Putin U-turns on Zelensky peace talks with Trump pushing for deal ‘this week’

Russian president Vladimir Putin has for the first time proposed direct peace talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Putin has previously claimed he would only negotiate peace with Ukraine if the country held elections to form a new government, having repeatedly made false claims that Mr Zelensky is an illegitimate leader despite his election in 2019.

The Russian autocrat has suggested face-to-face talks for the first time since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, with Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a quick ceasefire deal have failed to bear fruit.

Mr Trump said Russia and Ukraine can do “big business” with Washington if they reach a deal. “Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week,” the US president wrote on Truth Social over the weekend.

It comes as representatives from Ukraine, the UK, France and the US were set to meet in London on Wednesday to continue talks on a potential ceasefire.

While Mr Zelensky did not directly respond to Mr Putin’s proposal, he emphasised in his nightly video address that Ukraine “was ready for any conversation” that would stop strikes on civilians.

“Actions always speak louder than words,” he posted on X.

Ronnie O’Sullivan faces Ali Carter in World Championship grudge match

The greatest snooker player of all time, Ronnie O’Sullivan, returns to action this afternoon as he competes in the first round of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield against long-time foe Ali Carter.

The seven-time world champion hasn’t played in a tournament since snapping his cue in anger and walking out of the Championship League in January. He has pulled out of several events at short notice over the past 12 months, including the Masters at Alexandra Palace, to prioritise his mental health and wellbeing and admits he has been scared to go near a snooker table during his absence, while fearing he has “lost his bottle”.

O’Sullivan has been open about his struggles, and there was real doubt about whether the 49-year-old would play at Sheffield or be absent for the first time in 33 years but he is indeed taking to the baize and will try to find form as the tournament progresses.

He is currently level with Stephen Hendry for the most world titles won at the Crucible, with seven, and although he has played down expectations of securing a record-breaking eight this year, he does have form – having opted to miss the whole of the 2013 season before rocking up in Sheffield and winning the world title that year.

‘The Rocket’ could have received an easier first-round draw, with Carter the highest-ranked player to come through the qualifiers and a former two-time world finalist himself – losing to O’Sullivan on both occasions, in 2008 and 2012. The pair have a messy history that includes mid-match shoulder barges and wars of words over on-table behaviour, so expect an explosive contest.

Follow all the action from the first-round encounter between O’Sullivan and Carter from the Crucible with our blog below:

Oxford academics used human skull chalice at formal dinners until 2015

Oxford University academics used a chalice made from a human skull – potentially belonging to an enslaved Caribbean woman – at formal dinners until as recently as 2015, a new book has alleged.

The chalice, created from a sawn-off skull adorned with a silver rim and stand, was used for decades as a drinking cup in the senior common room at Worcester College, according to Professor Dan Hicks, curator of world archaeology at the university’s Pitt Rivers Museum.

It was eventually repurposed to serve chocolates instead of wine after it began to leak, said Prof Hicks.

The item’s “shameful history” is detailed in his forthcoming book Every Monument Will Fall, which explores the colonial origins of contemporary conflicts and the theft of ancestral human remains.

The ritual at Worcester College was phased out in response to mounting dismay among fellows and guests, and in 2019 the college invited Prof Hicks to investigate the chalice’s origins, he told The Guardian.

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who chairs a cross-party parliamentary group on Afrikan reparations, told the outlet: “It is sickening to think of Oxford dons, sitting in this bastion of privilege, itself enriched by the proceeds of centuries of colonial violence and extraction, swilling drink out of a human skull that may have belonged to an enslaved person and has been so little valued that it has been turned into an object.”

Noting that the identities of colonial victims were often erased from history as a result of racist ideas about British and white supremacy, with this forming “part of the dehumanisation and violence”, Prof Hicks said he had been unable to find any record of who the skull belonged to.

But carbon dating showed the skull was around 225 years old, and its size and circumstantial evidence suggests it came from the Caribbean and may have belonged to an enslaved woman, he said. Worcester College insists the latter suggestion “cannot be substantiated”.

Conversely, the chalice’s ownership was thoroughly documented – with alterations to the item providing an example “of how the legacies of empire persist”, Prof Hicks told The Independent.

Silver hallmarks suggest the skull was made into a chalice in the City of London in 1838, the year of Queen Victoria’s coronation and of the emancipation of enslaved people in British colonies.

It was sold at auction in 1884 by Bernhard Smith, an Oxford graduate who collected weaponry and armour. Prof Hicks believes that Smith may have been gifted the chalice by his father, who served in the Caribbean as a Royal Navy commander at the time of the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.

The chalice was purchased – for five pounds and five shillings – by the Victorian soldier and archaeologist Augustus Pitt Rivers, who founded the Oxford museum bearing his name in 1884. The Sotheby’s auction listing showed it had a wooden stand inlaid with a Queen Victoria shilling and a Greek inscription carved into the bone. The shilling is no longer there and the broken wooden stand has been replaced with a silver one, but the inscription remains.

The chalice was finally donated to Oxford in 1946 by the archaeologist’s grandson, the eugenicist George Pitt-Rivers, in what Prof Hicks described as one of his first acts after being released from his internment during the Second World War as a Nazi sympathiser and follower of the British fascist Oswald Mosley.

The younger Pitt-Rivers inscribed his name on the chalice’s rim, echoing that of his grandfather which is carved above the entrance to the Oxford-based museum at which Dr Hicks works.

As well as seeking to “give some degree of humanity” to the woman to whom the skull belonged by piecing together her story, Prof Hicks said the overall aim of the book is to ask whether “this is anomaly, or whether there is a wider conversation we need to have about human and ancestral remains in our museums and universities”.

Prof Hicks is backing a fresh call from MPs to ban the sale of ancestral remains and prohibit their display in museums.

An Oxford University spokesperson said: “Worcester College can confirm that it is in possession of a vessel which is made from part of a human skull of unknown origin.

“The item was given to the College in 1946 by a former student, George Pitt-Rivers (1890-1966). In the 20th century, the vessel was sometimes on display with the College’s silver collection and used as tableware. The College does not hold records of how often this was the case, but it was severely limited after 2011 and the vessel was completely removed ten years ago.

“The College’s governing body sought expert scientific and legal advice to address whether the item should be retained, and if not, how it should be disposed of appropriately. DNA testing was unable to identify the geographic or ethnic origin of the skull and as such the suggestion that the skull is that of an enslaved woman from the Caribbean cannot be substantiated.

“As a result of this advice, the College resolved that the item should be stored in the college archives in a respectful manner, where access to it is permanently denied. As Dr Hicks acknowledges in his book, the College has dealt with the issue ethically and thoughtfully.”

Woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann pleads not guilty to stalking family

A woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann has pleaded not guilty to stalking the missing girl’s parents and siblings.

Julia Wandel, from the Polish city of Lubin, appeared in Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old is accused of making calls, leaving voicemails, and sending a letter and WhatsApp messages to Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann.

She is also accused of turning up at their family home on two occasions in 2024 and sending Instagram messages to Sean and Amelie McCann, Madeleine’s siblings.

Cardiff woman Karen Spragg, 60, is accused of making calls, sending letters, and attending the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann.

She also denied a charge of stalking the family.

Ms Wandel was remanded back into custody while Ms Spragg was granted conditional bail.

Both women will appear at the same court for trial on October 2.

Madeleine was just three years old when she disappeared from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007 while her parents were dining with friends nearby.

Her disappearance has sparked long-running global intrigue, and German prisoner Christian Bruckner was declared a prime suspect by Portuguese police in April 2022.

However, prosecutors said in March 2025 that they had no plans to charge Bruckner over Madeleine’s disappearance.

In 2023, Ms Wandel claimed on Instagram to be the missing girl.

Appearing on the BBC Radio 4 podcast series Why Do You Hate Me? in early 2024, Ms Wandel explained she had first became suspicious of her identity when she was 20 years old and her family could not fill in gaps she had in her memories about her childhood.

She turned to the internet to scour missing person cases and came across Madeleine’s case.

She became convinced she was the missing girl, driven by similarities between herself and sketches of what Madeleine might look like now, and also by the fact that they both had a rare eye abnormality, which causes a mark on the iris.

She apologised to Madeleine’s parents in January 2024 in a social media post after a DNA test in April 2023 proved she wasn’t Madeleine.

What smart investors need to know about changing status symbols

“It’s not a bag, it’s a Birkin.”

In 2001, Sex and the City introduced us to the Hermès Birkin, with character Samantha Jones being told there was a five year waiting list for would-be buyers. The fashion set’s favourite accessory went mainstream.

The Birkin continues to sell well over 20 years later, both new and second hand. Resale values have reportedly risen faster than gold. The Birkin has helped Hermès to outperform in what has been a torrid time for luxury brands.

But how long can that appeal sustain?

Celebrity Traitors full-line up ‘revealed’

The full lineup for the first ever celebrity version of The Traitors has been announced.

Filming for the all-star version of the game show phenomenon has officially begun, with 19 famous faces entering the Scottish castle, where host Claudia Winkleman will decide whether they’re playing as Faithfuls or Traitors.

Contestants, as leaked by The Sun, include broadcasters, an Olympian and actors who have appeared in everything ranging from Line of Duty to Ted Lasso and Bridget Jones.

Leading the crop of celebrity contestants is Stephen Fry, the QI host who reportedly “jumped at the chance to appear” on the series.

He’ll be joined by comedian Alan Carr, presenter Jonathan Ross and Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway.

Actor wise, British thespian Celia Imrie, whose credits include Calendar Girls and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Nick Mohammed, best known as Nathan “Nate” Shelley in Ted Lasso, and EastEnders star Tameka Empson (Kim Fox), are set to play the game.

They’ll join Mark Bonnar, who appeared in the BBC crime procedural series Line of Duty as DCC Mike Dryden.

Irish star Ruth Codd, known for the Netflix series The Midnight Club, will be entering the castle, also, with singers Paloma Faith, Charlotte Church and Brit Award-nominated singer Cat Burns also on the contestant list.

Joe Wilkinson, the comedian known for panel shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats, as well as recent Prime Video series Last One Laughing, will also participate.

Another comedian, Lucy Beaumont, who is the ex-wife of 8 Out of 10 Cats star Jon Richardson, has also been tapped by producers to appear on the show.

Sports broadcaster Clare Balding will also enter the castle as will Olympic swimmer Tom Daley, who is believed to have selected Celebrity Traitors over Strictly Come Dancing, and professional England rugby player Joe Marler, who has won the Six Nations three times.

Rounding out the contestants for the inaugural celebrity series are Professor David Olusoga, a Bafta-winning historian and author of numerous best-selling books, and YouTube prankster Niko Omilana.

A BBC spokesperson told The Independent: “The Traitors includes lies and deception, so it would be foolhardy for any Faithful to speculate before the game has begun.”

Trans women should use male toilets, equalities minister says

Trans women should use male toilets, the equalities minister has said, declaring that “services should be accessed on the basis of biological sex”.

Bridget Phillipson said businesses should ensure “they have appropriate provision in place”, which could mean unisex facilities.

But she said the Supreme Court ruling was clear about the basis on which services should be used.

Her comments came after a long-awaited judgment delivered last Wednesday in which the UK’s highest court confirmed the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act “refer to a biological woman and biological sex”.

It means transgender women with a gender recognition certificate can be excluded from single-sex spaces if it is deemed “proportionate”.

Ms Phillipson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I know that many businesses, large and small, will ensure that they have appropriate provision in place.

“For example, many businesses have moved towards unisex provision or separate cubicles that can be used by anyone.”

She added: “There are important questions around, for example, the use of toilets, around the use of changing facilities, but there are also profound questions that I think are even more important about, for example, hospital provision, rape crisis centres, women’s refuges, where you are talking about people often being in that provision on an accommodation basis for an extended period of time.

“And I think it is important and welcome that the Supreme Court have put beyond doubt that providers can make sure that is done on the basis of biological sex.”

Ms Phillipson is expected to give a Commons statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling as parliament returns from Easter recess on Tuesday.

Former Supreme Court judge Jonathan Sumption has warned that organisations are potentially misinterpreting the landmark ruling, arguing it did not create an obligation to provide single sex spaces.

Instead, Lord Sumption argued that while many have taken the ruling to mean that service providers are obliged to provide single-sex spaces based on biological sex, the ruling meant that excluding transgender people from single-sex spaces was allowed, and not a breach of the 2010 Equality Act.

He said: “That’s the main point, which I think has been misunderstood about this judgment. I think it’s quite important to note that you are allowed to exclude trans women from these facilities. But you are not obliged to do it.”

It came as a minister condemned the “utterly unacceptable language” used by demonstrators as tens of thousands gathered to protest the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.

Education minister Stephen Morgan was asked about a placard at a protest in Parliament Square that showed an illustration of gallows alongside a slogan suggesting “the only good Terf (trans-exclusionary radical feminist)” is a hanged one.

And the Labour frontbencher called for police action over what he said was the “completely and utterly unacceptable” language.

Mr Morgan told Sky News: “It’s completely unacceptable language to be used, and obviously any matters that break the law should be reported to the police, and hopefully police action is taken.”

Trans rights groups, trade unions and community organisations came together on Saturday for what was billed as an “emergency demonstration” in Parliament Square, with activists demanding “trans liberation” and “trans rights now”.

As well as the placard referred to by Mr Morgan, demonstrators held signs declaring “trans rights are human rights” and “trans women are women”.

Ms Phillipson said the Supreme Court ruling meant service providers “can now operate with absolute confidence in delivering single-sex spaces for biological women”.

She told BBC Breakfast: “I do welcome the clarity that the Supreme Court judgment has brought in this area, making clear that biological sex is the basis on which single-sex spaces are provided.”

She said there would be more guidance for schools on gender-questioning children and “the heart of everything we do has to be about making sure that children’s wellbeing is supported, but also that school leaders in particular have the clarity and guidance that they want”.

Ms Phillipson added: “We recognise and believe in the importance of single-sex spaces.

“Before I was a Member of Parliament I used to run a women’s refuge, so I know more than most how essential it is that women, particularly those who’ve experienced sexual violence and male abuse, are able to have safe, therapeutic environments, and that’s why there has always been protection there within the law for single-sex spaces.

“There has been some confusion. I’m glad that’s been cleared up, because providers can now operate with absolute confidence in delivering single-sex spaces for biological women.”