Author: Darren Smith

A YouTuber who trespassed on Jeffrey Epstein’s former private island in the Caribbean claims he was hogtied, blindfolded and locked in an underground concrete room by security staff — in an incident that has thrust the notorious Little St James back into the spotlight and led to criminal charges on both sides. Benjamin Owen, 44, from Memphis, Tennessee, travelled to the island on 25 April with fellow content creator Ryan Dalton and a third individual. The trio reached the structure widely known as “the temple” before being spotted. While Dalton and the other man fled down a cliff and swam…

A Pizza Hut restaurant in New Jersey that looks as though it never left the 1990s has gone viral, sparking a wave of nostalgia across social media — and prompting the chain’s independent franchisees to roll out the retro look across dozens more locations nationwide. The Egg Harbor Township branch, reported on by NJ.com, reopened at the start of 2026 following a deliberate retro remodelling, emerging with all the hallmarks of the classic American Pizza Hut experience: red and white checkered tablecloths, Tiffany-style chandeliers, red plastic cups and a Pac-Man arcade game. Most significantly, it reinstated the chain’s beloved all-you-can-eat…

A retired US Navy admiral sparked an unlikely viral moment this week after his appearance on Fox News left thousands of social media users convinced he was wearing a prosthetic face mask on live television — completely overshadowing the geopolitical commentary he had been invited to deliver. Robert Harward, a retired Vice Admiral and former US Navy SEAL, appeared on the network to discuss President Donald Trump’s approach to the ongoing standoff with Iran. He argued that Trump held the stronger hand, using sanctions and economic pressure to push Tehran toward capitulation rather than meaningful negotiations, and touched on internal…

Three women who caused nearly £7,500 worth of damage to a Newcastle arms factory in a protest over its alleged links to Israel have been sentenced to community orders and ordered to pay compensation — after a jury rejected their argument that the destruction was lawful because it aimed to prevent weapons reaching Gaza. Hollie Mildenhall, 25, and Georgia Coote, 28, both from Newcastle, and Summer Oxlade, 29, from Houghton-le-Spring, were each given 12-month community orders at Newcastle Crown Court following their convictions for criminal damage. Oxlade was directed to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, while Mildenhall and Coote…

Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has already undergone a procedure as part of her treatment plan — sharing the news in a heartfelt Instagram post that drew an outpouring of support from family and friends including Ivanka Trump. The 48-year-old mother of five wrote on Wednesday: “I want to share a personal health update. I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. While this isn’t news anyone expects, I’m working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan.” She thanked her doctors for the procedure she underwent…

Eleven Australian nationals detained by Israeli forces while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza are set to be released and deported within 24 hours, following an international outcry over footage showing a senior Israeli minister gloating over kneeling detainees — as the father of one activist claimed his daughter had been beaten during a previous interception. The Australians were among approximately 400 people aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza when Israeli forces intercepted the vessel at gunpoint in international waters on Tuesday. According to a statement issued on Thursday night by the Australian Delegation for Global Sumud Flotilla, the…

Britain is on course for its first heatwave of the year this Bank Holiday weekend, with temperatures expected to reach 31C and potentially break a 14-year May record — as health authorities issue a six-day alert and millions of families prepare to head out for the start of half term. The Met Office has confirmed that a sustained period of high pressure will take hold from Friday through to Tuesday, meeting the official definition of a heatwave — three consecutive days at or above a set temperature threshold. The southeast will feel the heat first, with central and western England…

Record numbers of young British people are leaving the United Kingdom and not coming back, official figures reveal — as overall net migration fell to its lowest level since the Covid pandemic and questions mount about whether high taxes and a stagnant economy are driving a generational exodus. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that 136,000 more British nationals left the UK than returned in the year to December 2025 — the highest negative net migration figure for UK citizens since records began. Among those aged 16 to 34, 75,000 more departed than returned, also a record high…

Latvia has ordered residents in its eastern regions to seek shelter indoors and scrambled NATO fighter jets after a drone was spotted in its airspace, in the latest in a series of unmanned aircraft incidents that have put Baltic states on high alert and raised fresh questions about the security of NATO’s eastern flank. The Latvian Armed Forces confirmed on Thursday that at least one unmanned aircraft had entered Latvian airspace, with a military spokesperson telling broadcaster Latvian Television that one drone had crossed from Belarus, though its precise whereabouts were unknown. Residents in areas bordering Russia and Belarus were…

Senior police chiefs have warned that a government decision to allow pubs across England and Wales to extend their opening hours during the World Cup will lead to increased disorder — after ministers pressed ahead with the move against the explicit advice of the National Police Chiefs’ Council. The Home Office has granted a blanket licensing exemption permitting pubs to serve beyond their normal closing times for England and Scotland matches throughout the tournament, which is being staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Many fixtures involving home nations will kick off late in the evening UK time, prompting…