Author: Darren Smith

Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, shot and killed his wife Amanda and their six children before setting fire to their Grand Haven Township home and turning the gun on himself, in what Ottawa County authorities have ruled a murder-suicide, just weeks after he lost his job. A Michigan father shot and killed his wife and six children before setting their family home ablaze and taking his own life, authorities have confirmed. Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, killed Amanda, 39, and their six children, aged five to 15, inside their $750,000 home in Grand Haven Township on Friday, before starting fires at multiple points inside…

Influencer Danny Karne, known online as “Danny Lambo,” has faced widespread condemnation after posting a video filmed at a Kent hotel in which he and a group of friends joked about the recent murder of Ann Widdecombe, using an artwork depicting a woman lying on the ground as the centrepiece of the clip. An influencer and his friends have sparked outrage after footage emerged of them joking about the murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe, who was killed at her Devon home on 8 July. The video was filmed and posted by Danny Karne, who goes by “Danny Lambo” online…

The US Department of Energy has authorised emergency measures to activate backup power sources across 17 states as extreme heat pushes the electricity grid to its limits, placing around 20 million Americans at risk of potential blackouts. Around 20 million Americans across 17 states are facing the threat of potential blackouts as extreme heat continues to strain the region’s power grid. In response, the US Department of Energy has authorised the operator serving parts of the affected states to activate normally idle backup power sources. The order applies to the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which manages the electric grid across…

A cyberattack on the Department for Education has exposed more than 607,000 records containing personal contact details of headteachers, academy leaders, university staff and government officials, in one of the largest known data breaches to hit the UK education sector. More than 607,000 records linked to the Department for Education’s customer support systems have been exposed in a major cyberattack, affecting headteachers, academy trust leaders, local authority staff, university employees and government officials. The breach has been claimed by a hacking group known as ExfilSquad, which is alleged to have published the stolen data on the dark web. The Department…

Paul Powlesland, a river conservation volunteer, is under investigation and risks up to two years in prison if charged and convicted over an unpermitted clean-up operation, while a man who sexually assaulted five women and a schoolgirl in uniform on London’s rail network was sentenced to just 16 months. Paul Powlesland, a 40-year-old environmental lawyer and founder of the River Roding Trust, is being investigated by the Environment Agency and risks up to two years in prison if he is charged and convicted over a volunteer clean-up of a polluted stretch of Alders Brook in east London. Separately, Zevenor Gordon,…

Russ Foster-Jones, 51, a former RAF Group Captain who once led the Royal Air Force Police, died by suicide while under investigation for misconduct, an inquest has heard, with the coroner criticising aspects of the inquiry’s management as “flawed.” A former senior RAF officer took his own life while under investigation for alleged misconduct, an inquest has heard. Russ Foster-Jones, 51, was found dead at an Airbnb in Churchtown, Lancashire, in June 2025, roughly a year after a complaint was made against him in April 2024. Foster-Jones had served in the Royal Air Force for around 30 years, rising to…

Tajikistan has introduced strict new legislation banning the import, sale and wearing of hijabs and other clothing deemed “alien to national culture,” alongside tighter controls on religious beards, as part of a long-running campaign to curb religious extremism and preserve secularism. Tajikistan has formally banned the wearing of hijabs, describing the measure as necessary to counter religious radicalism, protect national identity and preserve the country’s secular character. The restrictions form part of amendments to Tajikistan’s Law on the Regulation of Traditions and Ceremonies, signed by President Emomali Rahmon and brought into force on 20 June 2024. Alongside the clothing restrictions,…

Three women, one of them believed to be pregnant, were stabbed near the Porte de Clichy transport hub in Paris on Monday morning, with a 31-year-old suspect swiftly arrested by police already in the area. Three women, including one believed to be pregnant, were stabbed in the street near Porte de Clichy in Paris on Monday morning at around 11.30am. The attack took place in the city’s 17th arrondissement, close to the busy transport hub serving Metro, RER and tram services. Police said the victims were treated by emergency services at the scene before being transported to hospital, with one…

Bill Oddie, the former Goodies star turned wildlife broadcaster and conservationist, has died at the age of 85, with his agent paying tribute to his “intelligence and wit” and his decades of work protecting Britain’s natural environment. Wildlife presenter and comedian Bill Oddie has died at the age of 85, his agent has confirmed. Paying tribute to “Britain’s best-loved birder,” agent David Foster praised Oddie’s “intelligence and wit” and his lasting contribution to conservation. Oddie first found national fame in the 1970s as one-third of the comedy trio The Goodies, alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden, before going on to…

A major emergency response was launched at Fistral Beach in Newquay on Sunday evening after a man and woman were recovered from the water, with both later pronounced dead at the scene. A man and a woman have died after being pulled from the water at a beach in Cornwall. Emergency services were called to Fistral Beach, Newquay, at around 9.45pm on Sunday, following reports that two people had been recovered from the sea. Despite efforts from a multi-agency rescue operation, both were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have since been informed, and a file is being prepared…