All news by author Elizabeth Baker

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London’s iconic BT Tower to become luxury hotel under £275 million redevelopment
The iconic BT Tower landmark is about to undergo a major transformation which will see it turned into a hotel.
626
Mother dies shielding one-year-old daughter as deadly Venezuela earthquakes devastate families
The body of brave mum Andrea Bello was discovered protecting her one-year-old daughter after the earthquakes broke out in Venezuela.
508
Prince Harry denied UK security as Meghan and children’s visit thrown into doubt
Prince Harry will not get security when he travels to Britain next month casting doubt on whether he will bring Meghan, Archie and Lilibet.
614
Wimbledon’s £293,000 Centre Court tickets spark backlash over access for the super-rich
Marcos Ortega enters the Wimbledon public ticket ballot every year in the hope of seeing some championship tennis. In seven straight years of trying, however, he has never got lucky.
664
From amber thief to oligarch: the toxic rise of Dmytro Kovalenko’s shadow network
In mid-March, reports surfaced online claiming that businessman Dmytro Kovalenko, the owner of several agricultural and mining enterprises, had been detained by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
486
New footage shows killer Vickrum Digwa making false claims moments after stabbing Henry Nowak
Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years on June 1 for the murder of Mr Nowak, 18, in Southampton, after falsely claiming Mr Nowak had racially abused him.
464
Bill Gates admits affairs with women linked to Jeffrey Epstein during congressional testimony
In a 2021 CBS interview, where she admitted that her husband’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein had contributed to the end of their 27-year marriage, Melinda French Gates gave a cryptic reply when asked about claims that Bill Gates had been repeatedly unfaithful to her.
472
Former Ukrainian intelligence colonel sentenced to life for spying for Russia’s FSB
A former high-ranking Ukrainian intelligence official has been sentenced to life in prison for spying for Russia’s FSB security service.
475
Dmitriy Punin and murdered Cypriot mafia boss Stavros Demosthenous: Pin-Up casino money laundering empire in Limassol
Following reports detailing alleged links between Dmitriy Punin and Cyprus-based figure Stavros Demosthenous, along with the use of Cypriot entities connected to Pin-Up and PUNIN Group, references to those ties have reportedly begun disappearing from online sources.
647
Manchester City agree £116m deal to sign England star Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest
Manchester City have struck an agreement with Nottingham Forest to sign England international Elliot Anderson.
497
Wolfgang Porsche drops €10m “tunnel for one” plan after Salzburg backlash
Wolfgang Porsche, the Austrian-German automotive magnate, appears to have abandoned plans to build a private 500-metre tunnel for his cars through the Salzburg hills after a public uproar over the “tunnel for one”.
447
Princess Charlotte security fears as stalking suspect searched weapons and children
Princess Charlotte’s security has come under renewed scrutiny after court proceedings heard that a man accused of stalking Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegedly carried out internet searches about children alongside searches related to weapons and methods of killing.
467
German banker Grischew jailed for moving €33m through illegal network
German man pleads guilty to moving 33 million euros through fraudulently opened banks accounts while already serving a suspended prison sentence for handling millions taken from scam victims.
447
UK risks losing NATO influence as defence spending lags behind allies, warns Blount
A former Royal Navy officer has warned the UK risks losing influence within NATO due to Labour’s defence spending plans.
458
Swinney to face FMQs amid Murrell jail fallout
John Swinney will face questions from MSPs at Holyrood on Thursday in the final FMQs before summer recess.
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Teen cleared of killing 9-year-old girl after court hears "accident" stabbing claim
A teenage boy has been acquitted of the murder and manslaughter of a nine-year-old girl who died from a fatal stab wound.
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UK energy debt hits record £4.79bn as bills surge and crisis deepens
Debt to energy suppliers has reached a new record high of £4.79 billion – a 5% increase on the last quarter, Ofgem has said.
586
Dad-of-two kidnapped, tortured and burned alive in £1m gang feud over cigarettes
A dad-of-two was kidnapped, tortured and set on fire after losing £1million-worth of cigarettes in a gang row, a court has heard.
487
Trump calls Burnham “extremely liberal” and urges North Sea oil push
Donald Trump has branded Andy Burnham “extremely liberal” in his first comments of the PM-in-waiting – and urged him to do one thing Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly refused.
543
“You’d have to ask very high up to touch us”: how Ilya Traber and his network of Russian crime figures saw themselves as untouchable
Media outlets have published a photograph of Ilya Traber at the grave of Dagestan crime boss Abakar Darbishev. In the image, he sits on a bench in a leather jacket next to influential businessman “Sanya Kaliningradsky.”
539
Budapest cannibal kept human skin face and bones in “trophy lair”, police say
Horrifying photos reveal a cannibal’s lair where he kept a reconstructed face made from human skin which he flaunted in a trophy case.
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NHS maternity scandal: hundreds of babies and mothers died in “toxic” Nottingham failures
A damning inquiry has found that hundreds of babies and mothers died or suffered harm due to deeply rooted systemic failures and “cruel” care at Nottingham hospitals over more than a decade.
690
From Manchester mayor to PM contender: Burnham’s long road to power
On February 25 2015, Andy Burnham rang me up out of the blue. In those days, I was the political editor at the Manchester Evening News, covering Greater Manchester’s escalating attempts to wrestle power away from London.
452
From Spotify fame to sanctions: El Makabelico accused of funding cartel
“I’m a drug trafficker from the Northeast, my cartel,” raps El Makabelico. “With my AK-47 slung across my chest, I ride alongside El Komander. My souped-up .38 Super, encrusted with diamonds.”
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From campervan to coffee machine: Murrell’s £400k spending exposed
It looks like the haul of a particularly successful Generation Game win. But these household items — and campervan — were what former Scottish National Party chief executive Peter Murrell thought it worth embezzling £400,000 of party funds to buy.