Northern Ireland’s first minister Michelle O’Neill has apologised after two Sinn Fein officials provided the British Heart Foundation (BHF) with references for a former employee who was under investigation for child sex offences.
Ms O’Neill, the party’s vice president, reiterated her “anger and disgust” that the press officers provided the employment references for 42-year-old Michael McMonagle for a job at the charity.
Last month, McMonagle, from Limewood Street, Derry, admitted a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
Image: Michael McMonagle, who admitted child sex offences in court last month. Pic: PA
McMonagle was first arrested in August 2021, with Sinn Fein saying it suspended him as soon as it became aware of the police investigation. His employment with the party was terminated in June 2022 when his contract ended.
He started working for the BHF from September 2022.
In a statement, Ms O’Neill said the two press officers no longer work for the party and are no longer party members.
She also revealed that the BHF contacted Sinn Fein’s former HR manager in August 2023 after media reports of charges against McMonagle, and asked the manager to verify the identity and email address of the senior press officer who had provided the reference.
The HR manager did so, but Ms O’Neill said the contact was not brought to her attention or to the attention of the Sinn Fein leadership, which she called “a serious omission”.
Ms O’Neill said she was made aware of his suspension and had no further contact with him.
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In her statement on Saturday, she said she was “absolutely appalled and horrified” about the references given by the press officers.
“These references were given without the knowledge or authorisation of the party. Under no circumstances would the party provide a reference, for work or otherwise, for Michael McMonagle,” she said.
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“Michael McMonagle’s actions are utterly reprehensible and he is being held fully accountable under the law. His crimes have inflicted significant harm on his innocent victims. There is nothing more reprehensible than the abuse of a child.”
The BHF said on Saturday it is confident it undertook “all necessary statutory and moral duties required” throughout the hiring process.
A senior executive at CrowdStrike has apologised for a faulty software update that caused a global IT outage in July.
The incident led to worldwide flight cancellations and impacted industries around the globe including banks, health care, media companies and hotel chains.
The outage disrupted internet services, affecting 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices.
Adam Meyers, senior vice president for counter adversary operations at CrowdStrike, said the company released a content configuration update for its Falcon Sensor security software that resulted in system crashes worldwide.
“We are deeply sorry this happened and we are determined to prevent this from happening again,” Mr Meyers said.
“We have undertaken a full review of our systems and begun implementing plans to bolster our content update procedures so that we emerge from this experience as a stronger company.”
Image: The outage affected computer systems using Microsoft Windows.
The committee members pressed Mr Meyers on how the incident occurred in the first place, with legislators likening its impact to that of a well-planned, sophisticated cyber attack, rather than because of a “mistake” inside CrowdStrike’s software.
He said the issue was not the result of a cyberattack or prompted by AI.
Giving evidence to US legislators, Mr Meyers said: “We appreciate the incredible round-the-clock efforts that our customers and partners who, working alongside our teams, mobilised immediately to restore systems.
“We were able to bring many customers back online within hours. I can assure that we continue to approach this with a great sense of urgency.”
Image: File pic: Reuters
CrowdStrike said an “undetected error” in a software update sparked the problem.
A bug in the firm’s content validation system meant “problematic content data” was not spotted and then allowed to roll out to Microsoft Windows customers, causing the crash.
Mr Meyers said the cybersecurity firm would continue to share “lessons learned” from the incident to ensure it did not happen again.
CrowdStrike faces numerous lawsuits
Some people said CrowdStrike didn’t face such an intense grilling by the committee as other tech executives have been subjected to in recent years.
Instead, emphasis was placed on firms working with committees and government to prevent future incidents of a similar nature.
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However, CrowdStrike still faces lawsuits from people and businesses impacted by the outage – it has been sued by its own shareholders as well as by US aviation giant Delta Airlines after it cancelled thousands of flights because of the system shutdown.
In the UK, the CrowdStrike outage left GPs unable to access systems that manage appointments or allow them to view patient records or send prescriptions to pharmacies – which were also widely impacted – forcing doctors to return to using pen and paper.
Meanwhile, flights were cancelled or delayed and passengers left stranded as airline systems were knocked offline or staff were forced to handwrite boarding passes and luggage tags.
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Many small businesses also reported a substantial impact on their income, with some saying their websites being knocked offline by the incident cost them hundreds or even thousands of pounds in sales.
A man wrongly jailed for 17 years for a rape he did not commit has received an apology from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
Andrew Malkinson was jailed in 2003 but eventually released in December 2020.
His charges were quashed last year after new DNA evidence potentially linked another man to the crime.
The CCRC has now offered Mr Malkinson an unreserved apology after the completion of a report from an independent review by Chris Henley KC into the handling of the case.
CCRC chairman Helen Pitcher OBE said: “Mr Henley’s report makes sobering reading, and it is clear from his findings that the commission failed Andrew Malkinson. For this, I am deeply sorry. I have written to Mr Malkinson to offer him my sincere regret and an unreserved apology on behalf of the commission.”
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Radio 1 DJ Greg James has apologised after being called out for negative representations of disability in a video to promote his latest children’s book.
James and co-author Chris Smith, who write the popular Kid Normal series together, appeared in a now-removed promotional video for a new version of Roald Dahl’s famous book The Twits on Friday.
In the clip, the pair can be seen looking over the shoulders of illustrator Emily Jones as she works on their yet-to-be-revealed lead characters.
The trio could be seen discussing ways to make the duo “more revolting” and when Ms Jones suggested a glass eye, James could be seen nodding as Smith replied: “That’s it. What a disgusting pair of Twits!”
The exchange was soon criticised by charities including Scope and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
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James responded to the criticism in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, as he wrote: “We are so sorry to have caused offence with the launch video.
“It was absolutely not our intention. And we apologise unreservedly. It’s now gone.
“We understand that words matter and we pride ourselves on championing and welcoming everyone into the magical world of children’s books.
“We would never dream of deliberately setting out to exclude anyone.”
The 38-year-old DJ added that he and Smith had been “attempting to pay homage to one of the Twit’s most famous pranks involving a glass of beer in order to remind people of Dahl’s infamous terrible two”.
“It’s in no way a suggestion that this forms any part of the plot of the new story nor was it our intention to suggest that it was in any way disgusting,” he wrote.
“It’s unfortunate that the word disgusting appears to be a direct comment on that. That’s an error on our part.
“We are devastated that it’s come across like this but completely understand why there is anger.”
James and Smith’s book, The Twits Next Door, is part of a new series of books featuring characters created by the late Dahl.
Although the video has been removed, the chief executive of national disability charity Sense said it still had “concerns”.
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Richard Kramer said: “We remain concerned however that the book, scheduled for release later in the year, will contain a character with a disability to show, in the words of the video, how ‘disgusting’ they are.
“It’s 2024 and to be promoting such a negative representation of disability is wrong. Disability is not a character flaw.”
The Press Association has approached Puffin Books and the Roald Dahl Company for comment.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has apologised to MPs after the chamber descended into chaos around a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Wednesday was designated as an opposition day for the SNP, which chose to debate the Israel-Hamas war – and sought to persuade MPs to back its calls for an immediate halt to the fighting.
But a controversial decision from Sir Lindsay to allow a Labour amendment to be put to the House led to an uproar from Tory MPs – and eventually saw the government pledging to “play no further part” in proceedings, as well as the SNP not even getting to vote on its original proposal.
After Conservative and SNP politicians stormed out of the chamber in protest, Sir Lindsay returned to the Commons to face his critics, apologising for “how it all ended up” and saying he took “responsibility” for his actions.
But SNP leader Stephen Flynn said he would “take significant convincing” that the Speaker’s position was “not now intolerable”.
Politics live: Speaker sparks fury with amendments decision
Today’s debate was set to be the conclusion of days of drama over whether Labour would change its position on the conflict in the Middle East.
The party initially supported the government’s stance, calling for a pause in the fighting rather than a ceasefire, as it did not believe the latter would be sustainable.
However, after the SNP decided to force the issue to a vote in the Commons, Labour went further – putting forward an amendment calling instead for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, albeit still with its initial caveats that both sides would need to lay down their arms and Israeli hostages would have to be released.
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A fresh row erupted on Wednesday after Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle broke with convention to put Labour’s amendment to a vote – as opposition parties cannot usually amend opposition motions, only the government.
Labour sources told Sky News Sir Lindsay – who was a Labour MP before taking on the role of Speaker – had been pressured by party whips to select it, but a party spokesman denied the claim.
However, Tory MPs accused him of making an “overtly political decision” to select the amendment in order to prevent Sir Keir Starmer facing a rebellion from his backbenchers – who could have supported the SNP’s motion without a Labour option.
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0:53
Speaker angers SNP and tories
In a surprise move, Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt announced the government would be withdrawing its own amendment to the SNP’s motion – which reiterated the government’s existing position – saying the Conservatives would “play no further part in the decision this House takes on today’s proceedings”.
She said the decision of Sir Lindsay to select the Labour amendment had “undermined the confidence” of MPs in procedures, “raised temperatures in this House on an issue where feelings are already running high” and “put honourable and right honourable members in a more difficult position”.
But due to parliamentary rules, the decision to walk away meant Labour’s amendment passed and MPs could only vote on the altered motion – stopping the SNP’s original proposal even being voted on.
Image: Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt. Pic: PA
Instead of the aftermath being about the significance of the UK parliament officially backing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the first time, the focus returned to the impact of Sir Lindsay’s earlier decisions – with some Tory and SNP MPs leaving the chamber in protest.
The SNP’s Mr Flynn called for the Speaker to come to the Commons, asking deputy speaker Dame Rosie Winterton: “How do we bring him to this House now to explain to the Scottish National Party why our views and our votes in this House are irrelevant to him?”
And after some delaying tactics by MPs, the Speaker appeared to offer his apologies to MPs on all sides.
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1:15
Amid chaos in parliament, SNP and Conservative MPs have walked out of the chamber in protest at the Speaker’s handling of the Gaza ceasefire debate
As some MPs called out “resign”, Sir Lindsay reiterated his earlier justifications for selecting the Labour amendment, saying he had been trying to ensure all options were on the table for MPs to vote on – as well as protecting MPs’ safety.
He added: “I thought I was doing the right thing and the best thing, and I regret it, and I apologise for how it’s ended up.
“I do take responsibility for my actions.”
But while Mr Flynn accepted the intention of the apology, he said the result of the Speaker’s actions saw “an SNP opposition day turn into a Labour Party opposition day”.
“I’m afraid that is treating myself and my colleagues in the Scottish National Party with complete and utter contempt,” he said.
“I will take significant convincing that your position is not now intolerable.”
How do you oust a Speaker?
On a chaotic night, the Speaker of the House of Commons appears to be fighting for his future in the role.
Our deputy political editor Sam Coates says he probably has as little as 24 hours to save his political life.
But how would he end up leaving the role?
According to the Institute for Government, there’s no formal means of removing the House Speaker from office.
However, they can fall victim to a vote of no confidence – making it extremely difficult, and likely untenable, for them to stick around.
One famous example was during the expenses scandal in 2009, when speaker Michael Martin resigned in anticipation of losing such a vote.
There has been speculation today that the government may look to make Sir Lindsay Hoyle subject to one too.
Given his apology to MPs tonight, he clearly recognises the strength of feeling and sheer anger at his handling of the Gaza votes
Were he to resign, it would kick off a vote to select his successor.
Candidates are put forward via written nominations, and if one secures more than 50% of the vote among MPs then a motion is put to the Commons asking to confirm their appointment.
If it doesn’t pass, selection and voting starts again.
If nobody secures 50% in the first place, the candidate with the lowest vote share gets removed from the ballot and the vote is repeated until someone does hit the threshold and a winner emerges.
Speaking to Sky News after the drama had unfolded, Mr Flynn apologised to the public, saying today should have been about Palestinians in Gaza.
“But Westminster does this, doesn’t it?” he added. “It turns into a [debate] all about Westminster and what a circus this is.
“Because thanks to the actions of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the SNP has been stitched up to the point that the Labour Party were the only game in town today.”
He said there would be some “serious recriminations”, adding: “Today was about something much bigger than Westminster, and yet here we are debating Westminster is nonsense.”
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1:01
SNP leader says Speaker’s position may be ‘intolerable’.
Labour’s shadow defence secretary, John Healey, defended Sir Lindsay, telling Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge: “The Speaker is there to protect the rights of all MPs and he was trying to do the right thing.
“He was trying to make sure [there was] the widest possible debate because he knows it matters in parliament, it matters in our communities and it matters beyond the shores of Britain.”
However, Mr Healey criticised other MPs, adding: “This was a chance when we could have shown the best of parliament in coming together to demand an end to the fighting in Gaza.
“But instead we’ve revealed the worst of Westminster, with this descending into a row about procedure, with a boycott from the Conservatives, a walkout from the SNP, and frankly, this does nothing to help the Palestinians and it does nothing to advance the cause of peace.”
A hospital has apologised to more than 100 women after their eggs and embryos were likely damaged during the freezing process.
Guy’s Hospital in London contacted the 136 women after discovering its NHS-operated clinic may have inadvertently used some bottles of a faulty freezing solution in September and October 2022.
The clinic said it did not know the liquid was defective at the time.
A Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said the manufacturing issue may adversely impact the chance of a frozen egg or embryo surviving during thawing.
“We were made aware of a manufacturing issue with some bottles of a solution that may have been used to freeze eggs and embryos in our Assisted Conception Unit in September and October 2022,” they said.
They added that Guy’s Hospital has now contacted all those affected and apologised for the delay and any distress the error may have caused.
According to the BBC it is believed many of the women affected have subsequently had cancer treatment, which may have left them unable to conceive naturally.
The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) said a safety notice about the faulty freezing system had been issued to all registered clinics in February 2023 – however the Guy’s Hospital clinic still used the faulty solution several months later.
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HFEA director of compliance and information Rachel Cutting described the situation as “ongoing” at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Assisted Conception Unit, with an investigation now underway.
“We will take any further action required as a result of this investigation, in line with our standard incidents process,” she said.
“We are aware that this affected product may have been distributed to other UK clinics, although the HFEA is currently unaware of any other licensed clinic where patients have been affected.”
The King has apologised for having to postpone engagements after his cancer diagnosis.
Buckingham Palace said the diagnosis means his forthcoming public engagements will have to be rearranged or postponed, as the Queen continues to attend to a full programme of public duties.
The King‘s diagnosis, announced on Monday, means it is unlikely he will attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on 11 March.
The service is usually attended by senior members of the Royal Family.
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It was also expected the King and Queen would have several high-profile overseas visits over the coming months.
They were due to travel to Canada in May, and then to Australia, New Zealand and Samoa in October for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
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Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm whether the tours – his first visits to those countries as King – will go ahead.
No date has been suggested for the King’s return to full public duties as he undergoes treatment.
The Palace has not officially confirmed any upcoming state visits.
“Regrettably, a number of The King’s forthcoming public engagements will have to be rearranged or postponed,” a Palace spokesperson said.
“His Majesty would like to apologise to all those who may be disappointed or inconvenienced as a consequence.”
Read more: The Palace’s statement in full Prince Harry to visit King King’s health issues over the years
Other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales, may take on some extra duties on behalf of the King.
It is understood the King will continue to receive red boxes and have weekly audiences with the prime minister while undergoing treatment.
It is expected that alternative arrangements will be put in place for the weekly audiences should the King be advised by doctors to minimise in-person contact.
England and Manchester City star Kyle Walker has apologised to his wife after fathering a second child with another woman.
The 33-year-old defender said he had made “idiot choices” and needed to “own up to my mistakes”.
“What I’ve done is horrible and I take full responsibility,” he told The Sun newspaper.
“The only person to blame is me. I have roles and responsibilities that I’m aware of, and I’ve made stupid choices.
“But I need to own up to my mistakes – I owe it to everyone.”
Walker, an England international, is married to Annie Kilner. The couple have three children, with a fourth on the way.
They first met when Walker was 17, and married in 2022, after a 12-year relationship.
However, in April 2020, the model and influencer Lauryn Goodman announced she had given birth, and later named Walker as the father.
Image: Kyle Walker won the FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester City in December. Pic: PA
According to The Sun, Walker vowed he would have no further contact with Goodman, beyond any financial arrangements between them.
However, Walker is reported to have met Goodman in October 2022 having travelled to London for groin surgery.
Walker told the newspaper that Goodman informed him in “late October or early November” last year that she was pregnant with their second child.
Image: Annie Kilner at a match in 2018. Pic: PA
Image: Lauryn Goodman in 2016. Pic: PA
According to the newspaper, Kilner found out about Walker’s second child with Goodman when the model sent her a message on Instagram.
Walker, who won the treble with club-side Manchester City last season, has reportedly moved out of his home with Kilner, and is currently living in a rented flat.
“I can’t begin to think or imagine what Annie is going through. I’ve tried to ask her but there’s pain and hurt,” he told the newspaper.
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In 2020, the Manchester City footballer apologised after it was widely reported he held a party at his Cheshire home in violation of the nation’s lockdown measures.
The club promised that the 30-year-old would be subject to an “internal disciplinary procedure”.
“I reflect on, you know, my decision-making,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live at the time.
“It was bad decisions from me at an important time for the country and the world. I take full responsibility for that but I’m moving on now.”
Walker was also given an out of court disposal – which is not a criminal charge – over an allegation that he indecently exposed himself in a bar during an incident in March last year.
James Cleverly has apologised after joking about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink in comments made at a Downing Street reception within hours of the Home Office announcing plans to crack down on spiking.
The home secretary told female guests “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”, the Sunday Mirror reported.
Mr Cleverly also laughed that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was “someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there”.
Read more: Drink spiking laws to be modernised, Home Office says
The home secretary and his wife Susie have two children.
Conversations at Downing Street receptions are usually understood to be “off the record” but the Sunday Mirror decided to break the convention because of Mr Cleverly’s position and the subject matter.
A spokesperson for Mr Cleverly said: “In what was always understood as a private conversation, James, the Home Secretary, tackling spiking, made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke – for which he apologises.”
The home secretary has previously described tackling violence against women and girls as a “personal priority” and called spiking – when someone puts drugs into another person’s drink or directly into their body without their knowledge or consent – a “perverse” crime.
Senior Labour figures criticised Mr Cleverly’s “appalling” comments, with Alex Davies-Jones, shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, saying: “‘It was a joke’ is the most tired excuse in the book and no one is buying it.
“If the home secretary is serious about tackling spiking, and violence against women and girls, then that requires a full cultural change. The ‘banter’ needs to stop and it has to start at the top.”
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‘Truly unbelievable’
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Spiking is a disturbing and serious crime which is having a devastating impact on young women’s lives. It is truly unbelievable that the home secretary made such appalling jokes on the very same day the government announced new policy on spiking.
“It suggests that despite being the cabinet minister ultimately responsible for tackling violence against women and girls he doesn’t get how serious this is. Victims will understandably be questioning if they can trust him to take this vile crime seriously.”
Police receive 561 spiking reports a month
Ministers pledged to modernise the language used in legislation to make clear spiking is a crime and announced a series of other measures as part of a crackdown, but stopped short of making spiking a specific offence.
There were 6,732 reports of spiking in England and Wales – including 957 reported incidents of needle spiking – between May 2022 and April 2023.
On average police receive 561 reports of spiking a month, with the majority being made by women typically after incidents in or near bars and nightclubs, according to a Home Office report.
Big Brother UK contestant Trish Balusa has apologised and said there’s “no excuses” for historical tweets in which she wrote derogatory comments about the LGBT community and Asian people.
Balusa, 33, had become a fan favourite in ITV’s Big Brother reboot but was evicted in a double elimination on Friday night despite a fan-led campaign calling for viewers to vote strategically so she could win.
The posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, only came to light once Balusa had left the Big Brother house.
It looks as though the account they were shared on has since been deleted. Sky News has chosen not to include Balusa’s posts.
Posting to a new account in her name on Sunday, Balusa admitted her historical tweets were “very concerning” and said: “I would like to sincerely apologise for the harmful stereotypes I perpetuated and the pain I have caused to the marginalised communities and groups of people mentioned.
“There are no excuses for the ignorance that I showed and I am deeply disappointed, embarrassed and ashamed that I once made such comments.
“I have come a very long way since by educating myself and being educated by others on the impact and harm these views cause.”
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Balusa also thanked fans for showing support while she was on the programme, acknowledging viewers’ current “disappointment”.
“I am truly sorry,” she wrote. “I hope it is possible for you to offer me grace and believe that people can change.”
Questions are now being asked about ITV’s welfare protocols which state that Big Brother contestants’ social media accounts would be reviewed before they entered the house.
A Big Brother spokesperson told Sky News: “This weekend, we have been made aware of concerning historical tweets.
“We are currently looking into why they were not identified by the independent supplier we engage to review the digital footprint of potential Housemates as part of our pre-checks.”
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Sky News understands that Balusa will no longer be appearing on the spin-off show Late & Live on Sunday night.
Behind-the-scenes, she is being offered support in line with Big Brother’s welfare protocols.
