Author: Darren Smith

Ian Huntley, who murdered schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, will be cremated without a funeral service and his ashes scattered in a location that will be kept secret, it has been revealed. Huntley, 52, died on 7 March at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where he had been taken after allegedly being attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at HMP Frankland on 20 February. He was placed in an induced coma following surgery for a severe head wound and a second operation on a broken jaw, with doctors giving him a five per cent…

The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada regional flight have been killed after their aircraft struck a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York late on Sunday night, in a collision that has left the airport closed and triggered a major emergency response. Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia confirmed the deaths of the two crew members, while a Port Authority sergeant and officer who were in the emergency vehicle sustained broken limbs and were taken to hospital in a stable condition. All 76 passengers and the remaining four crew members on board survived the…

Donald Trump has announced he is holding back US military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, saying he has entered into negotiations with Tehran aimed at bringing a full end to hostilities in the Middle East. The US President posted the announcement on Truth Social, saying the pause in military action had been ordered following what he described as “good and productive conversations” with Iran. Trump said he had instructed the US military to stand down from planned strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure while talks continued, with the five-day window conditional on…

An Iran-linked militant group has claimed responsibility for a pre-dawn arson attack on four Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, north London, as the Metropolitan Police investigate the incident as an antisemitic hate crime. The vehicles, belonging to Hatzolah — a volunteer-run emergency service that has provided free medical care to London’s Jewish community since 1979 — were set alight outside the Machzike Hadath Synagogue on Monday at around 1.45am. Explosions heard at the scene are believed to have been caused by gas canisters stored on board the vehicles. The London Fire Brigade confirmed multiple cylinders exploded, with the force…

Manchester City supporters travelling to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final faced a dramatic start to their day after a double-decker coach carrying fans caught fire on the M6 Toll motorway, forcing the closure of the southbound carriageway and causing significant delays across the route. All passengers and the driver were safely evacuated from the Ridleys coach before firefighters arrived to tackle the blaze, which broke out between junctions T3 and T2 on the M6 Toll southbound near Birmingham. Footage of the burning vehicle spread rapidly on social media, with onlookers watching from a nearby hillside as flames engulfed the…

Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry has found himself at the centre of a political row after apparently expressing support for a proposal to ban the burqa in the UK, posted by the founder of a newly launched political party. Terry responded to an Instagram post by Rupert Lowe — the former Reform UK MP who recently established a new party called Restore Britain — with three clapping emojis and an England flag. The post in question showed a London Underground station featuring Bengali signage, with Lowe arguing that all London stations should display English-only text and that Restore…

The Premier League’s Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle United and Sunderland was temporarily suspended during the second half after discriminatory abuse was directed at Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida from the crowd at St James’ Park. Play was halted for approximately five minutes at the start of the second half after the abuse was reported, with referee Anthony Taylor summoning both captains to the dugout to speak with their respective benches before the match resumed. Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka had brought the incident to the referee’s attention, after which it was alleged that discriminatory language had been aimed at Geertruida. The Premier…

A joint operation involving police, trading standards officers, HMRC and the Home Office has resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of cannabis, vapes and alcohol from three convenience stores in Bristol, following concerns raised by local residents about criminal activity in the area. The day of action targeted three outlets in Fishponds simultaneously on Tuesday 17 March, with Avon and Somerset Police working alongside Bristol City Council’s Trading Standards, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Home Office. The operation examined the businesses for compliance with trading regulations, product safety standards, stock legitimacy and labour practices, as well as…

A 27-year-old Kent Police officer has died after the patrol car he was travelling in crashed while responding to an emergency call, with a second officer who was in the vehicle remaining in a critical condition in hospital. PC Bradley Corke sustained fatal injuries in the collision on Thursday evening and died the following day. Kent Police confirmed both officers had been travelling in a clearly marked emergency vehicle at the time of the crash, responding to an urgent call for assistance when the incident occurred. Corke had served with Kent Police since May 2022, working out of Tonbridge to…

The Iranian ballistic missile strike on the joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia has sent shockwaves through Western defence circles, with experts warning the attack has exposed a dramatic and previously unknown expansion in Tehran’s long-range strike capabilities — one that places major European capitals within potential range. Two missiles were fired toward the Indian Ocean base on Friday night, in what is believed to be the first ever attack on the facility. One failed during flight, while a US warship intercepted the other. Whether that interception was fully successful has not been confirmed. The Government confirmed on Saturday…