Man charged with murder after death of woman in Pymouth
A man has been charged with the murder of a 54-year-old woman in Plymouth.Mark Anthony Fitzgerald, 61, of Rendle Street, was charged with the murder of Lisa Paris, who was found dead on 18 March 2024, Devon and Cornwall Police said.Police said Ms Paris's body was found at a property on Rendle Street in the city.Mr Fitzgerald was remanded in custody and was due to appear at Plymouth Magistrates' Court later.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Lord Foster wins bid to design national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
Renowned architect Lord Foster has won the bid to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, with a new bridge inspired by the late Queen's wedding tiara. Lord Foster, who once criticised the King for using his 'privileged position' to intervene in a development, will transform St James's Park, close to Buckingham Palace, with a 'very light touch' in a 'contemplative' tribute to the nation's longest-reigning monarch. Key features include a statue of the Queen in a new civic space called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate, a new Prince Philip Gate on the other side of the park on Birdcage Walk with a statue of Philip, as well as a 'family of gardens', meandering paths and a new translucent, glass unity bridge. Lord Foster, who was responsible for The Gherkin in London, said it was an honour and a privilege to be awarded the project, and that the bridge was symbolic of the Queen as a 'unifying force'. In an interview with the PA news agency, Lord Foster described his design as a 'very light touch' which aimed to capture both the formal and informal qualities of the late Queen. 'The Queen encompassed, historically, periods of significant change, socially and technologically, but it was all very much with a light touch, and that light touch, the feeling should be that if you visit St James's Park and the site in question later, it will still feel very familiar,' he said. 'It will feel better. It won't be so crowded, although this number of people will be going through it, and the experience will be heightened, but it won't be 'Oh, my god, they've destroyed the tradition of this Park'.' The architect, who was personally appointed to the Order of Merit by the Queen in 1997 in recognition of his service to architecture, said: 'Like many, I knew the Queen through formal occasions, but there was this very special relationship between Her Majesty and those of us who were members of the Order of Merit. 'So we were privileged to see perhaps a more informal aspect of Her Majesty and in many ways that is mirrored in in our design. 'It is in some ways formal in its relationship to The Mall and informal in the gardens, and the perhaps breaking down those barriers in terms of narrative storytelling.' He added: 'At the heart of our masterplan is a translucent bridge symbolic of Her Majesty as a unifying force, bringing together nations, countries, the Commonwealth, charities and the armed forces.' Speaking about the echoes of the Queen's wedding tiara, Lord Foster said it came from the 'idea of something that could be jewel-like could be very beautifully crafted and with a lot of loving care, so there would be the human touch to it'. The crossing with its cast-glass balustrades will replace the existing blue bridge and has been inspired by the Queen Mary Fringe diamond tiara worn by Princess Elizabeth on her wedding day to the late Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. Featuring 47 bars of diamonds, the tiara's antique metal frame famously snapped when the princess was getting ready on the morning of her wedding, and had to be rushed to jewellers Garrard to be fixed. The priceless headpiece was of great sentimental value to the Queen and she loaned it to her granddaughter Princess Beatrice for her wedding in 2020. Lord Foster said his plan also depicted a statue of both the Queen and Philip side by side at the Prince Philip Gate: 'We showed them together and, in a way, there was this inseparable quality which we sought to convey.' He also suggested the bridge across the lake would be illuminated at night, and spoke of plans to float the construction, which he described as a 'showcase of British architecture', down the River Thames and put it in place discreetly and seamlessly overnight, without the need for heavy building work. 'The pursuit of lightness and performance enables us overnight to remove an existing bridge and to put back a bridge, to have a very, very gentle presence at night, almost a kind of light lighting experience, and translucent and absolutely flat, hugging the surface of the lake so seamlessly,' he said. 'There's no heavy building work, big excavations, destroying nature. It's a very, very light touch.' The bridge, which may feature braille inscriptions along the handrail, will be gently wider in the middle to create more space for visitors using the crossing, in comparison to the narrow, existing blue bridge. Lord Foster added that the atmosphere of memorial would be 'gentler, quieter, more contemplative, and an opportunity to rediscover, or perhaps for some to discover, the legacy of Her Majesty'. He insisted his previous 'minor differences' with the King were in the past and 'absolutely insignificant' as part of the bigger picture. In 2009, Lord Foster was one of a number of architects who publicly criticised the then-Prince of Wales over his lobbying and wrote a letter to a newspaper accusing Charles of using his 'privileged position' to 'skew the course' of the planning of the former Chelsea Barracks. The prince, who championed traditional approaches to architecture, had reportedly privately contacted developers Qatari Diar, backed by the Qatari royal family, to recommend more classical plans by architect Quinlan Terry, rather than those by modernist architect Lord Rogers. But Lord Foster said on Monday: 'First of all, this is a memorial to the legacy of Her Majesty and, big picture, the concerns of King Charles and anybody, myself included, who has a concern for the environment, we're all totally aligned. 'And any minor differences in the past about debates or whatever, I mean, that really is the past, and in the big picture is absolutely insignificant.' He added: 'I engaged with Prince Charles on our project for the Royal Academy, many, many years ago, and I've always enjoyed any such exchanges.' Foster + Partners won the competition after being selected by the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee from five shortlisted designs, with feedback taken from a public vote, as well as stakeholders and cultural experts. The proposal for the memorial will be subject to change, with the panel of committee members working with the team on the final design, which is expected to be unveiled in 2026, which would have been the late Queen's 100th birthday year. The next stage will be to appoint a sculptor and decide on the designs of the statues. The winning team also includes artist Yinka Shonibare, ecologist Professor Nigel Dunnett, who was behind the Superbloom planting scheme in the Tower of London's moat to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, and landscape architect Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, and the plans features potential for audio installations of the Queen's voice. Other elements are a contemporary wind sculpture by Shonibare for reflection featuring floral depictions inspired by the Queen's coronation gown, a communities of the UK garden, a Commonwealth garden and a Prince Philip Gate garden. The Queen's former private secretary Lord Janvrin, chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, hailed the plan's 'sensitivity'. He suggested the Queen would have particularly liked the representation of her tiara. 'Her Majesty would undoubtedly have liked the location and I think she would have picked up that echo of the tiara in the bridge,' Lord Janvrin told PA. 'I think the planting would have been of huge interest to her and the contrast between formal and informal – and the Commonwealth area would have resonated with her'. Lord Janvrin described Lord Foster as an outstanding national figure. 'Throughout the Queen's reign, Lord Foster was a key figure in British architecture,' he said. 'She knew him personally and made him a member of the Order of Merit, which is a personal gift way back in the late 90s. 'So, in a way, I think the fact that he has been this hugely important figure during her reign is deeply appropriate to end up with this extraordinarily important assignment at this stage.' The decision was part of a commercial competition with the winning design made by the committee and the King having no input in the choice, but Buckingham Palace was aware of the shortlisted entries, Lord Janvrin said. 'It wouldn't have surprised me if he'd had a good look at them,' Lord Janvrin said of the King. Foster + Partners saw off competition from teams such as Heatherwick Studio, which suggested a bridge of togetherness with a giant canopy of stone lily pads.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Two young bears escape from enclosure in Devon... and devour a week's worth of honey
Two young bears escaped from their enclosure at a wildlife park in Devon - and devoured a week's worth of honey. In a tale straight out of Winnie The Pooh, Mish and Lucy immediately dashed for the food store during their hour of freedom at the Wildwood Trust site. Visitors were "promptly escorted to a secure building" - but a spokesperson confirmed the peckish pair were not a danger to the public at any point. "The bears were continuously monitored both on the ground and via CCTV until they calmly returned to their enclosure and fell asleep," the statement added. Police attended the scene "in line with standard protocol" - and an investigation has been launched into how the four-year-olds managed to escape in the first place. "The exhibit is secure, and we are grateful to our staff and visitors for their cooperation, which helped us resolve the situation swiftly and safely," the Wildwood Trust said. Mish and Lucy were abandoned by their mother in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains. While several efforts were made to reintroduce them to the wild, conservationists soon concluded they could not survive on their own. A fundraising campaign meant the siblings could be transported to Wildwood's Kent park in 2020 - and after six months, they settled into their "forever home" in Devon. Mish is a playful bear who enjoys splashing around in pools and swinging in hammocks, while Lucy "loves nothing more" than spending time with her brother and climbing trees. They feast on kilos of berries, fruits, vegetables, seeds, fish and meat every day. And honey… apparently.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Met is accused of 'two-tier policing' after 'threatening to charge men for waving an Israeli flag' at Palestine Action clash
Met Police officers have been accused of 'two-tier policing' after allegedly threatening to charge two men for waving the Israeli flag at Palestine Action's protest yesterday. Hundreds of protesters gathered at Trafalgar Square in response to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper 's plan to add the group to the government's list of proscribed terrorist organisations. The decision came after members last week broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military planes and other 'violent' action - including one incident where two police officers were assaulted with a sledgehammer. At Palestine Action's protest on Monday, two Jewish men who waved an Israeli flag in counter-protest to the group said police forced them onto a double decker bus. Trainee barrister Isaac Grand, 22, accused the Met of 'two-tier policing' after they escorted him away whilst protesters chanted 'Zionist scum' at him. Speaking to The Telegraph, he claimed a 'young man' from the crowd tried to grab the Israeli flag before a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators 'surrounded' them and began 'pushing them'. Mr Grand alleged that one of them was covering his entire face with a Palestine flag, which he said some would call 'assault and harassment'. He added: 'I was exercising my right to protest, which seems to be a two-tier system. 'For some reason the pro-Palestinian protesters are able to commit crimes of assault and harassment against us and the police won't do anything about it. 'But for some reason when we exercise our rights to wave a flag or say, "We support Britain", that seems to be treated by the Met Police as some assault on them.' Mr Grand called the alleged response 'a perverse system of justice'. The other Jewish man, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'We like Britain... but unfortunately it's becoming less and less visible for minorities who don't agree with whatever is woke today.' Elsewhere at the protest, members of Palestine Action were seen clashing with police. Officers were forced to drag activists out of the crowds after they were seen scuffling with officers and shouting up close into their faces, with some wearing black face coverings or Palestinian keffiyehs. This prompted protesters to respond by pushing back, throwing water and chanting at police. The Met has been forced to deploy more than 100 officers to the rally which started at midday but quickly spilled into chaotic scenes. At least three protesters were arrested - two for obstruction and a third for a racially aggravated public order offence. Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he was 'shocked' by the protest and described Palestine Action as an 'organised extremist criminal group'. As the protest was going on, Ms Cooper announced she has decided to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group and will lay an order before Parliament next week to make membership and support for the them illegal. The proscription of Palestine Action puts the group on a par with Hamas, al-Qaeda or ISIS under British law, banning anyone from promoting the group, arranging meetings or carrying its logo in public. Those breaching the rules could face up to 14 years in jail. Dozens of Palestinian flags have adorned Trafalgar Square as music from the pro-Palestinian northern-irish rap group 'Kneecap' was blasted from speakers. A flurry of placards say: 'Hands off Palestine Action'. By 1.30pm, protesters completely blocked the corner of Trafalgar Square going off to Duncannon Street. Police officers made a blockade leading down the exit and all traffic grounded to a halt. Officers received a barrage of verbal abuse from the crowds, with some shouting 'f*** you' and 'who do you serve?'. Other chants include 'oink oink piggy, we're going to make your lives s****y'. One demonstrator said: 'We will cause mayhem today. We're here to break and smash the system. The police will get it. We don't care.' Scotland Yard said the protest had to be finished by 3pm but demonstrators have vowed to stay 'well beyond'. One said: 'They'll have to arrest us to get rid of us. We're not leaving. This is just the start.' However, three hours after the disorder exploded onto the capital's streets, the protest had ended. Calls have been growing for Palestine Action to be proscribed amid the group committing acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the Government. On Friday morning, the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. They managed to infiltrate the base and escape without being caught. The group has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising US President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. In August last year, a police officer was taken to hospital after being hit with a sledgehammer while responding to reports of criminal damage by the group at the Bristol HQ of Elbit Systems. Employees and police officers who intervened were assaulted, Avon and Somerset Constabulary said, and six people were arrested. Sledgehammers, axes, whips and other homemade weapons were seized. During the incident, two officers were assaulted with a sledgehammer. The seriousness of all of these attacks includes the extent and nature of damage caused, including to targets affecting UK national security, and the impact on innocent members of the public fleeing for safety and subjected to violence. The extent of damage across these three attacks alone, spreading the length and breadth of the UK, runs into the millions of pounds. The Home Secretary has confirmed she is launching the process that will make it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group. She said the government 'will not tolerate those that put that security at risk'.
