top of page
Betfair 970x250.png
News image template
Samantha Washington, presenter in Ottawa, Canada
May 14
Canadians 'weren't impressed' by second UK state visit for Trump, Mark Carney says

Sir Keir Starmer handed the invitation to the US president during a visit to the Oval Office. The newly elected Liberal leader Mark Carney said that the invitation "cut across clear messages" that the Canadian government was trying to send to the White House in response to their threats against Canada's sovereignty. "I think, to be frank, they [Canadians] weren't impressed by that gesture... given the circumstance. It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty." Explained: Who is Mark Carney? It comes as the Canadian prime minister has invited the King, who is Canada's head of state, to open its parliament later this month in a "clear message of sovereignty". It is the first time the sovereign has carried out this function in nearly 50 years and Mr Carney says it's "not coincidental". "All issues around Canada's sovereignty have been accentuated by the president. So no, it's not coincidental, but it is also a reaffirming moment for Canadians." The former Bank of England governor was re-elected after a campaign fought on the promise of standing up to American threats to Canadian statehood. He had refused to speak to Mr Trump until Canadian sovereignty was respected. It followed Mr Trump threatening to make Canada the 51st state of the US. Mr Carney justified making his first foreign trip as prime minister to the White House by stating Mr Trump had changed his intentions to annex Canada from an "expectation to a desire". "He was expressing a desire. He'd shifted from the expectation to a desire. He was also coming from a place where he recognised that that wasn't going to happen. "Does he still muse about it? Perhaps. Is it ever going to happen? No. Never." The high-stakes meeting in the Oval Office was not confrontational, with Mr Carney praising the president's approach as "very on top of the essence of a wide range of issues" and "able to identify the points of maximum leverage, both in a specific situation but also in a geopolitical situation". Since the meeting, tensions between the two countries have abated. Further negotiations on trade and security are expected soon. Given the deep economic integration of the two nations, neither side expects a deal imminently, but both sides concur that constructive talks have led to progress on an agreement. With greater goodwill between the two North American neighbours, Mr Carney also expressed optimism about Mr Trump's efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. The prime minister confirmed his view that the president was an "honest broker" and that his counterpart had been "helpful" in bringing momentum to a 30-day ceasefire between the warring nations. Despite a reset in relations between the United States and Canada, Mr Carney remained circumspect. His motto is: "Always plan for the worst." Read more from Sky News:Trump signs deals in Saudi Arabia - with murder long forgottenMenendez brothers' murder sentences reduced And to that end, nothing is being taken for granted: "We do plan for having no deal, we do plan for trouble in the security relationship. We do plan for the global trading system not being reassembled: that's the way to approach this president."

News image template
Gemma Peplow, culture and entertainment reporter
May 13
Cassie tells court 'freak offs' became like a job as she alleges years of abuse by Sean 'Diddy' Combs

The musician and model, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, did not look at Combs as she took to the witness stand in court in Manhattan, New York. Over about six hours, the 38-year-old, who is eight months pregnant with her third child with husband Alex Fine, at times became emotional as she alleged she was degraded by her former partner during their 10-year on-off relationship. Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial: Day 2 - As it happened Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty and strenuously denied allegations of sexual abuse. His lawyers argue that although he could be violent, he never veered into sex trafficking and racketeering, and that all sexual encounters were consensual. Ms Ventura, who is the central witness in the prosecutors' case, began by telling the jury how Combs was violent to her over the course of their relationship, giving her black eyes and bruises. The hip-hop star became increasingly controlling, she said, and was allegedly abusive over the smallest perceived slights. "You make the wrong face, and the next thing I knew I was getting hit in the face," she said. Ms Ventura was 19 when she signed to his label, Bad Boy, she said, and 22 when, during the first year of their relationship, Combs first proposed a "freak off" - a sexual encounter with a third party. Her "stomach churned", she said, and she was "confused, nervous, but also loved him very much" and wanted to please him. She described him as "charming" but "polarising". 'There was no space to do anything else' Throughout her time on the stand, she gave graphic details of these drug and drink-fuelled encounters with male escorts, saying Combs would watch and masturbate, and often record the encounters and watch the videos back. They could last for hours or even days, she said - telling the court the longest went on for four days. They ended up becoming weekly events and took priority over her music career, jurors heard. While she had hits with singles Me & U and Long Way 2 Go in 2006, and signed a 10-album deal with Bad Boy, jurors heard she only released one album. "Freak-offs became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again," Ms Ventura said. Each time, she added, she had to recuperate from lack of sleep, alcohol, drugs "and other substances", and "having sex with a stranger for days". Read more:The rise and fall of Sean CombsDiddy - a timeline of allegationsEverything you need to know about the trial Alleged violence detailed in court Ms Ventura told the court she began feeling as if she could not say no to Combs's demands because "there were blackmail materials to make me feel like if I didn't do it, it would be held over my head in that way or these things would become public". She was also worried about potential violence, she told the court. When asked in court how frequently Combs became violent with her, Ms Ventura responded: "Too frequently." The rapper "would mash me in the head, knock me over, drag me, kick me", she said. "Stomp me in the head if I was down". Ms Ventura also told the court that Combs kept cash, jewellery, guns and "sometimes tapes from cameras" in safes at several properties in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Alpine, New Jersey. "The guns came out here and there. I always felt it was a little bit of a scare tactic," she told the court. Towards the end of her first day of evidence, a surveillance video made public last year, which showed Combs allegedly beating Ms Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, was played to jurors in court for a second time. "How many times has he thrown you like that before?" prosecutor Emily Johnson asked her. "Too many to count," Ms Ventura replied. On Monday, prosecutors in their opening statement told the court that while Combs's public persona was that of a "charismatic" hip-hop mogul, behind the scenes he was violent and abusive. His defence lawyers argued that the case is really about nothing more than the rapper's sexual preferences, which they said should remain private, and do not make him a sex trafficker. The trial is to last about eight weeks. Ms Ventura is set to continue giving evidence on Wednesday.

News image template
Beth Rigby, political editor
May 13
Who PM was really trying to echo with 'island of strangers' speech

But on Tuesday the prime minister found himself embroiled in a row with MPs over something entirely different - his language over immigration. The prime minister's argument that Britain "risked becoming an island of strangers" if immigration levels are not cut has sparked a backlash from some of his MPs, and the London mayor Sadiq Khan is alarmed that his own leader is using language similar to that of Enoch Powell. Politics latest: Senior Labour figures distance themselves from PM's speech In his infamous 1968 Rivers Of Blood speech, Powell warned of a future where white people "found themselves made strangers in their own country". It was a speech that cost him his shadow cabinet job and made Powell one of the most divisive and controversial politicians in Britain. It is also a speech that the prime minister's team is now frantically trying to distance itself against, with one insider telling me on Tuesday the PM's team hadn't realised the similarity and hadn't intended the comparison. The politician the prime minister was trying to channel was about as far away from Powell as you could get in the 1960s, when the debate of immigration and race relations raged. Sir Keir had wanted to echo former Labour home secretary Roy Jenkins who had always argued that immigration was good for Britain, but needed to be done at a speed the country could absorb. Take this from Jenkins in the House of Commons in 1966: "Let there be no suggestion that immigration, in reasonable numbers, is a cross that we have to bear, and no pretence that if only those who have come could find jobs back at home our problems would be at an end. "But it does not follow that we can absorb them without limit. We have to strike a balance. That is what we are trying to do and I feel that we have been reasonably successful in recent months. We cannot lay down absolute numerical quantities, but I think that we have struck a reasonable balance and also that in the past year we have made substantial progress towards producing a healthier atmosphere, in terms of integration, on both sides - amongst both the indigenous and the immigrant community." One person familiar with No 10's approach told me: "We want a more cohesive society, we are not trying to pick fights. "But the last Conservative government let in 2.3 million immigrants [in the three years to June 2024] and during that time built about 600,000 homes. That creates competition between people and that is typically at the lower end of the market. Just issuing visas and creating a sense of an unfair system is not a way to build cohesiveness." If you look at polling from YouGov, it seems the prime minister is more in step with public mood than those in his party criticising him, with 41% of all voters polled on Tuesday about his "island of strangers" remarks agreeing with the sentiment and having no issue with the language. But it is true too that Labour's approach lands particularly well with Reform voters, with 61% of them supportive of the PM's words. Beyond the battle of language, there will be battles ahead too over whether the prime minister's policies will help or hinder the economy. Read more:What are Sir Keir Starmer's new immigration rules?Starmer's migration package is significant - but is it enough? There has long been an assumption that higher net migration is positive of the economy and public finances, but there is growing concern in Number 10 that the benefits are being overstated, as it fails to take into account the additional resources needed for public services and the effect of lowering wages, which affects productivity growth - none of which is factored into the economic forecasts of the Office of Budget Responsibility. There will be those in business that don't like the cuts to visas. There will be those in government that will worry about the economic impact of cuts to visas - although the chancellor was on the front row for the prime minister's speech on Monday. There will be those on the Labour left that will be uncomfortable about it. I suspect the prime minister will be uncomfortable about the row over his language that has seen him attacked on both sides, as the left accuse him of trying to ape the far right and his opponents accuse him of being a "chameleon" for making the opposite argument on immigration when he was running for the Labour leadership in 2020. But where his team think they are right is on the policy, and early polling suggests that voters from across the political divide broadly agree.

News image template
No Writer
May 14
Frank Lampard: Coventry boss says Championship play-off semi-final loss at Sunderland one of cruellest of career

Dan Ballard's header in extra-time stoppage time sent Sunderland to Wembley in dramatic fashion, making it 1-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate to set up a Championship play-off final against Sheffield United on May 24, live on Sky Sports. But it was heartbreak for Coventry boss Lampard as the Sky Blues' Premier League promotion dream was ended on Wearside. Sunderland snatch last-gasp win over Coventry to seal passage to WembleyAll you need to know - Streaming Sky Sports with NOW | Get Sky SportsDownload the Sky Sports App to watch every Sky Sports+ gameLive EFL on Sky Sports+ & how to watch | Get more EFL to your phone with WhatsApp Asked how cruel football can be, the ex-England and Chelsea midfielder told Sky Sports: "Yeah, that's the biggest example I think I've probably been involved in. "Firstly, congratulations to Sunderland, they go to the final. But, I've got immense pride in my players, over the two games, we dominated at home and dominated huge periods of this game. "Where we've come from, 17th in the league in December, the players have been brilliant in the second half of the season. We're competing with the parachute teams in terms of where we finish. "We came here with absolute bravery to play the way we play. They had to concede to us because of the way we played, the way the lads controlled the game. They don't deserve it, the players. I'm a lot older, I've been around a lot, so I've taken whacks and I've had success. "I suppose I can be maybe a tiny bit more balanced in my job, but for those players, they don't deserve that. So, congratulations to Sunderland. We're not bitter, but we were the better team over the two football matches. Absolutely clear. That's why they'll be so happy that they won that game. They're going to Wembley, but in a football sense massive pride. "I can't ask for any more. I'm so disappointed for the club, for the fans, the owner and the players. Once the dust settles, I cannot be disappointed with the way they play. "You work every day with them and they take on information and they're together in the group even at the end on the pitch. So, you know, football. "I didn't have to say much to them because the players were doing it. They owned it on the pitch. They owned it up until extra-time. "They owned it the second half. It was like the crowd was dead quiet. They understood that a team was coming and taking control on their home place. "It's cruel. But I can't think of anything but pride for the season and for tonight. "We wanted to go to Wembley. But sometimes the gods conspire against you in certain ways. "We want the squad to get stronger. The players have shown what they can do, that they can compete. The fans deserve it at this football club. "I think that they'll be going home tonight proud of their players, their support. And, yeah, I'm just disappointed for them that they don't get a trip to Wembley." Le Bris: We'll focus on final from Thursday Sunderland, meanwhile, remain on course to end their eight-year Premier League exile and will face the Blades at Wembley for a place in the top flight. Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris says they will turn their attention to the Wembley showdown later this week. He told Sky Sports: "On Thursday we'll switch on for the final, sure. So now it's a question of just enjoying, recovering, and we'll switch on the final very quickly." The Frenchman said of the dramatic ending: "It's really fantastic because the scenario was absolutely incredible. "We were probably too nervous for the first part of the game, and during extra-time I think we were good. We played our football and now it's just fantastic, so just enjoy it now. "It was a little bit frustrating [on the touchline] because we knew on the bench that we could play a better football but it's a semi-final at home and with 1-0 before the equaliser, I think we were between two attitudes. "So after the goal, it was clear that now we wanted to score and the game changed." Asked what he said at extra-time, he replied: "I think we changed our structure because we played with three midfielders at that moment. It wasn't possible before, and yes, we got back in our way of playing, and I think it was Sunderland at that moment." Ballard: It's what dreams are made of Sunderland's hero, Ballard, scored in the final second of the two added minutes of extra-time to send the North East side to Wembley. The Northern Ireland international told Sky Sports: "It's what dreams are made of, really. The fans today were absolutely incredible. It was just feeling like it wasn't going to be our day. "All the lads were desperate to give them something to celebrate. What a dramatic final. It's what dreams are made of." Questioned on his goal, he said: "I got up too early. I was so determined, and I can't remember what happened. It just happened like that. "It's some feeling that." The 25-year-old added: "I was so nervous going into that first game. He's left Chris Mepham out, who's probably been our best player all season. "So it was a big call and I feel for him, but I'm just so happy the gaffer has put his trust in me, and hopefully I've repaid it." Meanwhile, Ballard's team-mate Luke O'Nien said the game was a "blur" but he felt sorry for Coventry. He told Sky Sports: "I'm lost for words. I'm just looking around at what this man's [Ballard] done for this city. It's incredible. "It's a credit to Coventry. It's a tough one to take. I think it was a hell of a tie, so credit to them and their fans. I've been on the receiving end of a loss in the semis, and it was a tough one, but I really enjoyed the game; they're tough opponents, and they'll come good. "It's been a bit of a blur the whole game. I've only really just remembered the last minute. I saw Ballard's top off and everyone running in different directions. "I can't remember the game, to be honest with you. I only remember the last minute." Phillips: Sunderland got away with it but deserve place in final Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips speaking to Sky Sports: "It's ironic that Coventry scored the most from set-plays and crosses this season, and it's a set-play that has cost them. It's cruel, and you saw that Frank was gutted. "But it's about taking chances and Sunderland took theirs. We asked at the beginning of the play-offs who'd be the hero, and Dan Ballard has done that. "I don't think [Le Bris] will change his tactics. It's a big pitch, it will be red hot, and they'll conserve their energy. Maybe take a set-play and hit them on the counter-attack. "Do they deserve to be there? I'll say yes. The spirit, the hunger and the desire they've shown. They needed a bit of luck and they got that with the second goal down at Coventry. "They've got away with murder tonight at times, but it's football. Now they need to take it to Wembley and put in a performance against a very good Sheffield United team."

News image template
Sadiya Chowdhury, news correspondent
May 14
Two terminally ill adults on opposing sides of the assisted dying debate meet to share their views

Last year, Sky News filmed them as they watched the country debate whether to change the law to allow it. Now, the pair meet each other for the first time to let the country watch them debate. Warning: This article contains descriptions of assisted dying and suicide throughout Meet Clare My name's Clare and I live on a farm in North Devon. I've got two fabulous daughters, Chloe and Izzy. I have stage 4 breast cancer. I've been campaigning for the assisted dying bill [Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill] to pass through Parliament. I'm looking forward to meeting Philip. I hope it's not going to be an argument. Meet Philip The name's Philip, and I'm from the Midlands where I live with my wife Pauline. I was given six months to live last year, I should be dead right now. I've got pancreatic cancer. I'm against assisted dying - or assisted suicide, as I call it. I feel terribly sorry for Clare. I want nobody to be suffering. The pair meet in Bristol - halfway between their addresses. After greeting with a hug, Philip tells Clare his mother died of cancer when he was a young teenager. Philip: She said, 'God, please either heal me or take me.' I realised that my mum must have believed and trusted in God. Now I keep saying to the doctor that I pray God will stop the cancer growing. Clare: I think I'm similar about Mother Earth. Whilst I'm not a Christian, I've always had this acceptance and understanding that I'm part of a natural cycle. I don't have that need to fight death as much as I'm hearing from you. Philip: I'm not aware of fighting, because in my terms, it would be a sheer waste of time. Clare tells Philip she would like a "good death". Clare: In my garden, with my daughters, preferably one of them playing her guitar - it's my paradise. I would like to have the choice, whether I took it up or not at the last minute, at a time and place of my choosing, when death is close, to be able to take something to hasten my death. Philip: There could be a cure for what you and I have got, but we just don't know. You don't know what miracle is around the corner, and if you commit suicide, you're robbing yourself of that opportunity. Both agree that breaking the news of their diagnoses to their children was the hardest part of cancer. Clare says the disease has turned her liver "20 shades of grey". Clare: It's pretty much gone to all my bones, except for my hands and feet. Philip: Horrible. Clare: Then there's also the treatment. Did you have any Docetaxels? Philip: I'm very grateful I have refused it all. Clare: Have you not had any chemotherapy? Philip: I've had nothing. Philip warns Clare that if the Terminally Ill Adults Bill is approved, vulnerable people could be pressured into taking their own life. He'd rather leave his death in God's hands. Philip: I want to do what God says. So, I'm against assisted dying on those principles of the fact that no matter what safeguards you put in, you're breaking, what I understand to be God's plan and purpose. Clare: When I got my diagnosis, the first thing I said to my consultant was, "well, thank goodness I can take my own life". I'd been very consistent, and I was on my own in the room, nobody else with me. And I think I'm a sort of bright, intelligent person. Philip: I didn't say you weren't. Clare: I really understand the power of coercive control, the insidious nature of it. Philip: I feel sorry for the poor suckers who are with you. Clare: My daughters? Philip: They've got to live with the fact that you died and they let you. Clare: My daughters are completely supportive of assisted dying. Clare says dying should be a personal choice. Clare: It's not about other people with terminal life-limiting disease or people with disabilities. It's purely an option for Clare Turner. Philip: If they alter the law for Clare Turner, they've got to alter it for everybody. Clare: At the moment, over 300 people with terminal illnesses take their own life in pretty miserable situations, quite often alone, every year. Philip: It's financial. If it's costing hundreds of thousands to look after you, just think what we could save if we bumped 20 of you off. Clare: I find that quite offensive, Philip. Clare: I guess I'm just not a cynical person. Philip: I'm not a cynical person. I'm facing reality. I see how it's been applied in other countries. Show me Canada and Belgium have never altered their laws with regards to assisted suicide. You can't. They've altered them totally. Before they say goodbye, Clare gifts Philip honey made by bees that visit her garden. Philip gives Clare a box of chocolates called Heroes. "Anybody who is battling with cancer is a hero not to quit," he says. Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

News image template
Bethany Minelle, arts and entertainment reporter in Paris
May 14
Kim Kardashian feared she was going to die during Paris heist - and tells robber she forgives him

The 44-year-old media personality and businesswoman was tearful as she told the judge: "I was certain he [one of the robbers] was going to rape me." "I absolutely did think I was going to die," she added. "I said a prayer for my family, and for my sister who would walk in [and find me] and that they would have an okay life after what they saw." Kardashian faced a group of 10 defendants - dubbed the 'grandpa robbers' by French media - who are accused of robbing her at gunpoint in the Hotel de Pourtales in the French capital in October 2016. She told the court how one of the robbers pulled her across the bed, exposing her naked body under her hotel robe as he tied her up. She also told the court of her "violation", explaining she was "grabbed and tied up… dragged from one room to the other", and calling the whole thing "a violent act". Kardashian explained: "Being touched and picked up when you're naked is very violating." Additionally, in a bizarre turn of events in the courtroom, three of the defendants offered messages to Kardashian - two in person and one via a written note. Kardashian had no knowledge of the letter until it was read in court and she tearfully said she forgave one of the robbers. Read more: Everything you need to know about the Paris trial Earlier in the day, Kardashian, wearing a black skirt suit, sunglasses, and with her hair pulled back into a chignon, walked up the courthouse steps accompanied by her mother Kris and a large entourage. Giving evidence in the courtroom, she became tearful when describing the robbery, and talking of her "confusion" when two men entered her room dressed as police officers, accompanied by the handcuffed concierge. "I had fallen asleep naked with a robe on, I was flustered," Kardashian told the trial. 'From fatherly to aggressive' Describing the man who tied her up, who she says was "smaller and stockier" than the second man with the gun, Kardashian said: "I feel like because the guy who tied me up could see how frantic I was, at that moment he felt like a father… It felt like he wanted me to know that I'd be okay if I just shut up." She told the court: "I kept telling them I have babies and I need to get home to my babies." But, after the men began arguing in French, the previously "fatherly" man went from saying she'd be okay, "to aggressively grabbing my naked body". Asked by the judge if she was hit at any point, Kardashian said: "No, I was not hit. I was picked up and dragged and dropped on the hard floor, but I was not hit." She later confirmed she was dragged by her arms, with both her ankles and wrists bound together, and with a gun held towards her neck. Police say the men escaped on bicycles, with around $9m of jewellery, including a $4m engagement ring from Kardashian's then-husband Kanye West. Most of the jewellery was never recovered. 'Your forgiveness is a sun - I'll be forever grateful' During her evidence, the judge read a statement to Kardashian written by one of the defendants, Aomar Ait Khedache, 68, nicknamed "Old Omar" - in which he said he "regretted" his actions and had been touched by his conscience. He has so far communicated in court only via handwritten notes, saying he was too unwell to talk. He has previously admitted to participating in the heist but denies the prosecution's accusation that he was the ringleader. When asked by the judge if she had a response, Kardashian said: "I'm obviously emotional about it, this experience changed my life and it changed my family's life." Currently in training to be a lawyer, and a vocal criminal justice reform advocate, she said: "I have always believed in second chances… I try to have empathy always." She went on: "I do appreciate the letter, I forgive you for what has taken place, but it doesn't change the emotion and the feelings and the trauma the way my life is forever changed." She thanked him for his letter. Ait Khedache's lawyer shared his response to Kardashian's words, saying: "This forgiveness is a sun that comes to illuminate me, thank you." He added: "I'll be grateful to you forever”. The judge then spoke to two defendants in the courtroom, starting with Yunice Abbas, 71, who has previously admitted his part in the heist. Abbas stood and spoke directly to Kardashian, his right hand shaking from Parkinson's as he talked, asking for "forgiveness" and saying he too had "regret" for what he did. A third defendant, Didier Dubreucq, 69, dubbed "blue eyes" by the French press, also briefly spoke and offered a few contrite words, saying, "I am very sorry about what happened to you", adding: "I empathise with your pain." 'A sound I had never heard - terror' Earlier on Tuesday, in Paris's central criminal court, Kardashian's stylist Simone Harouche described the moment she was woken by the US star's screams of terror and feared she had been "raped or violated". Ms Harouche, 45, who says she has worked for Kardashian for many years and has been friends with her since she was 12, told the court she was woken by "a sound I had never heard from Kim… It was terror". Sleeping in a separate apartment, on the next floor down from Kardashian's, she told the judge: "When I realised something terrible was going on upstairs... I started looking for my telephone and I started looking for something to help save mine and Kim's life." She went on to lock herself in her bathroom and hide in her shower, where she called Kardashian's sister Kourtney and texted her security guard, Pascal Duvier, telling them: "Something is very wrong… Kim is upstairs with men and we need help." She said minutes later, Kardashian "hopped" into her room, explaining: "To see my friend with her feet taped and a very light robe with nothing under, and all messed up and pulled, I thought she could have been raped or very violated." She said she removed the tape from Kardashian's feet, and her friend was "beside herself". The trial, which is being held in front of three judges and six jury members, is due to conclude at the end of this week.

News image template
Faye Brown, political reporter
May 14
PM rejects Enoch Powell comparison after 'island of strangers' comment

The prime minister's official spokesperson said migrants have made a "massive contribution" to society but the Tories "lost control of the system" and that is the point he was making. The remark has drawn criticism from Labour backbenchers, who have compared it to the late Conservative MP's inflammatory 1968 "Rivers of Blood" speech. In the speech, Mr Powell imagined a future multicultural Britain where the white population would find themselves "strangers in their own country" as a result of migration. Among those to make the comparison was the former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said on X that "Talk of an "island of strangers" shockingly echoes the divisive language of Enoch Powell". However, the prime minister's spokesperson said: "The PM rejects this comparison. He said that migrants have made a massive contribution to society. "It is also right to say that between 2019 and 2024, the previous government lost control of the system. Migration needs to be controlled, fair and people that come here should integrate." Asked why the prime minister used such robust language, the spokesperson said he was not going to "shy away" from the issue of immigration and the British public want it to be reduced. He added: "We have welcomed immigrants for decades, but it's too high and must come down. Also, it's important for our domestic skills system, which is good for our economy." What has the government announced? Sir Keir made the comment at a news conference in which measures were announced to curb net migration, including banning care homes from recruiting overseas, new English language requirements for visa holders and stricter rules on gaining British citizenship. The package is aimed at reducing the number of people coming to the UK by up to 100,000 per year, though the government has not officially set a target. Net migration - the difference between the number of people immigrating and emigrating to a country - soared when the UK left the EU in January 2020. It reached 903,000 in the year to June 2023 before falling to 728,000 in mid-2024. But that is still well above its pre-Brexit high of 329,000 in the year up to June 2015. Sir Keir said parts of the UK's economy "seem almost addicted to importing cheap labour" rather than investing in skills at home. However, it is not clear how the government plans to boost the domestic workforce, amid a UK skills shortage and record numbers of people being out of work. According to the ONS, there are 9.2 million people of working age in the UK who are economically inactive, including 1.8m 18-24 year olds. The prime minister's spokesperson said the government is "focused on upskilling British workers" and "especially helping young people in the job sector" but did not elaborate how. On care homes, he said around 40,000 care workers came over on visas for jobs that did not exist, and companies can recruit from that pool. Earlier, a number of Labour MPs came to the prime minister's defence. Rother Valley MP Jake Richards said on X that Sir Keir is "absolutely right to warn of the risk of becoming an 'island of strangers'. "Millions of people across the country have similar concerns. This theme must be central to missions across immigration, employment, work and tackling neighbourhood deprivation," he said. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick went further, telling Sky News he believes the UK "already is an island of strangers", naming several areas "where we are a very divided and segregated society". However former Labour home secretary Lord David Blunkett criticised the rhetoric, saying in a speech at a University of Law graduation ceremony: "I never felt I lived in, or had a part to play in, a country of strangers. "I thought welcoming people from across the world was a tribute to our society, where people want to make their homes, to build a life and their economy and to contribute to our society. "I think we need to be kind to each other, but we need a much kinder national world as well."

News image template
No Writer
May 13
Liverpool transfer news: Jeremie Frimpong happy to move to Anfield if Reds decide to sign right-back

The Bayer Leverkusen defender has told the Bundesliga club he wants to leave. The 24-year-old is one of the names on Liverpool's shortlist of potential signings, and he has a £29.5m (€35m) release clause. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Liverpool news & transfers🔴Liverpool fixtures & scores | FREE Liverpool PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Liverpool games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 The Netherlands international was a key member of the Leverkusen team that won the German domestic double last season. Since joining Leverkusen in January 2021, the ex-Manchester City youth player has scored 30 goals and provided 44 assists in 190 games for the club in all competitions. Leverkusen signed Frimpong from Celtic in a deal worth up to £11.5m in January 2021. He moved from Manchester City's academy to Celtic for £300,000 in September 2019. Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold announced last week he will leave the club when his contract expires on June 30. Conor Bradley, 21, is ending the season as Liverpool's first-choice right-back as they plan for the future without Alexander-Arnold. Real yet to make Liverpool a formal for Trent Real Madrid have still not made an offer to sign Alexander-Arnold early, a week after contacting Liverpool to ask about the right-back playing for them in the Club World Cup next month. The England international is joining Real Madrid as a free agent, but they want him to move at the start of June so he can play in FIFA's new expanded month-long 32-team tournament. Madrid need to make an offer to sign the player early if they want him to feature in their group games in the United States. They called Liverpool last Monday evening within hours of Alexander-Arnold's 10am departure announcement. They discussed his early release but did not make an offer. Alexander-Arnold received a hostile reception from sections of the Anfield crowd when he came on as a second-half substitute in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Arsenal. Real Madrid also want Xabi Alonso to be their new head coach to replace Carlo Ancelotti by the time they fly to the United States to prepare for their opening game against Al Hilal in Miami on June 18. Alonso announced on Friday that he would be leaving Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season.

bottom of page