PROUD MEDIA NEWS CENTRE

  Attack in broad daylight A “violent, jealous, controlling” husband who stabbed his wife to death as she pushed their baby in a pram after tracking her to a women’s refuge has been found guilty of murder. Habibur Masum launched a “ferocious” knife attack in broad daylight on Kulsuma Akter before leaving her “bleeding to death in the gutter” and calmly walking away, leaving their seven-month-old son behind. A court heard Masum, 26, followed Ms Akter, 27, to a refuge in Bradford where she had been staying to escape him after he held a knife to her throat following an assault at their home in Greater Manchester. After finding her through her phone location, Masum was seen on CCTV in the days leading up to the fatal attack “loitering, watching and waiting” in streets around the hostel, jurors heard. He sent her messages threatening to kill her family members if she did not return to him, before trying to lure her out by sending her fake messages from a local GP practice pretending the...

  Rumours of Lorde secret set British pop rock band The 1975 will be the first headliners to grace the Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage this year when they perform on Friday evening. Made up of four school friends, the group, known for songs including Chocolate, Someone Else and About You, is comprised of singer Matt Healy, bassist Ross MacDonald, guitarist Adam Hann, and drummer George Daniel. The five-day celebration of music and performing arts, which opened its gates on Wednesday, will also see headline performances from veteran rocker Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo. The BBC confirmed on Thursday that Young’s Saturday Pyramid Stage set will not be broadcast live “at the artist’s request”. This year’s line-up features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, which will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday. Among the music stars rumoured to be performing a secret set is New Zealand sing...

  Attempts by successive governments to improve bus services and attract more passengers have failed, according to the spending watchdog. Services have been reduced and passenger numbers are below pre-coronavirus levels, a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) said. The study, which covers England outside London, warned that the sector’s commercial viability has weakened as revenues have fallen and costs have risen. It warned that rural and suburban areas face a “cycle of decline” whereby services are withdrawn because of low demand, which leads to a further fall in passenger numbers and more cuts. Most local bus services are run by private companies, who set routes and timetables aimed at making a profit. Some services seen as socially necessary are financially supported by local transport authorities. Public funding to bus operators accounted for half their revenue in 2023/24, at £1.8 billion. In February 2020, then-Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson pledged £3 billion...

  Some parents are working extra hours or selling possessions to fund school trips, a survey has found. About one in eight (13%) parents with school-age children said they have worked overtime to meet the cost of away days or residential trips, according to public sector insurer Zurich Municipal. Meanwhile, 9% said they have taken to selling possessions on second-hand sites such as Vinted or eBay to cover the cost. The research also indicated that, in some cases, children’s own pocket money or fundraising efforts had been used to help pay for the trip. About one in seven (15%) parents also said they had needed to make their own sacrifices and “go without” to be able to afford to send their child on an educational excursion. More than a third (35%) of parents surveyed said the ongoing cost of living is their biggest challenge and nearly a quarter (24%) blamed utility bills. The research indicated parents were paying around £30 on average for a day school trip and £412 on average for...

  A brave police officer who was injured as he ran to confront psychotic swordsman Marcus Monzo has said there was “no time for fear” as lives were on the line. Inspector Moloy Campbell reflected on the lengths to which he and his team went to prevent further loss of life after Monzo killed 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute rampage in Hainault, east London. Before Mr Campbell’s arrival on the morning of April 30 last year, Monzo had repeatedly struck Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield with a samurai sword and was still on the loose. Mr Campbell told the PA news agency: “As we were heading to the incident my sergeant was driving and I was in the operator seat. As we heard that transmission ‘police officer stabbed, police officer stabbed’ I turned to him and said: ‘Just get us there, don’t speed up, don’t let red mist get to you. We need to get there and get control of this incident.'” He said his thoughts were entirely focused on the need to “preserve life”, including that of hi...