The news service heard by 26 million listeners to commercial radio in the UK
Top Stories

Is Trump's America already ruining the World Cup?
👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈         

The World Cup is days away. Instead of a party atmosphere, we have players detained, fans from certain countries banned and a referee denied entry into the US.

Is Donald Trump's America ruining the world's biggest sporting event?

Meanwhile, the president has been to a farm in Wisconsin and had a strop. James Matthews speaks to him after his walkout and quizzes him on Iran and Israel.

A new wave of strikes between Iran and Israel on Sunday seemed to signal the resumption of war in the Middle East.

Trump is involved, but will he be able to hold back Netanyahu from retaliation?

You can watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.

Email us on trump100@sky.uk with your comments and questions.


Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson face investigation amid 'nightclub incident'
The England and Wales Cricket Board is investigating "a breach of team protocols" following the first Test against New Zealand.

England captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson "were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday when an incident took place", a statement from the ECB said.

It continued: "We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.

"The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible."

Read more:
Eriksen back home after collapsing
Hoy's message of hope amid cancer battle

England had imposed a midnight curfew on players following disciplinary concerns during the Ashes series, and the preceding tour of New Zealand.

Rugby club Saracens responded to reports linking the incident to a player from the Gallagher Prem side.

The Saracens statement read: "We are aware of an incident involving an academy player connected to Saracens on Sunday evening.

"The club is currently establishing the full facts and is in contact with the relevant authorities and individuals involved. Once this process is complete, the matter will be reviewed and addressed appropriately.

"We will make no further comment at this time."

England, playing their first Test since losing the Ashes, had wrapped up a 115-run win over the Black Caps at Lord's on Sunday.

Stokes, 35, helped steer his team to victory despite complaining about the standard of the Lord's pitch.

Atkinson played a major role in the win - taking five wickets in New Zealand's second innings and seven in the match.

England will resume their Test series against New Zealand on 17 June at The Kia Oval in south London.


AI to be used in crown courts to reduce time victims have to wait
The government is piloting the use of artificial intelligence in the crown court, with a raft of new technology projects aiming to deliver improvements across the justice system and tackle the court backlog.

These include AI legal assistants to support legal professionals and staff, and streamlined case management processes to get cases moving quicker.

The new AI legal assistants will be developed in partnership with UK legal experts and leading AI developers to support legal professionals with routine casework, including research and case analysis, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

The government's plans aim to drive productivity, boost efficiency in the crown court, and reduce the time victims have to wait for their day in court.

The technology will first be trialled in a sandbox – an isolated environment that allows for the safe and controlled testing of AI.

This will ensure any new software meets the high standard required by judges and lawyers before being considered for use across UK courts.

Read more:
Magistrates and judges to use more AI

Judges are already planning to use a new AI tool to help identify trial-ready cases and group similar hearings together, the MoJ said.

This will help to maximise judicial, prosecutorial and court resources to resolve cases faster and deliver swifter justice for victims.

The announcement will be made by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy at London Tech Week on Tuesday, where he will discuss how AI can drive criminal justice system modernisation.

Mr Lammy said: "Artificial intelligence has the power to transform how we live, work and govern for the better.

"This impact for good can be seen in our justice system – with thousands of days of admin work saved for our probation staff, and the advent of new tools which aim to cut court backlogs and deliver swifter justice for victims."

Mr Lammy will also announce that every probation officer in England and Wales will now be able to use Justice Transcribe – an AI tool that automatically records and transcribes conversations with offenders.

This will reduce the hours that probation officers spend between these meetings manually transferring handwritten notes into digital systems.

'Reservations' about AI's use in justice system

Concerns have been raised about the dangers of increasing the use of AI to bring about changes in society.

A review into the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from attending a football match against Aston Villa in November found an "AI hallucination" produced by Microsoft Copilot had helped police justify the decision.

A non-existent game between Tel Aviv and West Ham was referenced in a report produced by the force ahead of the game due to the error.

The Law Society of England and Wales has previously expressed "reservations" about AI being implemented in the court system.

The number of cases waiting to be dealt with by crown courts in England and Wales reached a record high of more than 80,000 earlier this year.

This is more than double the level seen in 2019 (38,108), before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Responding to the UK government's announcement that the use of AI will be piloted in the Crown Court, Law Society of England and Wales chief executive, Ian Jeffery, said: "We welcome the MoJ's acknowledgement of the importance of ensuring safe and ethical use of any new tools, including AI.

"However, for the use of AI in the Crown Court to be effective, the pilot must be thoroughly evaluated. The outcomes of these evaluations, along with the impact of AI on the justice system, should be made public.

"While new technology should enhance access to justice, it cannot replace vital funding and additional court staff. Robust safeguards are needed to protect us all and preserve the integrity of the justice system."


Six arrested over Epsom Derby day fight
Six people have been arrested over a fight at Epsom on Derby Day.

Social media footage appears to show a fight breaking out inside a stand at the course.

Surrey Police said officers were called to the incident just before 6pm on Saturday.

Six people were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and affray.

They have been released pending further investigation.

A spokesperson for Epsom, which is owned by Jockey Club Racecourses, said: "Our security teams and police on site responded quickly to an incident on Saturday.

"This matter is now being dealt with by Surrey Police, so it would not be appropriate to comment further, other than to say that this sort of behaviour has no place at our racecourse."

Read more from Sky News:
Kinahan gang 'senior lieutenant' jailed
Children's home sex abuser walks free

Around 28,500 saw Christmas Day claim victory on the Surrey Downs on Saturday.

The King and Queen attended the Derby, making the trophy presentation to winning trainer Aidan O'Brien, jockey Ronan Whelan and owners Coolmore.


Kinahan gang 'senior lieutenant' jailed for 24 years
A senior figure in a major organised crime gang has been sentenced to 24 years in prison at a court in Dublin.

Sean McGovern, 40, who has been described as a "senior lieutenant" in the Kinahan gang, pleaded guilty to two charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation relating to the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud.

The charges related to his involvement in the lead-up to the murder of Noel Kirwan, a grandfather who was fatally shot in December 2016, and the targeting and monitoring of James Gately with a plan to have him shot dead, which did not take place.

A three-judge panel sentenced McGovern to 24 years in prison, backdated to his arrest in Dubai in October 2024, at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday.

McGovern was sentenced to 10 years for his role in activities relating to the planned murder of Mr Gately and 14 years for his role in the killing of Mr Kirwan.

Justice Patrick McGrath said the sentences for the separate offences should run consecutively, after considering mitigating factors, including an early plea.

The court heard that there was no evidence Mr Kirwan was involved in crime, and he had been targeted because of a perceived connection to the rival Hutch gang, because he had been photographed at the funeral of a Hutch family member.

Mr Kirwan's son, Kristopher, accompanied by his sister, Donna, said outside court that his father was a "hardworking family man who spent our whole lives working two jobs, so we would never go without".

On McGovern, he said: "It's heartbreaking to think that a man who has two children of his own, a man who himself survived being shot in the Regency Hotel, could go on inflict such pain and torment on any other family.

"He watched and tracked our dad for nine long months with countless chances to walk away, to change his mind, and to choose a different path - but he didn't."

Read more from Sky News:
Divers come face to face with great white shark
Singer-songwriter Talay Riley stabbed to death

McGovern was wounded in a shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in 2016, as part of the escalating Hutch-Kinahan feud.

Justice McGrath said McGovern was a senior member of the Kinahan gang, and a "confidant of those in the higher echelons" of the organisation, who placed a "high degree of trust and competence" in him.

He said the court held no doubt that McGovern was fully aware of the organisation's identity, structure and nature, as a senior figure.

Mr Justice McGrath said: "Mr McGovern knew in each instance he was directing preparations for murder and did so intentionally."

The judge said that the Kinahan gang was a "particularly large, well-organised, sinister and dangerous organisation".

A sentencing hearing for McGovern in May heard that he wanted to apologise for the hurt his actions had caused.

He had been extradited from the United Arab Emirates to face the charges.


News Awards

The Commercial Radio News Awards aim to recognise the talent, hard work and dedication of commercial radio news teams and in the process reward and encourage the very best in radio journalism.
Read more...
Newslink

Newslink is Independent Radio News. Broadcast to an attentive audience of over 26 million every week; it is the perfect space to effectively engage listeners.
Read more...