Trump gets the Royal treatment in Riyadh, as he seeks it back home
Walking through the lavish palaces of Riyadh, surrounded by royalty and riches that dwarf his own, and brushing shoulders with a leader who does not have to concern himself with courts and judges, Donald Trump appeared to be living his dream.
There were many reasons for Trump to visit Saudi Arabia this week, but for a man who has declared his desire to be both a dictator and a monarch, the chance to experience both up close stood above them all.
The royal treatment began before his plane had even touched the ground, when Saudi F-15 fighter jets appeared alongside the president’s plane and escorted it as it came into land at King Khalid International Airport. He stepped off the jet to be greeted by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and a line of Saudi dignitaries, walked along an endless lavender carpet watched over by an honor guard with golden swords, onto a motorcade that was escorted by riders on Arabian horses, emerging from his car at the Royal Court to the sound of horns.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said of the prince as they sat on golden chairs at the royal palace.
The president was clearly impressed.
“What a great place, what a great place,” he said later at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in front of a giant screen showing U.S. and Saudi flags, where he continued to praise the Crown Prince.
“He’s an incredible man. Known him a long time now. There’s nobody like him,” Trump said of the man who, just a few years ago, U.S. intelligence agencies blamed for the killing of an American journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
“We have great partners in the world, but we have none stronger and nobody like the gentleman that’s right before me…I like him a lot. I like him too much. That’s why we give so much,” he said.
Trump’s embrace of Saudi Arabia is all the more significant coming after he all but abandoned or sparked disputes with many of America’s traditional democratic allies in Europe.
The message couldn’t be clearer: This administration is not here to lecture about human rights or democracy – it is here to make money.
Trump arrived on stage to his usual entry music — Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” — which seemed somewhat out of place. He left to his usual exit music, which seemed extremely out of place — The Village People’s “YMCA.”
In the evening, Trump was treated to a lavish state dinner in the historic city of Diriyah, just above Riyadh.
Trump has tried to build his own version of a royal dynasty back home for years. He bought a faux palace, covered the White House in gold trim, and even made a solid effort at getting rid of democracy altogether.
Just before leaving for the Middle East on a tour of oil-rich monarchies, the president announced that he would accept a gift of a plane from Qatar — a $400 million “palace in the sky” that would eventually replace Air Force One.
That was too brazen even for his supporters who stayed with him through the insurrection and the rape trials. MAGA influencer Laura Loomer, a right-wing influencer who wields a Rasputin-like influence over the president, called the acceptance of the gift a “stain” on the administration. Even Josh Hawley of Missouri, Trump’s ride-or-die in the Senate, wasn’t keen on the idea.
Like the Saudi Royal Family, Trump’s own family’s financial interests were seemingly intertwined with the state’s on this visit. The Trumps have significant pending deals with Saudi companies in real estate and cryptocurrency.
Eric Trump, who runs the Trump Organization, recently announced a high-rise Trump hotel in Saudi and a sprawling Trump golf course in Qatar.
The president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner had previously secured a $2 billion investment from Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund, which is overseen by the crown prince himself.
While Trump’s family did not come with him on this tour, he did bring with him a full royal court of friendly business leaders and CEOs who hope to drum up their own investments and deals along the way.
At the top of the list was Elon Musk, a wannabe prince of darkness, who was joined by oil executives, bankers, private military contractors, the chiefs of Coca-Cola and Uber, and American defense contractors from Halliburton, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.
Musk used the opportunity to pitch two of his ideas that have largely failed to make a dent in the U.S. — robotaxis and his tunneling company.
Trump heads to Qatar next to take a look at his palace in the sky. He will then return home with memories of parades, honor guards, lavish ceremonies and likely a greater hunger for the royal life.
That could mean more gold trim at the White House, or fewer judges to get in his way.
MPs slam ‘jaw-dropping’ NHS negligence claims for poor care
The NHS must do more to reduce “tragic” incidents of patient harm and cut “jaw-dropping” payouts for poor care, MPs have warned as costs spiral to a record high.
Compensation for clinical negligence claims cost £2.8bn in 2023-24 – up from £2.6bn the year before – with hundreds of millions paid out in legal fees.
The highest number of claims were for failings in emergency medicine, obstetrics, orthopaedic and general surgery, with maternity care payouts costing the most, totalling £1.1bn last year.
The Department of Health and Social Care has set aside an “astounding” £58.2bn to cover the potential costs of clinical negligence events occurring before April 2024.
The public accounts committee sounded the alarm on the rise, saying ministers needed to get a grip on NHS finances.
Its chair, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, said: “The fact that the government has set aside tens of billions of pounds for clinical negligence payments, its second most costly liability after some of the world’s most complex nuclear decommissioning projects, should give our entire society pause.
“It must be a priority of the highest order for the government to reduce tragic incidences of patient harm and lay out a mechanism to reduce legal fees to manage the jaw-dropping costs involved more effectively.”
The most recent NHS data shows 4,076 incidents of severe harm to patients and 4,449 patient deaths were recorded by the NHS in just three months from October to December last year.
And a fifth of last year’s record £2.8bn compensation bill – £545m – went to lawyers. That amount is higher than the entire expenditure of the government’s legal department, the report found, which totalled £341m in the same year.
In the past five years alone, NHS Resolution, which manages negligence claims, has spent over £12bn on payouts – £2.4bn of which has been spent on claimants’ legal fees.
“If we can reduce the leakage of lawyers’ fees in the middle, that benefits the whole of the NHS, because there will be more money available for other services,” said Sir Geoffrey,
Hospital chiefs in England warned last week that they have been forced to cut nurse and doctor posts and scale back emergency and maternity care to meet the government’s “eye watering” savings demands for 2025-26.
The committee challenged the DHSC to set out how it intends to “reduce tragic incidents of patient harm” and manage the costs of negligence “more effectively”.
Acknowledging the high cost of payouts for maternity care failings, Sir Geoffrey said the difference between some maternity units and others “is quite significant”.
He said: “Obstetrics is an inherently dangerous process, so the line between doing harm and negligence is quite narrow, but the NHS need to look carefully at why some units do get more negligence claims than others.”
MPs on the committee also criticised the DHSC, which they said “lacks a grip of the financial pressures it faces”.
MPs also raised concerns over the “uncertainty” surrounding the abolition of NHS England, announced in March, which they said had created “high levels of uncertainty for patients and for staff”.
They said the DHSC had a “lack of firm plans” for its closure and reducing its headcount by 50 per cent.
“At the moment, it looks a little bit like shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic. We really want to make sure that this thing is going to work properly,” Sir Geoffrey told The Independent.
“It has been two months since the government’s decision to remove what up until now has been seen as a key piece of machinery without articulating a clear plan for what comes next, and the future for patients and staff remains hazy,” he said.
MPs highlighted how some hospitals in England had pushed through unauthorised special exit packages – severance payments which require Treasury sign-off because they are new or contentious, totalling more than £180,000 in 2023/24.
“There remain far too many special severance payments where approval has only been sought after the payment has been made,” they added.
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
Celebrity Traitors full lineup revealed by BBC
The full lineup for the first ever celebrity version of The Traitors has been announced by the BBC.
Filming is now complete for the all-star version of the game show phenomenon, which will run for nine episodes this autumn.
Contestants who entered the Scottish castle include British broadcasters, an Olympian and actors who have appeared in TV shows and films ranging from Line of Duty to Ted Lasso and the Bridget Jones franchise.
They will be competing for £100,000 for a charity of their choice
Leading the crop of celebrity contestants is QI host Stephen Fry, 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.
There are several actors entering the castle: 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).
They’ll join Catastrophe actor Mark Bonnar, who also appeared in the crime procedural series Line of Duty as DCC Mike Dryden.
Irish star Ruth Codd, known for the Netflix series The Midnight Club, will also be on the series alongside singers Paloma Faith, child opera singer-turned-pop star Charlotte Church and Brit Award-nominated artist Cat Burns.
Professor David Olusoga, a Bafta-winning historian and author of numerous best-selling books, and YouTube prankster Niko Omilana will also participate in the game show’s inaugural celebrity series.
Sports broadcaster Clare Balding has also entered the castle as will Olympic diver 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.
Joe Wilkinson, the comedian recently seen on Prime Video series Last One Laughing, rounds out the contestant list alongside comedian Lucy Beaumont, the ex-wife of 8 Out of 10 Cats star Jon Richardson.
Speaking about the show’s contestants, host Claudia Winkleman said “We’re incredibly lucky these brilliant people have said yes.
“I’d love to say we’ll take it easy on them and they’ll just wander round the castle and eat toast for a couple of weeks but that would be a lie.”
Cassie Ventura testifies on abuse during Diddy sex-trafficking trial
Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, the ex-girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, testified on Tuesday that the longest drug-fueled “freak-off” she participated in lasted four days – the latest revelation in the music mogul’s sex-trafficking trial.
From the stand in Manhattan federal court, Ventura, 38, tearfully recounted how the infamous freak-offs “became a job” for her, lasting anywhere from 36 to 48 hours on average once a week and requiring multiple days of recovery afterward due to the intense drug use during them.
“Freak offs became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again,” Ventura said.
Ventura, who is currently eight months pregnant, appeared visibly uncomfortable while recounting the intimate details of her and Combs’s 10-year-old relationship, which was on-and-off and filled with turbulent moments. She often shifted in her seat, toyed with her hair or took audible deep breaths to get through the grueling testimony.
She’s serving as a star witness in the government’s case against Combs, 55, who they accuse of sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution purposes and racketeering conspiracy.
Ventura testified that she was barely 22 when Combs first asked her to participate in a freak off, which he introduced as “voyeurism” to her, and that she was “confused” and “nervous” but loved him and wanted to make him happy.
With the assistance of drugs like ecstasy, Ventura agreed to participate in a freak off – which soon became a regularly occurrence – and while she did not enjoy participating, she did so at Combs’s request because it made him happy.
While Combs was happy about Ventura’s participation in freak offs, she felt a mix of emotions when they were finished: dirty, ashamed, confused, but also relieved that Combs was “really happy” that she “did something right.”
“I just didn’t want to make him upset. I just didn’t want to make him angry and regret telling me about this experience that was so personal,” Ventura testified, straight-faced and sullen.
Over the next decade, the two would participate in so many freak offs that Ventura said it would be “impossible” to count them.
They always included drugs such as ecstasy, MDMA, marijuana, ketamine, alcohol and more. Combs would direct Ventura, and a male escort that was hired to have sexual intercourse with her, to use dozens of bottles of baby oil and lube. Ventura said Combs would direct the two for hours, changing the lighting to his liking and participating when he wanted to.
Ventura said she did not enjoy doing any of the acts with male escorts and only wanted to spend time with Combs. She said when she would hint at wanting to not participate in a freak offs, Combs would be “dismissive.”
Prosecutors asked Ventura about the volatility in her relationship with Combs, which she admitted could get physically, psychologically and emotionally abusive. She testified about Combs’ controlling nature over her life, saying, he had control over her career, appearance, apartment sand more.
“I just didn’t have much say in [my life] at the time,” Ventura said.
Asked if there was anything she enjoyed about freak offs, Ventura said through tears she only enjoyed them for “the time spent with him.”
The R&B singer went on to describe why she felt it was so hard to decline Combs’s requests, saying she feared violence and videos from freak offs being disseminated on the internet. She also testified that Combs would blackmail her with pictures and videos of her encounters with escorts. Ventura emphasized that she was also afraid if she denied Combs’s request, he would just ask someone else to participate.
While initially being “enamored” by Combs, Ventura said she eventually saw “a different side of him, which was his abusive side.”
Ventura said there were moments she would witness Combs’s eyes “go black” and his entire face would shift – signaling that something “bad” would happen soon. That could be Combs taking something away from Ventura, like her phone or laptop, physically hurting her or engaging in sexual relationships with other women.
Prosecutors asked Ventura how often Combs would become violent with her.
“Too often,” Ventura said in a quiet voice from the stand.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the government’s charges against him and maintained his innocence.
Zelensky says Putin ‘scared’ to meet him face-to-face in high stakes Turkey talks
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of being “scared” to meet him for talks in Turkey this week to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president has warned that he will only attend the high-stakes talks if Mr Putin also attends, because only a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president can deliver peace.
This is due to the fact that “absolutely everything in Russia” depends on Mr Putin, said Mr Zelensky, adding: “If he takes the step to say he is ready for a ceasefire then it opens the way to discussing all the elements to end the war.”
“I’m not even mentioning that he is scared of direct talks with me,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that he would first meet Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara for talks and would head to Istanbul if Mr Putin arrived there.
The fresh ultimatum comes after US president Donald Trump suggested he could join Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin in Turkey this week if the two leaders meet.
But the Kremlin has declined to comment on whether Mr Putin will travel to Turkey, saying only that “the Russian side continues to prepare for the negotiations”.
Celebration villa breaks: find your perfect luxury getaway
If you’re planning a milestone birthday, a big anniversary, or a long-awaited reunion, a villa holiday is hard to beat. Imagine clinking glasses on a rooftop terrace at sunset or gathering loved ones around a candlelit garden table for a leisurely dinner under the night sky.
These special occasions deserve much more than booking out a busy hotel, and nothing beats having your own sun-drenched sanctuary where you have the space and privacy to celebrate in style. Whether you’re heading to Marrakech in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains, to the rolling hills of Tuscany, or a tropical oasis further afield, Villas are the perfect home-away-from-home for celebrating something, or someone, special.
CV Villas’ luxurious ABOVE collection offers the perfect backdrop for unforgettable moments – think breathtaking settings, total privacy, and the kind of comfort and space that makes everyone feel at home. All come with stunning interiors, sweeping views as far as the eye can see, and enviable locations in some of the world’s most sought-after spots. Each villa is hand-picked by dedicated CV Villa specialists, who are experts in helping people craft their dream getaway. Many come with their own infinity pools, breathtaking views and large alfresco dining areas, perfect for spending quality time together during life’s most important moments. Villas aren’t just places to stay, they’re a big part of the celebration itself.
From the moment you book your stay to your arrival back home, the CV Villas Concierge team is there to make everything as seamless and stress-free as possible. They are dedicated to looking after you and your party before and throughout your holiday so that you can focus on the things that really matter, like spending quality time together and celebrating without having to worry about the minor details. The team tailors each trip to exactly what you’re after, whether you’re looking to book a private boat day or need to organise a surprise celebration dinner, nothing is too much trouble. Many of the five-star villas even come with their own butlers and chefs so that you can be waited on hand and foot during your special getaway.
ABOVE villas are the epitome of luxury and come with designer interiors, infinity pools boasting panoramic ocean views, and terraces made for golden hour cocktails – properties with serious star quality. What’s more, they’re located all around the world, from the sun-soaked shores of Spain and Greece to the palm-fringed beaches of far-flung Sri Lanka and beyond.
Sampling delicious local food is a big part of a holiday, but catering for a large group can often mean juggling different requests and palates. Luckily for you, many of these luxury villas come with their very own in-villa chefs – perfect for when you’d rather toast the moment with a glass of fizz than spend time flapping around in the kitchen. Instead, let your chef whip up multi-course meals morning till night, using the freshest local produce, all based on your personal tastes and dietary requirements, before tucking into it alfresco under the undisturbed starry night sky.
The little luxuries make a big difference to a bucket-list trip: daily housekeeping to keep things spic and span, spa treatments for when you need a little R&R, wine tastings for the adults, yoga sessions with epic views, and even round-the-clock babysitting. All of this can be arranged to make your stay feel even more indulgent.
Maison Emilion, France
This rustic French villa is practically made for wine lovers, aptly located amidst the rolling vineyards of Bordeaux. This six-bedroom hilltop hangout boasts views of the working vineyards from every angle, including from the heated pool and surrounding sunbeds. Wander into the nearby village of Saint-Émilion, then enjoy the included wine-tasting experience before settling into the garden for dinner with nothing but the glow of flickering candlelight and the moonlit sky.
Oleander, Corfu
It doesn’t get much more luxurious than Oleander in Corfu, a five-bedroom villa overlooking Avlaki Bay and the picturesque town of Kassiopi. It’s located high above the Ionian Sea and is the ideal villa for memorable summer celebrations. Soak up the sunshine from the infinity pool while enjoying views of Albania’s craggy Ceraunian Mountains, or hang out on the wrap-around terraces and communal outside dining areas. During peak season at Oleander, chef service is also included, so you can enjoy meals with your loved ones without even having to leave the villa.
Spirit of Son Fuster, Mallorca
Spirit of Son Fuster in Mallorca is hard to beat for large groups and multigenerational stays. This five-star bolthole is set in a stunning natural landscape at the foot of the Alaro twin mountains, right near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Serra de Tramuntana, and is as secluded as it gets. This gorgeous 14th-century manor house sleeps twenty people across ten bedrooms and even has its own on-site spa and hammam where everyone can enjoy treatments in the dedicated treatment rooms. There’s even a private cinema room for movie nights and a well-stocked wine cellar filled with local vintage wines.
Masseria Giardini, Puglia
Masseria Giardini in Puglia is the height of luxury and the perfect home-away-from-home for families and large groups. It was built in 1750 and is surrounded by leafy olive groves and landscaped gardens curated by Chelsea Flower Show winners Urquhart & Hunt. Enjoy unparalleled views of the Canale Di Pirro Valley from this ten-bedroom farmhouse and spend days lazing around in the heated pool. This villa is an architectural masterpiece, with signature stone domed roofs and hand-carved stone baths in five of the ten bedrooms.
For more travel information and inspiration and to book your perfect villa getaway, visit CV Villas
UK cuts to international aid will have huge impact, minister admits
The UK’s large-scale aid cuts will have a “huge impact”, the new development minister has admitted to MPs – but that the days of viewing Britain “as a global charity” are over.
Jenny Chapman replaced Anneliese Dodds as development minister in February. Dodds resigned in protest at the prime minister’s plan to cut aid spending from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of the UK’s gross national income (GNI) – a measure of the nation’s total wealth. That amounts to roughly £6 billion cut from a current budget of £15.4bn.
Addressing the international development select committee, Baroness Chapman said the UK needed to “sharpen our focus” on health, the climate crisis and humanitarian aid in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, “which is actually where the public expects us to lead”.
But this would likely come at the expense of programmes around women and girls’ education, she said.
“There will be a huge impact, I’m not pretending otherwise,” Chapman said “I can’t promise to protect every good programme”.
Baroness Chapman went on to claimthere was an “absolute crisis” in public support for international aid, adding that “many of our partner countries” also wanted to “move on from this model”. Monica Harding, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on the committee, said other polling suggested UK residents did support foreign aid when it is, “within their interests, when it supports defence and security and soft power”.
Arguing that the UK needed to focus more on sharing expertise than providing cash, Baroness Chapman said: “While our commitment to helping those living through emergencies is unwavering – for countries developing, we need to be an investor and not just a donor.
“It’s about partnership and not paternalism.”
An explicit plan to spend less on gender might appear to mirror the rhetoric coming from across the Atlantic, as Donald Trump has ruthlessly slashed any spending he considers to be in the service of “gender ideology.”
Trump’s cuts are already having wide-ranging destructive effects from leaving millions on the brink of famine to derailing the end of the AIDS pandemic, driving millions of preventable deaths.
But Chapman was keen to put a distance between Labour’s plans and the US’s blitz on all aid – especially any project that has a whiff of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Asked by Harding whether these plans were “just following the US”, Chapman denied the claim.
“We have made our choice for very very different ideological reasons. This is about necessity and having to shift some spending to defence,” Baroness Chapman said.
“We maintain our commitment to go back to 0.7 [per cent] when we can”.
In the future, the UK should offer its “expertise” from its education, health, tech and financial sectors to support countries to build their own systems, Chapman said.
The alternative would be to “salami slice without strategy,” which would be “wrong”.
An analysis by Save the Children previously shared with The Independent found “savage” cuts to UK foreign aid would leave 55.5 million of the world’s poorest people without access to basic resources.
Chair of the international devleopment committee, Sarah Champion, said development money – which usually sits in a different pot from humanitarian money – is “how you prevent conflicts in the future. It is how you prevent terrorists in the future”.
The plans will be finalised by 11 June when the spending review, setting out government departments’ budgets, closes.
Baroness Chapman also pushed back on estimates from The One Campaign which suggested UK aid cuts could lead to 600,000 preventable deaths and 38 million fewer children being vaccinated, saying the government hadn’t got the point of making those decisions yet. More clarity on where the UK’s aid cuts will fall will come in the summer.
This article was produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project