Author: Darren Smith

Footage circulating on social media appears to show a Russian training exercise thrown into chaos after a soldier lost control of a heavy rotary machine gun, sending it spinning wildly and forcing nearby troops to scatter for cover. The Daily Mail has not been able to independently verify the clip, including when or where it was filmed, but it has already drawn widespread attention and speculation online. The video, which has spread rapidly across social media, is described online as showing a Russian mobile fire group during a training exercise involving a YakB-12.7 rotary machine gun. According to the footage,…

Heriot-Watt University has told school-leavers from Scotland not to apply through Clearing this year, after confirming it has already filled every Scottish Government-funded place available for the new intake. The Edinburgh-based institution says the closure applies only to Scottish-domiciled applicants, with places for students from the rest of the UK and overseas still open. Scottish school-leavers hoping to secure a place at Heriot-Watt through Clearing have been told to look elsewhere, after the university confirmed its allocation of Scottish Government-funded places is now full. A notice on the university’s Clearing page states plainly: “Please note, this year, we are closed…

Dawood Safi, a 23-year-old Afghan migrant, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of dog walker Wayne Broadhurst on the grounds of diminished responsibility, after a court heard he was in a “psychotic state” during a series of attacks in Uxbridge last October. Southwark Crown Court heard that Safi also assaulted his landlord and a 14-year-old boy on the same day, and he now faces a separate trial over two counts of attempted murder. The attacks took place in Midhurst Gardens, Uxbridge, on 27 October last year, when landlord Shahzad Farrukh, 45, a 14-year-old boy, and Mr Broadhurst were all assaulted.…

A three-year-old British boy has died after falling from the fourth floor of a hotel in Chloraka, near Paphos in Cyprus, while on a family holiday. His 37-year-old father has been arrested on suspicion of negligence, with Cypriot police continuing to investigate the exact circumstances of the fall. The family had arrived in Cyprus only the day before the tragedy, having checked into their hotel on Saturday ahead of a summer holiday. According to local news outlet Sigma Live, the boy’s father had been playing with him while the pair waited for a lift when the toddler slipped from his…

Counter-terrorism detectives are now leading the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe after fresh evidence prompted a major change in the inquiry, although police have not concluded that the killing was terror-related. Counter-terrorism officers have assumed responsibility for the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe after investigators uncovered what they described as new evidence. The decision marks a significant development in the case, with detectives examining several possible motives while emphasising that the nature of the attack has not yet been determined. Authorities have also sought to reassure the public that there is currently no indication of any…

New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has confirmed the club are pushing to add further reinforcements to his squad before the new Premier League season begins, despite an increasingly difficult pursuit of Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande. Speaking at his first press conference with external media, the Spaniard said the club were “working hard” on incoming deals, even as he stressed the importance of getting the right players rather than rushing transfers through. Liverpool have so far brought in two new faces this summer: Spain winger Victor Munoz, signed from Osasuna for £34.5million, and centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, whose £60million move…

Sam Chatto, the ceramicist grandson of Princess Margaret, has announced his engagement to fellow artist Eleanor Ekserdjian, proposing with a porcelain ring crafted by his own hand. King Charles has been told the news and is said to be delighted for the couple, who met as students at the University of Edinburgh and now plan to marry next spring. Samuel Chatto, 29, who is 30th in line to the British throne, shared his engagement to Eleanor Ekserdjian, also 29, in an Instagram post. “I’m really delighted to say that Ellie and I are engaged. And we couldn’t be happier. I…

A German court has sentenced an Iraqi couple to lengthy prison terms after finding they enslaved and repeatedly raped two young Yazidi girls, aged five and 12, while living under Islamic State rule in Syria and Iraq. The case is the latest in a series of German prosecutions targeting ISIS members for crimes committed against the persecuted Yazidi minority. Twana HS was sentenced to life in prison, while his wife, Asia RA, received a nine-and-a-half year sentence, following their trial before the Higher Regional Court of Munich. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the court, the pair enslaved the…

Two men have died after going into the water at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool in an attempt to rescue two children who had got into difficulty, Cleveland Police have confirmed. Both children have since been taken to hospital as a precaution and are safe, while officers, the RNLI, HM Coastguard and North East Ambulance Service crews all attended the scene on Sunday afternoon. Emergency services were called to Seaton Carew beach at around 3.45pm on Sunday after two children got into trouble in the sea, prompting two men to enter the water in an attempt to help them. Cleveland…

Newly obtained emergency dispatch recordings have revealed the frantic efforts made to save Senator Lindsey Graham’s life before his sudden death at 71, as tributes continue to pour in following the announcement of his passing. Emergency dispatch audio from the night Senator Lindsey Graham died has shed new light on the desperate attempts made to revive him before his unexpected death. The recording, obtained by CNN and the Wall Street Journal, shows that paramedics were called to a property south of the US capital just before 8.30pm on Saturday, responding to a report of cardiac arrest. Graham’s office confirmed in…