The King will make a major speech on April 21, to commemorate the life and legacy of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 100th birthday

The King is to lead commemorations for what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday on April 21 by delivering a rousing address to the nation, celebrating her life and legacy.

The monarch will also, alongside Queen Camilla, host a special reception at Buckingham Palace, for dozens of representatives from organisations and charities with a deep connection to our late queen.

Charles has spent months handpicking the guest list from hundreds of patronages that Queen Elizabeth had throughout her life. Royal insiders have revealed that Charles’ personally penned emotional tribute will celebrate his beloved late mother’s achievements and her dedication to duty.

The King’s speech will also include a heartfelt video montage special moments from her life, expected to include footage of Elizabeth’s service During World War II in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, royal tours and engagements around the country and her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

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Elizabeth II became Britain’s longest-serving monarch on September 9, 2015, surpassing the record of 63 years, seven months, and two days, of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

In 2022, the country celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking Elizabeth’s 70-year milestone on the throne. She passed away peacefully at her Balmoral home in Scotland on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96.

The King and Queen Camilla, who are currently residing at their Birkhall home in Scotland on the Balmoral estate, will return to London on April 21, when the sovereign’s speech will be broadcast to the nation and the Commonwealth. Charles, 77, is expected to convey what an inspiration his mother was not only to himself personally, but to the rest of the royal family.

Senior members of the royal family are also expected to accompany the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace for the special reception. The Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as the Princess Royal and Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are also hoping to attend.

In 1947, on her 21st birthday, a young Princess Elizabeth pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her people.

In his first address to the nation as monarch following his mother’s passing, King Charles III said: “That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life.”

A royal source said: “The 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II birth will not only be a poignant moment of reflection for His Majesty, it will be a cause for celebration of an incredible life well lived and a life dedicated to duty and to her country.

“It is both the King and Queen’s sincere wish that the commemorations honour the late Queen’s profound devotion to service and celebrate how much she was respected and admired around the world.”

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As well as the King leading commemorations on the day, a range of engagements will also be held around the period to reflect both her 70-year reign and Elizabeth II’s cultural legacy.

A national monument in St James’s Park in London has already been announced, with further details of final preparations expected soon, alongside other national memorial projects, cultural exhibitions, heritage openings and commemorative initiatives.

Key features of the winning design for the permanent national monument include a statue of the Queen in a new civic space called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate, a new Prince Philip Gate on the other side of the park on Birdcage Walk with a statue of Philip, as well as a “family of gardens”, meandering paths and a new translucent, glass unity bridge.

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After The Mirror exclusively revealed plans for the monument, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it would provide “everyone with a place to honour the late Queen and connect with the shared history we cherish”.

The memorial bridge is inspired by the tiara Queen Elizabeth wore on her wedding day to the late Prince Philip in 1947. The tiara, known as the Queen Mary Fringe diamond tiara, famously broke just hours before she was due to walk down the aisle.

The new crossing, located a stone’s throw away from the bronze statues on the Mall, will replace the park’s existing Blue Bridge and will serve as a fitting reminder of the late Queen’s achievements during her 70-year reign.

A landmark exhibition called ‘Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style’, announced this week, will welcome thousands of visitors to the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace until October 2026.

The specially curated exhibition will put on show for the first time the largest collection of the Queen’s outfits and personal belongings.

A new commemorative garden is also opening in London’s Regent’s Park to honour her life and the Royal Mint will issue special £5 coins marking the centenary.

A royal source said: “The tone will not be somber, but rather a celebration and a chance for people across our four nations and the Commonwealth to come together and reflect on an amazing life and legacy of our late Queen.”

Police have asked parents and guardians to ensure they know the whereabouts of their children

Police have been handed extra powers following an increase in reports of anti-social behaviour in a Welsh town. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of the community in Ystradgynlais, South Wales Police said a dispersal order covering Ystradgynlais town centre and Diamond Park would come into force.

The dispersal order, issued under Section 35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, has been authorised for the area from 6pm on Friday, April 10 until 6pm on Sunday, April 12.

The order gives uniformed police officers and police community support officers the power to exclude a person from an area for a period of up to 48 hours by the issuing of a written notice. The power is a preventative measure which allows an officer to deal quickly with someone’s behaviour before it escalates. It will also allow officers to confiscate items which could be used in an anti-social manner.

Police have asked parents and guardians to ensure they know the whereabouts of their children for the safety of the community.

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The force said: “The order has been put in place to address reports of anti-social behaviour and to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of the community.

“We are asking parents and guardians to make sure you know where your children are and what they are up to so everyone can feel safe in our community.

“Our officers will be present in the local area throughout the weekend to provide reassurance and respond to any issues that may arise.”

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Ahead of Coronation Street’s murder storyline, Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) and Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) have decided to create a plan that will get rid of Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) for a very long time.

Kevin and Ronnie now know that Carl is actually Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) son, but that hasn’t eradicated the hatred they feel towards him. Friendly reminder that Carl spent months sleeping with Kevin’s wife Abi Webster (Sally Carman-Duttine), and also secretly stole money from his vulnerable mum.

With Kevin and Ronnie both determined to protect Debbie, building bridges with Carl doesn’t seem to be a possibility.

Ronnie was forced to play nice in tonight’s episode, as he witnessed Carl spin a story about how he wants to reconnect with his mum.

Ronnie could sense that Carl was lying, and unleashed his frustration when he arrived at Kevin’s house later. The two men hated that Carl was trying to worm his way back into Debbie’s life, and decided it would be best if they got rid of the troublesome Webster for good.

The ITV soap will soon air scenes that confirms one Weatherfield resident has been murdered. Carl is one of the prime suspects in this, and the fact Ronnie and Kevin are talking about seeing the back of him certainly fuels a theory that they could kill him.

However, star Jonathan Howard was recently pictured in a behind the scenes snap on the cobbles, alongside Michael Le Vell, Vinta Morgan and Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs). It suggests the star is still filming – so maybe Carl won’t be the murder victim after all?

The possibility of Debbie finishing her relationship with Carl for good increases soon, as she discovers that he’s told Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) he’ll reveal who killed Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) in exchange for his life insurance money.

Debbie is left disgusted, and the argument she has with her son leads to another one of her episodes. Will she wash her hands with Carl after this?

Or will this push Ronnie to do something?

Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League table and face Fulham at Anfield at Saturday.

It has been a difficult campaign for Slot’s side, and a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Manchester City last weekend was followed by a 2-0 loss to Paris St-Germain in the last eight of the Champions League on Wednesday.

The news Robertson will be leaving comes after Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 33, announced he too will depart Liverpool at the end of the season.

Both of them joined the club in the same transfer window and have been key players during the Reds’ return to success in recent years.

Robertson also formed a formidable partnership with fellow full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid last summer.

On his time at the club, he said he would “let other people say if I’m a Liverpool legend or not”, adding: “But from minute one I came into this football club, I wanted to be successful.

“I wanted to try to bring trophies back to this football club, try to help put us back onto a place where I believe this football club belongs.

“I’m very proud that I’ve been a part of fantastic teams that have been able to do that.”

Former X Factor contestant Chico has been found guilty of drink-driving after telling a trial that his arrest came hours after he broke his sobriety.

Chico, whose real name is Yousseph Slimani, told Willesden Magistrates’ Court that he drank Famous Grouse whisky for six hours after losing a third friend to cancer.

The singer, now 55, reached the quarter finals of the TV talent show’s 2005 series and later released a number one single, It’s Chico Time.

He wore a maroon silk shirt and placed his cowboy hat on the table in front when he arrived for his trial on Thursday.

Slimani was convicted of driving a Vauxhall Astra with 40 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath in Chase Way, Southgate, on December 13, when the legal limit is 35mg.

He was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined. The court heard he has been heavily in debt and as a result faced county court proceedings.

During his evidence the defendant had with him a book that he said he was writing at the time of the alleged offence, titled The Secret 19. Cancer Questions Worth Asking.

He said he consumed Famous Grouse whisky between 1am and 7am and then Nyquil at 5.30pm – a cold and flu medicine similar to Night Nurse – before he was pulled over at about 6.30pm that evening.

Slimani, of north London, told the court: ‘It was after a third bereavement of one of my dearest friends, which was just devastating.

‘All young people in their 50s with terminal cancers that have passed on – non-smokers, non-drinkers, several cancers – and basically are not here, sadly.

‘On that fateful day, I’m teetotal, I don’t drink, and it felt like I was going out of my mind, couldn’t take it, so I drank.’

He later told the court he has not drunk alcohol since.

The defendant claimed he had been taking Nyquil for ‘a flu which you may call long Covid’ that ‘kept coming and going’ and has been documented on his social media channels.

He did not inform police when asked if he had consumed other drugs or medicines, and said this was ‘because when I got arrested, and they were taking me to the police station, my mind was literally going at 600,000mph’.

He added: ‘And when I got to the police station all I could think of was the implications of me being arrested for something that goes completely against what I am and what I do.’

This included his sobriety and charity work.

He later said his fears ‘sadly have all come true’ and these were of ‘the press, the loss of my reputation, the loss of work – everything has happened, it has been a catastrophe’.

His solicitors told a toxicologist that he consumed 810ml of Famous Grouse whisky and 30ml of an unspecified Nyquil product that contained alcohol, the court heard.

The toxicologist, Sarah Morley, calculated that the Nyquil would have contributed to 2mg per 100ml of alcohol on his breath.

Ms Morley also told the court: ‘I can’t verify if the information provided to me has been accurate or not.’

Arresting officer Pc Yuksel said he was watching Slimani speak to a fellow officer about a separate matter when he noticed the defendant’s ‘quite vivid’ facial expressions that were ‘almost joyful’.

Giving evidence, he said he smelt alcohol on the former singer’s breath, adding: ‘He was very animated with his facial features, they were very vivid and his demeanour seemed a bit – I don’t know how best to describe it – but under the influence of alcohol.

‘I asked him if he had consumed any alcohol, then his demeanour changed.”

The police officer said: ‘He appeared quite shocked and his demeanour just changed to very defensive, from very happy and expressive to very defensive when asked that question.’

The former X Factor contestant failed a breath test but was ‘calm and compliant’ when he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, he said.

He was then taken to a police station and breathalysed again.

Slimani was ordered to pay a £600 fine, £240 surcharge and £620 in costs by District Judge Mark Jabbitt.

He was offered a drink drivers’ rehabilitation scheme that if completed will reduce his qualification by a quarter.

The judge said: ‘It is inevitable that I will find the case proven.’

He added that he is ‘generally sympathetic’ to Slimani’s bereavements but not to excessive drinking or taking medication without checking the effect it has on driving.

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A child has died from a suspected dog bite at a property in Dormanstown in North Yorkshire.

Cleveland Police said officers were called to Hardale Drive following concerns for a child.

“Upon arriving at the property, the child had sadly died,” they said.

“The child is believed to have died as a result of a dog bite.”

Armed officers attended and one dog was destroyed in the street while another dog at the property was recovered by police.

Breaking news – more follows…

Kerry Anne Pickersgill and daughter Ellie Newby, of the farm in Marwood, Barnard Castle, handed a suspended sentence and community order respectively for their treatment of dogs and horses.

The pair were sentenced at Durham Crown Court on February 13 for the treatment of 40 horses and dogs after the RSPCA discovered dead and dying equines at their farm in February 2025.

Neglect (Image: RSPCA)

Pickersgill, 48, pleaded guilty to 15 offences relating to 22 horses and 21 dogs, and one charge of breaching a ban on keeping animals for life imposed in May 2015. She was handed a two-year jail term, suspended for two years.

Newby, 25, admitted two offences in relation to two dogs, and was given a 12-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from keeping dogs for five years.

Their sentences were referred to the Attorney General’s Office for review for being ‘too lenient’ under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme where anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed if they don’t think it is harsh enough.

But Pickershill and Newby’s sentences will not be reviewed due to the fact their offences aren’t covered under the scheme.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) said: “The offence involved in this upsetting case is not within scope of the Unduly Lenient scheme, as it is not an indictable only offence.

Horses found in one of the buildings (Image: RSPCA)

“Because of this, the law officers were unable to review under the scheme.”

In total, twenty-two horses, some collapsed and the majority underweight, were found living alongside dead equines in filthy barns and stables.

Twenty-one dogs, many matted with mouldy faeces, were also discovered in sheds and trailers.

At the top of the drive was a large area where items were being dumped.

There was evidence of a fire having been lit, and among a mound of straw, wood and bedding material were the carcasses of at least two horses, one of which was partially charred.

In his written evidence, RSPCA Inspector Ian Smith described seeing horse bones: “As I approached the mound I saw the skeletal remains of an equine,” he said.

“The rib cage was clearly obvious, and a foreleg under some branches.

“As we walked round the pile, I came across bones from various parts of an equine’s body and a head. These had been there for some considerable time, as flesh had decomposed.

“I was then taken to a stable which had no lighting, but I was still able to see a chestnut foal and its dead mother lying in the corner.

His colleague, Inspector Clare Wilson, said in her evidence: “Most of the dogs were kept in the dark, and the lights that were pointed out by Ms Pickersgill did not work when turned on.

“Many of the dogs were extremely underweight, with all bones easily seen and felt, and all were matted, stained and smelly, most with mouldy faeces matted into their fur. I saw a dead horse on a muck pile outside in the farmyard.”

Neglect (Image: RSPCA)

A total of 16 live horses were transported to a private equine facility for immediate veterinary treatment. Six of them were owned by other people and were on loan to the defendants at the time.

Female Cockapoo Bumble when rescued (Image: RSPCA)

Pickersgill and Newby also agreed to sign over the dogs, which included Spaniels, Cockapoos, Poodle crosses and Old English Sheepdogs.

The vast majority of dogs were nursed back to health and rehomed by the RSPCA’s Great Ayton Animal Centre in North Yorkshire and Felledge Animal Centre in County Durham.

Dr Amir Khan has issued a warning about a common habit that many people do

A doctor has issued a warning about a common habit people perform “before bed”. According to Dr Amir Khan, this routine could actually be making symptoms “worse”.

How frequently you need the toilet each day depends on a range of factors. Your food and fluid intake, caffeine consumption, the temperature, as well as stress and anxiety levels all have an impact.

However, excessive trips to the bathroom can have long-lasting consequences. In a video posted to his Instagram account, Dr Amir explained further.

Dr Amir, who is widely recognised for his appearances on ITV, urged people to stop taking a “just in case wee” before bed and before heading out. He said: “If you’re someone who does a just in case wee just before leaving the house, maybe before a meeting, or before bed, sometimes even twice, this is really important for you.

“It might actually be making your bladder symptoms worse. I see this all the time in clinic, people going again, even when they’ve just been, because it feels safer than risking urgency or waking up in the middle of the night to go.”

Doing this could be sending entirely the wrong signals to your brain. “But here’s what’s really happening,” he said.

“Your bladder is a muscle and it works with your nerves to tell your brain when it’s full. Now, normally that signal up to your brain shouldn’t come until your bladder is holding around 300 to 500ml of urine.

“But if you keep emptying it early, you know, those ‘just in case wees’, you start to retrain that system between your bladder and your brain. And over time, your bladder gets used to being emptied at lower volumes.”

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Dr Amir drew a comparison with a sensitive car alarm, explaining: “I would say to my patients, it’s like a car alarm that’s become too sensitive.

“At first it only goes off when there’s a real but then it starts going off at everything – a gust of wind, someone just walking past, that’s what your bladder is doing.

“It starts sending, ‘I need to go now’ signals even when it’s barely full, that’s how urgency and urge incontinence develop or get worse. Because instead of emptying everything, you’re teaching your bladder to signal to your brain you need to go earlier and earlier.”

This can result in disturbed sleep during the night. “So you end up waking up in the middle of the night needing to go even when your bladder isn’t that full,” he said.

“And even though you went before you went to bed, you might not needed to but you went anyway.”

How to prevent this

To stop this happening you might need to “retrain” your bladder, Dr Amir said, posing the question: “So what’s the solution?

“Well, you need to retrain the alarm system. That’s bladder training, try to cut down on those ‘just in case wees’. Stick to going every three or four hours rather than constantly and space out those weeds more and more.

“If urgency hits, pause, breathe, stay still, let it pass before going to the toilet. You’re teaching your bladder this isn’t an emergency, and also don’t forget reduce caffeine avoid large drinks right before bed.”

He also suggested performing pelvic floor exercises. “And those pelvic floor exercises, this all takes time,” he said.

“Most people notice a small improvement in two to four weeks, but it can take six to 12 weeks to really retrain that bladder. “

If you’re experiencing urinary incontinence

The NHS website recommends scheduling an appointment with your GP if you’re suffering from any type of urinary incontinence. It states: “Urinary incontinence is a common problem and you should not feel embarrassed talking to them about your symptoms.

“This can also be the first step towards finding a way to effectively manage the problem.”

Donald Trump has reportedly issued Nato allies with an ultimatum to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz within days, as his ceasefire with Iran risks collapse over Israel’s deadly strikes on Lebanon.

Nato boss Mark Rutte told European leaders that Mr Trump expects partners to make concrete military commitments, according to Der Spiegel, casting the demand as an “ultimatum”.

Mr Trump’s edict came amid reports that he was drawing up a list of partners that supported or opposed his war in the Middle East, weighing up the removal of US forces from countries deemed resistant.

In another outburst on social media earlier in the day, the president lamented that “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” [sic]

Mr Trump’s fragile ceasefire in the Middle East looked on the verge of collapse, with Iran threatening to pull out of talks if Israel presses on with strikes on Lebanon, including in Beirut. Iran accuses the US and Israel of flouting the ceasefire agreement.

Israel insists its operation is aimed at defeating Hezbollah, but experts have warned the action could lead to a similar humanitarian crisis as Gaza.

However, Mr Netanyahu appeared to shift his tone on Thursday, saying he had instructed his cabinet to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.

More than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon over the past six weeks, including over 250 in concentrated strikes on Wednesday. More than a million people, close to 20 per cent of Lebanon’s population, has already been displaced in six weeks.

Iran’s deputy prime minister Dr Saeed Khatibzadeh called Israel’s action a “grave violation” of the agreement and said “the coming hours are very critical” as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hinted it will resume fighting if the attacks on Lebanon do not stop.

Dr Khatibzadeh said on Thursday that Iran was on the verge of responding to what it considered to be ceasefire violations on Wednesday night, but Pakistan intervened to prevent an escalation.

The IRGC said it would enact a “regret-inducing” response to the attacks if they continued, with state media quoting an official: “Any attack on the proud Hezbollah is an attack on Iran.”

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian added: “Iran will not abandon the Lebanese people”. Sensitivities were further heightened as Iranians turned up in droves to mourn supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 40 days after he was killed in US-Israeli attacks on 28 February.

President Trump said that US military personnel would remain stationed around the region until the agreement is “fully complied with” and that “bigger, and better, and stronger” attacks would follow if it was breached.

Oil prices surged again in response to the confusion after initially plummeting on Wednesday following the ceasefire announcement.

Multiple ship-tracking sources including Lloyd’s List Intelligence and Kpler said that movement through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a standstill.

Iran warned that ships passing through the vital waterway may be hit by “anti-ship mines in the main transit routes” due to the “state of war” as it advised vessels to follow alternative paths.

Iran’s navy stressed all vessels must stay in touch with security forces to avoid “potential collisions with naval mines”.

Peace talks are due to take place at the Serena Hotel in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Saturday, with vice-president JD Vance due to lead a US delegation, according to Axios, and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, to lead the Iranians, according to reports.

But Tehran has also threatened to walk away from the process entirely, citing Israeli violations of the ceasefire as grounds to withdraw, sources told The Wall Street Journal.

Israel’s actions have sparked international outrage with British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper condemning the escalation as “deeply damaging” and calling for Lebanon to be “urgently included” in the agreement.

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas criticised the number of civilian deaths in Lebanon and said it was becoming “hard to argue that such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defence”. Ms Kallas called on the ceasefire agreement to be extended to Lebanon.

President Emmanuel Macron and French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the agreement must cover Lebanon as France condemned “massive” Israeli strikes.

Mr Barrot said Iran must give up the right to nuclear weapons, surrender its use of missiles and drones to threaten other countries in the region and stop supporting militant groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.

Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country had resumed direct talks with the Iranian leadership and said he does not want “Nato to break apart” amid the crisis and said he had encouraged President Trump to pursue negotiations “with urgency”.

Mr Netanyahu is also facing backlash within Israel with opposition leaders calling his actions in Iran and Lebanon a “historical disaster”.

Koepka, 35, has been welcomed back to the PGA Tour after applying for reinstatement under a new ‘Returning Member Programme’, facilitated for those who had won a major – or The Players Championship – since 2022.

The five-time major champion also smoothed his return by paying fines said to be worth around £63m.

Reed, who won the Masters in 2018, did not match the same criteria for reinstatement as Koepka and cannot regain his membership until January 2027.

However, he will be eligible to play on the PGA Tour again this coming August, a year after his final LIV appearance.

Watson claims the PGA Tour has “made a decision to renege” on what they promised to those who stayed loyal.

“When the players left, they violated the number one rule, which is to protect the sponsors,” said the 1977 and 1981 Masters champion.

“Sponsors need players. They need the names to be able to promote their tournaments.

“When the players left for LIV, I think it was basically over.

“They chose to go for the money, which is fine. To return to the Tour, I thought, was a nonstarter. Apparently it’s not.”