Andrew Tate has won his appeal in a Romanian court to be released from house arrest pending trial.
The controversial influencer has been held in Romania charged with human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group.
The Bucharest Court of Appeals said in a written ruling that it “replaces the house arrest measure with that of judicial control for a period of 60 days from 4 August until 2 October.”
Tate was indicted in June along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects for human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
The Tate brothers are accused of tricking seven women into sexual exploitation on fake promises of a relationship or marriage – a technique authorities have labelled the “loverboy method”.
It is alleged that the Tate brothers, along with the two Romanian female suspects, formed the group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania and other countries – including the US and UK.
Read more: Andrew Tate sues woman who accused him of human trafficking How the arrest of controversial influencer has impacted his Twitter following
The brothers were first arrested at a property in Bucharest in December last year and held in custody until March – when they were released under house arrest.
The former professional kickboxer has repeatedly claimed Romanian prosecutors have no evidence and alleged the case is a political conspiracy designed to silence him.
Andrew Tate, who has been based mainly in Romania since 2017, is an online influencer who has amassed millions of followers, particularly among young men.
Police have made a renewed appeal for information relating to the disappearance of a man after a crash more than a decade ago.
Kyle Vaughan would have celebrated his 35th birthday on Thursday.
He disappeared on Sunday, 30 December 2012 at the age of 24. He did not return after leaving his home for the evening.
A silver Peugeot 306, which he was driving, was involved in a single-vehicle collision on the same day as he disappeared.
The collision took place on the A467 between Crosskeys and Risca.
Gwent Police initially launched a missing person inquiry but it later became a murder investigation.
Eight people in total were arrested on suspicion of offences in connection with Mr Vaughan’s disappearance.
They were all later released without charge.
‘Desperate for answers’
Detective Chief Superintendent Nicky Brain said the force’s investigation “remains very much active” and they continue to be in “regular contact with his family”.
“Officers from our major incident team continue to investigate any information that we receive from members of the public,” DCS Brain said.
“As part of this extensive investigation, we have to date conducted searches in 40 areas, interviewed in excess of 200 people, received more than 180 intelligence logs and taken nearly 900 witness statements.
“Unfortunately though, we still don’t have the answers we need and Kyle’s family, who’ve never given up hope of finding out what happened to him, so desperately want.”
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Crimestoppers Wales are offering an increased reward for information which could assist the investigation.
Hayley Fry, Crimestoppers Wales national manager, said Mr Vaughan’s family are “desperate for answers”.
“We are hoping our renewed appeal and increased reward will remind the public about this case and the important role they can play in seeking justice for Kyle’s family and friends,” she added.
“We believe that somebody knows what happened to Kyle.”
Gwent Police have opened an online portal on Thursday which will remain open for three months.
Members of the public are urged to submit information relating to the investigation into Mr Vaugahan’s disappearance either through the online portal or by getting in touch with Crimestoppers.
The government has been given the go-ahead to make an appeal to the Supreme Court in a bid to get the Rwanda deportation policy off the ground.
The Court of Appeal ruled last month that plans to send asylum seekers to the east African nation were unlawful, overturning an initial High Court ruling giving the plan the green light.
Rishi Sunak said at the time he “fundamentally” disagreed with the Court of Appeal ruling.
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The Court of Appeal has now granted permission for the government to challenge their decision, and has also allowed one of the asylum seekers in the case to dispute part of last month’s ruling as well.
Last month’s ruling at the appeals court was made two to one by a panel of three judges, with Sir Geoffrey Vos and Lord Justice Underhill finding “deficiencies” in Rwanda‘s asylum system meant asylum seekers deported there could be returned to their countries of origin and face persecution.
Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett said he did not accept that migrants would be at risk of removal to their home countries from Rwanda – but it is not a safe place for them to be housed while their asylum claims are processed.
He said: “The result is that the High Court’s decision that Rwanda was a safe third country is reversed, and unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum process are corrected, removal of asylum seekers will be unlawful.”
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This is the latest step in the long-running legal wrangling over the policy, first introduced when Boris Johnson was prime minister and Priti Patel was home secretary.
The Court of Appeals decided sending anyone to Rwanda would constitute a breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, “with which parliament has required that the government must comply”.
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2:18
June: Rwanda policy ruled ‘unlawful’
As well as Mr Sunak strongly disagreeing with the judiciary, Home Secretary Suella Braverman also voiced her support.
She said she remained “fully committed” to the policy.
Read more: Cost of sending each migrant to countries such as Rwanda Asylum seekers are going ‘underground’ in fear of being deported to Rwanda
The government wants to send tens of thousands of migrants more than 4,000 miles away to Rwanda as part of a £120m deal agreed with the government in Kigali last year.
However, no one has made the journey yet.
The first flight was stopped at the eleventh hour in June last year after an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Police are appealing for help to find a 23-year-old man in connection to a serious assault in west London.
Sam Gray is wanted for questioning after two people were allegedly assaulted in Uxbridge.
Metropolitan Police officers said they were called to an address on Arklay Close at around 10.40pm on Friday.
They said officers found a 19-year-old man with multiple stab wounds who was taken to hospital with “non life-changing injuries” while a 24-year-old woman sustained minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.
Police said the suspect Sam Gray is known to the two people but he left the scene before officers arrived.
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A statement from the Met Police said: “It is believed Gray made off in a Peugeot with the registration KT13 KNW and detectives believe he may now have left the London area.
“He has links to Eastleigh in Hampshire and it is believed he may have returned to that area.”
Members of the public with any information on Mr Gray’s whereabouts are urged not to approach him but to contact police immediately.
Police are appealing for information after a woman was sexually assaulted in the crowd at a Harry Styles concert.
Officers have released a photograph of a man they are keen to speak to following the incident at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester.
The woman was attacked after being approached from behind by a man at around 8.30pm on Wednesday 15 June last year.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it was issuing the image a year later because officers had “utilised several lines of enquiry and are now hoping to seek fresh information”.
A spokesperson for the force added: “GMP would now like to identify this male, as they believe he could assist with their investigation”.
Image: Harry Styles on stage during a May 2022 gig in Coventry
Officers are also appealing for people to get in touch if they were at the Styles show and have “mobile phone footage from the area at the time”.
Detective Constable Grace O’Rourke, of GMP’s Trafford division, said: “We always take a robust approach to these kinds of reports and we have launched this new appeal to ensure we get justice for the victim.
“We will continue to investigate and we are asking anyone with any information to please get in touch with us.”
Friends of Nicola Bulley have gathered for a “last push” roadside appeal two weeks on from her disappearance – after police extended the search for the missing mother-of-two to the Lancashire coast.
The 45-year-old went missing while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre on Friday 27 January after dropping her daughters off at school.
Emma White, a friend of Ms Bulley, is among members of the local community on Friday standing roadside in the Lancashire village with banners and placards featuring her photograph, in a plea to “bring Nikki home”.
Image: Nicola Bulley has been missing since Friday 27 January
She told Sky News: “The community has united once again and it’s a real last push to jog people’s memories.
“We just need to bring Nikki home.”
More questions than answers
A fortnight on from Ms Bulley’s disappearance, the small rural village is no longer the same. The police presence in the quaint village has been overwhelming for many who live nearby.
It is the epicentre of a mystery that has captured the nation’s attention but more importantly, it’s the scene of a major police operation to find a mother to two young girls.
Over the last two weeks the community has banded together to try and find any trace of evidence relating to Ms Bulley’s disappearance: Dog walkers, friends, teachers from her daughters’ school – all searching in hope for some answers.
But after 14 days of not knowing what has happened to the mortgage adviser, the case poses more questions than answers.
Ms Bulley’s family are still praying she will come home, safe and well.
Image: Friends of missing Nicola Bulley are holding a roadside appeal to help jog people’s memories
Search moves to the coast
The focus of the police search operation has now shifted from where Ms Bulley vanished to further downstream, towards where the River Wyre empties into the Irish Sea at Morecambe Bay.
Officers have confirmed they are focusing on the mouth of the river, with Lancashire Police suggesting finding Ms Bulley “in the open sea becomes more of a possibility”.
Sky News understands specialist diving units have also been deployed to scour parts of the 15km stretch of river from the bench where her phone and dog were found to the bay.
After three days of helping the police search the waterway near to where Ms Bulley was last seen, a team of specialist divers that regularly assist police with underwater searches found no trace of her.
Read more: Nicola Bulley’s movements before she vanished Police looking at 500 active pieces of information in search Images released of Nicola Bulley on day she disappeared
Image: The bench where Nicola Bulley’s phone was found, on the banks of the River Wyre
Peter Faulding of Specialist Group International (SGI), whose team were equipped with a £55,000 side-scan sonar able to pick up objects underwater, told reporters he believes it is “unlikely” she has been swept out to sea.
“My personal view is that I think it is a long way to go in a tidal river,” he said.
Ms White said the fact that nothing had been found had given her renewed hope.
“To not find a key, welly, hat or jewellery, or a watch or anything – we are clinging on – whether it’s hope… we think she is not in there.”
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Voicenote from Nicola Bulley’s partner
‘We need her back’
Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell has told Sky News the last two weeks have been “a rollercoaster ride”.
He says he is trying to do everything to make life as normal as possible for his two daughters. But increasingly they are asking more and more questions about their mummy and where she is.
In a voice note he sent to Sky News, he spoke of his pain and desperation for answers: “We need her back. We have to find her safe ad well. I can’t put those girls to bed again without no answers.”
Lancashire Police have dismissed any suggestion Ms Bulley is a victim of crime and say the scale of the missing person inquiry is “unprecedented”, involving 40 detectives and following 500 lines of inquiry.
Meanwhile, police have been given extra powers to break up groups causing a nuisance in the village following reports of people travelling into the area and filming properties on social media.
Police searching for Nicola Bulley have appealed for a “key” witness who they believe was in the area on the morning of the mother-of-two’s disappearance.
The witness is a woman seen pushing a pram on the morning of Friday 27 January, when Ms Bulley went missing.
Officers believe Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre while she was walking her dog.
Image: Nicola Bulley disappeared on 27 January
However her family and friends have claimed there is “no evidence whatsoever” behind the police’s theory.
The woman was seen walking in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre at around 8.22am.
She is again seen walking just under 20 minutes later at 8.41am.
Read more: What were missing dog walker’s movements before she disappeared?
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “It is believed that the female in question may have walked along the river path during these times and so detectives want to speak to her and urge her to get in touch.”
The force spokesperson added that it was crucial to gather as much footage as possible from the area on that morning to “review every piece meticulously” and establish whether Nicola can be seen.
“We know from the footage we are currently reviewing, that this is a busy road, particularly at that time in the morning,” they added.
“There will be many people who were in that area at the time who may not think they can help, however we would urge you not to make that decision yourself and to come forward so we can have as much material as possible to assist the investigation.”
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2:03
Retracing Nicola Bulley’s journey
Crucial 10-minute window
Ms Bulley, 45, was last seen walking her dog on a footpath by the River Wyre.
Police are focusing their investigation on a crucial 10-minute window when the mortgage advisor’s movements are unaccounted for between 9.10am and 9.20am.
A timeline pieced together by the force found she logged into a work conference call on Microsoft Teams at 9.01am.
Nine minutes later a witness who knows Ms Bulley said they saw her on the upper field walking her dog, Willow, which was off her lead.
This is the last confirmed sighting of her.
At 9.20am, police believe her phone was left on a bench by the river.
At 9.30am, the work conference call ended but she stayed connected – before her phone was found three minutes later on the bench by another dog walker.
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2:36
‘I don’t know how I am coping’
We will ‘never lose hope’
Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, vowed to “never lose hope” on Friday, a week after she “vanished into thin air”.
He said he was focused on supporting their daughters, aged six and nine, but added: “I don’t know how I am coping.
“I don’t want to think about that.”
Friends and family told Sky News correspondent Katerina Vittozzi it was “too soon for condolences”, and say they are not ready to accept the police’s theory that Ms Bulley fell into the river.
They have now set up a community search hub at the village tennis club where people are invited to take a map of the local area and try and help.
‘It’s too soon for condolences’ say Nicola Bulley’s friends and family
This is a small Lancashire town in a desperate search, where no one wants to give up looking.
Nicola Bulley’s friends say it’s too soon for condolences, that the police’s theory, that Nicola fell into the river, is not one they can, as yet, accept.
Ms Bulley’s friend, Heather Gibbons, told Sky News: “As far as we are aware, there is no evidence that she is in that water.”
She praised the police for the “incredible” amount of resources devoted to the river, but added: “This is not adding up and it’s not adding up on a huge, huge scale, which makes you think, ‘well then, there has to still be hope’, because we’re missing something, something is not making sense.”
Now Ms Bulley’s friends and family have established a community search hub in the village tennis club, where people can come, take a map of the local area and try and help.
Lal Kilpatrick, a search volunteer who has known the missing mother-of-two for 20 years, said she wanted to help during what she described as a “distressing time for the family”.
Meanwhile strangers are also offering their support, including Lee Ward, who has never met Ms Bulley or her family but felt compelled to help.
“I saw it on the news, it eats you up inside thinking what they are going through,” Mr Ward told Sky News.
For Nicola Bulley’s friends and family, there are still far more questions than answers right now.
The police investigation has been extensive, it has covered 15km of rivers all the way down to the sea but it’s still here, the fields where Nicola was last seen, and where her phone and dog were found, that continues to draw people, all with the same question – what happened that morning?
Specialists and divers from HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service have been deployed to assist the search, in addition to sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters.
A team of detectives have been working to analyse telephone communication, house to house enquiries, CCTV, dashcam footage and other digital enquiries, Lancashire Police said.
Read more: Nicola’s girls are ‘really missing her’, friend reveals Signs and placards displayed in the streets to find missing mum-of-two
‘It’s a very, very odd one’
Forensics search and rescue expert Peter Faulding told Sky News he has been left “mystified” by the “strange” circumstances of Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
Mr Faulding, who has worked on hundreds of cases, said the tidal nature of the River Wye has presented difficulties for police during the search operation.
But he added: “I mean, the phone being found, a bench; normally, if someone would trip, they would have their phone in their hand.
Image: Police officers on the River Wyre, in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire searching for Ms Bulley
“You know, the dog being dry; going after dogs, this is why a lot of people drown. They jump after their dogs.
“But the dog was found dry, so it clearly didn’t go in the river, and that’s what gets my suspicion about this case is it’s a very, very odd one.”
Ms Bulley is described as 5ft 3in tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair, which was tied in a ponytail when she disappeared.
She speaks with an Essex accent and was last seen wearing an ankle-length black quilted gilet, with a black long-sleeved waist-length Vector coat underneath.
She was also wearing tight black jeans, long green walking socks tucked into her jeans and ankle-length green wellington boots from Next.
The mum-of-two was also wearing a necklace and a pale blue Fitbit.
Ms Bulley’s family are being supported by specially trained police officers who are keeping them fully updated.
Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about the alleged murder of footballer Cody Fisher as a friend paid tribute to him, begging for him to come home.
Mr Fisher, 23, was stabbed on the dancefloor of the Crane nightclub in the Digbeth area of Birmingham just before 11.45pm on Boxing Day.
Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead around half an hour later. A murder investigation has been launched.
One of his friends, Jess Chatwin, paid tribute to the footballer on Twitter, in a tweet that is no longer public.
She wrote: “You didn’t deserve any of this. I’m so sorry this has happened to you my baby please come home. I love you forever Cody Fisher.”
She also wrote in her Instagram bio: “Love you forever my code”.
West Midlands Police wrote on Twitter: “Detectives have been working through the night and the investigation continues.
“We’re really pleased with the response so far, but are still appealing for people to get in touch who saw/recorded what happened.”
They included a link to submit information and photos or video footage.
In the appeal, they say no one has been arrested so far.
Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood, who is leading the investigation, said in a statement on the West Midlands Police page: “This was a young man enjoying himself with friends on a Boxing Day night out and our thoughts are with his friends and family today.
“We know there were hundreds of people in the nightclub at the time. While we’ve spoken to a number of them already, we still need to hear from anyone who was there and who witnessed or even filmed what happened.
“We believe that the victim was approached by a group of people, and was then stabbed, so we’re working hard to identify all of those involved.”
Mr Fisher’s family said in a statement: “They have broken our hearts; I have lost my best friend. My family and I are asking for privacy and respectfulness at this heart-breaking time.”
Image: The Crane nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham
Mr Fisher played for Stratford Town FC, who are in the Southern League Premier Division Central. He had also played for Bromsgrove Sporting.
Stratford Town’s chairman, Jed McCrory, told Sky News that “everyone is devastated by the news” and described Mr Fisher as a “talented footballer” and a “lovely, lovely young man”.
One of Mr Fisher’s friends, who played with him last season at Bromsgrove, told Sky News: “He was genuinely one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. He’d do anything for you.”
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0:39
‘Speechless’: Tribute to Cody Fisher
The club released a statement and described Mr Fisher’s death as a “tragic loss”, adding: “Our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of Cody.”
They said they were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the incident and added that the club’s New Year’s Eve event has been cancelled.
Detectives are viewing CCTV from the venue and urge anyone who was in the area to get in touch. The club will remain closed while evidence is collected, and police will remain in the area.
A woman who died after being hit by a police car in Liverpool on Christmas Eve has been named as 22-year-old Rachael Louise Moore.
Merseyside Police said they were called to reports of a collision involving a pedestrian and a marked police car on Sheil Road in the city at about 8.10pm. Ms Moore was confirmed dead at the scene.
Paying tribute, her family released a statement saying: “Rachael Louise Moore aged 22, cherished daughter of Alison and Ian, sister to Ben and much loved granddaughter of Nana Sue. Partner to Jack and caring friend to many.
“She will be greatly missed by all those whose lives she touched. The family requests their privacy be respected at this devastating time.”
Police are urging witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is also investigating.
Detective Sergeant Kurt Timpson, from the force’s MATRIX serious collision investigation unit, said: “Following the death of Rachael we are providing assistance to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.
“Our sincere and thoughts and condolences are with Rachael’s family who have been left devastated by this tragic incident. Specially trained family liaison officers are supporting them at this time.
“I would like to appeal to anyone who witnessed this incident to please make contact with us as we try to piece together the circumstances. I would also like to ask anyone who has CCTV, dashcam or smart doorbell footage that may help us to please get in touch.
“As is standard procedure, the incident was referred to the IOPC. The family requests their privacy be respected at this time.”
Ms Moore’s death came a day after the death of a 53-year-old woman in Oldham, Greater Manchester, who was struck by a police car that had been engaged in a chase.
Officers in Sheffield are appealing to the public to help find a 12-year-old who goes by the name of Mark.
The individual, with no known surname, was last seen around 7pm on Monday 28 November in the area of Parsons Cross, Sheffield.
Mark is described as a white, 5ft tall, slight build individual with dark brown hair.
He was last seen wearing a black puffer jacket with a PlayStation logo on the front, dark jogging bottoms and black, white and blue Nike branded trainers.
Officers are becoming increasingly concerned for Mark’s welfare and wish to speak to anyone who has seen him.
Police say the 12-year-old also has links to Derbyshire.
As part of the ongoing investigation, a 46-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of child abduction and remains in custody.
