Queen Camilla speaks for the first time about being assaulted on a train

Queen Camilla has spoken publicly about her experience of indecent assault for the first time, saying the incident left her “furious” and “angry”.

The attack, which was first reported in the book Power and the Palace earlier this year, took place on a train to Paddington Station when Camilla was 16 or 17 years old.

It outlined how the future Queen had hit the man with the heel of her shoe after he touched her, before reporting him and seeing him arrested when the train arrived.

The Queen’s revelation came as part of a conversation about domestic violence and sexual abuse with racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

She praised the strength and bravery of Mr Hunt and his family after his wife Carol and two daughters, Louise and Hannah, were killed in a crossbow attack carried out by Louise’s ex-boyfriend.

She said she had “sort of forgotten” what happened to her, but had been encouraged to share her story after hearing of the attack.

“I remember something that had been lurking in the back of my brain for a very long time,” the Queen told John and Amy Hunt and the BBC’s Emma Barnett in an interview at Clarence House. “That, when I was a teenager, I was attacked on a train.

“I was reading my book, and this boy – man – attacked me, and I did fight back,” she added.

She remembered getting off the train and “my mother looking at me and saying: ‘Why is your hair standing on end and why is the button missing from your coat?’ I had been attacked.

“I was physically attacked but I remember anger, and I was so furious about it.”

The Queen said she had been encouraged to speak out by the bravery of the Hunt family, telling the programme: “When the subject about domestic abuse came up, and suddenly you hear a story like John and Amy’s, it’s something that I feel very strongly about.”

In response, Amy Hunt said: “Thank you for sharing that, Your Majesty. It takes a lot to share these things because every woman has a story.”

Carol, Hannah, and Louise Hunt were all killed by Louise’s ex-boyfriend, Kyle Clifford, at their Hertfordshire home in July 2024. Speaking about the family’s grief, Mr Hunt said it “remains really difficult on a minute-by-minute basis”.

“You have to try and find the strength in our position to arm yourself with as many tools as possible that are going to help you get through that next hour,” he added.

In the programme, which was guest edited by Theresa May, they also discussed the online radicalisation of young men. The Queen advocated for education and a focus on young men to ensure they do not become perpetrators of abuse.

“They may have had parents or relatives who’ve been abusive or done terrible things to them. So they’re almost brought up to believe that it’s a natural thing to do,” she said.

“But if you can get them early enough and teach them respect for women, I think that’s so important to get into schools … and the more I look at it, it is the most important thing we can do now.”

Queen Camilla has long worked with victims of domestic violence, including visiting rape centres in the UK and abroad, hosting receptions for sexual assault and domestic abuse survivors, and speaking out on the issue.

She praised the Hunt family, telling them: “I’d just like to say, wherever your family is now, they’d be so proud of you both.

“And they must be from above smiling down on you and thinking, my goodness me, what a wonderful, wonderful father, husband, sister. They’d just be so proud of you both.”

Emery defends decision not to shake Arteta’s hand after statement Arsenal win

Unai Emery has defended his decision not to shake Mikel Arteta’s hand by claiming it was “cold” at the Emirates after his former club Arsenal ran riot to secure a 4-1 win.

Arsenal sit five points clear at the top of the Premier League following second-half goals from Gabriel, Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus on Tuesday night.

Ollie Watkins scored a consolation for Aston Villa in injury time.

Villa had been on a club record-equalling 11-match winning streak, but their defeat leaves them six points off the championship pace.

At the final whistle, Arteta shared a brief embrace with his backroom staff before he headed to the opposing dugout to greet Emery.

However, the Spaniard had already made his way down the tunnel following a handshake with fourth official Thomas Kirk.

“It is simple,” said Emery when asked about the non-handshake in his post-match press conference.

“You can watch. After I finish the match, my routine is always quick, I shake hands, and I go with my coaches, with my players to the dressing room.

“I was waiting, I was waiting. He was happy, of course he was happy. He was with his coaches. And I decided to go inside. But for me it is no problem.”

Further vindicating his decision to Sky Sports, Emery added: “Always my routine is go to the opposition coach, shake hands and go inside. If he is not doing the same rule, I can’t wait … it was cold.”

Arteta, who succeeded Emery as manager of Arsenal, said of the post-match flashpoint: “You saw it, but it’s OK, it’s all good. That is part of the game and it’s not unusual at all.”

After scraping past Wolves, Everton and Brighton in their previous three fixtures, Arsenal were far from their fluent best in a first half where the weight of expectation of ending a 22-year wait for a title appeared to be hanging over them.

But they came alive after the break with a performance which will serve as a warning to Manchester City ahead of their match against Sunderland on Thursday.

“I’m so happy,” said Arteta of his side’s emphatic display. “We play every three days, and today we played an opponent that has won 11 games in a row.

“They are a superb team, very difficult to play against, and we knew that we were going to have periods throughout the game.

“We talked about emotionally how demanding it was going to be and we struggled in the first 10 minutes. Then we adjusted, got a bit more control. We didn’t manage to score and then in the second half we clicked.

“We competed for everything much better. The timing was better and the individual goals were fulfilled in an extraordinary way, and we were so efficient in everything that we did.

“Unlike in the last few games where we had so many big situations, today we were very prolific and accurate to make the difference.”

Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of JFK, dies at 35

Tatiana Schlossberg, a Kennedy scion and granddaughter of the late president John F. Kennedy, has died at the age of 35, just weeks after announcing her terminal cancer diagnosis.

The JFK Library Foundation announced Schlossberg’s death in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

“Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” the statement reads. The post was signed “George, Edwin and Josephine Moran, Ed, Caroline, Jack, Rose and Rory.”

Schlossberg is survived by her husband, George Moran, their three-year-old son and their one-year-old daughter. She’s also survived by her parents, Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, her brother Jack Schlossberg, and her sister Rose Schlossberg, who is married to Rory McAuliffe.

Her cousin, Maria Shriver, also released a statement Tuesday honoring “sweet, beloved Tatiana.”

“Tatiana was a great journalist, and she used her words to educate others about the earth and how to save it. She created a beautiful life with her extraordinary husband George, and children Eddie and Josie. She fought like a warrior. She was valiant, strong, courageous,” Shriver wrote on X (Twitter).

“Those of us left behind will make sure Eddie and Josie know what a beautiful, courageous spirit their mother was and will always be. She takes after her extraordinary mother, Caroline,” Shriver later added.

Schlossberg revealed she had been diagnosed with a rare type of acute myeloid leukemia, a blood cancer, in a New Yorker essay published on November 22, the 62nd anniversary of her grandfather’s assassination.

In the essay, she recounted her disbelief in her diagnosis, as the disease is mostly seen in older people.

“I did not — could not — believe that they were talking about me. I had swum a mile in the pool the day before, nine months pregnant. I wasn’t sick. I didn’t feel sick,” Schlossberg wrote.

Schlossberg was diagnosed shortly after giving birth to her daughter in May 2024. Her doctors noticed her white blood cell count was elevated just hours after she delivered her daughter.

“Everyone thought it was something to do with the pregnancy or the delivery. After a few hours, my doctors thought it was leukemia,” she wrote.

She recalled feeling worried that her young children would not remember her after her death.

“During the latest clinical trial, my doctor told me that he could keep me alive for a year, maybe. My first thought was that my kids, whose faces live permanently on the inside of my eyelids, wouldn’t remember me,” Schlossberg wrote.

“My son might have a few memories, but he’ll probably start confusing them with pictures he sees or stories he hears. I didn’t ever really get to take care of my daughter — I couldn’t change her diaper or give her a bath or feed her, all because of the risk of infection after my transplants,” she added.

In her essay, Schlossberg also criticized her cousin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who took office in February after he was nominated by President Donald Trump.

“I watched from my hospital bed as Bobby, in the face of logic and common sense, was confirmed for the position, despite never having worked in medicine, public health, or the government,” she wrote.

She decried his cuts to research funding, particularly for “mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers.”

Other members of the family have also criticized the Department of Health and Human Services leader, including Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg, who announced plans to run for Congress as a Democrat in New York last month.

Shriver, a journalist and the former first lady of California, praised her cousin’s New Yorker essay.

“If you can only read one thing today, please make/take the time for this extraordinary piece of writing by my cousin Caroline’s extraordinary daughter Tatiana,” Shriver wrote last month. “Tatiana is a beautiful writer, journalist, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.”

Schlossberg was born on May 5, 1990, in New York City. Her mother, the daughter of the 35th president and first lady Jackie Kennedy, has served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan and Australia. Her father is a designer and artist.

Schlossberg earned her bachelor’s degree in history at Yale University before attending the University of Oxford, where she earned a master’s degree in American history.

She interned for The New York Times in 2014, before she was hired as a staff writer for the outlet’s metro section, and later its science section. Henry Fountain, a long-time climate reporter and editor for The New York Times, told The Washington Post Schlossberg was a “total delight” who “just researched her butt off on stories.”

Schlossberg went on to work as a freelance environmental journalist, focusing on the impacts of climate change. She published several stories in The Washington Post, including an investigation into the impacts of climate change on cranberry farmers.

In 2019, Schlossberg also published Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have.

The work earned her the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award. The award’s judges wrote that Schlossberg’s readers “will find solace, humor and a route to feeling empowered with possibilities for positive change, rather than drained by an accumulation of bad news.”

In her New Yorker essay, Schlossberg said she has told her son about her love of writing.

“My son knows that I am a writer and that I write about our planet. Since I’ve been sick, I remind him a lot, so that he will know that I was not just a sick person,” she wrote.

Schlossberg also revealed that, if she had not gotten sick, she would’ve written a book “about the oceans — their destruction, but also the possibilities they offer.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul honored Schlossberg in a statement on Tuesday.

“My heart goes out to the Kennedy family. I will never forget the images of Caroline Kennedy as a child in the White House before she lost her father. To now lose her own daughter to this terrible disease is unspeakable. I’m praying for all who knew and loved her,” she wrote on X.

Bank robbers in Germany drill hole in wall to steal millions from safety deposit boxes

Thieves stole tens of millions of euros worth of property from safety deposit boxes inside a German bank vault that they drilled into Monday during the holiday lull, police said.

Some 2,700 bank customers were affected by the theft in Gelsenkirchen, police and the Sparkasse bank said.

Police spokesperson Thomas Nowaczyk said investigators believe the theft was worth between 10 and 90 million euros ($11.7 to 105.7 million).

German news agency dpa reported that the theft could be one of Germany’s largest heists.

The bank remained closed Tuesday, when some 200 people showed up demanding to get inside, dpa reported.

A fire alarm summoned police officers and firefighters to the bank branch shortly before 4 a.m. Monday.

They found a hole in the wall and the vault ransacked. Police believe a large drill was used to break through the vault’s basement wall.

Witnesses told investigators they saw several men carrying large bags in a nearby parking garage over the weekend. Video footage from the garage shows masked people inside a stolen vehicle early Monday, police said.

Gelsenkirchen is about 192 kilometers (119 miles) northwest of Frankfurt.

This is not the first time Europe saw a large robbery this year. The world’s most-visited museum experienced a stunning heist in October worth about $102 million.

The Louvre in Paris saw robbers steal a diamond-and-emerald necklace Napoleon gave to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels tied to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amalie and Hortense, and a pearl-and-diamond tiara belonging to Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie.

Footage from museum cameras showed that the two who broke into the ornate Apollo Gallery used grinders to cut into jewelry display cases.

The emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found outside the museum.

Thieves used a truck-mounted basket lift to access a window of the Apollo Gallery, escaping with the Crown Jewels within minutes.

Labour criticises Tory shadow minister for representing Abramovich

Kemi Badenoch is facing growing pressure to take action after it was revealed that her shadow attorney general is acting as a lawyer for Roman Abramovich, despite the UK government having sanctioned him.

The Labour Party has dubbed his position “indefensible”, arguing it risks a conflict of interest with his political position.

On Monday, justice minister Jake Richards wrote to Ms Badenoch to ask whether David Wolfson had recused himself from any party policy regarding the former Chelsea owner’s assets.

He also asked the Tory leader to clarify whether the opposition was aligned with the government position that Abramovich must transfer more than £2.5bn to benefit the people of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Labour Party chair Anna Turley demanded to know whether Ms Badenoch was aware that Lord Wolfson was due to represent Abramovich, as well as urging her to make clear that “nobody representing a man who is currently under British sanctions can serve around her shadow cabinet table”.

The Russian businessman is caught up in a legal battle with the Jersey government after it launched an investigation into the source of more than £5.3bn in assets linked to him, which are held there.

The legal action is said to be delaying the release of funds from Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea FC, which the UK government wants to see used to help rebuild Ukraine after the war ends.

Ms Turley accused Ms Badenoch of “allowing her top team to moonlight second jobs that are in clear conflict with British and Ukrainian interests”, saying it was “a totally irresponsible position for His Majesty’s official opposition to be in”.

In his letter to Ms Badenoch, Mr Richards said: “The cab rank rule [an ethical principle in which a barrister is required to accept any case in their field of expertise, regardless of who their client is] is an important principle which should always be respected, but it cannot remove conflicts of interest, or eliminate the responsibility of politicians to avoid such conflicts.

“Lord Wolfson’s ability to advise you in respect of this matter is clearly compromised by the fact that he is being paid to act on behalf of Mr Abramovich.”

But the Tories said Lord Wolfson is not instructed on the matter of Chelsea FC and branded Labour’s attack “pure politics”.

A Conservative party spokesperson said: “Lord Wolfson is instructed in ongoing legal proceedings in Jersey. He is not instructed on the Chelsea FC matter.

“Jake Richards’s comments are pure politics, and they show Labour still does not understand how the Bar works. Barristers act for clients, not causes.

“And it’s a bit rich from this government. Labour should stop throwing mud. Their own attorney general has acted for Gerry Adams and involved himself in the Shamima Begum case. This is rank hypocrisy.

“The Conservative Party led the way on supporting Ukraine and we remain committed to their cause. To suggest anything else is just Labour sinking to new depths.”

It comes just weeks after the government piled pressure on the Russian billionaire to hand over the £2.5bn he received from the sale of Chelsea Football Club.

The prime minister earlier this month told MPs that a licence has been issued allowing the money to be transferred to the people of Ukraine suffering at the hands of the Russian invasion.

The multi-billion-pound proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since the sale in 2022, when the UK government sanctioned Abramovich after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine due to his close ties with Vladimir Putin.

Five perfect family getaways in Catalonia’s green heart

Looking for a family holiday that combines adventure, nature, and a touch of culture? Catalonia’s green heart is bursting with possibilities, from mountain valleys where flaming torches light up midsummer skies to tranquil wetlands teeming with wildlife. Whether your crew prefers gentle hikes, ancient ruins or ski slopes and riverside trails, this corner of northern Spain offers unforgettable experiences for every age and season. Here are five destinations that prove The Pyrenees of Catalonia might just be Europe’s ultimate family playground.

Located also in Catalan Pyrenees west, near the border with France, Catalonia’s wonderful all-rounder really does have something for the whole family. In terms of culture, it’s a place rich with traditions and history. Kids of all ages will be entranced by the annual summer solstice Fallas festivals, which involve young men carrying flaming torches from high in the mountains down to their villages where they light bonfires and take part in traditional dances late into the night. Even the most heritage-resistant will surely be converted by Vall de Boí’s unmatched collection of astonishingly preserved Romanesque churches, with their evocative towers, atmospheric interiors, and beautiful settings. The area is blessed with trails that will suit the youngest of hikers, like the routes at Salencar de Barruera where you walk along the river following a paved path from a playground to the Salencar wetlands.

Located just west of Andorra near the border with France, the Valls d’Àneu was the first inland part of Catalonia to receive the DTF family tourism certification, and it’s easy to see why. All valleys and peaks, glacial lakes and seemingly endless meadows, it feels like an unspoilt Eden that’s waiting to be explored all year round. In winter, the Espot ski station is a family favourite, with its dedicated beginners area with magic carpets and a drag lift, and its large number of green and blue slopes. Throughout the rest of the year, families flock to one of the region’s great areas of natural splendour: Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, which features more than 200 lakes with breathtaking alpine backdrops, many of them easily accessible on flat family walkways.

A few miles inland from Cadaqués in the Mediterranean, the gorgeous seaside town famous for its postcard-perfect whitewashed architecture, lies one of Catalonia’s big draws for nature-loving families: the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park. A 47km² wetland wonderland, its varied eco-systems are home to an astonishing range of birds and animals from bitterns and marsh harriers to otters and polecats. Parents to budding history buffs are also well-served in the area, which is home to both the Citadel of Roses – a fascinating journey through time that includes Hellenistic ruins, Visigoth-era buildings and Romanesque monasteries – and the archaeological site of Empúries with its reconstructed forum. It also benefits from being one of Catalonia’s culinary hotspots with its highly regarded seafood and excellent wines for deserving mums and dads.

Situated in the west of the Catalan Pyrenees, Pirineus, Noguera Palleresa is a stunning high peak destination that offers a vast range of family-friendly activities. In the snowy season, head to the celebrated Port Ainé ski resort, which has something to suit children of all ages from sledding play areas to treetop adventure parks. In summer, beat a path to the Alt Pirineu Natural Park which has abundant paths ideal for reluctant hikers, many of them with great views of the Pica d’Estats, which at 3143m is the highest mountain in Catalonia. Lovers of adventure sports should head to Sort on the Noguera Pallaresa river, which is the region’s top spot for whitewater rafting with gentle open kayaking for littler kids and thrilling canyoning for teenagers.

The Vall de Camprodon, located in Girona province just North of the town of Ripoll, is famous for its art nouveau architecture. One of the main draws of the Vall de Camprodon is the Ter and Freser Headwaters Natural Park, with its lush valleys and thrilling backdrop of high peaks. It’s a must-visit for aspiring bird-watchers, who if they’re lucky might see Griffon vultures, golden eagles, and Eurasian eagle-owls. Little kids will love the Camprodon Valley Tourist Train, which takes passengers on a 45 minute tour of Camprodon, allowing them to explore the valley and see incredible views of the Pont Nou without too much walking. And everyone will adore the food, particularly the local specialty biscuits, which they’ve been making since the 19th Century.

Plan your sustainable trip to the Catalan Pyrenees at visitpirineus.com/en

Wife of Jill Biden’s ex-husband found dead following ‘domestic dispute’ 911 call

The wife of Bill Stevenson, the ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden, was found dead inside their Wilmington home on Sunday night, police have said.

New Castle County Police said in a press release that officers were called to the home in the Oak Hill section of the city after receiving a report about a “domestic dispute” at 11:16 pm.

The statement says that officers found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room. Despite life-saving measures being taken, the 64-year-old was pronounced dead. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death.

Jill Biden married Stevenson in 1970 while she was still a college student. The pair divorced in 1975, 12 months after separating, two years before she married former President Joe Biden in 1977.

TMZ reports that Stevenson called authorities. He is believed to be cooperating with authorities and has not been charged with a crime.

Little is known about Jill Biden’s marriage to Stevenson.

In 2022, her biographer Julie Pace told People that Biden “had these expectations of sort of what that marriage was going to be, and the marriage did not live up to those expectations.”

“She was incredibly young and probably a bit naive about what life was going to look like, and it stings her. It really stings her, and it makes her question quite a bit.”

Police release CCTV footage of man after woman sexually assaulted on train

Police have released CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to after a woman was sexually assaulted on a train.

The alleged incident occurred on a service travelling from York to Selby, British Transport Police said, just before 8pm on 14 December.

The approximately 12-mile route is located in North Yorkshire, typically with no other stops between the two locations.

An appeal from the force says that a man sat next to the woman before sexually assaulting her. The force believes the man pictured may have information that would help their investigation.

Police shared two images of the man which shows him to be wearing dark jeans, a dark coat, and white shoes.

A British Transport Police spokesperson said: “Just before 8pm on Sunday, December 14, a man sat next to a woman on the service before sexually assaulting her.

“Officers believe the man in the images may have information that would help their investigation.

“Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 266 of December 15.

“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”