All news by author James Smith

815
Ministry of Defence reveals one fifth of British armed forces are ’unfit to fight’
Nearly a fifth of the armed forces are unfit to fight without any restrictions, the Ministry of Defence has said.
753
Pilot killed in Fife Airport plane crash as police respond to the incident
A plane crashed just moments after take off from a Scottish airport this morning.
723
Shops catch fire after car allegedly crashes into supermarket and oil is poured over it
People have been urged to avoid an area of Birmingham where emergency services are tackling a “significant fire”.
896
The regime’s minority stakeholders: Key Putin oligarchs still profiting from trade with Europe despite sanctions
Companies partly owned by billionaires closely linked to Vladimir Putin continue exporting their products to Western markets without interruption.
718
Court approves construction of ’the Slab’ office block on London’s South Bank
Judge dismisses challenge that argued development failed to provide housing and could damage London landmarks
735
Metropolitan Police apologizes to black community leader detained by officer using excessive force
Jason Matthews was searched by PC Connor Jones who had faced three misconduct proceedings in two years
845
Two-year-old boy killed by falling fireplace while dancing to Cocomelon TV show
A two-year-old boy died when a TV and marble fireplace toppled over and struck his head while he danced along to Cocomelon, an inquest has heard.
793
Man arrested after woman in her 40s found stabbed to death in her home
A man has been arrested after a woman was found with fatal stab wounds at a south west London address.
955
Knife attack at Zagreb school leaves at least one child dead and several seriously injured
Local media reports have said the attacker stabbed and killed a child and injured several people at a school in the Croatian capital Zagreb - children have been evacuated
900
Thames Water fined £18m by Ofwat for breaking shareholder payment rules
It’s hoped that the penalty will act as a "clear warning" to the whole water sector, regulator Ofwat said.
907
Teenagers who murdered Max Dixon and Mason Rist in Bristol sentenced to life imprisonment
The trial heard how the teen murderers wrongly believed their victims were behind an attack on a house earlier in the evening. Max and Mason were chased and attacked with weapons, including machetes, a bat, and a sword.
960
Google Maps car snaps vital clue in Spanish missing person case
Image of man leaning into boot of a car on a street in northern Spain helps lead police to make two arrests
938
PM says taxpayers cannot afford Waspi compensation
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the decision to reject compensation for women hit by changes to the state pension age, arguing that the taxpayer "simply can’t afford the tens of billions of pounds" in payments.
725
Prince Andrew’s ’opaque’ finances spark calls for a register of royal interests
Claims of refused FOI requests into Duke of York’s business dealings come as controversy over alleged Chinese spy continues
900
Paedophile linked to Huw Edwards image probe avoids prison
Paedo linked to Huw Edwards image probe walks free as presenter spared jail.
795
Box of books discarded by ’Chinese spy’ deepens mystery around Prince Andrew’s connections
A box of books belonging to a man alleged to be a Chinese Spy were found dumped on the lawn outside his house this morning.
838
Roman Spiridonov linked to money laundering for criminal authority Ilya Traber and the Russian government through shell companies and offshore accounts
Roman Spiridonov partners with German citizen Mikhail Skigin, who is reportedly attempting to seize JSC "PNT" (Petersburg Oil Terminal) on behalf of Ilya Traber.
992
Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk has reportedly failed a drugs test and could face a potential four-year ban from football
Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk could face a lengthy suspension as reports from Ukraine suggest his current absence is due to a failed doping test.
761
Father who believed he was ’vessel of God’ kills newborn son by breaking every bone in his skull
Kadees Mohammed, 31, had a schizophrenic episode in the middle of the night before he killed his three-week-old son and attacked his wife and mother with an iron in their Birmingham home
943
Prince Andrew ’will skip royal Christmas dinner’ amid Chinese ’spy’ scandal
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson won’t be joining the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas dinner, it is understood.
917
Serbian authorities accused of illegal activist surveillance using spyware
Police and intelligence services in Serbia are using advanced mobile forensics products and previously unknown spyware to illegally surveil journalists, environmental campaigners and civil rights activists, according to a report.
952
EU and U.S.-made sniper rifles and ammunition are reaching Russia despite sanctions, intensifying the war in Ukraine
Russian snipers continue to receive thousands of Western-made rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition, despite years of extensive international sanctions.
792
Woman killed and two men injured in Brent ’drive-by shooting’ after church wake
A woman has died and two people left injured in a ‘drive-by shooting’ after a wake in north London.
719
Construction workers are four times more likely to die by suicide, with 7,000 lives lost, report reveals
Social media company On The Tools found that 73% of the UK’s 2.1 million construction workers have been affected by mental illness. In the last decade 7,000 have taken their own lives.
922
Switzerland seeks to ban Nazi symbols amid surge in antisemitism
Proposed ban would cover the swastika and Hitler salute but also more cryptic symbols used by the far right