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.
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 £1.2m 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 Ms Rooney, wife of former England footballer Wayne Rooney, accrued legal fees exceeding £1.8m in successfully defending the claim brought against her by Ms Vardy in 2022.
In written submissions for a hearing on Tuesday, Ms Vardy’s barrister, Juliet Wells, said that Ms 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 Ms 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 Ms Rooney said in written submissions that Ms 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 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 Ms 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 Ms Rooney had “engaged more constructively”.
She said that Ms Vardy had offered to settle the legal bill for £1.1m, 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 Ms Rooney, said in written submissions that Ms Vardy had been “drip feeding” settlement offers.
He continued that Ms Rooney’s lawyers had to complete “additional work” as “lurid headlines arising from briefings from Ms 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, Ms Rooney said she had carried out a months-long “sting operation” and accused Ms Vardy of leaking information about her private life to the press.
Ms Rooney publicly claimed Ms 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, Ms Justice Steyn ruled in Ms Rooney’s favour, finding it was “likely” that Ms Vardy’s agent, Caroline Watt, had passed information to The Sun and that Ms Vardy “knew of and condoned this behaviour” and had “actively” engaged.
Neither Ms Vardy nor Ms Rooney attended Tuesday’s remote hearing.
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