KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus’ exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Kyiv on Monday as the Ukrainian capital cleaned up after Russia’s biggest missile attack of the year, and world leaders kept a close eye on how much support the Belarusian government is ready to provide for Moscow’s all-out invasion.

Russia and ally Belarus held joint nuclear drills last week, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned in recent days that Belarus could provide a launchpad for Russia to open a new front in northern Ukraine. Some Russian troops entered Ukraine from Belarusian territory in Moscow’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

In a further sign of concern, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday about the war in Ukraine, their first call since the invasion began.

Russia warns of more ‘systemic strikes’

Further “systemic strikes” on Kyiv are in store, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday. It urged foreign citizens, including members of diplomatic missions, to leave the city as quickly as possible and told residents to stay away from military and government facilities.

The ministry said Friday’s deadly Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobilsk was “the final straw.” Ukraine said it hit only targets supporting Russia’s invasion.

The Russian army is locked in a hard and costly slog on the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line that mostly snakes through eastern and southern Ukraine.

“Russia hit a dead-end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centers,” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said on X, after the weekend barrage that killed two people and damaged buildings across the Ukrainian capital.

With U.S.-made air defense missiles in short supply because of the Iran war, Russian missiles are harder for Ukraine to stop. Meanwhile, U.S. efforts to stop the fighting have stalled.

Countries keep a wary eye on Belarus

In his call with Lukashenko, Macron “underscored the risks for Belarus of allowing itself to be dragged into Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” according to a presidential aide in the French leader’s office who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the presidential palace’s practices. Macron also spoke Sunday with Zelenskyy.

A terse readout released by the Belarusian presidential press service said the call with Macron took place “on the French side’s initiative” and the leaders discussed “regional issues” and Belarusian relations with the EU and France.

Belarusian opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya on her first visit to Kyiv, told The Associated Press on Sunday that “Lukashenko’s regime knows well what needs to be done to improve ties with the European Union, but it isn’t happening. Instead, hybrid attacks, nuclear blackmail and threats to the entire region.

Speaking after meeting with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv, Tsikhanouskaya said that “Ukraine is defending not only its independence but also the right of our peoples to live without imperial dictatorship, without violence and fear.”

“I am convinced that Ukraine’s victory will open the way to Belarus’s freedom,” she told a news conference.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who appeared alongside Tsikhanouskaya, emphasized that “Ukraine consistently differentiates between the regime that has dragged Belarus into Russian aggression and the Belarusian people,” adding that “we appreciate the contribution of Belarusian volunteers, journalists, human rights advocates and activists who are fighting for freedom, both ours and yours.”

Lukashenko, who has governed his country of some 9.5 million people with an iron fist for more than three decades, relies on the Kremlin for cheap energy, loans and other support. Western countries have repeatedly slapped sanctions on Belarus, including for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory to invade Ukraine.

More recently, Lukashenko has been trying to improve ties with the West. Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners as part of deals that lifted some U.S. sanctions.

Russia fires hypersonic missile at Ukraine

Sunday’s bombardment included Russia’s powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, which can carry multiple warheads. Russian President Vladimir Putin has boasted it can travel up to 10 times the speed of sound and evade air defense systems.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence services had received tipoffs from the United States and European countries that Russia was preparing to launch an Oreshnik.

In addition to the two deaths, at least 91 people were wounded in Sunday’s barrage, according to Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv City Administration.

Shattered glass littered sidewalks on Monday after Ukrainian authorities said the assault damaged buildings across the city, including near government offices, residential buildings, schools and a market.

Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, led ambassadors from more than 70 countries on a visit to the sites of the strikes. He urged the international community to step up pressure on Moscow and ensure Ukraine gets more air defense assets.

In other developments:

Russia’s Federal Security Service said divers found magnetic mines attached to the hull of a liquefied petroleum gas tanker in the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga. The tanker Arrhenius was bound for Samsun, Turkey, it said, adding that the limpet mines were made in a NATO member country. Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment.

Meanwhile, a Russian missile hit a business in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Derhachi, killing two people and wounding 19 others Monday, Kharkiv regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov said. Seventeen people were hospitalized.

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Associated Press writer John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Rome was not built in a day, but as Brighton inflicted back-to-back defeats on Manchester City at the start of the 2025/26 season, it felt like Pep Guardiola was fiddling while his empire burnt. The manager had no answers to young upstart Fabian Hurzeler and looked spent with his team a faded force and a mess with just one day of the summer transfer window to go.

To say the Club World Cup had felt like a rebirth for City after a season to forget, with players and manager finding their smile again as they lapped up beach days in Florida, by the time they landed in Sicily for their only pre-season friendly Guardiola’s warmth had boiled over. With just a week to go until the season started, as he sweated away in a beautiful villa that was seriously lacking air-con, the manager made clear to the reporters in the room that some serious fires needed to be put out with all three of his options in defensive midfield unavailable.

The whole season has arguably been defined by this battle, with a number of players burning bright and then fizzling out. Nico Gonzalez has started more consecutive games (15) than any other teammate in this campaign, yet found himself left out of the squad entirely in the final weeks; Mateo Kovacic did not start a league game until May after complications with his Achilles injury, while Rodri took over from Gonzalez in January with 11 consecutive starts after wondering if he would ever make it back to his best in a fitful start to his campaign, but his absence in the final weeks proved costly.

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A club that prides itself on not being overly reliant on any one player has found replacing their Ballon d’Or winner arguably more challenging this year. City have signed four midfield players aimed to ease the burden on Rodri since 2022 at a cost of nearly £175m and it does not reflect well on the recruitment team that none of them were consistently trusted or able to help with that responsibility this season; no wonder talks over a summer move for Elliot Anderson have been underway for so long.

And yet, the empire has still managed to strike back. Guardiola bows out at the top of his game, the squad is looking a lot more positive for sporting director Hugo Viana, and two more trophies have been added to a glittering collection as the painful goodbyes that have taken place over the last two days in Manchester have not dampened the optimism for a bright blue future.

The bedrock of the midfield has been Bernardo Silva, rejuvenated by the captaincy and a desire to prove that last season was not evidence of him no longer being good enough. He leaves this summer as a club legend and goes out on a high knowing he earned his place as the fourth most-used player this year.

As much as the problem with the Rodri role has followed City from Sicily to Selhurst Park, Silva has been a big factor in the team overcoming that issue so consistently. As Guardiola sweated back in August, horribly over-dressed for a Palermo villa lacking air-conditioning, the man who had been made captain was pouring oil on the bonfire of last season.

The Portugal international made clear the biggest priority was not winning but effort and respect, putting the standards back into the squad that he felt had unacceptably vanished after a fourth consecutive title. A man who Vincent Kompany had said was ’50 per cent leader, 50 per cent clown’ when he was at City made clear that joking around was only allowed while standards on the training pitch were being maintained.

He has surprised players with how hands-on he has been, a pitbull when there is football to be played but otherwise warm and personal, making everyone feel welcome in the squad. Even academy players who were around for last season noticed a stark improvement in both mood and standards this year as Silva’s two-pronged approach worked a treat.

Morale in the squad has been kept tight all year, with injured players asked to remain in and around the training ground in order not only to feel part of it for themselves but also to help the group. Those who haven’t been able to play have had it made clear to them that they are still expected to play a role as they work their way back.

Silva has also helped to reconnect with the fans after that fell apart last year. Some gestures, such as refunding tickets in January after the Bodo/Glimt defeat, were unnecessary yet that only proved how genuine the efforts have been to show supporters that they care. The fans have once again been treated to some fantastic away days, and recognising them on their travels has been a small but meaningful step.

Slowly but surely, the pieces have slotted into place for Guardiola. He hasn’t been able to rely on too many players for the whole season – Gonzalez and Phil Foden were hot and cold, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been up and down and even Erling Haaland lost his form over winter – and too many of his squad have been unable to contribute as they were expected to.

Guardiola and his successor have Viana to thank for securing Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window. City were really struggling after injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, so to be able to bring in two fresh faces to a flagging squad really made an immediate impact.

That helped City to bring in another two trophies and so nearly brought three as Guardiola rose to a new challenge. Nico O’Reilly, Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov and Jeremy Doku have all come on immensely this year and enough parts of the puzzle came together for the manager to be feeling confident in February that City could even dethrone Arsenal in the Premier League.

Guardiola said last week that he left because he does not think he would have the energy to go again next year but those who saw him at the training ground all year remarked on how much passion there was. Standards were driven up again, with one academy player feeling it when they were unceremoniously booted out of training for not showing enough of the right attitude; when that happens, as it has on occasion, Guardiola does not tend to give a second chance.

He also doesn’t expect second chances, which is why March was so crushing for the manager. Having entered the month feeling like City were ready to topple Arsenal, draws with Nottingham Forest and West Ham hit the coach hard – especially because at that point he was finalising plans to leave the club.

They would get it back in their hands, as well as two cups, after a pulsating 2-1 win over the Gunners in April that is up there among the best at the Etihad during his tenure. It ultimately wouldn’t be enough for the league as City weren’t consistent enough, as many had expected, but Guardiola still enjoyed a glorious farewell in front of his own fans on an emotional final day at the Etihad.

And as scary as the future looks without the best manager in the world, Guardiola has set out his reasons for believing that there is nothing to be worried about with Enzo Maresca at the helm.

“When the club tells me which one it is, of course I will call him. I will tell him the same like I said on Friday: be yourself. The club will support you unconditionally and that is the biggest compliment and the biggest luck that all manager here have Txiki, now Hugo and Ferran and especially the work of Khaldoon. Be yourself. You will be protected in the bad moments more than any other club. Be free with your ideas, work a lot and everything will be fine. Fans don’t forget winning the Trebles and cups are the exception. When you win two titles in a season and the other one you are there in almost the last corner, take value in that. It’s so difficult. And they value that [being there].

“This business is so complicated. When you do something and you win one game here in the Etihad, celebrate it and enjoy it. Go to the pubs of Manchester and take a good beer. Celebrate it. After that, demand the players run and fight and defend this club. The rest, every single step give credit. If you come here thinking with what we have done now we have to win 27 Premier Leagues in a row it will be a big mistake.

“When we arrived here, we built. My message was always win that game. League One or Carabao Cup, win the game, and we will see what happens. That is the best way to move on and I’m pretty sure knowing the people here that it is going to happen.

“They are stubborn, they know exactly what they want to do and they know perfectly that the opponents are so tough here and in Europe. We don’t take trophies for granted, we won finals against Arsenal and Chelsea – I wouldn’t say they are not good teams.

“We fought against a team like Aston Villa, who won the Europa League. Top teams. I would only like to say to the fans that every single step, don’t wait to win the Premier League or Champions League to be happy. Enjoy the process. I know all the players here will do it.”

City have lost their emperor and their general, but there has been enough this season to believe there won’t be any sackings anytime soon.

Tottenham say “football success had not been driving our decisions” as non-executive chairman Peter Charrington admitted failings and vowed to rebuild in an open letter to the club’s supporters.

Spurs narrowly avoided relegation with a 1-0 win against Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, finishing 17th for the second season in a row after a difficult campaign that Charrington said fell “well short” of expectations.

“Last September, we recognised that something seismic had to change at Spurs,” wrote Charrington, who was appointed to the Spurs board in March 2025.

“The Lewis family stepped in and authorised a full reset. That decision was not taken lightly, and it came later than it should have.”

That reset coincided with Daniel Levy stepping down after nearly 25 years as executive chairman, with sources indicating the decision was taken to improve sporting performance.

“As part of that process, we discovered some uncomfortable truths,” Charrington added.

“The qualities that make Spurs distinct, our football, our ambition, the connection between the team and its supporters, had been allowed to fade. Football success had not been driving our decisions.

“We did not have the right expertise in key roles. We did not build squads good enough to compete in the most demanding league in the world.”

Charrington was in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Sunday’s season finale along with Vivienne Lewis, representing the family who own Spurs, her son-in-law Nick Beucher and the club’s finance officer Matthew Collecott.

Now under manager Roberto de Zerbi, Spurs needed a point on the final day to avoid their first relegation from the top flight since 1977 – and only a third home league win of the season ensured they sent West Ham down instead.

Charrington added that Spurs have since restructured their football operations, with refreshed executive and football teams, and further appointments expected in the coming weeks.

The chairman also backed De Zerbi, who signed a five-year contract when joining in March, “to build back to where we need to be”, saying the Italian “represents the kind of football and ambition that Tottenham should stand for.”

It comes after Spurs midfielders James Maddison and Conor Gallagher credited De Zerbi, who became the club’s third manager this season after Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, with saving the club from relegation.

“Without that appointment, disaster could have maybe struck, but it didn’t and he takes a lot of credit for that because of the work he’s done behind the scenes and on the training pitch,” Maddison said.

Gallagher added: “From the first day or two he had everyone under his wing. Everyone trusted him instantly and everything he was doing – it was like ‘thank God he’s come in’ straight away.”

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes firmly defended his character and achievements as he accused Roy Keane of telling a “lie” about his pursuit of the Premier League assists record.

Fernandes said Keane had put untrue “words in my mouth” on a recent podcast appearance and he hopes to contact the United legend to set him straight.

Keane described Fernandes as being at the centre of a “circus act” following United’s 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest on the penultimate weekend of the season.

He suggested the Portugal international was prioritising individual assists glory over the team’s interests in his eagerness to set the single-season record.

Speaking on podcast The Overlap, Keane had said: “After the [Forest] game he got interviewed and he said, the captain of Manchester United said: ‘A few times, I probably should have shot but I made them passes.’ Wow. How can your mindset of a footballer be going into a match to be about an individual record? He won’t be winning trophies, not with that mindset of the team.”

Fernandes’ actual post-match comments were: “There were probably moments today when I should have passed instead of shot. I’m very happy for the assist, but more than that, I’m happy for the win and to finish the season on a high.”

Former Republic of Ireland and United captain Keane appeared to have misinterpreted Fernandes’ comments rather than sought to distort the truth.

Keane posted a drawing of a braying donkey on Instagram on Monday evening, following Fernandes’ response, with the caption “Too much attention makes a donkey think he’s a lion”. It sparked speculation the comment was retaliation aimed at Fernandes, but Keane did not specify that.

Fernandes registered a record-equalling 20th assist of the season in United’s win against Forest, and then took the record outright on the final day in the victory at Brighton. It moved him past the mark set by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.

His anger over Keane’s comments was clear as he told podcast The Diary of a CEO: “Like I’ve always said, I don’t mind criticism. I’ve always taken criticism from everyone and anyone and I never reply to anything or whatsoever.

“People have an opinion; they think it’s good, bad, whatever. What I don’t like is when people lie about things and [in] this case that you said about Roy Keane basically what he said is a lie because… either he saw some other interview or he can’t say that I said one thing that I’ve just not said and luckily for me is everything on record.

“I accept his criticism, I accept that he might like me as a player or not, like me as a person or not. But what I don’t like is that he puts words in my mouth that have not been said. That’s the only thing I don’t like.”

Fernandes is not the first player in the current squad to have voiced disapproval towards a United great.

Earlier this season, Lisandro Martinez was involved in a spat with Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt after they made comments about his height and ability to compete with Erling Haaland in the Manchester derby.

A report by a watchdog body has criticised the way Police Scotland handle complaints against senior officers and says misconduct investigations against all ranks take too long

Police Scotland have been slammed for the way it handles allegations of wrong doing by its’ top cops.

A shock report by HMICS (HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland) also criticised the length of time it takes for misconduct investigations involving all ranks to be completed.

However the watchdog body was particularly critical of the way Police Scotland deals with allegations of wrongdoing involving its most senior officers with some cases not being properly reported or investigated.

HMICS said allegations of misconduct concerning those holding the rank of Assistant Chief Constable or above should always be referred to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). This enables the oversight body then to carry out an initial assessment of any potential wrongdoing.

However HMICS found Police Scotland had failed to report all allegations of senior officer misconduct to the SPA, including complaints that were made anonymously through the forces ‘Integrity Line’.

The HMICS report has called for Police Scotland to share all complaints of alleged wrongdoing involving senior officers to the SPA without exception, including complaints made anonymously.

It has further advised the SPA to maintain clear records, detailing the receipt of every such complaint report it receives, and of the decisions it then makes as a result.

In a key finding HMICS said some officers and staff had reported occasions where “senior leaders” did not consistently demonstrate the expected standards of professional behaviour.

Last December Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Jane Connors was suspended over allegations of bullying.

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HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor, said: “Senior officers are entrusted with significant leadership responsibilities and are expected to act as role models for the organisation.

“They are required to maintain the Standard of Professional Behaviour at all times, demonstrating integrity, impartiality, professionalism and accountability in all aspects of their conduct.

“It is concerning that there is a belief in some of the workforce that some senior officers do not behave in line with these standards.” HMICS said that last September, 92 police officers were suspended and a further 109 were subject to duty restrictions as a result of conduct and disciplinary investigations.

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Some cops remained suspended for several years while complaints against them were probed

While staff responsible for assessing potential whistleblowing received little or inadequate training.

HMICS also recommended Police Scotland should review the structure of its Professional Standards Department (PSD) to prevent future delays.

Wellbeing support for police officers and staff who were the subject of conduct and discipline investigations was found to be inconsistent and perceived as inadequate, with some reporting severe mental health challenges including feeling suicidal.

HMICS also recommended that in cases where an officer or member of police staff dies by suicide while under or following an investigation, that this information is included in Police Scotland’s report about the death to the Crown Office.

The HMICS report made a total of 24 recommendations for improvement by Police Scotland.

Mr Naylor added: “Public interest in police conduct remains high, influenced in large parts by recent cases of serious misconduct within UK policing.

“The recommendations set out in our report provide a clear pathway to enhance professional standards and restore confidence in conduct and disciplinary arrangements.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said;” Some of the recommendations and observations made by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland will benefit from improvements already being progressed, for example necessary changes to accelerate gross misconduct proceedings in cases of criminality.

“Police Scotland acknowledges commentary in the report around issues relating to senior officers and are considering carefully observations of what is a small evidence base.

“Police Scotland already places significant focus on ensuring our officers and staff know and live our values and standards of behaviour and understand how to raise concerns, including through independent whistleblowing.

“Police Scotland supports improvements across police conduct and discipline and accept all recommendations made in the HMICS report.”

Meanwhile, Liam attempts to get through to Cain once more

As we welcome another week in Emmerdale, there’s set to be more drama in store for the residents of the Yorkshire-based ITV soap. Last week, we finally learned more about Kammy’s background, Cain was arrested following him adjusting to his catheter removal, and Gabby tried her best to impress Ross.

However, next week viewers will see Laurel and Ross trying to navigate the early days of their affair as things heat up quickly between the pair. Meanwhile, poor Gabby is trying to recover from her rejection.

With the scheming Dr Todd determined to rinse Charity of every last penny in exchange for the safety of her baby Leyla secret, Charity is pushed to extreme measures after Kim Tate has some bad news to share.

Here’s what’s coming up next in the Dales…

Charity becomes desperate…

Kim pulls out of the Woolpack purchase, and in her desperation, Charity tries to scavenge a loan from Kim. After Charity’s left shouting about the sale to departing Kim, Chas wants to know what’s going on. Defeated, Charity finally admits to Chas that she’s being blackmailed by Todd over Leyla’s parentage.

Chas and Charity hatch a plan to rob the Home Farm safe to pay Todd. Soon, Charity gives Todd some money as a down payment, but remorseless Todd tells her she still wants the rest of the cash tomorrow or she’ll blow the Leyla secret at Sarah’s 21st birthday party.

Ross and Laurel’s affair heats up…

Gabby resorts to drinking away her self-pity and opens up to Dawn about Ross rejecting her. Dawn confronts Ross, who says there’s only one woman he’s interested in and it’s not Gabby – the subtext clear to Laurel. Ross promises to keep their entanglement on the down low, and Laurel succumbs to her passion for him.

Meanwhile, Sam’s desperate for more dance lessons from Ross so he can impress Lydia, but in turn, Lydia’s left hurt when this means Sam has to turn down a cosy evening in. Kim’s taken aback to discover that Sam’s been lying about working extra hours to avoid spending time with his wife. She’s left deeply concerned for Lydia.

Later on, with Lydia feeling estranged from Sam, Kim’s suspicions about his behaviour continue to grow. Meanwhile, Nicola is living vicariously through Laurel and Ross’ dalliance, although she’s dangerously close to spilling the tea to Manpreet. Ross is chuffed to contemplate another night with Laurel.

However, desperate for dance lessons from Ross, Sam crashes his romantic moment with Laurel, and Ross is quick to cover that Laurel will be helping Sam dance. Laurel’s enjoying the thrill of her secret affair and hearing Gabby firmly declare how she’s over Ross, Laurel’s pleased to shed her guilt that their affair may be betraying her.

Elsewhere in the village…

After finding out that they’ve been conned by Archie, Kerry and Pollard present a united front as they get their money back; Archie’s punishment is to start working in the shop. Pollard’s impressed by Archie’s cunning money-making scheme.

Liam advises Cain to find a practical solution to start living his life again. Gabby’s hangover has her contemplating clean living, and she investigates giving the Hide a new healthy menu.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.

RECOGNISE any of these faces?

Our archive photos take us back to 2001 and 2002 and bring you snaps of new school starters across York.

We have been sharing these photos of children starting school with readers in recent weeks.

CLASS OF 2002.New starters at Slingsby Primary School ( from left ) Murray Smith, Emma Wharrick and Elena Storey

We’d love any updates on how these children are doing now.

Read next:

Share your memories

If you love delving into York’s past and seeing photos and reading stories from yesteryear then make sure you check The Press every day for its regular nostalgia stories. And don’t miss our eight-page nostalgia supplement every Wednesday in the paper.

Class of 2002: St Aelred’s RC Primary School, Tang Hall, reception class.

We also have more than 3,000 members in our online nostalgia group on Facebook, Why We Love York – Memories. It is free to join and you will find us at www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/.

It would be great to see your old photos of York – and they don’t have to be from centuries ago. We all love seeing old photos from our recent past, and some of our more popular stories with readers date from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

If you have a nostalgia story for us, please email maxine.gordon@thepress.co.uk.

Sonny Rollins, one of the defining musicians of postwar jazz and among the last surviving stars of the bebop era, has died aged 95.

Rollins’ publicist Terri Hinte confirmed his death, writing that “one of the most honoured and influential figures in American music of the 20th century and beyond, died this afternoon at his home in Woodstock, NY.”

No cause of death was given, but the saxophonist reportedly suffered from pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory problems in recent years, forcing him into retirement more than a decade ago.

Across a career spanning more than six decades, Rollins became celebrated for his expansive improvisations, muscular tenor saxophone sound and constant stylistic experimentation.

He recorded more than 60 albums as a bandleader and worked with many of the central figures of modern jazz, including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane.

His 1956 album Saxophone Colossus became one of the landmark recordings in jazz history and gave Rollins the nickname that followed him for the rest of his life. In 2017, when the album was inducted into the US Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, the institution described it as “one of the defining albums of Rollins’ career,” praising the “power, grace and humour” of his solos.

Born Theodore Walter Rollins in Harlem on 7 September 1930 to parents from the US Virgin Islands, he grew up in New York during the rise of bebop and began playing professionally while still in his teens.

According to the New York Times, Rollins made early recordings with the pianist Bud Powell and the trombonist JJ Johnson before joining sessions led by Miles Davis and Monk.

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Like many jazz musicians of the era, Rollins struggled with heroin addiction in the early 1950s. He served jail sentences including imprisonment for armed robbery before eventually seeking treatment at a federal rehabilitation facility in Lexington, Kentucky.

“I began to have a deeper philosophy of what life was about. From that point on is when my consciousness awoke,” he told the Associated Press in 2007.

After overcoming addiction, he entered the most acclaimed phase of his career. Between 1956 and 1958, Rollins released a succession of albums now regarded as jazz classics, including Tenor Madness, Way Out West, A Night at the Village Vanguard, and Freedom Suite.

The latter included a 19-minute composition addressing racial inequality during the early civil rights era. Decades later, Rollins said: “Being a Black musician – in fact being a Black person – everything you do is political whether you want it to be or not.”

At the peak of his success, Rollins abruptly stepped away from public performance in 1959, dissatisfied with his own playing despite widespread acclaim. During his self-imposed exile, he spent hours practising alone on New York’s Williamsburg Bridge, later returning with a comeback album titled The Bridge in 1962, according to the Washington Post.

“What made me withdraw and go to the bridge was how I felt about my own playing,” he later told The Guardian. “I knew I was dissatisfied.”

Rollins continued to experiment stylistically over the following decades, embracing free jazz, calypso, funk, and R&B influences while maintaining the improvisational approach that made him one of jazz’s most admired performers.

He composed the score for the 1966 British film Alfie starring Michael Caine, and in 1981 reached a broader audience by contributing saxophone solos to the Rolling Stones album Tattoo You, including the hit “Waiting on a Friend.”

After the September 11 attacks in New York, Rollins evacuated his apartment near the World Trade Center carrying only his saxophone before travelling to Boston days later for a concert later released as Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert. The recording won him a Grammy award for best jazz instrumental solo for the track “Why Was I Born?”

Over the course of his career, Rollins received numerous honours including a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2010 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2011. Presenting the National Medal of Arts, Barack Obama said Rollins had inspired him “to take risks that I might not otherwise have taken”.

Rollins is survived by his nephew Clifton Anderson and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat.

Saughton Prison’s most notorious inmates have committed terrifying crimes.

Shamed former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell will be joining some of Scotland’s most notorious prisoners behind bars while he awaits sentence for embezzling party funds.

HMP Edinburgh, better known locally as Saughton Prison, has housed violent men and women across the country since it first opened its doors more than a century ago.

One of its most high profile residents is “Limbs in the Loch” killer William Beggs who is serving life for murdering 18-year-old supermarket worker Barry Wallace in Kilmarnock in December 1999 and then dumping his body parts in various locations including Loch Lomond.

Beggs recently took staff at the jail to court claiming his human rights were breached over the handling of his mail.

He said some was late or damaged and an Amazon parcel was refused. However the case was dismissed by a judge

Another notorious resident is 31 year old Alexander Pacteau who is serving life for murdering 24-year-old Irish trainee student student Karen Buckley in Glasgow in April 2015.

Pacteau beat Karen to death in his car with a spanner then tried to dissolve her remains in caustic soda after meeting her outside a night club in Glasgow’s West End.

Pacteau was accused last July of having a mobile phone in his cell at the prison but the charge was dropped.

Donald McAvoy half brother of Scots Hollywood star James McAvoy‘ is currently awaiting sentencing for slashing a fellow inmate during visiting time at Saughton last October.

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A number of people convicted of violence relating to last year’s gang war in Edinburgh and Glasgow are in Saughton.

They include Logan Carlin, 24, who set fire to a beauty salon in Edinburgh linked to city crime boss Mark Richardson.

The incident on March 6 was among the first in the gang war involving the feuding Daniel and Lyons crime clans.

Carlin was arrested as part of Police Scotland’s Operation Portaledge – an initiative set up to tackle gangland violence – and jailed for more than seven years in February at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The prison has also seen incidents and violence linked to the conflict in the past year including an attack on a Richardson associate. It is also a jail where violence is never far away.

A recent report found that Saughton had the second highest number of weapons seizures among the country’s jails with 455 since 2020. Only Low Moss in Bishopbriggs near Glasgow had more.

Last year a prisoner set free from Saughton on the Scottish Governments early release programme described conditions there as “Hell on Earth”.

The 41-year-old complained harsher sentences for sex offenders were fuelling the rise in the prison population.

The first-time con, released after serving four months of a ten month sentence for drug driving, added ” I’ve been assaulted by people “There’s not enough for prisoners to do.

“It’s overcrowded. I’m traumatised.”

The jail has also housed a large number of sex offenders over the years including serial killer Peter Tobin.

Tobin was convicted of the murders of Angelika Kluk, Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol and died while a prisoner there in 2022.

Iain Owens and Paul Brannan were also housed at HMP Edinburgh after being convicted in the horrific “Beastie House” paedophile ring case.

Another Saughton inmate is transgender prisoner Isla Bryson, formerly Adam Graham, who was jailed for eight years for raping two women following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow in 2023.

Saughton has four halls: Glenesk, Hermiston, Ingliston and Ratho.

Ratho houses the Vulnerable Prisoner Unit – which separates sex offenders from the general population who might harm them.

The facility has a capacity of 870 but is often overcrowded.

Inmates have access to in-cell landline telephony to call approved numbers.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) allocates 200 free call minutes per month to help prisoners maintain contact with loved ones.

Families can also register for video-link sessions via the SPS Virtual Visits platform.

Murrell also joins a long list of famous and infamous Saughton inmates from the past.

They include naked rambler Stephen Gough who was repeatedly imprisoned for public nudity.

Scottish sculptor and artist Eduardo Paolozzi was held there for three months during World War II because of his Italian heritage.

While former Scottish Socialist party MSP Tommy Sheridan served part of a six-month sentence for preventing a poll tax warrant sale at the Edinburgh jail.

A prison insider said:” A lot of people think modern jails are a cushy number.

“But Peter Murrell will soon discover that is not the case.

“Saughton is as tough as it gets in the Scottish prison system.”