Latest International News
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Father guilty of murder for shaking baby and causing ‘catastrophic' injuries
A father who killed his baby daughter by shaking her so hard he caused 'catastrophic' brain injuries that led to her death is facing jail. Thomas Holford, 25, has been found guilty of murdering his daughter Everleigh Stroud, who died aged one after 'excessive and severe' shaking led to brain and bone injuries when she was just five weeks old. Everleigh was rushed to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, Kent, when her grandmother reported she was 'only just' breathing on the morning of April 21 2021. While his baby was rushed to hospital, Holford showed 'little emotion' and continued to download and play games on his phone, jurors heard. He later lied to police about his cannabis use to disguise the fact that he had been smoking the night before when he was looking after Everleigh alone. On Thursday, Holford, of Ramsgate, was found unanimously guilty of murder and actual bodily harm of his daughter by a Canterbury Crown Court jury. Along with brain injuries that left her in a vegetative state, she also had bone fractures, bruising to her face, atrophy to her eyes leading to her going blind and injuries to her anus having spent the night before in her father's care, the court heard. Everleigh, who was born on March 13 2021, spent more than a year in a vegetative state before she died at 14 months on May 27 2022. Prosecuting, Eloise Marshall KC said: 'On the night of April 20 into the early morning of April 21 2021, when Everleigh was just over five weeks old, she suffered catastrophic injuries which caused substantial brain damage, and that resulted in her death just over a year later, 'There is no dispute as to how Everleigh came to suffer those injuries, they were inflicted by her father, Thomas Holford.' She added: 'It is the Crown's case that all those injuries were deliberately caused by Thomas Holford, they were what we call non-accidental, members of the jury.' While giving evidence, Holford told jurors he had at least five joints on April 20 2021, before being left in charge of Everleigh that evening. On that day, he was smoking more than usual because it was '420' which he agreed was a 'big day for cannabis smokers', the court heard. When police arrived at his address in Wallwood Road, Ramsgate, where Holford, then 20, lived with his then 16-year-old girlfriend and her parents, they discovered a cannabis grinder and joint butts next to a milk bottle in his bedroom. Police attending the scene remarked that Holford appeared to be in a 'good mood' as he played games on his phone while his baby was rushed to hospital. 'While speaking with Pc Smith, Thomas Holford continued to show little emotion,' said Ms Marshall. He told police that he had not smoked cannabis since 10am the previous morning, which he has now accepted was a lie. Ms Marshall KC asked: 'When the police asked you what you'd smoked, you lied?' 'Yes,' Holford replied. Asked why, he added: 'I'm trying to project an image of something that is better than reality.' Text messages shown to jurors also suggest that he tried to buy weed from a contact known as 'Milo' because he knew he was looking after his daughter. He sent a text which read: 'Could you strap me anything, as I've got the little one on my own tonight. Going to be f****** stressful.' Holford also admitted he had 'manipulated' his girlfriend's family into taking care of his cannabis for him and allowing him to smoke it. While in the witness box, he often answered questions to the effect of being unsure or not remembering what had happened. 'When it suits you, you have a memory – and when it doesn't suit you, you pretend you don't have a memory,' said Ms Marshall. Holford, who admitted manslaughter of Everleigh last year, will be sentenced for murder and actual bodily harm on July 4.
New York Times
7 minutes ago
- Sport
- New York Times
‘Objective' is to return to England squad following Monaco move
Eric Dier has said he is aiming to return to the England squad following his move to Monaco. The 31-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur defender joined the Ligue 1 side in May after the expiration of his contract at Bayern Munich, where he spent one-and-a-half seasons, winning the Bundesliga in 2024-25. Advertisement After coming through the academy at Portuguese side Sporting CP, Dier moved to Spurs in 2014, going on to make 365 appearances for the club over nine-and-a-half years. Eligible to play for Portugal after being raised there as a child and playing in Sporting's academy, Dier chose to represent England and made his senior debut for the team in November 2015 aged 21, coming on as a substitute in a 2-0 friendly defeat against Spain. He has been capped 49 times, though he has not featured for England since December 2022, when he came off the bench in a 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16 of that year's World Cup. He was an unused substitute for European Championship qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine in March 2023, the last time he was called up to the squad. 'My objective is always to try and be in the national team, this is always something that's an objective of mine,' Dier said at his official Monaco presentation. 'I have 49 caps so it would be nice to have 50 — this annoys me a little bit! — so that's an objective of mine. 'But I've always said you just have to play and play well for your club and the rest is out of your hands. That's my only focus.' Dier played under England manager Thomas Tuchel at Bayern in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, playing 20 games and starting 18, including both legs of Bayern's Champions League quarter and semi-finals against Arsenal and Real Madrid respectively. Dier is one of a host English players who are employed outside of the UK. 'I could never imagine that when I started I would be taking this route through different countries in the way that I have,' he said. 'There's so many things that need to fall into place to end up in a club and in a situation, so for me I feel incredibly lucky to have had the experience of playing in different countries. Advertisement 'After being in England for so long, to then go to Germany and experience a different culture, atmosphere, a different way of seeing and living football was very eye-opening and it made me want it again. 'To have played in different leagues is something that will be incredibly beneficial for me as a player and a person as well.' (Frederic Dides/AFP via Getty Images)
Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- General
- Newsweek
Woman Renovates Fixer-Upper House—Then Realizes What Was in the Floor
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When Kathleen Martin of New Jersey moved into her new home, what started as a fixer-upper resulted in a mystery that has gained viral attention on Instagram. While documenting the home renovation, Martin captured the moment they found a baffling stain in the center of the living room's hardwood floor. "We noticed the stain when we first toured the house. The hardwood was in rough shape overall so we knew it would need to be refinished," Martin told Newsweek. Pictures of the mysterious stain on the floor that has sparked multiple theories online. Pictures of the mysterious stain on the floor that has sparked multiple theories online. @createacolorfullife/Instagram They brought in a professional hardwood specialist who, after some initial sanding, delivered a blunt verdict. "Yep, that's urine," he said. And after the full sand, things were no better as the smell continued. After a closer look at the stain, it became clear that it would need more to fix. "It was a few thousand dollars to patch the stained area, sand, and refinish the rest of the downstairs," Martin said. Despite fixing the floor, the mystery of the cause of the stain remained. "There are theories it may have been a cat or another animal," Martin said. "But it had to have happened over a long period. I know the previous owner's health was declining, so he might not have been able to care for an animal—or himself—properly." Read more Mom lived in house "for years'—Discovers what was in kitchen the whole time Mom lived in house "for years'—Discovers what was in kitchen the whole time The story took a further twist when a new neighbor admired the fresh floors and casually mentioned that the previous owner never had a dog. "I just said 'the old owner's dog peed a lot on the floor so we had to redo them,' and he said he didn't have a dog," Martin explained in the video. On Instagram, the video has been viewed over 340,000 times and has more than 25,000 likes. The mystery prompted lots of reaction and comments. Shared earlier this week, the caption said: "This was a curveball I wasn't expecting. "The home had been completely emptied when they did the showings so besides the stains we had no indication of who lived there previously. "A few months later we learned that the previous owner was not doing well health wise. We can't be sure where those stains came from but it broke my heart to think of him living in those conditions." "That's terrifying," viewer Deeplymadlymodern commented on the video. While Instagram user Jonathanandjennahome wrote: "The plot twist of all time." First they sanded the floors, then realized they had to be removed. First they sanded the floors, then realized they had to be removed. @createacolorfullife/Instagram "You know those three line horror stories?" said Instagram user Jennny_sama. "This is one of them." While viewer Bunnmakesstuff said: "I hate to tell you that isn't dog pee.. it's human pee." While the floor story prompted entertainment online, Martin said she hopes the story will also tell an important story. "I do know that the previous owner's health was failing so he may not have been able to care for an animal or himself properly," she said. "It's a good reminder to check in our aging relatives and neighbors." This isn't the first time a renovation has gained viral attention. Earlier this week a couple shared how their fixer-upper ended up with more than they bargained for when they realized whole sections of the house had been built using WWII ammo shell crates—stacked and nailed together as walls. While another couple found that their new home had a hidden building when they started to cut away bushes.
Russia Today
7 minutes ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Armenia to nationalize power grid owned by jailed Russian businessman
The Armenian National Assembly has adopted a draft law allowing for the nationalization of a major electricity provider owned by businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who was arrested last month on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government. Karapetyan, who owns the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), holds Russian and Armenian citizenship and has a net worth of some $5 billion. His detention came after he voiced support for the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) in its conflict with the country's authorities, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The standoff began when Pashinyan accused the AAC of corruption and called on its leader, Catholicos Garegin II, to resign, citing alleged moral misconduct. The AAC rejected the accusations and claimed the government was acting under the influence of 'Armenophobic' foreign forces. In a statement earlier this week, Karapetyan described Armenia as 'surrounded by hostile nations' and said it had become 'a center of geopolitical conflict.' He denounced the government's 'exceptional political incompetence,' particularly its move to distance the country from Russia. A heated altercation broke out during Thursday's debate in the National Assembly, when independent MP Hovik Aghazaryan alleged that the legislation was designed to stoke anti-Russian sentiment. Karapetyan's detention has triggered criticism from prominent members of the Armenian diaspora and the Orthodox Christian community, both at home and abroad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would assist Karapetyan if needed. 'For us, he is a Russian citizen,' Peskov told reporters last week, while adding that Russia did not wish to interfere in Armenia's internal affairs. Lawmakers passed the bill on Thursday in its second and final reading, with 65 votes in favor and 27 against. For the law to come into force, it must be signed by the president.
Business Recorder
7 minutes ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Oil softens on US tariff uncertainty and OPEC+ output expectations
LONDON: Oil prices fell slightly on Thursday as the possibility of U.S. tariffs being reinstated raised demand concerns ahead of an expected supply boost by major producers. Brent crude futures fell 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $68.90 a barrel by 1217 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude declined 15 cents, or 0.2%, to $67.30. Both contracts had hit one-week highs on Wednesday as Iran suspended cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, raising concerns the lingering dispute over its nuclear programme could again devolve into armed conflict. A preliminary trade deal between the U.S. and Vietnam also boosted prices. Tariff uncertainty looms large, however. The 90-day pause on the implementation of higher U.S. tariffs ends on July 9, with several large trading partners yet to wrap up trade deals, including the European Union and Japan. The OPEC+ group of oil producers, meanwhile, is expected to agree to raise output by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) at its policy meeting this weekend. Adding to negative sentiment, a private-sector survey showed that service activity in China - the world's biggest oil importer - expanded at its slowest pace in nine months in June as demand weakened and new export orders declined. A surprise build in U.S. crude inventories also highlighted demand concerns in the world's biggest crude consumer. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday that domestic crude inventories rose by 3.8 million barrels to 419 million barrels last week. Analysts in a Reuters poll had expected a drawdown of 1.8 million barrels. The market will be watching for the U.S. monthly employment report on Thursday, which is likely to shape expectations over the depth and timing of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in the second half of the year, analysts said. Lower interest rates could spur economic activity that would boost oil demand.
