US veterans to attend Putin’s Victory Day parade, Moscow claims
US veterans of the Second World War and nearly 30 foreign leaders will attend commemorations in Moscow this week to mark the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, the Kremlin has claimed.
Kyiv has warned that attendance would undermine countries’ claims to neutrality over Russia’s war in Ukraine, and launched a second consecutive night of drone strikes on Moscow, which forced the Russian capital’s four airports to close on Tuesday.
But the Kremlin announced hours later that 29 foreign leaders – including China’s Xi Jinping and Slovakia’s Robert Fico – were expected to attend, while military units from 13 countries will take part in Friday’s annual Victory Day parade.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov claimed several US veterans of the Second World War are expected to attend the events – which will mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory – but it is unclear whether any US officials intend to. Moscow has sent an invitation to the US ambassador.
Despite Vladimir Putin claiming to want a 72-hour truce this week to mark the occasion, Russia also launched a wave of drone strikes which killed two people in Donetsk and Odesa, and injured several others in Kharkiv, where the city’s largest market was engulfed in flames.
King and Queen unveil official coronation portraits two years on
The King and Queen have unveiled portraits commissioned to mark their coronation, two years on since they were crowned.
Charles and Camilla gave the world the first glimpse of the separate full-length state portraits on display at the National Gallery, with artist Peter Kuhfeld saying he hoped his depiction of the monarch captured “the man and the King”.
The monarch and his wife were crowned two years ago on May 6 during a Westminster Abbey ceremony steeped in symbolism and history watched by millions.
The anniversary comes as the royal family continues to attend VE Day celebrations this week, to mark 80 years since the end of the war.
Camilla will appear at the Tower of London on Tuesday afternoon to view a new display of ceramic poppies, placed to “reflect on the lasting legacy of conflict”.
The visit comes after Buckingham Palace’s balcony hosted commemorations – eight decades after King George VI first marked the Second World War’s end from the same spot.
Rebekah Vardy to pay £1.2m of Coleen Rooney’s fees after Wagatha trial
Rebekah Vardy has agreed to pay a substantial sum of nearly £1.2 million towards Coleen Rooney‘s legal costs, following the conclusion of their highly publicised “Wagatha Christie” libel case.
A specialist costs court had previously heard that Mrs Rooney, wife of former England footballer Wayne Rooney, accrued legal fees exceeding £1.8 million in successfully defending the claim brought against her by Mrs Vardy in 2022.
In written submissions for a hearing on Tuesday, Mrs Vardy’s barrister, Juliet Wells, said that Mrs Rooney’s total legal bill of £1,833,906.89 “has now been settled at £1,190,000, being c.£1,125,000 plus interest of c.£65.000”.
Ms Wells continued that Mrs Rooney is now claiming additional “assessment costs” of more than £300,000, which she described as “grossly disproportionate” and should be capped at “no more than £100,000”.
Lawyers for Mrs Rooney said in written submissions that Mrs Vardy was “the author of her own misfortune” and that she should “reflect upon her approach”.
The full amount of the assessment costs will be determined at the hearing before Costs Judge Mark Whalan, who said he was “pleased” that the two sides had come to an agreement after a “hard-fought” legal battle.
The judge also said that the agreed figure was “inclusive of VAT”, adding: “I commend both sides for reaching that accommodation.”
Tuesday’s hearing is expected to deal with matters including lawyers’ hourly rates and other costs.
In her written submissions, Ms Wells said that Mrs Rooney’s original £1.8m legal bill was “substandard” and included costs “of briefing the press” and others to which she had “no entitlement”.
She continued that the bill could have been settled sooner if Mrs Rooney had “engaged more constructively”.
She said that Mrs Vardy had offered to settle the legal bill for £1.1 million, excluding interest and assessment costs, in August 2024, which was rejected “out of hand”.
She said: “Mrs Vardy went to significant lengths to negotiate the bill despite being hamstrung by a lack of information and cooperation from Mrs Rooney’s camp.
“By contrast, Mrs Rooney’s tone when it came to settlement negotiations was intransigent and frequently belligerent.”
Robin Dunne, for Mrs Rooney, said in written submissions that Mrs Vardy had been “drip feeding” settlement offers.
He continued that Mrs Rooney’s lawyers had to complete “additional work” as “lurid headlines arising from briefings from Mrs Vardy’s camp dominated the press in the days before and during the hearings” in the case.
He said: “There will rarely be a case where it can be said with greater force that Mrs Vardy is the author of her own misfortune.
“She took every conceivable point in this assessment, put Mrs Rooney to very significant work on each and every aspect of the proceedings, raised highly technical and potentially damaging issues and failed to make any reasonable offers for the bill until the 11th hour.
“Her conduct has caused Mrs Rooney to incur £315,000 of assessment costs. This is higher than would have been the case had Mrs Vardy approached these costs proceedings reasonably.
“If Mrs Vardy now wishes that the sum claimed were lower, she need only reflect upon her approach and conduct throughout.”
In the viral social media post in October 2019 at the heart of the libel claim, Mrs Rooney said she had carried out a months-long “sting operation” and accused Mrs Vardy of leaking information about her private life to the press.
Mrs Rooney publicly claimed Mrs Vardy’s account was the source behind three stories in The Sun newspaper featuring fake details she had posted on her private Instagram profile – her travelling to Mexico for a “gender selection” procedure, her planning to return to TV and the basement flooding at her home.
After the high-profile trial, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled in Mrs Rooney’s favour, finding it was “likely” that Mrs Vardy’s agent, Caroline Watt, had passed information to The Sun and that Mrs Vardy “knew of and condoned this behaviour” and had “actively” engaged.
Neither Mrs Vardy nor Mrs Rooney attended Tuesday’s remote hearing.
Sycamore Gap accused claimed it was ‘just a tree’ amid outcry
One of the two men accused of cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree couldn’t believe the public outcry over the tree’s felling, remarking that it was “just a tree”.
Adam Carruthers, 32, and Daniel Graham, 39, both deny two counts of criminal damage to the Northumberland sycamore and to nearby Hadrian’s Wall, which was damaged when the tree came down in September 2023.
Now in its second week, the trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard on Tuesday (6 May) how Mr Carruthers believed the reaction to the damage was “almost as if someone had been murdered”.
Prosecutors say Mr Carruthers and ground worker Mr Graham drove overnight from Carlisle to the Northumberland landmark during Storm Agnes in September 2023 and cut the tree down with a chainsaw.
Each of the men denies two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and to Hadrian’s Wall, which was damaged when the tree fell on it.
Mr Carruthers was asked why he had shown so much interest in the story the day after the tree was cut down.
He said: “On the morning I woke up, I had looked online and it was all over Facebook. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on here?’ It was everywhere.
“My understanding was it was just a tree. I couldn’t understand why everyone was sharing it; every second post, it was about this tree. I just couldn’t get my head round it, the way it was travelling through the news. I was amazed how something so small could create so much publicity.”
Asked by his barrister Andrew Gurney why he and Mr Graham had been messaging each other about the story, Mr Carruthers said: “I couldn’t really understand why there was such a major [outcry] – it was almost as if someone had been murdered.
“Daniel was a friend of mine at the time. I sent it across. It was everywhere.”
Mr Carruthers said that in September 2023 he was staying with his partner of 10 years in Kirkbride, Cumbria, as she had just given birth to their daughter by caesarean section and needed help looking after their two children. He told jurors he was at home with his partner on the night that the tree was felled.
Asked why he had been messaging his partner if he was at home, he said she had been in her bedroom with the baby.
“To save walking in and have a conversation, waking the baby up, it was easier to send her a text message – it was quiet,” Mr Carruthers said.
He was asked about a message he sent to his partner that night after she sent him footage of their baby being bottle-fed, saying he had a “better video”. He said he had made a video of the roof of their washing shed being damaged in the storm, and was referring to that.
Mr Carruthers was also asked about a voicenote he sent to Mr Graham on 28 September 2023 in which he referred to “an operation like we did last night”.
He said: “I think it’s been interpreted wrong: it should be ‘launch an operation like what he did last night’. I’m referring to the person who done the job.
“It might sound as if I’m being sexist saying it’s a man, but I wouldn’t have thought it would have been a woman who done it.”
Mr Carruthers said he “had no idea” who was responsible for cutting down the tree, and that “nothing was ever mentioned to me that [Graham] had anything to do with it”.
Asked why his friendship with Mr Graham had ended, Mr Carruthers said his co-accused came to see him at work one night and told him: “I’m going to go my way and you’re going to go yours – I believe you have been grassing on me.”
Mr Gurney asked if Mr Carruthers had “grassed him up”, and the defendant said he had not.
He denied ever using a piece of string to measure the tree at Sycamore Gap, or asking his co-defendant to take the blame for felling it, as Mr Graham claimed during his evidence.
Asked if he had a fixation with the tree, Mr Carruthers said: “No, not at all.”
The trial continues.
BBC admits ‘lapse’ in standards over Prince Harry interview
The BBC has acknowledged a breach of its “usual high editorial standards” in its coverage of Prince Harry’s interview regarding his security arrangements.
The Duke of Sussex, interviewed by BBC News on Friday following a Court of Appeal setback concerning his UK security, characterised the defeat as a calculated move by the establishment.
This description, aired on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, was subsequently reiterated during an interview with security expert Richard Aitch, a sequence the BBC now admits fell short of its expected journalistic standards.
The BBC said on its Corrections and Clarifications website: “We failed to properly challenge this and other allegations.
“This case is ultimately the responsibility of the Home Office and we should have reflected their statement.”
The corporation also said the programme “should have given the view of Buckingham Palace”, and “this was a lapse in our usual high editorial standards”.
The Home Office said: “We are pleased that the court has found in favour of the Government’s position in this case.
“The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
In response to the failed legal challenge, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”
During the Today interview, Mr Aitch, who is director of operations at security services company Mobius International, said he “was shocked but certainly not surprised” at the judgment.
He claimed that the “provision of protection should not be based on legal argument”, but on assessment of “risk and threat against Harry”, and agreed that it had been “a “stitch-up”.
Posting on X after the BBC clarification, Mr Aitch said: “There should not be any need to apologise @BBCNews for opinion based interviews.
“Absence of a threat and risk assessment on Prince Harry where the focus is on legal process influenced by the recommendations of a committee that is not independent, it defines ‘stitch up’.”
Harry also claimed to BBC News that he can only come to the UK safely if he is invited, and the King could help resolve the situation not by intervening, but by “stepping aside and allowing the experts to do what is necessary”.
The duke also expressed hopes of a reconciliation with his family during the interview, which was conducted in California, and alleged that the King will not speak to him due to the security issue.
Charles and the Queen, joined by other royals, celebrated the VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations on Monday.
Why this Mediterranean region is perfect for a Summer escape
Summertime in Dalmatia: lazy days swimming in sparkling waters and feeling the salt dry on your skin, feasting on freshly grilled fish in a rustic beach bar while watching the sun set over the Adriatic, losing yourself in centuries of history surrounded by intense beauty – it’s the stuff of dreams. But oh so easy to turn into reality. Between Dalmatia’s stretch of the Croatian coast and the enchanting islands just a ferry ride away, you have everything you need for a relaxing and rejuvenating summer break. Choose between laid-back islands with quiet coves to lively beach resorts offering watersports and entertainment – all of which you can fit into the same trip. To get you inspired, here are some of the highlights of a Dalmatian holiday.
Croatia’s sunniest island is also the country’s most visited, which isn’t surprising when you first set eyes on Hvar Town. Step into St Stephen’s Square, the largest in Dalmatia, and take in the baroque beauty of its cathedral. Follow the path uphill to the 16th-century Spanish Fortress for fantastic views before checking out Hvar Town’s chic beach clubs. Away from the island capital, Stari Grad offers a slower pace of life, despite being on a major ferry route from Split. Once you’ve explored its colourful port, take a hike in neighbouring Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO-listed site, where you can still see the vineyards and olive groves planted by the ancient Greeks nearly 2,400 years ago.
Surrounded by mesmerising blue-green waters, the smooth white pebbles of V-shaped Zlatni Rat on Brač’s southern coast create Croatia’s most famous beach. Its unique geography draws windsurfing fans from around the world to the pretty nearby village of Bol as they zoom across these waters. Bol is also a handy base for hikes up to Vidova Gora, the highest point in Dalmatia and worth the visit for far-reaching views. Head to the northern coast for picturesque villages such as Pučišća, whose stonemasonry school is the oldest in Europe and continues a centuries-old tradition. When you explore the hinterland, you’ll be tempted to stop by rural restaurants that serve authentic Dalmatian cuisine featuring produce from their own farms and olive groves.
Off limits to tourists until 1989 while it served as an army base, the far-flung island of Vis has been slow to catch up on Croatia’s tourism boom – which suits everyone just fine. The long Venetian-style waterfront of Vis Town will look familiar to fans of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which was filmed here. The island’s other main village, Komiža, is a delightfully laid-back spot from where you can join boat trips to the jaw-dropping natural phenomenon that is the Blue Cave on the tiny neighbouring island of Biševo. There’s more awe in store when you make the rocky trek down to Stiniva Bay on the southern coast, where the pebbly beach is almost entirely encircled by towering cliffs.
Just across the sea from Split but curiously off most tourists’ radar, Šolta is one of Dalmatia’s lesser-known jewels. Sailors will have moored in its deeply sheltered coves such as Šešula Bay, as well as its attractive villages Maslinica and Stomorska, which bookend the island and give an enticing slice of Dalmatian life. In between you’ll see acres and acres of olive groves that produce award-winning liquid gold – a delicious companion for Šolta’s indigenous robust red wine. Explore Šolta’s heavily indented southern coast if you want true serenity while swimming in secluded pebbly coves backed by fragrant pine-covered hills.
For nearly 40 miles, the Makarska Riviera south of Split offers one alluring beach resort after another – Brela, Tučepi, Baška Voda, Podgora, Drvenik, Gradac and Makarska itself – all in the shadow of the impressive Biokovo Mountains. The sheer variety of beaches and resorts is extraordinary, including the beautiful Punta Rata Beach in Brela and peaceful Nugal Beach just south of Makarska. Follow the long seafront promenade to Baška Voda’s family-friendly beaches including the outstanding Nikolina Beach. And above it all are the hiking trails in Biokovo Nature Park, including the hair-raising Biokovo Skywalk, whose D-shaped glass floor hovers over the cliff and gives you an unforgettable thrill – rather like summer in Dalmatia itself.
For more travel inspiration, information and to plan your trip visit Central Dalmatia
Mark Gordon to represent himself in retrial over death of baby
A father accused of taking his newborn daughter off-grid in winter with aristocrat Constance Marten will represent himself in his retrial over the death of the infant, a court heard.
Jurors at the Old Bailey were told on Tuesday that Mark Gordon’s previous barrister John Femi-Ola KC and his junior Jodie-Jane Hitchcock had “withdrawn” from the case and that the defendant has chosen to represent himself.
Mr Gordon will submit the questions he wishes to ask during the trial in written form to the judge.
Judge Lucraft told the jury to return on Wednesday when Ms Marten is due to continue giving evidence, adding: “This morning Mr Femi-Ola and Ms Hitchcock are not present in court because they have withdrawn and going forward Mr Gordon has chosen to represent himself, so that means that I am giving him a bit of time this afternoon to work out which questions he’s going to ask.”
Ms Marten, 37, and Mr Gordon, 50, both deny gross negligence manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of their daughter Victoria in January 2023, whose birth they concealed after their four other children were removed from their care.
The prosecution alleges the parents at times used a red Lidl bag-for-life to carry the newborn as they fled the authorities before her eventual death due to hypothermia or “grossly negligent co-sleeping” as they camped off-grid in the South Downs.
The couple were avoiding their fifth child being removed from them amid a high-profile police hunt for the missing baby, with Ms Marten claiming her other children were “stolen by the state”, the Old Bailey previously heard.
On Friday, Ms Marten gave evidence and Tom Godfrey – who was the junior barrister in her defence team with Francis FitzGibbon KC as the leading silk – was the one to ask his client questions.
Judge Lucraft told jurors at the start of the day’s proceedings: “The eagle-eyed amongst you may notice Mr FitzGibbon is not here and the eagle-eyed will see it is going to be Mr Godfrey who will be asking further questions of Ms Marten going forward.
“Please do not concern yourselves as to the reasons this has happened.”
The mother told the jury she woke up to find the newborn limp and pale after falling asleep with her zipped inside her jacket.
Asked if she reported Victoria’s death, Marten said: “At that stage no I was just… in the movies, I don’t know, accidentally someone dies they panic and they think, oh my gosh… I just thought they were going to say I was some evil mother, a murderess, that sort of thing.”
She said she did not trust the police to carry out an investigation after “such a big media furore around us”.
Ms Marten described the situation as the “worst nightmare that you have ever woke up from”.
Victoria’s decomposing remains were later found stashed in a rubbish-filled shopping bag in a disused allotment shed.
Last year, the parents were convicted of concealing the birth of the child and perverting the course of justice in a previous trial.
The retrial continues.
Speculation grows over next Pope while cardinals gather
Cardinals from around the world have descended on Rome ahead of the secretive conclave to decide the next pope.
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are among the favourites to succeed Pope Francis ahead of the Papal Conclave, which begins on Wednesday.
In a process that has been virtually unchanged for 800 years, 133 cardinals will gather in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to start multiple rounds of voting and discussion to select who among them could lead the Catholic Church.
The conclave comes after the funeral of Pope Francis, who was farewelled by hundreds of thousands of mourners in St Peter’s Square on April 26.
Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church during his 12-year papacy, taking a strong moral stance on climate change in and the plight of migrants and refugees.
He also increased the diversity of cardinals, who will now elect his successor. The question is whether they will chose someone to carry on Pope Francis’s legacy, or opt for a more traditional figure.