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Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor, in Iran
Mar 17
Inside Iran's children's wards: The painful human cost of US-Israel airstrikes

In the intensive care unit of one, four-year-old Anita lies in a coma with severe head injuries a few days after being pulled out of the rubble of her home when it was destroyed in an airstrike. Her mother Zeiba was in torment, clutching her tiny hand and begging her to wake up. Doctors say she almost certainly never will. Later, I asked her if she had a message for Donald Trump about this war. "Why did this happen to us?" she said, pausing to let out her tears. "To innocent people, my innocent four-year-old girl, who was only going downstairs to come to me, why do it to ordinary people like us? "We were sitting together at home, they have taken away our safety, our happiness, and the health of our children." Anita had been playing with her 14-year-old brother and was coming down the stairs, answering their mother's call, when the missile came in. It was terrifying, he told us: "Suddenly, everywhere went black. I didn't understand what happened next. I didn't hear a sound, nothing… I thought I was dreaming." Israel and America are calling their airstrikes precision-targeted. The term often loses most of its meaning when you see the impact on the ground. Civilians are being hurt in the air campaign here because some airstrikes are being used on targets in residential areas. That is abundantly clear in places like Resalat in eastern Tehran. Here, missiles have devastated a huge area the size of a city block. There was a Basij or paramilitary security force base here, say residents, but civilian apartments too, many of them. We could see the impact of several direct hits on two apartment blocks. We met Seyed Hossein Sane, whose daughter had been at home when the missiles struck mid-afternoon. He'd been at work. 35-year-old Seyedeh Farideh's body was pulled out of the rubble and identified three days later. Read more:Tehran is dotted with the scars of warVoters split on Starmer's Iran stance Seyed had this message for the leader of whichever country sent the missiles: "I wish the same thing would happen to them that they would have to identify the body of their youth with their own hands. Them and their families. "Same as what I did to the body of my daughter after three days, I wish that for whoever caused this." Israelis and Americans say their airstrikes are the best way of achieving their war aims, regime change among them. But the longer they go on, the greater the human cost and anguish.

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Gemma Peplow, culture and entertainment reporter
Mar 16
Inside the Oscars winners' room: Standing ovations, party plans, and media bingo

For this year's Academy Awards, this was my spot - a front-row seat to the stars everyone is talking about. The room holds several hundred reporters and there's an Oscar-worthy buffet in the hallway outside to keep us going all day. All the journalists are hoping to be selected to ask a question. Each winner is limited to answering about three to four and you show interest by holding up numbered cards. It's then up to a moderator to select which reporters get to ask away. But it's not just about questions. It's about witnessing those little moments behind the scenes, the things you don't get to see on TV. There's a buzz in the room that builds and builds as the big winners come in towards the end, with one star in particular eliciting a lot of love from the journalists. Here are the best moments. Jessie Buckley's party plans After making history as the first Irish woman to collect the best actress Oscar, Jessie Buckley was asked what her message is to all her supporters back in Ireland who stayed up overnight to watch her win. "Don't go to bed, keep partying!" she replied. "That's what I'm going to do." After winning not just the Oscar, but also the BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Actor Award before it, you would expect nothing less. "I'm so grateful for the support, and I feel the love. Man, I feel it. "I feel it from young people and old people, from women and men, and from my family," Buckley said, adding that she had relatives from New Zealand and Australia as well as Ireland who had flown to LA for the ceremony. "That makes it real," she said. "They're the people who built me. "To share this moment with them and know that back home they are either drunk or staying up - I'm delighted for us all." Standing ovation for Michael B Jordan Buckley got a big cheer, but Michael B Jordan's is even bigger. It takes about 40 seconds for the applause to die down after Jordan is announced as the next winner to be coming into the room. All the journalists are on their feet as he walks in with his Oscar. Winning the award feels "timely", he said, adding that he is here because of black winners before him, such as Denzel Washington and Halle Berry. "Dream big," he said, is his advice for other young creatives. "And be kind, be honest." Being supportive to the next generation is important to him, he added: "So trying to be an example. I'm not a big talker, but I like to think I'm about that action." Cue more applause as he left the room. Making history 'for the ladies in the room and girls at home' Jordan was not the only Sinners star to get a big reaction in the room, with a huge round of applause, too, for cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw. When her name was announced as the winner, she became the first woman ever to win this category in 98 years of the Oscars. "It's tricky because when you go up there you have so much to say, especially after 98 years," she said. "But one thing I was going to say that I had written down was that a lot of little girls that look like me will sleep really well tonight because they'll want to become cinematographers." She said she wanted the award "for all the ladies in the room, and I wanted it for all the girls at home". K-pop Demon Hunters songwriters finish speech after being stage cut-off After being cut off during the acceptance speech for best song, Ejae, singer-songwriter on the KPop Demon Hunters hit Golden, said she wanted to thank fellow singers Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, because they "killed it with their singing and they're just incredible people". After it was noted that there had been some booing when they were cut off on stage, songwriter and composer Mark Sonnenblick said he had wanted to thank his family and "everybody who worked on this movie, all the animators, it was a real collaboration across the board". Awards librarians We had a very rare moment during this year's ceremony - a tie, with The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva sharing the award for best live-action short film. In the 98-year history of the Academy Awards, this had only happened six times before. How did I find this out so quickly? Well, in one corner of the press room, there are Academy Awards librarians who can give you any fact or figure you want to know about the Oscars. So when the tie was announced, cue a queue of reporters trying to find out exactly how rare a feat this is. The last time it happened was in 2012, when Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty were both recognised for sound editing. Oscars bingo The first winner of the night was Amy Madigan, named best supporting actress for her chilling performance in Weapons, and she was quick to note the journalists holding their cards up. "How do you decide who gets to ask a question?" she asked, getting a laugh. "Is it like bingo or something, how does it work?" Asked whether she was prepared for a possible win, she said she knew it was a special day as she had shaved her legs especially.

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Jon Craig, chief political correspondent
Mar 17
Zelenskyy boasts about Ukrainian drone tech in more upbeat speech to MPs and peers

They were the ones that memorably earned him a dressing down from Donald Trump in the Oval Office last year. But in his third speech to the UK parliament since the Russian invasion four years ago, we saw him suited and booted and playing the international salesman. Politics latest: Zelenskyy says Ukrainians 'know they can trust Britain' He was dressed in a black shirt and buttoned up suit jacket for his meetings with the King, Sir Keir Starmer and then for his speech to MPs and peers. Andy Burnham chic, sort of. And his sales pitch was championing Ukrainian drone technology, using an iPad which he brandished and boasted about during his speech. So professional was the sales pitch that during his visit to parliament, Speaker's Court, where government ministers' limos park, was turned into a showroom, with half a dozen Ukrainian drones on display. Alongside the salesmanship, perhaps the most remarkable part of his speech was how he linked the war in Ukraine with the current conflict in the Middle East. Ukraine's drone technology had a key role to play in defending western allies against attacks by Iran, he said. It could help defend RAF bases in Cyprus, he added. Ukrainian interceptor drones could intercept Iranian-built missiles, which Russia also uses, for $10,000 - much cheaper than other ways of shooting them down. Ukraine has sent teams of 200 anti-drone experts to the Middle East, he revealed, currently operating in the Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and heading to Kuwait. For this reason, though he didn't ignore the horrors inflicted on his country by Russia, this speech to the UK's parliamentarians was rather more upbeat than the first two. His first, in March 2022, just weeks after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, was delivered by video link during the COVID pandemic. Speaking in his familiar dark green combat gear, through an interpreter, he evoked the spirit of Winston Churchill. "We will fight to the end," he said. "We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight until the end at sea, in the air." That, of course, was the same Winston Churchill to whom Sir Keir was once again being compared so unfavourably by President Trump at the very moment Mr Zelenskyy was speaking to MPs. By the time Mr Zelenskyy spoke in parliament a second time, in February 2023, Rishi Sunak had succeeded Boris Johnson as prime minister. Speaking in 900-year-old Westminster Hall, he praised Britain's support, with special mentions for "Boris", who was watching, and "Rishi". This time, there was praise and warmth for "Keir". He was speaking in parliament's committee room 14, overlooking the River Thames and the scene of often-brutal showdowns between party leaders and backbenchers at packed meetings of the Tories' 1922 Committee and the Parliamentary Labour Party. But the mood now was very different. The session opened with a powerful welcome and tribute by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle who said: "Your country has shown incredible determination and ability in defending itself against the Russian aggression. "But we cannot celebrate because we cannot forget." Read more from Sky News:US doesn't need help from 'one way street' NATO, Trump saysPolanski to warn PM 'hasn't done enough' over energy bill hikes Mr Zelenskyy ended by apologising for far exceeding his 20-minute speaking slot and again hailing his trusty iPad, which he claimed he gave to the King earlier. He said the monarch asked if he had multiple iPads, but he said he only had one. So Charles had told him he would share it with the prime minister. It was a joke President Zelenskyy would almost certainly not have made in his more gloomy previous speeches to the UK parliament.

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No Writer
Mar 16
Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc: Did 'feisty' battle at Chinese Grand Prix ignite Ferrari rivalry in 2026 F1 season?

Hamilton and Leclerc demonstrated the best of F1's new regulations with several overtakes and re-overtakes around the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday, having also got close in Saturday's Sprint too. The pair remarkably only made minor contact once, or a "kiss" according to Hamilton, who came out on top to claim his first podium as a Ferrari driver. F1 2026 Schedule | F1 2026 Standings | F1 Gossip ColumnDownload the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 "It felt like go-karting, back and forth, back and forth, and you could really position your car in a nice way where there was a thin piece of paper between us sometimes," said Hamilton. "But we didn't exchange any paint. I think that's down to great drivers and respect." George Russell had a front row seat for much of the battle, before finding a way past the Ferrari duo, and was amazed by how hard the racing was. "I was just waiting for the two of them to collide and somehow they didn't. It was some of the most aggressive racing I've seen for a while," he said. "If I wasn't trying to win the race, I'd have been enjoying the battle, but obviously watching Kimi [Antonelli] pull away during those points it was a little bit annoying." Villeneuve questions if Ferrari fighting will cost them vs Mercedes It was Leclerc who started the on-track battling on Sunday just before half distance of the 56-lap Chinese Grand Prix with both Ferraris in podium positions and Russell in fourth. Although the Ferrari fight was exciting, the pair were not driving in an optimal way and Russell was able to get by when he had appeared stuck. Sky Sports F1's Jacques Villeneuve thinks Hamilton and Leclerc both want to be "the man" at Ferrari, even if it means losing time to their rivals by battling. "Lewis is feisty and fighting. He was quite cool, minding his own business, not letting Antonelli get away too far," said the 1997 F1 world champion "But then Leclerc decided not to play the team game and played the Leclerc game, caught him by surprise, but he should have seen it coming. The same thing happened in the Sprint. "It turned out OK but it was a little bit extreme and destroyed Ferrari's race. They were running second and third, fighting so hard, destroying their tyres. "At some point, if you keep taking lap time away from each other, it allows Mercedes to get away and they are not that far from Mercedes with a car that can race. Mercedes should worry a little bit about Ferrari coming back because they are not that far behind in points." Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur says he "trusts" his drivers and it would have been "unfair" to call the battle off. "I have a huge respect for both of them. They are professional and I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race," he said. "I know perfectly that it can also look completely stupid half an hour later, but at the end of the day I think it's also the best way to build up a team. We need to have this kind of emulation into the team to improve. "As long as it's done like it was done in China, even a couple of times in the radio they told us that they had good fun, I don't want to freeze the position." Will Ferrari have problem of two evenly matches drivers? Last year, Leclerc was clearly quicker than Hamilton for much of the season so Ferrari rarely had the problem of their drivers scrapping for the same piece of track. The opening two races this year have shown Leclerc and Hamilton are much more evenly matched, so the team may need to step in if the drivers go over the limit, or face the awkwardness of a collision - something F1 history shows is an inevitability when team-mates are regularly fighting. There was perhaps more eagerness in China between the Ferrari pair to be ahead of one another knowing there was a high chance of a Safety Car. Earlier in the race, Leclerc had to stack behind Hamilton in the pit stops when most drivers pitted after Lance Stroll caused a Safety Car when he came to a halt. The increased unreliability of the 2026 cars means drivers may suddenly pull over to the side of the track, therefore increasing the possibility of a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car, where drivers may get a cheaper pit stop. At the Miami Grand Prix, on one of the few occasions last year when the Ferraris were battling, the team were slow to deploy team orders when Hamilton appeared faster and was stuck behind Leclerc. The British driver stated "have a tea break while you're at it" on the team radio during one of the heated exchanges with his engineer Riccardo Adami. But, Hamilton has appeared to be much happier with his new race engineer Carlo Santi, who has been appointed on an interim basis. "I think I came into the season with the confidence that I used to have, and I think I've stuck at it," said Hamilton. "It's the hardest thing just to get a podium compared to a lot through my career and it was the biggest challenge to get that, and I just had to bide my time. I think coming into the season I really cultivated that really positive mental attitude and I'm taking that forward with me." If Hamilton continues his strong start to 2026, he will be confident of a spectacular first victory in red. However, a fast Hamilton will give Ferrari a headache, albeit a nice one, as their two drivers will surely end up battling more - but it cannot be to the detriment of losing out to Mercedes. Formula 1 next heads to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix on March 27-29 live on Sky Sports F1. 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Adele Robinson, news correspondent
Mar 18
'My daughter thought she was talking to a boy online and sent nude pics - but it was someone else'

Marie and Dan say their daughter's childhood stopped when she was just 12 years old. "Her innocence was taken away," Dan says. Their child believed she was talking online to a 14-year-old boy from London. In fact, she was being preyed on by a predator who she sent nude photographs of herself. A tearful Marie is haunted by the impact on her daughter. "You go through all those questions thinking, 'I should have done more because I'm her mum, and I'm supposed to protect her'," she says. The couple describe how the offender told their daughter he knew where she lived, and threatened to harm her and her family if she failed to do as he asked. "She was really fearful we were going to be hurt," Marie says. Dan adds: "Then, once that threat abated slightly, it was then, 'well, I'm going to commit suicide if you don't keep providing me with images'." Experts say there is a "notable gap" in what we know about how offenders are using online platforms to exploit children - and they want to address it. Sky News has been given exclusive access to a world-first report surveying online perpetrators globally. Researchers carried out an anonymous survey among perpetrators who have used known keyword terms to search for child sexual abuse material on the dark web. More than 20,000 responses were received, with participants taking part voluntarily, in several different languages, and they did not receive payment. 'Way too easy to access child abuse material' It found that most offenders (59%) who search for child sexual abuse material first saw it when they were children themselves - including some (13%) when they were 10 or younger. The research by Protect Children, funded by Ofcom, also found around a quarter (24%) of offenders first encountered child sexual abuse material by accident, without searching for it. One offender described it as being "way too easy" to access child abuse material. Another said: "It used to be nearly impossible, now it's two clicks away, well, maybe three." Other perpetrators said "it's all over the normal web", "it's almost everywhere", and, while some sites had been taken down, "new sites pop up really fast". Read more from Sky News:Survivor of online child abuse shares storyWhat are symptoms of meningitis and how can it be treated? According to the report, 10% of offenders said they viewed content involving infants and toddlers aged three or under; 29% reported viewing material involving children aged four to 10; half of offenders said they viewed content involving 11 to 14-year-olds; and 51% viewed material involving 15 to 17‑year‑olds. Nearly a third (29%) admitted viewing violent sexual activity involving children, and almost a quarter (24%) said they view sexual content involving children and animals. Those who took part in the survey were signposted to prevention resources, and more than 2,200 clicked through to a "ReDirection" programme. Almudena Lara, Ofcom's online safety policy development director, said preventing abuse "requires a deep understanding of the motivations of perpetrators and the ways technology can be exploited to enable these crimes". "This research will help inform and strengthen the global effort to protect children online," she added. Call for government action Marie and Dan, who are not using their real names to protect their daughter's identity, want stronger action from the government, saying: "If they can fine a water company £20m…they should be doing £100m to a company that can permanently damage a child's welfare." Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said the government is taking "swift action" to protect children from online sexual abuse and exploitation online. She added: "Soon, anyone who possesses, creates or shares tools for generating child sexual abuse material, publishes guidance on how legitimate technologies can be twisted to this purpose, or operates platforms that spread this filth will face tough prison sentences."

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Bethany Minelle, arts and entertainment reporter
Mar 16
Oscars 2026: Bridesmaids, Baby Yoda and ballet bites back - the bits of the Oscars you might have missed

Sinners followed in second place, with four wins, then Frankenstein with three, but of course, the Oscars are about more than just numbers. Here are our stand-out moments for 2026. Timmy, Leo and Ted get roasted Second-time host Conan O'Brien did not hold back in his opening monologue. Taking a swipe at Timothee Chalamet's recent comment that "nobody cares" about opera and ballet, he joked: "I should tell you, security is tight tonight, I'm told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities." O'Brien added, "They're just mad you left out jazz". A close-up of the audience showed a laughing Chalamet, sitting next to his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, who was wearing a sparkling red gown with a plunging neckline. Leonardo DiCaprio got similar treatment, as O'Brien took a moment to restock the actor's already plentiful supply of memes, asking him to portray "The feeling when you didn't agree to this". A bemused DiCaprio gestured with his hands as he looked to the camera. Cutting away, O'Brien said: "We'll sort it in the edit". The streamers came in for some harsh words, too. Zoning in on Netflix boss Ted Sarandos, who nearly bought Warner Bros earlier this year, O'Brien joked: "It's the first time he's in a theatre". He added that Sarandos was thinking, "What are they all doing, enjoying themselves? They should be home where I can monetise it!" O'Brien also lamented the lack of nominees for Amazon MGM: "Why isn't the website I order toilet paper from winning more Oscars?" A real Hollywood power couple While Chalamet and Jenner have been together for around three years - which some would say is a long time in Hollywood - the real props have to go to Hollywood power couple Amy Madigan and Ed Harris. Exactly 40 years after she was nominated for her first Oscar for the 1985 film Twice In A Lifetime, Madigan finally won her first Oscar, bagging best supporting actress for her stellar turn as creepy Aunt Gladys in Weapons. It's the record for the longest time between first nomination and first win. The 75-year-old star, who admitted to being "flummoxed" and "overwhelmed", paid tribute to her husband of over 40 years. She said of all her thanks: "The most important is my beloved Ed, who's been with me forever, and that's a long-ass time, and none of this would mean anything if he wasn't by my side." All about the music (and the ballet) The ceremony featured two live performances from two of the biggest movies of the night. First, an atmospheric rendition of I Lied To You, led by Sinners star Miles Caton, with musicians and actors filling both the stage and auditorium, mirroring the iconic scene from the film. Ballerina Misty Copeland - who has recently been in the headlines countering Chalamet's remarks about ballet and opera - was featured in the song's finale, twirling across the stage in red, and very much proving the point that ballet is far from dead. The second song of the night was Golden, from Netflix mega hit KPop Demon Hunters. Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami performed in white, flanked by a stage full of dancers with golden flags. Meanwhile, the audience waved small lamp-like lights in the darkened auditorium, with close-ups on stars including director Steven Spielberg and One Battle star Teyana Taylor bopping away. The movie went on to win best original song and best animated feature film, but despite its success, some fans felt the team behind the hit had been cheated after they had their speeches cut off not once but twice, with the play-off music abruptly ending both acceptance speeches. In other musical news, Oscar's music director Michael Bearden and his orchestra premiered the Timothee Chalamet "bum drum" - a bare mannequin bottom and two ping-pong paddles which were used several times throughout the night, referencing a scene in the film where Chalamet's character, Marty Supreme, is spanked with a paddle. It's a tie! The best live action short film provided some unexpected drama after the category was won by not one but two films - People Exchanging Saliva and The Singers. It is the first time since 2013 that there have been tied winners, when Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty shared the sound editing award. There have been five other ties in Oscars history, making this tie the seventh. "Thank you to the Academy for supporting a movie that is weird, that is queer, and made by a majority of women!" said Natalie Musteata of Two People Exchanging Saliva. Director Sam A Davis of Singers called his short a "simple story about the power of music and art to bring us together in a moment when we live in an increasingly isolated world". After the winners left the stage, host O'Brien congratulated them and said, "You just ruined 22 million Oscar pools". Extended In Memoriam Looking back on a year where the industry said goodbye to so many of its own, there was an extended In Memoriam section. Billy Crystal opened the segment honouring his best friend, Rob Reiner, who was found dead with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their home in December. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with the deaths of his parents and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. A host of actors with longstanding ties to Reiner, including Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Fred Savage, Demi Moore, John Cusack, and Ione Skye, appeared on the stage, with Crystal rounding off his tribute by saying, "Buddy, what fun we had storming the castle". Rachel McAdams paid tribute to Diane Keaton, the star of films including Annie Hall, who died in October. McAdams said the actress "she wore so many hats literally and figuratively", calling her "a legend with no end". An emotional Barbara Streisand sang The Way We Were, the title tune of the film she starred in with Robert Redford in 1973, paying tribute to the late actor-director who died in September, praising him as a man with "real backbone on and off the screen". Tribute was also paid to stars including British playwright Tom Stoppard, Superman star Terrance Stamp and Home Alone actress Catherine O'Hara. Politics makes its way in Host O'Brien alluded to the "chaotic and frightening times" at the top of the show, while celebrating "optimism" and the "hope of better". Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who was presenting the award for best international film, said as soon as he reached the microphone: "No to war and free Palestine." Accepting the award, Sentimental Value director Joachim Trier quoted James Baldwin, saying: "All adults are responsible for all children," he said. "Let's not vote for politicians that don't take this seriously into account." Director Paul Thomas Anderson referenced "the mess that we left in this world". While presenter Jimmy Kimmel, who was briefly taken off-air last year, said, "There are some countries that don't support free speech," said Kimmel. "I'm not at liberty to say which. Let's just leave it at North Korea and CBS." Announcing the winners of documentary short and documentary feature, Kimmel also appeared to make a dig at the US president, whose wife, Melania's own documentary was recently released, saying, "Oh man, is he gonna be mad his wife wasn't nominated for this". History is made - twice Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win best cinematographer, for her role on Ryan Coogler's vampire horror Sinners. Arkapaw, who was the first woman of colour to be nominated in the category, asked all the women in the Dolby Theatre to stand, saying, "I feel like I don't get to be here without you guys… I have gotten so much love from women throughout this whole campaign, and things like this don't happen without you guys". Meanwhile, Jessie Buckley made history as the first Irish woman to win best actress, for her role as William Shakespeare's wife Agnes in Hamlet. Giving an emotional speech, Buckley dedicated her prize to "the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart", revealing the name of her eight-month-old daughter, Isla, who she said was probably asleep and unaware and "dreaming of milk". She told her husband Freddie Sorensen, "I want to have 20,000 more babies with you", and thanked director Chloe Zhao and writer Maggie O'Farrell for "letting me know this incandescent woman and journey to understand the capacity of a mother's love". All in all, a triumph on what Mother's Day is here in the UK. For all those who came before In possibly the most closely fought race of the night, a visibly stunned Michael B Jordan took best actor for his dual role in Sinners. Accepting his award, Jordan thanked his family for their support, saying, "God is good, and Mamma, what's up? Pop where you at? My dad flew over from Ghana to be here, and my sisters and my brothers". He went on to say: "I stand here because of the people that came before me - Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith". Jordan is the sixth black man to win the best actor trophy. He added, "I know you guys wanted me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me, so thank you for keeping betting on me. I'm going to keep stepping up, and I'm going to keep being the best version of myself I can be." Bridesmaids, Baby Yoda, Anna Wintour and Lionel Richie There were plenty of unexpected presenter appearances to keep the audience on their toes. Bridesmaids stars Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Ellie Kemper reunited after 15 years to present best score and best original sound. Lionel Richie was back on the Oscar stage 40 years after winning an Oscar for Say You, Say Me, to present best song. Former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour proved her comedy chops, teaming up with Devil Wears Prada star Anne Hathaway to present best costume, ignoring Hathaway's question about her dress and later calling her "Emily". And in perhaps the most unexpected appearance of the night, when Alien star Sigourney Weaver presented best production design alongside Pedro Pascal, Baby Yoda rocked up in the audience, sat next to Kate Hudson. Giving Weaver the chance to reenact her famous line, "Get away from him, you bitch", the 76-year-old followed it up by pointing to Hudson and signalling, "I'm watching you". Later in the evening, O'Brien castigated Baby Yoda for not being able to clap, urging, "Try to clap Grogu, try", before adding, "What a cruel thing to do, to bring a creature who can't clap to an award show", as the camera zoomed in on the furry little fellow unable to reach his tiny hands together. Cheeky Gwyneth! And while Gwyneth Paltrow was not up for an award, she didn't disappoint in the fashion department. Paltrow was part of the team presenting the first-ever best casting award. From the front, her elegant Georgio Armani gown looked tame - almost bridal - but a side glance of the ivory silk dress revealed fully cutout sides. Although Paltrow wore sparkly, nude tulle trousers underneath, the resulting look revealed plenty of skin, earning plenty of second looks on the red carpet, 27 years on from her best actress win.

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Lucy McDaid, political correspondent
Mar 17
Polanski to warn Starmer 'hasn't done enough' to protect energy customers from bill hikes

Sky News understands the Green Party leader is about to pile further pressure on the prime minister, who has so far dismissed calls to make any more immediate financial decisions as the crisis in Iran continues. Mr Polanski is expected to add to the calls for the prime minister to do more as part of his first major intervention on the economy since becoming the party's leader. In it, he'll try to position the Greens as a party credible on fiscal policy. He's expected to urge the government to set aside £8.4bn to cover potentially stark energy bill rises once the new price cap ends in June. He'll suggest the government should "tighten up" the windfall tax on energy companies in a bid to claw back any "excess profiteering" from the war in the Middle East, while he'll push the chancellor to further raise taxes on the rich and equalise capital gains tax with income tax as an immediate revenue raiser. On Monday, Sir Keir announced that the most vulnerable households who have been hit by the sharp increase in the price of heating oil will get help from a £53m support package. But the government has suggested it will only intervene if "necessary" to help customers who will be shielded by the energy price cap, which comes in from April until the end of June. Mr Polanski is set to warn on Wednesday that the support offered so far isn't enough, following the likes of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in criticising the government's response to the domestic impact of the conflict. He'll also make the case that energy customers could have been better protected from this latest price shock, were the UK more reliant on clean energy. The Green leader's speech will be delivered at the New Economics Foundation, a think-tank that identifies itself as working towards an economy that "works for people within environmental limits". Mr Polanski is expected to deliver a broad diagnosis on what's gone wrong with the economy and argue that Britain has gone "from a place which made things people need, to a place which made money for people who owned things". Read more:Voters split over whether Starmer is handling Iran war wellStop blaming Brexit for economic woes, Reeves told It will come a day after Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Mais lecture at the Bayes Business School, in the heart of the City, and less than a month on from Labour's crushing defeat to the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-election. This week, Labour MP Chris Curtis warned his party risks losing a whole generation of voters to the Greens if it doesn't change course, pressing the government to reform the student loan repayment system and more generally improve its offering to young people. According to Green Party insiders, Mr Polanski has been working to sharpen up his economic offering ever since he became the party's leader in September last year. He's been having in-depth conversations with the likes of Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel prize-winning economist, on financial inequality and productivity stagnation. He has also spoken with Gabriel Zucman, the man once referred to as a 'billionaire's nightmare', for his policies around wealth taxation. It's a clear indicator of Mr Polanski's policy direction, which we already know features a desire to nationalise water companies, introduce rent controls, and more controversially, legalise all drugs. But where his political opponents see him exposed, Mr Polanski will attempt to look strong. And dispel the criticism that his ideas for power are fully funded by a magic money tree.

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Mar 18
TGL golf: Jupiter Links GC defeats Rory McIlroy's Boston Common as Tommy Fleetwood sends LA to finals

Tiger Woods continued to sit out of the 2026 season as he recovers from injury, while McIlroy returned to action after his unsuccessful title defence at The Players. Jupiter Links GC, who finished in last in the inaugural season of TGL, upset McIlroy's Boston Common 9-5 at the SoFi Center, as Los Angeles Golf Club dethroned defending TGL champion Atlanta Drive 6-4 led by Fleetwood's strategic use of the Hammer on the 14th hole and several clutch putts from Rose. TGL golf LIVE! Latest scores, reports, highlightsFormat, teams, scoring and how TGL worksGot Sky? Watch TGL LIVE on your phoneGet Sky Sports or stream with no contract "Now the 'Bad News Bears' can play," Woods said. "So we're back and we're now advancing into the finals and it's been incredible. "As I said, the bonding that has, that occurs - no matter what team you're on whether you're playing for Ryder Cup or playing Presidents Cup, World Cups, whatever it is, the bonding that happens in this, in teams, it's so different and unique." Akshay Bhatia, signed with Jupiter Links as an alternate in January, has shot par or better in 20 straight PGA Tour rounds since the start of February. He starred alongside Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner. "I think the bond is the biggest thing," Bhatia said. "I've definitely gotten a lot closer with Max, especially at tournaments. Now I feel like every practice round we're texting each other, and TK same thing. "Obviously to have the greatest player of all time in your corner is really, really cool. I'm glad that I was an alternate for this team because this is definitely the kind of the best, you know, gathering of guys that I could have imagined." Homa, who was matched up against McIlroy in singles, delivered the clean sweep of their two holes together. His par-saver on No. 13, where he hit the Steph Curry 'Night night' celebration, proved to be the match-winning point. "It's kind of win or go home. Unfortunately, we're on the 'go home' end of that tonight," said Adam Scott, who played alongside McIlroy and Keegan Bradley. Los Angeles overcame an early deficit with Rose nailing a 24-foot birdie to get Los Angeles on the board before the 45-year-old handed his team the lead for the first time in the match with a birdie at No 14. Fleetwood's strategic use of the Hammer on the 14th hole was a pivotal moment in the match. Los Angeles had been leading 5-4 and threw the hammer with Billy Horschel needing to make a par to tie. Patrick Cantlay tried to convince Billy Horschel to accept the hammer, so the team had a clean chance to win on No 15, but Horschel declined, and the team fell behind 6-4 and with it, the match. Rose called it "genius" after saying he had no clue what was happening. "I was unaware of it," he said. "Next thing I knew the thing [Hammer] was on the ground. So it was like, 'What the hell's going on here?'" "It just felt like the right thing to do," Fleetwood said. "It obviously gave them a pretty tough decision to make. Maybe I got lucky with thinking the right way at the right time." Watch every match of the 2026 TGL season exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

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