KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours from daytime into the night, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 100 others as terrified residents cowered in their homes, officials said Thursday.

Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.

Tetiana Sokol, a 54-year-old resident of Kyiv, said two missiles hit near her home and she took cover with her dog in the hallway as flashes lit up the night and windows shattered from the blast wave.

“On the third attack everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn’t know where to run. I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog,” she told The Associated Press. “I still can’t find the cats in the house, they climbed out somewhere, I don’t even know. No windows, nothing, the dog is still walking around in stress.”

Moscow’s forces have hit civilian areas almost daily since its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, with the regular assaults occasionally punctuated by massive attacks. More than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the strikes, the United Nations says.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation was launched “in retaliation” for Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, where long-range drones and missiles have hit Russian oil refineries and war-related manufacturing plants. The Russian barrage was aimed at facilities associated with the Ukrainian armed forces, the Defense Ministry claimed.

European Council President António Costa described it as “yet another horrendous attack” while people slept in their homes.

Zelenskyy on a mission to improve air defenses

The latest bombardment came in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 48-hour trip this week to Germany, Norway and Italy in an urgent search for more air defense systems that can stop Russian missiles.

Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in the production of drones and missiles, but it can’t yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority is securing allies’ help to buy and build more and better air defenses, Zelenskyy said this week.

Yuriy Ihnat, the head of communications for the Ukrainian air force, said the Russian attack made extensive use of ballistic missiles, which only Patriot systems can reliably shoot down.

“We desperately need more missiles for the Patriot systems,” Ihnat told Ukraine’s private TV channel 1+1.

Cash-strapped Ukraine also needs the speedy disbursement of a promised loan from the European Union of 90 billion euros ($106 billion) that has been blocked by Hungary.

Ukraine fears the Iran war is burning through stockpiles of the advanced American-made air defense systems it needs, and has argued against a U.S. temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions that Kyiv says is helping finance the Kremlin’s war effort.

“Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions,” Zelenskyy said on X.

He thanked Germany, Norway and Italy for new agreements this week on supporting Ukraine’s air defense. Officials are also working with the Netherlands on additional supplies, he said.

At the same time, he noted that some partner countries haven’t followed through on pledges of military support.

“I have instructed the Commander of the Air Force to contact those partners who earlier committed to providing missiles for Patriot and other systems,” Zelenskyy said.

Other areas of Ukraine and Russia were also hit

The bombardment was the biggest in weeks. Last month, Russia fired 948 drones and 34 missiles in the space of 24 hours in the largest assault of the war on civilian areas.

At least four people were killed overnight in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, according to authorities. Officials said the attack damaged 17 apartment buildings, 10 private homes, as well as a hotel, office center, car dealership, gas station and a shopping mall in the capital.

Nine people were killed and 23 injured in the southern port city of Odesa, three women were killed and around three dozen injured in the central Dnipro region, and one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in the south.

“Such attacks cannot be normalized. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.

Ukraine’s air force said air defenses shot down or disabled 667 out of 703 incoming targets, including 636 Shahed-type drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles.

It said 20 strike drones and 12 missiles hit 26 locations.

Meanwhile in Russia, Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev reported that a 14-year-old girl and a woman were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse.

He said that attacks damaged six apartment buildings, 24 private houses and three schools. Drone fragments also fell near Tuapse.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its air defenses downed 207 Ukrainian drones overnight.

___

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

The man was away on a football trip in Madrid when he found out about the win

A Cambridgeshire man has won £250,000 after correctly predicting six football scores. Ironically, while on a football trip to Madrid in Spain, Mark Harris from Bassingbourn, found out he won the jackpot.

Mark, 51, accumulated 30 points in the free-to-play game Super 6. There was one other player left to compete against Mark, and the deciding winner of the prize came down to a golden goal tiebreaker.

Mark said: “My group chat at work messaged me saying, ‘Mark, you’re second in the country on Super 6.’ I said, ‘don’t be daft’. My son got it up on his phone and said, ‘yeah, you’re number two.’ I had no idea how to even get on the website.”

Despite being a lifelong Arsenal fan, Mark had to rely on Premier League title rivals Manchester City to win in order for Mark to secure the jackpot.

Mark added: “We were trying to find a sports bar just to watch the City game, but we couldn’t find one quick enough. When I realised I’d won, I was totally gobsmacked. We found a posh restaurant nearby; we were mixing with the ‘hoity-toity’ while literally in shorts and a T-shirt. I ordered £200 worth of champagne – the first time I’ve ever done that in my life.”

After his win, Mark and his family were invited to a recording of the Stick to Football podcast, where he met football legends Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Mark Scholes. “I’m a big fan of Ian Wright and the rest of them, so being there was fantastic,” added Mark.

For Mark and his family, the win has been “life changing”. He said: “All I ever talk about is reducing the mortgage. I love touring on my motorbike, but I’m getting older and things are starting to fall off – I’ve been diagnosed with arthritis in my hip, and I need a hip replacement. This has all come at such a good time.”

Mark is the second jackpot winner of this football season. The scores he predicted right were:

• Brentford 2-2 Everton (golden goal in the fourth minute)
• Liverpool 2-0 Fulham
• Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
• Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa
• Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle United
• Manchester City 3-0 Chelsea

DWP has made changes as the current rule ‘may not provide claimants with sufficient reassurance’

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has fully endorsed five proposed amendments to the Right to Try legislation, while a sixth recommendation has been ‘partially accepted’. Officials acknowledged that the new regulations may not have provided claimants with ‘sufficient reassurance’.

The Right to Try represents fresh legislation enabling disabled individuals receiving Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payments and Employment and Support Allowance to attempt employment without risking an automatic reassessment. The Social Security Advisory Committee put forward five changes to the legislation for the DWP to implement.

Six month protection

The Secretary of State will be prohibited from triggering a reassessment of the benefit claim for a minimum of six months following a claimant commencing paid or voluntary employment, unless fraud is suspected or circumstances unrelated to work have changed.

Any evidence suggesting a claimant possesses functional capacity based on their work activities or workplace performance throughout this protected timeframe will not be considered alone as proof of sustained capability during any assessment or reassessment.

The DWP accepted this recommendation, though DWP minister Pat McFadden highlighted in the response: “I have asked officials to undertake work urgently to assess how this change could be delivered within my existing powers via secondary legislation. However, implementing this change in full across all benefits would likely require primary legislation, and the Department will need time to review and assess its policy and delivery implications before the policy detail is finalised.”

Leaving work

The Committee urged the Department to revise its guidance surrounding sanctions and conditionality decisions, so that stepping away from employment or voluntary work for health-related reasons within the protected period would be recognised as a ‘good reason’.

It pressed: “This guidance should also address claimants with fluctuating conditions, dual Universal Credit (UC)/ESA and PIP claimants, and UC claimants without limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) whose work attempts later prove unsustainable because of their health due to a deterioration in health or the unsustainability of the role.”

While the DWP accepted this recommendation, it acknowledged that further consideration was needed regarding “how and when” to implement it in practice.

Communications

The Committee pressed the DWP to guarantee its communications, regulations and guidance surrounding the new framework are clear and consistent to prevent claimants being “inadvertently misled”. The DWP acknowledged this point, recognising it is “essential” for Right to Try to succeed.

Guarantee package

The Department was instructed to consult with claimants, organisations and advisers to establish what comprehensive guarantee package would give people adequate confidence that they won’t be disadvantaged by attempting to work.

The DWP accepted this recommendation but noted: “The Department will continue engaging with stakeholders and has already been doing so through the Collaboration Committee. However, ministers must ultimately determine the direction of this policy.”

Guidance for assessors

The Committee called on the DWP to “immediately” publish guidance for assessment providers clarifying that a claimant showing functional capacity in a workplace should not be considered evidence of sustained and reliable capability for PIP or WCA purposes during the initial six months.

The Department partially accepted this recommendation with the minister explaining: “I agree to undertake work to examine how to best protect entitlement for claimants during their first 6 months of work, but require more time before guaranteeing when or how this can be operationalised.”

Responding to the four accepted changes, committee chair Dr Stephen Brien stated: “I am pleased to note that you have accepted four out of the Committee’s five recommendations, with the remaining one partially accepted. While recognising that some aspects of our recommendations will take time to fully implement, I regard your response as a positive step forward in achieving greater alignment with your stated policy intent of giving clearer reassurance to claimants with disabilities or health conditions who wish to explore work without fear of a reassessment or award review. I look forward to receiving updates from the Department as further progress is made.”

DWP secretary Pat McFadden replied, according to Birmingham Live: “I would like to thank you for setting out the Committee’s concerns in your subsequent letter. I recognise the Committee’s view that fear of reassessment continues to present a significant barrier to work. I understand the Committee concluded that, in its view, the Right to Try regulations as drafted may not provide claimants with sufficient reassurance.

“Your recommendations therefore focus on strengthening protections, so claimants are not disadvantaged when taking steps towards work, including volunteering. I agree with the direction of the recommendations and set out below the approach that the Department will adopt in taking them forward.”

Asked whether the PM was confident claims were being scrutinised closely enough, the spokesman added: “The asylum system is built on robust safeguards, so every claim is rigorously and fairly assessed, abuse is actively uncovered, and these procedures are continually reviewed to shut down misuse.”

The Alan Partridge star will have a guest role in the second series of the BBC comedy

The BBC has given Funboys fans a glimpse at the upcoming series while confirming Steve Coogan is joining the cast.

The Alan Partridge actor will have a guest role in the second series of the comedy about young men in small-town Northern Ireland. He will portray frustrated thespian Phillip, who has found himself at a folk museum performing as part of the aristocracy, reports the Irish Mirror.

“Pompous, cruel and petty, the line between Phillip and the land steward he plays is a very thin one and his role at the folk park is more just an excuse to let his pungent sadism run riot,” the broadcaster said.

The BBC and BBC Northern Ireland comedy launched last year and proved popular with audiences. Its second series will track the Funboys of rural Ballymacnoose “as they flounder their way into adulthood”.

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A synopsis revealed: “The soft bellied boys of Ballymacnoose are back. After last year, tackling the weight of grief, suppository drugs and being a bastard, the gang have come out the other side all grown up.

“Callum’s (Ryan Dylan) trying out a lovely perm, Gemma (Ele McKenzie) and Lorcan (Lee R James) are smooching seven times a day, and it’s been four months since Jordan’s (Rian Lennon) last full throated screaming strop with his Daddies.

“Things are bright in Ballymacnoose. But dark clouds loom! The gang belatedly get involved in Irish history and it’s all down-hill from there. Bigotry, balding and competitive robot combat, if they aren’t careful the funboys are about to become the doneboys. Aghh!”

The synopsis continues: “Will the soft kindness of their teletubby hearts overcome the scars of the past? Is Jordan losing his hair or is it, as he insists, just a double crown?

“Are the close-minded people of Ballymacnoose ready for Lorcan to explore previously uncharted territory in the love department? Is Lorcan even ready? Who’s exploring Lorcan’s departments?”

Rian Lennon, who portrays Jordan, commented: “If Funboys Season One was a freshly born fawn, skittering around in its own amniotic sack, then season two is a sinewy young buck galloping through forests thick, leaping into the unknown and screaming ‘Hawwwwww!’”

His co-star Ryan Dylan, who takes on the role of Callum, urged viewers: “Please take your time with Funboys series two. Enjoy every suck, smack and sniff, and allow this succulent comedy to slide down your gullet and into your soul.”

Amongst the familiar faces returning to the screen are Brian Devlin, Owen Colgan, Paul Bazely and Richard Croxford. Newcomers include Nicky Harley, Saorlaoith Brady, Lalor Roddy, Donal O’Hanlon and Amanda Doherty.

Funboys is set to air on the BBC.

Victoria Beckham has finally spoken out after months of speculation over the family feud with eldest son Brooklyn Beckham.

In January, the aspiring chef launched a brutal takedown of his parents in a statement shared on social media, in which he accused them of ‘controlling’ him and ‘trying to ruin’ his relationship with his wife.

He also claimed that his mother ‘hijacked’ his and Nicola Peltz’s first dance at their 2022 wedding, and ‘danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone.’

He has since completely detached from his family, reportedly asking for no contact while living in the US with wife Nicola Peltz.

While Sir David Beckham did tentatively address the fallout, Victoria stayed quiet after the ‘humiliating’ accusations.

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, the former Spice Girl said: ‘I think that we’ve always—we love our children so much. We’ve always tried to be the best parents that we can be.’

‘And you know, we’ve been in the public eye for more than 30 years right now, and all we’ve ever tried to do is protect our children and love our children. And you know, that’s all I really want to say about it.’

She was asked if she felt guilt or remorse for bringing her family into the spotlight at such early ages.

All of their kids – Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper – have spent much of their childhoods chased by paparazzi and shared on social media.

Victoria continued: ‘I wouldn’t say it comes with guilt, I’d say that there was a lot of adjusting from my mum and dad, when all of a sudden there were paparazzi outside their house.

‘We’ve really taken our families on this ride with us.’

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE: Brooklyn Beckham’s ex reveals ‘warning signs’ during their relationship

MORE: Chris Evans’ controversial series returning to Channel 4 in days

MORE: Victoria Beckham shares cringe-inducing reaction to Cruz’s naked single promo

Kacey Musgraves has a message for skeptics who doubt her recent UFO experience.

The country singer, 37, posted videos on her Instagram Story Thursday in which she detailed the “craziest… orb, UFO experience” she had on a recent flight.

Shortly after, science writer and self-identified “UFO analyst” Mick West took to X to debunk the patterns shown in her video as satellite flares, writing: “The @KaceyMusgraves UFO sighting video has been identified by @flarkey as being 100% consistent with Starlink horizon flares.

“Her plane was in the flare zone for the entire flight, and the flares appeared in the right position, moving and fading at the same speed as seen on the video. If she could share the exact time the video was recorded, then we could identify the exact satellites.”

However, the “Space Cowboy” singer didn’t seem too interested in West’s take. “Hey Mick if you zoom way into the videos you can also see a really clear angle of Bigfoot riding your mom,” she wrote.

West did not respond to Musgraves’s zinger.

The Grammy-winning singer, whose Instagram handle is ironically named spaceykacey, has not provided further update on her out-of-this-world experience, which she said occurred during a flight from Fort Worth, Texas, to Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’ve seen many crazy things,” she said in the video. “I’ve seen fire burning in the sky, things that I can’t explain, so this is not the first time.”

She continued, “I was about to lay down and take a nap, and I saw these lights that caught my eye that just didn’t look normal. And I watched them for a minute.”

Musgraves described the lights as initially appearing to be an orange-ish color, but said they would become “extremely bright and chance color, change size.”

“These orbs were not moving like any craft that we can control,” she said. “They were intermittently coming and going, forming triangle patterns. The craziest thing is… so they were following us from about the Little Rock area. That’s when I noticed them all the way to Nashville.”

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The “Deeper Well” singer said that once the plane landed in Nashville, the pilots exited the cockpit and laughed as they told passengers on the plane that “we’ve seen these every single night, and all the other pilots are seeing them too. And nobody knows what they are.”

Musgraves joked, “S*** is weird, but I’m here for it! I am open to it, I’m here for it.”

The singer’s story comes after former President Barack Obama appeared to confirm the existence of extraterrestrials in a February interview, but backtracked shortly after and said he knew of “no evidence” to prove it.

The game will be played in Lille in June and be part of an away double-header say the IFA

Northern Ireland will take on 2018 World Cup winners France in an international friendly this summer.

Kylian Mbappe and Co will be fine-tuning their preparations for the World Cup and have lined up Michael O’Neill’s team for a pre-tournament friendly.

The match will take place on Monday, June 8th in Lille, the fourth largest stadium in France, at 9.10pm local time (8.10pm UK time).

Didier Deschamps team this week lost Liverpool striker Huge Ekitike to a serious Achilles injury which will keep him out for the World Cup. However, they will have the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Antoine Griezmann and William Saliba preparing for the World Cup, which starts just a few weeks afterwards.

France’s first game is against Senegal on June 16th in New Jersey.

The two teams have not met in 27 years. In 1999, France came to Belfast and beat Northern Ireland 1-0. That came a year on from their maiden World Cup triumph on home soil in 1998

It is the first time Northern Ireland have played in France since the UEFA Euro 2016 campaign. The team played in Nice, Lyon and Paris in that tournament, but have never played in Lille.

“This is exactly the level of challenge we want. France are one of the top sides in world football so it’s a great test for our players,” said Irish FA Technical Director, Aaron Hughes, who was part of that famous journey to France a decade ago.

The Irish Football Association say the France game will be the second of two away friendlies, with the ‘date, venue and opponent of the first game to be announced in due course’.

“This fixture marks 10 years since UEFA Euro 2016 when our brilliant fans created such special memories so it’s a fitting occasion as we look forward,” said Irish FA President Conrad Kirkwood.

After losing the World Cup Play-off semi-final to Italy, Northern Ireland’s next competitive game is not until September. They will compete in Nations League League B, Group B2 in the autumn against Hungary, Ukraine and GeorgiaFurther details, including ticketing information, will be confirmed in due course.

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He has been elected as Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) due to the excellence in encouraging innovation and advancing knowledge for the benefit of society.

A University of Stirling Academic has been given a hugely prestigious honour.

Professor Paul Cairney has been elected as Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) for his work in providing vital advice in problem solving and encouraging innovation.

The Professor of Politics and Public Policy has been elected in recognition of excellence in his discipline, and an ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge for the benefit of society.

The RSE was founded in 1783 and leverages the combined knowledge of its 1,800-strong Fellowship to tackle the most pressing issues facing society, provide independent expert advice to policy-makers and inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers.

Professor Cairney uses scientific research on policy-making to inform real-world problems, at Scottish, UK, and EU levels of government.

In October, he became the Principal Investigator of the UKRI-funded FORTH2O, which fosters policy innovation and coherence through collaboration.

Professor Cairney, said: “I am delighted to have been elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh.

“I look forward to working with many new colleagues to show how research can inform policy routinely, and to help early career colleagues understand the policy processes in which they engage.”

Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Stirling, said: “On behalf of the University community, I warmly congratulate Professor Paul Cairney on being elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh.

“We are very proud of Professor Cairney’s achievements and of this recognition by the RSE, a prestigious organisation of international renown which celebrates excellence and advances knowledge for the public good.”

Professor Cairney is among 43 individuals elected as RSE Fellows in 2026, who will use their knowledge for the public good as part of Scotland’s National Academy.

RSE President Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli PRSE added: : “It is a great privilege to welcome this group of such exceptional people into the Fellowship of the RSE. Each of our new Fellows brings a unique background, expertise and insight to the National Academy of Scotland, and we are thrilled to have them join us.”

It is set to open this year

UNIQLO has revealed it will open a Cambridge branch this year. The Japanese retailer is set to open its first store in Cambridge this autumn.

It will open in a unit by the main entrance of the Grand Arcade. The shopping centre hosts 60 shops and leisure facilities, including the Everyman cinema, John Lewis & Partners, Apple, Oliver Bonas, Dr Martens, Mango, and many more.

The fashion retailer has opened multiple locations across the UK. A new store is opening in Bristol on Thursday (April 16) and a new branch is also set to open in Leeds in 2026.