Adina Mihai, 31, posed as a sex worker, and her partner Madalin Dumitru, 30, helped set up a profile online to arrange meetings with men paying for sex in their homes. Four were left unconscious when glasses of wine were spiked with the powerful sedative gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) so the two defendants could steal from them, a court heard. But after secretly spiking their alcoholic drinks, two men collapsed and died nearly a year apart - one in Oxfordshire, the other some 40 miles away in Gloucestershire. When police discovered the second victim had been poisoned, officers issued a national bulletin to all other forces to share the intelligence in case any other unexplained deaths in the country were linked. At Oxford Crown Court on Thursday, Mihai and Dumitru were both sentenced to 17 years in prison. In June, the pair pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Malcolm King, 80, in Bagendon, Gloucestershire, on 21 August 2024 and Gary Mouat, 37, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on 13 July 2025. Both defendants, who were from Romania, also admitted two further counts of administering poison. Jailing the pair, Mrs Justice Brunner said: "Your joint intention was to incapacitate each victim making them deeply unconscious. "The administration of the drug was haphazard and depended on the strength of each batch, the amount put into drinks, and the amount they drunk. "This did not involve the administration of a fixed dose. "I find that you were not aware of the deaths of any of your victims before administering the drugs to other victims. "You intended to render your victims deeply unconscious. "If you had stopped for a moment to consider the risks, as you should have done, you would have realised that it carried a high risk of serious injury or death at the very moment you administered that drug." The court heard the pair committed the offences by secretly spiking their drinks with a "date rape drug" - a substance that converts into sedative and sleep-inducing agent GHB when in the body. Once medical experts revealed that Mihai poisoned Mr Mouat, forensic links led Gloucestershire Constabulary to find that Mr King had also been poisoned - after initially believing his death was not suspicious because of a pre-existing health condition. The court heard Mr King, who was retired, wealthy and married, had made contact with Mihai on 20 August 2024 and arranged to meet her at his home that evening while his wife was out.His body was found the following morning by his housekeeper, who also came across an empty bottle of wine and two glasses.Mr King had long-term heart conditions and used a pacemaker. Cardiologists were able to determine the circumstances of his death after analysing the device.The court heard that Mr Mouat's wife and son were away for the night of 12 July last year and he contacted Mihai via the online platform Vivastreet. They then travelled from Ilford to Mr Mouat's home.Mr Mouat drank wine laced with GBL and Mihai left him unconscious, while she looked for items to steal from the house.He was found the following morning lying on the floor of his lounge by family friends who had been concerned that he had not been in contact with anyone since the previous day. Mihai and Dumitru were arrested on 31 July last year and charged on 6 August last year following Mr Mouat's death. Mr Mouat's nine-year-old son Alfie spoke of his devastating loss in a victim impact statement, which was recorded and played to the court. "My dad was funny, silly, loving and a trickster, we always used to prank each other," Alfie, who is an only child, said. "You have ruined my life and all the plans we had to do things together. My family is destroyed now." Mr Mouat's wife Louise said: "On the July 13 last year our lives changed forever because of what you did. I had to tell my eight-year-old son that his daddy had died."I will never forget the scream that came from him when he realised his daddy was gone forever."He dropped to the floor and begged me to say it wasn't true. We drove back holding hands the whole way home." This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Nick Reiner, 32, pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of his father and mother, Rob and Michele Reiner, in the family's home in the affluent suburb of Brentwood. Grand jury charges unsealed on Wednesday replaced last year's original murder case, adding what prosecutors referred to as a "special circumstance" - the accusation that he lay in wait for the couple before the fatal stabbing attack. He was also charged with using a deadly weapon, a knife. The bodies of Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found at their home on 14 December. Nick Reiner was arrested the following day. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or be jailed for life with no chance of parole. A decision about whether to seek the death penalty will be made later, prosecutors said. Los Angeles County district attorney Nathan Hochman said it was "a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing". He added: "We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice." Read more:Messi's doubts over playing futureRod Stewart gigs off after surgery Rob Reiner's films include When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and This Is Spinal Tap. Michele Reiner was a photographer and producer. In April, Nick's brother Jake discussed how hard it was to cope with the death of his parents.

Youth unemployment is already at its highest level in more than a decade, and Andy Burnham has made getting more youngsters into work or training one of his first priorities as prime minister. Ministers argue their proposed reforms will help millions of workers who face uncertainty over their weekly hours and earnings and even support economic growth because it will improve employee "wellbeing and engagement". But Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said they will only serve to add more strain on businesses still reeling from the government's decision to raise employers' national insurance contributions. She warned: "Adding further costs when youth unemployment is soaring risks being a hammer blow to young people's job prospects, at precisely the time businesses across the country need to be creating more opportunities." Ms Dickinson's concerns were echoed by Kate Shoesmith from the British Chambers of Commerce, saying: "We are already facing a youth unemployment crisis – now is not the time to make it even more costly for employers to hire." UKHospitality chairwoman Kate Nicholls said the government should instead be seeking ways to "reduce the cost of employing people", and that young people would be most impacted by a zero-hours contracts ban. Read more from Sky News:UK braces for 37C highsTrump's press secretary to leave Reforms 'will give workers greater security' According to the government's impact assessment published yesterday, the direct cost to employers of a ban may be between £350m and £2.9bn per year. It is consulting on whether to apply the policy to anyone working 48 hours a week, but its preference is for it to be between eight and 20 hours. The proposals would mean workers get payments of between £5m and £1.2bn because of the right to payments for shifts getting cut or moved at short notice. A government spokesperson maintained it was "absolutely committed to ending exploitative zero-hours contracts". "These reforms will give workers in every postcode greater income security and predictability of hours," they added. The proposals have been welcomed by the Trades Union Congress, which accused critics of "scaremongering". "These are common-sense reforms, which bring us closer to the European mainstream," it said.

Last week Barcelona had an initial offer in the region of £40m knocked back. On Wednesday, Sky Sports News reported that Barca were expected to raise their offer to between £50m and £60m, but their new offer is still not enough for City. Barcelona remain determined to sign Rodri and are considering their next move. City are seeking upwards of £60m for the 30-year-old midfielder, who has entered the final year of his deal. Talks remain ongoing. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Man City news & transfers🔵Man City fixtures & scores | FREE Man City 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📺 Sky Sports News has reported this summer that City do not want to sell Spain's World Cup-winning captain and instead want to agree a new contract with him. However, if Rodri asks to leave, then they would not stand in his way. Man City in talks with Saudi side over Reijnders sale Man City are talking to Saudi Arabian club Al Qadsiah about selling Tijjani Reijnders to them. Advanced and positive talks are ongoing for a package in the region of £51.3m (€60m). Reijnders is viewed as a world-class and peak-age player by Qadsiah, who are keen to strengthen in midfield ahead of their first Asian Champions League campaign. Al Qadsiah are also about to move into their new Aramco Stadium. It means City could lose two central midfielders but they also want to sign potentially two, with interest in Enzo Fernandez and Ayyoub Bouaddi. Chelsea have given City a deadline of Friday 5pm to make a £120m bid for Enzo while talks remain ongoing with Lille for Bouaddi.

Mike Huckabee's post on X was an unusually strong rebuke from a US official, even as he defended the Israeli military's response. Since Sunday, settlers have gathered near the home in the village of Qusra and harassed those inside, defying efforts by the Israeli military to defuse the situation, according to local officials and family members. A group that has included up to dozens of men has thrown stones, attempted to bring down a nearby stone wall, and stopped occupants from leaving despite dwindling supplies. Israel's military said on Thursday it had sent more troops to the village and is trying to disperse the settlers from the area, a day after a failed attempt that saw soldiers deploying tear ​gas. Mr Huckabee, who was named US ambassador to Israel last year, called the siege a "horrific act of terror". He said: "The actions of those doing this to this family's home is criminal. The WH hasn't 'intervened' because we have kept DC apprised of the situation already. "Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting. No excuse for such thuggish behavior [sic]." He also said that "the IDF & Israel Police have gone at our request to remove the Israeli terrorists doing this". He later posted a video that he claimed was evidence of their intervention. The home's owner Lou Ridi said his 48-year-old brother and nephew, who have stayed to defend the property, had been unable to leave it, and did not have access to food or water for several days. On Thursday morning, the owner's brother, Qusai Abu Rida, said he and his teenage son had been evacuated from the area by Israel's military. It was unclear what would happen to the home, and at least one other that has been targeted. Mr Ridi said settlers have been harassing his home for months before the situation escalated in recent days. He said they had cut off the water and electricity to his house and thrown stones, causing damage to the property as well as at least one more house in the area. "We are prisoners in our own house, hostages in our own house," he said. Mr Huckabee has been an ally of Israel's settler movement and in the past expressed support for Israeli control over the occupied West Bank while condemning settler violence. Read more from Sky News:Britain could halt overlooked warFIFA VP warning over Infantino The IDF is facing growing pressure to halt ​rogue land seizures by settlers, who appeared to be emboldened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline government, which has spearheaded a rapid expansion of settlements in the territory. Palestinians and the Israeli opposition accuse the Netanyahu administration of turning a blind eye to attacks. The military, in a statement late on Tuesday, described the Qusra outpost as "illegal, ​reprehensible, and unacceptable activity that harms the residents of the areas and disrupts their daily lives". In recent days, Israeli troops have intervened to try to restore order. The military said that overnight on Thursday its troops had dismantled "two illegal outposts" on the outskirts of Qusra and a nearby village, and detained one Israeli. It said that additional soldiers had pushed into the area, which is about 10 miles (16km) from the Palestinian city of Nablus, to "carry out defensive missions and patrols". Journalists on the outskirts of Qusra said roads into the village were closed. When troops deployed to the area to disperse the settlers on Wednesday morning, there were clashes and tear gas was used, video footage appeared to show. The army removed the cover of ​one of the outpost's tents and then withdrew from the area, after which the settlers tried to break the gate ‌to one ⁠of the Palestinian homes, witnesses said. The military said that border police forces "evacuated the tent and are working to evacuate the civilians who were staying there," referring to settlers, and noting that the situation is ongoing. Last month, a mosque in Qusra was set ablaze in another apparent settler attack. That followed the killing of an Israeli settler, sparking violence that left two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian villagers dead.

Traditionally, the competition is hosted by the previous year's winning broadcaster, with the next show due to take place in Bulgaria in 2027 after singer Dara's victory for the country in May. Following an annual review by the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the rules have now been updated. The winning Eurovision broadcaster will now "automatically be ineligible to host the contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region", the rules now state. Changes to hosting tradition have been made in the past, with the 2023 contest held in Liverpool, in the UK, following Ukraine's win the previous year. At the time, the EBU said the Russia's war made it impossible to begin the 12 months of preparation needed to organise the show. In the run-up to this year's competition, which was held in Vienna, Austria, countries including Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia all withdrew after Israel's place in the contest was confirmed. Their boycotts followed criticism from some broadcasters of Israel's role in the competition amid the war in Gaza. In the final, Israel claimed second place, as it did in 2025. Changes ensure contest 'remains fair' The EBU said the rule changes had been made following feedback from participating broadcasters, and that the updates would provide greater clarity for artists and production staff. Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said in a statement: "The Eurovision Song Contest is constantly evolving, and our annual review of the rules is an important part of making sure the contest remains fair, transparent and consistent for all those who participate, including the millions who engage with the event globally. "Guided, as always, by feedback from our members, we have clarified and strengthened several areas for 2027. These changes are about giving everyone involved greater clarity, protecting artists and ensuring the contest continues to provide a safe and welcoming environment, while preserving the spirit and integrity that make the Eurovision Song Contest so special." In circumstances involving a potentially difficult situation outside of armed conflict, the country would be assessed by an independent security body to help the EBU determine whether or not they could safely host. If the winning member is ruled ineligible, the EBU will identify an alternative host broadcaster to "assume all rights, obligations and liabilities associated with hosting the contest". Eurovision said this alternative broadcaster would organise the contest "in its own right" and not simply stage the event on behalf of the ineligible host. Read more from Sky News:The 1999 solar eclipse in picturesMessi raises 'serious doubts' over footballing future The rule changes also include an update to the minimum age for artists. At the moment, competitors need to be at least 16 on the day of their first rehearsal. This increases to 18 from 2027.

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England's Test team have been plagued with alcohol-related issues since the away Ashes series in late 2025, culminating in then-captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson not being selected for the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval in June after breaking a curfew as they were involved in a nightclub incident. Stokes retired from international cricket after the third Test, for which he and Atkinson returned. The ECB issued additional player behaviour guidelines in July - signed off by ECB managing director Rob Key - which stated that a midnight curfew is in place, players cannot appear under the influence of alcohol in public, and players should inform management if they are out of the team hotel by 10pm. Root, though, appears to be taking a different approach to behaviour-related guidelines under his captaincy, and says the behaviour of his players is their own responsibility: Jacob Bethell to miss Pakistan series as Ollie Pope returnsThe Ashes: England vs Australia 2027 dates confirmedStream England cricket and more without a contract "There's not going to be a curfew. I don't think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest," Root said on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast. "My view on curfews is that I don't think they work, and if you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they've got to feel like they can be grown adults and make good, strong decisions off it. "That's for us as a team to manage well, and police well for me and [new head coach] Stephen Fleming. "We should be known for how we play cricket and what we do on the field. We should be on the back page of papers. "Be adults, look after yourselves, look after each other. [We need to] create a good, strong culture where you know when the right time is to celebrate and enjoy a win or to have a sensible beer, but remember - you've got to play for England. "I don't want people to feel like they can't enjoy winning a Test match because they want to have a beer or at the right time let their hair down and then that's absolutely fine. We're human beings at the end of the day. "You know what your responsibilities are, you know how you need to prepare for a Test match and what it takes, and the effects that these things can have on you. So be smart, be sensible, and just be an adult." When asked for comment, the ECB responded: "We have a Test captain and coach, who are looking at how they set team standards and culture. "As part of this, the curfew will no longer be in place. We will ensure all players have a clear understanding of expectations when they come together for the upcoming Test series." Despite the controversy surrounding Stokes' departure, Root refused to rule out an Ashes return for the former England captain. When asked whether he would welcome Stokes' return, Root said: "I don't know - let's get there first." Root 'gutted' at McCullum departure but ushers in Fleming era The England Test captain also revealed his disappointment at the departure of previous head coach Brendon McCullum, who he worked with as interim captain during a loss at the Oval in the second Test of the New Zealand series in June. "I'll be honest with you. I was gutted when I found out Brendon was no longer going to be the Test coach. He's someone that I feel has really got the best out of me personally. "I love the way he sees the game, and the way that he's opened my eyes up to looking at it slightly differently. "I feel like he's a brilliant coach. I'm very glad that we still get to work together in the white-ball stuff. "He's someone that I owe a huge amount to, and that I've become pretty close with. I think they're doing brilliant stuff in white-ball teams. And I wish him all the very best in that." McCullum remains England white-ball head coach, but has been replaced as Test coach by his former New Zealand team-mate Stephen Fleming, who Root expressed his admiration for as a player and a coach. "[Fleming and I] have crossed paths a bit over the last few years when he's coached different teams around the world. I have someone that I've always admired. "He's someone that I really did admire as a player. The way that he's always held himself as a captain first and foremost. His record as a coach has been exceptional, albeit in T20 cricket. "There's so much that I'm looking forward to in that respect." 'I did over-bowl Archer' - Root vows to correct previous mistakes In his first spell as Test captain, Root was accused of over-using Jofra Archer after bowling the seamer for 42 overs in his maiden overseas match in New Zealand in November 2019, preceding a spell of injuries which saw Archer go over four years without playing a Test match between 2021 and 2025. Root has vowed not to make the same mistake with Archer in his second spell at the Test helm: "I think at times maybe I did over-bowl him and over-use him. The attack that he works with now complements him really well. "[Now] there are other people that can potentially play a role that I might have used Jofra for in the past. "I believe he's a generational talent and someone that is going to have produced wonderful things for England across the formats. "In Test cricket, he's capable of doing some wonderful things. Clearly, as I said, I didn't get everything right the first time around. "I made mistakes, but he's going to be a really important factor in what we do moving forward. I'm very excited to work with him again." Root also candidly admitted the weight of his first spell as Test captain on his decision, but cited it as a key factor in improving his decision-making as an older and wiser player. "I think the hardest thing for me will be people's opinion of how I captained four years ago. I think it's very important to remember, and for me to remember more than anything, I'm a completely different player from what I was four years ago. "As a player, I've always looked to evolve and move my game forward. I don't see this as any different. You've got to learn. "When you make mistakes and when you get things wrong, you look at yourself and you know you don't want to make that mistake again. You learn from it and you deal with it for the next time around. "That shouldn't be a hindrance. I hope people don't see it like that. I hope they see it as a massive upside to getting the chance to do it again." England vs Pakistan Test series fixturesFirst Test (Headingley) - Wednesday August 19 - Sunday August 23 (first ball 11am)Second Test (Lord's) - Thursday August 27 - Monday August 31 (first ball 11am)Third Test (Edgbaston) - Wednesday September 9 - Sunday September 13 (first ball 11am) Watch the three-Test series between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket from August 19. Stream cricket and more sport contract-free with NOW.