The 81-year-old star shared the news on social media, telling fans he is "already feeling better" after successfully undergoing a routine coronary stent procedure. He will take four weeks off to recover before returning to the stage, on the advice of his doctors. Sir Rod had been scheduled to perform across Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota, as well as a six-night stretch at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. "I'm already feeling better and very much on the mend," he told his 1.7m followers in a message on Instagram. "I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me. "I'm deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon." A further statement said doctors were pleased with the British star's recovery, that he is doing "very well" and has returned to "normal daily activities". Sir Rod will now "take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage", the statement said. "Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates." Information regarding affected performances will be shared by the respective promoters and venues, it added. On Ticketmaster, all of Sir Rod's gigs up to the end of August are showing as cancelled. Two further dates in Colorado are scheduled for September next year. The announcement comes after the star postponed shows in Cincinnati and Cleveland earlier this month, following medical concerns. He also cancelled and postponed shows in Nevada and California in May and June, telling fans he was on vocal rest due to a sinus infection, and later that he had been diagnosed with a respiratory infection that resulted in laryngitis. In 2019, the singer revealed he had been fighting prostate cancer for three years but was "in the clear now, simply because I caught it early". In 2023, he called in to a live Sky News phone-in and offered to donate money for medical scans, after hearing stories about treatment ordeals on the NHS. On the call, he recounted his own experience of an "empty" private clinic when he went for an annual check-up. Earlier this month, the rocker welcomed his sixth grandchild after his daughter Ruby gave birth to a son called Levi. Last year, he performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, playing the famous Sunday afternoon "legends" slot.

The 81-year-old star shared the news on social media, telling fans he is "already feeling better" after successfully undergoing a routine coronary stent procedure. He will take four weeks off to recover before returning to the stage, on the advice of his doctors. Sir Rod had been scheduled to perform across Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota, as well as a six-night stretch at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. "I'm already feeling better and very much on the mend," he told his 1.7m followers in a message on Instagram. "I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me. "I'm deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon." A further statement said doctors were pleased with the British star's recovery, that he is doing "very well" and has returned to "normal daily activities". Sir Rod will now "take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage", the statement said. "Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates." Information regarding affected performances will be shared by the respective promoters and venues, it added. On Ticketmaster, all of Sir Rod's gigs up to the end of August are showing as cancelled. Two further dates in Colorado are scheduled for September next year. The announcement comes after the star postponed shows in Cincinnati and Cleveland earlier this month, following medical concerns. He also cancelled and postponed shows in Nevada and California in May and June, telling fans he was on vocal rest due to a sinus infection, and later that he had been diagnosed with a respiratory infection that resulted in laryngitis. In 2019, the singer revealed he had been fighting prostate cancer for three years but was "in the clear now, simply because I caught it early". In 2023, he called in to a live Sky News phone-in and offered to donate money for medical scans, after hearing stories about treatment ordeals on the NHS. On the call, he recounted his own experience of an "empty" private clinic when he went for an annual check-up. Earlier this month, the rocker welcomed his sixth grandchild after his daughter Ruby gave birth to a son called Levi. Last year, he performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, playing the famous Sunday afternoon "legends" slot.

No Description

The deal is an initial loan for the 27-year-old, who signed a new contract with Barca until 2031 last year, and also includes an option to buy for around £47.14m (€55m). ⁠Liverpool are not paying Barcelona a loan fee and will cover the entirety of Araujo's salary for the duration of the season-long loan. It is understood Araujo has taken a pay cut to facilitate the move. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Liverpool news & transfers🔴Why Liverpool are ready to put their faith in the 'real deal' Jeremy JacquetGot Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream PL games with no contract📺 Araujo, who is expected to train with his new team-mates this week, said: "I can't wait to get started. I'm very happy. "I'm excited to be here at this massive club with lots of history. I'm excited to meet my team-mates, excited to get started playing, and I'm very motivated and really up for getting going. "It was the ideal move for me at this stage in my career. It was a move that was necessary for me to take. As soon as I heard that interest from Liverpool, everything went into action really quickly. "As I say, I'm super-happy to be here and excited to get started. I'm glad about the interest and it was the right move at the right time." He was named as one of the club captains following the departure of Marc-Andre ter Stegen in January, but started only 11 LaLiga matches for the Catalan giants last season after an extended break from football in November 2025 to recover from what he later revealed was depression. Why the Araujo deal works for Liverpool Liverpool had not been actively seeking out defensive reinforcements, their priority firmly on adding a wide forward, but this was a market opportunity that made sense for a number of reasons. Ronald Araujo can play at centre-back or right-back, and, crucially, he was available on loan. This offered an appropriate solution to injury concerns that are deemed to be more short-term. Liverpool have already committed £60m to signing Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, with a view to him partnering Virgil Van Dijk at centre-back. However, it remains to be seen if he will be fit for the start of the season, as Liverpool take a cautious approach to his reintegration to competitive action following a shoulder injury that has kept him out since February. A muscle problem for Joe Gomez, which will keep him out for the Premier League opener against Newcastle, has worsened the problem for new head coach Andoni Iraola, who by his own admission is slim on options at the back. Teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL injury, while Ibrahima Konate departed for Real Madrid. Araujo arriving on a temporary move alleviates that injury headache and adds a layer of experience to Liverpool's backline that is sorely missing. He has played more than 200 games for Barcelona after all. There are understandable concerns around whether Araujo can turn around his struggles with form and fitness. Liverpool are not short on defenders with patchy injury records. Liverpool are taking on a deal with an element of risk in that regard. But there is also a potentially big reward if Araujo does rediscover his best form thanks to the option to buy inserted in the deal worth around £47m. At the peak of his powers, Araujo was being valued at around double that figure. Liverpool will hope to see his best in the Premier League, a division that seems suited to his strengths. How Liverpool were able to get Araujo This is a deal that suits all parties. Liverpool require defensive cover amid injury worries around a number of players, while Araujo is not part of Hansi Flick's plans at Barcelona and needs a fresh start. Araujo signed a new contract with Barcelona in January last year that reportedly put him among the club's highest earners. Six months earlier, he had been named Barcelona's vice-captain. However, the Uruguay defender has since been unable to reach the heights that earned him such high status at Barcelona amid struggles with injury and his mental health. Araujo wore the captain's armband as Barcelona celebrated becoming champions of Spain in May, but he had only played 24 times throughout the season. Flick admitted when confirming the deal that Araujo was not suited to the way he wants to play and said the defender was excited about having the chance to move to a new environment. Barcelona can now bring in a defender that Flick wants to work with, and Araujo has the opportunity to rebuild his career in the Premier League. If he performs, they will either earn a decent fee from Liverpool or his value will increase.

Sky News has learnt that Mr Ashley's Frasers Group is hoping to announce the acquisition of Harvey Nichols through a pre-pack insolvency process on Thursday, after weeks of negotiations. Industry sources said the tycoon's team had been engaged in detailed talks with FTI Consulting, the adviser to Harvey Nichols and its standby administrator, which could involve significant job preservation commitments. One insider said that Frasers had been considering offering a year-long guarantee to retain Harvey Nichols' London head office, although it was unclear whether such a commitment would apply to all 1,200 UK-based staff at the group. Frasers is also said to be prepared to commit to making outstanding payments to brand partners of the department store chain, following a controversy over its acquisition of Matchesfashion, an upmarket online clothing retailer, in 2024. One source said on Wednesday that unlike rival Harvey Nichols suitor Next, Mr Ashley would take on all of its stores with the possible exception of its Dublin site. Discussions are said to have been continuing on that issue as recently as the last couple of days. If a deal is sanctioned by the courts on Thursday, it will bring the curtain down on 35 years of Sir Dickson Poon's ownership of Harvey Nichols. Last week, Mr Ashley described Harvey Nichols as being in "a death spiral" and said he would be surprised if it fetched more than £40m from any buyer. "I don't think I'll be writing a huge cheque, because you've got to think about the future losses," he was quoted as saying. One source not directly involved in the negotiations said they expected Frasers to seek a further reduction in the price it was paying for the business in the hours before a deal is concluded. A deal will cement Mr Ashley's reputation as the most prolific buyer of famous retail brands in Britain, having overseen earlier deals to buy businesses such as House of Fraser, Jack Wills and Gieves & Hawkes, the Savile Row tailor. Sir Dickson instructed advisers at FTI Consulting to sell the Knightsbridge-based business several weeks ago, with Sky News disclosing that Frasers had initially been frozen out of the auction. Harvey Nichols subsequently informed brand suppliers that it had been "obliged to allow Frasers Group to participate in the process alongside the other interested parties". The reference to an "obligation" pointed towards a transaction being implemented by way of a pre-pack administration process. Among the hundreds of brands sold at Harvey Nichols are Armani Beauty, Balmain, Cartier, Juicy Couture, Lancome, Max Mara, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren and Spanx. A number of suppliers have raised concerns about Frasers becoming the new owner of Harvey Nichols, prompting the department store chain to seek to reassure them over recent weeks. Harvey Nichols has told prospective buyers that they will need to commit up to £60m of investment to fund the ongoing transformation of the department store group - although some retail executives believe that number will be much higher if it is to be preserved in its current state. Harvey Nichols has recorded five successive years of losses, although a major investment in its flagship store in London is understood to have produced an improvement in its performance. Popularised by its frequent references in the 1990s BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, Harvey Nichols also operates London's famous OXO Tower Restaurant on the South Bank, while internationally it has stores in Hong Kong, Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait, and Doha. The restaurant is also expected to be sold separately within days. Harvey Nichols traces its roots back to 1831, and had a spell as a public company, having floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1996. It was taken private again a few years later. In the most recent financial year for which financial results are available, revenue fell 5% to £204.8m in the 12 months to 31 March 2024, while losses before tax rose to £34m. FTI Consulting declined to comment, while Frasers has been contacted for comment.

The company said that from mid-September, "AI Persona" badges will start to appear on some artist profiles to signal that their identity does not represent a real person. Spotify said the move was to make the platform more "transparent" and was in response to users expressing concerns about seeing artists that seem human but are in fact AI-generated. In a statement announcing the development, the company said: "True artist-fan connection can only be built on a foundation of trust and authenticity. "In music, that means listeners need to be able to trust that the artist behind the music is who they say they are. That's more essential than ever in the age of generative AI." Spotify insisted the badge "is about the artist's public identity, not about how the music was made". It added that, by default, AI personas would not be included in any editorial or algorithmic recommendations unless users followed those artists. The badges will be displayed in the banner and "About" section of an artist's profile page, as well as in "Search" and on track rows across playlists. Listeners will be able to tap the badge to check if an artist has disclosed that their profile represents an AI persona or if the decision was made by Spotify following a review. Starting on Tuesday, artists will be able to share that their profile represents an AI persona through Spotify for Artists, while, in instances where Spotify has applied the badge, artists will be notified and given the opportunity to self-disclose or appeal. The company added that listeners will soon be able to report artist profiles they believe represent AI personas to its review team, but it did not disclose when that feature would be available. Read more from Sky News:British driver who broke sound barrier sets new recordThe 1999 solar eclipse in pictures AI music "flooding" streaming platforms AI-generated music appearing on streaming sites is becoming an increasingly pertinent issue. Deezer – a French streaming site for music – estimates that 60,000 fully AI songs are being uploaded to its site every day, over a third of all production. The platform said it is set to receive more than 20 million AI tracks a year, with Romain Hennequin, head of research at Deezer, telling Sky's Roland Manthorpe earlier this year that "it's a way to totally flood the music streaming services". Last year, Spotify removed 75 million spam tracks, many of which were AI-generated. The platform's entire catalogue currently stands at 100 million. While the tracks themselves are not fraudulent, the behaviour around them often is, with an automated system – a bot – being used to repeatedly listen to a song in order to make royalties from it. Thibault Roucou, Deezer's head of royalties, said that "the vast majority of the listeners of this content are in fact what we call 'stream manipulation' or 'fraud'." "It's an ongoing battle," he added.

Ms Phillips was speaking to Conservative peer Ruth Davidson on an Insider edition of Electoral Dysfunction. The pair were discussing the recent news about two of PC Andrew Harper's killers being eligible for early release, which has sparked criticism from the officer's family. On Tuesday, Andy Burnham said he was "confident more can be done" to address public concern over the prison early release scheme. Ms Phillips said: "There has to be a system where the people who are released, it is based on their risk. "And to assess that you are going to have to speak to the police, you're going to have to speak to the victims in their cases. "There needs to be some system where - whether it's the home secretary or somebody - goes, 'No, veto that one'." You can listen to the full conversation on the Sky News Insider edition of Electoral Dysfunction. Subscribers to Sky News Insider will be able to enjoy ad-free access, bonus episodes and early releases. (Requires paid subscription. UK only. 18+). Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were in the car that dragged PC Harper to his death in 2019. The pair were convicted of manslaughter in 2020 and given 13-year terms. But it is expected they could be freed early, after they have served half their sentences, under the Sentencing Act 2026. They previously would have been considered for release after two-thirds of their term. Driver Henry Long received a 16-year sentence for manslaughter and will not be eligible for early release. Downing Street has said it cannot exempt just Cole and Bowers from early release without also exempting everyone else convicted of manslaughter. Speaking about the Harper case specifically, Ms Phillips added: "There's got to be something in the system that says, not this guy. "And actually, it should be based on risk, not feelings or press. "It should be based on risk, and governors, probation, police, children's services, and victim services should be involved in that." Ms Phillips served as a minister under Sir Keir Starmer but resigned and has since said she would not go back into government. She told Baroness Davidson she thinks the Andy Burnham government "will listen" to her calls to treat domestic abuse offenders like terrorists, when it comes to monitoring perpetrators and protecting victims. Systems that let victims warn authorities if offenders are still threatening them need to be built, Ms Phillips added, as they currently don't exist. The early release system should go ahead, Ms Phillips confirmed, as prisons are overcrowded to the point of breaking. "But there is a way that you've got to do it with that, with making it safe for the public," she said, "and I think there's quite a lot of work to be done".

Former Arsenal midfielder Wilshere will take his League One side to Stamford Bridge, as the 11 Premier League sides not involved in European competition this season joined the winners of the first-round ties in the hat. Among the other tasty ties are League One club AFC Wimbledon visiting Alvaro Arbeloa's Fulham at Craven Cottage, while Keith Andrews' Brentford face a potentially tricky tie against Birmingham at St Andrew's. Got Sky? Watch the Carabao Cup on the Sky Sports appNot got Sky? Stream the Carabao Cup with no contract Plymouth - who won the Devon derby with Exeter, live on Sky Sports on Monday night - will host Premier League side Coventry City, as West Ham face an all-Championship tie away to Southampton. In the north draw, Newcastle have been given Championship side West Brom at home, while Leeds were given an all-Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. David Moyes' Everton go to second-tier club Preston North End - as the Toffees boss reunites with the club where he began his managerial career. Like the first round, the second round draw was also regionalised and split into Southern and Northern section ties. The second-round matches will be played in the week commencing August 24. The remaining Premier League teams will join in the third round, which will be split over the week commencing September 7 and the week commencing September 14. The teams competing in the Champions League will start in the later week. Carabao Cup second round draw in full North Draw Stoke City vs Hull City Newcastle vs West Brom Blackburn vs Sheffield Utd Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Doncaster vs Middlesbrough Barnsley vs Crewe Preston vs Everton Blackpool vs Lincoln Sheffield Wednesday vs Wolves Bradford vs Burnley Fleetwood vs Shrewsbury South Draw Walsall vs Leyton Orient Ipswich vs Leicester Cardiff vs Norwich Stevenage vs Reading Cambridge vs Millwall Birmingham City vs Brentford Southampton vs West Ham Watford vs Peterborough Fulham vs AFC Wimbledon Plymouth vs Coventry Chelsea vs Luton Tottenham vs Charlton Catch up with all the goals so far! The first-round ties have had plenty of drama, action and goals as sides from the Championship, League One and League Two sought a spot in the second round. Clubs relegated from the Premier League in West Ham, Wolves and Burnley have all made it through, while three clubs from League Two have also booked their spot in the hat - Crewe, Fleetwood and Shrewsbury. You can catch up with all the highlights here