BBC reports:

A man has appeared in court charged with the murders of a Chinese couple at their flat in Newcastle.

The mutilated bodies of Zhen Xing Yang and his girlfriend Xi Zhou, both 25, were discovered in their home in Croydon Road on 9 August.

Guang Hui Cao, 30, of Castle Close, Morpeth, was remanded in custody during a hearing at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

He is now due to appear before the city’s crown court on 10 November.

Two other men arrested in connection with the killings have been bailed pending further inquiries.