Four years into this war, the diplomatic wheels are grinding but exceedingly slow.

The best that can be said for talks is they are continuing.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, however delusionally, believes he can still win this war. And he has not shifted on his aims of eradicating Ukraine as an independent sovereign nation.

His forces’ recent reversals on the battlefield have not shaken him in either of those convictions. There are therefore severe doubts about his sincerity in negotiations to end this war.

Russia continues to ask to be handed territory through diplomacy that tens of thousands of Russians have died trying to conquer in vain.

American negotiators are apparently continuing to encourage them.

Steve Witkoff, who says he doesn’t regard Putin as a bad guy, is reportedly still pushing for the Ukrainians to hand over the entirety of the Donbas.

Ukrainians believe he and his boss in the White House are being seduced by fantasy business deals being offered by Russia. Putin money man Kirill Dmitriev says $14trn worth of deals are available once relations are restored.

The history of American investments in Russia does not support such rosy optimism, littered with corruption, embezzlement, partners being jailed or killed.

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Olena’s harrowing rescue mission – and how it almost killed her

The Ukrainians are baffled by Donald Trump‘s continuing belief the war is only going in one direction, that they hold no cards and that they should sign up to a bad deal or else.

It would be impossible to hand over the Donbas without a referendum and unimaginable that a public vote would approve doing so.

Read more:
How war has changed Zelenskyy and Putin

The perception in Kyiv is, with some justification, that the Trump team is not a fair or honest broker in these negotiations.

Most recently Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it “was not fair” that Trump keeps asking his country to compromise, adding “peace wouldn’t be achieved if victory is handed to Russia”.

A delusional aggressor, partisan mediators and far from vanquished victims of a four-year unprovoked murderous invasion. Not the optimal conditions for diplomatic efforts.

Witkoff says “meaningful progress” is being made. There is little sign of it.

Ryan Scott, 28, of Chasedale Crescent in Blyth has today (Monday, February 23) been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

At about 10.40pm on Friday, December 5, police were alerted to a crash on the A19 in Holystone, North Tyneside.

 It was reported that a Volkswagen T-Roc and a Skoda Fabia were both travelling on the Northbound carriageway when they collided. 

The driver of the Skoda Fabia did not stop at the scene and fled the area on foot.

Emergency services attended the scene, where the driver of the Volkswagen T-Roc, 39-year-old Claire Laybourne was taken to hospital. 

However, Claire sadly died on Saturday, December 6.

Claire Laybourne (Image: Northumbria Police Copyright)

An investigation was immediately launched by officers, where Ryan Scott was identified as a suspect and quickly arrested.

A saliva DNA sample taken from the Skoda’s air bag matched perfectly with Scott’s – placing only him behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

Further data taken from the vehicle shows Scott travelling at 112mph just five seconds before the collision. 

With a potential collision up ahead and Scott failing to brake, the car’s anti-lock braking system took over, slowing the vehicle down to just under 90mph, but it was still almost 20mph over the road’s speed limit.

Scott was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured and failing to stop following a collision.

 He pleaded guilty to all counts on Wednesday, January 21 and was remanded in custody ahead of today’s court appearance.

Today (February 23), Scott was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was also handed a driving ban for 13 years and eight months to begin on release from prison.

Ryan Scott (Image: Northumbria Police Copyright)

 Sergeant Dave Roberts, of the Force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “While we welcome the jail time Scott has been served, no sentence will ever make up for his reprehensible actions on that day.

“Our thoughts remain firmly with Claire’s family as they begin to navigate a life without their partner, mother, daughter, auntie and loyal friend.

“Claire was simply travelling home – she should not have ended up losing her life that evening.

“Scott’s decision to take to the wheel in an incredibly dangerous manner saw one woman lose her life and left her family’s lives shattered.”

 He added: “On attendance at the collision we found a very chaotic scene that presented more questions than answers.

“Thank you to all of the officers who worked tirelessly on this investigation, the undeniable evidence gathered that put Scott behind the wheel at the time of the collision left him with no choice but to plead guilty, saving Claire’s family from reliving this extremely traumatic incident at trial.

“I hope that today we’ve been able to provide Claire’s family with some much-needed answers and comfort, knowing a dangerous driver is off our roads for a very long time.

“I’d also like to thank the members of the public who remained at the scene and those who came forward following our appeals for information – your help was invaluable in securing today’s sentence.”

Claire’s family spoke of the kind, gentle and beautiful person she was and the lasting impact losing her will have.

Statements from Claire’s family were read out at today’s court hearing.

Claire’s partner of 14 years said: “Claire lives on in her children; I see her kindness, her gentleness, and her beautiful soul reflected in them both every day.

“While that brings comfort, it also deepens the pain, because she should be here to see it herself, to continue to nurture her little boy and guide her daughter throughout her life.

“Claire and I have been together for 14 years. We had a life mapped out together – not just big plans, but ordinary ones: raising our son, growing old together, sharing everyday moments.

“We also have big plans. We were planning to get married this September.”

He added: “There is not a minute that passes where I do not feel her absence in every room.

“Waking up every morning without her restarts the heartbreak. Returning to an empty house and the lonely nights where we would normally be discussing boring everyday things, break me all over again.

“Claire was deeply loved by everyone she met. She truly touched so many people.

“She mattered. Our life together mattered.”

Claire’s daughter, who had recently found a place to call home in New Zealand, said: “My mum loved and accepted everyone for who they were. She lit up every room she walked in too, if she was smiling so was everybody else in the room.

 “I really did think that with us having such a small age gap that we would have forever together. I was so privileged to have a mam, and a best friend in one.

 “The way my mum was taken from us has caused unimaginable pain. Her death was sudden, violent and unfair.

“We were robbed from the chance to say goodbye, and she was robbed from the chance to live the life she deserved.

“Knowing that the person responsible chose to leave her there has added a level of trauma and heartbreak that is hard to put into words.”

Claire’s mum,  who was a passenger in the car at the time of the crash, told the court in her statement the guilt she feels following the loss of Claire, she said: “Claire was my only daughter, and she was my best friend.

“I feel guilty because I survived when she had so much more living to do.

“Losing my daughter in such a senseless way is something I can’t come to terms with. I am sure everyone thinks that their daughter is wonderful, but my girl truly was.

“The loss of Claire is something I don’t think I’ll ever get over, but the loss to her partner, daughter and her little boy is truly horrendous.

“Claire was beautiful, funny, smart and loving. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known, and it was a privilege to be her mother.”

The former Labour minister has been accused of passing sensitive information onto paedophile millionaire Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary

Lord Peter Mandelson has been released on bail following his Monday arrest in London on the suspicion of misconduct in public office, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.

The former Labour minister has been accused of passing sensitive information onto paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary. Sir Keir Starmer is due to chair Cabinet on Tuesday after his former ambassador’s arrest.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confimed Mandelson had made bail, and has been released as investigations continue. “A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation,” the spokesperson said.

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“He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and was taken to a London police station for interview. This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”

The police spokesperson added: We are not able to provide further information at this stage to prevent prejudicing the integrity of the investigation.”

The Liberal Democrats will, meanwhile, seek to force the public release of files relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as a trade envoy, as the former prince too faces accusations of sharing sensitive information with Epstein while in the role.

Footage showed Lord Mandelson being led out of his house by a plain clothes police officer on Monday and the Metropolitan Police later said the 72-year-old was taken to a London police station for interview. Two of his properties were previously searched by police in connection with the allegations, which surfaced following the US Department of Justice’s document dump related to Epstein last month.

As part of the so-called Epstein files, emails from 2009 appear to show Lord Mandelson pass on an assessment by Gordon Brown’s adviser of potential policy measures including an “asset sales plan”. He also appeared to discuss a tax on bankers’ bonuses and confirm an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010.

The emails appeared to be sent to Epstein after he became a convicted sex offender. It is understood the Crown Prosecution Service is yet to offer any early investigative advice in relation to the allegations against Lord Mandelson.

The Cabinet Office previously referred material to police in connection with the probe into Lord Mandelson after an initial review of the Epstein files suggested “safeguards were compromised”. The arrest came shortly after MPs were told the first tranche of documents related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador is expected to be released in early March.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, said some of the correspondence between Downing Street and the peer will be delayed “because of the Metropolitan Police interest”.

The Prime Minister previously said the files will prove Lord Mandelson lied during the vetting process before taking on the ambassador role.

Following the release of the Epstein files, Lord Mandelson said he has “no recollection” of receiving payments totalling 75,000 dollars (about £55,000) from Epstein between 2003 and 2004 as bank details in the documents indicated. Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila Da Silva, in 2009, at the time the government was dealing with the financial crisis.

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Lord Mandelson’s arrest comes days after Andrew was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was also released under investigation.

Despite being stripped of his royal title last year, the former Duke of York is still eighth in line to the throne, and an Act of Parliament would be required to remove Andrew and prevent him from ever becoming king.

The UK Government will consider introducing such legislation once police have finished their investigation into the King’s disgraced brother, with leaders from Australia and New Zealand alrready confirming they would vote to remove the disgraced royal.

The Lib Dems will table a humble address in the Commons – the same arcane mechanism the Tories used to press for the release of files on Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador – in a bid to compel the Government to disclose information about Andrew, who served as a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. The motion will call for the release of papers relating to Andrew’s appointment to the post, including any vetting and any correspondence from Lord Mandelson.

“But he’s very religious, and I’m a confirmed atheist. He’s rather more to the right politically than I am, although I’m beginning to slightly see the point of Reform, because the rest of the political parties don’t seem to be doing anything, so at least there’s some action there.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and wider threats to the UK and its allies share “a lot of similarities” with the three-year run-up to the Second World War, the armed forces minister has said.

Al Carns, a former special forces colonel in the Royal Marines, said Ukraine is on the frontline of Europe’s defences as Vladimir Putin’s full-scale onslaught enters its fifth year.

But he warned Britain is not immune, with Russia attacking the UK and its interests across four different kinds of frontline.

The minister spoke about daily threats in the North Atlantic, the Arctic and cyber attacks, as well as the danger posed by fake news and other forms of disinformation spread online – designed to sow or amplify divisions within UK society or between Britain and its friends.

‘History rhymes’

Asked whether he agreed with comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Mr Putin had already started World War Three with his invasion of Ukraine, Mr Carns signalled that he saw similarities between the challenges faced today and the global landscape in the three years running up to the Second World War.

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme,” he said.

“And if you were to go back to, you know, 1936, ’37, ’38… there’s definitely a lot of similarities.

“What I would say is that Ukraine is absolutely the front line of European defence, and they’re doing an absolutely sterling job.”

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The ‘hero city’ that beat Putin

The UK’s frontline

While Ukraine is on the frontline of Russia’s conventional military machine, the armed forces minister said the UK is also in Moscow’s sights – though the conflict is raging in a grey zone that sits under the threshold of all-out war.

“A lot of people say that the UK doesn’t have a frontline,” Mr Carns said.

“Well, the reality is we do. It sits in the North Atlantic. It sits in the High North. It sits in cyberspace. And it sits in influence – and I think that is being battled out every day.”

He described how Russia has various means to inflict harm away from bombs and bullets.

“It’s not through sharp power. It’s through influence, through cyberspace, through industrial espionage,” the minister said.

“It’s through sowing division and discord into this country, into Europe. Drive us apart from the US, apart from our European allies, to fragment and then isolate and defeat.”

World leaders have expressed grave concerns over allegations surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Leaders from Australia and New Zealand have both spoken out on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, backing calls to cut the former prince from the line of succession.

One of the trans-Tasman leaders even went so far as telling national radio his nation was “disgusted” by the former prince.

Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and New Zealand’s Christopher Luxon confirmed on Tuesday morning local time they would both vote to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession if given the chance to do so.

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Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into custody by Thames Valley Police on Thursday – his 66th birthday – in a development that stunned the world. The late Queen’s ‘favourite son’ was hauled in regarding queries on the suspicion of misconduct in public office, of which is being investigated for, amid accusations he shared sensitive information with convicted paedophile and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.

As pressure mounts to cut him from his succession spot – Andrew is eighth in line for the throne as of 2026 – Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese did not mince words when he spoke to national broadcaster the ABC.

The Aussie PM told ABC Radio’s Mel Clarke that Australians were “disgusted” by all the revelations contained in the Epstein files. Mr Albanese then confirmed he will legislate to ensure the ex-Prince is unceremoniously dumped from the royal line of succession.

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He confirmed he had reached out to Sir Keir to discuss the matter and had already written to the heads of Australia’s states and territories, which will also need to legislate against the disgraced royal.

Any amendment to the line of succession would have to be initiated by the United Kingdom, with the 14 realm countries in the Commonwealth – those who still had the crown as their head of state – would have to agree to remove Andrew from the royal line.

A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Christopher Luxon added: “If the UK Government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it.

“The UK Government has said any proposals would come after the police investigation concludes.”

It is understood the UK Government will consider introducing legislation to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line once police have finished their investigation into the King’s disgraced brother.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Liberal Democrats will seek to force the public release of files relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as a trade envoy.

The Lib Dems will table a humble address in the Commons – the same arcane mechanism the Tories used to press for the release of files on Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador – in a bid to compel the Government to disclose information about Andrew, who served as a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.

The motion will call for the release of papers relating to Andrew’s appointment to the post, including any vetting and any correspondence from Lord Peter Mandelson.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The public is rightly demanding to know how Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed to represent our nation in a high-level trade role.

“The Liberal Democrats are moving a binding motion to force the Government to come clean.

“We need to see the vetting files, the due diligence reports, and the correspondence to understand how this appointment came to be, and whether glaring warning signs were missed.

“There’s also a much broader principle at stake here. No one, regardless of their title or their friends, should be beyond the scrutiny of Parliament.

“It is time to end the age of impunity, scrap rules that stifle scrutiny or debate, and ensure that everyone in public office – no matter how powerful – can be held properly to account.”

Andrew has denied any wrongdoing over his links to the convicted sex offender, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.

The Mexican authorities would’ve expected a violent backlash after the killing of El Mencho, one of the country’s most powerful cartel bosses.

But it’s likely they’ll have been surprised at the scale of violence across so much of the country.

That violence appears to have calmed down for now, but there’s nothing to indicate it will simply peter out.

‘El Mencho’ killing – as it happened

When incidents like this happen, the cartels usually respond in three ways. The first is a show of strength, aimed at deterring the authorities from carrying out more raids – that’s what has just happened.

The second is often fighting between factions within the same cartel or turf wars with other cartels trying to muscle their way into the territory – something gang members are already talking about.

The third is to launch a war against the Mexican government and its security forces.

It wouldn’t be what we have seen over the past 24 hours; it would be something far more organised. This will no doubt be on the government’s mind.

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Why has cartel violence flared up in Mexico?

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El Mencho was head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the only ones I haven’t managed to access in my time covering Mexico’s drug wars.

Jalisco New Generation are notoriously violent and untrustworthy, and our go-betweens in Mexico have always warned us not to even try approach them, although we have tried, but with little success.

This cartel, along with the Sinaloa drug cartel, is the top producer of a range of illegal drugs, including the opioid fentanyl, a drug predominantly made in Mexico and exported to the United States, where it kills thousands of users every year.

Just because its leader has been killed, it doesn’t mean that Jalisco New Generation as a cartel is anywhere near finished.

US President Donald Trump’s war on drugs has mainly focused on Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Mexico – and ever since Venezuela’s Nicholas Maduro was captured in January, Mexico’s government has come under even more pressure to take the war to the cartels inside Mexico and show some results.

Read more on Sky News:
El Mencho’s death followed partner’s visit
Who is ‘El Mencho’ and why does his death matter?

El Mencho’s scalp will be much appreciated by the Trump administration and will likely take off some of the pressure on Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president.

But with the football World Cup not too far away, and Mexico, like the United States and Canada, a host nation, President Sheinbaum’s government needs to contain the fallout from this very quickly, or people may not risk going to Mexico.

Carl Temple was caught on camera footage trying homes on Woodland Road and Elms Road as well as a garage and a parked car in the early hours of the morning.

The 48-year-old drug addict has a string of 105 convictions for 197 offences on his record including eight for burglary, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Charlie Thompson, prosecuting, said: “He tried to enter a Mercedes parked on Elms Road and the walks to the front of Woodland Road where he is caught on a Ring doorbell.

“He tries another house on Woodland Road before going down the side of a property on Elms Road where he tries to enter a garage but is unsuccessful before searching through the garden looking for something to steal.”

Mr Thompson said the attempted burglaries had left the householders fearful of what could have happened if Temple had been able to gain entry to their homes.

Temple, of Chester Terrace, Peterlee, pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted dwelling house burglary, one count of attempted non-dwelling house burglary and vehicle interference on July 26 last year.

Michele Turner, mitigating, said there had been a delay in sentencing to allow time for a psychiatric report to be compiled to determine whether the drug addict was fit to plead.

She added: “He tells me that he has never felt more positive or better being drug free.”

Judge Advocate Tom Mitchell sentenced Temple to a total of 14 months in custody for all offences.

Read more:

“You are a habitual thief and to that litany you have eight dwelling house burglaries and 14 non-dwelling house convictions,” he said.

“At 5.23am, you were out and about on the streets of Darlington. It was early, you tried to get into three houses, a garage and a car.

“You did what did within a relatively short period of time and none of your attempts were successful – you didn’t cause any damage.

“I do recognise that this all took place early in the morning with people present – they would be afraid as they would wonder what could have happened if you got in.”

The Pentagon reportedly has not received any orders to send a hospital ship to Greenland, despite President Donald Trump claiming at the weekend that a vessel was “on the way.”

The military hasn’t received orders to deploy any Navy vessels, The Wall Street Journal reported, and both Navy hospital ships are reportedly docked at a shipyard in Alabama.

The Independent has contacted the Navy, Pentagon, and White House for comment.

On Saturday, President Trump claimed a mission was heading for the self-governing Danish territory, posting an image of the Navy’s USNS Mercy hospital ship.

“Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It’s on the way!!!”

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The same day as the president’s post, the Danish military conducted an emergency medical evacuation of a crew member on a U.S. submarine near Greenland, flying them via helicopter to a hospital in the island’s capital, Nuuk, for treatment.

Leaders in Greenland and Denmark dismissed the suggestion a hospital ship was needed.

“That will be a ‘no thanks’ from us,’” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote on Facebook Sunday.

“President Trump’s idea to send a U.S. hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted,” he added. “But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens.”

“Happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote in a separate statement. “Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment. You have the same approach in Greenland.”

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Landry, who also serves as the special U.S. envoy to Greenland, reacted angrily to the condemnation from the officials.

“Shame on Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen!” he wrote on X on Sunday.

“After speaking to many Greenlanders about the day to day problems they face, one issue stood out—healthcare,” he added. “Many villages and small towns lack basic services that Americans often take for granted.”

The confusion over the hospital ship mission comes amid larger tensions between the U.S. and its neighbor to the north, given President Trump’s repeated overtures suggesting he wants to take over or perhaps invade Greenland despite opposition from local officials and European partners.

In January, Trump swore off using military force on Greenland and rowed back a threat to tariff U.S. allies who opposed the push.

He has said the U.S. and NATO allies reached a “framework of a future deal” about the Arctic island territory.

Headteachers are being urged to group together school inset days into full weeks to reduce term-time absences and enable families to book more affordable holidays.

The proposal comes from travel company On the Beach, which claims the measure would solve a problem the government “has run out of answers to”.

Most schools in England currently have five inset days annually, with Welsh schools observing six.

These are days when teachers work but pupils do not attend.

While schools determine their own schedules, these days are rarely grouped together.

On the Beach has written to 25,000 headteachers across England and Wales, requesting they implement regionally staggered inset weeks.

The company said enabling families of schoolchildren to book week-long trips outside of term time would give them “access to holidays at a fraction of peak-season prices”.

Analysis by insurer Go.Compare published in July last year found the average price of a package holiday in Spain was 20% higher during school breaks compared with term time, which was equivalent to an extra £337 per person.

Parents can be fined if their children have unauthorised absences from school.

The daily rate is £80 if paid within three weeks, or £160 if paid within four weeks.

Recent Department for Education (DfE) figures show nearly 460,000 fines for unauthorised family holidays were issued in 2024/25.

Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, said: “Families shouldn’t have to choose between following the rules and being able to afford time away together.

“The real frustration we hear is that parents can see cheaper off-peak holidays, but there’s no straightforward way to access them without their children missing school, and that’s exactly where inset weeks can help.

“Approximately 25,000 headteachers hold the key to getting more families on holiday for less, boosting attendance figures and solving a problem that the Department for Education has run out of answers to.

“Inset weeks are the answer.”

Andy Stirland, principal at Python Hill Academy in Nottinghamshire, which has had an inset week tagged on to the spring bank holiday every May for the past seven years, said: “Parents should not be faced with fines or enforcement for wanting to spend family time together.

“Inset week has allowed families at our school the option of cheaper holidays while maintaining our attendance figures.

“Our school attendance figures have been above the national average every year and I believe without inset week this would be a very different story.”

The DfE was approached for a comment.