
No Writer
Apr 22
League table of foreign criminals awaiting deportation and their offences set to be published
The plans, due to be announced on Tuesday, will reportedly focus on those offenders awaiting deportation from the UK. The latest data shows there were 19,244 foreign offenders awaiting deportation at the end of 2024, a rise from 17,907 when the Conservatives left office in July and 14,640 at the end of 2022. Despite more offenders being deported since Labour came to power, the number waiting to be removed from the UK has been growing. Factors are understood to include the early release of inmates due to prison overcrowding, instability and diplomatic problems in some countries and a backlog of legal cases appealing deportation. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the decision to publish the nationalities of foreign criminals showed Labour had "buckled" under pressure from the Conservatives to disclose the data. The latest government statistics show there were 10,355 foreign nationals held in custody in England and Wales at the end of 2024, representing 12% of the prison population. The most common nationalities after British nationals were Albanian (11%), Polish (8%), Romanian (7%), which also represented the top three nationalities who were deported from the UK in 2024, according to Home Office figures. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is understood to have ordered officials to release the details by the end of the year, according to The Daily Telegraph. The newspaper reported Ms Cooper overruled Home Office officials, who previously claimed it was too difficult to provide quality data on foreign criminals. A Home Office source said: "Not only are we deporting foreign criminals at a rate never seen when Chris Philp and Robert Jenrick were in charge at the Home Office, but we will also be publishing far more information about that cohort of offenders than the Tories ever did." The source added that ministers wanted "to ensure the public is kept better informed about the number of foreign criminals awaiting deportation, where they are from and the crimes they have committed". In March, the government announced £5m in funding to deploy staff to 80 jails in England and Wales to speed up the deportation of foreign offenders. Read more from Sky News:'Return hubs' get UN backingSex offender allowed to stay in UKWoman born in UK faces being deported Foreign nationals sentenced to 12 months or more in prison are subject to automatic deportation, but the home secretary can also remove criminals if their presence in the UK is not considered desirable. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the news, saying: "We will finally see the hard reality that mass migration is fuelling crime across our country... Frankly, the public deserved to know this [detail on foreign criminals] long ago."

No Writer
Apr 22
Royal Navy's flagship HMS Prince of Wales begins eight-month deployment
Operation Highmast will take in joint exercises and visits with 40 countries across the Mediterranean, Middle East, southeast Asia, Japan and Australia. The £3bn aircraft carrier is scheduled to sail from Portsmouth on Tuesday, accompanied from the navy base by Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, to join a formation of warships, supply ships and aircraft off the coast of Cornwall. HMS Prince of Wales, as the biggest class of ship in the Royal Navy, is leading Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25) with the involvement of around 2,500 personnel from the Royal Navy, 592 from the Royal Air Force and 900 from the Army. Later during the deployment, as many as 4,500 military personnel will be involved in exercises in the Indo-Pacific region. Forces from Norway, Canada and Spain are among 12 other nations taking part in operations. The CSG's first task will be to join a NATO exercise off France testing aerial defences before the ships move on to the Mediterranean to work with an Italian-led carrier force and then head east via the Red Sea. Other military assets include a contingent of up to 24 Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning fighter jets, Merlin Mk2 anti-submarine helicopters, Merlin Mk4 Commando and Wildcat helicopters along with T-150 Malloy and Puma drones. Read more from Sky News:UK forced into action on defencePM visits nuclear-armed subUK: Views on conscription Commodore James Blackmore, CSG commander, said the deployment would send a "powerful message" of the UK's naval and air power. He said: "It's about supporting key trade routes that exist from the Indo-Pacific region to the UK, and supporting partners and allies in the region, showing that we are there as a capable and credible force should it be required. "Operation Highmast will demonstrate credible deterrence and our support to NATO and the rules-based international order." Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, called it an "immensely complex operation" which sends "a powerful message of deterrence to any adversary". "This is a unique opportunity for the UK to operate in close coordination with our partners and allies in a deployment that not only shows our commitment to security and stability, but also provides an opportunity to bolster our own economy and boost British trade and exports," he added.

No Writer
Apr 21
Hundreds of passengers evacuated after Delta Air Lines Airbus A330 engine catches fire at Orlando International Airport
The Delta Air Lines plane carrying nearly 300 people was pushing back from the gate at Orlando International Airport in Florida when smoke began to appear from the engine on its right wing on Monday. There were no initial reports of injuries, the airline said. Pictures and video published on social media showed flames and smoke rising from the Airbus A330 and passengers sliding down an escape chute as they left the aircraft. Pope dies latest: King Charles leads tributes The plane was heading for Atlanta, a journey of more than 400 miles with a flight time of around one hour and 40 minutes. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is going to investigate what happened. Flight 1213 had 282 passengers and 12 crew members, Delta said. The airline said its flight crews "followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft's two engines were observed". A social media user posted a video of what appeared to be a serious fire and flames coming from the Airbus plane, and another video of passengers exiting the plane via a slide. Orlando International Airport said on X that the fire was on the ramp area and that the airport's aircraft rescue and firefighting team responded quickly. Airbus did not immediately comment. Delta said maintenance teams will check the aircraft, and the airline will bring in additional aircraft to help customers reach their final destinations on Monday. It's the latest in a series of high-profile aviation incidents that have raised questions about how safe flying is in the US. Read more:Sky News journalists 'deepfaked'Worst UK airports for delaysWhat are your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled? Last month, an engine on an American Airlines jet caught fire after the plane diverted to Denver, forcing the evacuation of passengers onto the wing of the aeroplane. The engine caught fire while taxiing to the gate. In January, 67 people died after a mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport.

No Writer
Apr 21
Murder arrest after woman stabbed to death in Enfield - as victim named
Pamela Munro, 45, was found with a stab wound and died at the scene in Ayley Croft, Enfield, on Saturday evening, the Metropolitan Police said. A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday and is in custody, the force added. Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: "Investigating officers have worked relentlessly across the weekend to investigate the circumstances around Pamela's death. "We continue to support her family who are understandably devastated." Read more from Sky News:Fresh appeal over student's murder100 firefighters battle flats blaze The Met Police has asked anyone with information or who was driving through Ayley Court between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and may have dashcam footage to contact the force.

Neville Lazarus, India reporter and producer
Apr 21
JD Vance and his family arrive in India after Trump called country 'big abuser' on trade
Mr Vance was accompanied by his wife Usha - whose parents moved from India to the US - their three children Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel and fellow government officials as he landed on Monday morning. The visit comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India. In a statement after their meeting in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office said he "welcomed the significant progress" in negotiations for an expected trade deal between the US and India. It added that he and Mr Vance "noted continued efforts towards enhancing cooperation in energy, defence, strategic technologies and other areas", and also "exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward". Mr Modi also "conveyed his warm greetings to President Trump" ahead of his visit to India later this year. An announcement was expected on the countries' TRUST (Transforming Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology) partnership, a programme aimed at strengthening their cooperation in defence, critical minerals, AI, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, energy and space. The Trump administration is also pushing India to buy defence equipment. The US is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $190bn, with a trade deficit of about $46bn in India's favour. Both countries are engaged in negotiating a bilateral trade agreement and aim to double trade to $500bn by 2030. Mr Trump has previously labelled India a "tariff king" and a "big abuser" on trade. He also recently shared a report which stated Indian tariffs on agricultural products were among the highest in the world. The US president had slapped a 26% tariff on India, calling it a discounted rate against an average 52% duty on American products. Over the weekend, Mr Vance met Pope Francis in one of the pontiff's last public appearances before his death on Easter Monday. Visit comes amid rising tensions with China Mr Vance's visit is also aimed at strategically balancing China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, with India seen as a counterweight of the two most populous countries. China has warned it will take "resolute and reciprocal" countermeasures against countries that strike deals with the US at the expense of Chinese interests. Relations between India and China have been tense over the years. The two countries, separated by the Himalayan mountain range, share a 2,000-mile border, most of which is not demarcated. In 2020, in Galwan, soldiers of both countries had a face-off in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. There was a national uproar and since then diplomatic relations have been low. High-level military talks have been taking place to sort the border disputes, but have so far been inconclusive. India's move to strengthen ties with the US will increase friction with its northern neighbour, as China sees itself being isolated and targeted by the Trump administration. Last week, China's President Xi Jinping embarked on a tour of Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, and said: "There are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars." Meanwhile, India has raised concerns over the treatment of Indian students who have received visa revocation notices in the US. A survey by the American Immigration Lawyers Association found 50% of those reporting revocations were Indian. The US government has denied targeting Indians specifically with its actions.

No Writer
Apr 22
Harvard University sues over $2.2bn funding freeze after rejecting demands from Donald Trump's administration
The Ivy League institution, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is accused of ideological bias and allowing antisemitism during campus protests last year against Israel's war in Gaza. The Trump administration, which began a review of $9bn (£6.7bn) in federal grants for Harvard in March, had demanded the university screen international students for those "hostile to the American values" and the end of all diversity, equality and inclusion programmes. The university's president Alan Garber has remained defiant and rejected those and other reforms, prompting the US President to question whether the university should lose its tax-exempt status. Mr Trump accused the institution of pushing what he called "political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting 'Sickness?'" in a post on Truth Social. Harvard has seen student-led protests in recent days calling on the institution to resist interference by the federal government. Harvard's lawsuit, filed in Boston, described the research funding freeze as "arbitrary and capricious" and violating its First Amendment rights. "The government has not - and cannot - identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation," the court documents revealed. On Monday, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields issued a defiant response to the lawsuit: "The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families is coming to an end. "Taxpayer funds are a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege." The Trump administration has also paused some funding for universities including Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern and Brown over the campus protests. Read more from Sky News:Turkish student detained at universityIs Trump's deportation policy firm or cruel?Anti-Trump protests sweep America But protesters, including some Jewish groups, say their criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza is wrongly associated with antisemitism. Mr Garber said the institution would continue to fight hate and fully comply with anti-discrimination laws. The American Council on Education, a non-profit organisation with more than 1,600 member colleges and universities, supported the legal action by Harvard. "It has been clear for weeks that the administration's actions violated due process and the rule of law. We applaud Harvard for taking this step."

No Writer
Apr 21
Rachel Reeves to head to Washington amid hopes of US trade deal
The chancellor will fly to the US capital for her spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the first of which began on Sunday. During her three-day visit, Ms Reeves is set to hold meetings with G7, G20 and IMF counterparts about the changing global economy and is expected to make the case for open trade. Politics latest: Tributes paid to Pope Francis Her visit comes after Donald Trump imposed blanket 10% tariffs on all imports into the US, including from the UK, and as talks about reaching a trade deal intensified. The chancellor will also hold her first in-person meeting with her US counterpart, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, about striking a new trade agreement, which the UK hopes will take the sting out of Mr Trump's tariffs. In addition to the 10% levy on all goods imported to America from the UK, Mr Trump enacted a 25% levy on car imports. Ms Reeves will also be hoping to encourage fellow European finance ministers to increase their defence spending and discuss the best ways to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. Read more:Mission: Impossible? Chancellor heads to the IMFStarmer and the King pay tribute to Pope Francis Speaking ahead of her visit, Ms Reeves said: "The world has changed, and we are in a new era of global trade. I am in no doubt that the imposition of tariffs will have a profound impact on the global economy and the economy at home. "This changing world is unsettling for families who are worried about the cost of living and businesses concerned about what tariffs will mean for them. But our task as a government is not to be knocked off course or to take rash action which risks undermining people's security. "Instead, we must rise to meet the moment and I will always act to defend British interests as part of our plan for change. "We need a world economy that provides stability and fairness for businesses wanting to invest and trade, more trade and global partnerships between nations with shared interests, and security for working people who want to get on with their lives."

No Writer
Apr 21
'British man' dies after being dragged out of police station in Ecuador - reports
According to reports, the man - who has not been officially identified - had been detained by police after being accused of being involved in a fatal shooting. Ecuadorian news outlet Ecuavisa reported that the man had been taken to a police station Playas del Cuyabeno, a remote village in the Amazon rainforest. While there, a group broke into the station and took the man away. He was then set on fire in the street, it is reported, and died from his burns. Another local report, from EXTRA.ec, said that specialist police units had been slow to arrive due to the geographical conditions of the area - which is accessible by river. Read more from Sky News:IDF finds 'failings' over attack on aid workersPope blesses Easter crowds from popemobile According to reports, police officers at the station apparently decided they could not intervene when the mob arrived out of concerns for their own safety. It is understood the UK Foreign Office is following up reports about the incident and working with local authorities to confirm the details.

No Writer
Apr 21
Starmer and Zelenskyy discuss ending Russia's 'brutal war' - as Putin says says he is open to bilateral talks on longer ceasefire
The prime minister and Ukrainian president spoke on Monday afternoon, when Sir Keir "reiterated his iron-clad support for Ukraine". A Downing Street spokesperson added that the prime minister "said that the UK supports Ukraine's calls for Russia to commit to a full ceasefire and that now is the time for Putin to show he is serious about ending his brutal war". "They discussed the latest developments on the Coalition of the Willing, and looked forward to further progress towards a just and lasting peace," the spokesperson added. Mr Zelenskyy later said on social media that he had a "good and detailed conversation" with the prime minister, and added Ukrainian officials will be in London for talks on ending the war with Russia on Wednesday. "We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace," he added. The Ukrainian president added that the 30-hour Easter truce, which both Kyiv and Moscow accuse the other of violating, showed that Russia "are prolonging the war". It comes as Mr Putin proposed bilateral talks with Ukraine on a longer ceasefire, which would mark the first time Russia held such talks since a failed peace deal soon after the invasion in 2022. Speaking to a state TV reporter, the Russian president said: "We always have a positive attitude towards a truce, which is why we came up with such an initiative (the Easter truce), especially since we are talking about the bright Easter days." When asked about Mr Zelenskyy's calls to extend the 30-hour ceasefire into a 30-day pause on civilian targets, he added: "This is all a subject for careful study, perhaps even bilaterally. We do not rule this out." The Ukrainian president said on Sunday evening that the Russian army had "violated Putin's ceasefire more than 2,000 times" during the day, and accused Russia of "failing" to "uphold its own promise of a ceasefire". It also comes after Donald Trump has said he hopes Russia and Ukraine "will make a deal this week," after he and his secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that the US will walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress soon. The US president said on his Truth Social platform that both countries would "start to do big business" with the US after ending the war. Read more from Sky News:Murder arrest after woman stabbed to deathWho could be the next pope? Last month, Ukraine accepted Mr Trump's proposal for a 30-day truce, but Mr Putin refused to back a full 30-day ceasefire, saying crucial issues of verification had not been sorted out. He then said he would agree not to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure. However, both sides have accused each other of breaking the moratorium on attacks on energy targets and at sea.

Rob Harris, sports correspondent
Apr 21
Chelsea fans condemn 'unethical' ticket resale site - which club chairman invests in
Amid growing fan fury, Sky News was able to access the Vivid Seats platform on different devices last week from London - and saw tickets for the visit of Liverpool on 4 May, priced by Chelsea at a maximum of £80, being sold for between £537 and £2,666. Some tickets were listed as being sold by traders. Chelsea's official website appeared to show no availability for this premium fixture, with the Blues battling for Champions League qualification and Liverpool potentially celebrating being crowned Premier League winners. The most expensive Stamford Bridge season ticket for this campaign was £1,015. Vivid is listed by the Premier League among "unauthorised ticket websites" with a message: "We would urge fans to exercise extreme caution when dealing with these websites." The Chelsea Supporters' Trust has written to the Premier League to ask that Vivid - given its ties with a club's shareholder - "ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value". Mr Boehly - part of the consortium that replaced Roman Abramovich as owner in 2022 - has not addressed accusations of a "conflict of interest" or claims he is undermining efforts to combat ticket touting. There are anti-touting warnings on signs in the streets approaching the stadium. An official Chelsea Ticket Exchange allows season ticket holders to sell their tickets "at the pro-rata price of season tickets" to a club member "in a safe, secure environment". While Chelsea's website says to only buy tickets in the UK from official sellers, it adds: "Many of the websites that advertise and sell tickets online are not within the jurisdiction of UK law. "This means, while we report these sites when we see Chelsea tickets on them, there is little we can do to shut down the sites." On Vivid, we did see warnings telling visiting users not to buy seats in the home sections and a pop-up eventually appeared after browsing the availability, saying: "Tickets for the EPL matches are not currently available for purchase in your location." No attempt was made by us to buy tickets. But should we have been able to see the listings at all? Sky News first asked for comment from Vivid last Monday and continued to see ticket listings with variable prices in pounds during the week. It took until Friday night for any form of response. "Vivid Seats respectfully adheres to the laws that are in place in the United Kingdom and is not in violation of any regulations around EPL tickets," the email read in part. "As such, Vivid Seats' policy restricts the sale and marketing of EPL tickets in the United Kingdom." When Sky News checked the website again on Saturday the listings for Premier League matches were no longer visible as they are from outside of Britain. Asked if they were no longer visible after our inquiries, Vivid's official replied: "The conclusions that you are drawing are factually incorrect. "We understand that people will try to find ways to circumvent technology and as such, we have validation protocols in place in order to restrict the sale and marketing of EPL tickets in the United Kingdom." Again, Vivid insisted it adheres to laws and regulations in Britain. But the same official did not respond to an email detailing how we were able to view the tickets listings from London on separate days, without using VPN software that can make your browser seem as if it's accessing the internet from another country. 'It's the only way I was going to get here' Ticket exchange websites can be the only way for some fans overseas to come to matches. When Ipswich played at Stamford Bridge on 13 April, Baz Gillespie was able to watch after 20 years living in Cyprus by paying a vastly-inflated £300 for two tickets on a website other than Vivid. "The only way I was going to get here was that way," he said, remembering the days he could just queue up and pay a fiver for a ticket. The same match was Martin van Dijk's first-ever game at the Bridge, having come from the Netherlands after paying €150 (£128) on another exchange website after initially trying through Vivid. "If there's no other option, and you want to visit, it's the only way, but I'd rather get it through like the normal way," he said. 'An absolute disgrace' It is the "normal way" that so many supporters want to protect and are aghast at Mr Boehly's links to Vivid, predating his purchase of a stake in Chelsea. "It's an absolute disgrace," supporter Ben Grey said. "He shouldn't be involved in Chelsea and a reselling website. It's unethical from a basic perspective. "The club are coming out with communication saying that they're against ticket reselling and our semi-majority shareholder [has a website] reselling tickets to our games." Asked what the Premier League should do, he replied: "I'm a massive Chelsea fan, I don't want Chelsea to be hit hard by anything. "But the fact of the matter is they need to sort that out and if they're allowing there to be an owner of a club who's reselling tickets, it's a disgrace." 'Not a very good look' Another fan, Rich Still, called it "21st century greed". The issue is resonating with young children. Rhys Edwards, watching with his father, said: "It doesn't look too good on Chelsea and their owners to be fair. "Saying that [the website] is not authorised by the league they're playing in isn't a very good look." Officials with Chelsea, the Premier League and Mr Boehly declined to comment. The Vivid statement to Sky News stressed: "It is important to note that Vivid Seats does not set the base price for tickets sold on its marketplace or receive any revenue from that base price; only the seller sets and receives the base ticket price." 'It's like the Wild West' Vivid highlighted to Sky News its "long-standing partnership", including being a backer of a 2023 summer tour of the United States. Chelsea's website featured a quote saying: "We are pleased to join with a company committed to becoming the ultimate partner for connecting fans to the live events, teams and artists they love." The government has launched a consultation to prevent people from being ripped off in Britain by the resale of tickets. Read more:Chelsea star's £160,000 car seizedUK set to host 2035 Women's World Cup The limit could range from the cost of the original ticket to a 30% uplift to stop the public being "fleeced" by professional touts. Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, Rupa Huq, has separately proposed a change to the law to improve pricing transparency on secondary ticketing sites. "It's an unregulated market," she told Sky News. "It's like the Wild West. It needs getting back into control."