Asylum seeker accused of gang-raping lone drunk woman on Brighton beach claims ‘rape is sex’


A failed asylum seeker accused of taking part in the gang rape of an unconscious drunk woman told a jury ‘rape is sex’ as he was quizzed on his understanding of consent.

Egyptian Karin Al-Danasurt said he filmed his two friends raping the woman, who cannot be named, on Brighton beach after his asylum application was rejected.

He told Lewes Crown Court in Hove the 33-year-old victim was so drunk she was being held up by his co-accused as they took her behind a wooden beach hut in the early hours of October 4 last year.

Hanna Llewellyn-Waters, prosecuting for the Crown, told a jury the three men treated the woman like meat and used her for their own entertainment.

Al-Danasurt, who was 25 at the time, said he was filming to gather evidence for his own protection. He denies a charge of rape and of sharing intimate videos.

His co-defendants Ibrahim Alshafe, another Egyptian, and Iranian Kurd Abdulla Amih Ahmadi both deny rape.

Ms Llewellyn-Waters for the Crown asked him: ‘As far as you were concerned, you were witnessing a rape?’

‘I see sex in front of me,’ he told the court.

Asylum seeker accused of gang-raping lone drunk woman on Brighton beach claims ‘rape is sex’

Karin Al-Danasurt, an Egyptian asylum seeker, said he saw ‘sex in front of me’ as he filmed the alleged rape of a woman on Brighton beach

His co-accused Ibrahim Alshafe has denied raping the woman in the early hours of October 4 last year

His co-accused Ibrahim Alshafe has denied raping the woman in the early hours of October 4 last year

‘No, there’s lots of different types of sex, you were witnessing a rape,’ Ms Llewellyn-Waters said.

Al-Danasurt replied: ‘That’s what I saw. Rape to me is sex.’

He was further challenged on whether he saw ‘any distinction’ between someone who is or is not able to agree to sex, and whether it ‘mattered’. 

Speaking through an interpreter, he said he did not understand the question.

Pressed, the Egyptian said: ‘I said what I saw. She was closing her eyes, opening her eyes. She wasn’t speaking.

‘The situation wasn’t pleasant, it was bad. She wasn’t able to say anything. They were raping her, but I did not hear anything. I didn’t hear what they told her.’

Al-Danasurt told police he started filming his friends, who all lived in the same asylum hotel, to gather evidence.

Asked why he was filming, he said: ‘It was to stop them and to protect myself. I did whatever I could do to stop them and to speak to them.’

But Ms Llwelly-Waters told him: ‘You did precisely nothing. You went off and had a barbecue with them the next day.’

Al-Danasurt denies rape and sharing intimate videos.

The court heard he went to the Horizon nightclub just before 3.30am where he met the other two men and stayed till closing time at 5am.  

The men are said to have filmed themselves getting ready for a night out before catching a bus into Brighton where they met the woman

The men are said to have filmed themselves getting ready for a night out before catching a bus into Brighton where they met the woman

After getting a bus back to their hotel after the alleged rape, the migrants are said to have filmed themselves having a barbecue in the hotel grounds

After getting a bus back to their hotel after the alleged rape, the migrants are said to have filmed themselves having a barbecue in the hotel grounds

The three defendants are said to have partied at their asylum hotel after the attack - with one posing with a sunglasses filter on his face

The three defendants are said to have partied at their asylum hotel after the attack – with one posing with a sunglasses filter on his face

He told the jury through an interpreter he had tried to pull them off the woman and only filmed the incident to gather evidence for police. He also denied spitting on the woman.

The jury was told more than 15 minutes passed after the end of the third clip shot by Al-Danasurt and one of the men being seen on CCTV leaving the beach.

Tests indicated DNA from three other people was present, with semen belonging to  Alshafe and Ahmadi being identified. Tests on a third sample were inconclusive.

Al-Danasurt told the jury his asylum claim had been rejected and he was helping Alshafe after his claim had also been rejected. The three men had a barbecue at their asylum hotel hours later.

The men filmed themselves getting ready for a night out before catching a bus into Brighton; video of them in a room at the asylum hotel where they were all living were shown to the jury.

Three clips filmed by Al-Danasurt of his roommate and another small boat migrant having sex with the woman have also been shown to the jury.

The jury heard Alshafe groped another woman at the Horizon club and told her he was looking for a British bride and to get citizenship.

He said he did not want to go back to his country as he touched the young woman in a Brighton nightclub.

The jury have been told Ahmadi left the Home Office-run hotel in Sussex the day after the barbecue in an ‘unapproved move’ described as ‘absconding’. He was arrested on October 12 in Crewe.

The woman has described her attackers as evil men who had ruined her life.

The court heard Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, arrived on a small boat on June 19, 2025 with Abdulla Amih Ahmadi. Both were housed at the hotel from June 21, 2025.

Al-Danasurt entered the country on October 11, 2024, it was said. 

Ahmadi, from Crewe in Cheshire, and Alshafe, who lives in Horsham, have each denied two counts of raping the woman.

Al-Danasurt, also from Horsham, is jointly charged on all four counts of rape as a secondary party encouraging the rape, and has been charged with sharing intimate images without consent. They have denied all charges.

The trial at Lewes Crown Court in Hove continues.


‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ cast: the ultimate guide to telling these women apart



It’s finally premiere day for The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, and we couldn’t be more excited about meeting this new group of Bravo women. This new iteration of the long-running Real Housewives franchise has what it takes to become one of the Bravo greats, though, admittedly, it took us a watch or two to fully figure out how to tell each of its cast members apart. There are two things stars Jo-Ellen Tiberi, Liz McGraw, Ashley Iaconetti, Rosie DiMare, Kelsey Swanson, Alicia Carmody, and Rulla Nehme Pontarelli all have in common, and that’s their Boston/Brooklyn dialect and their luscious brunette locks. While we now understand why executive producer Andy Cohen once likened the show to the early days of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, we also know the challenge of trying to figure out who the heck is who. Even Melissa Gorga had a difficult time, and Gorga’s RHONJ co-star, Dolores Catania, spent the summer as a “friend of” this group! That being said, we are here to help you get to know this new batch of promising Bravolebrities. Check out the video above for some information on each of the Real Housewives of Rhode Island stars.

The Real Housewives of Rhode Island airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.




Trump says King Charles would have backed him on Iran and taken a ‘very different stand’ to Keir Starmer


Donald Trump has said he believes King Charles would have backed him in the war against Iran.

He suggested the King would have been more forthcoming with military support than Keir Starmer has been.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Trump said: ‘I think he [Charles] would have taken a very different stand [on the war in Iran], but he doesn’t do that. I mean, he’s a great gentleman.’

This represents yet another dig at Starmer, after Trump has repeatedly lambasted the Prime Minister for refusing his demands for greater involvement in the Middle East.

Most recently, Trump has called for the UK and other allies to assist in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, which the Iranians have closed in order to disrupt the supply of oil and other vital products.

There have been concerns that the King’s upcoming visit to the United States would be tainted by the tensions between Trump and Starmer.

But the President shrugged this off, insisting Charles has ‘nothing to do with’ his and Starmer’s fallout.

Trump added: ‘I like him [the King]. I always liked him as a prince. He’s a good man, a great representative for your country.’

Trump says King Charles would have backed him on Iran and taken a ‘very different stand’ to Keir Starmer

Donald Trump said he believed the King would have backed him in the war against Iran

Trump implied that the King would have been more forthcoming with military support than Keir Starmer

Trump implied that the King would have been more forthcoming with military support than Keir Starmer

The President made an address to the nation yesterday, when he vowed to bomb Iran 'into the Stone Ages' if it did not make a deal

The President made an address to the nation yesterday, when he vowed to bomb Iran ‘into the Stone Ages’ if it did not make a deal

Trump has long been known to admire the British Royal family.

He had deep respect for the late Queen, whom he met twice, and was clearly touched by his state visit last September, when Charles hosted him at Windsor Castle.

Trump’s latest compliments for the King will raise hopes of the visit repairing some of the damage done to the UK-US relationship.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the US and UK had a ‘deep and special partnership that is in action every day’.

‘In terms of His Majesty the King he is a really significant and subtle diplomat, I think it’s fair to say, as head of state for our country,’ he told Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast.

Asked whether the King would need those skills in the US, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: ‘I think he displays them on every occasion you see him on the world stage.’

Meanwhile, in an address to the nation last night, Trump claimed to have achieved near-victory in Iran, predicting that another two to three weeks of strikes would be needed to finish the job.

He vowed to bomb Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages’ if it didn’t do a deal, though did not indicate what the terms might be.

The President was uncharacteristically low-energy during his speech, and did not reveal any major developments.

One question he failed to address was whether the ground troop reinforcements that have been dispatched to the Middle East would be deployed.

He also did nothing to reassure global oil markets spooked by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He again urged countries such as the UK who ‘can’t get fuel’ to find ‘courage’ and ‘go to the Strait and just take it.’

Shortly after the President spoke, Brent crude oil jumped 5 per cent to $106 a barrel.

Asian markets also slumped as Trump did not say what would signal an end to the conflict – just that the fighting would be more intense before it ended.

‘We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two or three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong,’ Trump warned.

He challenged US allies to go and ‘take’ the Strait of Hormuz, proclaiming that the US didn’t need the oil from the ships that had been blocked by Iran since the conflict began in late February.

‘I have a suggestion. No. 1, buy oil from the United States of America, we have plenty, we have so much,’ Trump said.

‘And No. 2, build up some delayed coverage – should have done it before, should have done it with us as we asked – go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves,’ he continued.


Податковий супровід ветеранського підприємництва



Разом з Міністерством у справах ветеранів, службою зайнятості, ветеранськими хабами та нашими фахівцями працюємо над створенням системи, щоб максимально допомогти ветеранам із податковими питаннями на всіх етапах створення ними бізнесу.


Saudi Arabia and UAE attacked by Iranian drones despite Trump’s threat to Tehran ‘extremely hard’ – live updates


Donald Trump vows to bring Tehran ‘back to the Stone Ages’

The US President vowed to bring Iran back to the ‘Stone Ages’ in a televised speech on Wednesday.

The US President said his military had nearly accomplished its goals in Iran, but offered no clear timeline for the conflict coming to an end.

Despite facing pressure from allies amid sliding approval ratings, Trump declined to lay out a concrete plan to wind down the war, which is now in its fifth week.

He insisted the US would finish the job ‘very fast’ and that they had ‘all the cards’ in his first primetime address since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28.

He glossed over some major unresolved issues such as the status of Iran’s enriched uranium and access through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for global oil supplies, which Iran has effectively closed.

Trump said the strait would open ‘naturally’ once the war ended’, breaking little ground to offer reassurance to the US allies as well as the American public.

The president and his advisers have offered shifting explanations and timelines for the conflict, as well as what they will require from Iran for it to end.

While portraying Iran as militarily neutered, Trump also said on Wednesday night the US would hit the nation hard for another two or three weeks.

If the country’s new leaders did not negotiate satisfactorily, he said, his country. would begin attacking the nation’s electricity generation and oil infrastructure.

We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said. ‘

We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong.”

In the meantime, discussions are ongoing.

Yet if during this period of time, no deal is made, we have our eyes on key targets.”

A day before, Trump told reporters Tehran did not have to make a deal as a condition for the conflict to wind down.

Saudi Arabia and UAE attacked by Iranian drones despite Trump’s threat to Tehran ‘extremely hard’ – live updates




Trump says Iran war will end ‘shortly’ as he rips into allies for lacking ‘courage’ on Strait of Hormuz: ‘Just take it’


President Donald Trump claimed near victory in the Iran war during a low-energy address to the nation Wednesday night in the White House’s Cross Hall. 

The President spoke for under 20 minutes and didn’t announce any major developments – including whether ground troops would need to be deployed or who would take over leadership of the country. 

Instead, he repeated that Operation Epic Fury would conclude ‘shortly,’ noting that the US’s military objectives were ‘nearing completion.’

He also didn’t say what would signal an end to the conflict – just that the fighting would be more intense before it ended. 

‘We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two or three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong,’ Trump warned.

He challenged US allies to go and ‘take’ the Strait of Hormuz, proclaiming that the US didn’t need the oil from the ships that had been blocked by Iran since the conflict began in late February. 

‘I have a suggestion. No. 1, buy oil from the United States of America, we have plenty, we have so much,’ Trump said. 

‘And No. 2, build up some delayed coverage – should have done it before, should have done it with us as we asked – go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves,’ he continued. 

Trump says Iran war will end ‘shortly’ as he rips into allies for lacking ‘courage’ on Strait of Hormuz: ‘Just take it’

President Donald Trump addresses the nation on the Iran war Wednesday night from the White House’s Cross Hall 

Trump has blasted NATO leaders – and in the past 24 hours threatened to pull out of the historic military alliance – over allies’ refusal to help patrol the Strait of Hormuz. 

Now he said they could do it themselves, saying that ‘Iran has been essentially decimated.’ 

‘The Strait will open up naturally,’ Trump claimed. ‘It will just open up naturally.’ 

‘They’re going to want to be able to sell oil because that’s all they have to try and rebuild,’ the President said of Iran. ‘It will resume the flowing and the gas prices will rapidly come back down and stock prices will rapidly go back up.’ 

Trump spoke of Americans’ concerns about high gas prices and blamed the spike entirely on the Islamic regime.

‘Many Americans have been concerned to see the recent rise in gasoline prices here at home,’ the President said. ‘This short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers in neighboring countries.’ 

The Iran war helped drive Trump’s poll numbers last month to their lowest ever, according to the Daily Mail/JL Partners polling, bringing him down to 42 percent approval.

Once he started floating a possible ceasefire deal, his numbers quickly climbed back up to 46 percent.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (center) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) can be seen in attendance at President Donald Trump's address to the nation on the war in Iran

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (center) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) can be seen in attendance at President Donald Trump’s address to the nation on the war in Iran 

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who had previously spoken out against military engagement in Iran, was in attendance at Wednessday night's address to the nation on the war in Iran

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who had previously spoken out against military engagement in Iran, was in attendance at Wednessday night’s address to the nation on the war in Iran 

Trump didn’t mention the ceasefire talks during his speech tonight. 

The Daily Mail’s March poll showed that Americans largely blamed gas price increases on Trump and not on the Iranian regime.  

Before tonight’s remarks, the President hadn’t made a major address from the White House on the Iran war since it began last month. 

He used a portion of his address to justify the strikes again – pointing toward the Islamic regime’s history of violence against Americans, Israelis, and their own people.

‘This murderous regime also recently killed 45,000 of their own people, 45,000 dead,’ Trump said. 

‘For these terrorists to have nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat,’ he said.

He called Iran the ‘most violent and thuggish regime on earth’ and said they should never be able to hide behind a ‘nuclear shield.’ 

The President also suggested that Iran was building up additional military capabilities.

‘Iran’s strategy was so obvious,’ he said. 

General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (center) listens to President Donald Trump's remarks on Iran from the White House's Cross Hall

General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (center) listens to President Donald Trump’s remarks on Iran from the White House’s Cross Hall 

Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives in the White House Cross Hall to watch President Donald Trump make remarks on Iran Wednesday night

Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives in the White House Cross Hall to watch President Donald Trump make remarks on Iran Wednesday night 

The small audience can be seen watching President Donald Trump deliver remarks on Iran from the White House's Cross Hall

The small audience can be seen watching President Donald Trump deliver remarks on Iran from the White House’s Cross Hall 

‘They wanted to produce as many missiles as possible and they did with the longest range possible. And they had some weapons that nobody believed they had. We just learned that out,’ the President described.

Trump also bemoaned that he was the only President forced to do something about the regime.

‘This situation has been going on for 47 years and should have been handled long before I arrived in office,’ he said. 

Trump staged the 18-minute speech in the Cross Hall, where he had delivered remarks in the aftermath of the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani during his first term in January 2020. 

He brought up Soleimani Wednesday night, calling him the ‘father of the roadside bomb.’

‘If he lived, we probably would have had a different conversation tonight, but you know what, we’d still be winning and winning big,’ Trump said. 

As he had in 2020, Trump invited a small audience to watch his address – including many Cabinet members. 

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who previously spoke out against striking Iran, were all there to watch. 

Smoke rises after explosions struck parts of Tehran, Iran amid Israeli strikes on Wednesday, ahead of President Donald Trump's address to the nation where he delivered an update on the war

Smoke rises after explosions struck parts of Tehran, Iran amid Israeli strikes on Wednesday, ahead of President Donald Trump’s address to the nation where he delivered an update on the war 

It was much more formal than the overnight video clip filmed at Mar-a-Lago and posted on Truth Social that Trump used to announce the US and Israel’s joint strikes on Iran on February 28.  

He opted to do the same throughout the opening weekend of the war, while also making himself available to reporters through phone calls. 

The Daily Mail spoke with him on March 1, where he broke the news that he expected the Iran war to go on for about four weeks.

‘It’s always been a four-week process,’ he said. 

The deadline has been extended since then. 

The conflict hit its month mark on Saturday. 

It was unlikely that Trump would announce anything other than a victory in the war, though the goals have shifted over a month’s time. 

While Trump originally promised the Iranian protesters that ‘help is on its way,’ that suggested he would make moves to get rid of the oppressive Islamic regime that took over the country after the 1979 Iranian revolution. 

A huge smoke cloud rises from a building in Tehran, Iran earlier this week

A huge smoke cloud rises from a building in Tehran, Iran earlier this week 

Iranian Red Crescent workers gather near an apartment hit by an airstrike on Monday in Tehran, Iran

Iranian Red Crescent workers gather near an apartment hit by an airstrike on Monday in Tehran, Iran 

The US and Israeli air strikes did take out Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – with Iranian leaders replacing Khamenei with his son, who hasn’t been seen in public – it doesn’t appear that the American military intervention will easily pave the way to an elected democracy.

Still, Trump has boasted that he’s accomplished some form of ‘regime change.’ 

‘We’ve knocked out one regime. We knocked out the second regime. Now we have a group of people that’s very, that are very different. They’re much more reasonable, I think much more – much less radicalized,’ Trump said in the Oval Office Tuesday. 

He made similar claims on Wednesday.

‘Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!’ he posted to Truth Social Wednesday, ahead of his address. 

‘We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!’ the President added. 

Iranian officials continue to deny that they’re engaged in negotiations with Iran, including asking for a ceasefire.  

Trump also made conflicting statements about Iran’s nuclear threat.

A fire is seen in the distance in Isfahan, Iran on Tuesday amid the United States and Israel's war against the Islamic Regime

A fire is seen in the distance in Isfahan, Iran on Tuesday amid the United States and Israel’s war against the Islamic Regime 

The aftermath of a drone attack on a residential building in which one civilian was killed is seen in Tehran on Tuesday

The aftermath of a drone attack on a residential building in which one civilian was killed is seen in Tehran on Tuesday 

Last June, after the completion of Operation Midnight Hammer, he stood in a different spot in the White House’s Cross Hall and said the nuclear sites had been ‘obliterated.’ 

As he launched Operation Epic Fury, he said he did so to stop Iran’s nuclear threat and ensure the Islamic Regime never got its hands on a nuclear weapon. 

On Wednesday, Trump shrugged off Iran’s nuclear threat in an interview with Reuters.

He said Iran’s uranium, which was enriched to up to 60 percent purity, meaning it could quickly be turned into weapons-grade uranium, wasn’t a big problem.

‘That’s so far underground, I don’t care about that,’ he told Reuters. 

‘We’ll always be watching it by satellite,’ he added, saying the country is ‘incapable’ of developing a nuclear weapon now. 

As for the Strait of Hormuz, even before he gave his address, he made it clear that it was somebody else’s problem.  


World’s oldest known tortoise dies aged 193: Jonathan – who met the late Queen when she was a princess – ‘passes away peacefully’


He was the world’s oldest known tortoise and even met the late Queen when she was a princess.

But shelled icon Jonathan’s legions of fans have been left heartbroken after he died on Wednesday aged 193.

When the much-loved reptile was born, Queen Victoria had yet to take the British throne, Charles Darwin had not visited the Galapagos, no one had heard of budding author Charles Dickens, and Germany was a chaotic collection of 39 sovereign states.

Almost two centuries – and eight British monarchs – later Jonathan has passed away peacefully on St Helena, the remote South Atlantic island he called home.

‘Heartbroken to share that our beloved Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, has passed away today peacefully on St Helena’, Joe Hollins, the vet who looked after him, wrote on social media late on Wednesday.

‘This gentle giant outlived empires, wars, and generations of humans.

‘As his vet for many years, it was an honour to care for him – hand-feeding bananas, watching him bask in the sun, and marvelling at his quiet wisdom.

‘He leaves behind a legacy of resilience and longevity that inspired millions. Rest easy, old friend. You’ll be missed more than words can say.’

World’s oldest known tortoise dies aged 193: Jonathan – who met the late Queen when she was a princess – ‘passes away peacefully’

Jonathan, the world’s oldest known tortoise who even met the late Queen, has died aged 193

He was brought to St Helena from the Seychelles in the 1880s and lived on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the island's Governor

He was brought to St Helena from the Seychelles in the 1880s and lived on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the island’s Governor

The tortoise welcomed the future Queen Elizabeth II, as well as George VI and the Queen Mother, to the British overseas territory of St Helena in 1947, pictured

The tortoise welcomed the future Queen Elizabeth II, as well as George VI and the Queen Mother, to the British overseas territory of St Helena in 1947, pictured

Given he had more time on this earth than most, Jonathan still lived a high-octane life, meeting some of the world’s most famous people and enjoying his sun-soaked home.

The tortoise welcomed the future Queen Elizabeth II, as well as George VI and the Queen Mother, to the British overseas territory of St Helena in 1947.

He will also amble into the next life with memories of meeting the late Duke of Edinburgh and more recently House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, when he was awarded a Guinness World Record certificate recognising him as the oldest known land animal in the world.

What was Jonathan’s secret? Well, his vet reported that he kept healthy and very happy throughout his life despite losing his sight and sense of smell. 

No one can be sure of the tortoise’s real age but he was lucky enough to have his photograph taken all the way back in 1882, at which point he was clearly already fully grown suggesting he was around 50 at the time.

Jonathan was brought to St Helena from the Seychelles around this point and lived on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the island’s Governor.

At just 47 square miles, St Helena is a third of the size of the Isle of Wight and around the same size as Disney World Orlando.

Its nearest landmass is Ascension Island, which is 807 miles to the north west.

In 1957, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, fed Jonathan – then 125 – during a trip to St Helena. 

He continued to make the headlines over the next half a century and following the death of Darwin’s beloved Harriet, a 175-year-old giant Galapagos Land tortoise, in 2005 in Australia, Jonathan was recognised as the world’s oldest living land animal.

But fears started mounting that he was letting himself go when he was around 184 in the mid-2010s.

In response, he turned over a new leaf and allowed his vet to give him his first ever bath.

The current Duke of Edinburgh encountered the world's oldest living land animal back in 2024, crouching down to meet Jonathan as the tortoise stretched his neck to take a closer look

The current Duke of Edinburgh encountered the world’s oldest living land animal back in 2024, crouching down to meet Jonathan as the tortoise stretched his neck to take a closer look

His vet Joe Hollins, pictured left, confirmed that almost two centuries - and eight British monarchs - after his birth, Jonathan has passed away peacefully on St Helena

His vet Joe Hollins, pictured left, confirmed that almost two centuries – and eight British monarchs – after his birth, Jonathan has passed away peacefully on St Helena

He came out of his shell after centuries of grime were painstakingly scrubbed off his back with a loofah, soft brush and surgical soap. 

The vet carefully scrubbed each of the segments of Jonathan’s shell, known as scutes, and removed black sludge and bird droppings while the tortoise sedately chewed on grass. 

Around the same time, he was also placed on a special high calorie diet as it was feared his health was on the wane. 

The current Duke of Edinburgh encountered the world’s oldest living land animal back in 2024, crouching down to meet Jonathan as the tortoise stretched his neck to take a closer look at the visiting royal on the remote South Atlantic island.


Department of Defense employee, 33, died horrific death during 15 hour Korean Airlines flight after staff made terrible blunder, lawsuit alleges


A ‘beloved’ Department of Defense employee died a horrific death during a flight from Washington DC after airline staff forgot to pump oxygen into her mask after she suffered a medical emergency, a lawsuit alleges.  

Porscha Tynisha Brown, 33, was on board a 15-hour Korean Air flight in the spring of 2024 for a holiday in Seoul with three friends when she stopped breathing. 

A new lawsuit claims that she died from acute cardiac failure after staff simply watched as she gasped for air and other passengers scrambled to try to save her. 

The Korean Air crew members are accused of doing little to help while travelers who were not trained to use a defibrillator unsuccessfully tried to deploy the device. 

When they did at one point intervene, they made an incredible blunder – by placing an oxygen mask on her face without it being hooked up to the tank, per the lawsuit. 

The complaint, seen by the Daily Mail, was filed Friday by Brown’s heartbroken relatives against Korean Air, accusing staff of violating company policy by not rendering effective aid. 

The suit, first found by the The Independent, also accuses the crew of waiting too long to declare a medical emergency, and failing to divert the plane until it was too late. 

Brown was a Maryland native employed by the DoD as a workplace safety specialist at Fort Belvoir, a US Army facility in Virginia. She received an award of excellence from her garrison commander just four days before she departed for South Korea. 

Department of Defense employee, 33, died horrific death during 15 hour Korean Airlines flight after staff made terrible blunder, lawsuit alleges

Department of Defense employee Porscha T. Brown died on board a flight from Washington, DC after airline staff made an outrageous blunder, according to a lawsuit filed by her family

Brown died on March 29, 2024, 12 hours after boarding Korean Air flight 94 from Washington Dulles International to Incheon International Airport in Seoul. 

The Maryland native was looking forward to a vacation with her three friends, who were also on board the plane, when tragedy struck. 

According to the lawsuit, her friends said she left her seat to use the restroom, and a few minutes later, a flight attendant asked over the PA whether any doctors were on board. 

Brown’s friends rushed to the back of the plane, where they found her gasping for air on the ground while repeating: ‘I can’t breathe’, per the complaint.  

‘Korean Air flight personnel handed an oxygen mask to Ms. Brown to place over her face, leading [her friends] to believe that Ms. Brown was receiving oxygen,’ the lawsuit reads.

‘Despite the mask, Ms. Brown’s belabored breathing continued and she continued to indicate… that she could not breathe.’

Several passengers tried to help as Brown lost consciousness. Flight attendants retrieved a medical kit, and passenger volunteers gave Brown a shot of epinephrine.  

Epinephrine is a form of adrenaline used to treat allergic reactions, and it did nothing to help Brown. 

Crew members then rushed over with a defibrillator and placed it on the ground, according to the complaint. 

However, despite the crew being trained in how to use it, they did not deploy the machine and provided no instructions to passengers who tried instead.  

Brown, pictured above with colleagues, was a Maryland native employed by the DoD as a workplace safety specialist at Fort Belvoir, a US Army facility in Virginia. She received an award of excellence from her garrison commander just four days before she departed for South Korea

Brown, pictured above with colleagues, was a Maryland native employed by the DoD as a workplace safety specialist at Fort Belvoir, a US Army facility in Virginia. She received an award of excellence from her garrison commander just four days before she departed for South Korea

‘Several times, and in the presence of Korean Air personnel, the… machine gave the audio command, “[S]hock advised, shock advised,” the complaint states. 

‘The passengers, who were not trained on the… machine, did not know that they needed to press the “shock” button to administer a shock. 

‘Consequently, no lifesaving shock was administered to Ms. Brown.’

The complaint states that flight attendants ‘alternated between panicking, observing and taking notes’ instead of helping Brown. 

‘At no point in time did the Korean Air flight personnel attempt to take charge of the situation, provide instructions to the volunteering passengers, or render aid to Ms. Brown,’ it alleges. 

As Brown’s life slipped away, the pilot made an emergency landing in Osaka, Japan, where she was taken to Rinku General Medical Center and pronounced dead.

The DoD employee’s Japanese death certificate listed her cause of death as ‘acute cardiac failure’, which occurs when the heart cannot pump efficiently, often due to underlying conditions like heart attacks, arrhythmias, or infections. 

Her heartbroken friends were left to figure out how to transport her remains from Japan to the US. 

They later learned that the Korean Air crew had failed to plug the oxygen mask into the oxygen tank.   

‘Consequently, during the frantic attempts by passengers to save Ms. Brown’s life, Ms. Brown never received supplemental oxygen from the oxygen tank provided by Korean Air flight personnel,’ the complaint reads. 

The plaintiffs claim that if the flight attendants had responded as they were trained to, Brown ‘would not have experienced intense physical and emotional pain before dying at the age of 33’. 

The Daily Mail has contacted Korean Air for comment. Brown's family is seeking monetary damages from the airline, of an amount to be determined by a jury

The Daily Mail has contacted Korean Air for comment. Brown’s family is seeking monetary damages from the airline, of an amount to be determined by a jury

Attorney Hannah Crowe, who is representing Brown’s estate in the complaint, described her to The Independent as ‘a really remarkable young woman’.  

‘She was at the beginning of her young adulthood, and was a really accomplished and beloved member of her community,’ Crowe said. 

She added that airlines have stringent policies on how to respond to medical emergencies on board a plane.  

Darren Nicholson, Crowe’s co-counsel, also blasted the airline crew’s response. 

‘What is unusual about this case is that the apparent violations are so bad, it really shocks the conscience how the airline personnel handled this situation,’ Nicholson told The Independent. 

‘There were some very simple things they should have done, that they didn’t do.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Korean Air for comment. Brown’s family is seeking monetary damages from the airline, of an amount to be determined by a jury. 


Former I’m A Celeb… star Lord Brocket to go on trial for rapes after bid to throw the case out dismissed by judge


Former I’m A Celebrity star and peer Lord Brocket is to go on trial next year accused of sexual offences including rape after a judge refused to throw out the case.

The 74-year-old entered formal not guilty pleas when he appeared in the dock at Isleworth Crown Court in west London today.

He is accused of two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of causing a person to engage in a sexual act without their consent.

All charges relate to the same complainant, a woman who cannot be identified due to being an alleged victim of sexual offending.

The alleged offences all took place on the same date in August last year.

His lawyer Crispin Aylett KC made an application to dismiss all five counts, stating that a secret voice recording of all the alleged offences was used to ‘trap’ his client, and in fact demonstrated consent.

But Judge Martin Edmunds KC, the Recorder for Kensington and Chelsea, said these points were matters for the jury, and dismissed the application.

The defendant, who wore a dark blue suit, white shirt and blue tie, gave his name to the court as Charles Brocket.

Former I’m A Celeb… star Lord Brocket to go on trial for rapes after bid to throw the case out dismissed by judge

Lord Charles Brocket, accompanied by his girlfriend Julia Roberts, arriving at Isleworth Crown Court in London today

He was told his trial will not take place until November 2027.

The aristocrat was released on conditional bail.

He was accompanied at court by his girlfriend, Julia Roberts.  

Brocket previously finished fourth on the 2004 series of ITV reality show I’m a Celebrity, which was won by singer Kerry Katona, ahead of journalist Jennie Bond and pop star Peter Andre.

He was excluded from the House of Lords in 1999 along with hundreds of others as part of moves to reduce the number of hereditary peers voting in the chamber.


Artemis II astronauts say goodbye to their families before moon launch


Artemis II astronauts say goodbye to their families before moon launch
The crew are set to embark on the first journey to the Moon since 1972, a landmark odyssey
(Picture: AFP or licensors)

The Artemis II astronauts have waved goodbye to their families and friends as they prepare to launch on their voyage around the moon.

Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch are about to embark on their 10-day trip to the moon and back for the first time in 53 years.

Glover was seen mouthing ‘I love you’ to each of his family members wearing matching t-shirts before the voyagers boarded a shuttle bus on their way to the launch pad 39B.

The launch now looks likely to go ahead after many setbacks with the crew all in their flight suits and good weather conditions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - APRIL 01: Pilot Victor Glover takes a photo with his family as he walks out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building ahead of the launch of the Artemis II at NASA???s Kennedy Space Center on April 01, 2026 in in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 322-foot-tall Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will take the astronauts around the moon and back, 230,000 miles out into space and the farthest any human has ever traveled from Earth. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Pilot Victor Glover goes for a typical dad thumbs up for a photo with his family (Picture: Getty)
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - APRIL 01: Commander Reid Wiseman (L) takes a photo with his family as he walks out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building ahead of the launch of the Artemis II at NASA???s Kennedy Space Center on April 01, 2026 in in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 322-foot-tall Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will take the astronauts around the moon and back, 230,000 miles out into space and the farthest any human has ever traveled from Earth. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Commander Reid Wiseman makes a love heart with his family (Picture: Getty Images)

Waving to family, colleagues and news photographers, the crew boarded the so-called astrovan for the 9-mile ride to the launch pad and their awaiting SLS rocket.

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Before their highly anticipated walkout, commander Reid Wiseman and his crew played a quick card game with NASA’s chief astronaut Scott Tingle. It’s a preflight tradition since the space shuttle era.

Losing is good: It means the astronaut has gotten rid of all bad luck before launching.

The four thanked the suit techs and posed for photos, keeping a safe distance from many of the bystanders to avoid germs.

They then went down the elevator at the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building and walk out to a barrage of cameras and cheers.

What is Artemis?

Artemis, Nasa’s return-to-the-moon programme, has been plagued by delays, technical hiccups and budget cuts for years.

This has all but denied generations of astronauts their chance at walking where Neil Armstrong once did in 1969.

The last time humans were casually strolling – or moonwalking, we suppose – on the moon was for the 1972 Apollo 17 mission.

Donald Trump made bringing American space boots back to the lunar surface a goal during his first administration, signing Artemis in 2017.

Space officials were tasked with working with commercial companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build a lunar-orbiting Gateway outpost.

The project’s first mission, known as Artemis I, involved an uncrewed Orion capsule doing a 1.3 million-mile lap around the moon in 2022.

One small step for man… again (Picture: Metro)

Unlike the Apollo missions, the second Artemis mission won’t actually land on the moon.

Nevertheless, it will be the first to leave Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in 53 years.

It will also be the first time that astronauts launch on top of NASA’s giant Space Launch System rocket and then swing around the Moon inside the Orion crew capsule.

This equipment was one of the main reasons Artemis II was postponed by more than a year, with NASA citing issues with Orion’s life support system.

This is a breaking news story… more to follow…