Author: Darren Smith

A convicted terrorist whose planned release sparked political fury will face fresh parole assessment after the Deputy Prime Minister successfully challenged the board’s decision to free him three years early. Zahid Iqbal, 43, was among a gang jailed in 2013 for plotting to detonate a homemade bomb at a Territorial Army centre in Luton using a remote-controlled toy car as the delivery mechanism, with explosive construction guided by an Al Qaeda manual titled “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom – by the Al Qaeda chef.” The Parole Board granted release approval earlier this year despite two prison…

Italian authorities are reviewing surveillance footage as they search for a ilegal migrant believed to have sexually assaulted a young stray kitten in Rome, leaving the animal fighting for life with catastrophic injuries described by officials as representing “unprecedented gravity.” The kitten, named Rosi by rescuers, was discovered around 23 March dragging her hind legs and bleeding heavily in a condominium garden after suffering severe genital trauma, intestinal damage and injuries consistent with sexual violence. Rome Metropolitan City Delegate Rocco Ferraro, who filed formal complaints alongside animal rights organisations LNDC Animal Protection and ENPA, warned the perpetrator represents a potential…

Animal welfare organisations are calling for comprehensive regulatory reforms governing captive elephant treatment in India following the death of a 65-year-old female elephant three months after being covered head-to-toe in bright pink paint for a Russian photographer’s artistic project. Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director of World Animal Protection, condemned the November photoshoot in Jaipur as emblematic of “rampant abuse of captive elephants in Jaipur to cater to tourists’ whims and fancies,” demanding authorities “strictly regulate all close encounters of captive elephants with all tourists, including foreign tourists.” The controversy surrounding Chanchal’s participation in photographer Julia Buruleva’s project exploded across social…

A 54-year-old Polish resident has drowned in Athens after being swept away by floodwaters as Storm Erminio unleashed catastrophic weather across Greece, trapping hundreds at airports and forcing widespread school closures ahead of the Easter weekend. The victim lost his life in the southern Attica town of Nea Makri after leaving his flooded basement on Megalou Alexandrou Street and slipping into powerful torrents that carried him 49 feet before he became wedged beneath a vehicle. A neighbour who discovered the body described the scene as “chaos,” stating: “The water was coming in with force. Suddenly I see something under the…

Grieving families wept in a packed courtroom as a funeral director admitted preventing lawful burials of their loved ones whilst stealing donations intended for cancer charities and other good causes. Robert Bush, 48, stood in the dock at Hull Crown Court on Tuesday as a clerk spent ten minutes reading 31 criminal charges relating to the discovery of 35 bodies and over 100 sets of cremated remains at his Legacy Independent Funeral Directors premises in Hull during a March 2024 police raid. The West Yorkshire resident quietly responded “guilty” to each charge—30 counts of preventing lawful and decent burial alongside…

President Donald Trump will deliver a landmark televised address at 9pm ET on Wednesday outlining his “disgust” with NATO and threatening American withdrawal from the transatlantic alliance that has anchored Western security since 1949. The President confirmed he is “absolutely” considering pulling the United States from the 32-nation bloc, characterising it as a “paper tiger” that adversaries do not take seriously following European allies’ refusal to join military operations against Iran. “I’ll be discussing my disgust with NATO,” Mr Trump told Reuters, adding when asked about potential withdrawal: “Oh, absolutely without question. Wouldn’t you do that if you were me?”…

A violent offender who subjected his partner to hours of torture including holding her head under sewage water and defecating on her face whilst she lay unconscious has been imprisoned for more than 15 years. Liam Dawson, 34, received a 15-year and three-month sentence with an additional four-year extended licence period after admitting grievous bodily harm with intent at Stafford Crown Court, where he was observed vaping and laughing during his victim’s emotional testimony delivered via video link from HMP Dovegate. The mother-of-three described the attack as “inhumane” and credited a stranger who heard her screams with saving her life,…

A Pakistani national whose asylum claim was rejected has been imprisoned for 15 years after a jury convicted him of repeatedly raping an eight-year-old girl whilst threatening that disclosure would result in her father killing her. Kamran Khan, 44, was found guilty of two rape charges, four counts of sexually assaulting a child, two counts of causing a child to watch sexual acts, and two counts of causing a child under thirteen to engage in sexual activity following offences committed between September 2024 and July 2025. Judge Freya Newbery told Khan during sentencing: “You thought she would never tell because…

Armed officers and a police helicopter are scouring East Bristol after a daylight shooting left a man in his twenties with life-changing injuries and prompted authorities to lock down three schools as a precautionary measure. Avon and Somerset Police launched a manhunt following reports at 1.47pm on Tuesday that a firearm had been discharged at a vehicle on Speedwell Road in the Speedwell area, with the gunman remaining at large several hours after the attack. The victim was airlifted to Southmead Hospital by emergency helicopter services before 2.30pm, where medical staff are treating serious injuries that officers have characterised as…

A 26-year-old man with a history of mental health treatment and previous assault allegations has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stalking a commuter before shoving him into the path of an approaching train at a Seattle railway station. Elisio Melendez was arrested on 24 March and held on $750,000 bond following the 19 March attack at Northgate station, where surveillance footage captured him lurking behind an elevator whilst monitoring victim Peter Michael Walbrun, who stood on the platform reading articles on his mobile phone. King County prosecutors disclosed Melendez had been charged with stabbing his sister in the…