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

Police appeal after woman raped outside church in Epsom
Police are investigating a rape in Epsom in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A woman in her 20s reported she was attacked after she was followed leaving Labyrinth Epsom nightclub, Surrey Police said.

The incident is believed to have taken place outside the nearby Epsom Methodist Church on Ashley Road, between 2am and 4am.

Surrey Police initially said the victim was attacked "by several men", later adding that detectives "do not have full descriptions of any potential suspects".

Detective Inspector Aine Matthews said: "We understand this is an extremely distressing incident and the victim is being supported by specialist officers.

"Our investigation is in its early stages and a team of officers have been conducting extensive enquiries today to identify and locate the suspects.

"We are working at pace to develop our picture of the suspects and we will share details as soon we are able to.

"Officers remain in the area and I encourage you to speak with them if you have any concerns.

"As part of our investigation, we would like to speak to anyone who was in the area between 2am and 4am and may have been seen or spoken to a woman in her 20s in distress."


Jamie-Lea Biscoe named as 19-year-old who died after dog attack in Essex
A teenager who died after being attacked by a dog in Essex has been named by police as Jamie-Lea Biscoe.

The 19-year-old was found with serious injuries at a property in Leaden Roding, Dunmow, at 10.45pm on Friday.

Despite the efforts of emergency services, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Essex Police released more details about the incident on Sunday, saying the dog seized was a family pet, believed to be a lurcher-cross.

Tests are under way to formally establish the precise breed, the force said.

"We are now in a position to confirm that Jamie-Lea Biscoe, 19, died from injuries believed to have been suffered as a result of a dog attack," a spokesperson said.

Read more:
Woman raped outside church
Police break up fuel protest

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Sunday.

A 37-year-old man from Dunmow, who was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death, has been bailed until July while the investigation continues.

Stuart Hooper, assistant chief constable of Essex Police, said: "Our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved Jamie-Lea. Her young life has been so tragically cut short.

"Our detectives are continuing to work around the clock to establish exactly what happened and specialist officers are continuing to support Jamie-Lea's family.

"This is unimaginable for her loved ones and friends and, as such, I would ask people to respect their grief and privacy at this extremely difficult time.

"Our officers remain at the scene and anyone with concerns or information can speak with them there or contact us in the usual way."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Essex Police.


Irish government announces measures to ease fuel crisis after days of protests
Ireland's prime minister Micheal Martin has announced measures to ease the pressures of fast-rising fuel prices following major protests across the country.

There will be further reductions of duties on fuel and a delay in a carbon tax increase, Mr Martin said, in a package costing about 505m euro (£440m) - on top of 250m euro (£218m) worth of measures announced almost three weeks ago.

It comes after police in Dublin broke up a city centre blockade by fuel protesters during a late-night operation clearing tractors and trucks from the capital's main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street.

The Irish police service An Garda Siochana conducted a separate operation to clear another blockade at Galway docks, where a military vehicle nicknamed "the Beast" knocked down a makeshift barrier.

Mr Martin made the announcement on further measures on Sunday after holding an emergency cabinet meeting.

Demonstrations have brought much of Ireland to a standstill in the past week.

Largely led by truckers, farmers and agricultural workers, co-ordinated action began on Tuesday in a call for help to bring down fuel costs they say will drive people out of business.

The protests have strangled fuel distribution across Ireland and prompted an escalated police response that has resulted in several arrests and the deployment of public order units.

The overnight operation in Dublin came after officers on Saturday began cracking down on demonstrators at a refinery in County Cork, using pepper spray to help disperse them.

Irish Police Commissioner Justin Kelly said on Saturday that the blockades were "not a legitimate form of protest".

They have "resulted in fuel shortages that are directly impacting on emergency services such as hospitals, the ambulance service and the fire service, as well as businesses and the general public", he said.

"We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom," he added.

A farmer who has become a spokesperson for the Dublin group claimed they were "ambushed" overnight.

Christopher Duffy said they had to leave after police threatened to tow their vehicles.

"If they drag them with the engine not on they could wreck them," he said.

"So we have no choice, financially we have to move the vehicles."

Read more from Sky News:
At least 30 killed in Haiti stampede
China unveils measures to improve Taiwan relations

The move came as the Irish government was preparing to sign off on cost-cutting measures that it hopes will end the disruption on Sunday.

Government officials, who introduced measures to ease the burden of price rises two weeks ago, have been baffled by the protesters' rationale as the global price spike is due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin called the blockades "illogical" and said the country was on the brink of turning tankers away at ports and losing its oil supply.


Hungary goes to the polls as its hardman leader faces end of his 16-year reign
Hungary is voting to elect its leader and all 199 members of its parliament.

And if the polls are correct, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is on his way out.

After 16 years in power, Hungary's hardman leader - and his self-styled brand of "illiberal democracy" - will supposedly be toast.

This is a huge moment for Hungary and for Europe as a whole. The bloc's problem child may soon be a problem solved.

Orban initially rose to prominence in 1989 as an anti-Communist, student activist and figurehead of Hungary's nascent pro-democracy movement. From anti-Soviet liberal to pro-Kremlin, right-wing nationalist, his political transformation has been astonishing.

He is the EU's most pro-Russia leader, and has consistently stymied the bloc's efforts to punish the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine. His Fidesz party is running on an anti-Ukraine platform, which portrays Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the principal threat to Hungary's security. Orban claims his opponents will allow Kyiv and Brussels to drag the country into war with Russia.

"We always win. We always win," he told me at a rally this week, when I asked if he was worried he'll lose. But the Fidesz message doesn't seem to be landing in Budapest, at least.

At a mass anti-Fidesz protest-concert in the city's Heroes' Square on Friday evening, tens of thousands of people chanted "Russians go home", a reference to Hungary's failed uprising against Soviet occupation in 1956.

"I think if Fidesz stays in power we will be kicked out of the EU very soon and also from NATO, because we are spying for Russia," one protester told me.

The run-up to the election has seen Orban's government accused of treason, following allegations that it's been sharing confidential EU information with Moscow.

Support for Orban has traditionally come from rural areas, but even there, sentiment seems to be shifting. A stagnating economy, rising food prices, failing public services, and persistent accusations of corruption are fuelling an appetite for change.

The man promising change is Peter Magyar, a former Orban insider turned critic. He says he'll restore democratic checks and balances, unlock frozen EU funds, and pivot Hungary back towards the West.

He's not every Hungarian's cup of tea. A centre-right conservative, he opposes EU migration quotas and would retain the border fence that was controversially constructed under Orban.

But he's managed to unite the opposition through a savvy social media strategy and a tireless campaign schedule that has crisscrossed the country. As such, many view his Tisza party as the first real chance to finally unseat Orban and Fidesz.

Winning a majority won't be easy, though. After various changes to the constitution under Orban, Hungary's electoral system is now heavily skewed in favour of Fidesz.

Rivals accuse him of gerrymandering - redrawing the electoral map to suit his support base. In two of his re-elections, Fidesz won a two-thirds supermajority despite getting less than half the popular vote.

A Tisza victory is still considered the most likely scenario, but anything less than a clear win could get messy.

In the event of a narrow margin of victory for Tisza, "the legal process after the elections will be a lengthy one," predicts Robert Laszlo, an election specialist at Political Capital. Fidesz would challenge a close result "all ways they can", he believes.

Read more:
Trump exempts Hungary from US sanctions on Russian energy
Why JD Vance is in Hungary backing Putin-ally Orban

Whatever the final result, the consequences of this election will be felt beyond Hungary's borders. It's seen as a referendum on right-wing populism.


Man arrested over alleged damage to US military plane at Shannon Airport
A man has been arrested over alleged criminal damage of a US military plane at an Irish airport.

Police said a man entered the "unauthorised area of Shannon Airport" in County Clare on Saturday morning.

Footage posted on social media appeared to show a man climbing onto a US Air Force C-130 Hercules transporter plane and striking the wing with an object.

A spokeswoman for Shannon Airport said operations resumed after being suspended for around 20 minutes following the incident.

Ireland's police and security service An Garda Siochana said in a statement: "An adult male, aged in his 40s, was arrested for alleged criminal damage by gardai shortly before 11am."

He "is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 in a Garda Station in the Clare Tipperary Division", it added.

The man can be detained for up to 24 hours, excluding breaks.


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...