US forces boarded the Marinera - originally known as the Bella 1 - between Iceland and Scotland as it headed towards Russia on Wednesday. Two US officials told Reuters a Russian submarine and warship had been close by. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, posted on X: "The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT - anywhere in the world." Live updates: US seizes oil tanker linked to Venezuela and Russia Why was it seized? The US has been pursuing the Marinera for two weeks since it slipped through a "blockade" around Venezuela. It was sanctioned in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The US Coast Guard tried to intercept it last month but it refused to be boarded. The ship was sailing under a Guyana flag when it left the Caribbean, but has since registered under a Russian flag. UK Defence Secretary John Healey said it had a "nefarious history" and was "part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine". Was the UK involved? Britain provided "enabling support", including the use of bases, to US forces intercepting the tanker. "RFA Tideforce [often used as a refuelling vessel] provided support for US forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air," said the Ministry of Defence. Mr Healey said UK forces had shown "skill and professionalism in support of a successful US interception" and called it "part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting". What has Russia said? Russia's transport ministry has said "no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states". A senior politician from President Putin's party, Andrei Klishas, called it an act of "outright piracy", according to Russian state news agency TASS. The country's foreign ministry previously said the tanker was following international maritime law and its freedom of navigation should be respected, reported state broadcaster RT. Events come after Venezuela's president 'captured' It is the latest tanker to be targeted by the US Coast Guard since Donald Trump's campaign to put pressure on Venezuela. The seizure came days after US special forces launched a dawn raid into Caracas to capture Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, and take him to the United States. He was then turned over to federal authorities for prosecution on charges involving alleged drug trafficking. US seizes separate Venezuela-linked tanker The US Coast Guard also intercepted another Venezuela-linked tanker in Caribbean waters, the US Southern Command said. The vessel was the Panama-flagged supertanker M Sophia, which is under sanctions and had departed from Venezuelan waters in early January as part of a fleet of ships carrying Venezuelan oil to China. What has Trump said? In an all-caps statement on his Truth Social platform after the seizure, US President Donald Trump said: "Russia and China have zero fear of NATO without the United States, and I doubt NATO would be there for us if we really needed them." He added: "We will always be there for NATO, even if they won't be there for us."

Alexander Boyd, also known as Sandy, preyed on the two girls while working as a social care officer at a residential unit for looked-after children in the town of Oban, in Argyll and Bute. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said the 56-year-old manipulated both victims under the guise of friendship. One of Boyd's victims died before his trial took place, but her handwritten statement and recorded police interview helped to deliver justice. In November, Boyd was found guilty of four charges following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. He was convicted of two counts of assault and rape and two counts of indecent behaviour towards girls aged between 12 and 16. Prosecutors presented evidence from Boyd's former colleagues, which detailed their concerns about his behaviour. The staff accounts, supported by historical personnel and social work records, explained how he repeatedly failed to impose and respect appropriate boundaries. This included him buying mobile phone top-up cards so he could maintain contact with one child and driving them both around in his vehicle. Abuse stretched over three-year period COPFS said Boyd went on to sexually abuse and rape both girls on various occasions between 1999 and 2001. He was arrested and charged in November 2022. In a statement issued via COPFS to others impacted by sexual abuse, the surviving victim said: "We should never carry the shame of what others have done to us, that shame belongs only to them. "Our voices are our power, and silence is the only power they ever had." Jailed for eight years Boyd was handed a 10-year extended sentence on Wednesday, with eight years in jail and two years on licence after. His name was added to the sex offenders register indefinitely, with a non-harassment order also granted. Read more from Sky News:School bus crashes after slipping on black iceMan who sold chemical jailed for assisting suicide Faye Cook, procurator fiscal for high court sexual offences, said: "Alexander Boyd exploited a position of trust to systematically groom and sexually abuse vulnerable girls, who should have been safe under his care at the residential unit. "Boyd will now face the consequences of his actions, which I hope brings some comfort to all those affected by his criminal behaviour."

Adem Savas was also fined €400,000 (£346,000). The 45-year-old was arrested after arriving at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam in November 2024 and stood trial in Bruges, Belgium, for alleged involvement in people smuggling operations. He was accused of supplying engines and boats to people smugglers, shipping the boats from Turkey and storing them in Germany until they were transported to northern France. Savas was initially identified by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) after an investigation into Kurdish crime boss Hewa Rahimpur. Rahimpur headed a major Europe-wide smuggling ring thought to be behind the movement of more than 10,000 migrants in small boat crossings to the UK. He was arrested in 2022 near Ilford in east London and extradited to Belgium, where he was jailed for 11 years in October 2023, a sentence later increased to 13 years on appeal. Analysis of phones and devices seized during his arrest revealed Savas was his key supplier of boats and engines, and investigators believe he supplied equipment used in half of all Channel crossings in 2023. The NCA said Savas was the main importer of cheap outboard engines sourced from China, the type most frequently used by people smuggling gangs in the Channel. The agency said Savas was thought to have supplied equipment used in thousands of small boat crossings to the UK between 2019 and 2024. Charging around £4,000 on average for packages of boats and engines, he is thought to have made millions. Criminals shared Sky News report on fatal Channel crossing After 27 migrants died when their boat sank in the Channel in November 2021, Rahimpur sent Savas images of a white rubber boat and a screenshot of a Sky News article showing how an identical boat had been used in the fatal crossing. Equipment supplied by Savas 'likely involved in numerous fatal events' NCA director general of operations Rob Jones said: "Adem Savas was without doubt the most significant supplier of boats and engines to people smuggling gangs involved in organising deadly crossings in the Channel, the head of a criminal network stretching across Europe to the beaches of northern France and across into the UK. "He pretended to run a legitimate maritime supply company, but in reality he knew exactly how the equipment he provided would be used. He also knew exactly how unsuitable it was for long sea crossings. "Boats and engines supplied by Savas were likely involved in numerous fatal events in the Channel - he made money from each of those." Three other defendants were sentenced to 12 and 13 years in prison in absentia, and their arrest has been ordered. They were fined €600,000 (£520,000). Savas also had $100,000 (£74,000) in assets seized.

HMP Dartmoor was shut down in July 2024 after levels of radioactive radon gas higher than the recommended limit were detected, resulting in the relocation of more than 600 prisoners. Since then, the category C facility in Princetown, Devon, has remained empty and on Wednesday a report from the House of Commons public accounts committee revealed the 11-year lease, which ends in 2033, is costing HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) £4m a year. The report called the spend a "needless waste of taxpayers' money" and urged HMPPS, which is also committed to £68m in improvement costs to the jail, to "set out what it has learned from the failures of its decision making" and "ensure that any future contracts deliver value for money". The prison service argued that the new lease had to be signed due to a prison capacity crisis, however, MPs did not accept that as an excuse for what they called "poor commercial decisions". Read more on Sky News:Hundreds of foreign prison staff 'offered extension to visa'Rapper who 'boasted' about murder loses bid for release A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This government inherited a crisis in our prisons system, where prisons were on the brink of collapse, threatening a total collapse in law and order. "This government is addressing the prisons crisis through building 14,000 new prison places, and the Sentencing Bill which will deliver punishment that works." The Health and Safety Executive is currently investigating the radon levels at HMP Dartmoor, with a decision on whether to reopen the prison to be made once results have been delivered.

A letter to investors said the updated $108.4bn all-cash offer from Paramount, for the whole business, involved an "extraordinary amount of debt financing" that represented a risk to any deal completing. Paramount's bid was hostile, through a direct approach to WBD's shareholders, as the board had already thrown its weight behind the $72bn ($54bn) cash and stock offer made by Netflix in early December. It reiterated that continued support for the Netflix bid in the letter and dismissed claims by Paramount that its offer was "superior". Money latest: The postcodes eligible for cold weather payment The Netflix bid comprises WBD TV and film studios, their respective back catalogues including Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, alongside the HBO Max streaming service. Paramount made its case to WBD investors as it remained unclear whether the streaming market dominance enjoyed by Netflix would prove a stumbling block to its takeover deal, given likely interest from competition regulators. David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said when the hostile bid was launched: "Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion. "We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process." He urged them to "maximise" the value of their investment. WBD shares are currently trading around the $28 per share mark. The cash and stock deal offered by Netflix is valued at $27.75 per Warner share. Paramount's offer stacks up at $30 per share. While Netflix's offer has a lower headline value, financial analysts have said it presents a clearer financing structure and fewer execution risks than Paramount's bid for the entire company, including its cable TV business. Read more from Sky News:Bosses courted to join PM's China tripMusk's AI 'creating absolutely appalling' images The Warner Bros board told shareholders the Paramount financing plan would saddle the smaller Hollywood studio with $87bn in debt. It said the revised offer, which included a commitment to use $40bn in equity personally guaranteed by Mr Ellison's father - the Oracle billionaire co-founder Larry Ellison - remained inadequate. It cited "the insufficient value it would provide, the lack of certainty in PSKY's ability to complete the offer, and the risks and costs borne by WBD shareholders should PSKY fail to complete the offer".

Matthew Armstrong and Daniel Washbourne were arrested today after absconding from HMP Leyhill. Armstrong, 35, was convicted of murdering someone during a robbery in Warwickshire in 2009. Washbourne, 40, has previous convictions for offences of false imprisonment and violence against a person, police said. Avon and Somerset Police said Armstrong was arrested near Henley-in-Arden train station by Warwickshire Police just before midday following a sighting reported by a member of the public. Read more from Sky News:Man who sold chemical online jailed for assisting suicidesGirl falls from back of ambulance on M6 Washbourne was arrested at around 1.30am in Bristol city centre. He was initially taken to hospital after officers found him with pre-existing injuries but is now in police custody. Police had previously released CCTV images appealing to members of the public as they searched for the pair. Another man was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police in Bristol on Saturday 3 January. The 39-year-old has since been charged with escaping lawful custody and appeared in court on Monday. He is due to attend Bristol Crown Court next month.

Pictures showed the double-decker bus nose-first down an opening off the side of the road in Kent. Police were called after 8am after a bus left the road at Chilmington Green in Ashford. UK weather latest: Amber 'danger to life' wind alert among new Met Office warnings Officers and paramedics rushed to the crash site to help passengers, but there were no reported injuries. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said the bus was believed to have "slipped" off the road due to black ice. In a statement it said: "There are no reported injuries and the cause is believed to be the vehicle slipping on black ice. "Crews are reminding everyone to use extra caution when driving in cold temperatures as there could be black ice on the roads, so avoid sudden braking and leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front." Stagecoach confirmed the incident involving one of its school buses is under review. A Kent Police spokesperson said: "Officers attended and remain on scene to assist while passengers leave the bus and the vehicle is recovered. "Paramedics attended as a precaution. There were no reported injuries." Joel Mitchell, managing director at Stagecoach South East, said: "Stagecoach can confirm that an incident occurred on January 7 on the A28 in Ashford involving one of our school buses. "There are currently no reported injuries. Stagecoach is cooperating fully with the local authorities, and the circumstances surrounding the incident are under review." Bus and coach collide in Reading Elsewhere, nine children have been injured after a school coach and bus crashed in Earley, Reading. Eight adults from the bus also suffered minor injuries, as did the coach's driver, the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said. Two patients have been taken to hospital for further treatment, it added, while three adults and three children are being assessed at the scene, and the remaining 10 patients have been discharged. It was not known if the crash was related to the weather affecting the country.

Ashenafei Demissie, 53, is on trial at the Old Bailey, charged with causing the death of Fareed Amir as well as seriously injuring his own 12-year-old son. Demissie had been parked outside his flat in Borough, south London, in November 2022 when his Volkswagen ID.4 moved forward and hit the two boys before crashing into five stationary cars, the court heard. He claimed a fault on the electric car caused it to accelerate "of its own accord" before striking the youngsters, who were playing outside. However, following an examination of the vehicle in December 2022, Metropolitan Police traffic collision investigator Mark Still said on Wednesday he found no evidence of a fault, adding the incident was a case of "pedal misapplication". Mr Still told jurors: "I was unable to find any defect that contributed to the collision and I was unable to make the car accelerate without the driver driving. "I found no faults with the operation of the vehicle, including steering, brake and acceleration. "I was unable to make the vehicle move without any additional input. You had to make an action to make the vehicle move." Defendant says son triggered sensor Demissie told police he had not experienced any previous mechanical problems with car and believes it "jumped" because Fareed had triggered a sensor. Highlighting a number of previous incidents in which drivers had claimed their vehicles had accelerated when they believed they had been braking, Mr Still added: "They have put their foot on the wrong pedal. "The result of that is the car will start moving. Because the driver thinks they have their foot on the brake, they will likely press harder to make it stop ... it spirals out of control." Read more from Sky News:New twist in Netflix-Paramount bidding war for Warner BrosWaterstones owner lines up Rothschild to book listing slot Mr Still admitted he was not a computer expert or software engineer and said he had considered whether a mechanical failure, including an electrical fault, might have caused the collision. Demissie has denied the charges against him. The trial continues.

But the product he bought in bulk was to be sold with only one purpose. Cross, 33, has now been jailed for 14 years for selling a chemical that could have been used by those intending to take their own life. Two people died as a result of his dealing in that chemical. Cross, from Wrexham, had admitted four counts of intentionally committing an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide of another. He made no reaction as he was jailed by Judge Rhys Rowlands, who told the defendant: "Fortunately this is a rare and extremely serious case. "To repeat you were selling to complete strangers in the knowledge the substance to be used was to end another's life." Cross had set up a business selling the chemical through an internet discussion forum and interacted with others on the forum under a pseudonym. He joined the site in July 2024 and posted a QR code, which allowed people to order the chemical directly from him and pay via his bank account. Cross received payments of £100 from four people and sent them the chemical through the post. He was arrested in January last year following a police investigation into sales via the forum to assist with suicide. Officers found the chemical and other paraphernalia at his address. His devices, which were seized by police, linked Cross to the forum, social media profiles, and the bank account. One of those he provided the chemical to was 26-year-old Shubhreet Singh. Ms Singh died in West Yorkshire last year. The other person to die was the father of a man who purchased the chemical from Cross. He had found the package and confiscated it from his son but later used it to take his own life. Among those who are still alive is a woman who said she made the purchase at a time when she felt "vulnerable". She said: "Because this person made it so easily available makes me think they preyed on vulnerable people like me. "Although he does not know me and may not fully understand the impact of his actions, the substance he advertised, sold, and sent me could have ended my life and seriously impacted on my family." In police interviews, Cross was asked to provide details of anybody who might have received the chemical and who could therefore have been at risk. "Can you assist at all?" he was asked. "No," he replied. He later admitted the charges and his prosecution is the first of its kind. "I think it's been surprising that someone would stoop so low as to take advantage of people in such a vulnerable state and seek to profit from them," said North Wales police assistant chief constable Gareth Evans. "I would ask anybody in a difficult place or feeling really low or having any sort of suicidal thoughts that accessing specialist help from people at the Samaritans is the way to go and not engaging with the sort of forums where you will find predators like Cross waiting to take advantage of people's vulnerabilities." Alison Storey, senior specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime division, said: "Miles Cross had obviously targeted people who were vulnerable, who he knew were thinking about suicide. "He knew nothing about them. He didn't know whether they would be in a different state of mind if they were given time. Perhaps he didn't care. He had a profit to make." Police say the forum is no longer accessible to regular users in the UK. Ofcom has said it is continuing its investigation into the forum. But Andy Burrows, chief executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: "Miles Cross was able to callously use an online pro-suicide forum to target vulnerable people at risk of taking their own lives and sell them a poisonous substance linked to at least 133 UK deaths. "Ofcom should act immediately to apply fines and criminal sanctions against the owners of this forum and to deter copycat sites from springing up in its place." 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.

Police received a report at 5.17pm on Tuesday that the teenager had fallen from the back of the ambulance on the slip road from the M6 southbound to the M55 near Preston. She has been taken to hospital but is not thought to have suffered any serious injuries, Lancashire Police said. North West Ambulance Service said that the girl "exited a moving ambulance", adding that while the teenager is suspected to have suffered minor injuries, no one else was injured. Read more from Sky News:School bus crashes after slipping on black iceMan who sold chemical jailed for assisting suicides The motorway was closed for a short period but has since been fully reopened.