Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments

Cross words

The ‘point of origin of an earthquake’ is not its ‘epicentre’ as your crossword had it (Metro, Mon). That is the point on the surface vertically above the quake’s subterranean origin. Epicentre is probably the most incorrectly used word in the English language, along with ‘massive’ –which does not mean ‘big’, it means ‘heavy’. How heavy is a hole? Martin, South Gloucestershire

‘”You are loved and wanted in London” doesn’t apply if you’re homeless’

Transport for London has been putting up another set of signs with the message, ‘You are loved and wanted in London’.

Of course, that doesn’t apply if you’re homeless, in which case the government will criminalise your very existence, harass you wherever you go and turn your life into a dystopian nightmare by telling everyone to ignore you.

When I first saw one of those signs, it was right next to a rough sleeper who was being ordered to move by the British Transport Police, for the sole reason that he was a homeless person sitting in a Tube station. It made the sign’s message feel rather hollow. Ryan Cooper, London

Russia invading a sovreign state should mean UK increases millitary spending

Bernard (MetroTalk, Tue) questions whether it really is necessary to increase military spending to the degree demanded by defence secretary John Healey before he resigned over not getting it.

I’d have thought that Vladimir Putin’s Russia invading an independent sovereign state, something Russia hadn’t done for years beforehand, was reason enough. John Daniels, Redhill

John Healey’s reasons for resigning are ‘fundamentally wrong’

I think of John Healey (whom I have met) as a decent and sincere man. However, I believe his reasons for resigning to be fundamentally wrong.

We all understand that the current international climate is hostile, particularly with Putin at the helm in Russia and Donald Trump in the US.

I can also understand John feeling a bit peeved at being told the defence budget would increase by less than one per cent.

However, we need to look at this from a wider perspective rather than listen to the warnings of former generals.

We are members of Nato. Any Nato member can rely on other members to support them if they are attacked. Russia is well outgunned by Nato.

This means that it is highly unlikely Russia will attack us or any Nato country. Why should they? Putin may harbour imperialist intentions but he is not stupid.

We need to make sure that we meet the Nato requirements of spending at least two per cent of our GDP on defence.

Spending more seems unnecessary when we have other pressing domestic issues, such as the NHS.

We are a small island off the coast of Europe, whose Empire disappeared more than 60 years ago. It about time we stopped perpetrating the myth we are somehow up there with the big hitters

I also cannot see the point of nuclear weapons, where the sole use is to blow the world to pieces. We could save tens of billions by not upgrading our existing nuclear arsenal. Neville Jones, Widnes

Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments

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“The situation might have been different had Mr Polanski owed arrears of council tax at the time of participating in those decisions. However, as I have previously advised the GLA, Mr Polanski was not subject to the exclusion from voting on council tax matters because he did not owe any arrears of council tax at the time of casting his votes.

Police were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst at 1.24pm to reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the enclosure. 

The boy has been taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries and is critical but stable.

Specially trained officers are at the hospital supporting the boy’s family.

Follow our live blog for more

Cambridgeshire Police have confirmed a 30-year-old man, from Norfolk, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. 

Detectives from the Major Crime Unit are investigating.

Det Insp Verity McCann said: “At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances.

“We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other.

“Officers are supporting the boy’s family at hospital, and our thoughts remain with them.”

Have you got a story you want to share? Get in touch at oliver.murphy@newsquest.co.uk

‘You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself’, a judge told Christopher Nolan

A man launched an ‘ugly’ attack on a passenger on a Manchester-bound flight amid a row over a seat. Christopher Nolan, 44, was sitting in front of the man on the Jet2 flight from Tenerife on May 25 last year.

During the flight Nolan repeatedly banged his seat, hitting the man’s legs. He complained a number of times, asking Nolan to stop, before the thug turned around and punched him twice in the face.

The man was left with a ‘hole in his cheek’ following the attack, Manchester Crown Court heard. Nolan previously admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.

On Thursday (June 18), he was today handed a suspended sentence as a judge told him: “It is only because of your daughters and the impact on them that has persuaded me to not send you to custody.”

Click here to hear the latest from Manchester’s courts in our newsletter

Simon Barrett, prosecuting, said the victim and Nolan were sat in window seats, with Nolan sitting in front.

“The victim became aware the defendant was banging his seat causing his seat to hit his legs,” Mr Barrett said. “This happened continuously. On at least two occasions he asked him to stop doing it – on the second occasion the defendant became abusive and threatened him.”

“At that point the defendant turned around and punched him with a right hand to the left cheek. The defendant continued to be aggressive as others tried to intervene. He then struck the victim with a left hand to the face, striking him to the lower side of the jaw.”

Nolan was moved to a different area on the plane. Staff reported seeing blood on his knuckles, Mr Barrett said. Nolan was arrested when the plane landed at Manchester Airport.

The victim sustained a laceration to the side of his face, which went ‘straight through his left cheek’ leaving a 2cm hole. In a statement, he said the scarring remains and that he has suffered emotionally and psychologically. He said he has lost confidence using public transport.

Defending Nolan, John Williams said his client was aware of receiving a ‘deterrent’ sentence due to the circumstances of the attack, adding that it was ‘fortunate’ the plane was not diverted.

Judge Paul Lawton said he was prepared to suspend a sentence due to the impact his imprisonment would have on his children.

“It wasn’t wider disorder. It was an argument between him and the victim,” he added. “It was contained very quickly and is to be commended by the professionals.”

The barrister replied: “Both daughter’s describe him as being a good dad. He had the good sense to plead guilty.”

Sentencing Nolan, who runs a scaffolding business in Rhyl, Judge Lawton said: “What you did was wrong. This took place at 36,000 feet, and was an ugly episode of violence witnessed by others, including children. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.”

Nolan, of Lon Bedw, Rhyl, was handed a 21-month sentence, suspended for two years; order to undertake 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and complete 100 hours unpaid work. He must also pay £100 in compensation.

England enjoyed a rousing 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opening game at the World Cup, but not every member of Thomas Tuchel’s side has received praise for their performance in Dallas

Thomas Tuchel has been told that ‘chaotic’ Jordan Pickford will cost England a chance of winning the World Cup.

That’s the scathing verdict of former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who believes that Pickford ‘doesn’t give you any confidence’. The Everton goalkeeper continued his run of starting every competitive game under Tuchel on Wednesday, but he was unable to keep a clean sheet as the Three Lions beat Croatia 4-2 to kick off their World Cup campaign in Dallas.

Pickford, 32, has been England’s undisputed No.1 for nearly a decade, rarely letting his country down in the previous four major tournaments. But the goalkeeper’s performance against Croatia was criticised in some quarters, and he was spotted having a first-half row with Tuchel.

Deeney has now warned the England boss that according to him, Pickford can’t be trusted. On CBS Sports, the ex-Watford captain was asked if he felt that Pickford was too chaotic.

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“To say the least, yeah,” Deeney replied. “I don’t really know the stats and all of that. I’m just saying what my eyes told me.

“I still think he should have saved the first one [Croatia goal], that’s my opinion. I think when you get a hand to it, it’s got to be a solid hand and keep it out.

“There’s just that feeling when I watch Jordan…there’s a shot from 50 yards and it trickles to him and he’s screaming at everyone, ‘Do your job! Don’t let any shots come in’!”

“Every time he parries one, fouls someone, does whatever, he’s like, ‘Don’t look at me’. We’re trying to win a World Cup. That’s why we’re here.

“In my opinion, and respectfully Jordan, because you know I like you. We can’t win it with that guy in goal. He doesn’t give you any confidence.”

Should Thomas Tuchel drop Jordan Pickford? Have your say in the comments section.

In contrast to Deeney’s opinion, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire – who’s played alongside Pickford at three tournaments – hailed his long-time team-mate for being ‘really, really calm under pressure’. Appearing on The Rest is Football, Maguire gave an insight into Tuchel’s tactical approach.

“I think we’ve got four lads in the back four who all want to build up,” Maguire explained. “I think Picks [Pickford] today was really calm. Really, really calm under pressure.

“I think the two in central midfield want to take the ball. I think the wide wingers, he’s big on pressure and counter-press. So I think we’re going to build up but I think the flip side is we’re going to press high and press in their half and I think we saw that today.”

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Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’

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His thoughts go out to the family of the little boy involved

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Darryl Preston has spoken out after a little boy has been left with “serious” injuries after ending up in a crocodile enclosure in Huntingdon.

A police investigation is underway following the incident at Johnson’s of Old Hurst.

Officers were called to the zoo at 1.24pm on June 18 to reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure. The boy has been taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries and is critical but stable.

Specially trained officers are at the hospital supporting the boy’s family. A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Darryl Preston, has said: “My thoughts go out to the family of the little boy involved in this truly horrific incident. I can only begin to imagine the trauma those involved are going through.

“While I have been fully briefed by the Chief Constable (Simon Megicks, Cambridgeshire Constabulary), I would like to remind everyone that this is an ongoing operational issue and therefore I am not able to comment any further at this stage.”

The UK government has lifted a travel advisory for Bahrain, as it becomes one of several countries in the Middle East to be given the update amid Iran and the US announcing a memorandum of understanding.

Bahrain had to close its international airport for weeks amid the conflict in the Middle East, but had since reopened the airbase in April and gradually resumed flights.

Two people were killed in two ​separate Iranian attacks during the conflict, with one hitting a residential building in the capital Manama, according to Bahrain’s interior ministry, while the UAE’s defence ministry said that one of its civilian contractors was killed in an ⁠Iranian attack on Bahrain.

Months since the war started, the UK has changed its travel advice for the country on Thursday, 18 June. This comes as a memorandum of understanding aims to stop the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It also outlines plans for the financing of Iran’s recovery, sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds.

Here is the latest advice for those who want to travel to Bahrain.

Live: Iran-US war latest

Is it safe to travel to Bahrain?

The FCDO no longer advises against all but essential travel to Bahrain, but still warns that “the situation remains unpredictable and attacks could resume at short notice”.

What is the UK government’s advice?

The FCDO is still displaying advice for people should any hostilities resume.

It says that British nationals should read the “if you are affected by a crisis abroad” document, follow advice from local authorities and sign up to FCDO travel advice email alerts.

It also advises that if conflict resumes, to stay away from areas around security or military facilities, keep departure plans and travel documents up to date, and stay indoors if advised to take shelter.

“Before the 8 April ceasefire, the Iranian regime had stated its intention to target locations in the Gulf associated with the US and Israel,” the FCDO added.

“This included US-linked organisations, businesses, facilities and institutions. Iran has previously targeted civilian infrastructure across the region such as ports, hotels, roads, bridges, energy facilities, oil production sites, water systems, and airports.”

Will it be easier to book a holiday to Bahrain?

As the FCDO no longer warns against non-essential travel to Bahrain, your travel insurance is likely to be valid if you now decide to book a trip. Your travel insurance is at risk of being invalidated if you travel against advice from FCDO. However, it is important to check individual policies.

Package holidays are likely to start operating as usual. There are currently no grounds for travellers to expect a refund if they cancel, nor to claim the money back through travel insurance.

If FCDO advice changes to advising against all travel, you can cancel a package holiday without penalty for a full refund.

Read more: Read Trump’s 14 point Iran peace deal in full after US announces signing of agreement

Major shipowners have begun moving vessels through the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Iran signed an interim agreement to end their war, maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Thursday.

In a media briefing, Richard Meade, editor in chief of Lloyd’s List, said for the first time in 110 days, ships owned by major companies were crossing the strait after effectively being marooned there since February.

The strait is a critical passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas. Before the war, the waterway off Iran’s coast carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. Its closure during the war has created a historic energy crisis.

Lloyd’s List did not say how many ships were transiting through or had passed through the strait as of Thursday. It said tankers controlled by major ship owners Grimaldi Group, Cosco, Knutsen and NYK had passed through the strait. Two Iran-flagged, National Iranian Tanker Company-owned, sanctioned crude oil tankers entered the strait, according to Lloyd’s List.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the U.S. Navy lifted its blockade of the strait to allow some ships through Iranian ports.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X that a Italian merchant ship owned by the Grimaldi Group was among the first vessels to transit the strait after the agreement’s signing.

Maritime data and tracking company Kpler said it observed six verified ship crossings on Wednesday and another 11 on Thursday.

Phillip Belcher, marine director of Intertanko, a trade group for global independent tanker owners, said the main central route of the Strait of Hormuz was still closed and has an estimated 80 mines that need to be cleared. But ships have been passing through the smaller northern route, which goes through Iranian waters, and the southern route, which goes through Omani waters.

“Those two routes now seem to be fully open,” Belcher said.

However, it will take weeks or months to fully reopen the strait, and the two alternative routes don’t have a much capacity as the central passage in the Strait of Hormuz.

Anyone who lives in Japan and plays Final Fantasy 14 can net themselves in-game costumes or a shiba inu mount if they donate a certain amount of tax money.

Video games nowadays love to keep engagement up by offering players unique in-game items. Obviously, paid microtransactions, like skins in Fortnite, are the most common example but there’s usually plenty of freebies to be had as well.

Sometimes, it only requires booting the game up and participating in limited time events or completing a battle pass by a specific date. And sometimes, you get a free gift for it being your birthday or merely logging in.

Donating a portion of your own taxes might be the oddest example yet, but that’s exactly what Final Fantasy 14 players in Japan are being encouraged to do.

For the record, this doesn’t appear to be a scheme by Final Fantasy 14’s publisher, Square Enix, but rather the ward of Shibuya in the city of Tokyo.

In Japan, there’s something called a hometown tax where citizens can donate a portion of their taxes directly to a municipality. It doesn’t even need to be their hometown.

As a result, though, municipalities will offer rewards as incentive for donations. So in this case, the Shibuya ward is offering in-game items for Final Fantasy 14 that players would otherwise need to buy.

For example, this website lists three character costumes as requiring a donation of 7,000 yen (about £33) each, while the shiba inu mount can be acquired for 9,000 yen (about £42).

There is also a dance emote for 11,000 yen (about £52) and lastly a pack of five Fantasia potions (which let you edit your character’s appearance) for 17,000 yen (about £80).

If you’re thinking those prices seem awfully high, that’s because they are. On the Final Fantasy 14 store, those costumes are only £11.16 each, while the shiba inu mount is £13.80.

Emotes only cost anywhere from £1.15 to £4.20, while buying five Fantasia potions sets you back £28.75.

Anyone who just wants these items can save money just by purchasing them, rather than through the donation scheme. So, anyone who does donate is going to be mainly motivated by wanting to support the Shibuya ward rather than by the items themselves.

All this is being done with Square Enix’s permission, so you’d think the company would try to offer exclusive items to better encourage donations. Such a ploy, though, could risk inviting backlash from the player-base.

‘Final Fantasy 14 has deepened its ties with the local community through events held in Shibuya and other activities,’ reads a statement from Square Enix (via Famitsu).

‘Moving forward, we will continue to undertake various initiatives based in Shibuya, leveraging the characteristics of Shibuya as a hub of diverse cultures.’

Square Enix’s headquarters are based in Shinjuku, but it does have a Shibuya office, as well as a dedicated merchandise store called the Square Enix Garden.

Final Fantasy 14 also stands to see an influx of new players as the game will be launching for Nintendo Switch 2 in August, marking its first appearance on a Nintendo platform.

Square Enix recently expanded the free trial as well, allowing new players to experience not just the base game but its first three story expansions: Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers.

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David Taylor described himself as ‘old fashioned villain’, with convictions dating back to 1977

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A prisoner who murdered a child-killer in his cell previously killed a young woman and tried to kill a police officer.

David Taylor, 64, has been convicted of two murders and an attempted murder, and could now face a whole life order.

The full details of his offending can now be reported in full for the first time after the lifting of reporting restrictions, and after his latest case concluded.

Taylor has admitted murdering 24-year-old Alisha Apostoloff-Boyarin, from Ashton, Greater Manchester.

Alisha was reported missing by her grandmother on February 2, 2022. She had last been seen eight days earlier, in a gold Volkswagen Passat, being driven through Derbyshire.

It has previously been said that her body has never been found, reports the M.E.N..

Her family issued several public appeals for help in finding her, but by March of that year they came to the conclusion that she had died.

More than two years later, in March 2024, Taylor was charged with her murder.

Months later, while in prison, Taylor told police that he had information about Alisha’s whereabouts.

But during an interview in July that year, Taylor suddenly produced an improvised weapon and stabbed Detective Constable Darren Bratby of Greater Manchester Police once to the chest.

DC Bratby spent four days in hospital but recovered. After being transferred out to HMP Wakefield, he then joined forces with fellow murderers Mark ‘The Iceman’ Fellows and Lee Newell to target child killer Kyle Bevan, 33.

The trio were caught on CCTV entering Bevan’s cell one by one. About five minutes later, they re-emerged.

Bevan never left the cell alive. He was only discovered the next morning, after his body had been convincingly placed to look as though he was asleep.

Taylor, Fellows and Newell were all found guilty of murder following a trial at Leeds Crown Court which ended today (June 18).

He had previously gone on trial at Manchester Crown Court in December last year for the attempted murder of DC Bratby, and then pleaded guilty to murdering Alisha at a hearing at the same court on February 16 this year.

Restrictions were imposed prohibiting reporting on those two cases until the conclusion of his case in Leeds.

Taylor will be sentenced for the two murders and attempted murder on Friday (June 19). The full circumstances surrounding Alisha’s murder have not yet been disclosed in open court.

Taylor answered questions about her in his attempted murder trial, when he still denied the offence.

Giving evidence, Taylor described himself as an ‘old fashioned villain’, with convictions dating back to 1977 when he was a teenager.

Describing a conviction for wounding, Taylor, originally from Glossop, said: “It was an after school brawl. I’ve always been a bit of a scrapper.”

He told how in his later life he came to live in Ashton-under-Lyne, Skegness, and then Durham in 2019. Taylor still had friends in Manchester, including one man named Norman who has since died, he said.

Taylor told the court that he knew Alisha through Norman. “She was Norman’s son’s girlfriend,” Taylor said “She phoned me up asking me for help. I went down, back to Ashton-under-Lyne.

“She stayed with me with her boyfriend in County Durham.”

Asked when was the last time he’d seen her, Taylor said “Probably 2021 or 22? She just got on with her life as far as I was concerned, that was it.”

He told how he was spoken to by police as a person of interest, and then a suspect.

“I told them everything I could to help them with the case,” he said.

READ MORE: Balaclava-wearing e-bikers carry out series of robberies and attacks in Cardiff

READ MORE: Man dies in crash as woman left seriously injured

Addressing the attack on DC Bratby, Taylor said the weapon came from the ‘side of the chair’ in the interview room.

He told how he ‘retrieved it’ during a visit with his solicitor.

Taylor said: “I knew exactly where they are stashed. They are everywhere.” Asked why he attacked the police officer, Taylor said: “Because I’m angry, I’m enraged with what’s going on in my life.”

When he was asked what had been going through his head at the time, Taylor responded: “I just don’t know. I just snapped. I lost it, I lost my mind, I lost my nerve. I completely lost it.

“All I think is I’m being accused of something I haven’t done. It all came pouring out on that particular visit.”

Prosecutors said that in an exchange with the prison governor a few days later, Taylor said: “It was a planned attack and I went to f****** kill him. There’s no two ways about it.”

In the same exchange, Taylor said he had attacked the wrong officer.

He said: “Even though they were still major crime team, the one I wanted was a sergeant, their sergeant, and obviously he’s f****** not come up so I were kind of, I was kind of disheartened by that he wasn’t there. I just f******, I thought f*** it.”

Speaking of HMP Frankland, Taylor said: “There are weapons everywhere. You are living in a seriously violent environment. It was one of the most violent prisons I have ever encountered.”

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He claimed it was a ‘common thing’ for prisoners to have weapons. Taylor added: “You are talking about out of 100 people, you’re talking 80 per cent of those people either carry shanks or one in close proximity.”

Alisha’s family released a statement in March 2022 via police, which read: “Alisha has not been seen for several weeks.

“She has made no contact with any of her family, which is unheard of. Alisha lived with her great-granddad, who she adored, and would never be away from home for this long.

“We know in our hearts that someone has prevented Alisha from coming home to us and that she is no longer alive. Alisha’s world revolved around her family. She was a shy girl and did not socialise very much.

“She was only comfortable when she was at home. Not knowing where Alisha is, or what has happened to her, is torment and we cannot begin to describe the pain and anguish we feel at the moment.

“We just want Alisha home so we can lay her to rest and have some closure. We ask that anyone who has information as to where Alisha may be, or who is responsible for what has happened to her, to please contact the police.”