Ethan Ives-Griffiths was subjected to weeks of abuse at the hands of Michael Ives and his wife Kerry Ives before his death
Nina Massey, Press Association Law Correspondent
18:03, 12 Mar 2026
The Court of Appeal has rejected a bid to increase the sentences of a couple who were jailed for life for murdering their two-year-old grandson. Ethan Ives-Griffiths was subjected to weeks of abuse at the hands of Michael Ives, 48, and his wife Kerry Ives, 47.
The toddler was extremely dehydrated and severely underweight with visible marks and bruises when he collapsed with a catastrophic head injury at his grandparents’ home in Flintshire in August 2021.
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In October last year the couple were jailed for life at Mold Crown Court. Michael Ives was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years imprisonment and Kerry Ives for a minimum of 17 years. Don’t miss a court report by signing upto our crime newsletter here
On Thursday Bill Emlyn Jones KC, for the Solicitor General, asked the Court of Appeal in London to increase the sentences, saying they were “unduly lenient”.
But Lord Justice Popplewell, Mr Justice Sweeting and Judge Penelope Moreland ruled that the sentences were appropriate and should not be increased.
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Reading the judgment, Lord Justice Popplewell said Ethan was a “brave” and “resilient” boy with a “strong character” and that his grandparents “did not like him standing up for himself”.
Setting out some of the facts of the offending, he added that CCTV showed Michael Ives carrying his grandson by the top of his arm and appearing to punch him after putting him into a car seat.
Other footage showed the boy in the back garden “walking with a peculiar, wide stance and an uncertain gait”, which could be linked to the early effects of brain injuries caused by previous blows to his head, the judge said. To humiliate Ethan, Michael would make him stand with his hands on his head, he added.
Ethan had been placed on the child protection register, requiring him to be seen every 10 days, but when his mother last saw her social worker, on August 5, she spoke to him on the doorstep and told him Ethan was having a nap.
Lord Justice Popplewell continued: “On behalf of the Solicitor General, Mr Jones contends that for Michael and Kerry the minimum terms of 23 years and 17 years, respectively, were unduly lenient.
“He says that when sentencing for the murder the judge could not divorce the aggravating factors of the murder from the factors of what had gone before.”
The judge added: “In Michael’s case we are not persuaded that the sentence was unduly lenient.” He also said that it was clear that the sentencing judge, Mr Justice Griffiths, had the overall position “clearly” in mind.
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The judge said that the panel was also “unpersuaded” in Kerry’s case that the minimum term was unduly lenient. “The judge was very well placed to assess her culpability and personal mitigation,” Lord Justice Popplewell said.
Ethan’s mother, Shannon Ives, 28, of Rhes-y-Cae, near Holywell, who had been staying with her son at her parents’ home, was found guilty of causing or allowing his death and of child cruelty, and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Gordon Cole KC, for the mother, appealed against her sentence, telling the court the jail term was “too long” and that the judge had not fully taken into account her personal mitigation.
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Lord Justice Popplewell said the judges had given careful consideration to his arguments but were unpersuaded that they justified “interfering with the sentence”.
Everyone has their favourite pub, but has yours been named as one of the best?
Several Cambridgeshire pubs have been named as the best in the region. More than 250 pubs have been recognised in Tyrrells National Pub and Bar Awards 2026.
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Of the pubs nominated, three Cambridgeshire favourites are among some of the best. These are: The Burleigh Arms in Cambridge, The Lion at Ickleton, and The Three Hills in Bartlow.
Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub and Bar magazine said: “Our bigger and better format that debuted in 2025 was such a success, we can’t wait to roll it out again this year. The fact that the celebrations last from the long Easter weekend, when we celebrate this year’s County Nominees, right up until the awards night at the beginning of summer is no less than this wonderful industry deserves.
“We just want to do what we can to spread the word about these brilliant businesses.”
All of those nominated will be invited to a celebration in London, which takes place on June 10. The 94 county winners will be announced. Pubs that are highly commended will also be able to collect their certificates.
Who is the British actor Jamie Bell, star of the new Peaky Blinders series? (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
British actor Jamie Bell is about to burst back onto screens in the new Peaky Blinders sequel series – but what does his life look like behind-the-scenes?
The 40-year-old screenstar was announced as the all-new Duke Shelby (played by Barry Keoghan in the movie and Conrad Khan in the original series), as we return to Birmingham in the aftermath of World War Two.
Showrunner Steven Knight has teased that this iteration of Tommy Shelby’s eldest illegitimate son will be ‘older, wiser, more ambitious and more dangerous’ as the city starts trying to rebuild in the wake of devastation.
Jamie will be joined by Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay, Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton and Day of the Jackal’s Lashana Lynch and newcomer Lucy Karczewski in as-yet undisclosed roles.
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The award-winning star first rose to fame after landing a historic Bafta aged 14 for his role as Billy Elliot in the movie of the same name 26 years ago.
But after a lifetime spent in front of the camera, what does it look like off-set?
Jamie Bell is set to play Duke Shelby in the new Peaky Blinders sequel series (Picture: Ben Blackall/BBC/PA Wire)
Who is Jamie Bell married to?
Jamie Bell has been married to actress Kate Mara since 2017.
The Emmy-nominated actress has appeared in several high-profile TV shows and movies, including Netflix’s House of Card where she played Zoe Barnes, 24 as Shari Rothenberg and, most recently, Apple TV’s Imperfect Women.
The pair had known each other as far back as 2005, but remained acquaintances for a long time.
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‘We were friends but not – we didn’t really know each other. And then we made the Fantastic Four movie together, which was a really interesting experience,’ she told the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast.
Jamie Bell and Kate Mara have been married since 2017 (Picture: Getty)
Both starred in the 2015 superhero action movie with Kate as Sue Storm and Jamie as Ben Grimm.
As Kate explained: ‘We got to know each other on it, and I thought, “Oh, he’s so great”. I just thought he was the best.’
Even then, she revealed, she initially attempted to set him up with other people until a year later when ‘we fell in love on the press tour of that movie ’cause it was trauma bonding.’
Does he have any children?
They soon realised ‘that was it’ and got married in 2017, before going on to have two children – a daughter, six, and son, three.
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‘We just thought, “Oh, this is gonna be forever. Wonderful.” And here we are, a bunch of kids later and it’s the best,’ Kate said.
They’ve welcomed two children but keep them out of public life (Picture: Getty)
Romance blossomed after working on Fantastic Four together (Picture: 20th Century Fox/Marvel/Kobal/Shutterstock)
The family lived in Los Angeles at one time but now live just north of New York, with Jamie, used to the world of child actors, previously reflecting on their plans to keep their children away from the spotlight.
‘Not that anyone’s ever been particularly invasive with me – I go around with relative ease – but it’s just a poppa thing to think, “No, no, no”; that’s a different side of my life that no one sees,’ he told the Evening Standard.
He also shared admiration for his wife’s family (giants in the NFL world): ‘They’re an incredible family, so loving, connected and together. They’re functional.
‘It’s kind of an amazing surprise to know that stuff really exists. I come from a broken home… But to see parents who are together, who have raised four children, with no sign of splitting up, is a joy to watch.’
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As well as his two children with Kate, he also has a son from his previous marriage.
Who has Jamie Bell previously been in a relationship with?
The Billy Elliot star was once married to actress Evan Rachel Wood, who met in 2005 when they played lovers in Green Day’s music video for Wake Me Up When September Ends.
Before Kate, Jamie was married to Evan Rachel Wood with whom he shares one son (Picture: Getty)
The pair were briefly together before breaking up, during which time Evan dated Marilyn Manson and got engaged. When their relationship ended, however, she once more started dating Jamie, and they tied the knot in 2012.
A year later, in 2013, they welcomed their son, but only 10 months after, in 2014, they announced their divorce – although both have reiterated they remain on good terms.
A statement read at the time read: ‘This is a mutual decision and the two remain close friends.
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‘They both love and respect one another and will of course remain committed to co-parenting their son.”
Talking about co-parenting with the Evening Standard in 2017, Jamie explined they ‘understood very quickly the importance of maintaining a good relationship’.
Although he acknowledged, ‘It’s tricky enough when you’re actors who are together. The kid is just going to have to get used to going here, going there.’
What are some of his most well-known movies and TV shows?
He rose to fame after landing the Bafta for Billy Elliot at only 14 (Picture: Tiger Aspect Pics/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
He played Abraham in Turn: Washington’s Spies for three years (Picture: AMC)
In recent years, he notably starred in All of Us Strangers (Picture: AP)
After his breakout role as the eponymous Billy Elliot in 2000, the following year he landed his Bafta for best actor (and remains the youngest to win this category)
Since then, Jamie has starred in a steady stream of projects, including 2005’s King Kong, 2011’s Jane Eyre, the lead role in the animated Tintin movie and 2013’s Snowpiercer.
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As mentioned, he met his now-wife Kate while filming the Fantastic Four remake and starred in TURN: Washington’s Spies from 2014 to 2017.
In recent years, he’s appeared in Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott’s haunted gay romance, All of Us Strangers, and has now landed top billing in the highly-anticipated sequel series.
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Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell has sparked major backlash online after confronting an alleged trespasser on his private beach.
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The 51-year-old singer – who rose to fame alongside Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and Kevin Richardson – got into a heated exchange with a sunbather outside of his multimillion-dollar mansion in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Littrell stormed across the sand where beachgoer Kyle Gallagher was sitting, filming him from behind as he relaxed on his towel by the water.
Initially unaware of the Everybody hitmaker’s presence, Gallagher was scrolling on his phone and wearing headphones but jumped up startled when he realised he was being recorded.
What followed was an intense argument, during which many social media users believed Littrell used a homophobic slur, something he was forced to deny.
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‘You cannot be putting s**t in my face, bro,’ Gallagher began, reaching out and attempting to shove the phone down, to which Littrell warned him: ‘Don’t test me.’
Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell got into a heated argument with a beachgoer outside his Florida mansion (Picture: Walton County Sheriff’s Office)
Gallagher quickly got to his feet, instructing Littrell to ‘get out of my f***ing face’, causing him to get defensive.
‘You can’t grab my phone, dog,’ Littrell told him, leading to Gallagher starting to film in retaliation.
‘I’m on the wet sand right now, bro,’ Gallagher retorted, saying Littrell ‘came in [his] face out of nowhere’ and saying to his camera: ‘Look at this gay s**t.’
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As the row continued, Gallagher informed Littrell that he had ‘lived across the street for 20 years’, so he is ‘never going to be left alone’ out there.
‘I will,’ stated Littrell. ‘No, you will not,’ Gallagher laughed.
Littrell turned his camera around and said: ‘This is what I deal with. This is what I deal with. People like this.’
Kyle Gallagher was caught off guard by Littrell filming him (Picture: Walton County Sheriff’s Office)
‘You came and shoved your phone in my face, bro. You’re lucky I didn’t knock you the f**k out,’ Gallagher shouted, becoming more irate.
Littrell also asked the local, ‘You wanna be gay?’ and called him a ‘p***y’.
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The quarrel carried on, with Gallagher reminding Littrell that the beach had ‘public access’ and that he was ‘done for’.
‘I can’t wait ’til this gets out,’ Littrell smiled to his phone.
Having been mocked by Gallagher, who said any case would ‘get thrown out’, Littrell had attempted to press criminal charges; deputies visited Gallagher’s home the next day, where he reiterated that he was caught off guard by the phone being so close to his face, saying he felt threatened and only reached out as a reflex.
Consequently, Walton County authorities decided to drop the matter, concluding that his so-called video evidence did not show enough criminal intent to warrant pressing charges. The case was closed.
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The sunbather got out his own phone, with him and Littrell hurling insults at one another for several minutes (Picture: Walton County Sheriff’s Office)
This led to Littrell suing the county last month, alleging that they had not protected him against trespassers.
However, a judge also dismissed this, to which Littrell’s attorney, Peter Ticktin, said: ‘Littrell was assaulted by a hostile beach protester. A report was made to the feckless sheriff’s office.
‘The assault was awful enough, but the fact that the sheriff’s office is not enforcing the law makes our whole community one of greater danger.’
Meanwhile, the footage is now doing the rounds online, with Ticktin issuing a fresh statement to The Independent: ‘Mr Littrell and his family purchased what they saw as their dream home, only to discover an ongoing pattern of trespassing and harassment targeting private property owners along their and their neighbours’ stretch of beach.
‘These actions are not about public access; public beaches exist on both sides of the neighbourhood and remain open and uncrowded.
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‘Instead, certain individuals appear intent on challenging the very concept of private property rights.’
Littrell rose to fame in the early 90s as part of the group with Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter, and AJ McLean (Picture: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for 103.5 KTU)
He also stressed that, despite claims of what people online heard, Littrell did not use a homophobic slur in the clip.
‘It is deeply troubling that these incidents have been allowed to escalate due to a lack of enforcement by the local sheriff’s office. Homeowners are entitled to safety and privacy on their own property, and Mr Littrell is no exception.’
Still, the video certainly hasn’t gained Littrell any new fans, with many criticising him for claiming to ‘own that part of the beach’.
@FFAFamily wrote on X that Littrell himself ‘is the problem’, adding: ‘He may own up by his house but definitely not by the water!’
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@shermjanae called him a ‘whole Karen’, while @AncientArgonaut wrote: ‘So basically it’s a public beach and Brian felt the need to come down and harass the beach goer by shoving a phone in his face. For the crime of being near his house. He thinks it’s his beach. Prosecutor could see exactly what this was.’
@trishhyland said the incident was a ‘waste of police time’ after Littrell called 911, with @elina_vibes echoing: ‘Glad the prosecutors saw it for what it was—just a messy misunderstanding and not some criminal battery case.’
Since purchasing his Florida mansion in 2023, he’s been battling for ‘privacy’ on the public beach (Picture: Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)
The quest for privacy has been an ongoing battle for Littrell and his family – wife Leighanne, 56, and their son, Baylee, 23 – with his family previously claiming the alleged trespassing has caused ’emotional distress’.
‘It’s scary to have to be in this small community with a lot of angry people, honestly, and then making us out to be these monsters that we’re not,’ Leighanne told Fox News. ‘We love this town, but now we don’t know where to eat because of who hates us.’
Their legal team has continued arguing that the beach is Littrell’s ‘backyard’, after he purchased the property in 2023 for $3.8million (£2.9m), records show.
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As for the truth, Visit South Walton reports that public access to privately owned beaches is allowed up to 20 feet landward from the wet/dry sand line.
This area is known as the Transitory Zone, which the public is encouraged to enjoy at their leisure.
Sunbathing is also permitted in those areas from 9am to 4pm.
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The head of Myanmar’s ruling military junta, who overthrew the previous government five years ago, has been elected president after winning a parliamentary vote.
Min Aung Hlaing, 69, who is a senior general, won 429 out of the 584 votes in Friday’s ballot, Aung Lin Dwe, speaker of both the upper and lower house, said.
The run-off, which was broadcast live, was held in the newly renovated parliament building in the capital, Naypyidaw, which was damaged in last year’s earthquake.
His victory was expected as the chamber is dominated by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and members appointed by the armed forces.
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It follows a landslide victory for the army-backed USDP in a general election held in December and January.
Image: General Min Aung Hlaing (L) handing a flag to newly appointed Commander-in-Chief General Ye Win Oo. Pic: Reuters
Image: Aung San Suu Kyi in 2019. File pic: AP
Critics and Western governments dismissed those polls as a sham to continue military rule behind a facade of democracy.
Min Aung Hlaing has led the nation since orchestrating a coup against the government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, leading to a civil war.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner was arrested, sparking widespread protests that turned into nationwide armed resistance against the junta.
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Ms Suu Kyi, 80, is serving a 27-year prison term on charges widely viewed as politically motivated.
The general, who has led the armed forces since 2011, has long coveted the presidency, according to independent Myanmar analyst Aung Kyaw Soe, who said “it appears his dreams are now becoming a reality”.
Image: A protest against the military coup in 2021. File pic: Reuters
On Monday, Min Aung Hlaing stood down as commander-in-chief because the country’s constitution prohibits the president from simultaneously holding the top military position.
As he was nominated in parliament as a presidential candidate, he proposed Ye Win Oo, a former intelligence chief seen as a fierce loyalist, as his successor to lead the military.
Earlier this week, some anti-junta groups – including those containing remnants of Ms Suu Kyi’s party and longstanding ethnic minority armies – joined forces in a new combined front to take on the military.
The Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union said on Monday that they wanted to “completely dismantle all forms of dictatorship” and “collectively initiate a new political landscape”.
Resistance groups could face intensified military pressure as well as increased scrutiny from neighbouring countries that may seek to bolster their relationship with Min Aung Hlaing’s new administration, analysts said.
The military handover and Min Aung Hlaing’s rise to the presidency are seen by analysts as a strategic pivot to consolidate his power as head of a nominally civilian government and earn international legitimacy, while protecting the interests of an armed forces that has run the country directly for five of the past six decades.
The Station Singers’ Spring concert will take place on Saturday, April 18, at 7pm at St Mary’s Church in Richmond, where they will perform a selection of popular pieces from well-known shows, stage productions, and films.
Kay Bromhead has taken over as musical director after serving as deputy conductor since 2016.
“The choir continues to thrive.
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“Supporting local causes is very important to the Station Singers and we hope that you will join us for an evening of wonderful music.”
The concert will support Richmondshire Museum, which is raising funds for building improvements aimed at reducing long-term energy costs.
The choir hopes to raise funds through ticket sales, a raffle, and a bucket collection during the event.
Ms Bromhead brings a wealth of experience, having worked with Harrogate schools, Catterick WAGS, a male voice choir, and the Richmond Operatic Society.
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The choir will be accompanied on the night by Brett Overin.
Tickets are available online for £11 at www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-station-singers or for £12 at the door.
Entry is free for under-18s who are accompanied by an adult, and refreshments will be available to buy.
The BBC sci-fi series first arrived on screens almost 63 years ago, spanning around 900 episodes, 41 seasons, 15 (main) Doctors, and a 2005 reboot.
With such a wealth of content, there have been several early stories from the Classic Who era (1963-1989) which have been lost to time and wiped from the records.
In fact, over 90 episodes from the 253 which aired in the first six years are unaccounted for.
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However, last month it was revealed that, in the first major recovery in over a decade, two more long-lost episodes have been found.
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The two episodes in question – season three episode one, The Nightmare Begins, and episode three, Devil’s Planet – aired in November 1965, to launch William Hartnell’s third season with companion Steven Taylor (Peter Purves).
Nearly all of this William Hartnell adventure had been lost to time (Picture: BBC)
This story centred around the Doctor’s arch-nemesis – The Daleks (Picture: BBC)
A clip released earlier this week from one of the episodes, The Nightmare Begins, shows the Doctor attempting to get to a city in a jungle before being held at gunpoint.
The intervening second episode, Day of Armageddon, was also recovered in 2004 by a former BBC engineer.
All in all, the revived trio are part of a 12-part ‘dark and gritty’ Dalek storyline written by Terry Nation, with nine segments still wiped from history.
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As for where these gold-dust episodes were found, they were sitting in a cardboard box filled with a ‘ramshackle’ collection of vintage films discovered by charitable trust Film is Fabulous! (FIF), according to the BBC.
The episodes were only ever aired in the UK in the 60s, making them a true rare find and exciting addition to the Whoniverse.
Purves, 87, was invited to the Phoenix Cinema in Leicester, where the joyous finds were revealed, leading him to declare: ‘My flabber has never been so gasted.’
Purves, now 87, was surprised by the findings
BBC Archives are working to restore the original 16mm telerecordings, ensuring fans can enjoy a little extra treat with their Easter Eggs this April,’ Director of BBC Archives, Noreen Adams, shared in a statement.
Explaining the recovery process, FIF trustee chair Professor Justin Smith, explained: ‘We travel all over the country to recover film collections from private hands.
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‘A lot of the films had suffered water damage, and the cans had corroded. These are gems in what was an eclectic and ramshackle collection, a lot of which hadn’t been looked after as well as the Doctor Who had.
‘The collector did recognise what he had, but how he acquired them has been lost to time.’
There are still over 90 lost episodes (Picture: BBC)
Meanwhile, discussing his memories of the lost episodes, Purves added: ‘I’m not sure I even saw those programmes go out originally – I remember the stories, but having seen them, the pictures are unfamiliar to me.
‘I didn’t remember the first one when I was still almost comatose following the injury I received fighting in Troy in the wonderful Mythmakers – which of course is missing.’
The last time Doctor Who episodes were recovered was in 2013, through a Nigerian TV station housing nine missing instalments from two Patrick Troughton stories, The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear.
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The BBC has been maintaining the legacy of Classic Who on iPlayer in recent years, with the vast corpus available on iPlayer.
This is the biggest discovery in over a decade (Picture: BBC)
It has even launched a colourisation project with the iconic 1963 tale, The Daleks, being released with colour just a few years ago. This was followed by Patrick Troughton’s The War Games.
The original series of Doctor Who aired from 1963 to 1989, before being rebooted in 2005. The most recent season, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor, aired last year.
During the finale of his second season, the character regenerated and appeared to be replaced by Billie Piper, who played Rose Tyler, the Doctor’s first companion when the series was rebooted over two decades ago.
The finale also saw Jodie Whittaker, the 13th Doctor, make a guest appearance while Gatwa’s Doctor appeared to be travelling through alternate universes.
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The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
A version of this article was originally published on March 13, 2026.
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Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old boy was shot dead in south-east London.
Officers received reports of a shooting on Lord Warwick Street, Woolwich, at about 3.40pm on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said.
Two boys, aged 14 and 16, and an 18-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The force had said in an earlier press release that the victim was a man, but on Friday confirmed he was a 14-year-old boy.
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Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card said: “Our thoughts remain with the boy’s family and loved ones.
“We are aware of the concern that this incident will cause the local community.
“We have already made three arrests and our investigation continues at pace. An increased police presence remains in the area.
“I would appeal for anyone who was in the area at the time, who has CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident or has information that could help my officers to come forward.”
The authority has published notice of its intention to make a Temporary Prohibition of Driving Order covering parts of Robert Street and Granville Road in Grangetown.
Works are being, or are proposed to be, carried out on or near the affected lengths of road.
If the order is confirmed, all vehicles will be prohibited from proceeding along Robert Street from its junction with Alexandra Road in a southerly direction for 70 metres.
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Granville Road would also be closed from its junction with Robert Street through to its junction with Evans Street in Grangetown.
Access will, however, be maintained to residents’ properties within the closure area, and local diversions are set to be put in place to route traffic around the works.
For more notices affecting YOUR area, visit our Public Notice Portal – Public Notices from The Northern Echo (publicnoticeportal.uk).
The order is due to come into operation on April 27 and would remain in force for up to 18 months.
The council says it is envisaged that the works themselves will be completed within nine weeks.
The notice is issued by B Archer, chief executive of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, from Redcar and Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar, TS10 1RT.
NEW YORK (AP) — After Pam Bondi became U.S. attorney general last year, conservative influencers, online sleuths and others who wanted the government to disclose all it knew about Jeffrey Epstein thought they might have a champion in the Department of Justice.
So did Jess Michaels, one of the legions of women who have said they were sexually assaulted by the late financier and convicted sex offender with a roster of powerful friends in business, politics and beyond.
“I thought, ‘Well, maybe a woman stepping into this role will finally, finally get the truth,’” Michaels recalled Thursday, after President Donald Trump announced Bondi was out of the nation’s top law enforcement job.
“She had this opportunity to be a hero and to really do right by survivors of sexual violence and trafficking,” Michaels said, “and she chose not to.”
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The furor over the “Epstein files,” as the trove of investigative records came to be known, wasn’t the only controversy of Bondi’s tenure. But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.
Bondi rejected criticism of her handling of the matter, and Trump on Thursday praised her as “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend.”
Michaels and other Epstein victims watched it all with shaken trust that Bondi’s departure alone won’t likely rebuild.
“This is not about a single person,” accuser Annie Farmer said Thursday. “It is about a government and judicial system that has repeatedly failed Epstein survivors.”
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Here’s a glance at Bondi’s part in the Epstein saga:
February 2025: The binders
Freshly confirmed as attorney general for a president who had suggested on the campaign trail that he’d open more government documents on Epstein, Bondi whetted appetites by declaring on Fox News that “you’re going to see some Epstein information released.” And when a host asked about “releasing “the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients” — a long-rumored, never-seen sex trafficking roster — she replied that it was “sitting on my desk right now.”
A day later, conservative commentators and content creators were brought to the White House to get DOJ binders emblazoned with “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified.”
The attempt to showcase transparency soon backfired, once it emerged that the contents largely were already public. Bondi demanded that the FBI give her “the full and complete Epstein files,” and she later said that she’d unearthed a “truckload” of previously withheld material and that “everything is going to come out to the public.”
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July 2025: The walkback
After months of anticipation, the Justice Department said it wouldn’t release any more Epstein material. A court had sealed much of it to protect victims, and “only a fraction” would have come out if Epstein had gone to trial, the agency said in an unsigned memo. It added that authorities hadn’t found evidence that merited new charges or investigations and that “perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein” wouldn’t help victims get justice.
And, it said, there was no “client list.” As for Bondi’s prior comment that it was on her desk, officials said she had meant the overall case file.
Conservative influencers, among others, blasted the turnabout and questioned Bondi’s capability. But Trump stood by her, scolding a journalist for attempting to ask her a question about Epstein at a White House Cabinet meeting.
Amid a drumbeat of disclosures that begin to exact consequences for some powerful people — particularly Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Britain’s former Prince Andrew — Congress passed legislation to force the Justice Department to disclose its investigative files on Epstein. Trump signed it into law, casting the quest for Epstein information as a Democratic-led distraction from the Republican agenda.
Meanwhile, at his urging, Bondi announced that the U.S. attorney in Manhattan would investigate Epstein’s ties to some of the Republican president’s political foes, including Democratic former President Bill Clinton. None has been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s accusers; nor has Trump, another former Epstein friend. Both Clinton and Trump have said they knew nothing about Epstein’s misconduct and cut ties with him many years ago.
December 2025: The first batch
At the statutory deadline for making the Epstein files public, the Justice Department released only some of them. While the records included some material the public hadn’t previously seen, including some candid photos of Clinton, the documents didn’t break major ground and included little about Trump.
But Democrats cried cover-up, bill sponsor Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., accused the Justice Department of breaking the law by missing the deadline and redacting too much, and some Epstein accusers also questioned the extensive redactions.
January 2026: The big release
The Justice Department began releasing a huge cache of additional Epstein documents, videos and photos, though others remained under wraps.
The records pulled back a curtain on favor-trading and frank communications in a chummy elite that looked past Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to solicitating prostitution from an underage girl in Florida. Some high-flying Epstein friends resigned or lost jobs in corporate America, academia, big law firms, the British, Slovakian and Norwegian governments and beyond.
But the documents disclosed highly personal information about some victims while redacting the names of Epstein correspondents in, for example, emails that appeared to refer to the sexual abuse of underage girls.
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Gloria Allred, an attorney for numerous Epstein victims, said Thursday that Bondi betrayed them by failing to protect personal information in the files.
“She has destroyed the trust in the DOJ that victims had a right to expect, and her termination may be the only type of justice that survivors will receive from the DOJ,” Allred said by email.
February 2026: The hearing
At a congressional hearing, a combative Bondi tried to quell the Epstein files controversy. She defended how the Justice Department dealt with it, lobbed personal insults at Democrats and lauded Trump over, among other things, the performance of the stock market.
Bondi said she was deeply sorry for what Epstein victims suffered. But she declined a request from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., to face and apologize to them for the Justice Department’s actions, and Bondi dismissed Massie’s critiques of the release of victims’ personal information.
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March 2026: The subpoena
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform subpoenaed Bondi to answer questions on April 14 about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein investigation and file release. With five Republicans joining Democrats to support the subpoena, it reflected widespread discontent, including in the GOP base, over Bondi’s management of the matter.
The future
For now, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will be the acting attorney general.
“We can only hope. But given that they worked together, I don’t have great expectations,” she said.
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The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Michaels has done.
Robert Glassman, an attorney for a woman who testified as “Jane” in the 2021 criminal trial of Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell, noted that agency leaders come and go.
“For victims of sexual abuse, what matters is whether the institutions meant to protect them actually do their job,” he said.
Jonathan Gill was remanded into custody at Cloverhill Prison, with the next court hearing for extradition to be held on April 21
A man has appeared before the High Court as he faces extradition over the murder of Robbie Lawlor in Belfast.
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Jonathan Gill, 44, with an address at Malahide Road, Clontarf, appeared before Judge Barry O’Donnell on the foot of a warrant in Northern Ireland for him to be charged with the murder of Lawlor, which occurred in the Ardoyne area of Belfast on April 4, 2020.
He is also to be charged with possession of a 9mm pistol on a date unknown between April 2nd and April 5th 2020.
Det Sgt Lambe told the court that he arrested the man, whom he identified as the man sitting in court wearing a black top and shorts.
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He said he introduced himself to Mr Gill by telling him his name and rank and informed him that he was aware of a trade and cooperation agreement calling for his arrest.
He told Mr. Gill that he would explain the details of this to him at the garda station. He then arrested Mr Gill on the foot of a UK warrant at 4:50pm.
Det Sgt Lambe said he cautioned Mr Gill and said he was not obliged to say anything but that anything he would say could be taken and used in evidence. Mr Gill made no reply, he said.
He then conveyed Mr Gill to Clontarf Garda Station where he was shown a copy of the arrest warrant. Mr Gill confirmed to Det Sgt Lambe that his name is Jonathan Gill, AKA Jack Gill and that his date of birth is the 29th of August 1981.
He informed Mr Gill of his rights to consent or not to surrender to the warrant and to avail of professional legal advice and representation.
Det Sgt Lambe said at the conclusion of reading over the summary he asked Mr Gill if he knew about the offences, to which he replied “No.”
The Judge informed Mr Gill in court again of his rights – that he can surrender to the UK, can avail of professional legal advice, the services of an interpreter, and to obtain legal advice in the UK. He asked Mr Gill if he understood those rights to which he responded in court: “Yeah.”
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The Judge remanded Mr Gill into custody, with a date of April 21 set for the next hearing. Mr Gill can make a bail application, the court heard, of which the Minister for Justice is to be informed.
Mr Gill was remanded into custody at Cloverhill Prison, with the next court hearing for extradition to be held on April 21 before the same court.
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