LONDON: British police said they found Wednesday the man suspected of killing the wife and two daughters of a well-known BBC radio commentator near London in a brutal crossbow attack.
In a statement, Hertfordshire Police said 26-year-old Kyle Clifford was found in the Enfield area of north London, near his home, and that he is receiving medical treatment for his injuries. Police did not say how those injuries happened but stressed that they had not fired any shots.
The BBC confirmed that the women killed were members of the family of its commentator John Hunt — his 61-year-old wife Carol Hunt and their daughters Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25.
Footage from Sky News showed the suspect being carried on a stretcher out of Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield, which is close to his home and around 52 kilometers (17 miles) to the east from the site of the killings. Armed police officers, forensic personnel and ambulance staff had massed around the cemetery through the day.
The public had been urged not to approach Clifford, who the BBC reported had been in the British Army for a brief period of service in 2022.
“Following extensive inquiries, the suspect has been located and nobody else is being sought in connection with the investigation at this time,” said Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.
“This continues to be an incredibly difficult time for the victims’ family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened,” she added.
Jenkins said the investigation is moving “at pace” and that formal identification of the victims is yet to take place. She also said that the “premature” naming of the victims “caused great upset.”
Police had been scouring a park in north London, near the home of Clifford, after being alerted Tuesday about the killings in a house in Bushey, a residential area in northwestern London. Police and ambulance crews tried to save them, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
John Hunt is the main racing commentator for BBC 5 Live, the corporation’s main news and sports radio channel. His voice is known to millions through his coverage of the world famous Grand National and The Derby.
A colleague of Hunt’s and BBC 5 Live’s lead presenter Mark Chapman struggled to hold back the tears as he expressed everyone’s shock and pain.
“We have a football match to bring you tonight ... and we will start our buildup to it shortly but this has been a heartbreaking day,” he said as he opened Wednesday’s coverage on 5 Live of England’s semifinal match against The Netherlands in soccer’s European Championship.
“John Hunt is our colleague and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live sport team but to all of those who’ve worked here with him over the past 20 years, and also to all of you who have enjoyed his superb commentaries,” Chapman said. “So on behalf of everyone connected to 5 Live Sport, our love and thoughts and support are with John and his family.”
The Daily Mail newspaper and others reported that Hunt found the bodies early Tuesday evening, after returning home from reporting at Lingfield Park racecourse south of London.
Police did not say how or whether Clifford, who is from London, was connected to the women, but British media had reported that he was an ex-boyfriend of one of the daughters.
Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson suggested the attack was not random and that the suspect knew the family.
Local council member Laurence Brass, who lives nearby, described the area as “a typical leafy British suburb” as he recounted his experience from the previous night.
“At about eight o’clock last night, I was watching the football on television, and suddenly a helicopter landed in the lawn outside my flat, which is at the top of this road, and then my phone started going, and I was told that there was a major incident here in Bushey and we should all keep away because there was somebody apparently on the run,” he told the BBC.
Britain’s new home secretary, Yvette Cooper, was kept “fully informed” about the “truly shocking” incident.
People in Britain do not need a license to own a crossbow, but it is illegal to carry one in public without a reasonable excuse.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said Cooper will “swiftly consider” the findings from a recently launched review into whether further controls on crossbows should be introduced.
Man suspected of killing the family of BBC radio commentator has been found, British police say
https://arab.news/wxb7j
Man suspected of killing the family of BBC radio commentator has been found, British police say
- Kyle Clifford, 26, from north London, is wanted in connection with the deaths of the three women in the town of Bushey
- Local police said officers were called to a house in the town where the three women were pronounced dead at the scene
Monarch-loving Trump gifted golden crown once worn by South Korean kings
Trump met South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday, part of a visit in which he is expected to hold tense trade talks with China’s Xi Jinping.
And capping a lavish welcome ceremony in the historic South Korean capital of Gyeongju, Trump was presented with a replica of a crown worn by the kings of Silla, the dynasty that ruled from 57 BC to 935 AD.
The gift from South Korea was a replica of “the largest and most extravagant of the existing gold crowns” from the Silla period, Trump was told.
It represented “the divine connection between heavenly and earthly leadership.”
Seoul’s presidential office said the crown symbolizes “peace, coexistence, and shared prosperity on the peninsula — values that mirror the Silla dynasty’s long era of stability.”
Trump has made no secret of his love of monarchies the world over.
Americans rallied across the country this month in opposition to what organizers call Trump’s “king-like” presidency and erosion of democratic norms in the United States.
Trump mocked the rallies on social media, sharing AI-generated posts showing himself wearing a crown while flying a fighter jet emblazoned with the words “King Trump” dumping faeces on protesters.
The US leader was also presented in South Korea with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa — the country’s highest decoration.
The medal had a laurel leaf design that symbolizes prosperity and it was given “in anticipation of the peace and prosperity you will bring to the Korean peninsula,” Trump was told.
“It’s a great honor,” the US president said.
“I’d like to wear it right now.”
Trump’s love of gold is also well-known and he was gifted gold-plated golf balls during a visit to Tokyo this week.
South Korea’s presidential office said Wednesday’s state dinner for Trump will include a “gold-themed dessert” symbolising the “alliance’s enduring trust and the two nations’ shared commitment to peace and prosperity.”
On board the Cold War-style sealed train from Moscow to Kaliningrad
- Lithuania earlier this month issued a diplomatic protest at Moscow over an alleged brief incursion into its airspace by two military planes stationed in Kaliningrad
- Moscow has also bristled at what it calls threats by Vilnius to cut off land transit routes
KALININGRAD: As the Moscow-Kaliningrad train approached Lithuania, the car attendant beckoned to passengers in Russian: “I’m closing the entire carriage, the toilets are out of action.”
The 19-hour, 1,000-kilometer (650-mile) journey is the only land route between mainland Russia and its coastal exclave of Kaliningrad, wedged on the Baltic Sea between EU and NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
In echoes of the Cold War, passengers on the “Yantar,” the Russian word for amber, are locked inside for the three hours it spends traversing Lithuania.
The Baltic state has been one of Europe’s most pro-Kyiv voices, pushing for a hard line against Russia since it ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow sees it as a hostile state.
Doors and windows are sealed — to prevent Russians jumping off and escaping, Vilnius says. The toilets are only open for use while the train is speeding along, not when it stops.
“The border with Lithuania is in 30 minutes,” the assistant shouted to rouse slumbering passengers.
Though the train is half-empty, sleeping quarters are cramped and heating is blasted to the max.
Russian citizens need a visa for the EU’s Schengen zone or a special transit permit for the journey, even if they cannot set foot outside the train.
“Sometimes there are even fewer passengers. Traveling has become complicated since 2022,” one attendant, speaking anonymously, told AFP on a recent journey.
“Neither EU citizens nor Russian citizens are allowed to leave the transit train,” except in “urgent humanitarian reasons,” like if a passenger falls seriously ill, Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service told AFP in written comments.
For that reason, “the doors and windows are sealed,” an agent of the EU’s Frontex border force told AFP at a checkpoint en route.
“In the past, Russians found ways to get off the train and vanish into the wild,” the agent, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media, told AFP as he went between compartments checking documents.
- ‘Hot war’ -
On board, Nikolai was keeping an eye on a package slid under his bunk.
“It’s for my mum, she lives in Kaliningrad,” he told AFP.
He opted for the train to save money — 4,000 rubles ($50), compared to 10,000 ($125) for a flight — despite the hassle.
“It’s a little similar to the Cold War. But now it’s more of a hot war with the West,” he said.
From the Russian perspective, Kaliningrad, home to around one million people, has become something of a front line in its standoff with the West.
It is the headquarters of the Russian Baltic fleet and hosts Iskander nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
To fly between the exclave and the Russian capital, planes are forced on an hours-long detour northwards, through the Gulf of Finland, due to a ban on Russian commercial planes using EU airspace.
Lithuania earlier this month issued a diplomatic protest at Moscow over an alleged brief incursion into its airspace by two military planes stationed in Kaliningrad. Moscow has also bristled at what it calls threats by Vilnius to cut off land transit routes.
And Baltic neighbor Estonia said in September that Russian jets had violated its airspace for 12 minutes, prompting US President Donald Trump to say NATO should shoot down Russian planes that encroach members’ airspace.
- ‘Do you agree?’ -
Undergoing border checks at the Kena station, Lithuania also makes sure the Russians onboard have no doubt about its allegiances.
“Putin is killing Ukrainian civilians. Do you agree with it?” a poster facing into the train reads in Russian.
Photos of destroyed Ukrainian cities plaster the platform fence.
Two years ago, Lithuanian media were reporting several cases of Russians using the stop as their “window to Europe.”
The toilets are reopened as the train leaves Kena, only to be locked again a few hours later at the Kybartai border checkpoint, the exit point from Lithuania.
Russian border guards embark, subjecting non-Russian passengers to a barrage of questions.
“It’s their job to be curious,” said Vladimir, a retiree traveling with his wife, Irina. “Especially with foreigners.”
As the Yantar pulled into its final stop in Kaliningrad, and the doors unsealed for the final time, he puffed up: “We fear nothing. We are brave.”
Trump said ‘not allowed’ to run for third term, ‘too bad’
- A popular theory among his supporters is that Vice President JD Vance could run for president in 2028 on a ticket with Trump
- Trump ruled that idea out this week, and on Wednesday said it was “pretty clear” he couldn’t run again
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is “not allowed” to run for a third term, acknowledging the limits laid out in the US Constitution.
Trump and his supporters have repeatedly raised the question of a 2028 presidential run for the 79-year-old, drawing concern from his foes and cheers from backers.
“I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had, and you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run, so we’ll see what happens... It’s too bad,” Trump said on Air Force One.
The US Constitution limits presidents to two terms, and Trump began his second in January.
Trump, who served his initial term from 2017 to 2021, often mentions that his supporters have called for him to govern beyond his current tenure, despite the constitutional restriction.
The former reality TV star has also recently displayed red hats emblazoned with the slogan “Trump 2028” on a desk in the Oval Office.
A popular theory among his supporters is that Vice President JD Vance could run for president in 2028 on a ticket with Trump.
Trump ruled that idea out this week, and on Wednesday said it was “pretty clear” he couldn’t run again.
“But we have a lot of great people,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Tuesday at a news conference at the Capitol that he spoke with Trump about seeking a third term but doesn’t “see the path for that.”
“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I’ve talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution,” Johnson said.
“There is the 22nd Amendment,” Johnson added, saying that while Trump enjoys taunting Democrats with slogans and hats with “Trump 2028” emblazoned on the front, the Constitution is clear.
“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years,” Johnson added.
“You’d need two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states to ratify (it). I don’t see the path for that.”
Talk of a third term came after Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser and one of the key ideologues of the Make America Great Again movement, last week said “there is a plan” to keep him in the White House.
“He is going to get a third term... Trump is going to be president in ‘28. And people just ought to get accommodated with that,” Bannon told The Economist.
Asked about the 22nd Amendment, which mandates term limits, Bannon said: “There’s many different alternatives. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is.”
Ukraine targets Moscow with drones for third straight night, Russia says
- Kyiv has kept up long-range drone strikes on Moscow and other Russian regions in recent months, saying the aim is to hit military and industrial assets, sap Russia’s war economy and show Russians the conflict is no longer distant
Ukraine sent drones toward Moscow for the third consecutive night and targeted several other Russian regions, disrupting air traffic throughout the country and threatening an industrial plant in Russia’s south, Russian authorities said on Wednesday.
Russian air defense units destroyed a total of 100 Ukrainian drones overnight, including six in the Moscow region and 13 over bordering regions, the Russian defense ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
Kyiv has kept up long-range drone strikes on Moscow and other Russian regions in recent months, saying the aim is to hit military and industrial assets, sap Russia’s war economy and show Russians the conflict is no longer distant.
The attacks on Moscow came in several waves, the mayor of the Russian capital, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Telegram.
Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsiya said three of Moscow’s four airports, and several others throughout the country, were briefly closed for safety reasons.
Ukraine also launched several drones targeting the Budyonnovsk industrial zone in Russia’s Stavropol region, the region’s governor, Vladimir Vladimirov, said on Telegram. The Russian defense ministry said its units downed two drones over the region, located in the country’s south.
The attack caused no “significant” damage, and there were no casualties, Vladimirov said on the Telegram messaging app.
According to Ukrainian media, including the RBK-Ukraine media outlet, Kyiv attacked the Stavrolen chemical plant in the Budyonnovsk zone, a part of Russia’s Lukoil group.
According to Russian and Ukrainian media, Stavrolen is one of Russia’s main producers of polyethylene and polypropylene.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports of the attack on Stavrolen. Stavropol’s governor did not disclose what was attacked in Budyonnovsk.
Russia typically gives limited details about the effects of Ukrainian strikes on its territory unless civilians or civilian infrastructure are hit.
Over the previous two nights, Russia’s units destroyed 35 Ukrainian drones over the Moscow region, the Russian defense ministry said. There was no damage reported.
Germany to give more than $1 billion for Holocaust survivors’ home care in 2026
- The compensation was negotiated with Germany’s finance ministry and is the largest budget for frail and vulnerable Holocaust survivor home care in the organization’s history
- The Claims Conference projected in April that approximately 200,000 survivors are still alive, most of them living in Israel, the United States and Europe, but also scattered all over the globe
BERLIN: The organization that handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis said Wednesday that Germany has agreed to extend another $1.076 billion (923.9 million euros) for Holocaust survivors ‘ home care around the globe for the coming year.
The compensation was negotiated with Germany’s finance ministry and is the largest budget for frail and vulnerable Holocaust survivor home care in the organization’s history.
“This historic increase to home care funding reflects the complex and growing needs of Holocaust survivors worldwide,” said Gideon Taylor, the president of the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference.
“While we are losing survivors at a rapid pace each year, those who remain are older, frailer and in greater need than ever before,” Taylor said in a written statement. “This budget is critical in providing each of them the opportunity to age in place, a dignity that was stolen from them in their youth.”
The average age of survivors receiving home care through Claims Conference funding has increased from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024. Data collected by the organization show that survivors are experiencing more complicated health needs and increased disability, with the number of survivors who qualify for full-time assistance due to extreme disability — such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia — has nearly doubled during that time period.
Additionally, the Hardship Fund Supplemental payments, which were previously guaranteed to be paid annually to eligible Holocaust survivors until 2027, have been extended through 2028 at an amount of €1,450 per survivor, impacting more than 127,000 Holocaust survivors globally.
The Claims Conference projected in April that approximately 200,000 survivors are still alive, most of them living in Israel, the United States and Europe, but also scattered all over the globe.
Also, righteous rescuers – non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust — currently receiving a monthly pension from the Claims Conference, will be eligible to receive home care similar to that provided to Jewish survivors, allowing them to live their final years with dignity in their own homes, the group announced.
Colette Avital, a Holocaust survivor and member of the Claims Conference negotiation delegation, said that “it is deeply meaningful that, 80 years after the liberation, the German government maintains its responsibility to those who suffered and survived.”
“Every survivor — and every rescuer — deserves to live with dignity and to be seen, heard and cared for,” Avital added.
Holocaust education funding was also extended through 2029, for a total funding of €175 million.
The funding comes at a time when knowledge of the Holocaust is declining and antisemitism is sharply on the rise. The funding for education programs will include initiatives for teacher training, academic research and mass-market mediums, like film, gaming and virtual reality experiences that have a greater potential to reach a wider, more mainstream audience, the group said.
“It is imperative that we invest in the future of Holocaust education while we still have living witnesses who can share their firsthand testimonies of survival,” said Greg Schneider, the executive vice president of the Claims Conference.
“This is our moral obligation to the survivors of the Holocaust and to the 6 million who were murdered.”
