Author: Darren Smith

French authorities have detained a British drill rapper who spent more than two weeks taunting police on social media after escaping custody twice in the space of five days, with his arrest coming just one day after he posted a video of himself dancing shirtless to a rap celebrating his escape. Daniel Boakye, 21, who performs under the name Dsavv, was arrested in La Bouëxière, a commune approximately 60 miles north of Nantes, on Monday night. The Metropolitan Police confirmed he faces an imminent return to the United Kingdom, where he is wanted on suspicion of escaping lawful custody. Detectives…

A 23-year-old man has been charged in connection with the Edinburgh knife incident that prompted a major armed police response on Monday, with the suspect due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday. The charge follows a prolonged stand-off at Cobbinshaw House tower block in the Calder Gardens area, which began at around 8.25am and was not resolved until shortly after 3.30pm — lasting approximately seven hours. When the situation concluded, the suspect was quietly removed from the building through a back entrance to avoid the large crowd that had gathered at the front of the block. Police Scotland…

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed Britain will deploy a warship and helicopter units to Cyprus following an Iranian strike on RAF Akrotiri, as the United States and Israel continue military operations against Tehran for a fourth consecutive day. The Prime Minister announced the decision after speaking directly with the President of Cyprus, confirming that HMS Dragon — a Type 45 destroyer — will be sent to the region alongside helicopters equipped with counter-drone capabilities. “We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies,” Starmer said. The Type 45 destroyer is considered a significant deployment, as it…

A 20-year-old university student from Nepal lost his life after being struck by a car travelling at more than double the speed limit on a residential east London street — and the man behind the wheel, award-winning rapper Ghetts, has now been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the killing. Justin Clarke-Samuel, 41, whose stage name is Ghetts, was sentenced at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty in December to causing the death of Yubin Tamang by dangerous driving. Judge Mark Lucraft KC also handed Clarke-Samuel a 17-year driving ban, describing CCTV footage of his driving that evening as…

Multiple people have been left injured following a stabbing on Bridge Road in the Alum Rock area of Birmingham, with the attack taking place directly outside a primary school and a church as armed officers, air ambulance crews and multiple emergency units rushed to the scene. The incident unfolded outside Our Lady of the Rosary and St Therese of Lisieux church, with a victim reported to be lying in the street as officers performed CPR. Rosary Catholic Primary School, situated adjacent to the scene, was placed into lockdown as the emergency response got underway, with large numbers of ambulances attending…

A mother has spoken out after allegedly being kept in the dark by her daughter’s single-sex school over the presence of a transgender pupil, raising concerns about changing room access, risk assessments and the school’s approach to gender identity in the classroom. The woman, who has not been named, said she only became aware of the situation after overhearing her 14-year-old daughter and a friend discussing a classmate’s previous male identity. After raising the matter with her older daughter, she was shown the social media accounts of a transgender pupil who had transitioned during Year Six. The mother told The…

The President of the UAE and the Crown Prince of Dubai made a visible public appearance at one of the city’s most prominent shopping destinations yesterday evening, greeting residents and visitors in what Dubai’s Media Office described as a show of steady leadership amid ongoing Iranian strikes on the Gulf state. Mohammed bin Zayed, 64, and Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, 43, were seen at Dubai Mall — located in the city’s downtown area beside the Burj Khalifa — where they sat for coffee and pastries at café Cipriani Dolci alongside other senior Emirati figures before strolling through…

Britain is weighing the deployment of a Royal Navy warship to protect its military base in Cyprus after an Iranian drone struck RAF Akrotiri at the weekend, as France and Greece have already moved to bolster the island’s defences while the UK government continues its deliberations. Government sources confirmed that ministers are actively “considering” sending a gunboat to the sovereign British territory, with Defence Secretary John Healey understood to have spent the past 24 hours in discussions with officials over the options. The vessel most likely to be deployed, should a decision be taken, is the Type 45 Destroyer HMS…

A Cambridge man has been convicted of murdering a young Saudi Arabian student in a random, unprovoked knife attack that took place outside student accommodation near the city’s railway station. Mohammed Algasim, a 20-year-old on a ten-week English language placement in Cambridge, was stabbed in the neck and killed on the night of 1 August last year. He had never previously encountered his attacker. Chas Corrigan, 22, of Holbrook Road, Cambridge, was found guilty of murder at Cambridge Crown Court on Monday, having denied the charge while admitting to possessing the knife used in the attack. The jury heard that…

An armed man attempted to force his way into a nursery and primary school before going on to stab at least two people and ransack a local shop during a prolonged knife rampage in Edinburgh this morning, witnesses have said. The incident began in the Calder area of the city at around 8.25am, when the man — who was seen carrying two large blades described by witnesses as blood-soaked and taped to his hands — was spotted in the grounds of Sighthill Primary School and Early Years Centre. Local resident Abigail Clegg told the Press Association the man had “tried…