Putin visits battle-scarred Kursk as Ukrainian ex-MP shot dead on school run

Pope Leo XIV has confirmed his willingness for the Vatican to host the next round of Ukraine peace talks, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said.

“Finding in the Holy Father confirmation of the readiness to host the next talks between the parties in the Vatican, the prime minister expressed deep gratitude (to) Pope Leo XIV for his unceasing commitment to peace,” a statement from Ms Meloni’s office said.

The Vatican has not commented on possibly hosting peace talks.

It comes as Russian president Vladimir Putin staged a visit to the war-battered Kursk region on Wednesday, including a trip to its nuclear power plant.

Donald Trump was urged to pressure Russia with further sanctions, after Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Putin is “trying to buy time” to continue his war.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Russia‘s failure to negotiate in good faith should trigger threatened US sanctions.

The UK and the EU announced new waves of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday. The British measures alone impact around 100 entities and individuals.

Wealthy landowners lose case to restrict wild camping on Dartmoor

A wealthy landowning couple have lost a Supreme Court case to restrict wild camping on Dartmoor – in the latest twist in the dispute over public access to the commons.

The bitter dispute began when Alexander and Diana Darwall argued that some campers were causing problems to livestock and the environment.

The couple, who keep cattle on a 3,450-acre estate in the southern part of Dartmoor, won a High Court case two years ago to stop wild camping on the national park in Devon, without landowner consent.

But that ruling was overturned at the Court of Appeal just seven months months later – and on Wednesday, the Darwalls lost their challenge against it at the Supreme Court.

Mr and Mrs Darwall said they were “disappointed” by the ruling. and that the “hollowing out” of the role of landowners and farmers will not improve vitality of Dartmoor.

South Devon Lib Dem MP Caroline Voaden said she was “absolutely thrilled”, while campaign group The Stars are for Everyone said the ruling was a “relief”.

The case all hinged on the interpretation of the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985, which says “the public shall have the right of access to the commons on foot and on horseback for the purpose of open-air recreation” on the commons.

Lawyers for Mr and Mrs Darwall said the wording in the Act implied only walking and horse riding were allowed. They even argued that having a picnic without landowner permission could constitute as trespassing.

But in their Supreme Court judgment, Lords Sales and Stephens said the concept of “open-air recreation” was wide.

“The word ‘recreation’ is used here without qualification as to the form which it should take,” they ruled. “It is not confined to recreation taken by means of walking or riding.”

In a statement, Alexander and Diana Darwall said: “We are disappointed by the Supreme Court’s judgment.

“Our aim from the outset was to protect and preserve Dartmoor, its flora and fauna. Landowners and farmers have always played a vital part in the conservation of Dartmoor. Hollowing out the role of landowners and farmers will not improve the vitality of the Dartmoor Commons.

The high-profile case is seen as a test case for countryside access, with campaigners hopeful it will now mean greater access rights for walkers and campers across the country. While wild camping is allowed in large parts of Scotland, Dartmoor is the only place in England it is allowed without requiring permission from a landowner.

South Devon Lib Dem MP Caroline Voaden told The Independent: “I’m absolutely thrilled with this ruling. It is a vindication of something we’ve all known for a long time.

“Now this is over, I hope we can begin work to extend our right to wild camp beyond Dartmoor. In opposition, Labour spoke about extending the right to wild camp across the UK. I hope they will put those words into action and expand access rights for walkers and campers across the country.”

Dartmoor National Park, designated in 1951, covers a 368-square-mile area which features areas of unenclosed, privately-owned moorland where locals can put livestock.

Campaign groups The Stars are for Everyone and Right to Roam called on the government for stronger legislation to protect public rights to nature.

Lewis Winks, from The Stars are for Everyone, said: “ The verdict is a relief and huge win for the thousands of people who have campaigned so hard to retain the right to wild camp on Dartmoor.

“The fact that one wealthy landowner was able to temporarily remove a right that belonged to everyone demonstrates how England’s system of access is utterly broken.”

In written submissions to the Supreme Court hearing, Timothy Morshead KC, for the Darwalls, said the couple are “not motivated by a desire to stop camping on Dartmoor”, but by a desire to protect the moor as stewards of the land.

But in the judgement following Wednesday’s ruling, Lord Sales and Lord Stephens said powers held by the Dartmoor National Park Authority allowed the body to prevent “problematic camping” through bylaws and notices.

They concluded: “The legislation puts in place the means for public regulation of use of the commons which is in practice likely to be more effective in protecting the land than attempts by private persons to challenge such use through themselves having to confront people on their land and then bring a claim in private law.”

‘There is nothing left’: Three dead as southern France ravaged by floods

At least three people died after heavy rainstorms hit France’s Var region causing widespread flooding on Tuesday.

A couple in their 80s died in Le Lavandou on the coast, where the mayor described “scenes of war” after a “truly violent, nasty, incomprehensible phenomenon”.

Aged 85 and 84, the couple were swept away with their vehicle when trying to leave the area. The woman’s body remained trapped inside the wreckage as of Tuesday afternoon, Toulon public prosecutor Samuel Finielz said.

Another person died after becoming trapped in a car in Vidauban, according to local authorities. The 81-year-old was also swept away in her vehicle, and died after her vehicle dropped into a ditch on a submerged country road.

Only the driver was saved by a local councillor who happened to be there, Vidauban mayor Claude Pianetti said on Facebook, according to Le Parisien.

Reinforcements were sent, particularly from Bouches-du-Rhône and Alpes-Maritimes, to support the 200 firefighters who carried out around fifty operations, “including some for rescues and securing people,” the prefecture said.

The flooding has caused significant damage to the region in southeast France, causing power outages and damage to train tracks as water surged through the streets.

Roads and bridges suffered major damage in Le Lavandou, the commune’s mayor said. Le Lavandou sits around 30km (18 miles) east of St Tropez, and is a popular holiday spot on the French Riviera.

French forecaster Meteo France said an orange alert for thunderstorms and rain-flooding ended at 2pm in the Var region. Conditions are far more settled on Wednesday, with the rain making way for partial cloud, sun, and temperatures above 20 degrees, the forecaster’s website shows.

Gil Bernardi, mayor of Le Lavandou, said in a press conference according to Le Parisien that “255 mm of water fell in one hour, causing an enormous wave”, describing “torn-up roads” and “torn-down bridges”.

“There is nothing left, no electricity, no drinking water, no wastewater treatment plant,” the elected official also described.

The local prefecture on Tuesday began assessing the damage to the municipality, including “accessibility to drinking water, condition of the wastewater treatment plants, condition of the roads”. Authorities added that the La Môle/Saint-Tropez airfield was closed due to the flooding.

French president Emmanuel Macron extended his “heartfelt condolences” to the families and loved ones of those who died in the floods.

“To all those affected, I want to say that the Nation will be there, fraternal and united. There, with the relief forces, to overcome the coming hours. There, to rebuild,” he wrote on X.

Couple told to demolish £1m home they claimed would be ‘horse semen lab’

A couple has been told to demolish their £1m home after they lied to the council and said it was going to be a “horse semen laboratory”.

Jeremy Zielinski and his wife Elaine were given permission to build a “stallion semen centre” with a small upstairs flat in 2014 in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire.

But Mr and Mrs Zielinski built a “typical home from the off” equipped with an island breakfast bar, TVs, sofas and bedrooms, the planning inspectorate ruled.

The two-storey building was set to have a reception, office, kitchenette, lecture laboratory, processing laboratory and staff changing room on the ground floor.

Despite the property looking the same as the plans, the inside was very different with “little evidence” the couple’s “stallion semen business” ever got going.

Inspector Chris Peston said that the couple had sold their original house on the site and moved into this new home – called Valentine Stables.

South Cambridgeshire District Council told the pair to knock the home down in July 2023, but they appealed the decision. The planning inspectorate ruled in favour of the council, and said demolition was proportionate.

The council said the case showed the importance of “adhering to the specific uses and conditions that justify development in rural areas” to protect the countryside.

Mr Peston said: “No laboratory has been installed, no research or stored equipment associated with the business is apparent, either on the photographs from 2022 or at the time of my visit.

“Upstairs, where the staff accommodation was intended to be, there are two bedrooms, in the locations shown on the approved plans, and a living area/lounge equipped with a sofa and television.

“However, no kitchen appears to have been constructed on the upper floor. In other words, the living space is clearly spread over the two floors, as would be the case in a typical house.”

Mr Zielinski claimed the businesses never got started due to the Covid pandemic. However, Mr Peston found only one £44 transaction for “laboratory fees” for a horse named Dublin.

He said there was no proof the analysis was carried out at the Cambridgeshire home and said it was unlikely it ever was due to the absence of testing facilities.

Cllr Dr Tumi Hawkins, the lead cabinet member for planning at South Cambridgeshire district council, said: “We welcome the inspector’s clear decision, which supports our commitment to upholding planning policies in our local plan and the neighbourhood plan designed to protect our countryside.”

The house must be knocked down, and all waste material removed, by 6 May next year.

Constance Marten’s partner claims baby died because of police manhunt

The father of a baby found decomposed in a shopping bag has blamed a national police manhunt for the death of his and his partner Constance Marten’s child.

Mark Gordon, 50, said that he and his aristocrat wife, 37, had become “deranged a bit” when they decided to live off-grid, and said their newborn would “100 per cent” be alive if they had not been avoiding the police.

The couple are on trial charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria, who died on the South Downs in early 2023 following a large-scale police search.

The prosecution alleges Victoria died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in the “flimsy” tent, despite past warnings.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC previously told the jurors that from now on Gordon was going to represent himself after his barristers withdrew from the case.

Taking to the witness stand, Gordon blamed the decision for the police to launch a manhunt to search for them, saying: “If it had naturally played out, I believe the baby would still be alive today, 100 per cent, because ultimately we would have done the right thing.”

He said that he and Marten were already in a “scared state” after accusing private investigators of trailing them, and felt that they were “being harassed by various forces and this impacted our minds”.

“We had become deranged a little bit. We were off our heads,” Gordon told jurors.

The couple had previously been travelling around the country staying in Airbnbs and hotels, and said that prior to the manhunt they were “walking around and not hiding”.

Gesturing towards jurors, he said that police officers should have undertaken a risk assessment and realised that he and his wife were “panicked” and “afraid”.

“Who gave the command to do a national manhunt, we weren’t in the right state of mind,” he said.

He continued: “If you have a woman who has just given birth to a child … why chase them if there is fragility? If that manhunt had not begun, things would not have happened. I had no intention to live in a tent.

“To chase two parents who love their baby. We did not want the baby to come to harm.

“It was the chase that precipitated these events. We were not in the state of mind where a sound decision can be made.”

Referring to his wife, Gordon said: “In regards to my beautiful noble wife, who is nothing more than a passionate, strong individual, she has been nothing but kind and wonderful to me and the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.”

Despite him and Marten’s attraction and love for one another, he said that their relationship had come with challenges and that “forces” had not agreed with their match and posed difficulties for them.

“It has culminated in this courtroom sitting in a dock with 12 jurors deciding our fate,” he said.

The Old Bailey has heard the couple had wanted to avoid their fifth child being taken into care amid a high-profile police hunt for the missing baby.

The child’s body was discovered with rubbish inside a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton after the defendants were arrested.

Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, have denied the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter and causing or allowing her death between January 4 and February 27 2023.

Jurors have been told the defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.

From secluded bays to family-friendly shores, discover Costa Dorada’s beaches

Whether you prefer your sunbathing broken up by a spot of snorkelling, experiencing local culture, or simply blissfully uninterrupted – the Costa Dorada (locally known as Costa Daurada) has the perfect beach for you. With 50 miles of coastline, and 26 Blue Flag beaches, it doesn’t matter if you’re after calm waters, family-friendly facilities or adventurous water sports – there’s a sunspot that caters for every traveller.

What’s more, with Jet2holidays flying to the Costa Dorada from 12 UK airports and a range of two to five-star accommodation, it’s easy to get your beach break sorted. Jet2holidays is always giving you more, to help make planning and booking as smooth as possible. That goes for the PayPal Pay in 3 interest-free payments** option, 22kg baggage and 10kg hand luggage, and return transfers† that are included. Look out for Free Child Places***, and infants under two go free‡.

Here we pick out just some of the region’s gorgeous shores to delve into…

In one of the most picturesque and lively parts of Costa Dorada sits this almost two-and-a-half mile stretch of beach, lined with palms as well as the famous pine trees that give the area its name. It’s fab for everything from gentle strolls and paddles to more active games of volleyball, sand football and tennis. Other activities on offer include everything from shoreside Zumba classes to yoga, meditation and mindfulness sessions. The slow slope of sand into sparkling waters makes it ideal for families with young children, while for the real water babies, the exhilarating Aquopolis waterpark is only a short walk from the beach. With plenty of bars, restaurants, toilets and shower facilities lining the pretty promenade, there’s no reason not to stay all day.

With over five miles of Blue Flag beaches, all with gentle waters, Cambrils makes an excellent family-friendly break. Great for water sports such as kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing – especially at the pristine Platja del Cavet Beach, where the Escola Nàutica water sports centre offers windsurfing lessons.

For something more laidback, head to Platja de la Llosa for a series of smaller, but equally beautiful, beaches and coves. Then why not potter around the picturesque, cobbled alleyways of the old town to sample delicious local dishes? While you’re in the area, take the opportunity to visit neighbouring Platja de la Pixerota in Mont-roig on the southern border of Cambrils, to enjoy breathtaking views out to the Gulf of Sant Jordi and learn about the fascinating Spanish Civil War bunkers situated in the middle of the beach.

As the tourist capital of the Costa Dorada and the epicentre of amusement and entertainment, Salou’s beaches are home to good times for kids and adults alike. And being so close to PortAventura World (one of Europe’s largest theme parks) means double the fun, when so many of Jet2holidays’ Experience More hotels include park entry, meaning staying and playing is on the cards. Don’t miss the stunning Llevant Beach, dotted with colourful sunloungers and umbrellas, where the sea is filled with kayaks and jet skis. In between sunbathing and water sports, you can also enjoy wandering along its pretty promenade of shops, restaurants and bars. For something a little more secluded, take the coastal path to the sand dunes, pine trees and shallow crystalline waters of Platja Llarga, which is great for snorkelling.

This charming beach town is as much a magnet to those looking for lazy beach days as it is for history lovers. A medieval castle forms the backdrop to a swathe of fine golden sand at Platja d’Altafulla, and it’s a stone’s throw from the famous Roman ruins at Tarragona. You can even borrow a book from the Bibliomar beach library, which also organises workshops and storytelling, or join a yoga or Pilates class on the sands.

Walk down to neighbouring Tamarit Beach, which has its own castle dating back to the 11th century, as well as some friendly beach bars for a cheeky cocktail. Also in the area is family-friendly Coma-ruga Beach in El Vendrell. Its clear waters, palm-lined promenade of restaurants, bars and shops, and natural thermal springs, make for a balanced beach break.

The soft, sloping sands make Platja La Paella a super-safe option for families with children who love spending all day in the sea. As for water sports, there’s a designated area for surfers, and a bespoke exit and entry point for jet skis. The nearby marina offers scuba diving, snorkelling, water skiing and boat trips. For those who prefer being on terra firma, there are kids’ playgrounds, and a sports zone with four volleyball courts and three beach football pitches, often hosting championships. In summer, sports camps and gymnastics sessions are held here.

One of the most unique beaches in the Costa Dorada, the sugar-like sands and translucent waters of l’Arenal are split into two parts. There’s the northern section with its promenade and the Base Nautica water sports resort, which offers dinghy sailing, windsurfing and kayaking. Then there’s the southern part, which can only be accessed via a listed Blue Trail footpath. Here you can enjoy magnificent dunes, marshlands and white pine woodlands around a more tranquil shore.

With Jet2holidays, you can book your trip to the Costa Dorada with lots of package perks thrown in to make getting away even easier. From a low £60 per person deposit* to PayPal Pay in 3 interest-free payments**, 22kg baggage and 10kg hand luggage per person to return transfers†, it’s all included. Families can make the most of Free Child Places*** while infants under two go free‡. And with flights included and the choice of two to five-star hotels, Jet2holidays is always giving you more. For more Costa Dorada travel inspiration, and to find and book your ultimate holiday, visit Jet2holidays. Plus, right now, myJet2 members can save £100 per person§ in The Big Jet2 Price Drop (correct at original publish date).

*On bookings made ten weeks or more before departure. Full payment required by balance due date. **Spread the cost over three interest-free payments. Available when booked online, for holidays under £2,000, departing within ten weeks. ***One free child place per two paying passengers. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply, please see www.jet2holidays.com/promotions#FCP2025 for further details. †Unless otherwise stated. ‡Applicable for all infants under the age of two years on the date of return. Infants are not entitled to a flight seat (they must be seated with a parent or guardian) or a 22kg baggage allowance. §£100 per person off holidays for myJet2 members departing until 15 November 2026. myJet2 members will need to be logged into their account at the time of booking for the discount to automatically apply. Book online, via our app, through our call centre or with your travel agent. Please note the discount is not applied to children travelling on a free child place. Terms and conditions apply, please see www.jet2holidays.com/promotions#100APRIL2025 for details.

Why post-Brexit roaming charges in Europe are here to stay

Efforts by ministers to return free roaming to UK travellers appear doomed to failure, with European governments fearing their citizens could subsidise British holidaymakers.

One of the most tangible benefits to British travellers of membership of the European Union was the gradual reduction – and finally the removal – of international roaming charges for mobile phone use across Europe.

While a member of the EU, the UK had championed the “Roam Like at Home” deal. It relies upon Brussels-imposed caps on the wholesale rates that mobile phone providers can charge foreign counterparts.

The British gained most from the deal, with tens of millions of travellers heading for Europe each year.

But when the Brexit transition phase reached an end on 31 December 2020, so too did free roaming.

The DCMS said on that day: “A number of mobile operators have stated that they have no current plans to change their mobile roaming policies.”

But change they did, with EE, Three and Vodafone soon introducing charges. Of the big providers, only O2 still allows free roaming.

The Telegraph is now reporting that Keir Starmer tried to persuade EU negotiators to allow the UK back into the free roaming deal as part of the “Brexit reset”.

Under the headline “Cheap holiday phone use blocked by EU in another Brexit reset failure,” the newspaper says the prime minister “had attempted to end roaming charges for UK tourists on the Continent by requesting that they be allowed back into a scheme letting travellers use mobile data at local rates when abroad”.

Southern European nations including Spain and Italy objected, The Telegraph says.

Had the UK been allowed to rejoin the harmonised roaming zone, telecom providers in popular holiday hotspots would have had to cut the wholesale charges they make to British mobile networks. This loss of revenue could mean domestic consumers paying more.

An “explanatory memorandum” to a statutory instrument issued by the Boris Johnson government in 2019 makes it clear that roaming charges were set to rise after Brexit.

The document says: “The costs of regulating retail roaming charges without harmonised wholesale charges may lead to roaming becoming unaffordable for many operators.

“This would then lead to roaming services being removed from some packages used by customers, or mobile services as a whole becoming more expensive to compensate for the increased costs.

“Only by limiting wholesale roaming rates, can operators guarantee not to charge customers for roaming services.

“It will not be possible to impose a limit on the wholesale charges faced by UK operators when their customers use networks owned by EU operators.

“This instrument therefore removes provisions requiring guaranteed surcharge-free roaming.”

In 2022, then-culture secretary Nadine Dorries claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “We proposed to the European Commission that maintaining surcharge free mobile roaming be part of Brexit negotiations. They rejected that.”

In fact, the only reference in the Draft UK Negotiating Document was to discuss roaming charges three years after the Brexit agreement took effect.

Detective who stalked ex and tried to ruin his business avoids jail

A former detective who stalked her ex-partner and tried to ruin his surfing business by posting “untrue and seriously alarming” accusations on social media has avoided an immediate jail term.

Sue Thorpe, 44, a former officer with Northumbria Police, bombarded surfing instructor Barry Henderson with abusive voicemails, texts and emails in a year-long harassment campaign after he ended their relationship.

She also used the police national computer to illegally look up information about Mr Henderson following the split.

On Wednesday Thorpe, of Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years after being found guilty of stalking and misuse of computer data.

She was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity days and handed a 10-year restraining order banning her from any contact with Mr Henderson.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that between June 2020 and September 2021 Thorpe sent Mr Henderson messages accusing him of being violent towards her during their five-year-long relationship and, “most seriously, being a paedophile” who viewed indecent images of children.

A judge was told she repeated these claims to his friends, family members and new partner, and tried to harm his surfing business by posting them on Facebook and to a charity his business worked with.

Thorpe set up a fake email address to contact other organisations with her accusations, at one point pretending to be a concerned parent, and turned up at his workplace twice, it was said.

She even set up fake Tinder accounts as “honeytraps” to “try and catch him out”, a judge said.

In a victim impact statement read in court, Mr Henderson said Thorpe was “on a mission to destroy him” and her “untrue and seriously alarming” claims made him feel “physically sick” when he read them.

The statement read: “Sue is clearly trying to ruin my life and make my day to day living a nightmare.

“It is embarrassing and humiliating having to explain to family and friends what is happening.

“What Sue has done has created a massive strain on my personal life.”

Mr Henderson said Thorpe had contacted family members including his son accusing him of “various disgusting things” such as having affairs, drug taking and domestic abuse, and he had had to meet some of his male friends to assure them he was not having affairs with their partners.

He said his business had had a “massive drop in bookings”, adding: “It has got to the point where some days I don’t even want to go to work and face my customers in case they believe what Sue is saying about me.”

Judge Amanda Rippon said after the trial she was “absolutely sure” that Thorpe’s claims that she saw Mr Henderson looking at images of teenage girls on the internet, and that he assaulted her, were not true.

She said Thorpe, who had been a police officer for 19 years, had suffered a miscarriage of twins following IVF and the offending happened “at a time of her life when she was in crisis and ill”.

Sentencing Thorpe to a suspended jail term, Judge Rippon said: “That you were able to access police computers because you were a police officer is an additional and very serious feature, but you were ill, you were lost, and you were acting entirely out of character, undoubtedly as you saw your last chance of a family dissipate.”

The court heard Thorpe had resigned from the police, but would probably have been sacked following misconduct proceedings after her conviction.

After the trial in April, Northumbria Police said Thorpe had been suspended from the force.