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Dec 14
London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger and 10-year-old girl among 15 killed in Bondi Beach terror attack

Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, died when two gunmen - a father and son - targeted a Hanukkah celebration at a park next to the beach on the first day of the Jewish festival of lights on Sunday evening. One of the attackers, a 50-year-old man, was killed along with 15 innocent people, aged between 10 and 87 years old. The other gunman, who has been named as 24-year-old Naveed Akram, is in a critical condition, police said. A 10-year-old girl died in hospital following the attack, while Israel's foreign ministry has said one of the country's citizens is also among the dead. Follow live: 15 people and gunman killed at event celebrating Hanukkah Mr Schlanger was assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, a Jewish cultural centre. His cousin, Rabbi Dovid Lewis, of the South Manchester Synagogue, told Sky News their great-uncle, the late Reverend Leslie Olsberg, served as a rabbi at the Heaton Park Synagogue in the city, where two people were killed in a terror attack on 2 October. He said his cousin had "dedicated his life to adding light and to spreading Torah and Judaism" and in the wake of the Manchester attack sent a post on social media saying: "We will respond with light." "There's a feeling of numbness, but there's also a feeling he lived," he said. "I'm not going to wallow in pity, I'm going to do something in his memory." He said his cousin "lit a light", adding: "I'm now obliged to pick up that light and become a torchbearer." He added: "We have got to say darkness can only be combatted with light. It's what he did, it's what I will do, it's what we ask everyone else to do as well." Mr Schlanger was a father of five who, along with his wife Chayala, celebrated the birth of their youngest child, a boy, two months ago, and grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, according to Jewish News. Another one of his cousins, Brighton-based Rabbi Zalman Lewis, described Mr Schlanger to Sky News as an "incredibly vivacious, energetic, positive guy" who had "dedicated his life to helping people". Read more:What we know so far about Bondi Beach shooting He said his initial reaction was one of "deep pain and confusion" but he quickly knew he had to respond with a "positive message of hope and light and positivity". "The world is a good place," he said. "There is some evil. There is some darkness. But overwhelmingly there is goodness in the world. And overwhelmingly there are good people in the world. And I came home and I said to myself, I need to create a positive energy for myself, for my family, for my community."

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Bethany Minelle, arts and entertainment reporter
Dec 13
'An enigma' to the end: John le Carré's son on his father - and how his legacy lives on

His son, Simon Cornwell, told Sky News: "I think there was only one thing that was more important to him than his family and that was his writing." First gaining attention in 1963 with his breakout novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, cementing his reputation 10 years later with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, his work is now enjoying a resurgence. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold has been adapted for the stage for the first time, with confirmation of a TV series to follow, while another of his works, The Night Manager, premieres its second season starring Tom Hiddleston in the new year. There are further productions waiting in the wings, plus an unfinished le Carré play with the potential to be developed. And archives of le Carré's work - containing over 1,200 boxes of material - have gone on display at the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford. Writing under a pen name, le Carré, who was born David Cornwell, died in December 2020. His elder sons, Simon and Stephen, now manage the film, TV and stage rights of his work through their studio The Ink Factory, while his youngest son, Nick, expands the George Smiley universe. Smiley's continuation 'could have gone horribly wrong' One of le Carré's most well-known creations, Smiley was the antidote to James Bond - bespectacled, balding and a little out of shape - and a recurring character in le Carré's books. Simon says Nick, who has two more Smiley books in the pipeline, was "taking on a big risk" developing the character, but insists, "he is the only person who could have done it and done it that well". He goes on: "He could find my father's voice… he grew up talking every day to my dad, as we did, and he just knows at an instinctive level what's important… "There are so many ways in which it could have gone horribly wrong, and it went brilliantly right." 'A family enterprise' Explaining how they all work together - calling it a "family enterprise in the best of ways" - Simon explains: "A lot of authors, when they die, they leave very strict instructions to their children, their estate as to how things should be managed and lots of rules and restrictions and everything else. My dad didn't do that." Le Carré's fourth son, Tim, sadly died aged 59 in 2022, shortly after editing a collection of his father's letters, titled A Private Spy. Le Carré is by no means the only author whose legacy lives on via others. Announcing a staggered retirement, Lee Child passed his hit creation Jack Reacher on to his younger brother Andrew in 2020. PG Wodehouse's much-loved Jeeves and Wooster stories have been rewritten this Christmas by celebrity fans including Frank Skinner and Alan Titchmarsh, half a century after his death. Staying part of the conversation is key While Ian Fleming's James Bond has been continued by 15 authors so far, and spilling into the young adult genre, capturing a whole new generation of readers. Mark Edlitz, intellectual expert and author of The Many Lives Of James Bond, told Sky News such continuations are essential to the survival of the work. "We have seen all these detectives and spies who don't have a movie series or a TV series to bolster their eyeballs, and then they fade from public view. "These books and movies help keep the author's work present and viable and part of the public conversation." Sarah Baxter, senior contracts advisor for The Society of Authors, says remaining relevant and visible has another big benefit too. "That kind of partnership can go on to give a whole new lease of life to works that may have been written many, many years ago, and it can go on to generate a lot of income for a literary estate." 'An enigma' More than 60 million copies of Le Carré's books have been sold worldwide, with new adaptations likely to boost those sales further. But Simon Cornwell says the investment in his father's work is about more than just profits. "We became very, very close as a family because he was very keen to be a proper dad and we were working with him and his material as well, so it was particularly towards the end of his life. It was a beautiful, thrilling thing." A master storyteller, the moral ambiguity of the fictional world he constructed reflected back on to its creator. Simon says: "He remained an enigma. I think in some ways he was probably an enigma to himself… "He was an extraordinary man to be close with, but do you ever understand somebody like that? Probably not." His work more widespread than ever, but the man himself - still a mystery. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is at @sohoplace in London's West End to 21 February before embarking on a UK Tour. John le Carré: Tradecraft is at the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford until 6 April.

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Dec 14
Specialist teams and online investigators deployed across England and Wales to tackle 'national emergency' of violence against women and girls

Shabana Mahmood said the dedicated units will be in place across every force by 2029 as part of Labour's violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy due to be launched later this week. The use of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs), which had been trialled in several areas, will also be rolled out across England and Wales. They are designed to target abusers by imposing curfews, electronic tags and exclusion zones. The orders cover all forms of domestic abuse, including economic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, stalking and 'honour'-based abuse. Breaching the terms can carry a prison term of up to five years. Nearly £2m will also be spent funding a network of officers to target offenders operating within the online space. Teams will use covert and intelligence techniques to tackle violence against women and girls via apps and websites. A similar undercover network funded by the Home Office to examine child sexual abuse has arrested over 1,700 perpetrators. Abuse is 'national emergency' Challenged on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on the amount of funding and whether it could be effective, Ms Mahmood said it would be a "pilot scheme for 18 months" because "we've never gone into the online space looking at violence against women and girls". "We'll be setting out more of our proposals on those specifics later in the coming week," she said. "But I think it is important that the state take some action because, you know, we're not willing to sit back and just accept that violence against women and girls is a fact of life. "And I think for too long across society, it's just something that we expect is just something that's normal. And we're calling time on that." The target to halve violence against women and girls in a decade is a Labour manifesto pledge. The government said the measures build on existing policy, including facial recognition technology to identify offenders, improving protections for stalking victims, making strangulation a criminal offence and establishing domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms. Read more from Sky News:Demands for violence and abuse reformsWomen still feel unsafe on streetsMinister 'clarifies' violence strategy Ms Mahmood went on to say there was a "postcode lottery" for victims and survivors in terms of what response they receive if they lodge an allegation. "We want to turn that around," she said. "That's why we think it has to be a national programme of making sure that these teams are rolled out across the country." Labour has 'failed women' But the Conservatives said Labour had "failed women" and "broken its promises" by delaying the publication of the violence against women and girls strategy. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that Labour "shrinks from uncomfortable truths, voting against tougher sentences and presiding over falling sex-offender convictions. At every turn, Labour has failed women".

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Dec 14
Jamie Carragher: Can Morgan Rogers lead Aston Villa to title and steal England No 10 spot?

Rogers scored twice - including a stunning 25-yard winner - to ensure Villa remained three points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal after a 3-2 comeback win at West Ham. The England international now has five goals and three assists in 16 Premier League games this season and Carragher described him as a "something special" after his sparkling performance at the London Stadium helped Villa to a 10th victory from 11 matches. West Ham 2-3 Aston Villa - Match report and highlightsLive Premier League table | Watch PL highlights for freeGot Sky? Watch PL games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 "The upturn in form since what we saw in the first few weeks of the season, it's been a complete contrast," Carragher said on Sky Sports. "We go back to the manager a lot, and rightly so. I think there is only Pep Guardiola in the Premier league right now who is a better manager than Unai Emery when you look at his CV and what he has done over his managerial career. "There are some top managers in the league but Emery has a great CV and he's done a brilliant job at Villa as well." "But Morgan Rogers is something special." "He's been one of those players that has sort of come from nowhere," he added. "They signed him from Middlesbrough for not a huge fee and he's gone on right now to not just being one of the best young players in the Premier League, which is what he was last season, but he's now looking like one of the best players in the Premier League. "That could be key if Aston Villa do feel that they could go on and contest the league title or go on and win it." Can Rogers drag Villa to the title? Having been winless in their first five, Aston Villaare on their best run in more than a century and their comeback win in east London keeps them firmly in the race for the Premier League title alongside Arsenal and Man City. And while Carragher doesn't believe Emery's side will get their hands on the trophy in May, he does think any chance they have could rest on Rogers. Carragher said: "Can Villa win the title? I don't think they can but if you are to win a title, and let's say Man City go on to win a title, they have Erling Haaland, who is the best player in the league. "If I look at Arsenal right now, I think of Declan Rice. If they go on and win the league I see Rice as a player of the year candidate. "But with Aston Villa, who could drive them to the title? Who is that special that they could be head and shoulders above everyone in the league? "The one player I look at is Rogers. "PFA young player of the year before, could he now go on and be PFA player of the year this season and drag Villa really close to a league title." 'Real fight between Bellingham and Rogers for England no. 10 shirt' Rogers' fine form this season has also seen him become a regular name for England under Thomas Tuchel. There's plenty of competition for the Three Lions no.10 jersey with many expecting Jude Bellingham to return as a starter by the time the World Cup comes around next summer. However, Carragher doesn't believes Bellingham's return is a given because of the form of Rogers. "Rogers has been one of those players, along with Elliot Anderson, in the last six months for England who most people look at and think it's a bold move to have them in the England team," Carragher said. "However, the longer they are in there, you think they should be in there. "What I would say is Rogers is competing with arguably our best player right now and he plays for Real Madrid in Jude Bellingham. Bellingham played the last game and in most people's eyes, and certainly in mine, once we get to the World Cup Bellingham will be playing in that position. "But the more I watch Rogers play, and I actually think Thomas Tuchel thinks like this, it's not an easy decision that Bellingham comes back in. "This is a real fight for Bellingham and Rogers to see who is going to play in that no. 10 position behind Harry kane at the World Cup for England. "If Rogers keeps playing like that, it's certainly not a given."

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Nicole Johnston, news correspondent
Dec 14
Photographer 'locked eyes' with gunman, as witness describes Bondi 'warzone'

Parents messaged their children and teenagers, who had been enjoying a late afternoon swim at Bondi. Witnesses said police were on the scene quickly, and the streets of Sydney's eastern suburbs were full of police cars and ambulances on their way to Bondi. Follow live: 11 people killed at event celebrating Hanukkah When we arrived, there were still dozens of people processing what had happened, and everywhere - shock. Witnesses told us that when the gunfire started some people took cover in the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. Once the threat was over, lifeguards helped the injured and used surfboards to carry them out. Some people were clearly traumatised and provided graphic detail of witnessing the shooting and seeing people killed in front of them. A photographer, Danny, was covering the Jewish holiday event. Read more: What we know so far He said he "locked eyes" with one of the gunmen, who then fired towards him. Danny said he was grazed by a bullet. He kept filming during the shooting, while taking cover. Sam, from France, was working at Bondi. He went to the scene of the attack and saw almost a dozen people lying on the ground covered in blood. Sam described it as like a "war zone". Rabbi Lei Wolff, from Central Synagogue in Sydney, went to Bondi as soon as he heard about the mass shooting. A dear friend of his, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was killed in the attack. Rabbi Wolff has called on people around the world to stand with Australia's Jewish community against terrorism.

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Dec 13
Actor Peter Greene, known for villainous roles in Pulp Fiction and The Mask, dies at 60

He was found dead at his New York City apartment on Friday, his manager confirmed. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Greene drew praise for the various villains and criminals he played in his acting career, which began in his 20s. "Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter," manager Gregg Edwards told Sky News' US sister outlet NBC News. "But he also had, you know, a gentle side that most people never saw, and a heart as big as gold." Greene played the character Zed, a sadistic rapist security guard in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction. He also portrayed the villain Dorian in the Jim Carrey movie The Mask in the same year. In addition to his supporting roles, Greene starred in the 1993 film Clean, Shaven, in which he played a man with schizophrenia who is suspected in a murder. He is also remembered for his role in Training Day alongside Denzel Washington. Greene also appeared in The Usual Suspects. Greene was born in Montclair, New Jersey, and leaves behind a sister and a brother.

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Alexandra Rogers, political correspondent
Dec 13
Open border immigration 'not pragmatic right now', says Green Party leader

Mr Polanski distanced himself from his party's "long-range vision" for open borders, saying it was not in his party's manifesto and was an "attack line used by opponents" to question his credibility. It came as Mr Polanski, who has overseen a spike in support in the polls to double figures, refused to apologise over controversial comments he made about care workers on BBC Question Time that were criticised across the political spectrum. Mr Polanski was speaking to Sky News earlier this week while in Calais, where he joined volunteers and charities to witness how French police handle the arrival of migrants in the town that is used as a departure point for those wanting to make the journey to the UK. He told Sky News he had made the journey to the French town - once home to the "Jungle" refugee camp before it was demolished in 2016 - to tackle "misinformation" about migration and to make the case for a "compassionate, fair and managed response" to the small boats crisis. He said that "no manifesto ever said anything about open borders" and that the Greens had never stood at a general election advocating for them. "Clearly when the world is in political turmoil and we have deep inequality, that is not a situation we can move to right now," he said. "That would also involve massive international agreements and cooperation. That clearly is not a pragmatic conversation to have right now. And very often the government try to push that attack line to make us look not pragmatic." The party's manifesto last year did not mention open borders, but it did call for an end to the "hostile environment", more safe and legal routes and for the Home Office to be abolished and replaced with a department of migration. Asked why the policy of minimal restrictions on migration had been attributed to his party, Mr Polanski said open borders was part of a "long-range vision of what society could look like if there was a Green government and if we'd had a long time to fix some of the systemic problems". 'We should recognise the contribution migrants make' Mr Polanski, who was elected Green Party leader in September and has been compared to Nigel Farage over his populist economic policies, said his position was one of a "fair and managed" migration system - although he did not specify whether that included a cap on numbers. He acknowledged that there needed to be a "separate conversation" about economic migration but that he did not believe any person who boarded a small boat was in a "good situation". While Mr Polanski stressed that he believed asylum seekers should be able to work in Britain and pay taxes, he also said he believed in the need to train British workers in sectors such as care, where one in five are foreign nationals. Asked what his proposals for a fair and managed migration system looked like, and whether he supported a cap on numbers, Mr Polanski said: "We have 100,000 vacancies in the National Health Service. One in five care workers in the care sector are foreign nationals. "Now, of course, that is both British workers and we should be training British workers, but we should recognise the contribution that migrants and people who come over here make." 'I'm not going to apologise' Mr Polanski also responded to the criticism he attracted over his comments about care workers on Question Time last week, where he told the audience: "I don't know about you, but I don't particularly want to wipe someone's bum" - before adding: "I'm very grateful for the people who do this work." His comments have been criticised by a number of Labour MPs, including Wes Streeting, the health secretary, who said: "Social care isn't just 'wiping someone's bum'. It is a hard, rewarding, skilled professional job. "This is immigration as exploitation." Read more:The Greens leader who wants to be the Farage of the leftWill Farage racism allegations deter voters? Asked whether he could understand why some care workers might feel he had talked down to them, the Greens leader replied: "I care deeply about care workers. When I made those comments, it's important to give a full context. I said 'I'm very grateful to people who do this important work' and absolutely repeat that it's vital work. "Of course, it is not part of the whole job, and I never pretended it was part of the whole job." Mr Polanski said he "totally" rejected the suggestion that he had denigrated the role of care workers in the eyes of the public and said his remarks were made in the context of a "hostile Question Time" where he had "three right-wing panellists shouting at me". Pressed on whether he wanted to apologise, he replied: "I'm not going to apologise for being really clear that I'm really grateful to the people who do this really vital work. And yes, we should be paying them properly, too."

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Dec 14
England dominate inexperienced Jamaican side to sweep series win ahead of Commonwealth Gams in Glasgow next year

The Vitality Red Roses had taken an 80-37 win the previous day to set up for a predictable second game of the series. The Sunshine Girls remained determined, however with key stars missing they were no match for the experienced and cohesive home side. Netball legend Aiken-George hits back at online trolls 'throwing little tantrums'Metcalf England return seven months postpartum but admits to 'mum guilt'Latest netball news, reports, podcasts and videosGreenway: England will have huge frustrations over New Zealand series defeatNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW "I think they're such a spirited team, they put everything out against us, started really well, and we really respect any Jamaican side," head coach Jess Thirlby said. "It's really hard to come back out on day two with the expectation of repeating a performance like yesterday, so another brilliant performance is something to be very proud of. "I don't think many England teams have always found a way to be that ruthless and be really purposeful with how they see games out, despite the score line. "I went to the Singapore World Cup [in 2011] and that was exactly what I studied, was how the best teams in the world use games like that early in the tournament. "So, yes, Jamaica will be stronger again, both for having come here with some of their new talent and for those players that will return. "But for now, we can only play the team in front of us and we should be very proud." With Jamaica putting out a less experienced side, Thirlby took the opportunity to try some new things on court and finally gave Emma Rayner her debut after sitting on the side, eagerly waiting, during the New Zealand series. Star Funmi Fadoju, who usually plays goal keeper or goal defence, was also given the opportunity to play at wing defence, putting on a performance that earnt her player of the match. "I feel like we're learning different combos now, we're mixing it up, and you know what, we have a lot to offer, so I'm really proud of the team," Fadoju said. "I feel like they're [Jamaica] so fast and have so much flair, but that actually helps us a little bit, because now we get to try different styles and then see how to combat that. "They're just so on body and off, and they're very athletic, so I feel like that's a good style to go up against." Jamaica's head coach Sasher Gaye Henry-Wright detailed that they aimed to do better in their attack today, and while she felt they hadn't quite got that right, they did show some positive signs throughout. The first being that in their first game on Saturday, just five minutes in England had slipped away to an 8-1 lead, whereas today they remain at just 4-2. Their strength to hold on did unfortunately fade, with England's physicality on the court helping them to stride away into the lead. "I think we were impatient in terms of everybody wanting to move at the ball at the same time and not making those strong drives and the cut and change direction," Henry-Wright said. "We have to give credit to England. "I think we have to go back home, we have to look back at our training, the physical aspect, the tactical preparation. "I'm grateful for the experience and the opportunity for the girls and for all of us, but we have a lot of homework to do. "They're [the Sunshine Girls] a bit inexperienced, especially coming through court on the back line. "You have to give them some more of this atmosphere to play in so they can adjust and build on their performance." The series was supposed to consist of four games, two in Jamaica and two in England, however due to the affects of Hurricane Melissa the Jamaican leg had to be cancelled. To support the nation's recovery, £1 from every ticket sold for the series will be donated by England Netball to World Central Kitchen, a charity chosen by Netball Jamaica, that provide hot meals to those trying to rebuild their home after the disaster.

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