Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she had approved a request from the Metropolitan Police to block it to "prevent serious public disorder". Ms Mahmood said this was due to the "scale of the protest and multiple counter-protests". A stationary protest will be allowed, but will be strictly policed. The march is an annual event to mark Al Quds Day, which is timed towards the end of Ramadan to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. However, it has drawn criticism after organisers expressed support for Ali Khamenei, Iran's former supreme leader who was killed during US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), which has condemned the decision to ban the march, has said the ayatollah was killed for "standing on the right side of history". "Ayatollah Khamenei's death will be mourned by freedom loving people all over the world," it said last week. Tehran's regime is thought to have killed thousands of protesters this year alone. 'Extreme tensions' The Met has not requested a ban on London's Al Quds march since 2012. The force said this year's event would have posed "unique risks and challenges". Those risks are "so severe that placing conditions on the protest will not be sufficient". "We must consider the likely high numbers of protestors and counter protestors coming together and the extreme tensions between different faction," a statement added. "We have taken into consideration the likely impact on protests of the volatile situation in the Middle East, with the Iranian regime attacking British allies and military bases overseas." More from Sky News:What UK's warship can doFact-checking Trump on Iran The Met also cited threats posed by the Iranian regime on British soil, including the recent arrests of four men by counter-terror police on suspicion of spying on the Jewish community. Previous marches, it added, had resulted in arrests for supporting terrorist groups and antisemitic hate crimes. But this year's request for a ban was not taken lightly, it said, adding: "We do not police taste or decency or prefer one political view over another, but we will do everything we can to reduce violence and disorder." 'Politically charged decision' The IHRC said it still hoped to see people attend the stationary rally and would seek legal advice on the ban. "This is a politically charged desision; not one taken for the security of the people of London," it added. Opposition to the march has grown since the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and subsequent bombardment of Gaza.

A new report by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) & UK Theatre shows record audiences in 2025, with over 37 million people attending theatres across the country, The West End welcomed a record-breaking 17.64 million - almost three million more than Broadway. The findings support the theory that as digital content expands, and AI continues to integrate itself into almost every element of our daily life, shared, live experiences have become more relevant than ever. Data also showed the UK's theatre attendance reflected the full occupational spectrum of the population, largely mirroring the census - busting the myth that theatre is a niche pastime. But the glowing figures mask a growing financial strain. Why is British theatre still in the red? While production budgets have soared, venues have largely held ticket prices steady, with the across the UK resting at £41, and most West End tickets sold for £56 or less. Many theatres also offer free or subsidised ticket schemes. The resulting squeeze means 36% of theatres forecast an operating deficit this year, rising to 51% in the subsidised sector. Many will be forced to cut things like new work, community programmes, or regional tours. The report flags the importance of theatres within the civic infrastructure, training the writers, directors, designers, and performers who power the wider creative industries, sustaining local high streets and supporting over 100,000 full-time jobs. Figures showed 95% of theatres deliver programmes that contribute to social good, 86% run workshops with local schools, and 83% provide tickets specifically for local schools. The report calls for targeted policy changes to stabilise the sector and unlock further growth, including reforming business rates for theatres, strengthening theatre tax relief to support touring productions, introducing stronger incentives for philanthropy, and ensuring public funding settlements keep pace with inflation. It says such interventions would not be a subsidy, but an investment in a sector that already delivers substantial economic and social returns. For every £1 spent on a theatre ticket, £1.40 of further spending flows into surrounding restaurants, pubs, and shops, the report says. 'Rising costs on every front' Claire Walker and Hannah Essex, co-CEOs of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, said: "Theatres across the UK are entertaining millions of people and producing work that inspires audiences around the world. Every day, our members are also running education programmes, supporting young people, and bringing communities together through live performance. "The public appetite for theatre is clear. But the organisations that make it possible are facing rising costs on almost every front. The challenge now is ensuring this success is sustainable, so theatres across the country can continue creating new work, supporting jobs, and reaching audiences everywhere." SOLT and UK Theatre represent theatre producers, managers, owners, and operators across London and the UK.

The Courts and Tribunals Bill passed its first vote by 304 votes to 203, a majority of 101. Ten Labour MPs voted against the plans, while 90 didn't vote at all. All those who voted against are from the party's left wing and have previously had vocal disagreements with the government on other policies. It had been thought the government might face a larger rebellion - although Justice Secretary David Lammy was bullish on Monday that the bill would pass. Not all of those who didn't vote will have actively abstained, as some will have been otherwise busy. Sky News understands that party managers were not forcing attendance at the vote. Chief political correspondent Jon Craig said that despite the few actual votes against the bill, this was still a major rebellion and an "ominous warning for the government". The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, Greens, and Your Party all voted against. The bill will now proceed for further scrutiny by MPs. It would remove the right to a jury trial for cases concerning crimes that carry sentences of up to three years. Under the proposals, only the most serious cases, such as rape, murder and manslaughter, would be heard by a jury. The plans have proved controversial, with over 3,200 lawyers writing to the prime minister on Tuesday urging him to "rethink". Speaking during the debate, Mr Lammy told MPs: "The choice before the House is stark. We cannot continue with this rising backlog. "Victims are currently worn down, people simply give up, cases collapse and offenders remain free. Free to roam the streets, free to commit more crimes, free to create more victims." Labour MP Karl Turner, considered the lead rebel against the plans, abstained after he said the government had agreed to put an opponent on the committee of MPs who will scrutinise the bill line by line. Speaking to Sky News after the vote, Mr Turner said his opposition to the proposals was "stronger than ever". "I'm now confident that we have the numbers for [an] amendment [to remove] the worst parts of this bill, the jury curtailment stuff, the magistrates extra powers," he said. But another Labour MP who supports the proposals, Natalie Fleet, told Sky News she was confident the legislation will pass. "I am standing up for this legislation because it is so important to me and the kind of country I want women to live in... we will see it on the statute books." Seven Labour MPs voted with the Conservatives on an amendment which would have killed the bill entirely, while 86 abstained. Former deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner voted with the government on both votes, despite allies claiming she was looking for reassurances from the government on the proposals. Responding to the bill's second reading vote, Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Lammy should "hang their heads in shame". "They have struck the first blow against out ancient legal right to trial by jury," he said. Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller said Labour MPs had "simply sat by" and allowed the government to "push through its disastrous and unpopular plan to slash jury trials".

Usyk, the unified heavyweight world champion, with wins over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has proved himself the best in the division. Although he is now 39 years old, Usyk still plans on fighting three more times. Next the Ukrainian will box Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxing superstar, on May 23. After that Usyk wants to fight the Wardley-Dubois winner and then have a trilogy bout with his great rival Tyson Fury. Wardley primed for Dubois 'shoot-out' - 'He's aware of the risk!'Buy tickets for Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper billNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW Wardley and Dubois fight for the WBO heavyweight world championship on May 9 in Manchester and their promoter Frank Warren is open for the winner to box Usyk in a unification. "We're up for that," Warren told Sky Sports. "There's a lot of frustration because Fabio wanted that [Usyk fight before]. But the fact that Oleksandr has come out and said he wants the winner of the two of them, it's very encouraging. And certainly for the two guys, it gives them a lot of incentive. "We've got a great relationship with him and if we can do some business we'll certainly do it." Warren also represents Fury and completing a Usyk trilogy remains a real possibility for the former champion. "If he comes through the fight [against Wardley or Dubois], that he then wants to fight Tyson, I love that fight. The first two fights were close, very exciting fights, really exciting fights, I'd watch that all day long. And Tyson wants that fight. He's told me on numerous occasions he'd love that fight," Warren said. For Fury fighting Usyk this year is potentially more likely than boxing Anthony Joshua. "I don't know where AJ is, obviously we've spoken a lot about the terrible tragedy and the loss of his good friends, best friends and team members," Warren reflected. "People have got to remember about the injuries that he's suffered. He's suffered physical injures but he's also suffered mental injuries in that fight. Maybe boxing, the fact of fighting will get him in a better place, I don't know. "I don't see him fighting this year, or this year against Tyson. I may be wrong and I hope I am wrong but I don't believe he will." The division, though, will remain active with Usyk's three-fight plan likely to come to fruition. "This heavyweight division, as I keep saying, it's alight," Warren added. "They're great fights and we're front and centre in it. We are making the fights." Fury: I can't beat Usyk on points Fury has reiterated his desire to fight Usyk a third time, but has claimed that he will not receive a points win after losing on the scorecards in their two previous fights. Speaking to Gareth A Davies from the Daily Telegraph, Fury said: "I want a third fight but I know if he stands up at the end of it I'm not going to get the decision, they may as well just give him the fight, I'll have the L, just give me the money. "That's what is going to happen anyway if I don't knock him out, and if I were going to knock him out I would have done already. He's a tough man and every time he gets hurt he can nip round and run away with his speed and agility. I'm not going to get a decision, and like I said I thought I won the fights." The 37-year-old has sparred Verhoeven in the past and believes the Dutchman has 'got a chance' of pulling off a sensational upset win. "Before he [Rico Verhoeven] became a champion, before I became a champion, we were on the rise, hungry lions. We both went on to do a lot in the game, as champions of the world," said Fury. "He's a big man, big right hand, but I'm sure Usyk has faced lots of big men with a similar style to Rico. He's got a chance, he's got power, who knows what he can do in there. "Usyk is what, 39-years-old now, but has only had 24 fights so doesn't have a lot of mileage on the clock after turning pro in late 2013, so I think he's going to be alright." Watch Dubois-Harper and Scotney-Flores live on Sky Sports on Sunday April 5.

They were in Australia for the Asian Cup when the Iran war began just over a week ago. Two more women - a footballer and a member of staff - had decided to join five players who were granted humanitarian visas a day earlier and remain in Australia. But one woman decided on Wednesday to return to Iran, taking the number seeking asylum in Australia from seven to six. The change of heart highlights the difficult decision the footballers faced off the back of the Asian Cup competition in Queensland. Australia's home affairs minister Tony Burke told reporters that, after making security assessments, not everyone who applied for a visa was granted one. "There is a reason why some people were not made a direct offer [to stay]. There were some people leaving Australia who I am glad are no longer in Australia," he said, without giving further details. The rest of the team departed from Sydney late on Tuesday to return to Iran. The six team members remaining in Australia have received humanitarian visas for 12 months and can then begin the process to permanent residency. Speaking after five people originally applied for visas, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They are safe here and they should feel at home here." The Australian government had been under pressure to protect the women after they were knocked out of the tournament. The players were reportedly criticised on Iranian TV, with a commentator saying they had committed the "pinnacle of dishonour" for staying silent during the national anthem before their match on 2 March - two days after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. "Traitors during wartime must be dealt with more severely," presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi said, according to the Reuters news agency. Some believed the team's silence was an act of resistance, while others saw it as a show of mourning following the initial US-Israel attacks on their country. The team has not made any specific comment on their stance. They sang and saluted ahead of defeats to Australia on Thursday and the Philippines on Sunday, but there were concerns they had been ordered to do so. The team failed to get past the group stage and players' union FIFPRO said it was "really concerned" about their welfare and had been unable to contact them. Dozens of people chanted "let them go" and "save our girls" as the team's bus left the stadium on the Gold Coast after Sunday's match. Supporters said they could see at least three players making the international hand signal for help, according to CNN. Before the rest of the squad left the country, some Iranian Australians held a protest at the team's hotel and at the airport, seeking to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran. Mr Trump posted on Truth Social about how some players felt they had to return "because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don't return". 'Ongoing threat' Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, who lives in the US, said he had been told that Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi were now in a "safe location". He earlier said the team faced an "ongoing threat" after their "brave act" not to sing the national anthem. "As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime's national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran," he posted on social media. The Australian Iranian Council had also urged the government to protect the players. It launched an online petition asking authorities to "ensure that no member of Iran's women's national football team is to depart Australia while credible fears for their safety remain".

Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, of Orlando, Florida, appeared in court on Tuesday after shots were fired at the star's LA home. The incident happened on Sunday afternoon, when Rihanna was home with partner A$AP Rocky and their three young children, as well as her mother. Nobody was injured. In addition to attempted murder, police said Ortiz had been charged with 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an inhabited vehicle or dwelling. The three shooting charges related to Rihanna's house, her trailer - which she was inside at the time - and her neighbour's property. The assault charges cover Rihanna, her family, two members of staff, and two people in the neighbouring house. Read more from Sky News:Mixed review for British theatreSix dead in 'deliberate' bus fire No other details of the incident, such as the suspect's possible motivation, were discussed in court. Ortiz's lawyer Jamarcus Bradford initially entered a not guilty plea on her behalf, but it was withdrawn ahead of an arraingment hearing later this month. She is being held on a $1.8m (£1.4m) bail. The hearing took place in a courtroom just a few floors from where rapper A$AP Rocky went through a trial last year.

There was an ominous warning for the government in the voting figures on its controversial jury trial reforms. The numbers revealed that in the two votes, 93 Labour MPs failed to support the government in the first vote and 100 in the second. Politics Hub: Follow the latest There may not have been that many Labour MPs voting against the government. But this was a major rebellion, nevertheless. It means that David Lammy's controversial bill is already in trouble. Defeats look highly likely during the line-by-line committee stage. And that's before it reaches the legislative minefield of the House of Lords, packed with top barristers and retired senior judges. So why were the voting numbers in the Commons ominous for Mr Lammy and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who, after all, used to be director of public prosecutions? First, Kemi Badenoch's Tory amendment to the Courts and Tribunals Bill, declining to give it a second reading, was defeated by 311 to 203, a majority of 108. Then, minutes later, the second reading was approved by 304 to 203, a slightly smaller government majority of 101. On the first vote, just seven diehard left-wingers - yes, the usual suspects - voted with the Tories. No prizes for guessing the identity of these rebels. They were Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, John McDonnell, Bell Ribiero-Addy and Nadio Whittome. Loyalist MPs among those who abstained But 86 abstained. That's far more than government whips must have been expecting. And they included loyalists not known for rebelling. Then, in the second vote, the same seven left-wingers were joined in the opposition lobby by three more, Kim Johnson, Jon Trickett and Ian Lavery. And in both votes, the Labour MPs recorded as not voting were certainly not just the usual suspects, though some of the abstainers were indeed from the left. 👉Listen to Politics At Sam And Anne's on your podcast app👈 Those not voting included several senior MPs who chair select committees: Debbie Abrahams, Fleur Anderson, Tonia Antoniazzi, Liam Byrne, Bill Esterson, Dame Emily Thornberry, Dame Meg Hillier, Dame Chi Onwurah, Sarah Champion, Florence Eshalomi. Charlotte Nicholls, who dramatically revealed during the debate that she was raped after she became an MP, and the rebels' leader, Karl Turner, also abstained. But there was one piece of good news for the prime minister. Angela Rayner, who allies had claimed was unhappy with the jury trial proposals, voted with the government in both votes. Read more from Sky News:Rethink plans for jury trials, lawyers tell StarmerMagistrates and judges to use more AI, says Lammy However, unless Mr Lammy makes significant concessions to the rebels ahead of the committee stage, she may not do so next time. So the majority of over 100 at the second reading were pretty meaningless. And the large number of abstentions spells big trouble ahead.

Were he to be successful round TPC Sawgrass again this week, Scheffler would join Jack Nicklaus as the only other three-time winner of the event. But a tied-24th finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday marked Scheffler's worst PGA Tour result in 13 months, as he ranked 44th in the field for the week in strokes gained approach - his worst in any 72-hole PGA Tour event for four years. Speaking ahead of The Players, where he partners Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas in the opening two rounds, Scheffler defended his form in 2026, adding "I'm always my own biggest critic". The Players LIVE! Latest news, updates, highlightsWhen is The Players on Sky Sports? Key TV timesGot Sky? Watch the PGA Tour on the Sky Sports app 📱Not got Sky? Stream golf and more with no contract 📺 Asked whether he had struggled to meet expectations so far this year, Scheffler responded: "I think that's kind of a funny question, because if you flipped my season around and it was like, I finished 24th or something last week, 12th, then third and fourth, and a win... would your question be the same? "Your expectations of me are living week by week. My expectations of myself are almost more shot by shot. "I think when you look at the perspective of the media, it's always trying to create a story, which can be a great thing - that's part of your job. But when it comes to my golf game, my expectations are all based around what I want. "For me mentally on the golf course, it's about being committed to what I can do and controlling that aspect. "So far, throughout this season, I've been really good in some spots and then some other spots I feel like I can improve in terms of my commitment to the shot." Scheffler added: "I think I'm always my own biggest critic. "No matter what round of golf you look at, I think there's always something you feel you could do better. "Typically, I'm not a huge stats guy, because my feel is what I trust the most. "There's been certain instances in my career where I may have had a really good round, and I get off the golf course and Randy [Smith] will go, 'great job, that was awesome', and I'll be like, 'we got to go to the driving range'. "The conclusion is I'll trust my feel before anything else." 'Stop your whinging, Scottie!' Scheffler was a six-time worldwide winner last year and opened his 2026 campaign with a four-shot win at The American Express, seeing him join Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to have 20 PGA Tour victories - including four majors - before turning 30. The world No 1 recovered from uncharacteristically slow starts at the WM Phoenix Open and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to finish inside the top-four in both, only to see his record-breaking run of 18 consecutive PGA Tour top-10s ended at the Genesis Invitational. Scheffler's most recent start at Bay Hill saw his score get progressively worse as each round progressed, following an opening-round 70 with scores of 71, 72 and 73 and ended the week with two bogeys in the last five holes. "He's been like it [irritable] for quite some time," Wayne 'Radar' Riley told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast this week. "I don't know what's going on with Scottie. He won the American Express and you thought 'he's off and running, he's going to win a load', then it's just gone off the boil. "I've heard him have a right few whinges. On the golf course you don't really know what you're going to get. "When you're a new person coming on tour, it's all lovely. It's like a big old box of chocolates. You cruise out there and everything's just 'dandy', as they say over here. As you stay on tour a little longer, seeing some things start to go wrong, you start to see players' true characters. "He has been having a whinge because things aren't currently going his way. In the last three years, he's only won like 100 million dollars? Stop your whinging!" When is The Players live on Sky Sports? Sky Sports Golf will once again be the home of The Players, with over 40 hours of live golf across the four days and a host of extra live programming available during tournament week. 'Live from The Players' brings you the latest news from TPC Sawgrass from 1pm on Tuesday and 11.30am on Wednesday, ahead of live tournament coverage starting on Thursday. Featured Groups will be available on Sky Sports+ throughout the week, along with Featured Holes, with bonus feeds to enjoy on top of the feeds available each week during PGA Tour coverage. Coverage begins at 11.30am on Thursday and Friday before starting at 1pm over the weekend, with highlights and additional shows on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.