Author: James Grant

British warships and a helicopter tracked a Russian corvette and accompanying tanker through the English Channel this week as part of a coordinated NATO effort to monitor Moscow’s naval movements near UK waters. Portsmouth-based patrol vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, supported by a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, intercepted the corvette Boikiy and oil tanker MT General Skobelev as the vessels made their way towards the North Sea following a deployment in the Mediterranean. HMS Mersey took over shadowing duties from NATO allies after they had monitored the Russian ships through the Bay of Biscay. Near the…

A grandmother was stabbed to death by a stranger who had purchased a hunting knife over the internet just an hour before the attack, despite living in a staffed mental health rehabilitation home where his behaviour had been escalating undetected. Jala Debella, 24, killed medical secretary Anita Mukhey, 66, in front of shocked passers-by at a bus stop in Burnt Oak Broadway, north London, at approximately 11.50am on May 9 last year. He stabbed her 18 times before walking casually away from the scene as members of the public rushed to help the victim. CCTV footage shown to the court…

The families of soldiers killed and maimed in Afghanistan have spoken of their disbelief after President Donald Trump suggested British troops remained away from the front lines during the conflict that claimed 457 UK lives. Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson is regarded as the most severely injured British soldier to survive the war, said she was “stunned as to how anyone could say such a thing.” She pointed out that Taliban improvised explosive devices were not planted miles from the fighting, adding that the Prime Minister should “make a stand” in response. Ian Sadler, whose 21-year-old son Trooper Jack…

Amazon is on course to execute the most significant round of redundancies since its founding in 1994, with plans that would ultimately see 30,000 corporate positions eliminated across the technology giant. The scale of the restructuring would surpass the approximately 27,000 roles cut in 2022, representing a reduction of nearly 10 per cent of the company’s white-collar workforce. Chief executive Andy Jassy has attributed the sweeping changes to organisational concerns rather than financial pressures or the emergence of artificial intelligence. During the firm’s third-quarter earnings call, he told analysts the decision was rooted in “culture,” explaining that Amazon had accumulated…