Russian Vladimir Motin had been on sole watch duty when the Solong collided with the Stena Immaculate anchored near the Humber Estuary at 9.47am on March 10 last year.

Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was working on the Solong’s bow, died instantly in the fire, although his body was never recovered.

Mark Angelo Pernia (Image: Crown Prosecution Service/PA Wire)

The Filipino man had a five-year-old child at the time of the collision but he never met his second child, who was born two months after his death.

At his trial, Motin claimed he knew the Stena Immaculate was up ahead but pressed the wrong button to take the Solong out of autopilot and steer safely away.

Motin denied he had been asleep or had left his post on the bridge.

The prosecution asserted that Motin failed to keep a proper watch for a lengthy period of time and then failed to sound the alarm, summon help or warn either crew of the impending disaster.

Captain Vladimir Motin, 59, who has been jailed (Image: Crown Prosecution Service)

A jury deliberated for eight hours to find Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Jailing Motin for six years, Mr Justice Andrew Baker told him: “You were a serious accident waiting to happen.”

Motin had shown a “blatant disregard for the very high risk of death” and fallen prey to his own complacency and arrogance, the judge said.

Death was ‘wholly avoidable’, says judge

Mr Pernia was described by colleagues as a friend and had appeared “quietly confident, at ease, a man upon whom one might depend”, the court heard.

His death was “wholly avoidable” and the blame lay squarely on the defendant, the judge said.

Other members of the Solong and Stena Immaculate crew could have died and the crash caused “huge” destruction of the cargo, he added.

The senior judge said Motin’s account was “highly implausible”, adding his explanation he did not initiate a crash stop for fear of hitting the accommodation block of the Stena Immaculate was “desperate stuff”.

Tug boats shadow the Solong container ship as it drifts in the Humber Estuary, off the coast of East Yorkshire following a collision with the MV Stena Immaculate oil tanker, operating as part of the US government’s Tanker Security Programme (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Pernia’s widow Leacel said no amount of compensation made up for the “pain” of her loss and the impact on her young family.

In mitigation, James Leonard KC conveyed the defendant’s “shame” at what happened, his condolence to Mr Pernia’s family and his vow never go to sea again.

The defence barrister highlighted the experienced mariner’s “blameless” previous record, saying: “This was truly an aberration of his conduct.”

Previously, the court heard the Solong, which was 130 metres long and weighed 7,852 gross tonnes, had left Grangemouth in Scotland at 9.05pm on March 9 bound for the port of Rotterdam in Holland.

With a 14-strong crew, it was carrying mainly alcoholic spirits and some hazardous substances, including empty but unclean sodium cyanide containers.

The Stena Immaculate, with a crew of 23, was 183.2 metres long and was transporting more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 high-grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK.

With both ships laden with flammable cargo, the danger in the event of a collision was obvious, jurors were told.

Motin was responsible for multiple failures in the lead-up to the tragedy and then lied about what took place on the bridge, the prosecution said.

The Stena Immaculate was visible on the Solong’s radar display for 36 minutes before impact, yet Motin did nothing to steer away from the collision course.

He failed to summon help, slow down, sound the alarm to alert crews of both ships or instigate a crash stop as a last resort, the prosecution said.

Dramatic CCTV footage captured the moment both ships were consumed in a massive blaze ignited by leaking fuel from the Stena Immaculate.

The shocked crew aboard the US tanker reacted instantly, saying: “Holy s*** … what just hit us … a container ship … this is no drill, this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision.”

Jurors heard a lengthy silence from the bridge of the Solong before it crashed into the oil tanker at a speed of 15.2 knots. A full minute elapsed before Motin was heard to react.

Motin and the remaining Solong crew abandoned ship and were taken ashore in Grimsby, where the defendant messaged his wife, saying he would be “guilty”.

Jurors heard Motin had switched off the Solong’s bridge navigation watch alert system (BNWAS), which was designed to ensure there is someone physically on the bridge and awake.

A man with type-1 diabetes has shared three expert-backed methods to reduce blood sugar spikes from rice – and they’re all so easy to follow and try for easier life

If you’re diabetic and looking to prevent blood sugar spikes, one bloke, who lives with type-1 diabetes himself, has offered some expert guidance on the variety of rice you consume and how you prepare it. Justin provides tips for maintaining health as a diabetic and demonstrates how to minimise unnecessary blood sugar surges from your rice intake.

Be Well SHBP revealed: “Recent studies have shown that eating white rice can raise blood glucose significantly, especially if eaten often or in large quantities. One study showed an 11% increase in diabetes risk with each daily serving of white rice. If you love rice with your stir-fries, switch to brown rice.”

In his YouTube Shorts clip, Justin stated: “Did you know that the type of rice and the way you cook it can impact your glucose levels differently?”

He mentioned he would be speaking to “three friends from South Asia” who revealed what steps you can take to reduce the blood sugar spike from rice.

1. Soak your rice

Deeksha, from India, explained: “Soaking rice for at least one or two hours prior to you cooking it, and then straining it, really well, washing it at least five times actually combats that big spike that you get later on with the rice.”

Soaking rice helps lower its glycemic index (GI), which measures how rapidly a food elevates blood sugar levels after eating. When rice is soaked, some of the surface starches dissolve into the water.

Throwing away the soaking water eliminates a portion of these quickly digestible carbohydrates. Soaking rice also benefits digestion.

The process partially breaks down complex carbohydrates, making them simpler to digest and potentially slowing glucose absorption into the bloodstream.

Following this gradual absorption can help avoid sudden blood sugar spikes, which is beneficial for those managing diabetes. Research published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (2011) revealed that soaking and cooking techniques affect starch digestibility and rice’s glycemic index.

This reinforces the notion that soaking can enhance rice as a choice for blood sugar management.

2. Boil your rice

Anum, from Pakistan, explained: “If you have boiled rice, you will get very controlled levels after eating lots, because when you drain the water, all the starch has been drained.”

When rice is boiled in abundant water and subsequently drained, a considerable amount of surface starches and certain soluble carbohydrates leach into the cooking liquid. Disposing of this water eliminates these quickly digestible carbohydrates, which can help reduce the glycemic index (GI) of the rice.

The Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health notes that cooking rice using methods such as boiling and draining can decrease its GI, thereby minimising the likelihood of sharp blood sugar increases after meals.

3. Opt for brown rice

Hubban, also from Pakistan, explained: “Brown rice is just white rice but with an extra layer, and this layer is insoluble fibre. It takes the spike lower, and it doesn’t give you an instant spike.”

However, he cautioned if you have a “sensitive gut,” insoluble fibre “might cause you some issues,” so you need to be “wary” of this. Nevertheless, he suggested it’s worth trying to prevent the sugar spike.

Brown rice is typically regarded as a superior option compared to white rice for individuals with diabetes, thanks to its elevated fibre content, reduced glycemic index, and enhanced nutritional profile, all of which help with better blood sugar control and overall wellbeing.

Furthermore, brown rice is a whole grain, which means it preserves the bran and germ layers that are stripped away during white rice production. These layers are packed with essential nutrients, including fibre, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds.

Taiwan shares a “rock solid” relationship with the United States, its president has insisted – despite talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping over the self-governed island’s future.

During a phone call on Wednesday, Mr Xi warned his American counterpart to be “prudent” about giving arms to Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed.

Last December, the US announced it would ship more than $11.1bn of weapons to the island – its largest package ever.

“The Taiwan-US relationship is rock solid, and all cooperation projects will continue uninterrupted,” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told reporters during a visit to textile merchants in western Taiwan.

Taiwan is a self-governing island that China claims as its own and is willing to use force to reclaim, prompting fears of a future invasion.

Beijing even prohibits all countries with which it has diplomatic relations, including the US, from having formal ties with Taipei.

It means the US does not recognise Taiwan as a nation state – but still remains its biggest backer.

After Mr Trump and Mr Xi’s phone call, the Chinese foreign ministry shared a readout of the conversation.

It said: “President Xi emphasised that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China – US relations. Taiwan is China’s territory.

“China must safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow Taiwan to be separated.

“The US must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence.”

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For his own part, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the successful call – but made no mention of China’s firm words on Taiwan.

He said: “The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realise how important it is to keep it that way.”

The $11.1bn arms shipment announced in December is not over the line yet, having still not been approved by Congress.

There has also been significant pushback to the deal from within China, which conducted military drills around Taiwan in response.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Fighting against Russia’s 4-year-old invasion has cost the lives of 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as a U.S. envoy described two days of talks between Moscow and Kyiv officials as “detailed and productive.”

Ukraine has also listed “a large number of people” as missing in the war, Zelenskyy added in an interview broadcast by French TV channel France 2 late Wednesday.

The last time the Ukrainian leader gave a figure for battlefield deaths, in early 2025, he said 46,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed.

The two sides are locked in a grinding war of attrition along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line snaking along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, where the Russian army is trying to make the bigger size of its army tell. Both sides are also firing long-range drones and missiles at targets in the rear.

Zelenskyy’s figure for troop deaths is much lower than an estimate given last month by a U.S. think tank. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that up to 140,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed through the end of last year.

Its report said Russia suffered up to 325,000 troop deaths over the same time.

Neither Moscow nor Kyiv gives timely data on military losses. The Russian Defense Ministry has not released figures on battlefield deaths since a statement in September 2022 that said just under 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed.

Ukrainian civilians have also reeled from the fighting. Last year saw a 31% increase in Ukrainian civilian casualties compared with 2024, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a report published Wednesday.

Almost 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and just over 40,000 injured since the start of the war through last December, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

Peace efforts have dragged on, meanwhile, and negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv on Thursday held a second day of U.S.-brokered talks.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said the two sides agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, their first exchange in five months, though the meeting in Abu Dhabi delivered no major breakthrough.

“While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine,” Witkoff said on X.

The delegations from Moscow and Kyiv were joined in the capital of the United Arab Emirates by Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council chief, who was present at the meeting.

They were also at last month’s talks in the same place as the Trump administration tries to steer the two countries toward a settlement. At the time, Zelenskyy described the issue of who would control the Donbas industrial heartland of eastern Ukraine as “key.”

General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, was also present at the talks, according to a spokesman for the general who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in Kyiv on an official visit Thursday.

Two people were injured in the Ukrainian capital as a result of overnight Russian drone strikes, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. In the wider Kyiv region, a man suffered a shrapnel chest wound, authorities said.

Russia fired 183 drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Russian air defenses downed 95 Ukrainian drones overnight over several regions, the Azov Sea and Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.

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Emma Burrows in London contributed to this report.

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This story corrects an earlier version that said Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2016. It should be 2014.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Special US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, held talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, for a second day on Thursday in an effort to try and thrash out the details of the US-proposed peace deal.

And which dish is most popular in your restaurants? Boris, North West

This is interesting. It’s an Indonesian seafood curry. The reason it’s so popular is the Indonesian spice mixture of galangal, ginger and garlic. It’s slightly scented with the flavours of the East and everyone loves it.

Most underrated fish and most overrated fish? Judith, Scotland

There is a fish called a megrim sole, which is now called Cornish sole to make it a bit more popular. But it’s a flat fish local to Cornwall, which I think is excellent.

I wouldn’t say there are any overrated fish. It’s just that some fish have been slightly ruined by their popularity. Fish like plaice, haddock or cod. They are beautiful fish but unfortunately because of the pressure of popularity, they are slightly under threat. But with new conservation methods, certainly cod is coming back.

What advice you would give to a younger version of yourself starting out? Tim, South West

When you’re young, you’re lacking in confidence in your own abilities. My advice would be don’t panic, relax. It will be alright and your qualities will come through as you get older.

What is your most used piece of kitchen equipment? Anonymous, London

Boringly, it’s my knives. I think a lot of the time you tend to pick up kitchen gadgets and end up putting them away, keeping them in the garage. Because actually, most things you can do with a knife, and it’s just a lot easier.

Air fryer or no air fryer? Kenneth, East of England

I’m not that keen on air fryers. I have one but I don’t use it much. An ordinary convection oven does the same job, albeit it uses up a bit more energy.

How has your time in Australia informed your menus in the UK? Kevin, London

Australia has been a great influence on me, right back to the early 80s when a revolution happened there with them suddenly realising cooking was a good thing to go into.

Because they had no big traditions of food, they just borrowed from all sorts of cultures that had arrived in Australia, like Greek, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai. The whole idea of fusion cooking became second nature and exciting.

Which country has impressed you the most with its food? Helmut, South West

It’s really difficult to answer that one. There are so many countries with great cuisine. India springs to mind, particularly as we filmed there for quite a long time and I love everything about Indian food.

I haven’t filmed extensively in China but I love Chinese cuisine. Japan, because of the philosophy behind their cooking.

Italy, of course, and Greece. Greece was a late arrival for me. Early in the 1970s when I started going to Greece, the food, certainly for tourists, wasn’t brilliant, but of late it’s just come into its own. Great ingredients, simply cooked.

At what age did you really consider you had made it? Justine, Wales

It’s difficult to say, really. For me, the most important thing in my life was actually my first book, called English Seafood Cookery. It won a prize called the Glenfiddich prize, in those days. Now it’s the Fortnum & Mason prize or the Observer prize. I won a Glenfiddich for my first book. I couldn’t believe it.

The drug dealer crashed his car just minutes before the start of his trial

A drug dealer suspected of staging a crash just moments before he was due to stand trial has now been jailed. Shazad Ahmad Shabir occupied a leading role in a multimillion-pound supply chain across Cambridgeshire, but crashed his car just minutes before the start of his court trial.

Shabir, 38, was initially arrested in November 2021 as part of an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU). Detectives linked him to a handle used on EncroChat, an encrypted messaging service operated to secretly communicate with other criminals, and which had been cracked the previous year by international law enforcement agencies.

Decoded EncroChat messages showed Shabir was part of a larger organised criminal gang involved in both the purchase and supply of heroin and cocaine, as well as the movement and collection of hundreds of thousands of pounds in criminal cash.

After being charged, a lengthy court process eventually led to a trial date in September 2025 at Cambridge Crown Court. On the morning when the trial was meant to start, Shabir was involved in a collision and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Enquiries revealed the incident had happened just minutes after the proposed start of the hearing, and his vehicle had been travelling in the opposite direction to the court. Despite Shabir’s complaints of serious injury, he wandered around the hospital without any medical issues. A warrant was issued by the court for his arrest and he was detained again and remanded in custody.

Shabir, of Fulbridge Road, Peterborough, later pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply 11kg of cocaine and four kilos of heroin with an estimated street value of around £2.2million. He also admitted to three counts of money laundering. On Friday (January 30 2026), Shabir was sentenced to 14 years and four months’ imprisonment.

ERSOU Detective Chief Inspector Rob Turner said: “Shabir played a leading role in a criminal network responsible for funnelling wholesale quantities of cocaine and heroin into our communities and laundering the profits. We don’t know for certain the true extent of this operation, and the amount of drugs Shabir was involved in supplying is likely to have been even greater than what he was convicted of.

“We welcome this sentence, though, which reflects the scale of Shabir’s offending, as well as the determination of our officers to follow the evidence, often through complex encrypted platforms, to bring organised criminals to justice. Our financial investigators will now be using the Proceeds of Crime Act to seek to recover cash and any other assets acquired, as a result of this criminal activity.”

The warning comes into effect at 3pm on Thursday (February 5)

Parts of Greater Manchester are set to be hit with snow today, as the Met Office issues a new 12-hour weather warning affecting north west England, East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber and north east England.

Coming into effect at 3pm on Thursday (February 5), the yellow snow warning covers parts of Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside for 12 hours until 3am on Friday (February 6).

The Met Office’s warning reads: “Rain will turn increasingly to snow over hills through this afternoon and evening and may lead to some travel disruption.”

Further description warns of accumulating snow at higher levels. The Met Office description of the warning reads: “Rain moving north across England today is expected to increasingly turn to snow over higher ground through the afternoon and evening.

“The snow will continue overnight and into Friday morning, although the altitude at which snow settles should steadily rise above that of most major trans-Pennine routes during the early hours of Friday.”

It continues: “While some sleet or snow is possible to lower levels for a time this evening, accumulating snow is mostly likely above 250 to 300 m with up to 5 cm possible. Much of this melting during Friday morning after the warning ends. Some places above 500 m may see 5-15 cm.”

The Met Office issues severe weather warnings when there is expected to be danger or disruption caused by the conditions. There are three severities – yellow, amber and red – and can be issued for a range of phenomena including snow, hail, rain, wind, and fog among others.

It comes as two yellow warnings for rain are in place in Northern Ireland and parts of southern England and Wales. The warning in Northern Ireland will remain in place until the end of the day on Friday, and the warning across parts of England will be lifted at 9pm on Friday.

Full list of UK areas affected by 12-hour snow warning

East Midlands

North East England

North West England

• Cheshire East
• Cumbria
• Greater Manchester
• Lancashire

Yorkshire & Humber

• North Yorkshire
• South Yorkshire
• West Yorkshire