May mistrial came nearly a year after another New York jury failed to reach a verdict on a charge tied to Ms Mann's allegations, which she recounted across five days in court. At his ‌first ⁠trial in New York in 2020, Weinstein was convicted of raping Ms Mann and assaulting onetime production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. But the state's highest court overturned the conviction and Weinstein's 23-year prison sentence after concluding he did not get a fair trial. A Manhattan jury then convicted Weinstein of sexually abusing Ms Haley at a trial in June 2025, but found him ​not guilty of assaulting former model Kaja Sokola. The same jury were ⁠deadlocked on the third-degree rape charge relating to Ms Mann, and a mistrial was declared, paving the way for May's retrial. Weinstein ​was convicted of rape in California in 2022 and is serving ​a 16-year prison sentence. He is appealing that conviction and sentence. The Miramax studio co-founder will face up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced for abusing Ms Haley. Weinstein has remained in custody serving his setence at New York's maximum-security prison, Rikers Island, while prosecutors weighed the possibility of a further New York retrial.

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No Writer
Jun 25
Ed Miliband should be Andy Burnham's chancellor, says Harriet Harman

Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the veteran Labour peer said the "strongest candidates" were Mr Miliband and current Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Politics latest: Reeves tells next chancellor to 'stick to what I'm doing' Asked to choose who it "should" be between those two, she said: "I'm caught between Ed and Yvette, but I think, marginally, Ed." Mr Burnham, widely expected to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, is also thought to be planning to replace Rachel Reeves as chancellor. Names rumoured to replace Ms Reeves, alongside Mr Miliband, include former health secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Ms Mahmood is thought to want to stay in here current job, however. On how to pick a chancellor, Baroness Harman said a prime minister needs to pick "somebody who's on the same page" as them. She said: "You cannot have economic policy division and strife between No 10 and No 11." Baroness Harman also said Burnham will "want a chancellor who is going to be radical". "It can't be business as usual," said Baroness Harman. "The Treasury likes to be the deficit reduction department - it needs to be the growth generating department." But, the former Labour deputy leader added that as well as someone "radical", the next chancellor also needs to be "credible". She said that Mr Miliband is "radical", but also "experienced", and "knows the Treasury inside and out". She pointed to the energy secretary's past role chairing the council of economic advisers for former chancellor Gordon Brown in the early 2000s. To make himself a "credible" chancellor, he would need to do "something big to show that he understands the fiscal cliff edge we're on". On Ms Cooper, Baroness Harman said although she "is not being talked about so much", she also has experience in the Treasury, and is also "radical".

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Sky Sports News' Keith Downie, Anton Toloui, Rob Dorsett and Lyall Thomas
Jun 25
Elliot Anderson transfer news: Man City agree deal to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder

The fee is understood to be a Man City club record beyond the £100m paid for Jack Grealish. Forest have given permission for the midfielder to undergo a medical in due course. Anderson is currently in the USA with England at the World Cup, where he has started their two group games so far. Discussions are ongoing about when Anderson can have a medical, given England play on Saturday against Panama in the final game of Group L. The Three Lions are in pole position to qualify as group winners. Transfer Centre LIVE!| Latest on YOUR Premier League club!Got Sky? Watch Sky Sports LIVE on your phone📱No Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Personal terms are not expected to be a problem. In early June, Man City had an initial offer for Anderson knocked back by Nottingham Forest. The 23-year-old is currently contracted to the Midlands club until 2029 and has been Man City's primary midfield target this summer. Anderson emerged as one of the Premier League's best central midfielders last season and is part of a group of elite midfield options on the market this summer, including Newcastle's Sandro Tonali, Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton and Brighton's Carlos Baleba. City admire how Anderson has evolved since joining Forest from Newcastle in 2024, and relations between the two clubs are thought to be excellent. During England's World Cup preparation camp, Thomas Tuchel described him as the "full package" and expressed confidence that City's interest would not distract him. "He's a top player," the England boss said. "There's nothing more to say, he's the full package. I'm happy that he's with us on that kind of level and he's a key player for us." Asked if he was aware of City's interest, the England boss said: "No comment! He seems not affected. It was an amazing performance [against Costa Rica], so all fine." Forest hoping to sign two midfielders if Anderson leaves Nottingham Forest are hoping to sign two central midfielders this summer if Anderson leaves. The plan had always been to add one more option but with Anderson's move to Man City taking a step forward, it appears two players will come in in his position. Forest are interested in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall and Inter Milan's Davide Frattesi, who the Italian club value at around €30m (£25.9m). They also have a long-standing interest in Celtic's Arne Engels who, like Frattesi, they tried to sign in January.

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No Writer
Jun 26
Courts backlog could take 300 years to clear, minister warns

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the overall number of outstanding crown court cases had "fallen slightly" with a "marginal" drop of 37 in the three months from the end of December last year to the end of March - the first quarterly fall in three years. But the backlog is still up 5% on the previous year and more than double the pre-pandemic level seen at the start of 2019 (33,118). The figures also showed record numbers of victims are waiting more than a year for their case to be heard by crown courts in England and Wales, with nearly a quarter of these being for sexual crimes. Overall, there were 80,061 outstanding cases in the crown court backlog at the end of March, while outstanding cases in magistrates' courts peaked at 370,722 at the end of March, up 11% on the previous 12 months (323,194). Courts minister Sarah Sackman said investment and greater efficiency were "starting to stabilise the backlog - but they cannot reverse it alone", insisting "only structural reform can turn the tide to deliver faster justice for victims". "We're moving in the right direction, but the scale of the challenge is stark. In the most serious cases, victims are waiting longer than ever - and at this pace, it could take nearly 300 years to clear the backlog to pre-pandemic levels," she said. But the government's plans to scale back jury trials in a bid to overhaul the justice system and cut the backlog of cases have attracted widespread criticism. Read more from Sky News:British TikToker charged with murder in DubaiTeenager cleared of murdering girl, 9 The Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents barristers, said the latest figures show the backlog is "coming under control". CBA chairwoman Riel Karmy-Jones KC claimed the Government did not have a "shred of evidence that jury reforms were needed", adding: "It's high time the government ditched its ill-conceived attack on the right to trial by jury." Brett Dixon, vice president of the Law Society of England and Wales which represents solicitors, said: "Rising pressure in the magistrates' courts shows that the system remains under serious strain. "It's time to scrap headline-grabbing plans to reduce jury trials and focus on the investments and reforms which will really make a difference."

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Nicole Johnston, news correspondent
Jun 25
Australia's highest-paid TV presenter faces backlash over Tommy Robinson interview

Karl Stefanovic is a household name in Australia as the long-time host of breakfast programme Today. But featuring Robinson, the founder of the anti-Islamist English Defence League, appears to have been a step too far for the Channel Nine network. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Channel Nine bosses held crisis talks after the episode featuring Robinson went online on Tuesday. It was no longer available on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts on Wednesday. The podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, was an independent production not associated with Channel Nine. The broadcaster is now negotiating terms for Stefanovic's departure, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Read more from Sky News:Heatwave could be new normalFamily sues Tesla over fatal crash In a statement, Channel Nine said: "The Karl Stefanovic Show is a completely independent production. Nine has no involvement, including in the guest selection and other editorial processes. "However, Nine is taking this matter seriously." In the podcast, which runs for almost an hour, Stefanovic said he admired Robinson's "tenacity" and "courage". As part of promotional photos and videos, the podcast host posed with his arm around Robinson on a London street. Robinson was denied a visa to enter Australia for a speaking tour in 2019 due to his criminal record.

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No Writer
Jun 25
Burnham could scrap plans to merge police forces in England and Wales

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No Writer
Jun 26
Can Scotland qualify for the World Cup knockout stages? What Steve Clarke's side need to qualify as third-placed team

Just one win from three World Cup games - capped off by a dismal 3-0 loss to Brazil - means the Tartan Army are waiting with agony to see if they have enough points and sufficient goal difference to qualify as one of the eight third-placed teams. But already, results have not gone Scotland's way. Wins for South Africa and Ecuador pushed Scotland further into the mire, while Japan failed to beat Sweden by four goals. The draw between Paraguay and Australia didn't do them any favours either. World Cup fixture schedule - your day-by-day guide | World Cup tablesLive World Cup 2026 third-place table - who's on course to qualify? It means Scotland sit in eighth - the final spot - of the third-placed sides looking to qualify for the round of 32, with Opta now giving them just a 5.26 per cent of qualifying. The group stage still has matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to play. But while Scotland sit in eighth, there are scenarios that could help them stay in eighth place - or move up the table. There are six scenarios remaining which could help Scotland, with Steve Clarke's side needing four of them to go their way. Here they are: Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, Friday, 8pm Scotland need Senegal to fail to beat Iraq. If Iraq claim victory, Scotland will be hoping they do not win by three or more, or Steve Clarke's side would be overtaken. Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, Uruguay vs Spain, Saturday, 1am Scotland need Spain to beat Uruguay. Plain and simple. That would mean Marcelo Bielsa's side would finish third on two points, and be behind Scotland in the third-place table - no matter what. Group G: Egypt vs Iran, Saturday, 4am As with Group H, the team in third could be on just two points if Egypt win against Iran. That result would mean third spot has two points no matter what happens in the other game. Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, Saturday, 10pm Scotland need Ghana to beat current third-placed side Croatia by at least three goals, so that the Croatians have the same points tally as Scotland and a worse goal difference. Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, Sunday, 12.30pm Scotland need Uzbekistan to win or draw against DR Congo. If Uzbekistan win, they cannot do so by four or more goals, or they would go ahead of Scotland. Group J: Algeria vs Austria, Sunday, 3am Scotland need Austria to win by two or more goals to push Algeria behind Scotland on goal difference in the third-place table.

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