Prickly, bristly and sulky – will the real Prince Harry please stand up?

Courtroom artists’ portraits are rarely what you’d call “flattering”. When it’s a regular Joe Bloggs entering the witness box, there’s no real frame of reference for the casual viewer. When it’s an already-familiar face, however, it becomes far more obvious that the hastily rendered representation has about as much in common with the actual person as a cut-price caricature done by a down-on-his-luck street artist. One who, presumably, gets off on ritually humiliating his subjects.

It’s probably quite a knock for the old self-esteem – so pity Prince Harry, whose latest pastel-sketched profile after his appearance in the High Court is unlikely to make it onto his wife’s painfully overcurated Insta grid anytime soon.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a few choice ones might include “haggard” (the eyes weighed down with not just bags but veritable suitcases); “angry” (the forehead etched with deep frown lines); “unkempt” (the hair, both facial and head).

But perhaps most damning of all is the impossible-to-ignore suggestion of a balding patch on top – a few cannily placed daubs of flesh colour beneath wiry strokes of auburn conveying the dreaded “thinning out” that relentlessly pursues men of a certain age with all the tenacity of the Nazgul hunting the one ring across Middle-earth. Alas, the one-time poster boy for the follicularly challenged is finally going the way of his elder brother; one can only outrun genetics for so long.

It all feels a bit Samson and Delilah-coded, tbh. Which doesn’t bode well for Harry’s current battle against the Daily Mail publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), his third legal claim against a newspaper group to date. Is Meghan the Delilah in this scenario? Is the Duke’s power waning in tandem with his hairline? Only time will tell, as he wraps up giving evidence as one of seven high-profile claimants accusing ANL of “grave breaches of privacy” over 20 years.

Harry has described this latest court case as, simply, a “horrible experience”. But a rogue artist’s impression isn’t the only image problem the beleaguered royal is currently contending with. Here are a few more choice words, these ones flung out by court reporters rather than captured by an unsympathetic sketch: “terse”, “tense”, and “more defensive than the defence”.

He “prickled” and “bristled” and “sulked” on the stand; he described the idea that he shouldn’t be entitled to a private life as “disgusting” and railed against the idea that the private lives of himself and those close to him should, in fact, be “commercialised”.

I can sympathise. After all, nobody should have their private life monetised by the media, should they? Nobody should, say, have the ins and outs of their deeply personal family drama and dating and relationship history constantly written about and televised for all to see?

Like in 2019, when ITV followed the Sussexes’ every move as they toured around Africa at the request of… oh yes, the Sussexes. Fair play – amid a swirling mass of lies and negative stories in the press, Harry and Meghan wanted to set the record straight, once and for all.

Well, twice and for all: in 2021 came a high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey, swiftly followed by Harry and Meghan, a six-part Netflix documentary series as part of the Sussexes’ multi-year deal with the streaming platform (rumoured to be worth around $100m).

OK, OK, thrice and for all, m’lud. Lest we forget Spare, Harry’s scorching, no-holds-barred autobiography, which finally – finally! – allowed him to speak his unfiltered truth (and incidentally make a reported £16m).

At long last, the Sussexes’ side of the story had been laid bare from every conceivable angle and put to rest! That record was well and truly set straight – they’d practically used a spirit level – and the Duke could stop talking about his hallowed and sacred private life for, oh, at least five minutes… Once he’d squeezed in a few teeny-tiny deeply personal interviews with ITV, CBS and ABC (demonstrating a level of oversharing normally reserved for a night out with the girls after a bottle of sauv blanc and ill-advised 3am tequila shots).

No point in “breaking your silence” if you’re not going to do it multiple times a year across numerous media platforms, after all.

But spare a thought for the real victim in all of this: Meghan. Harry broke down in tears at the end of his testimony in the witness box on Wednesday as he recounted his wife’s abject suffering and the “misery” she has had to endure. Yes, she may put a brave face on things as she posts glossy, artfully framed snaps on social media of her perfect slice of Californian family life, or presents episodes of wonderfully beige lifestyle magazine show With Love, Meghan from her idyllic Montecito home*.

(*not her actual home.)

But we all know that the curse of “Instagram versus reality” can hit even the most A-list of A-listers – just as the curse of male pattern baldness can. No matter the verdict, that’s one image problem that can’t be overturned.

Trump injured hand in Davos signing ceremony, White House claims

President Donald Trump has been pictured with a large bruise on his left hand while delivering a speech about his “Gaza board of peace” in Davos, Switzerland.

Trump sustained the bruise Thursday during a signing ceremony for the peace board at the World Economic Forum after the president “hit his hand on the corner of the signing table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to The Independent.

A White House official added that Trump, 79, and his physicians have previously noted he is susceptible to hand bruising due to his daily aspirin routine.

Pictures taken at the conference yesterday and this morning, before the peace board signing, showed no bruising, but the markings were prominent in later photos.

Trump often applies heavy makeup to cover bruising on his hands, which the White House previously explained is due to the president meeting “more Americans and shak[ing] their hands on a daily basis than any other president in history.”

He addressed his health in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal and acknowledged that he applies makeup to his hands for when he gets “whacked again by someone.”

“I have makeup that’s, you know, easy to put on, takes about 10 seconds,” he said.

The president also told the outlet that he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day – much higher than the more common, daily low dose of 81 milligrams – and had done so for years.

“I’m a little superstitious,” Trump said. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart. I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist who treated the late vice president Dick Cheney, explained that anticoagulants do not actually thin blood. “So that makes no sense, that actually makes nonsense,” he said on CNN.

“It’s not like changing something from gumbo to chicken soup, it doesn’t make it doesn’t make it thinner. It makes you less likely to clot,” he added.

Trump is the oldest person to assume the presidency, a job that’s constant and has countless stressors. But the president’s doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, said that he is in “exceptional health and perfectly suited to execute his duties as Commander in Chief.”

Eric Garcia contributed to this report

The Traitors 2026 live: Cliffhanger leaves Rachel’s fate up to chance

With The Traitors’ final fast approaching, the prize pot is in touching distance for the remaining players – including the two Traitors who are hoping to steal the lot.

Traitor dream-team Stephen and Rachel have so far successfully dodged banishment, despite multiple Faithfuls making strong cases against them both.

This week, though, the Celtic pair appear to be cracking under the pressure as tensions rise.

Thursday’s penultimate episode (22 January) saw the two players throw suspicion on to one another at various points, all the while reassuring each other that the gameplay is all part of their joint ruse.

Elsewhere, Roxy was murdered and the Faithfuls were successful in their up-hill challenge. Their triumph meant an additional £10,000 in prize money – and a block on the Traitors’ final murder.

At a tense roundtable, Rachel and James emerged as the main suspects resulting in a split vote not once but twice. – with Stephen ultimately backing his fellow Traitor. As such, the banishment will be left up to fate with Rachel and James choosing from the Chests of Chance in Friday night’s finale.

The Traitors airs at 8pm on BBC One. Follow the latest updates below…

Trump claims Greenland deal with Nato will give him ‘total access’

Donald Trump says the deal he claims to have reached on Greenland will give the US “total” and indefinite access to the Danish territory.

Speaking to reporters on his way back from Davos, Trump said the deal would be “much more generous to the United States, so much more generous”, while skirting questions on the territory’s sovereignty.

Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed Trump’s decision earlier this week to rule out military action but said “I don’t know what there is in the agreement, or the deal, about my country.”

Late on Thursday, the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said relations between the bloc and the US had “taken a big blow”, even after Trump withdrew his threat to impose tariffs on European nations over the Greenland row.

And Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte confronted Trump on his claims that Nato wouldn’t “be there for us if we gave them a call”.

“Let me tell you, they will – and they did in Afghanistan,” Rutte said.

Trump shrugged off those comments, telling Fox: “We’ve never needed them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan… and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”

Queen Elizabeth II statue will be standing despite different original design

The national monument dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II will feature a standing statue of the monarch, departing from earlier illustrations that depicted her on horseback.

This tribute, which will also include two additional statues and a distinctive tiara-shaped glass balustrade for a bridge, is planned for St James’s Park in central London, adjacent to Buckingham Palace.

The news comes as an acclaimed artist, known for her depictions of Second World War heroines, is to design a separate sculpture “portraying the strong and complex personality” of Queen Elizabeth II.

Karen Newman, who also spent 20 years working as a sculptor for Madame Tussauds, has been appointed to craft the tribute to the late Queen on Birdcage Walk in central London.

It will complement a larger statue of the Queen overlooking The Mall, on the other side of St James’s Park, by sculptor Martin Jennings, which will now be accompanied by a statue of Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh.

Jennings confirmed the late sovereign would be standing, rather than on horseback shown in early designs, in keeping with sculptural tradition for the kings and queens of the House of Windsor.

The figure of Philip, which will stand close to the Queen’s, was originally planned to accompany a new Prince Philip Gate on Birdcage Walk in architect Lord Foster’s proposals for the memorial.

But it will now be placed in a prime spot near Marlborough Gate on The Mall, which leads to Buckingham Palace, with the positioning reflecting the Queen and Philip’s “partnership” throughout her reign, the Cabinet Office said.

Newman said her representation of the Queen would combine elements of the monarch’s life, showing her both as “an icon and as an individual”.

“It is a huge honour to be asked to contribute my work to the memorial for Queen Elizabeth II,” she said.

“She was an iconic and unifying figure in our national story.

“I am very much looking forward to portraying the strong and complex personality of our late Queen.

“My approach will be to combine elements of her life in the sculpture, showing her both as an icon and as an individual.”

Newman, a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors and the Society of Portrait Sculptors, sculpted wax portrait figures of Prince Philip, former prime ministers Harold Wilson and Sir Tony Blair, Stevie Wonder, Yoko Ono and many other famous faces during her time at Madame Tussauds.

Her bronze memorial of British secret agent Noor Inayat Khan, who was the first female radio operator sent into Nazi-occupied France, stands in Gordon Square Gardens in London, while her bronze head and shoulders of Violette Szabo, who worked for the British Special Operations Executive in France, is found outside Lambeth Palace, facing the Houses of Parliament.

Newman has also depicted secret agent Nancy Wake, who led hundreds of allied personnel to safety from occupied France and was nicknamed The White Mouse for her ability to evade capture.

Jennings welcomed Newman’s appointment as he released further information about his own statue of the Queen.

The artist said: “I have admired Karen’s work for many years and I am delighted that she will be joining the team of artists tasked with making sculptures for the memorial site.

“Her work always has great presence, being both subtle and commanding in equal measure.

“After careful research and thought, my design for the Queen’s monument will emphasise her role as head of state and proudly follows a sculptural tradition that shows kings and queens from the House of Windsor in standing position.”

Jennings is creating the statue as part of a new civic space called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate, which forms part of the commemorations.

Lord Foster won the bid to design the national memorial, which will also feature a “family of gardens” through St James’s Park with meandering paths and a new translucent, glass unity bridge.

The architect praised Newman’s work, saying: “Her talent and sensitivity will bring a profound sense of dignity to the work, and I look forward to collaborating closely with her and the team in the months ahead.”

The final designs for the memorial will be unveiled in April to coincide with what would have been the Queen’s 100th birthday.

The Australia less travelled: fresh ways to explore New South Wales

Sydney might be famous for its iconic Sydney Opera House and century-old Sydney Harbour Bridge, but the best way to really get under the skin of this multifaceted city, and the diverse state it’s situated in, is to wander beyond Circular Quay and explore the lesser-known spots, beyond the breathtaking skyscrapers and the buzzy CBD. From leafy neighbourhoods where locals sip natty wines at cosy bars to overlooked coastal suburbs where swims turn into sunset beers – this is Sydney and New South Wales when you slow down and look beyond the surface.

Explore like a local

Start in inner-city Sydney and make your way to Surry Hills, where Victorian terraces line leafy streets and the vibe feels more quaint and chic than barefoot Aussie beach life. Natural wine bars sit next to vintage shops, and art galleries are sandwiched between terraced houses. Breakfast and brunch here are a ritual, with cafes spilling onto pavements and neighbourhood restaurants serving seasonal Australian menus.

Just a short stroll away, Chippendale has racked up awards as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world. It’s chock-full of independent galleries, cool concept stores, hidden courtyards, and even has its own Asian food alley, an open-air hawker-style food market tucked away behind a row of old terrace houses, lit by the glow of lanterns.

If you’re someone who prefers to spend their time by the water, Manly should be on your radar. This northern-beaches suburb is just a short ferry ride from the city centre and swaps the CBD’s skyscraper-dotted skyline for laid-back surf culture. Sunrise swims, cold beers and permanently sandy feet are just part of life here. Plus, the view of the city in the distance is worth getting your camera out for.

Enjoy fresh foodventures

Most travellers head to the Hunter Valley for wine (and fair enough), but Orange is the coolest wine region on the block. This cool-climate region sits high up in the Central Tablelands, turning out chardonnay, pinot noir, and sauvignon blanc, thanks to its fertile volcanic soils and cooler evenings. The cellar doors here feel more intimate and practically made for languorous lunches, complete with beautiful bucolic scenery, not to mention the food scene that pays homage to the very best local produce.

In the Tweed region, you’ll find the Husk Farm Distillery, a family-run, paddock-to-bottle distillery set among cane fields just north of Byron Bay. This pastoral paradise is home to Australia’s first agricultural rum distillery and the maker of the now-famous colour-changing Ink Gin. The surrounding fields and rolling farmland mean tastings come with epic views, especially if you book one of their picnic experiences, where you can watch cattle quietly graze in the distance while sipping on seasonal drinks. Nearby, you can try your hand at mud crabbing with Indigenous guides or slurp freshly shucked oysters straight from the estuary.

Further down on the Central Coast, and only one hour’s drive from Sydney, the Broken Bay Pearl Farm, New South Wales’ only pearl farm, runs ‘Shellar Door’ tours, where you can snack on the freshest oysters and learn about pearl cultivation while gliding across mirror-flat waterways surrounded by gorgeous green hills.

Reset in nature

Go off grid and get some serious R&R in the Blue Mountains, where blankets of eucalyptus forests spill down into sandstone valleys. The panoramic views from every angle make you feel small, and days are best spent holing up at a luxurious hotel where you can switch off your phone for a few days.

Spicers Sangoma Retreat, situated amidst the untouched beauty of Bowen Mountain, is just one of the many options to rest your head. Awarded two Michelin Keys it’s known for its secluded suites, infinity pool with treetop views, and a focus on immersion rather than excess. Wake early to views of mist-covered cliffs and Angophora gums in every direction, then treat yourself to a spa treatment or settle in for a wine-and-watercolour class.

On the North Coast of New South Wales, Byron Bay has its own version of laid-back luxury, offering a more barefoot, beachy vibe with stays like Crystalbrook Byron. Here it’s all about seafront restaurants serving just-caught seafood, world-class beach breaks for surfing, and some of the most drop-dead gorgeous national parks in the world.

Alternatively, head South to Jervis Bay which also delivers similar vibes with options like Paperbark Camp, inspired by an African safari. It offers cosy canvas-tent glamping, with a treetop candlelit dining room surrounded by native bushland.

For travel information, inspiration and to start planning your New South Wales holiday visit Travelbag

Man accused of rape ‘upset’ by woman texting Barron Trump, court told

A Russian man accused of rape has denied “being controlling” but told jurors he was upset by the woman’s sending messages to Donald Trump’s youngest son.

Matvei Rumiantsev, 22, is on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London, accused of assault and two counts of rape, among other charges, against the alleged victim, who jurors have heard is friends with Barron Trump.

The defendant said he later regretted his behaviour but denies all six charges.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Mr Rumiantsev said he became aware of the woman’s friendship with Mr Trump, 19, while on a holiday in October 2024.

The Russian citizen, who lives in London, told the court: “She [the alleged victim] came up to me in the hotel room and she asked me to take a picture of her phone on which there was a chat with Barron Trump.

“The kind of chat they had didn’t allow her to take a screenshot so she came up to me and asked me to take a photograph with the phone.”

Jurors heard that on 3 November 2024, Mr Rumiantsev and the alleged victim had an argument at her flat, and Mr Rumiantsev left the apartment after damaging her air fryer and dropping her kettle.

He said that after he left, he received phone calls and text messages from the alleged victim, which made him concerned for her welfare, so he called the police.

Jurors have heard that after police arrived, in body-worn footage the woman can be heard apparently telling officers: “It was like jealousy, controlling of like who I can be friends with.”

Asked by his barrister, Sasha Wass KC, whether this was about the US president’s son, the defendant said that it was.

Mr Rumiantsev, who wore a blue suit and white shirt in the witness box, told jurors that earlier that evening, the alleged victim had brought Mr Trump up and started showing him her messages with the 19-year-old.

“I started to explain that I felt upset as well about her talking to Barron Trump,” he said.

“I was in no way controlling but I was trying to make her know that if she feels unwell seeing messages I had with girls 10 years ago, she could maybe understand how I felt when she was sat there this moment texting someone else.”

The court heard that later that day, Mr Rumiantsev sent the alleged victim a text in Russian, translated into English, which said: “I honestly cannot believe what a f*** up I caused.

“This is just f***ing nuts.

“I behaved like an arsehole. I’m very ashamed that I grabbed your phone, you started calling him sweetheart. I felt so unwell.”

Asked who “him” was, Mr Rumiantsev said “Barron Trump”.

Jurors heard Mr Rumiantsev and the woman had been drinking together on the evening of 17 January 2025 and into the early hours of the next day.

Mr Rumiantsev said they had consensual sex twice during that time.

Giving evidence on Thursday, the defendant told jurors that before he answered a call from the US president’s son on the alleged victim’s phone, the woman had been “in a stage of complete breakdown”, partly because she had been drinking.

“She was just completely hysterical crying, screaming, shouting at me,” said Mr Rumiantsev, who wore a blue suit and white shirt in the dock.

“I noticed her phone next to me on the sofa and it was ringing with a Barron Trump face call,” the defendant told the court.

“I don’t know what went through my head but I answered yes.

“At that point I was standing up, I stepped away from her maybe for a couple metres … I answered the call and I immediately put the camera towards her. I don’t know why I did that.

“Maybe I thought she would realise that her behaviour was unreasonable, that she wouldn’t behave like this in front of someone else.”

Mr Rumiantsev denies assault, actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, perverting the course of justice and two counts of rape, in charges dating between 1 November 2024 and 23 January 2025.

The trial continues.

More people have adopted the four-day work week – here’s why

More than 50 organisations collectively employing over 1,400 individuals transitioned to a four-day working week in 2025, according to new figures.

The 4 Day Week Foundation revealed that the total number of employees now benefiting from this model stands at over 6,000 across 253 accredited businesses.

The newly certified employers represent a broad spectrum of industries, including business, consulting, management, charities, technology, retail, housing, engineering, marketing, arts and entertainment, manufacturing, gaming, recruitment, heritage, healthcare, and education.

London saw the highest number of these new accreditations, with Scotland and the North West also showing significant adoption.

Joe Ryle, campaign director for the foundation, said the latest figures show that UK employers no longer have any practical barriers to making the shift.

“These companies are proving that there is nothing stopping organisations in the UK from moving to a four-day week,” he said.

“Across virtually every sector and region, employers are showing that shorter working weeks boost productivity, improve wellbeing and help attract and retain talent – all without cutting pay.

“The question is no longer whether it works, but how quickly others will follow.”

A total of 53 newly accredited organisations permanently adopted a four-day week with no loss of pay last year, the foundation said.

Researchers in the US found last year that working four days a week can help workers protect their mental health.

A team at Boston College said their landmark study had revealed the shift was associated with a high level of satisfaction on the part of both employers and employees.

More than 100 companies and nearly 2,900 workers in the U.S., U.K. Australia, Canada, and Ireland were involved in the study.

That included an improvement in productivity and growth in revenue, a positive impact on physical and mental health, and less stress and burnout.

A 2024 poll of more than 2,000 full-time U.S. workers found that more than half of respondents reported feeling exhausted from chronic workplace stress within the past year.

The main reason that employees had maintained productivity, according to their assessment, is that companies have decreased or cut activities with questionable or low value, including meetings. Instead, meetings became phone calls and conversations via messaging apps.

Another key factor was that employees would use their third day off for doctor’s appointments and other personal errands that they might otherwise try to cram into a work day.

The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, builds on previous research that has found similar benefits, and comes on the heels of a recent study that found long working hours may alter brain structure.