'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
Frederick Forsyth, the British author of 'The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said Monday. He was 86.
Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family.
'We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said.
Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent and a novelist. In 2015, he told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s.
'The Day of the Jackal,' published in 1971, propelled him into global fame. The political thriller about a professional assassin was made into a film in 1973 and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.
He wrote more than 25 books including 'The Afghan,' 'The Kill List,' 'The Dogs of War" and 'The Fist of God" that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said.
His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that 'Revenge of Odessa,' a sequel to the 1974 book 'The Odessa File" that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August.
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Daily Mail
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How DOES Elizabeth Hurley look so good at 60? Secrets behind the actress's eternal youth as she shows off her 'birthday suit' in sultry snap
In the 1990s, a new era of It Girl took the social scene by storm - with Elizabeth Hurley emerging as Queen Bee. With hunky star Hugh Grant on her arm at the hottest parties in town and starring in one of the biggest comedies of the decade, the Basingstoke-born brunette bombshell dazzled audiences with her beauty - and 30 years on, she's still stunning on every red carpet. Hurley has rarely been off screens since the nineties, racking up acting credits over the years including in teen drama Gossip Girl in 2012 - but despite three decades in the spotlight, she appears not to have aged at all. After 'hard launching' her relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus in April, many fans were left gobsmacked at how young the actress looks - even after turning 60 on Tuesday and celebrating the milestone by posing completely nude outside in a meadow. Experts believe a cocktail of good skincare, well-maintained hair and a glamorous wardrobe has taken years off her appearance, as she exudes confidence and style prowess. One of the products that she swears by is moisturiser, previously admitting to Women & Home magazine that she applies it to her face and neck multiple times throughout the day. 'The one thing I swear by is moisturiser – and lots of it,' she told the outlet. 'I'll moisturise my face about six times a day and my neck about 10 times a day.' One of Hurley's favourite products is Estée Lauder's Advance Night Repair serum, £55, which she has been using for the past 30 years, ever since she became a spokesperson for the beauty brand in the 90s. However, despite Hurley not admitting to having any work done, the beauty experts suspect that the star may have had some minor tweakments to help elevate and preserve her strikingly good looks. Laura Kay, beauty expert and Founder of Laura Kay London told MailOnline: 'While she's certainly managed to keep a youthful appearance by staying active and paying attention to her diet and lifestyle, there are definitely hints that she's had a bit of 'tweakment' work done. 'Looking a bit closer, there are subtle signs she might have had light Botox treatments and a bit of filler, to restore some volume in her face. I'd also guess she's had some skin boosters or injectable hydrators to keep everything looking fresh and hydrated.' In an interview with the Sunday Times in 2021, Hurley was asked whether she was a fan of plastic surgery to which she said: 'No! I don't think it makes you look younger, I think it just makes you look like you've got filler. It's not my cup of tea.' Because of Hurley's dislike of unnatural cosmetic work, Dr Ellie Sateei says that Hurley would have likely gone for a low-key treatment. She said: 'Tweakments are all about subtle refinements, so think of tiny adjustments that enhance your features without making it obvious you've had anything done. 'For Liz, this likely means low-dose botulinum toxin to soften fine lines around her eyes and forehead, keeping her expressions natural and relaxed. She probably avoids over-relaxing the muscles, which helps her maintain that lively, approachable look.' Aesthetician Dr Ed Robinson suspects that Hurley may have had the 'occasional preventative Botox to reduce the formation of fine lines and lift the eyebrows'. Dr Barbara Kubicka of Clinicbe says that the actress' skin has 'shown signs of excellent collagen maintenance'. This could be down to remedies that stimulate the skin's own rejuvenation such as gentle radiofrequency, microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), or even bioremodelling injectables like Profhilo. 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Ms Kay believes this look can bring a touch of radiance and make you look fresh-faced - even at 60 years old. She said: 'Liz is definitely not shy of makeup which makes her look younger - her signature look focuses on her eyes, with a smoky, smouldering style that she's stuck with for years. Her hair is usually done in soft waves, which really completes the look. And she loves a glossy lip to finish everything off.' Hurley has previously told You Magazine that she always curls her lashes and will often carry a Bobbi Brown Blush and lip gloss in her handbag to touch up throughout the day when she's on the go. While it is generally thought that sleeping in your eye makeup is bad for your skin health, controversially, Hurley admits to doing it 'quite often'. She told the magazine: 'Quite often I'll leave some of my eye make-up on if I think my eyelashes can last another day. I'll clean my face and apply serum and moisturiser but leave the eyes. It looks fabulous the next day – and you're ready in five seconds.' Ever since rising to fame, Hurley has always maintained her wavy chocolate mane, often playing the mysterious brunette bombshell in her acting roles. Although, like many 60-year-olds, Liz may have more than a few grey hairs creeping through, she's not letting those silver strands flow freely quite yet. Instead, she has caramel blonde highlights intertwined with her darker strands, a technique used by hairdressers to help frame the face. Tina Farey, editorial director at RUSH Hair said: 'Her chocolate brown base has golden highlights blended throughout which adds to her youthful and ultra-elegant appearance. 'The placement of the lighter pieces is crucial to achieve a more voluminous look, with the focus being on the top of her hair and framing her face, which amps up the dimension and movement.' 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She also revealed that she makes her own hair masks, adding: 'Every few months I mix up a terrible potion of thick conditioner and olive oil and sleep with it in my hair.' But while you attempt to disguise ageing on the outside, Hurley also prioritises well-being and nutrition to keep the inside of her body in good form too. In January 2024, she revealed in an Instagram post about how she avoids junk food and ultra-processed foods, which she described as 'anything that contains any ingredient that I don't have in my own kitchen'. She also ensures that every plate of food is made up of at least half fruit and vegetables to ensure she is getting enough fibre. Hurley says that she doesn't snack at all and instead just eats breakfast, lunch and dinner early on in the day - and usually before 7pm - to aid digestion She said: 'My tastes are pretty simple - I don't drink weird green juices or anything like that. My mantra is: don't eat too much, too fast, too often or too late. 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I do them while waiting for the kettle to boil or cleaning my teeth. 'And when I'm in the country I do lots of walking and gardening. I'm always moving furniture, too. I'm pretty active. I don't really sit down until 6pm – I think it's quite good for you. Then you can flop!' She also admitted to the Telegraph that she does a lot of gardening and house work, adding that she doesn't like to sit still very much. Hurley is often showing off her toned washboard abs by stripping down to her bikini on Instagram, often to promote her swimwear brand, Elizabeth Hurley Beach, which she launched in 2005. She has sported some legendary dresses over the years, including her £3,000 black safety pin Versace gown often referred to as 'THAT dress' when she accompanied Hugh Grant to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. From Versace and Valentino to Gucci under the helm of Tom Ford, Hurley is anything but basic at red carpet events and often steals the show with some of the most figure-hugging, glitzy garments. She proved that age was just a number when she dug out her iridescent cowl-neck Versace gown that she famously wore to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards in 1999. Twenty years later, she put on the same glamorous frock and it fit her like a glove, indicating that she managed to maintain the toned physique she had when she was 34 at 55 years old - proving she is unafraid of a daring fashion statement. Mike Adler, who's been her stylist for red carpet events, tours and special projects since 2018, told the Telegraph: 'Her signature style always remains glamorous with ultra clean lines. A formal look centres around a brilliant cut, a bold, bright colour and a favourable neckline or deep plunge. 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Daily Mail
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Company boss, 72, 'throttled his neighbour and damaged his Jaguar in 'very messy' dispute over shared driveway of his £540,000 home', court hears
A company boss throttled his neighbour and damaged his expensive Jaguar car during an altercation over a 'very messy' long-running shared driveway dispute, a court has heard. Trevor Hollisey, 72, who owns a kitchen fitting business with his wife Jennifer, 79, is accused of grabbing Neil Ford by the throat 'for ten to 15 seconds' and assaulting his wife, Michelle. He is also charged with causing more than £1,300 of damage to a Jaguar F-PACE belonging to his next-door neighbours. Mrs Hollisey, is accused of assaulting Mr Ford and his 20-year-old daughter, Sophie, as well as causing £3.99 damage to Sophie's phone screen protector. The Holliseys bought their detached home, Highfield House, in the Norfolk village of Bressingham for £540,000 in March 2021, while the Fords moved into their £672,000 home, Copper Dene, six months later. Prosecutor Katherine Newson said the couples had subsequently fallen out in a 'dispute over access to their driveway'. She told magistrates in Norwich that the disagreement centred around the alleged victims opening the gate onto the defendants' section of the driveway. Previously, there had been complaints to the police about the 'paving being smashed'. Matters allegedly came to a head on December 30 last year when Hollisey grabbed Mr Ford by the throat 'for ten to 15 seconds' and assaulted his wife. He is also accused of deliberately damaging the luxury Jaguar, causing £1,363 of damage. Hollisey denies the criminal damage charge and a count of assault by beating against Mrs Ford. No plea was entered for the charge of intentional strangulation during the hearing on Friday. His wife denied two assault by beating charges involving Mr Ford and his daughter and the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew a count of common assault against the pair. She also pleaded not guilty to damaging the screen protector on Sophie's phone. Declan Gallagher, defending the Holliseys, said the 'confrontation' was the result of a 'long-term dispute' and that 'there is a very messy history to this'. When magistrates starting looking for dates to hold a trial, Mr Hollisey interjected and said he and his wife 'have several holidays booked this year and next'. The Bench eventually decided that the case would be heard at Ipswich Magistrates Court on March 10 and 11 next year. The Holliseys were released on conditional bail and told they must have no contact with their neighbours. Mr Hollisey set up Ultimate Choice Bathrooms and Kitchens in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, in 1987, where there is still a showroom. The company's website says he now works alongside his son Lee. It adds: 'The driving force behind our success for the last 36 years is Trevor's and Lee's high standards and demand for excellent workmanship on every installation.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Polish nursery worker accused of abusing 24 toddlers was 'sleep deprived from smoking cannabis and staying up late with her boyfriend', court hears
A Polish nursery worker who allegedly abused 24 toddlers claims she was sleep deprived from smoking cannabis and staying up late with her boyfriend and would get 'moody' and 'fed up' if she couldn't vape at work, a court heard. Roksana Lecka is accused of 'badly harming' 23 of the infants, all aged 18 months to two years, at a £1,900-a-month Montessori nursery in Twickenham, south-west London. The 22-year-old denies 16 counts of child cruelty, but has admitted seven similar offences, while working at the Riverside Nursery between January 31 and June 28 last year. She is charged with a 24th count of child cruelty in October 2023, at the Little Munchkins Montessori Nursery in Hounslow, west London, which she also denies. Lecka, who is from Poland but moved to the UK with her parents when she was younger, is accused of leaving 'bruises' on the children by using 'significant force' when pinching, slapping and grabbing them. Among the children she has pleaded guilty to abusing is a young boy who she repeatedly pinched before kicking in the face and another girl who she punched in the side, causing her to jolt. Detectives have trawled through approximately 400 hours of CCTV since launching an investigation on June 28 last year after concerned colleagues witnessed Lecka's alleged cruelty and sounded the alarm. The prosecution has shown the jury CCTV of the children 'writhing' around in pain after the alleged abuse, leaving family members gasping in shock from the public gallery during the trial. Lecka, who is from Poland but moved to the UK with her parents when she was younger, admitted she was hooked on vapes and would get 'fed up' and 'agitated' at work. Lecka is pictured with a disposable vape Lecka, wearing a black jacket over a black t-shirt with dark pin-stripe trousers, appeared in the dock at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, supported by her mother in court as the trial draws to a close. The jury was reminded of the evidence she and her defence have given, including that she was 'worn out', had 'bad period pains' and was not her 'normal bubbly self' in the week leading up to June 28. Lecka has admitted she was hooked on cannabis and vapes and was staying up until 3am with her boyfriend. 'I was addicted to smoking weed and I was addicted to him,' she told jurors. Ms Lecka said when she got the job at Riverside in January 2024 she would 'smoke cannabis quite regularly with my boyfriend'. She added: 'At that time I was really addicted to vapes, I would smoke two little crystal disposables a day. I was vaping in nursery. Because if I did not smoke I would get agitated and fed up. I couldn't keep asking to go to the toilet. Any opportunity I would take. I would be really moody and fed up. 'It would be a couple of puffs and then I'd put it away… I would put it in my bra.' In one alleged incident, Lecka is accused of leaving a baby in tears after 'smacking' her in the face twice while vaping. But she claimed: 'I had two to three tokes, that would be my normal amount. I did not smack her. I put my arm around her really quickly. I do not accept smacking her in the face. I think she's distressed and tearful because she's just woken up from a nap.' In her closing speech, prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told jurors 'taking cannabis and not being able to vape making her grumpy' were 'excuses' made by Lecka. 'If she was tired, grumpy and feeling put upon by others, is what we see her taking it out on children by hurting them?' The prosecutor said Lecka was in 'complete denial' and questioned the defence's arguments of her working long hours, often each worker looking after multiple children each. 'Because it was busy doesn't give you carte blanche to assault or ill-treat anyone,' Ms Ayling said. Lecka has also claimed, when cross-examined, that she does not have memory of many of the incidents, which she partially puts down to her cannabis consumption. Ms Ayling told jurors: 'We submit that it's not about memory, it's not about what Ms Lecka does or does not remember. 'What it is about is what you can see on CCTV and - on count 24 - what the document and evidence shows you. 'Using that CCTV and evidence, it's about what you can infer the defendants' intentions were. If you do that, say the prosecution, you can be sure from those counts outstanding in the indictment that she is guilty as charged.' Speaking about the weeks leading up to June 28, Lecka said: 'I remember being so tired because I wasn't getting sleep. I was addicted to him [my boyfriend], I was over prioritising him.' She also admitted by this point, she had long acrylic nails that were really 'outgrown', which the defence admitted is not something a nursery worker would want around 'multiple children in a frantic environment'. Lecka initially pleaded guilty to two charges of child cruelty, but later admitted to harming five other children. The Crown's case centres around whether Lecka 'wilfully assaulted and or ill-treated the children in a manner likely to cause the child unnecessary suffering or injury to health'. The jury must deliver verdicts on 17 counts, including children she allegedly left red marks and bruises on by pinching them. Lecka is accused of the 'rough treatment' of children, including 'pinching', 'slapping' and 'hair pulling' which left the infants 'writhing' around in pain and crying. Her defence claim the prosecution are trying to paint the picture of a defendant who is 'rotten to the core'. Speaking about her 'teenage love affair' with her boyfriend, defence lawyer Ms Arlette Piercy said: 'There were times when she could simply not cope - she had not slept enough, she had been burning the candle at both ends, she was under too much pressure and she cracked. 'That you may think is the picture here, rather than the prosecution seeks to make of a young woman in a sense… rotten to the core, who set out on a sad sustained campaign of abuse. 'The defence assertion is one of overreach. Where she crossed the line she has pleaded guilty and has shown genuine remorse, she is not trying to walk around her position at all. 'It was also said the explanation of her lifestyle was some sort of excuse. It is not - we do not suggest it. 'It goes some way to explaining it, we say. Even those in the nursery could see that she was not herself in the week leading to June 28. She was worn out, had bad period pains, was short of energy, she was not her normally bubbly self. 'This is not an exercise in setting up excuses, it is explanations why she accepted on some occasions she crossed the line.' When giving evidence, Lecka repeatedly insisted that it was not her 'intention to cause or inflict pain' and that she did not accept 'inappropriate behaviour or rough handling'. But Ms Ayling, for the prosecution, said: 'It is clear her actions are deliberate or at the very last careless, but on most occasions we say deliberate. 'There are, of course, some clips where Ms Lecka - as we put it - keeps going back for more.' Ms Ayling told jurors it was down to them to decide if the alleged assaults are 'pinches' - or 'innocuous or innocent squeezes' which the defendant claims. The trial has heard that Lecka was working as an agency worker at Little Munchkins on October 19 2023 when the first incident of alleged child cruelty took place. At around 3.45pm, a baby room leader went to change a child's nappies and claims she heard Lecka tell another infant: 'You are so annoying.' The colleague claims she then heard the baby 'screaming' and 'crying' but Lecka claimed she didn't know what had happened when she was confronted. While consoling the child, the staff member claims Lecka picked the baby up and started 'feeling her thigh with her thumb'. When the staff member checked the baby, they found a 'big red lumpy patch on her upper thigh' and described it as a 'pinch mark'. The staff member then alerted her boss to the incident and asked for him to check the CCTV. Describing Lecka's behaviour, she said: 'She was sweating and drinking lots of water. I said "Don't worry we can check the camera". She was walking around the room, fanning herself and drinking water.' The court was told the CCTV wasn't working that day and when she saw it a week later, the view of Lecka and the child was blocked by a bookcase. The staff member told the court: 'The managers told me they told the local authority but I don't know if they did. I don't think the nursery took action. 'After a week, Roksana was back at the nursery. They were not happy with me using the word pinching,' she said. 'They said I used the wrong word, pinching. I felt they did not deal with the situation right.' The staff member reported Lecka to the police when she found about the other allegations she was facing at her new job at Riverside Nursery, which she joined in January 2024. Summing up on Wednesday, the judge reminded jurors of the alleged child cruelty against the 17 children Lecka has denied wilfully harming. Jurors heard from former colleagues of Lecka as well as from Dr Stephen Rose, a consultant paediatrician whom was the crown's expert witness. He had studied the CCTV clips and photographs taken by parents on both days where there is footage and days where there is not. When asked for his expert opinion on a child who Lecka allegedly pulled out a crib and pinched and grabbed him, Dr Rose said the 'purple discolouration would be consistent with a pinch mark.' He said: 'It would be difficult to think of a different mechanism. In order to cause bruising there must be damage, rupture to the capillaries, there must be force, the force would be provided by fingers in a pinch. Dr Rose said it was a 'non accidental injury' and that a bruise caused by pinching a toddler would be 'painful because significant force is required to rupture capillaries.' Ms Ayling said: 'We suggest on any occasion you find there is bruising that evidence applies. Significant force is required to rupture capillaries and it is that rupture that caused the bruise. She added: 'Given the fact the defendant had to be using significant force to cause bruising where she did, that she would have seen the children's obvious distress when she assaulted them or ill treated them, yet carried on, it would be obvious that unnecessary suffering was likely to result each and every time she acted in same way. 'Or she may not have cared either way whether it resulted in suffering.' The defence said there were no safeguarding concerns about Ms Lecka before June 28. The head teacher at Riverside told the court how she brought Lecka pink roses to say how well she was doing in late May or early June. But the prosecution say the 'punching' incident on June 28, plus the 'bad treatment' of other children that day, 'gave staff grave cause for concern'. The head teacher reported the matter to the local authority, and the police attended on July 3 and began trawling through the CCTV. In closing arguments, Ms Piercy said there were 400 hours of CCTV which a 'small army of officers painstakingly reviewed from every angle.' 'Every step she took, every child she picked up, every nappy she changed', she added. Ms Piercy added: 'In our society, there is particular venom reserved to those who anyway mistreat the youngest and most vulnerable of our community.' 'Roksana has pleaded guilty to a number of offences which fall into that', she said, adding jurors 'will not like what she admitted to doing' and that it will have 'discoloured' her character. 'You are not here to like Roksana Lecka, you are here to judge her fairly on the evidence and in accordance with your oaths,' she said. Jurors were told most of the alleged incidents took place in the 'baby room' at Riverside Nursery, while some occurred in the 'baby sleep room' where infants lie in cots. The nursery follows the Montessori method of teaching, involving children's 'natural interests' instead of formal practices. The trial continues.
