Author: Darren Smith

A German shipping heiress has been found shot dead in her room at her family’s luxury safari lodge in South Africa, just a day after the estate’s financial manager was also found dead from gunshot wounds on the same property — with police now investigating a possible link between the two deaths. Caroline von Rantzau, 26, was discovered dead on 1 June at the Leeuwfontein hunting and wildlife reserve in Limpopo province, north of Pretoria, owned by her family. According to police, she died from a gunshot wound sustained in her room, with witnesses reporting they heard two shots fired.…

The Premier League is to soften how referees judge hair pulling incidents next season, after three players were sent off for the offence in 2025-26 under a strict zero-tolerance policy that drew sustained criticism from managers and pundits alike. The changes were agreed at this month’s Premier League AGM as part of the “football principles” and “refereeing points of emphasis” for 2026-27, following consultation with the game’s improvement advisory group. Under the current policy, in place since at least December 2022 under chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, hair pulling has been automatically classified as violent conduct, triggering a red card…

The United States is planning major cuts to the air and naval assets it has assigned to NATO operations in Europe, in a move that has further unsettled European allies already anxious about Washington’s long-term commitment to the alliance. European officials confirmed on Friday a New York Times report that the Trump administration intends to sharply reduce the number of NATO-assigned fighter jets and maritime reconnaissance aircraft stationed in Europe, while relocating a submarine, an aircraft carrier and several warships elsewhere. The move forms part of a broader US strategy to draw down its European military footprint as Washington shifts…

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada and will miss his country’s opening World Cup match against Panama, FIFA has confirmed, with the decision coming just days before kick-off and amid the player’s ongoing rape trial in London. FIFA said in a statement: “FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s Team Base Camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government. FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries,…

The Home Office has terminated its contract with the Bell Hotel in Epping as asylum accommodation, confirming the Essex site will cease to be used by 11 July 2026 — bringing to an end a year-long saga that became one of the most prominent flashpoints in Britain’s asylum housing system. The Bell Hotel became the scene of furious protests last summer after a small boat migrant and resident, Hadush Kebatu, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. The case triggered repeated demonstrations outside the hotel and drew national attention to the use of hotels for asylum accommodation more broadly. Epping Forest District…

At least one person has been killed and eleven others injured after a gunman opened fire in Midland, Texas, sparking an ongoing standoff with police who say the suspect is now barricaded inside a building and contained. Midland Mayor Lori Blong confirmed the fatality and the scale of the injuries at a news conference on Friday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and our officers,” she said, according to KMID. Officials said the gunman has since been contained by officers, with a SWAT team called to the scene. Midland Police responded to the active shooter incident…

Former England and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has pleaded not guilty to breaching a non-molestation order protecting his ex-wife, TOWIE star Billi Mucklow, for the second time, in a case that will now proceed to crown court alongside a related earlier breach allegation. Carroll, 37, appeared at Basildon Magistrates Court wearing a brown jacket, grey trousers and white and grey trainers, where he remained calm throughout the brief hearing, confirming his name, age and addresses before entering his plea. Prosecutor Erin Peck told the court that the alleged breach, which took place on 9 August last year in Epping, Essex,…

According to documents reviewed by Britannia Daily, Albania’s Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organised Crime has imposed a preventive seizure of more than €128 million held in the accounts of a notary, as part of its expanding investigation into the controversial Zvërnec land sales connected to the Kushner-backed coastal resort development. The order, dated 10 June, targets funds held by notary Amela Mukaj relating to three separate land sale contracts in the Zvërnec area, all dated 24 April 2026. According to SPAK, the seizure covers €110,247,134 from a contract between Artur Shehu and “Albanian Land Development” sh.pk, €10,044,684 from…

More than 70 pro-Palestine activists were arrested outside Woolwich Crown Court on Friday on suspicion of supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation, as hundreds gathered to demonstrate ahead of the sentencing of four Palestine Action members convicted over a raid on an Israeli arms manufacturer’s UK factory. The Metropolitan Police confirmed 72 people had been detained for allegedly expressing support for Palestine Action, with all remaining in custody. Around 500 protesters had gathered outside the court, according to LBC and Brit Brief, ahead of Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson passing sentence on Charlotte Head, 23, Samuel Corner, 30, Leona Kamio, 30, and…

A luxury Manchester shisha bar has agreed to surrender a macaw it kept in a glass enclosure, after a petition signed by more than 10,000 people and a wave of online criticism forced the venue to reconsider the bird’s living conditions just a week after opening. Gardens, which describes itself as a “luxury dining and shisha experience” near Manchester city centre, faced a significant backlash after videos shared on its own Instagram account showed a blue-and-yellow macaw named Rio housed in a glass box within the restaurant. An earlier clip posted ahead of the venue’s opening had shown Rio in…