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Christian Eriksen back home and 'doing well' after collapsing during match
Christian Eriksen is back at home and "doing well" after the Denmark footballer's collapse on the pitch during a friendly with Ukraine on Sunday.

In an Instagram post, the midfielder said the collapse was different to when he collapsed during a Euro 2020 match five years ago, when he suffered a cardiac arrest.

He added that his Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) "did exactly what it was designed to do".

Eriksen, 34, wrote: "I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family.

"As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021. I am feeling good, and my recovery has already started.

"In addition to being grateful for the support and assistance of all the players and the medical team on the field, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years.

"Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it.

"For now, my focus is on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children."

Footage showed the 34-year-old midfielder clutching his chest in the 65th minute of the game and falling to the ground. The match was quickly halted and abandoned shortly afterwards.

In an update on Monday, the Danish side's team doctor said he had spoken to the former Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United player, adding that he is "doing well".

In a statement issued via the Danish Football Union, Morten Boesen said: "[Eriksen] is with his family and in good spirits.

"The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home.

"We are taking good care of the players and staff and remain in regular contact with them."

Eriksen had to be resuscitated on the pitch during a Euro 2020 game against Finland in 2021 after suffering the cardiac arrest.

He was then fitted with the special heart-starting device which allowed him to continue his playing career.

Denmark had a 2-1 lead when Eriksen briefly went unconscious during the match at the Nature Energy Park stadium in Odense, Denmark's third-largest city, on Sunday.

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Dr Boesen, who was also involved with the team when Eriksen's cardiac arrest occurred five years ago, confirmed on Sunday that the player had been taken to hospital for tests.

He said: "Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch himself.

"As I see it, the pacemaker is responding as it should. He was briefly gone, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him."

Neither Denmark nor ⁠Ukraine qualified for ​this year's World Cup, which kicks off later this week.

Eriksen joined Wolfsburg last summer on a two-year deal, but his latest medical emergency is likely to cast doubt over his playing future.


Kinahan gang 'senior lieutenant' jailed for 24 years
A senior figure in a major organised crime gang has been sentenced to 24 years in prison at a court in Dublin.

Sean McGovern, 40, who has been described as a "senior lieutenant" in the Kinahan gang, pleaded guilty to two charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation relating to the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud.

The charges related to his involvement in the lead-up to the murder of Noel Kirwan, a grandfather who was fatally shot in December 2016, and the targeting and monitoring of James Gately with a plan to have him shot dead, which did not take place.

A three-judge panel sentenced McGovern to 24 years in prison, backdated to his arrest in Dubai in October 2024, at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday.

McGovern was sentenced to 10 years for his role in activities relating to the planned murder of Mr Gately and 14 years for his role in the killing of Mr Kirwan.

Justice Patrick McGrath said the sentences for the separate offences should run consecutively, after considering mitigating factors, including an early plea.

The court heard that there was no evidence Mr Kirwan was involved in crime, and he had been targeted because of a perceived connection to the rival Hutch gang, because he had been photographed at the funeral of a Hutch family member.

Mr Kirwan's son, Kristopher, accompanied by his sister, Donna, said outside court that his father was a "hardworking family man who spent our whole lives working two jobs, so we would never go without".

On McGovern, he said: "It's heartbreaking to think that a man who has two children of his own, a man who himself survived being shot in the Regency Hotel, could go on inflict such pain and torment on any other family.

"He watched and tracked our dad for nine long months with countless chances to walk away, to change his mind, and to choose a different path - but he didn't."

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McGovern was wounded in a shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in 2016, as part of the escalating Hutch-Kinahan feud.

Justice McGrath said McGovern was a senior member of the Kinahan gang, and a "confidant of those in the higher echelons" of the organisation, who placed a "high degree of trust and competence" in him.

He said the court held no doubt that McGovern was fully aware of the organisation's identity, structure and nature, as a senior figure.

Mr Justice McGrath said: "Mr McGovern knew in each instance he was directing preparations for murder and did so intentionally."

The judge said that the Kinahan gang was a "particularly large, well-organised, sinister and dangerous organisation".

A sentencing hearing for McGovern in May heard that he wanted to apologise for the hurt his actions had caused.

He had been extradited from the United Arab Emirates to face the charges.


'Extraordinary and poorly understood': The Mediterranean's great white sharks
Experts have called the filming of a close encounter between divers and a great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea an "exciting" moment - but warned little is understood about the region's shark population.

It is believed to be one of the first times the creature has been captured on film under water in the Mediterranean.

How many great white sharks are in the Mediterranean?

Sightings are extremely rare, and the population of the sharks in this part of the world is "poorly understood," the Shark Trust told Sky News.

"The white shark is a rare but persistent inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea, and it is currently assessed as critically endangered in the region," the charity added.

A 2020 study said "little is known" about the distribution, habitat use and population trends of the species in the Mediterranean.

The research on the UN's Food And Agriculture Organisation's database showed 773 different records had been collected of the species in the Mediterranean for the period between 1860 and 2016.

It suggested a "complex trajectory of population change", with a "more recent" reduction of 61% since the second half of the last century.

Where are the main habitats?

A number of potential nursery or juvenile-use areas in the Mediterranean have been suggested, said the Shark Trust.

These are in the Sicilian Channel, Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea.

What are the main threats the sharks face?

Illegal fishing and overfishing have put significant pressure on the population numbers of sharks.

Threats come from historical trophy and sport fishing and the capture for consumption, the Shark Trust said.

The sharks can get caught up in longlines, trawls and large nettings designed to capture schools of fish.

The General Fisheries Commission For The Mediterranean (GFCM) rules white sharks should be released alive - and not retained, landed, stored, sold or displayed.

"In practice, there is evidence of non-compliance in some states," said the Shark Trust.

The charity said it wants "strict enforcement of existing conservation and fisheries measures for all threatened shark species in the Mediterranean".

"The GFCM has adopted significant protections, but enforcement is inconsistent," it added.

How likely is it that tourists or divers will see a white shark?

Sightings are "extremely rare", said the Shark Trust.

"Genetic evidence suggests the Mediterranean animals are a distinct population with limited regular interchange with nearby Atlantic great whites," it added.

What do experts think of the divers' brief encounter?

Conservationists believe it shows the resilience of "these extraordinary animals".

Paul Cox, managing director at the Shark Trust, told Sky News: "We've long known of the presence of white sharks in the Mediterranean.

"The video shared on World Oceans Day of them in the Strait of Sicily is exciting.

"It suggests that, perhaps, despite the challenges faced by the regional population, these extraordinary animals are managing to maintain a foothold in the region."

How did the encounter come about?

The moment happened while a team was trying to clear abandoned fishing nets from a shipwreck between Sicily and Tunisia.

Experts said it is one of the most "heavily exploited fishing areas in the Mediterranean", where ghost nets continue to trap and kill turtles, large fish and other species.

The mission was organised by the Healthy Seas Foundation together with Ghost Diving and The Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites.

Veronika Mikos, of Healthy Seas, said: "Moments like this remind us how much life can still exist in offshore Mediterranean waters and how important it is to protect it from preventable threats like abandoned fishing gear or overfishing."


Woman, 19, shot dead at Finchley home
A 19-year-old woman has been shot dead at a house in north London.

The Metropolitan Police said that paramedics called police to the home in Dale Grove, Finchley, at 12.15am on Monday.

The victim, whose family has been informed, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement, the force added that a murder investigation had been launched and a post-mortem examination would be carried out.

No arrests have been made, and police have since launched an appeal for eyewitnesses.

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Detective Chief Inspector Allam Bhangoo said officers' thoughts were "with the young woman's family at this incredibly difficult time as they begin to come to terms with their loss".

He added: "We understand the concern this incident will cause within the community.

"While our inquiries are ongoing, residents can expect to see an increased police presence over the coming days, and I encourage anyone with concerns to speak with officers."


Neil Woodford facing City watchdog injunction
The City regulator is seeking an injunction against the former star fund manager Neil Woodford, claiming he is breaking the terms of a ban related to the collapse of his flagship fund in 2019.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said on Monday it had started civil proceedings against Mr Woodford and UAE-registered W4.0 - a subscription-based platform.

"The FCA alleges that Mr Woodford and W4.0 are providing regulated investment advice and making financial promotions through the... platform... without authorisation," the watchdog said.

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Mr Woodford founded W4.0 as an "investment strategy" community, according to his profile on LinkedIn.

He has been approached for comment on the FCA's claim, which is understood to relate to interaction with UK consumers.

The W4.0 website says in relation to its work: "We exist to explain active investment strategies - with full transparency - so you can see what's inside, why it's there, and the thinking behind it.

"We are not regulated by the FCA or any other regulatory body, and we do not provide financial advice. That's deliberate.

"If you are looking for advice or for someone to manage your money, W4.0 is not the community for you.

"If you want to take back control, make your own decisions, and draw on insight and opinion that supports you in doing so - then welcome to W4.0."

Mr Woodford is contesting the decision notice imposed by the FCA last year, that included a fine of almost £6m and a ban on regulated activity, in relation to the collapse of Woodford Equity Income (WEI).

It was wound down after investors tried to withdraw cash faster than the fund could pay out, amid concerns over its high exposure to illiquid and unquoted shares.

The fund's sale of liquid assets and acquisition of illiquid ones meant WEI was unable to meet rules in place at the time, whereby investors should have been able to access their funds within four days.

The FCA determined that Mr Woodford and the fund "made unreasonable and inappropriate investment decisions" between July 2018 and June 2019.


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