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No Writer
Jun 8
Tsunami alert and at least four dead after 7.8-magnitude quake hits the Philippines

US, Indonesian and Philippine agencies all published warnings and told people to move inland or seek higher ground. However, Indonesian authorities have now stood down their alert. There have been reports of damage to buildings and a key access bridge in a large southern city has also been affected. At least four people have been killed and more than 200 others injured, officials said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of up to three metres were possible in the Philippines, while eastern parts of Malaysia might get swells of up to a metre. Mindanao is among the southern-most islands of the Philippines, and the quake occurred off its southern tip, about 13km (8 miles) southwest of General Santos, a city of more than 700,000 people. The biggest tsunami seen so far in the Philippines on Monday has been 1.4 metres, according to Phivolcs, the national seismology agency There are some reports of damaged buildings and President 'Bongbong' Marcos urged people in the Philippines to immediately heed all warnings. At least three people were killed and 130 others injured in General Santos, where at least a few small buildings partially collapsed and several structures, including a key access bridge, sustained dangerous cracks. Another person died in Davao Oriental province, the Philippine department of health said. Phivolcs and the US Geological Survey (USGS) both measured the quake at magnitude 7.8 - the strongest to hit the Philippines this year. It occurred at a depth of 20 miles (33km) at 7.37am local time and was followed by a series of aftershocks. "It's a major earthquake and we're expecting damages and we've already some damaged buildings based on videos we've seen," said Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol. A video filmed in General Santos City - home to more than 700,000 people - showed a small building collapse and authorities there said they were assessing reports of damage and injuries. Meanwhile, a police chief in Mindanao's Sarangani province told Reuters it was the "strongest earthquake we've experienced". Read more from Sky News:Denmark footballer Christian Eriksen collapses on pitchZelenskyy confirms Abramovich role as 'go-between' with Putin People in Indonesia's North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces also felt the earthquake but the country's disaster agency said there were no reports of damage so far. Indonesia and the Philippines lie in the Pacific "ring of fire" - a string of underwater volcanoes and sites of increased seismic activity that stretches about 25,000 miles. Both nations experience hundreds of earthquakes every year.

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No Writer
Jun 5
Former Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow reveals Alzheimer's disease diagnosis

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. "Veteran news anchor Jon Snow has shared that he's living with dementia, speaking publicly for the first time to raise awareness of a condition affecting around one million people across the UK," the Alzheimer's Society said. The charity said the 78-year-old has decided to speak out in a new documentary which will air on Channel 4 later this month. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised Mr Snow as a "true giant in journalism" and said his decision to go public with his diagnosis is "helping others feel less alone and raising awareness of a condition that affects so many families". Michelle Dyson, CEO of Alzheimer's Society, said: "Jon's decision to talk publicly about his dementia diagnosis is a real act of courage and his story will resonate with so many. "His support for Alzheimer's Society will help spark a national conversation about dementia that we so desperately need. "Despite being the UK's biggest killer, dementia is still not treated with the same urgency as other major health conditions like cancer. "Alongside his wife Precious, Jon is shining a light on the need for faster, fairer access to diagnosis. "I would encourage anyone needing help or information to call our Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456 or visit alzheimers.org.uk." Read more from Sky News:Anthony Head dies aged 72Two men found guilty of stabbing TV presenter Mr Snow, who gave an exclusive interview to the Daily Mail, revealed he has had the disease since 2023 and that before his diagnosis he was reluctant to see a doctor and had insisted there was nothing wrong. The journalist also revealed he was part of a clinical trial for the condition and has previously spoken about how his mother, Joan, struggled with Alzheimer's in the years leading up to her death. Alzheimer's is the ongoing decline of brain functioning and can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities, according to the NHS. Louisa Compton, head of news, current affairs, specialist factual and sport at Channel 4, said: "It is a profound privilege that we are able to document his last big investigation, in a sensitively made film that frames Jon's current affairs nous alongside a new life lived with Alzheimer's. "We hope this film will go a long way to raise awareness of how to live whilst facing a life-changing diagnosis."

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No Writer
Jun 7
Talks held with Iran over jailed UK couple, David Lammy says, as he addresses proposed prisoner swap

The family of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who have been detained in Iran since January 2025, are calling for the UK government to exchange Iranian convicted stalker Richard Jan for the pair. Mr Foreman told Sky News that Iranian authorities had signalled their interest in Jan, who is serving a life sentence and has been dubbed the UK's "worst stalker", and his release could be used to secure their freedom. On the proposed prisoner swap, Mr Lammy told Sky's Trevor Phillips: "Of course, arrangements can be made of that kind, but the specifics on this would not be right. And I'm not sure from what I've heard that this is… credible". Mr Lammy, who is also the justice secretary, said he could not go into detail on their case because it would "undermine the discussions that we're having with the Iranians". Ms Foreman's son, Joe Bennett, said he was hopeful there had been a "shift" in the UK government's approach to his mother and stepfather's case following Mr Lammy's comments. "The question that we wanted to ask as a family is, if this isn't the solution or a proposed solution, then why not?", he said. "Anything can be done in theory, but it's been a long time coming where it gets the attention it warrants. "And the conversation to be had, at least we can either get a proposed path to their release or closure that this isn't a solution." Richard Ratcliffe, whose wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was jailed in Iran for almost six years, said Mr Lammy's words were encouraging, and a prisoner swap should be on the table. "It is welcome that David Lammy is making positive noises," he said. "Of course, he is the secretary of state [for justice], so it is in his gift to review parole board decisions, it's in his gift to discuss with his colleagues and find a way." He said that Jan's case had been raised as part of discussions to secure his wife's release so it was "not a surprise that he continues to be on the table". Read more from Sky News:No 10 criticises those who 'stir up division' on Nowak murderDefence spending plan delay has left the UK less safe Sir Jeremy Hunt, who was the foreign secretary while Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was imprisoned in Iran, said the UK government should be doing "everything it possibly can" to free the Foremans but urged caution. "Obviously, what you don't want to do is something that leads to the next person being illegally detained by the Iranians," he said. "So you have to be careful that you don't reward the kind of absolutely despicable behaviour that we're seeing from Iran, one of the very few governments in the world that will arbitrarily detain an innocent person as a tool of diplomatic leverage." The couple were travelling through Iran on a motorcycle trip around the world when they were detained by Iranian authorities on espionage charges.

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Jun 7
Jude Bellingham: England boss Thomas Tuchel claims Real Madrid star has a fight on his hands to earn World Cup starting spot

Morgan Rogers got the nod ahead of Bellingham in World Cup qualifying - the Aston Villa man was the only England player to feature in each of the eight matches. The Real Madrid star featured in only four. When asked whether Bellingham has a fight on his hands to be in the starting XI, Tuchel said "Yes, he has. "He is one of the starters, he knows he is one of the starters, but we have 14 or 15 potential starters. These roles can always change, but at the moment I think there are like 14 or 15 proper starters and Jude is one of them." Tuchel frustrated by 'freestyling' England in New Zealand victoryEngland latest: Bookmark for live updates from the campEngland World Cup group guideWorld Cup day-by-day fixture list Bellingham out-performed his friend Rogers against New Zealand in Tampa, when each played 45 minutes in the No 10 role. Tuchel admits he has been impressed with what he has seen of the 22-year-old recently. "He [Jude] looks good. He looks good in training. I think he is at the moment in a sweet spot because he has had his break and he has the hunger to be back on the pitch and after injury - this is normal. And he is so happy to be back on the pitch. You take everything in." Tuchel again refused to say whether Bellingham was part of England's 'leadership group' - a key selection of senior players who meet separately from the main squad to talk through tactical approaches and other important matters with the head coach and his assistant, Anthony Barry. It is a structure Tuchel has stuck with, after it was first introduced by his predecessor, Sir Gareth Southgate. Bellingham wore the captain's armband for the first time, for the whole of the second half in Saturday's friendly win over New Zealand, but Tuchel said with a smile that was only because he was the player on the pitch at the time with the most international caps. The England head coach has also revealed more details about how he sees the pecking order in the camp right now, with the opening World Cup against Croatia to come on June 17. It seems that in among the 26, there are three distinct groups in Tuchel's mind. "We have 14 or 15 potential starters and then there is a special group…..and then there are guys who finish matches for us and get the energy right." While the media and fans will be guessing which player falls into which category, Tuchel says he has already told the players individually, and that their status could change between now and the first match. Tuchel names Rice as World Cup vice-captain The news of Bellingham not being a guaranteed a start comes as Tuchel confirmed that Declan Rice will be the vice-captain for the Three Lions this summer. The England head coach has consistently refused to reveal any details of his leadership group, and particularly whether Bellingham is a part of it. But he has now confirmed that he has told the players that when Harry Kane is not on the pitch, Rice will wear the captain's armband. "I never talk about the leadership group," Tuchel says. "Declan is my vice-captain. We had this talk [with the squad] when Harry was not in camp with us." Rice has captained England twice before. The first of those was against Belgium in 2024, ahead of his 50th cap. But he is further down the pecking order at Arsenal, with Martin Odegaard and England team-mate Bukayo Saka ahead of him. Tuchel has also confirmed England will play a behind-closed-doors friendly against local side Miami United later this week, as they continue their preparations for the opening game against Croatia on June 17. Against New Zealand, England had two entirely separate teams of 11 who played each half. But the Arsenal contingent of Rice, Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have now joined the squad in their West Palm Beach camp, and Tuchel says he has yet to assess how many minutes they, and others, will play in the friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday. "I think we will get bigger chunks of minutes because it's just the build-up," he explained. "Then we have six days after that to prepare for Croatia. I think we need some players to play 60-70 minutes. "We have three training days, one more match behind closed doors to manage all the minutes. Because let's say someone plays 70 minutes against Costa Rica, someone else only plays 20. So this is not enough. Those players who only play 20 or 30 minutes will play in that next game again." Tuchel wants 'brotherhood' from England squad When asked about the competition for places, with at least two players competing in each of the positions, Tuchel has called for the "brotherhood" to come first. "I think the players want to impress and they want to impress me. That's why we selected this group," he said. "I feel they do it in a very complicit way. That's the spirit that we want to have and the spirit that we will need throughout the tournament. "We don't want to have guys on the bench who are thinking 'he is doing bad, so I may have a chance'. So I don't think that they think that they play against each other, but they are happy to push. I think they can put it into perspective. They know that they haven't played together in some of them since November. Some of them come from holiday, restart the engines. Put it into perspective - everything is fine."

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No Writer
Jun 8
Gloves left inside patients and accidental organ removal among 403 'never' mistakes in NHS last year

Annual figures from NHS England show that there were 403 "never events" for the year from April 2025 to March this year, according to an analysis by the Press Association. Never events are patient safety incidents that are so serious that they should never happen and are preventable. There were 166 incidents related to wrong site surgery, including 17 people who had a procedure intended for another patient, and 40 where treatments were to the wrong side or part of the body. In one case, a patient had an organ or body part removed when the plan had been to conserve it. Overall, 121 of the never events related to foreign objects being left in patients after procedures or surgery, including 26 cases of guide wires, two cases of cotton wool balls, one nasal pack, and one of a central catheter line. Two cases involved surgical gloves, 22 were surgical instruments, five were surgical needles, 21 were surgical swabs, and 32 were vaginal swabs. The data also showed there were eight cases where patients received a procedure that was not part of the surgical plan. There were four other cases where the patient had the wrong procedure altogether. Six people suffered incisions to the wrong part of the body, and 30 received injections in the wrong place. In addition, 38 patients had nerve blocks given on the wrong side and 22 had the wrong skin lesion removed or the incorrect biopsy. Fifty never events involved the wrong implant or prosthesis, including four cases relating to hips, six to intrauterine contraceptive devices, 14 to knees, and nine to eye lenses. A further 17 cases involved administration of medication by the wrong route, including 15 cases where oral medication was given intravenously. Another 14 patients suffered an overdose of insulin, mostly involving the wrong syringes, while nine patients were given the wrong blood type. A further three cases involved falls from poorly restricted windows, two patients suffered scalds or burns from water being too hot, and one patient was connected to air rather than oxygen. Read more from Sky News:Surgeons in UK use new AI tool in live operationChanges to lymph nodes could identify cancer risk The total number of 403 incidents for the year is the same as for the previous year. An NHS spokesperson said: "NHS staff work exceptionally hard to keep patients safe and incidents like these are extremely rare, but when they do occur NHS trusts are required to investigate what has happened and take effective steps to learn from them and make improvements."

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Jun 5
Anthony Head: Actor who starred in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso and Little Britain dies

In a statement, his daughters said he "passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family". The star was best known as librarian Rupert Giles in the cult US supernatural TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, which ran from 1997 to 2003. Known for his distinctive baritone voice, Head first rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s in the Nescafe Gold Blend television adverts. The ads, which ran from 1987 to 1993, saw Head play one half of the on-screen "Gold Blend couple," alongside Sharon Maughan, who struck up a slow-burning romance over a cup of coffee. More recently, Head appeared in football comedy Ted Lasso, where he played former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion. Other notable roles include playing the prime minister in Little Britain and Uther Pendragon in the TV show Merlin, the father of Prince Arthur. Head's daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, said in their statement that: "Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind but we know his legacy will live on in the shows he was a part of and in the audiences that love them." Over the years, the star also appeared in Motherland, Manchild, Silent Witness, Spooks, Doctor Who and My Family. Read more from Sky News:Two men recruited by Iran found guilty of stabbing TV presenterMan in his 50s dies after fight at Cornwall holiday park In July 2018, he joined the cast of the BBC Radio 4 long-running drama The Archers, playing Robin Fairbrother. Head was also a singer, having appeared in the West End and recorded music, including the album for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode. His long-time partner, animal welfare campaigner Sarah Fisher, died in December 2025 aged 61. His Ted Lasso co-star and a writer on the show, actor Brett Goldstein, has remembered Head as "infinitely charming and kind and fun and a joy" in a tribute shared to Instagram. He wrote: "Anthony Head was a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, which was an incredible skill because he was the best person. "He will be sorely missed. Love to his family." Award-winning screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies remembered Head as an "absolute delight" and in a lengthy tribute he recalled their time working together on shows including Doctor Who and Merlin. His Buffy co-star David Boreanaz described him as a "kind and generous soul" while actor Matt Lucas, who starred alongside him in Little Britain, wrote on X that Head was "unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm".

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Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor
Jun 7
Defence spending plan delay has left the UK less safe and undermined its credibility, MPs say

In a scathing report, the Public Accounts Committee said the absence of the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has undermined the UK's credibility among its allies and risks "squandering the opportunities provided by advances in technology, hindering the government's attempts to modernise the armed forces". Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the committee chair, criticised what he called "bureaucratic drift" and said excuses by those responsible for delivering the blueprint "to the effect of 'taking the time to get the details right' simply do not cut it". The senior Tory MP said: "Whatever the content of the DIP when it eventually does appear, the damage from its absence has been done - to the nation's credibility, to its safety, to its armed forces, and to certainty within its entire defence industrial base." Small, medium and large defence companies - vital for any war effort - had been expecting to expand production lines at pace in preparation for the possibility of the UK being drawn into a conflict by 2030 - a timeline increasingly used by ministers and military chiefs. Instead, many have been stuck in limbo, with some even going bust, because the publication last June of a sweeping defence review that mapped out the future size and shape of the armed forces was not followed by an investment plan to set out how it would be funded. This body of work should have been published last autumn. The prime minister has said it will be released before a NATO summit next month, with preparations under way for an announcement this Thursday - though that could still change. A key factor behind the delay is a need for tens of billions of pounds of additional funding for the army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force to rearm faster and avoid further cuts. Sir Keir, Rachel Reeves, his chancellor, and John Healey, the defence secretary, have been wrestling over the size of the extra money, with numbers ranging from £12bn to £18bn over four years, though the actual requirement is at least £28bn, probably more. An inability to decide on the figure, means the investment plan cannot be finalised, which has led to paralysis across much of defence - an extraordinary predicament at a time of war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and concerns over the reliability of the US as an ally. "Any government minister attempting to explain away this delay to the DIP should instead ask themselves what message the bureaucratic drift of the past months has given to the public, as well as the UK's allies and its adversaries, and simply apologise," Sir Geoffrey said in incredibly blunt language. "Whatever else the government hopes to achieve with the DIP, it has certainly gained the unwelcome honour of being the most anticipated document in my entire political career. "As we still await its publication at time of writing, I know I speak for the defence interests of the whole UK when I say - this had better be good." Once the plan is published, the Public Accounts Committee will scrutinise how any new money is used as part of what is a yearly report into the Ministry of Defence's accounts. The MoD has repeatedly been criticised for spending its already significant budget badly. In this latest report, as well as focusing on the missing investment plan, the MPs were highly critical of one of the army's most controversial programmes - the £6bn procurement of a fleet of hundreds of Ajax armoured fighting vehicles. Years late and not yet operational, the platform has left dozens of soldiers suffering hearing problems and sickness. One workaround has been to require soldiers to carry out maintenance checks after every use. Even the Public Accounts Committee - more familiar with bank statements than the battlefield - questioned just how viable that would be in the middle of combat. It said the MoD is developing a package of upgrades to make the vehicle, built by the US defence company General Dynamics, a more comfortable ride. The MPs added: "The department did not tell us the likely costs of these upgrades and we wait to see, more in hope than in expectation, whether these endeavours will succeed." Read more from Deborah Haynes:UK working on major plan to prepare country for warPush to transform 'broken' UK military is a 'fiasco'Russian submarines targeted UK cables, defence secretary says Questions were also raised about the vast defence nuclear enterprise, charged with the nuclear deterrent submarines, missiles and warheads as well as a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines - all of which are being replaced with new models in the biggest and costliest endeavour for the whole of the armed forces. The Public Accounts Committee said the MoD accounts showed what it called an "unacceptable failure" to maintain accounting records for more than £6bn worth of assets. Some of this cost will need to be written off. It underlined a long-standing push by the committee for greater access to the highly secretive accounting information underpinning investment in nuclear weapons. Expenditure is due to rise in the coming years to 25% of the total defence budget, up from 18%. Sir Geoffrey said: "A new sensitive scrutiny mechanism is to be welcomed. Political uncertainty must not derail these arrangements, in order that the public may gain greater confidence that their money is being spent wisely." An MoD spokesperson said: "The government is providing a generational increase in defence spending, with an extra £270bn across this parliament, ensuring no return to the hollowed out armed forces of the past and the Strategic Defence Review sets out our path to increasing warfighting readiness. "We are getting on with the job - since July 2024 we have signed over 1,400 major contracts, with nine-in-ten contracts going to British-based companies."

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Jun 7
Monaco GP: Kimi Antonelli wins fifth F1 race running with Lewis Hamilton second after dramatic, chaotic finish to Grand Prix

And with Mercedes team-mate and chief title rival George Russell finishing outside the points in 12th after a late drive-through penalty compounded a troubled weekend, the 19-year-old Antonelli now leads the Drivers' Championship by 66 points after six rounds of what stands as a 22-race campaign. Hamilton moves ahead of Russell into second in the standings after the Ferrari driver finished second to Antonelli for the second race running. Monaco GP result | F1 2026 standings | F1 2026 CalendarDownload the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc both jumped a powerless Max Verstappen immediately at the start - the Dutchman's Red Bull quickly hitting race-ending engine problems from the front row - to run second and third, but they could not keep up with the flying Antonelli from pole. The Italian led by almost 30 seconds before the first of two late-race Safety Cars for separate crashes at the street circuit's final corner and the race was ultimately suspended so officials could complete track repairs. Lance Stroll was first to crash at the final turn before home hero Leclerc did the same, just as the condensed field was gearing up to restart. The racing eventually resumed 40 minutes later for the grand prix's final eight laps, with a second standing start from the grid. Again, Antonelli made no mistake at the lights - with Hamilton this time next to him on the front row - to ensure his first victory in F1's most legendary race at just the second attempt. "You can be in no doubt you are looking at a generational talent in Formula 1," declared Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle. On a day when an unusually high number of drivers - including Hamilton and Russell - were handed five-second penalties for pit-lane speeding offences, Alpine's Pierre Gasly dropped out of what would have been a stunning third due to two such sanctions being applied to his final race time. A "heartbroken" Gasly was instead classified seventh and his team later lodged a right of review with the FIA to challenge the costly penalty ruling. Gasly's penalties promoted countryman Isack Hadjar to the podium for the first time since his winter arrival at Red Bull, a result the Frenchman kept after being cleared in a post-race investigation over an alleged rules infringement under the red flag. McLaren's difficult weekend ended with a somewhat-flattering fourth place with Oscar Piastri but world champion team-mate Lando Norris, last year's Monaco victor, suffered a second technical race retirement in a row. With usual front-runners Russell, Leclerc, Norris and Verstappen all failing to score, Racing Bulls cashed in for their best points haul since 2021 as Liam Lawson equalled the best result of his career with fifth and British rookie Arvid Lindblad took his hitherto-highest finish in sixth. Alex Albon was eighth for Williams ahead of Haas' Esteban Ocon, in ninth. Sergio Perez crossed the line in 10th for what the new Cadillac team hoped would be their first point in F1 but it was later taken away through a five-second penalty for jumping the second race start. Aston Martin are instead off the mark for 2026 with Fernando Alonso promoted to the final points-paying place. How flawless Antonelli mastered Monaco in a league of his own If the narrow, barrier-lined Monaco circuit serves as the ultimate test of a driver's speed and precision in qualifying, and then for a driver's concentration levels across the 78 racing laps, Antonelli passed both tests with flying colours. While Verstappen's failure to get away from second place on the front row certainly helped Antonelli's cause to ensure a Mercedes driver finally converted pole position into a first-lap lead this season, the Italian made no mistakes with his own getaway - and then quickly unleashed prodigious pace. The Monaco GP is often about tyre conservation at the front before drivers eventually push in the lead up to the usual single round of pit stops, but Antonelli ripped up that convention by blasting away from the Ferraris immediately. He was four seconds ahead of Hamilton by lap five and, while the seven-time world champion briefly came back at him to suggest there might yet be a battle for the win as the race developed, Antonelli's lead was up beyond 12 seconds by the time the lead Ferrari pitted first on lap 29. "It's unbelievable what he's able to deliver," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff afterwards. "Having control, he's at times 1.5 seconds quicker than anyone else." Antonelli's lead stood at a staggering near-30s by lap 60 when the Safety Car was first called, when Stroll found the barriers at Antony Noghes. It meant Antonelli's big lead was, at a stroke, wiped out and when Leclerc crashed at the same point as Stroll just as the field was about to restart from behind the Safety Car, a subsequent red flag so officials could inspect the track surface at that problematic corner meant the race would be fully reset by a second start from the grid. After a 40-minute delay and then two laps behind the Safety Car for refamiliarisation, Antonelli took up the pole position spot once again, although with Hamilton in a hitherto fast-starting Ferrari now alongside him. Yet, as at the original start some two hours before, the Mercedes driver held his nerve to lead again into Ste Devote. He then swiftly underlined his dominance of the entire afternoon by pulling a six-second lead over Hamilton in the space of just eight laps to take the chequered flag. "It's been an incredible weekend, an incredible race," said Antonelli, who became the youngest winner of F1's most-prestigious race. "It was one of those days we had incredible pace. It was all so natural. "The car was feeling incredible and giving me the confidence to push. It was a very enjoyable day." Where now for Russell after double penalty jeopardy? For Mercedes' other driver, an already-difficult weekend in Monaco ultimately unravelled badly. Two weeks after the heartache of retiring from the lead in Canada due to an engine problem, which not only guaranteed Antonelli another win but meant the Italian increased his title lead by a maximum 25 points, Russell had said he was "bamboozled" by his deficit to his team-mate in qualifying. His race from the third row was always going to be one of damage limitation with overtaking opportunities around the street circuit famously scarce but Russell was nonetheless running fourth after his first pit stop thanks to Verstappen's early demise and then Mercedes' successful undercutting of Hadjar. Russell became one of a number of drivers to be handed a five-second sanction for speeding in the pit lane, a penalty which looked likely to be added to his final race time given no more pit stops were expected. But the appearance of the Stroll-triggered Safety Car meant most drivers ended up unexpectedly pitting for a second time, with F1's rules dictating that Russell should have served his sanction when he arrived in his pit box before the Mercedes crew started work on the car. However, Mercedes started the car's tyre change immediately, a rules transgression that saw Russell face a fresh in-race investigation. Stewards ultimately clamped down hard on this indiscretion, handing Russell a more severe drive-through penalty, which he had to serve by coming into the pit lane within three laps of its issuing once the race resumed. He was by now running third after Leclerc's crash but the extra visit to the pits at a time when the whole field was bunched up meant he tumbled all the way down to a point-less 12th place in the final classification. Russell told Sky Sports F1: "Five seconds, not ideal but not the end of the world. And then in the pit stop, just major confusion, and getting a drive-through (penalty) - the punishment doesn't fit the crime. So, P3 down to P14. "I don't really know what to say. It's two races in a row - could have won the race last week, could have maybe been P3-P4 today, it's 40 points down the drain for things outside of my control." Now down to third in the world championship standings behind former team-mate Hamilton, Russell's deficit to Antonelli is 68 points - the equivalent of two race wins and one second place. Formula 1 heads straight to Spain for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with live coverage on Sky Sports F1 from this Friday. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

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