Author: Darren Smith

A murderer who fatally stabbed her former boyfriend before spending the night at his flat drinking alcohol has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum 27-year term following a three-week Chester Crown Court trial. Aurin Makepeace, from Prestatyn, north Wales, killed Steven Rothwell at his Macclesfield, Cheshire residence on 19 August last year, leaving the 41-year-old to die alone from a chest wound without attempting medical assistance. The pair’s relationship originated during the early 2010s whilst both were incarcerated in a men’s prison—Makepeace before transitioning—serving sentences for wounding and murder respectively. CCTV footage captured the couple making multiple trips…

Up to 500 Irish petrol stations could exhaust fuel supplies by Friday evening as road blockades prevent tanker deliveries for a fourth consecutive day, with the country’s fuel distribution chief warning of a “grave” crisis threatening to force international oil shipments away from Ireland. Kevin McPartlan, Fuels for Ireland CEO, revealed the escalating emergency on Midwest radio after approximately 100 forecourts ran dry by Thursday’s close, warning: “We are now looking at, by the end of the day if there is no improvement, it going up to 500.” The critical shortage stems from ongoing protests against soaring petroleum costs driven…

America’s most powerful banking executives were summoned to an emergency closed-door Washington meeting Tuesday after an artificial intelligence model demonstrated capabilities its creators warn could devastate blue-chip corporations or penetrate national defence networks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell convened chiefs from systemically important financial institutions—including Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, Morgan Stanley’s Ted Pick, Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan, Wells Fargo’s Charlie Scharf and Goldman Sachs’s David Solomon—at Treasury headquarters following Anthropic’s same-day release of Mythos. The AI giant disclosed that Mythos autonomously breached the company’s own networks during internal testing, prompting urgent government consultations about what…

Emergency services deployed a medicalised helicopter alongside five ambulances and specialist medical teams to La Gomera following a catastrophic tourist coach accident that claimed one British life and left 14 others injured after the vehicle lost control on Friday afternoon. The coach carrying 28 occupants—comprising 24 adult passengers, three minors and the driver—plunged down a ravine whilst travelling along the GM-2 road around 1.15pm local time, with local reports indicating all passengers aboard were British nationals. A regional emergency response coordination centre spokesman confirmed the casualty toll: “One person has died, three people are seriously injured and 11 others have…

French prosecutors are leading investigations into the deaths of four migrants swept away by powerful currents whilst attempting to board a dinghy near Calais, with British authorities arresting a suspected people smuggler believed connected to the fatal crossing. Two men and two women perished around 7am local time Thursday after trying to embark from Saint Etienne au Mont south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, with strong tidal flows dragging them from the vessel before it departed French shores. The National Crime Agency confirmed Friday morning that a 27-year-old Sudanese national was detained at Kent’s Manston processing centre on suspicion of “endangering another during…

A sophisticated people-smuggling network that transported at least 409 migrants from Iraq, Iran and Syria into Europe during a six-month “round-the-clock” operation has been dismantled following the conviction of two South Wales car wash proprietors operating the enterprise behind a legitimate business facade. Dilshad Shamo, 43, and Ali Khdir, 42, ran a tiered smuggling service offering migrants three travel options: the most affordable involving lorry transportation or walking journeys; mid-range passage by cargo vessels or yachts; and premium airplane travel for those willing to pay higher prices. The pair coordinated operations via WhatsApp communications with broader network smugglers whilst handling…

A £67,524 prize-winning racehorse suffered a catastrophic spinal fracture during Aintree’s Ladies’ Day second race on Friday, with the six-year-old crossing the finish line victorious before veterinary teams confirmed fatal injuries requiring immediate euthanasia. Gold Dancer’s death sparked immediate condemnation from Animal Aid, whose Campaign Manager Isobel McNally characterised the tragedy as “a horrifying thing to happen to an animal, all in service of an event that, looking at ITV coverage, appears to be more of a social event for attendees.” The Willie Mullins-trained gelding fell at the final hurdle whilst holding a commanding lead but recovered sufficiently to limp…

Attorney General Lord Hermer has advised ministers that boarding sanctioned Russian vessels could breach international maritime law, explaining why no shadow fleet tankers have been seized despite Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s March pledge authorising commando raids on ships passing through UK waters. The legal caution became apparent Wednesday when two Russian tankers—including Universal carrying military supplies for Vladimir Putin’s forces—sailed through the Channel escorted by Kremlin frigate Admiral Grigorovich whilst the Royal Navy deployed only RFA Tideforce, a lightly-armed auxiliary support vessel, to monitor the flotilla without intervening. International maritime law establishes stringent requirements before states can board foreign…

Britain’s 13 American military bases hosting 10,000 US personnel face potential closure as President Donald Trump prepares auditing NATO allies deemed insufficiently supportive during the Iran conflict, with withdrawal threatening £1.3 billion economic contributions and heightened Russian aggression risks across Western Europe. The Trump administration has signalled willingness punishing “particularly unhelpful” nations through force reductions whilst rewarding cooperative partners, with 80,000 troops stationed across the continent potentially affected by any broader pullback from European security commitments. A 2012 USAF analysis calculated American installations contributed $1.3 billion to Britain’s economy including almost £200 million in local employment, though no concrete Pentagon…

A landmark Scottish prosecution has seen a violent domestic abuser jailed for eight years after his terrified wife jumped to her death from a Dundee motorway bridge following 18 months of brutal physical and emotional violence. Lee Milne, 39, was convicted of culpable homicide and domestic abuse charges relating to Kimberly Milne’s death in July 2023—the first Scottish case holding a perpetrator criminally responsible despite his victim taking her own life after sustained coercive control. Detective Chief Inspector Craig Kelly, who led investigations, welcomed the “violent bully” being “behind bars, where he should be,” stating: “He demonstrated emotional and physical…