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A ship said to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” has been detained by Finnish authorities after a deep sea cable in the Baltic Sea was damaged.

Officials in Finland have launched an investigation after its Estlink 2 subsea electricity cable sustained damage on Christmas Day, which has been blamed on Russia’s Eagle S vessel. They say they boarded the tanker to probe the “grave sabotage”. The 105-mile cable has a 650-megawatt transmission capacity and was installed around 10 years ago to link electricity between Finland and the Baltic states.

The damage was so severe that officials believe it could take several months to repair, reports say. Finnish transmission system operator Fingrid representative, Arto Pahkin, said intentional malicious action has not been ruled out. He said: “This is one of the versions we are considering. Because two vessels are in the area where the cables are located.”

The Eagle S crude oil tanker ( 
Image:
Vessaltracker; e2w news)
Parkin added: “The possibility of vandalism cannot be ruled out. However, we are currently studying the situation as a whole and will inform you of the cause of the malfunction as soon as we know it.” Some reports say the Eagle S slowed down to a quarter of its speed a few minutes before it crossed Estlink 2.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the authorities are “investigating the matter.” Estonian network operator Elering said there was sufficient spare capacity to meet power needs on the Estonian side. Suspicions have focused on Chinese-linked vessels and an alleged hybrid war by Russia over several incidents involving Baltic undersea cables.

Putin’s Russia has been accused of carrying out a hybrid war ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Two data cables, one running between Finland and Germany, the other between Lithuania and Sweden, were severed in November. Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius said officials had to assume “sabotage”. He warned about hybrid warfare threats from Russia.

Earlier, the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines built to supply natural gas from Russia to Germany were damaged by underwater explosions in September 2022. There has been no conclusive finding as to who was responsible. Estlink-2 had returned to commercial use at the beginning of September after being out of service since the end of January due to a failure.

A new Chinese fighter jet that can reportedly fly on the edge of space has raised concerns that it can now strike targets in the US once out of range.

The new aircraft was seen alongside China’s current Chengdu J-20 generation of fighters, which are compared to the US Air Force’s F-22. It appeared in social media posts shared online that showed a large, three-engine warplane with a cockpit as well as diamond-style winds that had no vertical tails that could help it avoid being detected by radars.

Defence news website The War Zone claimed the fighter was designed to target US early warning aircraft and tankers that were previously out of reach. The outlet said the aircraft was seen carrying out daytime test flights with its landing gear open, a standard practice during early testing stages.

There are concerns that the fighter jet could strike targets once thought to be out of range ( 
Image:
X)
The War Zone said on its website: “But above all else, if procured in an operation form by the PLAAF, it would be able to fly over long regional distances and loiter for extended periods on station far from home without tanker support – something China lacks in terms of capacity versus the United States.

“It would also presumably be able to do this in closer proximity to threats than any other manned aircraft in China’s arsenal.” According to Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, the aircraft is likely part of China’s development plans for current bombers and strikers rather than a whole new generation of fighter jets.

He added the aircraft does not match the performance expectations that is set by the US and its drive for air superiority. But Bronk added the development could indicate a lead in its tactical airpower capabilities.

Aviation Weekly said the jet’s engines are fed by single dorsal inlets complete with two ventral inlets. Images of the fighter jet also indicated that there are possible missile and bomb loading hatches under the fuselage that further compliment its stealth capabilities.

“Clearly, this aircraft incorporates significantly greater low observable technologies that are a leap ahead of the J-20, beyond its tailless design,” Aviation Weekly went on to say. The website later added: “[It] would seem to reflect an overarching concern with long endurance with comparatively massive internal volume to accommodate a very large fuel load, as well as weapons and sensors.”

According to MailOnline, now-retired US Air Force General Mark D. Kelly said it would not be a surprise if China had been working on a completely new generation of fighter jets. He added the Chinese leadership “are not dummies. They know what they are doing.”

Kelly added he believes the next generation of Chinese air combat programme that will feature an “exponential” improvement to its stealth capabilities.

A mass jail break has seen at least 6,000 people escape from a maximum security facility – leaving 33 prisoners dead and 15 others injured after violent clashes with security forces.

Inmates escaped from the jail in Mozambique’s capital Maputo on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country’s police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence tear through the country.

Police chief Bernardino Rafael said 33 prisoners died and 15 others were injured during a confrontation with the security forces. The prisoners fled during violent protests that have seen police cars, stations and infrastructure destroyed after the country’s Constitutional Council confirmed the ruling Frelimo party as the winner of the Oct. 9 elections.

Thousands of prisoners spilled on to the streets following the jail break ( 
Image:
AP)

There were clashes with security forces after the mass jail break ( 
Image:
AP)
The escape from the Maputo Central Prison, located around 9 miles southwest of the capital, started around midday on Wednesday after “agitation” by a “group of subversive protesters” nearby, Rafael said. Violence has engulfed Mozambique since the country’s highest court confirmed ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections on Monday.

Some of the prisoners at the facility snatched weapons from the guards and started freeing other detainees. Rafael added: “A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defence and security forces.”

Videos on social media show the moment inmates left the prison ( 
Image:
AP)

A prisoner still with handcuffs on his right wrist says he was held n the disciplinary section of the prison before being released by other inmates ( 
Image:
AP)“They (protesters) were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences”, said Rafael, adding that the protests led to the collapse of a wall, allowing the prisoners to flee. He called on the escaped prisoners to surrender to authorities and for the population to be informed about the fugitives.

A mum who believed she was run down with a festive virus decided to go ahead with her Christmas plans – only to later wake from a coma as doctors prepared to amputate her legs.

Beth Bugden, then 46, was left coughing and spluttering in mid-December 2022 with what she believed was one of the many “innocuous” viruses that typically circulate at the time of year. She started feeling progressively worse towards Christmas, so much so that she and her mum – who was also feeling unwell – opted to change their plans last minute.

Beth said her mum wasn’t feeling up to travelling to her home for the festive celebrations, and the two instead decided to travel to her identical twin sister’s home in Newbury, west Berkshire. The decision to move the gathering to “30 miles down the road” and for the mum to spend the night at her sister’s house was one that saved her life, as she was rushed to hospital the next morning.

Beth Bugden believed she was just unwell with a seasonal illness ( 
Image:
Focus Features)

Both of the mum’s legs were amputated, as were some of her fingers ( 
Image:
Focus Features)
Beth, a former director of service delivery, told The Sun developed an “agonising” pain in her side and started vomiting a blue liquid, and she was taken to the hospital after calling 111. She said: “I developed an agonising pain in my side, and by Christmas morning I had started vomiting blue liquid.

“I developed an agonising pain in my side, and by Christmas morning I had started vomiting blue liquid. Andrea called 111 in the early hours and they sent an ambulance to her house, which blue-lighted me straight to A&E in Basingstoke.” Her arrival in the hospital, Andrea said, marked “the beginning of an epic battle that not only nearly cost her her life, but also resulted in her having multiple life-changing surgeries”.

Beth was diagnosed with both flu and pneumonia before being transferred to the resuscitation area while suffering from what Beth now believes was “suspected kidney failure”. She added that doctors told her sister “things were looking a great deal more serious than they first suspected”.

Beth was placed on life support for weeks after contracting sepsis ( 
Image:
Focus Features)
She was placed in a medically induced coma on Boxing Day after all of her vital organs failed, and her family was told to prepare for the worst as she failed to respond to life support. Beth was later moved to St Thomas’ Hospital in London and put on an ECMO machine, a life support apparatus that takes over a patient’s failing heart and lung functions.

Doctors then realised she wasn’t suffering from just two conditions but four, having contracted Strep A and deadly sepsis, a life-threatening infection reaction. She spent three weeks in a coma and woke up to find she was likely to lose her legs and possibly fingers.

She said: “I’d missed Christmas and New Year, and when I regained consciousness it was such a lot to take in. I was told that my legs, and possibly my hands, might need to be amputated.” She had an operation to remove her legs below the knee and another to repair a damaged lung.

A body found in the search for a missing man has been formally identified as that of Michael Lloyd.

Michael, 58, vanished last month and police say he was last seen on his daily walk near Risca, south Wales. Gwent Police centred a search for Michael around the River Ebbw, and helicopters from the National Police Air Service were deployed.

But a body was found on December 14 near a restaurant in Newport, approximately five miles from the man’s home. Police have today said formal identification has taken place and this is Michael’s body.

A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: “The body of a man was found in the River Ebbw on Saturday 14 December following open water and riverbank searches conducted as part of a missing persons enquiries.

“Formal identification has taken place, and the man was identified as Michael Lloyd, who was reported as missing. His family have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”

Open water and riverbank searches were conducted as part of the missing persons enquiries following Michael’s disapperance on November 26. He regularly walked alongside, or near, the River Ebbw, which flows downstream from Risca to Newport and eventually into the Bristol Channel.

The 58-year-old man’s body was discovered near a large viaduct and a restaurant adjacent to the river in the Bassaleg area of Newport, which is in the city’s western fringes.

A “vibrant” 20-year-old student died suddenly from a silent undiagnosed heart condition that is estimated to affect as many as one in 300 children and young people in the world.

Poppy Eagle, from Washington, in Tyne and Wear, died on August 7 after her heart stopped and she could not be revived despite the best efforts of her family and emergency services. The student had been home for the summer when she died.

Following her death, her family set up the Poppy’s Light Foundation, a charity that aims to improve both bereavement support and screening for children and young people. The hope is that whatever caused Poppy’s heart to stop could be found during screenings and prevent a similar heart-breaking experience from happening to a different family.

Poppy died suddenly in August when she was home for the holidays ( 
Image:
Chronicle Live/Vicki Eagle / Poppy’s Light)

Vicki Eagle wants to support families across the UK with hope they will avoid a similar heart-breaking tragedy ( 
Image:
Chronicle Live/Vicki Eagle / Poppy’s Light)
Poppy’s absence is being felt acutely by the family with mum Vicki telling Chronicle Live: “Poppy’s Light fundraising has been such a success and there’s a real comfort in that. What we have found is that there is really not a great deal of support around for bereaved children.

“Poppy was such a loving person, so vibrant, so full of light. So the charity is a way of keeping that light shining while doing something that can support other children.

“Along with that there’s the cardiac screening – for us it’s the idea that screening could have at least given us some information that might have saved Poppy and it’s to see if we could save another family from the feelings we have this Christmas.”

According to Poppy’s Light Foundation said on its website that as many as one in 300 children and young people in the UK could be living with a silent undiagnosed heart condition.” The organisation hopes to raise awareness to prevent sudden cardiac deaths among the young via health screenings.

Poppy’s siblings Ollie, Faith, Heidi and Florence have all been closely involved, they were a close unit before the tragedy struck and processing the grief has been very difficult. Much of the inspiration behind the charity’s drive has been to provide better bereavement support for young people.

Speaking about hitting the £25,000 fundraising milestone the family set, Vicki added: “It’s just been the whole community coming together – so many family and friends, but even people who we had never met before have really helped get behind this. In January, my husband and son, and a few other dads and sons, will be climbing Kilamanjaro.”

Vicki, who spent her working life as a nurse, stepped back from her profession when Poppy died in order to support her other children as well as found the charity. She said her work family had been hugely supportive as well and had helped her through some of the toughest times.

To find out more about Poppy’s Light, visit the charity’s website or view its crowdfunding page here.

A community remains “deeply shocked and saddened” following the alleged murder of two women on Christmas Day.

It is said the 38-year-old and 24-year-old women were stabbed in the Bletchley area of Milton Keynes. Emergency services were called at around 6.30pm on Wednesday to a block of apartments on Santa Cruz Avenue, where residents have shared their sadness.

The Mirror continues to follow the tragedy today as police continue the investigation, having taped off a large section of the residential street in the south of the Buckinghamshire city. Neither the deceased – nor two other people seriously hurt in the ordeal – have yet been officially identified by authorities.

Shazna Muzammil, a Conservative councillor on Milton Keynes City Council, said in a statement on X: “This is horrible on Christmas Day and we are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic events in Bletchley. Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and neighbours of the two women who have tragically lost their lives.”

A family left flowers outside the police cordon in Bletchley, Milton Keynes ( 
Image:
Joseph Walshe / SWNS)

What is alleged to have happened?

It is said the deceased were stabbed to death at the apartment on Santa Cruz Avenue on Christmas Day. They died at the scene. The next of kin of both victims have been informed and are being supported by officers.

And Thames Valley Police confirmed a teenage boy and a man aged in his late-twenties have also been injured in the incident and were taken to hospital. They are both now in a stable condition. A dog was also injured in the incident. It was taken to vets but sadly did not survive.

Now a police investigation continues. A 49-year-old man has, though, been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. The man, from Milton Keynes, remains in police custody at this time.

Residents on Santa Cruz Avenue described the street as ‘a lovely area’ ( 
Image:
PA)

What do we know about the victims?

The victims have not been named as yet by authorities. Thames Valley Police has stated “the parties are known to each other”. Tributes have been placed outside the address. They include two cuddly toys – a teddy bear and a pink flamingo.

One local said: “I didn’t know the people involved. It’s a right mixture around here. There’s some social housing mixed in with some quite nice townhouses.”

Another resident, who left flowers near the scene yesterday, said she didn’t know the victims. She added: “This is a lovely area. You don’t expect to see this kind of thing here.”

What else has Thames Valley Police said?

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Brangwin, of the major crime unit, said: “Firstly I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the women who have tragically died in this shocking incident.

“We have launched a double murder investigation which may be concerning to the wider public, however we have made an arrest and are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident and the parties are known to each other. Members of the public will see a large police presence in the area while our investigation takes place.

“If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to approach our officers and they will do their best to help.”

A video has emerged showing exactly how the King’s Speech was filmed with never seen before behind-the-scenes clips.

The pre-recorded speech which is broadcast to the nation at 3pm on Christmas Day each year, is filmed in advance of the big day, with meticulous planning, writing and filming. It is then edited, with footage from other things the King has done throughout the year added in.

Now, an Instagram video has been shared, a day after the broadcast showing the King himself being directed and advised where to stand to deliver the message he wants to deliver. The 76-year-old monarch can be seen chatting to staff and at one point gets a little emotional as he watches a particular section back. The package also shows a drone shot as it is flown over Buckingham Palace for use in the speech, as the King’s words are overlaid.

The King is given direction ( 
Image:
The Royal Family)

The King speaks to the camera ( 
Image:
The Royal Family)
The King used his message to thank doctors and nurses who cared for him and his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales throughout their cancer treatment this year.

Recorded at the Fitzrovia Chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in London, he said he wanted to offer his “heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed”.

As the nation paused to listen to the speech, the King could be seen standing up, a move away from his late mother’s speeches in recent years which saw her sat down, surrounded by photographs of much-loved family members. This year, a Christmas tree is the backdrop for the speech, as Charles wears a black suit, and bright blue tie.

He watched some clips back

He took his time to get the message rightThe King said: “As the famous Christmas Carol, ‘Once In Royal David’s City’ reminds us, ‘Our Saviour holy’ ‘came down to Earth from Heaven’, lived among ‘the poor and mean and lowly’ and transformed the lives of those he met, through God’s ‘redeeming love’.

“That is the heart of the Nativity Story and we can hear its beat in the belief of all the great faiths in the love and mercy of God in times of joy and of suffering, calling us to bring light where there is darkness.

The Royal Family are known for their many Christmas traditions, some of which are classic and others unique to them. From attending a church service like many across the UK, to opening presents on Christmas Eve in honour of their German heritage, the royals’ day is enjoyed by all.

However, every year, one tradition that typically takes place on Boxing Day draws significant criticism. Like many royals before them, hunting has always been a favourite pastime – whether they’re shooting stags, grouses or pheasants. Despite its historical significance, there was backlash when it emerged that Prince George, 10, had joined his family to watch the hunt at just five years old. Hunting has been the chosen sport of the royals for centuries, but it’s uncertain whether the tradition will continue this year.

There’s another annual shoot that happens in the summer called Balmoral’s Glorious Twelfth, where the royals roam the Balmoral Estate in Scotland hunting young grouse. While it’s unclear if family members participated in the annual season which starts on August 12 each year, the royals have enjoyed deerstalking on the estate for generations.

The hunt serves as a culling act for elderly stags likely to die during winter months, and as a way of controlling numbers. William shot his first stag at 14 years old, a feat he was “delighted at the time”, reports OK!.

Deerstalking is a beloved pastime for many members of the Royal Family, passed down through generations. King Charles, father to Prince William, was so fond of the sport that Princess Diana would affectionately refer to him as “my killer Wales”.

Prince William is Patron of Tusk ( 
Image:
Getty)
However, when it came to light that Prince George had attended a hunt at just five years old, animal charities expressed their concern. PETA director Mimi Bekhechi voiced her disapproval in 2020, stating: “For a child to be compelled to witness such casual killing – and by a parent he looks up to, no less – is potentially as harmful to his or her psyche as it is to the bird’s very life.”

She added: “It can desensitise children to the suffering of animals – which is cause for concern, given the well-established link between cruelty to animals in childhood and antisocial behaviour in adulthood – and could give George nightmares. To help him grow into a responsible, compassionate leader, his parents must teach him respect for all living beings.”

The Prince of Wales has also faced criticism for his hunting activities, despite being a prominent advocate for animal conservation.

In 2014, Princes William and Harry were criticised for participating in a boar hunting trip on the Duke of Westminster’s Spanish estate, just days before they joined a campaign against poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

Prince William, who is also the patron of Tusk, an African conservation initiative, has been lauded for his United For Wildlife campaign which aims to protect endangered species like rhinos, tigers and elephants.

The Royal Family may have their unique ways of celebrating Christmas – but one festive activity the Wales family enjoys is one many of us relish up and down the country.

Like many others, it seems the Prince and Princess of Wales love nothing more than cracking out a board game to play alongside their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. However, he admitted there’s one game they all love – although it often leaves them “very cross”. William made the admission during a special chat in 2021 with Radio Marsden, a radio station that serves the Royal Marsden Hospital of which he is a patron. The hospital specialises in cancer care. During the chat, children took turns to ask William sweet Christmas-themed questions. One boy, Henry asked the future King: “What is your favourite board game?”

And William replied: “Henry, we are playing board games with the children quite a lot. We love Monopoly, that’s good and Risk, have you played Risk before? That’s a good board game, it goes on for hours and usually, everyone gets very cross because they lose. But that’s what I like playing.”

Elsewhere in the interview, William also revealed that Elf is his favourite Christmas movie, Feliz Navidad is his favourite Christmas song and he also confessed he had no idea what Elf On The Shelf was. One youngster called Theo asked William: “I love Elf on the Shelf – is Elf on the Shelf coming to your house?” But taken aback by the question, William had to admit: “So Theo, I don’t actually know what Elf on the Shelf is, but it sounds quite fun and I’d quite like to have an Elf on my Shelf in my house.”

This year, William spent Christmas at Sandringham with Kate, George, Charlotte and Louis as King Charles hosted the second festive season of his reign. As always, they appeared during the morning trip to St Mary Magdalene Church for a traditional service before greeting of well-wishers, and a sitting down to a family lunch with turkey and all the trimmings.

They will then have watched Charles’ second Christmas Broadcast as monarch,. Traditionally, members of the royal family sit down to watch the televised address when it airs after lunch at 3pm on December 25. It’s unknown what the family are doing for New Year – but they may spend it at their Norfolk botlhole of Anmer Hall.