Author: Darren Smith

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…

As fires sweep across Spain and France, questions are circulating online about what causes them — and why rain-making technology isn’t used to extinguish them. Here’s what the science actually says. Europe is in the grip of one of its worst wildfire emergencies in years. More than 267,000 people have been forced from their homes by wildfires raging in France and Spain, with CNN reporting the displacement figure has since passed 300,000 after new evacuation orders were issued. Spain has declared a national emergency after a massive wildfire west of Madrid — described by regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso as…

Abdul Ballout, the 21-year-old German-Lebanese suspect accused of driving a van into crowds at Berlin’s Pride celebrations, has been shot and killed by police during an operation at a garden complex, as the city’s Interior Minister confirmed the number of injured had risen to 29. The suspect behind Saturday’s attack on Berlin’s Pride parade has been shot and killed by police, German media reported on Sunday. Abdul Ballout, 21, is accused of ramming a van into crowds gathered for the city’s Christopher Street Day celebrations, killing one person and injuring 29 others. Police had launched a large-scale manhunt for the…

Hertfordshire Constabulary has been told to reopen its investigation into claims of homophobic bias following the death of Scott Gough, after the police watchdog found the force made “several errors” and failed to properly examine whether his sexuality influenced key decisions in the case. Police have been ordered to reexamine allegations of homophobia after the Independent Office for Police Conduct found Hertfordshire Constabulary made “several errors” in its handling of the death of Scott Gough, a man allegedly targeted through the dating app Grindr. Mr Gough was found dead at his home in Chandler’s Cross, Hertfordshire, two years ago by…