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Sky News
24 minutes ago
- Sport
- Sky News
Meet the three British teenagers handed Wimbledon wildcards
It's every young tennis player's dream to be good enough to one day play in the Wimbledon main draw against the best in the world. For three British teenagers, that's exactly what's about to happen. Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic, both 16, and 17-year-old Mimi Xu have all been rewarded for their exceptional results with Wimbledon wildcards. Essential guide to Wimbledon 2025 Xu is going to have the full-blown Wimbledon experience. She's drawn just about the most high-profile match of the first round, an all-British encounter against Emma Raducanu. 1:26 Big court, big crowds - it couldn't really have been any bigger in terms of profile, but it seems she was the last to know. "I was moving to my Airbnb this morning and I got a text from my coach saying it's a great draw... and everyone was texting my mum... and I'm like 'who am I playing... what's going on?' And eventually I get to know it's Emma Raducanu." Xu, from Swansea, has already left junior tennis behind and has started playing on the main tour with some good results, including wins over top 100 players. She says she's confident in her game, has practised with Emma a few times and is just going to try to "embrace every moment". "It doesn't come around very often, this won't happen a lot in my lifetime, so I'm just ready to go out and enjoy it... enjoy every moment. I'll probably get the full 10 years of Wimbledon experience in one day, so yeah... I'm ready for it!" Klugman, who is a local and lives walking distance from the All England Club, will still contest the girls' title this year and has just reached the final of the French Open Juniors. Still, it's a massive step up to play in the main draw and she's been taking advice from someone who knows a fair bit about playing with the pressure of being a Brit at Wimbledon. "Tim Henman spoke to me and basically said: 'What is the worst that can happen? You lose, that's literally it... just enjoy it'. It's not going to change me, it's just a little stepping stone." Klugman has drawn Canada's Leylah Fernandez, the 29th seed, who lost in the final of the US Open to Emma Raducanu. She has been a hitting partner for her before, but there will be nerves. "Obviously, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some nerves, but I think you know I embrace it, I love these opportunities, I love the pressure. No matter what happens... I'm going to go for it!" Mika Stojsavljevic, from Ealing in west London, is the reigning US Open Girls' champion. She will also play the junior event here, but is excited to take her place in her home grand slam. For these teenagers, it's like a free hit. They're not expected to win, but they are expected to soak up the experience. And for their parents, it's also special. "I remember FaceTiming my mum after I found out [about the wildcard], she just couldn't believe it. She just said, no you didn't... and I said 'yeah, I did' - really excited." She will be up against the 31st seed, Ashlyn Krueger, and she's ready for it. "I love playing personally on bigger courts at bigger occasions, I think it makes me rise to the challenge and play even better. So hopefully that will be the case here as well." There are 23 British players lining up at Wimbledon this year, and these three junior stars have brought down the average age as well as making a little bit of British tennis history.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sport
- Sky News
Netball: The team made up entirely of UK-based players representing Pakistan at major championship
The Pakistan youth netball team made up entirely of British-based players is competing in their first major championship. They're hoping that they will not only perform well but also help attract other British Asian and Muslim girls to take up the sport. Many of the girls in the team had their hopes of competing internationally crushed last year when they were unable to play in the Asian Netball Championship in Bangalore. Unexplained visa delays by the Indian government meant that the Cosmopolitan Roses Netball team they played for was unable to take part. But since then, a number of the girls who missed out have been sanctioned by Pakistan Netball to form a team to take part in the Asian Youth Netball Championship under their national flag. "It's an incredibly proud moment for the girls taking part," says Sadia Hussain, the co-founder of the British-based Pakistan Netball Academy UK. "Performance netball is one thing, but this is even more special for the girls. It's a chance to represent themselves, and to represent their roots." Sadia acknowledges that there are barriers to cross to encourage young Asian and Muslim girls on to the netball court. Issues around acceptable clothing and cultural and familial uncertainty can put many girls off. But she says the Pakistan Netball Academy, which she helped set up two years ago to tackle under-representation, can offer help, support and advice for girls who want to enjoy the sport she loves. Thankfully for the girls, the Asian Youth Netball Championship is in South Korea so there have been no visa issues to hold them back this time round. "It was hugely disappointing to miss out on the games in India," says the team's young captain Sumayya Safdar. "But it has given us more resolve and determination to perform well, and it's given us extra months to train and prepare." And they're getting some expert support to help them reach their goals. Their coach is former England captain Amanda Newton. Amanda won the Super League and Super Cup with her domestic clubs, and has won Commonwealth and World Championship medals with England. "The girls come from all over the country," says Amanda at a training session in Walsall. "We have players from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Scotland, so we are only able to train as a team every three weeks or so. But the training the girls do either at home, or with their own schools and clubs, has shown a huge level of commitment." "And when they're together, the team spirit is amazing. And they get such confidence and strength from playing with girls who look like they do and share similar faiths and backgrounds." The Asian Youth Netball Championship 2025 is from 27 June to 4 July in Jeonju, South Korea.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Health
- Sky News
Sunburn isn't just red skin - here's what's happening underneath the burn
The government is warning that the NHS will be under even more pressure this weekend as temperatures soar, so looking after yourself in the sunshine is crucial. But how much do you know about the science behind sunburn… and how to prevent it? What is sunburn? While we all know what sunburned skin looks like - red and sore - it might not be so clear what is happening underneath the skin. "Essentially, it's inflammation," said Dr Rachel Abbott, a consultant dermatologist who specialises in skin cancer for the Cardiff and Vale University health board. Ultraviolet radiation is carcinogenic and when it is allowed to penetrate the skin, it triggers an inflammatory reaction, said Dr Abbott. Histamines - chemicals produced by the body's immune system - and prostaglandins - compounds that help the body deal with injuries and illness - are released as your body begins reacting to the damage. 0:54 Although the inflamed, red, itchy skin will fade, those carcinogens will do permanent damage to your DNA, according to Dr Abbott. "The redness and pain can be managed symptomatically, but that DNA damage is permanent," she said. "We've all got DNA repair mechanisms in our bodies. But this is why we're seeing such a massive increase in skin cancer, because [as we get older], the battle between the DNA damage and the skin cells becomes more than the immune system can cope with." Since the early 1990s, the number of skin cancer cases in Britain has more than doubled and last year, the number of cases was predicted to hit an all-time high of 20,800, according to Cancer Research UK. The cancer charity partially attributed the rise in cases to older groups of people knowing "less about the dangers of tanning in their youth", who "may have taken advantage of the cheap package holiday boom from the 1960s". This would lead to increased sun exposure and more damaged DNA, increasing the risk of skin cancer further down the line. The 'most effective' protection (and it isn't suncream) There is currently no conclusive treatment to deal with the DNA damage caused by sunburn - although Dr Abbott said there is "exciting" work being done in that area. Instead, the way to stop yourself from sustaining long-term damage is to protect yourself from UV rays. "A lot of people associate temperature with the heat of the sun, whereas actually it's the UV index that's the critical thing. And that usually peaks around midday," said Dr Abbott. 1:19 Contrary to what some may think (or hope), suncream should be a last resort. Shade "is the most effective thing", she said, but if you have to be out in the sunshine, "obviously we recommend hats, clothing and then sunscreen". "It is a last resort for those areas that you can't cover up with clothing and hats, and sunglasses." The cancer care charity Macmillan recommends a suncream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50, or at least 30, and to reapply it regularly. "There is no such thing as a safe suntan," advises the charity. It also recommends using around six to eight teaspoons of suncream for an adult - one teaspoon for each limb, one for your chest, one for your back and one for your head and neck.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Prince William has had a lot to say this week - but is anyone listening?
Prince William has had a lot to say this week, attending three events about the environment as part of London Climate Action Week and giving three speeches. But I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't really heard what he had to say. The eyes of the world have, understandably, been elsewhere. Conflict, not the climate crisis, has been the primary focus of world leaders and continues to be - a problem you could say for William and all those trying to whip up momentum ahead of COP30 in Brazil, with only four months to go until the UN's climate conference in November. It was William and his team who specifically convened a meeting at St James's Palace on Thursday with the Brazilian ministers in charge of the summit and indigenous leaders from other parts of the world. With Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, just a few seats away, William made a call to action, saying: "We've made bold commitments: to halt deforestation, restore ecosystems, and protect 30% of land, sea, and water by 2030. "But these goals will remain out of reach unless we move from promises to action - grounded in respect, equity, and shared responsibility. "Looking ahead to COP30 in Belem and beyond, we must act with greater ambition and deeper collaboration. This is a moment for courage." When I put it to a palace source that maybe it all feels a bit futile in the current climate, with attentions firmly elsewhere, I was told there is "no change in course" - the prince always has and will continue "to use his platform to spotlight the need to restore the planet". 1:16 In the past, we've been more used to his father being more vocal. The King's involvement in London Climate Week was more fleeting, albeit involving a handshake with a giant gorilla puppet, and a discussion with the Brazil delegation in which he hinted that he would love to attend the summit in November, saying: "It's fitting it all in." Attendance by either the King or the Prince of Wales hasn't been confirmed yet, although it's looking likely William will go. He told one person this week: "I'll be in the area", with his Earthshot Prize being held in Rio in the days running up to the climate conference. But in the coming months, we do now know that father and son will be meeting with one key player, who has certainly voiced very different views on the severity of the climate crisis. 0:56 This week, it was confirmed that Donald Trump's full state visit to the UK will go ahead later this year, likely in September. His potentially disruptive presence when it came to the climate debate was hinted at on Tuesday, in front of Prince William, during a speech by former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg. Mr Bloomberg, a global adviser to Earthshot Prize, said: "There's a good reason to be optimistic, lots of problems around the world, America has not been doing its share lately to make things better, I don't think. Nevertheless, I'm very optimistic about the future." The King and Prince William have worked in this environmental sphere long enough to weather the frustrations of other distractions, a lack of interest or momentum. I'll never forget in 2015 ahead of COP21, when Islamic State and Syria were dominating the news agenda, Prince Charles told me very firmly that of course there was a link between the civil war in Syria and climate change. He said there was "very good evidence indeed that one of the major reasons for this horror in Syria was a drought that lasted for about five or six years, which meant that huge numbers of people in the end had to leave the land". "It's only in the last few years that the Pentagon have actually started to pay attention to this," he added at the time. "I mean, it has a huge impact on what is happening." But as a family, they know how much their global profile and ability to get people in the room can help attract attention that others simply can't. It's easy to be sniffy about that convening power, but as one delegate at an Earthshot event put it, they have an ability to "bring people together not around politics but purpose". And in a currently noisy, fractured world, it feels like that is needed more than ever.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Sean 'Diddy' Combs's 'private sex life' turned into 'crime scene', defence says in closing argument
Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing a "fake trial" in which his unusual sexual preferences have been unfairly criminalised and his "private sex life" turned into a "crime scene", his defence team has argued in the final day of closing arguments. At the end of week seven in the sex-trafficking trial, Combs's lead counsel, Marc Agnifilo, told the court Combs was the victim of an overzealous prosecution, who had portrayed his "swinger" lifestyle as a racketeering conspiracy. Combs is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex trafficking, and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has strenuously denied all allegations of sexual abuse. If found guilty, he could face being put behind bars for life. Frequently adopting a sarcastic tone, Agnifilo mocked the government's case against Combs, belittling the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at his properties last year. Commenting that America's streets were now "safe from Astroglide", he went on, "Way to go, fellas", before adding, "you do you". He said prosecutors had "badly exaggerated" the evidence against Combs, presenting "threesomes as racketeering", arguing that he is not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The defence also highlighted the prosecution's decision to indict Combs on a racketeering conspiracy charge alone, flagging that no alleged co-conspirators have been indicted alongside him. The defence's closing arguments lasted for just over four hours, with members of Combs's family, including six of his children and his mother, watching on in the public gallery. Agnifilo said Combs has "taken care of people", including Jane, a former girlfriend who testified under a pseudonym, paying for her rent and for her legal representation. The defence lawyer said: "I don't know what Jane is doing today, but she's doing it in a house he's paying for." He went on: "This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money." Presenting the trial as a zero-sum game, he described his former girlfriend of almost 11 years Cassie Ventura as the "winner in this whole thing", noting that she settled her civil case with Combs for $20m (£14m) in November 2023, as well as a $10m (£7.3m) from the InterContinental Hotel. Cassie and Jane both gave evidence during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled, days-long sex marathons with male sex workers, while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed the encounters. But the defence accused prosecutors of having invaded Combs's bedroom and his most intimate personal affairs. Agnifilo asked: "Where's the crime scene? It's [Combs's] sex life." Continuing his line of sarcastic quips, he joked, "We need a bigger roll of crime scene tape", referencing a line from the classic movie Jaws. Agnifilio's sarcasm irked the prosecution, who later complained to the judge that he was using "improper arguments". The defence characterised Combs's relationship with Cassie as "a great modern love story", going on to describe her as a "gangster" for cheating on him with rapper Kid Cudi. They also characterised the "freak offs" as "beautiful", saying the videos showed "everyone smiling", eating and listening to music, and commenting that Combs was "not the only man in America making homemade porn". The defence admitted Combs was a domestic abuser, but said such behaviour did not justify the grave charges he faces. Agnifilo advised the jury to "Call this as you see it," asking them to "acquit Sean Combs of all the counts" and "return him to his family", who he said has been waiting for him. Combs, who has been in a New York jail since his arrest in September last year, did not give evidence during the trial. Following the defence's closing argument, assistant US attorney Maurene Comey delivered a rebuttal summation in which she said the defence's argument that Cassie, Jane and Mia, a former employee who also testified under a pseudonym, all "wanted sex" was a lie, telling the court none of the women had reason to speak anything other than the truth. She also said the "freak off" videos tell only "part of the story". Comey said Combs had spent the last 20 years believing himself to be "above the law", seeing himself as "untouchable" and "a god among men". She said his impunity would end now in this courtroom, before urging the jury to "find him guilty" and "hold him accountable". On Monday, the judge will read the law to the jury, after which deliberations will begin.
