Author: Darren Smith

A Ukrainian marine drone strike has sunk a 13,000-tonne cargo vessel tied to Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom in the Black Sea, as President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his appeal for more Western air defence systems following a Russian assault on Kyiv that left nine people dead. Ukraine has sunk a 13,000-tonne cargo ship linked to Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, in a marine drone strike in the Black Sea, delivering a fresh setback to Vladimir Putin’s war effort. The 466ft vessel went down in international waters, though all 17 crew members were rescued beforehand. The sinking came on the same…

An inquest has heard how Chloe Moffat, a 26-year-old HM Treasury personal assistant with an “exemplary” record, died by suicide the day after leaving a meeting convinced she was about to lose her job, prompting her mother to call for changes to how the department handles disciplinary allegations. Chloe Moffat, 26, took her own life the day after an anonymous complaint left her fearing she would be sacked from her role at HM Treasury, an inquest at Surrey Coroner’s Court has heard. Ms Moffat had worked as a personal assistant at the department for almost three years, and had recently…

Manchester Pigeon Rehab has alleged that contractors working for Transport for London shot dead more than 650 pigeons across the network since March 2024, with images showing injured birds and questions raised over whether the culls broke wildlife protection law. Transport for London has been accused of overseeing a mass cull in which contracted workers are said to have shot dead more than 650 pigeons at stations across the network. According to data compiled by Manchester Pigeon Rehab (MPR), at least 123 separate pigeon shoots took place between March 2024 and 2026, targeting birds nesting on station ledges or caught…

Confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak have overtaken the country’s deadliest ever epidemic, with officials warning that the virus is spreading faster than any Ebola outbreak on record. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s current Ebola outbreak has grown into the second-largest in history, after confirmed cases surpassed the total recorded during the country’s 2018–2020 epidemic, which killed nearly 2,300 of around 3,500 people infected. Congolese officials said on Friday that 3,532 cases and 1,556 deaths have now been confirmed across five provinces. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, is unfolding…

Boston Police have ruled the death of 18-year-old Yoseliani Ann Marte Ocasio a homicide after she was found shot inside a rental property owned by the husband of U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, with no arrests made and the investigation still active. Boston Police have formally identified Yoseliani Ann Marte Ocasio, 18, of Boston, as the young woman found shot dead inside a rental property in the city’s Mattapan neighbourhood. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed on Thursday that she died from a single gunshot wound and classified her death as a homicide. The property where she was found…

Paris Wilson, dubbed “Temu Barbie” online during the investigation, has been jailed for manslaughter after helping a drugs gang track down her former husband, Danny Cahalane, who died following a sulphuric acid attack linked to a £120,000 debt. Four people have been jailed for a combined 80 years at Winchester Crown Court over the killing of Danny Cahalane, a 38-year-old father of two who died after acid was thrown at him outside his Plymouth home. His former partner, Paris Wilson, 35, was sentenced to nine years for manslaughter and for her role in a separate attempted kidnapping a month before…

AC Milan is in mourning after confirming the death of Franco Baresi, the club’s greatest one-club servant and one of football’s finest ever defenders, who has died at the age of 66 following a battle with health problems. AC Milan have confirmed the death of Franco Baresi, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders the game has ever produced and a defining symbol of the club throughout his career. The Rossoneri icon passed away at the age of 66, according to Goal.com. The confirmation followed a difficult few days in which the club had initially been forced to deny…

British farmers are battling severe drought conditions that threaten a wide range of everyday food staples, from potatoes and salad crops to beef and dairy, as experts warn shoppers could face higher prices and smaller produce in the months ahead. British farmers are grappling with what experts are calling a perfect storm, as drought conditions have now been officially declared across half of England, placing further pressure on crop yields already under strain. The situation compounds existing pressures on the UK’s food supply, including disruption caused by the war in Iran, years of elevated fertiliser and animal feed costs stemming…

Wildlife officials in Kenya say 15 elephants found dead this month in Amboseli National Park were likely poisoned by cyanide after eating tomatoes contaminated with pesticides from nearby farms, in one of the deadliest single elephant poisoning incidents recorded in the country in recent years. Wildlife officials in Kenya confirmed on Thursday that 15 elephants found dead earlier this month in Amboseli National Park were likely killed by cyanide poisoning. Authorities believe the toxin originated from pesticides used on farms bordering the park, which sits near the Tanzanian border and is renowned for its elephant herds. Preliminary laboratory tests have…

Local fishermen joined the Hellenic Coast Guard in a dramatic sea rescue operation to save dozens of tourists stranded on beaches along Crete’s southern coast, as deadly wildfires swept across the Greek island and killed three firefighters. Local fishermen played a critical role in rescuing dozens of terrified holidaymakers stranded on Crete’s beaches, as devastating wildfires tore across the Greek island during the peak of summer season. Footage captured the moment locals braved rough seas to evacuate tourists trapped along the coastline, with the sky turning ominous shades of orange and black as a fleet of coast guard vessels and…