Paul Doyle facing lengthy prison term for driving car into Liverpool football fans

A former Royal Marine who deliberately drove a car at supporters during the Liverpool parade is set to appear for his sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.

Paul Doyle, 54, of West Derby in Liverpool, drove the 1.9-tonne Ford Galaxy vehicle into the crowds of people “in an act of calculated violence”, injuring 134 people, said Sarah Hammand, chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Merseyside.

His victims ranged from a 77-year-old to a six-month-old baby.

Having initially denied 31 charges relating to the incident on 26 May, last month, on the second day of his trial, Doyle admitted all the charges, sobbing uncontrollably from inside the dock as he said “guilty” to each count.

The 31 offences include nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm, 17 of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, three of wounding with intent, dangerous driving and affray.

After pleading guilty, Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: “It is inevitable there will be a custodial sentence of some length and you should prepare yourself for that inevitability.”

The sentencing hearing is expected to last over two days and will hear statements from some of the victims.

Police release ‘person of interest’ after two killed in Brown University shooting

A “person of interest” who was taken into custody in the early morning hours Sunday has been released, resuming a manhunt for the suspect who killed two students and injured nine others in a mass shooting on Brown University’s campus.

Providence police said a man in his 20s was detained at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, several miles away from the university campus.

But officials announced they planned to release him during a hastily arranged press conference late Sunday night.

“Obviously we have a murderer out there, frankly, and so we’re not going to give away the game plan,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha told reporters.

Brown University has lifted its campus-wide shelter-in-place order, although hundreds of police officers remain in an area still considered an active crime scene.

Two people died in the attack at the Ivy League school while seven injured people were in stable condition as of Sunday. One person remains in critical, but stable, condition. Another injured person had been released from the hospital.

More than 400 law enforcement personnel are joining the search for a suspect.Officials released a video of a person they believe is a suspect, a male dressed in black who has not yet been publicly identified.

Hong Kong convicts British media tycoon and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai

A court in Hong Kong has found the British media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai guilty on multiple charges of sedition and foreign collusion, in a landmark moment for the city’s draconian national security laws and sliding press freedoms.

Mr Lai, 78, faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison. He is expected to be sentenced early next year.

The British national, who was the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong, was arrested in 2020 shortly after Beijing introduced tough new national security laws as part of a crackdown on massive anti-government protests in 2019.

He was charged with collusion with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, conspiracy to publish seditious publications under colonial-era sedition laws, and fraud related to alleged breaches of lease conditions for his company’s office premises.

Mr Lai pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against him.

Three judges announced the verdict on Monday as Mr Lai sat in a glass box in a small courtroom where his wife and son were also present.

Judge Esther Toh said Mr Lai’s actions left “no doubt” that he had “harboured resentment” for the Chinese government.

“There is indisputable evidence that [Lai] conspired with the named conspirators in count three … to request foreign countries to impose sanctions, blockade, or engage in other hostile activities against the PRC, HKSAR or both,” she said, referring to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Judge Toh said that the court was satisfied that Mr Lai was the “mastermind” of conspiracies against the Chinese government and said Mr Lai’s evidence was at times contradictory, inconsistent and unreliable.

The court released an 855-page verdict that included 161 publications, including Apple Daily articles, as evidence of conspiracy to publish seditious materials, as well as social media posts and text messages.

Three business entities related to Apple Daily – Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and AD Internet Limited – which were also co-accused, were found guilty on two charges of foreign collusion.

Mr Lai appeared calm as the verdict was announced and pressed his lips and nodded to his family before being escorted out of the courtroom by guards.

Mr Lai’s team said they are yet to make a decision on whether to appeal the verdict.

“Mr Lai’s spirit is okay. The judgement is so long that we’ll need some time to study it first. I don’t have anything to add at the moment,” said Robert Pang, who represented the media mogul at his trial, when asked about their next steps.

Mr Lai’s family have repeatedly raised concerns over his deteriorating health throughout his five years in detention, much of it spent in solitary confinement. His family say he has become weaker and skinnier during a marathon trial process, while he already suffers from pain, diabetes, heart issues and high blood pressure.

Monday morning’s verdict was denounced as a brutal end to free speech and a “sham conviction” of the media mogul.

The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, a US-based, non-profit advocacy organisation, said Mr Lai was an iconic figure in the battle between those who uphold democratic values and Hong Kong’s authoritarian government.

“This verdict should surprise absolutely no one,” said its UK and Europe director Mark Sabah. “The trial against Jimmy Lai has been a grotesque exercise in legal subversion and chicanery – a show trial masquerading as justice. But what’s actually been on display is the complete and total destruction of Hong Kong’s reputation as a global legal centre.

“Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. His release should be a condition of prime minister Keir Starmer’s planned trip to Beijing in January.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said every day that Mr Lai was kept in prison increased the risk of his dying behind bars.

“This sham conviction is a disgraceful act of persecution,” said CPJ Asia-Pacific director Beh Lih Yi. “The ruling underscores Hong Kong’s utter contempt for press freedom, which is supposed to be protected under the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law.”

He demanded that Mr Lai be reunited with his family.

Reporters without Borders said it was “outraged” by Mr Lai’s conviction. It said the judgment marks “the alarming deterioration of media freedom” and that Mr Lai “embodied the courage of independent journalists in Hong Kong”.

Amnesty International said the verdict was “dismaying”, calling it a “death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong”.

“Lai has been jailed simply because he and his Apple Daily newspaper criticised the government … This verdict shows that Hong Kong’s so-called ‘national security’ laws are not in place to protect people but to silence them,” Amnesty’s China director Sarah Brooks said.

“It should also serve as a warning to all people doing business in Hong Kong: that pursuing opportunities in the city comes with severe legal risks.”

A long queue of residents and supporters of the pro-democracy icon was seen outside the West Kowloon district court building, waiting to secure a seat in the courtroom. Many remained outside as police tightly controlled the security around the court premises on the historic day in the 156-day trial.

Two of his supporters were seen holding bright red apples to represent his now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper.

Former Apple Daily employee Tammy Cheung arrived at 5am, saying she wanted to know about Mr Lai’s condition after reports of his health.

She said she felt the process was being rushed since the verdict date was announced only last Friday, but added: “I’m relieved that this case can at least conclude soon.”

Mr Lai’s conviction comes just weeks ahead of Sir Keir’s expected visit to Beijing. A British citizen, Mr Lai has been at the centre of a case the UK government has described as a politically motivated prosecution, with Sir Keir facing growing pressure to demand Mr Lai’s release.

Sir Cliff Richard reveals he has undergone treatment for prostate cancer

Veteran singer Sir Cliff Richard has revealed he was treated for prostate cancer for the past year, with the 85-year-old announcing the disease is currently “gone”.

The music icon used his experience to advocate for a national screening programme for men, urging early detection.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Sir Cliff said his diagnosis came during an insurance health check before a tour of Australia and New Zealand.

He expressed relief that the cancer was caught early, stating: “The good fortune was that it was not very old, and the other thing is that it has not metastasised. Nothing had moved into bones or anything like that.”

The star, known for hits like ‘The Young Ones’ and ‘Summer Holiday’, stressed the importance of regular checks, saying: “I don’t know whether it’s going to come back. We can’t tell those sort of things but we need to, absolutely, I’m convinced, get there, get tested, get checked.”

He labelled the absence of a national screening programme as “absolutely ridiculous”.

He continued, highlighting governmental responsibility: “We have governments to look after our country and those who live in that country, so I can’t see how you can say, ‘Oh we can do this, we can do that, but we don’t do this for these people’.”

“We all deserve to have the same ability to have a test and then start treatments really early. It seems to me – I’ve only been for one year now in touch with cancer, but every time I’ve talked with anybody this has come up and so I think our Government must listen to us.”

After the King’s recent cancer treatment announcement, Sir Cliff expressed a desire to collaborate on awareness. “I’ve been involved with many charities over the years and if the King is happy to front it for us, I’m sure loads of people, I certainly would join him… If the King is listening, I think most of us would say ‘yeah – we’re available’.”

His calls for broader screening come as the UK National Screening Committee announced a draft recommendation in November for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme.

If implemented, it would invite men aged 45-61 with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation for biennial screening.

The ‘monster’ 60ft warehouse which keeps residents up at night

When Maxine Southwell arrived home from holiday, she walked into her back garden and burst into tears.

She, her husband Ian and their children have lived in their family home in Tyldesley, Wigan, for 18 years. They said they bought the house, which backed onto a field, partly because of the view. But that view no longer exists.

In its place are four hulking warehouses, under construction as part of logistic firm PLP’s controversial Astley Business Park development. With planning permission granted by Wigan Council in 2024, building work next to the hundreds of homes across the Henfold Estate began this year.

The warehouses are up to 60 feet tall and when the Southwells got home in August, that scale became apparent.

“We walked through our garden and we were like ‘wow, what is that?’”, Ms Southwell, 57, told The Independent.

“I burst into tears, I just couldn’t believe it. We’d been away for two weeks and in those two weeks, it had gone from being acceptable to ‘oh god, what is that?’.”

They are not alone in their fury. The married couple are part of campaign group Astley Warehouse Action, which has brought together residents from various housing estates surrounding the development who oppose it – for a multitude of reasons.

The group believes the development is not in-keeping with the residential feel of the area, which has comprised of housing estates since the 1970s, and they think planning permission should not have been granted by Wigan Council. They claim residents were under the impression that any construction would have involved smaller buildings, rather than the grey steel structures which now tower over their homes.

However, the local authority says the planning application set out the size, footprint and height of the units, and there has been no fundamental change to those since permission was granted.

Last month the group wrote to the council requesting construction be stopped. Wigan Council rejected that but a spokesperson told The Independent: “We fully acknowledge the concerns that residents in the local area have regarding this development, and we are committed to continuing to work with them.

“We are confident that the decision to grant planning permission aligns with national planning policy. Nonetheless we fully acknowledge the concerns being raised and an independent audit of the planning process to ensure additional transparency is currently underway.”

Now, the action group claims the construction is having an impact beyond changing the landscape and causing a lot of noise – it is damaging their property.

Ms Southwell said she believes the creation of embankments on the site has caused water to drain into and flood her garden in recent weeks, while photographs and videos shared on the campaign group’s Instagram account show parents walking along a flooded path, carrying their children to Garrett Hall Primary School.

“We started noticing it coming in the garden a little bit and then it’s just gradually got worse and worse”, said Ms Southwell.

“We’re putting it down to the warehouse development. We’ve never had anything like this before – we’ve lived here for 18 years and we’ve never had any flooding whatsoever.”

The Southwell family are now worried about flooding making its way into their house.

Ms Southwell said: “On Tuesday it was feet away from our extension. This is the start of the winter. It’s only going to get worse, next week is going to be really bad.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. If it gets any worse than Tuesday, it will reach the house and it will flood the house.

“It’s covered our flower bedding, it was three-quarters up my wellies. That’s how deep it is.

“The electric lights down the bottom of the garden are all covered, so we’ve had to switch the electricity off. We can’t use our garden, we can’t go in it.”

For Ms Southwell, the flooding represents the culmination of months of misery living next to the development, which she believes has taken enjoyment away from her home.

She said: “We bought the house because of the view. We’ve got a balcony from our bedroom and it just looks out on this now. We don’t even open the curtains any more. It’s awful.

“It hurts me to talk about it because it’s devastating. Anybody who comes just can’t believe it. They just can’t. It’s unbelievable.

“We’ve worked hard. I’m 57, my husband’s 60, we’ve worked all of our lives and we’ve got a nice house now. They’re ruining it.”

Central to the fight against the development are married couple, John and Jackie Peters. The retired teachers have lived on the estate for 36 years and are among the leaders of the campaign group, which began to mobilise earlier this year.

Mr Peters said: “There was a shock to the system as you started to see this steel monster grow. Being quite selfish, we saw unit one on the far side of the field, we thought it’s not too bad if it stays down there. Unit two started and it kept growing and growing, closer and closer to our houses, to our estate. It became daunting.

“We ended up having one of those Mr Bates v the Post Office moments. We tried to hire a room in a pub and I said there could be 30 or 40 people attending. We went for a larger room, and we were knocked back by the attendance that night in summer – more than 200 people attended.

“The meeting was very, very emotional – people were saying how it affected their mental health. It was a huge, huge problem.”

Paul Bullough’s garden backs onto the development and he told The Independent that it now dominates his property and stopped his daughter from using the garden last year.

The 51-year-old said: “It overpowers everything. It’s like a thundercloud, I stand in my back room and it’s dark.

“It overpowers in every aspect. I’ve got workers standing on top of a two metre bund (mound) near my back garden, able to look right into my house.

“That’s been going on for months. We’ve got diggers up and down, overlooking the house. I can feel the engines now. There are days when my glass of water has been shaking on my desk, they’re that close. It absolutely dominates everything, there’s loss of light, we hear it constantly, people looking over the fence, diggers back and forward.”

Accounting manager Mr Bullough also claims he feels the physical impact of the construction process while he is at home.

He explained: “The heavy rollers, when they change gears to reverse, the house does this little shudder when it moves into gear. It’s every minute of every day of our waking lives. It overpowers everything.

“For my daughter, the garden was her safe space. She’d go out, dance and play. She’s 12 and she missed the entire summer because of the dust, the noise, the workers and the HGVs. It’s an entire summer spent indoors from someone who loves the outdoors.”

Paula Boardman, who has lived in her home for 18 years, believes the construction has caused a hole in her floor and a crack in the side of her home. Like the other campaigners who spoke to The Independent, she is struggling with adapting to the change to her area and the impact it has had on her family home.

She said: “Where the extension is, there’s a big crack coming down the wall. That was back in March or April and as time’s gone on, that crack has gone wider and longer and progressed quite a lot.

“The floor’s continued to progress – it’s literally a hole in the floor now and it’s dropped even more. We’ve got a lot of cracks in the extension down the walls.”

Ms Boardman added: “I was sitting here the other night and I thought, ‘I’m sure I can live with it, I’m sure it’ll get better’. It doesn’t.

“Sitting at night, you just see it – it’s taken all our natural light, It’s frustrating and upsetting. You put so much money and love into your house and after 18 years you’re left with this.”

In response, a PLP spokesperson told The Independent: “PLP is delivering the scheme strictly in accordance with the planning consent granted by Wigan Council to provide a future proofed sustainable development which will provide jobs and inward investment into the borough.

“PLP and its site delivery team values its relationship with all stakeholders and continues to manage the construction of the project to the highest standards.”

Education for all: How your skills could make you a great teacher

From construction and engineering to hospitality and beauty, Further Education teaching opens up doors to a wide range of careers. Encompassing a range of technical and vocational courses and qualifications for those over 16 who aren’t studying for a degree, it offers a more hands on, industry-led approach to learning.

Further Education offers a more focused, vocational approach and a fast-track into the workplace. It allows you to build on your existing skills and experience while shaping the next generation of professionals in your field. To find out more, we spoke to Further Education students and teachers about how it works and what they get out of it.

Further Education qualifications can be started from the age of 16. “It’s a step up from school but it doesn’t involve so much independent learning and research as many Higher Education degrees,” explains Susan Simmonds, 52, a Further Education lecturer in Land and Wildlife Management at Sparsholt College Hampshire. “During this time, learners gain so much maturity and a qualification that can take them out into industry,”

Sometimes this study might be full-time in college, while other Further Education opportunities offer apprenticeships, with students gaining qualifications while working on the job. Overall, the courses are generally more practical and directly linked to industry and preparing learners for their future careers. “These courses give students a wide range of relevant experience, knowledge and skills during a time when they’re maturing, and becoming ready to transition into the world of work,” Susan says.

There are often myths and misconceptions about the world of Further Education. From the learner side, many people don’t necessarily realise the opportunities available to them through Further Education, as Meri, 17, who is studying an Extended Technical Diploma in Land and Wildlife Management Level 3 at Sparsholt College, explains. “Many people I have spoken to don’t realise there are multiple ways to prepare for a career in industry, and that courses like mine can open those doors.”

For Meri, it’s been a really positive experience, and one that has helped prepare her for the workplace. “The college has a lot of contacts with industry and the assignments we do are similar to professional reports.” Meanwhile, Zach, 17, who is on the same course, has also thrived at the Further Education college: “I have been able to meet far more friends and great people and I feel as though it has helped me grow. It’s also provided many opportunities to experience real-world practical work.”

For those training or working as Further Education teachers, often after years spent in a specific industry sector, it’s the students that make their new career so rewarding. David Hobson, 54, who teaches the Motor Vehicle course at Stockton Riverside College, found that the job satisfaction he gets from sharing his personal know-how with the next generation of workers has kept him in Further Education teaching for 16 years. “The benefits of passing on my skills to young people keep me going. It’s an opportunity for me to equip learners with the industry skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers”

Susan, who teaches Further Education part-time alongside her work as a Community Ecologist, has had a similar experience: “I find the work really energising. Young people are so full of life and enthusiasm that I come home feeling uplifted.”

Whether it’s part-time alongside your current job or a switch to full-time teaching, Further Education teaching can be a really rewarding and valuable career move.

Teaching in a mixture of colleges (often General Further Education Colleges or Sixth Form Colleges) and Adult and Community Learning Centres, as well as workplace and apprenticeship settings, it can fit around your life and other commitments. While typical full-time contracts are around 35 hours a week, there are also some part-time or flexible options available.

Real world industry experience across a wide range of jobs can set you on a path to becoming a Further Education teacher, with opportunities in everything from construction and healthcare, to engineering, digital, hospitality, tourism and beauty. You don’t always need teaching qualifications to start teaching in further education, you can undertake training on the job which is often funded by your employer.

If, like Susan and David, you see the appeal of sharing the industry knowledge and skills you’ve developed with the next generation, exploring the option of becoming a Further Education teacher can be a great next step. As David points out, “You won’t know how enjoyable it is until you try it.”

Looking for a new role that’s rewarding, flexible and draws on your current career? Why not consider sharing your experience where it matters most – helping inspire the next generation of workers in the field you love? Visit the Further Education website to find out more

Chile elects far-right president on promise of migration crackdown

Ultra-conservative Jose Antonio Kast has secured a decisive victory in Chile’s presidential runoff election, paving the way for the nation’s most right-wing government in 35 years of democratic rule. With over 95 percent of votes tallied, Kast garnered more than 58 percent, triumphing over his leftist rival.

His opponent, Communist candidate Jeannette Jara, who served as President Gabriel Boric’s popular labor minister, secured just over 41 percent.

Kast’s campaign resonated with voters through pledges to tackle rising crime, deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants and revitalize the economy of one of Latin America’s most stable and prosperous countries.

Following the results, Jara conceded defeat, stating on social media: “Democracy spoke loud and clear,” and confirmed she had called Kast to congratulate him on his successful campaign.

Kast’s supporters erupted into cheers in the street, shouting his name and honking car horns.

His campaign spokesperson, Arturo Squella, declared victory from the party headquarters in Chile’s capital of Santiago.

“We are very proud of the work we’ve done,” he told reporters. “We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”

Kast’s election represents the latest in a string of votes that have turfed out incumbent governments across Latin America, vaulting mainly right-wing leaders to power from Argentina to Bolivia.

On the surface, the two candidates in this tense presidential runoff could not have been more different, fundamentally disagreeing on weighty matters of the economy, social issues and the very purpose of government.

A lifelong member of Chile’s Communist Party who pioneered significant social welfare measures in Boric’s government and hails from a working-class family that protested against the 1973-1990 military dictatorship, Jara was a dramatic foil to her rival.

Kast, in contrast, is a devout Catholic and father of nine whose German-born father was a registered member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party and whose brother served in the dictatorship. He had previously struggled to win over moderate voters in two failed presidential bids.

His moral conservatism, including fierce opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion without exception, had been rejected by many in the increasingly socially liberal country. The admiration he has expressed for the bloody military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet also sparked widespread condemnation in his campaign against President Boric four years ago.

But in the past few years, fears about uncontrolled migration and organized crime have roiled the country. Enthusiasm for a hardline approach to crime spread, dominating the election and boosting Kast’s law-and-order platform.

Strange Viking Age grave unearthed with shells covering woman’s mouth

A metal detectorist has discovered a strange Viking Age grave in Norway with scallop shells covering the mouth of the skeleton, raising questions about its symbolism.

Archaeologists are perplexed about the burial’s symbolism, but suspect the remains belong to a “free and probably married woman” from the 9th century.

“The Viking Age grave contains what we believe to be a woman, buried with a typical Viking Age costume and jewellery set from the 800s,” said Raymond Sauvage from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

“This indicates that she was a free and probably married woman,” he said, adding that the most remarkable find was “two scallop shells placed at the dead woman’s mouth”.

Archaeologists suspect the buried woman was likely “the mistress of the farm” where the grave was found.

The practice of placing shells on a dead person’s mouth has previously not been documented from any pre-Christian grave in Norway.

In the Middle Ages, scallop shells were associated with the cult of St James, but they have rarely been found in pre-Christian graves.

“We don’t yet know what the symbolism means,” said Mr Sauvage, head engineer at the Norwegian university’s Department of Archaeology and Cultural History.

The shells were placed with their curved sides facing outwards in a way that they partially covered the deceased woman’s mouth.

Among other artefacts found in the grave are two oval brooches that attach to the straps of a suspender dress and a small ring buckle closing the neck opening of a petticoat.

Some bird bones, likely from the wings, were also found, researchers said, adding that these artefacts likely communicated some symbolic meaning to those who witnessed the burial.

Archaeological excavations at the site began after metal detectorist Roy Søreng first discovered an oval brooch in Trøndelag County and reached out to researchers.

A previous excavation in the area had found another skeleton, which researchers said likely belonged to an individual two to three generations older than the latest find.

Scientists hope to examine the latest skeleton further, analyse DNA samples, preserve the objects, and take more samples for dating.

They hope to learn more about the woman and her possible kinship to the previous find.