Author: Darren Smith

The Trump administration has deported a group of migrants, including an Iranian woman who had sought asylum in the United States, to the Central African Republic — a country the State Department itself advises Americans not to travel to due to civil war, crime and Russian paramilitary activity, lawyers say. A deportation flight left Louisiana late on Thursday bound for Bangui, the CAR’s capital, carrying people from Iran, Jordan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Afghanistan, according to Ali Rahnama, head of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, who has been in contact with several of those on board. The exact number…

A ship carrying nearly 100 tons of food, medicine and other essential goods has docked in Havana from Colombia, the latest in a series of humanitarian shipments to reach Cuba in recent months as the island continues to grapple with the effects of a US energy embargo. The vessel departed from Cartagena in early June and crossed into Havana Bay early on Friday morning flying the Colombian flag, escorted by a small Cuban auxiliary vessel, the Associated Press confirmed. According to Colombia’s Presidential Agency for International Cooperation, the shipment was sent on the orders of President Gustavo Petro and included…

A Palestine Action activist who fractured a police officer’s spine with a sledgehammer during a raid on an Israeli defence firm’s UK factory has been sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison, as a judge ruled the group’s actions had a “terrorist connection” and were designed to intimidate the public. Samuel Corner, 23, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court alongside three co-defendants — Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio and Fatema Rajwani — who received sentences of five years, five years, and four years and eight months respectively. All four had been convicted of criminal damage last month over the…

A German shipping heiress has been found shot dead in her room at her family’s luxury safari lodge in South Africa, just a day after the estate’s financial manager was also found dead from gunshot wounds on the same property — with police now investigating a possible link between the two deaths. Caroline von Rantzau, 26, was discovered dead on 1 June at the Leeuwfontein hunting and wildlife reserve in Limpopo province, north of Pretoria, owned by her family. According to police, she died from a gunshot wound sustained in her room, with witnesses reporting they heard two shots fired.…

The Premier League is to soften how referees judge hair pulling incidents next season, after three players were sent off for the offence in 2025-26 under a strict zero-tolerance policy that drew sustained criticism from managers and pundits alike. The changes were agreed at this month’s Premier League AGM as part of the “football principles” and “refereeing points of emphasis” for 2026-27, following consultation with the game’s improvement advisory group. Under the current policy, in place since at least December 2022 under chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, hair pulling has been automatically classified as violent conduct, triggering a red card…

The United States is planning major cuts to the air and naval assets it has assigned to NATO operations in Europe, in a move that has further unsettled European allies already anxious about Washington’s long-term commitment to the alliance. European officials confirmed on Friday a New York Times report that the Trump administration intends to sharply reduce the number of NATO-assigned fighter jets and maritime reconnaissance aircraft stationed in Europe, while relocating a submarine, an aircraft carrier and several warships elsewhere. The move forms part of a broader US strategy to draw down its European military footprint as Washington shifts…

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada and will miss his country’s opening World Cup match against Panama, FIFA has confirmed, with the decision coming just days before kick-off and amid the player’s ongoing rape trial in London. FIFA said in a statement: “FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s Team Base Camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government. FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries,…

The Home Office has terminated its contract with the Bell Hotel in Epping as asylum accommodation, confirming the Essex site will cease to be used by 11 July 2026 — bringing to an end a year-long saga that became one of the most prominent flashpoints in Britain’s asylum housing system. The Bell Hotel became the scene of furious protests last summer after a small boat migrant and resident, Hadush Kebatu, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. The case triggered repeated demonstrations outside the hotel and drew national attention to the use of hotels for asylum accommodation more broadly. Epping Forest District…

At least one person has been killed and eleven others injured after a gunman opened fire in Midland, Texas, sparking an ongoing standoff with police who say the suspect is now barricaded inside a building and contained. Midland Mayor Lori Blong confirmed the fatality and the scale of the injuries at a news conference on Friday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and our officers,” she said, according to KMID. Officials said the gunman has since been contained by officers, with a SWAT team called to the scene. Midland Police responded to the active shooter incident…

Former England and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has pleaded not guilty to breaching a non-molestation order protecting his ex-wife, TOWIE star Billi Mucklow, for the second time, in a case that will now proceed to crown court alongside a related earlier breach allegation. Carroll, 37, appeared at Basildon Magistrates Court wearing a brown jacket, grey trousers and white and grey trainers, where he remained calm throughout the brief hearing, confirming his name, age and addresses before entering his plea. Prosecutor Erin Peck told the court that the alleged breach, which took place on 9 August last year in Epping, Essex,…