Author: Darren Smith

Stephan Garner has admitted killing Amber O’Brien, who was expecting twins, but denies murder and is expected to claim he lost control. A court has heard that Amber O’Brien, 33, who was pregnant with twins, was stabbed more than 60 times by her partner, Stephan Garner, 31. Ms O’Brien was found dead on the bathroom floor of Garner’s eighth-floor flat in Blackley, north Manchester, on 19 April. Garner has admitted killing her at Manchester Crown Court but denies murder. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and the trial, expected to last seven days, continues. The prosecution case Opening the case, Nigel…

The Vatican says the operation went as planned, but has not said whether the growth was cancerous, and the 71-year-old’s diary has already been cleared until 20 October. Pope Leo XIV has undergone surgery to remove a lung nodule at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, with the Vatican saying it was completed “successfully, on schedule and as planned”. A statement from the Vatican spokesman said the 71-year-old had returned to his room afterwards. The operation was led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr Stefano Margaritora. It is the first major health problem publicly disclosed in the American pontiff’s 17-month papacy. The operation…

The dairy company has withdrawn some stock of Clover and Clover Light after shoppers complained of an unpleasant flavour, and is advising customers to throw away affected tubs. Clover has confirmed that certain batches of its Clover and Clover Light spreads have been removed from shelves after the company identified an issue that “may affect taste and odour”. The move followed online comments from shoppers who said their tubs tasted wrong. In a social media announcement, the company acknowledged a “flavour issue” in “certain batches” but stressed that the product remains “safe to eat”. It is nonetheless advising customers who…

Five people are still missing in Baja California, where the worst of the flooding hit the coastal city of Ensenada. The death toll from Hurricane Simon and the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel has risen to six after heavy rain caused flooding and landslides along Mexico’s Pacific coast, authorities said on Tuesday. Simon is moving slowly off the coast as a Category 1 hurricane, bringing heavy rain to Nayarit and Sinaloa. The most serious damage was further north in Ensenada, in Baja California, where flooding linked to Rachel killed at least five people. Five others are missing. Ensenada and Baja…

William Chapman, who appeared in shows on the BBC and ITV, died after entering the tiger enclosure on Saturday. Investigators have not established why. William Chapman, the man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, was a former child actor who appeared in BBC and ITV productions, the BBC has reported. Emergency services were called shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday 10 October, when police said he entered the enclosure while visiting the park alone. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Times reported that he was 24 and from Buckinghamshire, though the BBC’s account says…

The 63-year-old, the only person convicted over the rapper’s killing, was told by the judge he could not “take a man from his family” and walk away. Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for the 1996 murder of the rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Judge Carli Kierny imposed the term on Tuesday, including a 20-year mandatory enhancement for profiting from the killing. Davis was found guilty in August of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon. He is the only person ever convicted over the shooting. He was not accused…

Michael Carrick says both players picked up problems against Tottenham and have not travelled, as his side look to end a run of four games without a win in the Champions League. Manchester United will be without midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and defender Luke Shaw for Tuesday night’s Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid. Both were injured in Saturday’s draw with Tottenham, and head coach Michael Carrick confirmed they have not travelled. United beat Sabah 4-0 in their opening European fixture but have not won in four games since. Speculation about Carrick’s position has grown, less than six months after he…

Ministers will extend police protection to former MPs, peers and party spokespeople, and an independent review will examine how the state protects those in public life, following the charging of a suspect over the murder of Ann Widdecombe. The Home Secretary has told MPs that the Government is expanding police protection for political figures who are not sitting MPs and launching an independent review of protective security. The announcements follow the charging, on 2 October, of the suspect in the murder of Ann Widdecombe at her home in Devon three months ago. The suspect faces a terrorism offence, including preparing…

Tommi Harwood, now 18, was sentenced to five years after a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court convicted him of raping a girl he arranged to meet through Snapchat. Tommi Harwood, 18, of Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, has been jailed for five years for raping a 16-year-old girl in the toilets at Romford station in east London. He was 16 himself at the time of the attack on 5 September 2024. A jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court found him guilty after a five-day trial. British Transport Police (BTP) said CCTV footage showed him smiling at a camera on the platform shortly before the…

The Swedish retailer says it has no indication its data environment has been compromised, as it examines whether a group linked to a series of high-profile attacks has genuinely breached its systems. H&M is investigating claims that it was targeted by the cybercriminal group ShinyHunters, The Times reported on Monday. An H&M Group spokeswoman said the company was aware of claims online about “a limited scope of H&M Group data”, but that it had so far found no sign that its data environment had been compromised. The retailer has 4,000 stores in more than 80 markets. Shares in H&M reportedly…