London Southend Airport plane crash: ‘Beloved' flight nurse killed in explosion was on first day of new job
A Chilean-born nurse has been named as among the four people who were killed in a plane crash at London Southend Airport.
Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz (31), a German citizen born in Chile, was reportedly on her first day as a flight nurse on board the small aircraft when it came down after take-off on Sunday afternoon.
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The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Mum of missing Brit receives chilling mystery messages year after he vanished on Sardinia trip with woman he met online
THE DISTRAUGHT mum of a Brit who disappeared while camping with his girlfriend in Sardinia has been sent chilling messages saying: "I tried to believe it was an accident." Michael Frison, 26, Advertisement 11 Michael was reported missing in Sardinia Credit: Facebook 11 An image of Michael's abandoned belongings have surfaced just over a year after he vanished Credit: The Sun 11 He vanished on 13 July 2024, just the day after he arrived on the Mediterranean island Credit: Facebook/@Cristina Pittalis 11 Niomi Orlandini and Michael met online and she later joined him in Sardinia Credit: The Sun 11 The The cryptic messages 'reference guilt, fear, and the inability to remain silent.' They read: 'You cannot live a lie without it finding you eventually. Advertisement read more news 'I've seen it in nightmares. 'This isn't about blame, it's about the silence that eats away. 'I tried to forget. I tried to believe it was an accident. But the fear… it doesn't go.' Cristina previously told The Sun that she can 'relate' to Jay Slater's mum Debbie Duncan - and blames local Italian police for failing to investigate properly. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive Exclusive She said: 'I can't even imagine how Jay Slater's mum would have felt when her son went missing and she couldn't communicate in Spanish. 'I can communicate with the police and they have been useless.' Tragic last vid shows tourist, 26, smiling next to pal at summit before deadly plunge in active volcano crater Cristine explained that her son Michael had flown from Bristol Airport to Olbia on July 2 last year, before driving to his grandparents home in Sassari to celebrate his 25th birthday and his grandma's 70th. Niomi, 27, asked to join him on the trip and he cancelled his return flight to the UK in order to stay with her for an additional week. Advertisement According to his mum, the pair left Michael's grandparents home on July 12, and went to volunteer on a farm in the Gallura hinterland, where they would work in exchange for food and accommodation. Mum-of-two Cristine says the trip from her parents' place to the site they stayed at was a '70 mile journey', and the area was surrounded by 'rugged terrain and deep vegetation'. The pair arrived on an area of land, owned by a German couple, on the same day they left, with Michael and Niomi staying in a tent about '100 metres away' from the couple, who were in a campervan. Cristine said that was the last day she heard from him: 'He texted me saying he was going to sleep and that he'd call me tomorrow. He ended it with a heart emoji.' Advertisement A snap taken from the scene shows clothing and a water bottle in the area where they camped. Heartbroken mum Cristina has grown increasingly frustrated over the Italian authorities' reluctance to share key information about Michael's disappearance with British cops. 11 The search for Michael was called off after just two weeks Credit: Unpixs 11 Michael had been in Sardinia celebrating his birthday with his Italian grandparents Credit: Jonathan Kanengoni Advertisement 11 Mum Cristina has launched a campaign to find her son Credit: Jonathan Kanengoni The Foreign Office has stated it cannot intervene in the investigation unless Italy formally requests their assistance. Italian police have yet to locate or question Niomi, believed to be the last person to see Michael alive. She has not co-operated with the authorities or his family, and is thought to have moved to Thailand where her mother is from. Advertisement Cristina explained that police in Britain advised her to tell the Italian authorities to seize Niomi's passport, which they did not do, and that they got offended when she tried to tell them how to do their jobs. The crucial passport error may have allowed Niomi to vanish with a raft of questions left unanswered. She added that she has also not been given a family liaison officer, and claims Italian police have kept her in the dark. The worried mother additionally raised her concerns about Niomi, saying she has not spoken to her sisters since she left, though they keep telling her that she is a 'lovely girl'. Advertisement Efforts to track down Niomi's family in Jersey have failed. Cristina said: 'I'm not looking for a culprit, I'm looking for my son - I'm not accusing her of anything. 'But the fact she is not responding is quite mysterious and very strange.' The mum added: "Human beings do not disappear from the face of earth without leaving traces unless something extremely bad happened to them.' Advertisement The mother has been left questioning why Niomi would not respond to her appeals for help or check in for an update on the search. 11 A local investigation into his whereabouts is ongoing Credit: Facebook/@Cristina Pittalis 11 Cristina previously told The Sun that she can 'relate' to Jay Slater's mum Credit: Facebook/@Cristina Pittalis 11 Michael went missing on 13 July last year in Sardinia Credit: Jonathan Kanengoni Advertisement Cristina, who lost her husband seven years ago and is now juggling the search for Michael with looking after her youngest son, 11, said she's going through an 'unimaginable mix of emotions'. She said: 'It's destroyed our lives. 'Not knowing where Michael is and what happened is unbearable. 'Feeling the worst and holding onto hope for the best - it's an overwhelming sense of helplessness.' Advertisement She says she feels 'drained' by the emotional and physical toll of his disappearance, and vowed: 'I am determined to find him, even in my grief I will not stop fighting for him. In her desperate efforts, Cristina has 'given up everything', abandoning her promising career in social work in order to dedicate her time to finding Michael and downsizing her home. She said: 'I am leaving the house because I can't afford to live here and balance going between here and Italy.' Cristina added that her second son is home educated and has developed separation anxiety. Advertisement She praised Michael as 'such a kind and truly special soul'. She said: 'He feels so deeply not just for himself but for others - he notices when someone is struggling. 'He offers a kind word and a helping hand. "It's a never-ending nightmare. Advertisement "There's no real accountability... I am here and I am broken." A GoFundMe campaign launched by Michael's pals in the UK has now reached £10,000 in the effort to help find the missing Brit. Michael's mum living through 'never-ending nightmare' By THE mother of a Brit man who went missing in Sardinia a year ago has said she's been "broken" since his disappearance. Michael's mother Cristina Pittalis has told Sky News of her anguish over what happened to him. "I'm trying not to lose my mind," she said as she recounted the "He was in a rush but absolutely clear in his speech, I didn't detect any confusion in his state of mind." Cristina, who is from Somerset , told the broadcaster: "Human beings do not disappear from the face of earth without leaving traces unless … something extremely bad happened to them." Her son had reportedly gone for a walk, and returned in a confused state and showing signs of heatstroke. After this, he went for a second walk - from which he never returned. His clothes and trainers were later found close by. Michael's mum told Sky News is was "extremely unlikely" he would suffer heatstroke as he had lived on the island before. It would also be "completely out of character" to wander off barefoot and leave his belongings behind, she added. She has now moved to Sardinia along with her other son, 11, in an attempt to look for Michael. Cristina, who is originally from Sassari in the island's northwest, said she is "extremely worried because there are no traces of Michael". Although a local investigation into his whereabouts is ongoing, Michael's mum wants Interpol to step in to help with the search. "It's a never-ending nightmare," she said. "There's no real accountability... I am here and I am broken."
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Teen, 15, on trial over ISIS suicide plot to bomb Taylor Swift concert causing UK shows to be axed
A TEEN has gone on trial over an IS suicide plot to bomb a Taylor Swift concert that led to three of the pop star's shows being axed and tighter security at her UK dates. The lad, 15, named as Mohammad A, is accused of Advertisement 2 Taylor Swift's concerts were supposed to take place at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna before they were cancelled due to the terror threats 2 Taylor later said she felt a 'tremendous amount of guilt' and 'new sense of fear' over threats faced by her fans Credit: Getty Austrian Beran A, 19, allegedly planned a German-educated Syrian Mohammad A was nicked on the day the gigs were axed after his name was found in Beran A's contacts, it was said. Shake it Off singer Taylor later said she felt a 'tremendous amount of guilt' and 'new sense of fear' over threats faced by her fans. Berlin's Superior Court of Justice agreed to a trial behind closed doors. Advertisement READ MORE WORLD NEWS Berlin's Superior Court of Justice agreed with his defence lawyers' request for a private trial due to his age and 'heated press coverage' of the case. Prosecutors say the teen started following Islamic State ideology in 2024 - and pledged loyalty to the terror group in a text. They have also said the main suspect in Austria , Beran A, was still under investigation . After the alleged plot emerged, Home Secretary London Mayor Sadiq Khan were accused of pressing police into giving Taylor, 35, a blue-light escort for her gigs in the capital. Advertisement Most read in The Sun The London Mayor was among Labour figures who bagged freebies to her sell-out shows which Taylor Swift breaks her silence after three Vienna shows abruptly canceled over disturbing ISIS terror attack plot
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Four men further remanded in custody in relation to major cocaine seizure in West Cork
Four men charged with possession of illegal drugs and possession of illegal drugs for sale or supply in relation to a major cocaine seizure in West Cork on July 1 have been further remanded in custody. The four appeared by video link before Judge Joanne Carroll at Clonakilty District Court and are charged over the seizure of 440kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of €31m at Courtmacsherry in West Cork. Court presenter Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said a file was being prepared by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He said that it was the State's application to remand all four men in custody to appear again on July 25. Levent Gulay, aged 31, of Schwabenstraße, Neu Ulm, Bavaria, appeared with the assistance of a German interpreter. His solicitor, Myra Dinneen, presented a statement of means to the court and legal aid was granted. Conrad Murphy, acting as agent for solicitor Eddie Burke, was told by Judge Carroll that if a statement of means was filed for his client, Christopher Hibbett, aged 44, of Lower Park, Tresillian, Truro, England, an application for legal aid could be adjudicated upon. Solicitor Plunkett Taaffe for Mark Doherty, aged 40, of Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland, said the question of legal aid in relation to his client was still outstanding and said he was also seeking directions from the DPP in relation to the matter of venue. Judge Carroll said that Mr Taaffe was entitled to a response by July 25. Mr Taaffe also represented the fourth man, Ben Sandford, aged 42, of Woodgreen, Drum Road, Keith, Moray, Scotland, on behalf of solicitor Frank Buttimer. Jude Carroll further remanded all four accused to appear again by video link on July 25, 2025. This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
