Author: Darren Smith

French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla after she branded Kylian Mbappe a “colonised Cameroonian,” with the Paraguayan government distancing itself from her remarks as she now threatens to sue the France captain over his response. French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla following a formal complaint from the French Football Federation (FFF) over remarks she made about Kylian Mbappe after France’s 1-0 win over Paraguay on Saturday. The probe is examining alleged aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred, offences that carry penalties of up to one year in…

A General Synod fringe meeting exploring the government’s proposed “conversion therapy” ban will go ahead as a private discussion for Synod members, the Church of England has confirmed, after the Archbishops of Canterbury and York initially threatened to cancel it entirely following criticism from a fellow Synod member. The Church of England has confirmed that a fringe event at this year’s General Synod in York, examining how the government’s proposed conversion practices ban could affect gospel preaching and Christian testimony, will be permitted to proceed as a private meeting for Synod members and invited guests. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury,…

The 2026 edition of Spain’s famous San Fermín festival opened on Monday with its usual explosion of colour and noise — but also, once again, with a banner reading “destroy Israel” visible among the tens of thousands gathered for the launch ceremony. Pamplona’s nine-day San Fermín festival, home to the world-famous Running of the Bulls, kicked off on Monday with the Chupinazo — the ceremonial rocket launch that signals the start of 209 hours of non-stop celebration. But as in previous years, the festivities in the Plaza Consistorial were shadowed by political displays, among them a banner reading “destroy Israel,”…

Sandro Tonali has completed a £100million move to Tottenham, signing a six-year contract after crediting a lengthy conversation with Roberto De Zerbi for convincing him to snub interest from Manchester City and reunite with his former Brescia connection at the club. Sandro Tonali has signed a six-year deal at Tottenham after a near £100million move from Newcastle, becoming the club’s sixth signing of the summer as they look to rebuild following back-to-back 17th-place Premier League finishes. The Italy international said a lengthy conversation with manager Roberto De Zerbi played a decisive role in his decision to join, despite reported interest…

Former Derbyshire Police detective chief inspector Michael Cooper has pleaded guilty to causing the death of educational psychologist James Bane by dangerous driving, in a collision that also left a woman with serious injuries while he was on duty in an unmarked police car. A former senior Derbyshire Police officer has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after he struck and killed pedestrian James Bane, 50, in Etwall, Derbyshire, in September 2021. Michael Cooper, 54, had previously denied the charge but changed his plea ahead of his trial at Nottingham Crown Court. He also admitted causing serious injury…

Shoppers at Selfridges on Oxford Street watched on as anti-fur protesters disrupted trade inside Dior before being removed by security, in an action organisers say formed part of a coordinated campaign targeting LVMH-owned brands across London. Anti-fur activists caused a brief scene of chaos inside a Dior store at Selfridges in London on Sunday, marching through the busy Oxford Street outlet with megaphones and placards reading “Fur is murder” and “Fur kills,” before being escorted out by security. The demonstration formed part of a wider campaign dubbed the “London Convergence,” which organisers say has also targeted other LVMH-owned brands, including…

A tourist survived a 180ft fall down a near-vertical cliff face in China’s Shanxi Province after becoming lodged in a rock crevice, in a rescue described by emergency workers as unprecedented in 16 years of service. A tourist has survived a terrifying fall down a cliff face in northern China after becoming wedged in a rock crevice roughly halfway down the drop, where she remained trapped for five hours before rescuers reached her. Ren Mou had been alone at the Jiaozi Cliff in Shanxi Province, watching the sunrise from the 330ft-high ledge, when she slipped in wet and poorly lit…

West Midlands Police are searching for Mahroy Stephenson, 30, wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after allegedly wrestling a baton from an officer during a stop and search in Handsworth and using it to strike him before fleeing on an e-bike. A manhunt is underway in Birmingham for a man suspected of causing grievous bodily harm after a police officer was struck with his own baton during a violent struggle on Soho Road. West Midlands Police say Mahroy Stephenson, 30, from the Bartley Green area of the city, is wanted in connection with the incident, which took place during…

Pakistani police have arrested eight suspects, including a grandson of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, after a Dutch woman alleged she and a business partner were kidnapped, held for ransom and raped following a trip to Lahore arranged under the pretext of meeting crypto investors. Pakistani authorities have widened their investigation into the alleged kidnapping and gang-rape of a Dutch woman and her business partner, arresting eight suspects in total after identifying the alleged ringleader as Muhammad Raza Dar, grandson of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar. The case has since triggered a political storm in Pakistan,…

Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, faces a week-long preliminary hearing in Provo, Utah, where prosecutors will present DNA, ballistic and digital evidence as they seek to convince a judge the case should proceed toward a death penalty trial. Erika Kirk will sit in a Provo courtroom this week as prosecutors lay out their evidence against Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of murdering her husband, Charlie Kirk, in one of the most closely watched criminal cases in the country. The preliminary hearing before Judge Tony Graf Jr. is scheduled to run through Friday…