Author: Darren Smith

Ali Larijani, the most prominent Iranian official to have survived the opening days of the war, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a hideout apartment in Tehran, marking the most significant targeted elimination since the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February. Larijani, 67, who served as secretary of Iran’s National Security Council and was widely regarded as Khamenei’s closest political lieutenant, was struck alongside his son at the safe house. The Israel Defense Forces also confirmed the simultaneous killing of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force, in the same operation. The Israeli…

A nursery worker who used his position of trust to carry out a prolonged series of sexual offences against toddlers as young as two has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, with a minimum of 24 years to be served in custody before he can be considered for release. Nathan Bennett, 30, from Corston near Bath, was convicted last month at Bristol Crown Court of eight offences including two counts of raping a child under 13, four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and two counts of sexual assault by penetration. He had previously pleaded guilty…

Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly receiving medical treatment in Russia following serious injuries sustained during a US-Israeli airstrike, as fresh questions mount over whether he is alive and capable of leading the country. According to Kuwaiti news outlet Al-Jarida, citing a source described as “high-ranking and close to the new Iranian Supreme Leader,” Khamenei was secretly transported aboard a Russian military aircraft to one of President Vladimir Putin’s presidential palaces, where he underwent surgery that was described as successful. The outlet reported the operation was “personally offered by Putin” after his injuries could not be adequately…

A convicted murderer serving a life sentence has had four additional years added to his term after launching an unprovoked attack on a prison officer at HMP Whitemoor, stabbing him repeatedly in the head, face and neck with a plastic knife. Moustapha Dia, 28, approached the officer as he was locking doors on the wing of the Cambridgeshire prison at around 2pm on 19 October 2024. After whispering something to the officer, Dia grabbed him into a headlock and began stabbing him with the improvised weapon. The assault continued until other officers intervened and disarmed him. The injured officer was…

A Bradford man who fraudulently obtained £100,000 in Covid support loans using his wife’s name and fabricated company documents has been ordered to repay £123,000 — more than five years after pocketing funds his business was never entitled to claim. Shohid Ahmed, 41, of Bardsey Crescent, Bradford, applied for three maximum-value Bounce Back Loans totalling £150,000 in May and June 2020 on behalf of Red Square Restaurants Limited, which traded as Ruby’s Lounge on Huddersfield Road in Mirfield. He used his wife’s name on the applications because she held a better credit history. Two of the three loans were approved,…

Travellers have been issued an urgent warning to stay away from Dubai International Airport after all flights were suspended in the early hours of Monday morning following an Iranian drone strike that set a fuel tank ablaze near the world’s second-busiest aviation hub. The airport closed as a precautionary measure at just before 5.30am local time, with flames and smoke visible against the night sky. A statement confirmed the closure was enacted “to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff,” while Dubai Civil Defence teams said the situation remained “under control, with no spread of the fire.” No injuries…

Harman Singh Kapoor, the Sikh activist and owner of the non-halal Indian restaurant Rangrez in Hammersmith, west London, was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers on Friday 14 March 2026, during a tense standoff outside his premises. Footage circulating on social media showed Kapoor being escorted from the scene in handcuffs. According to reports, he was detained on suspicion of carrying a prohibited bladed article — identified as his kirpan, the ceremonial dagger worn as one of the five articles of Sikh faith. The arrest came just hours after Kapoor had called on supporters to attend a rally outside Rangrez on…

Senator Ted Cruz has sparked a fierce online debate after drawing a distinction between the phrase “Christ is King” as a Christian declaration of faith and what he described as its growing misuse in certain online spaces as cover for antisemitic sentiment. Speaking to CBN News in March 2026, the Republican Texas senator was unequivocal that he personally agrees with the statement as a profession of Christian belief, pointing to its scriptural roots. The phrase appears in the Book of Revelation, where Christ is described as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Cruz was clear that his concern was…

John Alford, the actor best known for his role in the long-running ITV drama London’s Burning, has been found dead in prison, weeks after being sentenced to custody for sexually abusing two young girls. A Prison Service spokesman confirmed the death to The Sun on Sunday, stating: “John Shannon died in prison on 13 March 2026.” Alford, whose real name was John Shannon, was 54 years old. According to a source cited by The Sun on Sunday, staff discovered Alford unresponsive on his bed when they opened his cell door on Friday morning. Alford had been reported to police in…

A large crowd gathered outside a non-halal Indian restaurant in west London on Thursday evening, blocking its entrance and refusing to disperse for several hours despite a significant police presence, according to the establishment’s owner. Harman Singh Kapoor, who co-owns Rangrez on Fulham Palace Road in Hammersmith with his wife Khushi, posted multiple videos to social media platform X showing what he described as a blockade of more than 100 people, primarily young men of Somali origin, gathered outside the premises. The footage showed heated confrontations, shouting and a considerable number of officers at the scene. No arrests were made…