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A mother today admitted killing her newborn son whose body was discovered in woodland almost 27 years ago. The identity of the child remained a mystery until three years ago when a cold case investigation revealed a DNA link to Joanne Sharkey on the police national computer. Until then he had been known as Baby Callum - named after the Callands area of Warrington, in Cheshire, near to the Gulliver's World theme park, where the child's body was found. Sharkey was charged last April and was due to go on trial today for the baby’s murder. But today she pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility and to concealing her son’s birth. Jonas Hankin KC, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that the evidence of experts, including psychiatrists instructed by both the prosecution and defence, revealed Sharkey was suffering from post-natal depression at the time.

Mairi Kerin, 42, a medal-winning Wadokai karate enthusiast, who is also proficient in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing, tackled the armed robber at LOCO Convenience Store in Telford, Shropshire. She grabbed the would-be thief's arm and delivered a couple of firm kicks to his shins, leaving him scarpering out of the store. Her actions helped identify a gang that carried out robberies across Telford in March 2023. Jordan Hickman, 29, Jake Jones, 21, and an 18-year-old, who could not be named for legal reasons, were later jailed for a combined total of 18 years for their involvement. Dramatic CCTV captured martial arts expert Mairi chasing the criminal from the shop before he ran away down the street. Mairi has now been given a Police Chief Superintendent Commendation Award by West Mercia Police following her brave heroics on March 3, 2023. Today she told how she did not think twice about jumping to the shopkeeper's defence after hearing the man tell him: 'I'm going to take your money.'

Mild temperatures and pleasant conditions are expected throughout the weekend as the Met Office predicts 'fine and dry with sunny spells on Saturday'. In comparison to the likes of Ibiza (16C) and Nice (17C) in south France, temperatures could climb to 18C in the UK on Saturday and 17C on Sunday. It comes after Brits were told to take care on their journeys to work and school yesterday morning after parts of the country were hit by a freezing fog overnight. Cooler temperatures are expected by the middle of next week, with daytime London temperatures predicted to be around 8C. The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning yesterday for the south coast of England after patches of dense, cold mist were seen forming in the area in the early hours. Motorists were advised to give extra time for their commutes as visibility was reduced to less than 100m in places, making driving conditions tricky.

Dramatic pictures taken by The Times from a nearby fishing vessel show crew on board the Boikiy as it escorted the Baltic Leader cargo ship early on Monday. Armed personnel were seen manning machine guns on the Boikiy, a 343ft-long Russian corvette that can carry up to 99 men at a time. The warship moved in step with the large cargo ship sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 for transporting weapons for Russia, which has been getting bolder on the world stage in recent weeks as tensions in Ukraine reached a boiling point and the US rendered British Storm Shadow missiles useless. The Baltic Leader was this time carrying a shipment of military hardware from a Russian base in Tartus, Syria, where Kremlin operations are being wound down in the wake of the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad. James Droxford, of the intelligence consultancy Droxford Maritime, said: 'The recovered military hardware onboard Baltic Leader could be used to reinforce Russia's combat capability in Ukraine, or to replenish military stocks in other key Russian military regions.'

Angry residents have called for the removal of 'nightmare' cycling wands in Wimborne Road in Poole, Dorset - as larger vehicle drivers complain there is now nowhere for them to stop. The 2ft tall posts were installed to protect cyclists using a brand-new bike lane that has been laid between a row of houses and the road. But the wands have created issues for emergency vehicles such as fire engines, which now have to stop in the middle of the road and hold up traffic to deal with an incident. Emergency vehicles such as fire engines have to stop in the middle of the road and hold up traffic to deal with an incident. And lorries and large delivery vans are unable to pull in next to properties, so they also have to park on the road leaving it gridlocked. Local councillor Gavin Wright, speaking on behalf of angry homeowners, challenged the council's cycling supremo on where lorries and delivery vehicles are now meant to stop. But Andy Hadley, cabinet member responsible for the roads at BCP Council, could not give an answer and instead said he would have to 'consult with council officers'.

She's known for her stylish ensembles - and Queen Letizia of Spain didn't disappoint as she stepped out in Madrid today. The 52-year-old royal put on an edgy display in a leather jacket while joining King Felipe at the ARCO Contemporary Art Fair in the Spanish capital. Looking effortlessly chic, the mother-of-two teamed her striking garment with a black jumper and matching smart trousers. Walking alongside her husband, art-lover Letizia admired the works on display at the annual event. Complementing her ruby leather jacket, the Spanish Queen opted for reddish eye shadow and lipstick to accentuate her stunning facial features.

The east, south and parts of the north of the country have been given yellow and orange warnings for severe weather over the coming days by the country's weather agency, which has warned that tourist hotspots including Malaga, Murcia, Valencia and Alicante will also be affected. The latest bad weather comes after Canary Islands were hit with flash flooding and heavy snow in back-to-back episodes. In Castellón, on Spain's mainland, as much as 254 litres of rain fell on every square metre of some towns since Monday. Over in Valencia, some towns received as much as 200 litres per square metre.