Author: Darren Smith

A major search operation is underway in southern Portugal for a 23-year-old British man who went missing while swimming at Peneco Beach, after his 19-year-old companion, also from the UK, raised the alarm having managed to make it out of the water safely. The teenager was confirmed by Portugal’s National Maritime Authority to be “physically well and does not require medical assistance,” though he is being offered psychological support following his friend’s disappearance. Expert divers, police and maritime officials have been mobilised in a wide-reaching operation involving multiple agencies. The coastline is being searched by lifeguards, the Port Captain, members…

A US podcaster has called for a “mass exodus” of Black Americans to Africa in response to the conviction of 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, sparking widespread mockery and a fierce online backlash even from within the Black community. Speaking on his Larry Reid Live podcast, Atlanta-based host Larry Reid said: “I want you to begin to think about this America and the white people problem that we have… As a collective, let’s drain this place of its benefits and make our mass exodus and go home and build.” He went on to describe Africa…

A man involved in a viral confrontation outside the courthouse where Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf has been arrested, one of at least two people taken into custody as tensions boiled over following the verdict in one of the most racially charged trials in America this year. Anthony, now 19, was found guilty of murder on Tuesday by a 12-person Collin County jury, which deliberated for approximately two hours and 20 minutes before rejecting his claim of self-defence in the fatal stabbing of Metcalf at a Frisco track meet in April 2025. He was sentenced to…

A talented young organist from King’s College Cambridge has been found dead in the River Cam, with the local community describing his loss as a “deeply saddened” moment for the college and the wider music world. Harrison Cole, 25, who served as Assisting Organist at King’s College, was discovered in the river near the college at around 9.15am on Sunday 7 June. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed his death is not being treated as suspicious and has been passed to the coroner. A force spokesperson said: “We were called to the River Cam at about 9.15am on Sunday with reports of the…

A children’s snail race due to take place at Nottingham’s Central Library has been scrapped after an animal rights group complained that even picking up the snails could cause them stress or injury, prompting a wave of online ridicule from residents who branded the decision absurd. The event, dubbed “The Slowest Show on Earth,” had been planned as part of a “green week” highlighting action on climate change, and organisers had developed what they described as the “world’s first electronic snail racing board” to engage children with the activity. However, Nottingham City Council pulled the event following complaints from the…

The US Supreme Court has blocked Alabama from executing death row inmate Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas, just hours before his scheduled execution, after lower courts ruled the method likely violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The high court denied the state’s emergency application late Thursday, with Lee’s execution having been scheduled for 6pm local time. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented, saying they would have granted Alabama’s request to overturn the lower court rulings. Lee, 49, is now spared execution by nitrogen for the time being, though the state retains the option to…

A 14-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of attempted murder following a triple stabbing at a Manchester high school, after the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges and counter-terrorism detectives confirmed the case remains under active investigation. The teenager was charged on Thursday 11 June with three counts of attempted murder and two charges of possessing a bladed article on school premises, the Manchester Evening News reports. She was due to appear before Manchester Magistrates’ Court. Officers were called to Co-op Academy Manchester on Plant Hill Road in Blackley on Tuesday 9 June following reports that three people had…

Australia’s most prolific convicted paedophile has lost his bid to have his 27-year minimum sentence reduced, with the Queensland Court of Appeal dismissing his claim that the term was “manifestly excessive” — clearing the way for him to face a fresh wave of charges in New South Wales. Ashley Paul Griffith, a 48-year-old former childcare worker, pleaded guilty in 2024 to 307 child sex offences against 65 victims aged between one and nine, including 28 counts of rape against girls mainly aged three to five at Queensland childcare centres between 2007 and 2022. He received a life sentence with a…

A former Wetherspoons pub that has stood empty for almost a decade is finally set to reopen this summer, with major renovation work underway to transform the long-abandoned Trowbridge landmark into a modern venue while preserving its historic name. The Sir Isaac Pitman, located next to Castle Place Shopping Centre in the Wiltshire town, closed in 2017 as part of a wave of closures announced by the JD Wetherspoon chain. Once a popular meeting spot known for its friendly atmosphere and affordable food and drinks, the building has sat empty ever since, leaving residents wondering whether it would ever return…

The US Secretary of Homeland Security has defended the decision to deny entry to a Somali referee selected for the World Cup, dismissing global criticism of the move as he insisted the case involved unspecified “criminal ties” rather than discrimination against Somalia. Omar Artan, named Africa’s best referee in 2025 and selected as the sole referee from Somalia for the tournament, was turned away by US Customs and Border Protection at Miami International Airport on Saturday after arriving on a flight from Istanbul. CBP said he had been “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry,”…