Latest news with #MichaelPeterson
BBC News
10-07-2025
- BBC News
Doncaster man jailed for 16 years for 'heinous' domestic abuse
A man who attacked his partner, leaving her with a punctured lung and bleed on the brain, has been jailed for more than 16 Peterson, of Exchange Street in Doncaster, initially tried to cover up the extent of the violence by saying a fall down the stairs had caused her before the trial was due to start, the 38-year-old admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He was sentenced to 16-and-a-half years in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on Con Abi McKie said: "[He] has shown minimal remorse throughout the course of this case and is responsible for subjecting his victim to one of the most heinous acts of domestic violence I have come to witness." She said the victim, who sustained multiple rib fractures, showed "undeniable strength" throughout the investigation."She has shown extreme determination in coming to terms with what happened," Det Con McKie said."I am proud that Peterson has now been sentenced so she can close this chapter and flourish in the next."Peterson, who is known as "Mickey", was handed a restraining order preventing him from contacting the complainant for 20 was subject to a suspended prison sentence for shoplifting when he attacked his partner in May prosecution quoted paramedics, who were called the following day, as saying: "Her entire face was swollen and bruised. She could not even open her eyes."Det Con McKie added: "Nobody deserves to suffer any type of violence from anyone, especially someone close to them."I also hope that this case, with all the complexities that come with any investigation, has proved that domestic matters are taken seriously both by the police and [courts]." If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Euronews
10-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Copenhagen and Prague will soon be a direct train ride away
Europe's long-distance rail network is getting another boost in 2026. Starting next May, passengers will be able to ride the rail from Prague to Copenhagen via Berlin. Deutsche Bahn (DB), Danish Railways (DSB) and Czech Railways (ČD) are teaming up to offer the new direct connection, which will launch on 1 May 2026, when overhaul work on the line between Berlin and Hamburg is complete. The year-round daytime service will run in both directions and is expected to take just seven hours between Copenhagen and Berlin, and around eleven hours between Copenhagen and Prague. The operators will also extend a summer season night train that currently links Hamburg and Copenhagen onward to Prague. Additional stops are planned in key cities, including Dresden and Hamburg. The route will be served by ČD's new ComfortJet trains, offering a wide range of amenities, including an on-board restaurant, Wi-Fi, bicycle storage and space for 555 passengers. The high-speed trains also feature wheelchair lifts, a children's cinema and radio-transparent windows, which improve mobile connectivity and reception for passengers. Cross-border train travel picks up pace The Prague-Copenhagen connection is the first of 10 pilot projects selected by the European Commission to promote new cross-border train routes and improve international mobility. The initiative is designed to address persistent hurdles in long-distance rail, from infrastructure bottlenecks to market barriers. 'Rail is bringing Europe closer and closer together,' Michael Peterson, DB's board member for long distance passenger transport, said when the new link was announced. 'Journey times of over four hours are popular with our passengers in international long distance transport, and we are offering additional attractive services to meet the growing demand.' Other recent EU-backed rail connections include theBerlin-Paris route launched by DB and France's SNCF in December, and the newly announced Munich-Milan-Rome link set to launch in the coming years. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the EU's commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, called the Prague-Copenhagen route 'a strong example of progress' toward a greener and more connected continent. Europe's rail revival ramps up this summer and beyond Travellers seeking alternatives to short-haul flights now have more rail options than ever. In February, the Vilnius-Riga serviceexpanded to Tallinn. Then, in June,Polish Railways (PKP) launched a new summer route connecting Warsaw to Split on Croatia's Adriatic coast. The delightfully namedEspresso Riviera has also returned to service this summer, linking Rome and the French Riviera overnight. In the coming years, the rail links should continue to grow. Startup Dreamstar Lines plans to connect100 European cities via sleeper train – promising fares for less than the price of a hotel stay. These routes are part of a broader renaissance for European rail, with night trains especially seeing a resurgence after decades of decline. Barriers to seamless train travel remain While enthusiasm is growing for this greener method of travel, Europe's cross-border rail ambitions still face obstacles. Fragmented ticketing systems, differences in infrastructure and slow approvals for new routes continue tohinder progress. And passengers still struggle to find unified booking platforms or real-time updates when journeys involve multiple national rail companies. Still, EU leaders remain optimistic that the pilot routes – including Prague to Copenhagen – will set a precedent for a more connected, sustainable future. 'This direct rail link is not only good for travellers,' said Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner. 'It's an important step in decarbonising Europe's transport sector.'
The Sun
25-06-2025
- The Sun
Hardman con Charles Bronson bids for freedom as he faces ninth parole hearing after 50 years inside
HARDMAN con Charles Bronson is preparing for his ninth parole hearing since his minimum jail term expired in 2003. The lag — repeatedly given more time inside for violence and hostage-taking — appears before a panel in October. A source said Bronson, now 72 and calling himself Charles Salvador, had been trying to avoid bust-ups at HMP Woodhill, Bucks. They added: 'He insists he has changed. He has high hopes of being successful this time.' Luton -born Bronson, real name Michael Peterson, was convicted of armed robbery in 1974, aged 21. Apart from two brief spells, he has been inside ever since. He told his last failed parole bid in 2023 that he had done 'more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears' and was sick of it. At that hearing Bronson said he could now better control his emotions. He said: "I was battling against the system. "It was my way of getting back and there's nothing like wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey. "I have slept in body belts, I have slept in strait-jackets. But how much longer have I got to go? "I'm ready now, I'm a chilled-out man, I feel comfortable in myself. "I handle situations 100 times better than I used to." 1
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Europe wants seamless international train travel. Deutsche Bahn says it's getting there
This autumn, Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany's national railway company, will begin rolling out a new digital infrastructure that it says will streamline international rail bookings. The move is part of a long-awaited push to simplify travel across Europe's patchwork of national railway networks. '[You will] be able to book an international journey just as easily as a domestic one,' Michael Peterson, DB's board member for long-distance transport, told German press agency DPA. 'This brings us closer to a major goal,' he continued: seamless cross-border rail travel across Europe, powered by a unified digital system and regulations backed by the EU. Starting this autumn, DB will adopt a new data-sharing standard known as OSDM (Open Sales and Distribution Model). This EU-endorsed interface is intended to give European rail operators instant access to each other's ticketing systems. Using the OSDM as a framework, DB says it aims to offer integrated ticketing for virtually all major European railways by the end of 2026, including local transport, through its website and DB Navigator app. Rail expert Jon Worth is quick to point out that this will not be a single ticket, but rather 'a better way to stitch together tickets from different railways,' however. DB will initially integrate with Austria and Switzerland's national operators – the ÖBB and SBB, respectively – with other operators to follow in the coming months. Currently, booking international train tickets through DB's platform can be confusing, limited and, in many cases, expensive. While passengers can already buy some cross-border tickets running through Germany, many popular routes still require piecing together fares from different companies or making sense of multiple national rail sites. No single rail provider can cover a journey from Berlin to Barcelona, for example. Aside from convenience, the new system could begin to address a gap in passenger rights. Currently, travellers using separate tickets for different legs of a cross-border trip risk losing protection if a delay causes a missed connection. Addressing this issue – and ensuring full passenger rights throughout the journey, including rebooking and reimbursement – is such a priority that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made it a cornerstone of her second term. 'Cross-border train travel is still too difficult for many citizens,' she wrote in 2024. 'People should be able to use open booking systems to purchase trans-European journeys with several providers, without losing their right to reimbursement or compensatory travel.' Related Taking the train can be almost twice as fast as flying for some journeys in France Journey through the rainforest in luxury on Malaysia's last remaining sleeper train But such protection isn't yet guaranteed. Worth says that the OSDM doesn't compel rail operators to sell unified tickets. It also doesn't ensure consistent enforcement of passenger rights. 'What DB is doing is welcome for Germany, in particular, but it is insufficient,' he explains. 'To get genuine portals on which you can book any train anywhere in Europe, we need more than a technical standard – which is what DB is implementing, essentially – but [rather] binding rules for data sharing, commissions for ticket re-sale and better passenger rights if something goes wrong in a multi-operator rail journey.' The initiative comes amid increasing pressure from Brussels. EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas has said he plans to propose legislation to create unified platforms and make full passenger rights mandatory. That's causing some concern for DB – 'already one of the best' rail operators in Europe, according to Worth. Related The European tube: Inside the project to launch a continent-wide rail system New Madrid-Lisbon high-speed train to cut journey time from 10 hours to three Peterson warned that a digital standard other than the OSDM could undermine years of investment. 'That costs money, that costs time,' he said. Despite the lingering challenges, DB is optimistic. The company recently launched a direct high-speed ICE route between Berlin and Paris and plans further expansions. In 2024, DB also saw a 22 per cent increase in cross-border ticket sales compared to pre-pandemic levels – its best year yet. Now, with better tools, more collaboration and upcoming legislation, Europe's railways could finally begin to catch up with the expectations of climate-conscious travellers – and deliver on the promise of a truly connected continent.
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Easier cross-border train travel? Deutsche Bahn says it's coming
This autumn, Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany's national railway company, will begin rolling out a new digital infrastructure that it says will streamline international rail bookings. The move is part of a long-awaited push to simplify travel across Europe's patchwork of national railway networks. '[You will] be able to book an international journey just as easily as a domestic one,' Michael Peterson, DB's board member for long-distance transport, told German press agency DPA. 'This brings us closer to a major goal,' he continued: seamless cross-border rail travel across Europe, powered by a unified digital system and regulations backed by the EU. Starting this autumn, DB will adopt a new data-sharing standard known as OSDM (Open Sales and Distribution Model). This EU-endorsed interface is intended to give European rail operators instant access to each other's ticketing systems. Using the OSDM as a framework, DB says it aims to offer integrated ticketing for virtually all major European railways by the end of 2026, including local transport, through its website and DB Navigator app. Rail expert Jon Worth is quick to point out that this will not be a single ticket, but rather 'a better way to stitch together tickets from different railways,' however. Hey hoSeems the German media is having another "ooooh the railways are finally sorting their booking systems" round of articles todaySee Tagesschau and N-TV This is NOT ALL THAT IS SEEMS 🚨Quick #CrossBorderRail🧵[image or embed] DB will initially integrate with Austria and Switzerland's national operators – the ÖBB and SBB, respectively – with other operators to follow in the coming months. Currently, booking international train tickets through DB's platform can be confusing, limited and, in many cases, expensive. While passengers can already buy some cross-border tickets running through Germany, many popular routes still require piecing together fares from different companies or making sense of multiple national rail sites. No single rail provider can cover a journey from Berlin to Barcelona, for example. Aside from convenience, the new system could begin to address a gap in passenger rights. Currently, travellers using separate tickets for different legs of a cross-border trip risk losing protection if a delay causes a missed connection. Addressing this issue – and ensuring full passenger rights throughout the journey, including rebooking and reimbursement – is such a priority that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made it a cornerstone of her second term. 'Cross-border train travel is still too difficult for many citizens,' she wrote in 2024. 'People should be able to use open booking systems to purchase trans-European journeys with several providers, without losing their right to reimbursement or compensatory travel.' But such protection isn't yet guaranteed. Worth says that the OSDM doesn't compel rail operators to sell unified tickets. It also doesn't ensure consistent enforcement of passenger rights. 'What DB is doing is welcome for Germany, in particular, but it is insufficient,' he explains. 'To get genuine portals on which you can book any train anywhere in Europe, we need more than a technical standard – which is what DB is implementing, essentially – but [rather] binding rules for data sharing, commissions for ticket re-sale and better passenger rights if something goes wrong in a multi-operator rail journey.' The initiative comes amid increasing pressure from Brussels. EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas has said he plans to propose legislation to create unified platforms and make full passenger rights mandatory. That's causing some concern for DB – 'already one of the best' rail operators in Europe, according to Worth. Peterson warned that a digital standard other than the OSDM could undermine years of investment. 'That costs money, that costs time,' he said. Despite the lingering challenges, DB is optimistic. The company recently launched a direct high-speed ICE route between Berlin and Paris and plans further expansions. In 2024, DB also saw a 22 per cent increase in cross-border ticket sales compared to pre-pandemic levels – its best year yet. Now, with better tools, more collaboration and upcoming legislation, Europe's railways could finally begin to catch up with the expectations of climate-conscious travellers – and deliver on the promise of a truly connected continent.
