Could we see Vladimir Putin’s control of Russia seriously challenged – or even destabilised in the coming months? Predicting when authoritarian regimes might fall is notoriously difficult. Their hold on power can appear solid until suddenly it crumbles. But there are signs that the Kremlin is concerned about the potential for upcoming elections to become a source of political instability.

In September, Russians go to the polls to elect the national parliament, the State Duma, as well as the parliaments and governors in Russia’s regions. At one level, it is hard to image why Russian officials would be concerned about these elections. The Russian state has considerable experience managing elections to get the desired result, and no one seriously doubts the outcome. The ruling party, United Russia, which currently holds about 70% of the seats in the State Duma, is widely expected to sweep the board, as usual.

But these are the first national elections in Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This means that a smooth campaign and a comfortable win for United Russia can be presented as an endorsement of the war and the way that Putin has handled it. Such an endorsement is especially important because the war has not been going well for Russia lately.

Russia’s progress on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine has slowed to a crawl, with Ukraine taking back more than 700sq kms of occupied territory in July. And Moscow is paying a high price for the small territorial gains that it is making. Russian forces are estimated to have suffered 1.4 million casualties. Soldiers are dying and being injured at a higher rate than they can be replaced with recruits.

The Russian military has sought to fill the gaps in its ranks by recruiting prisoners and foreign fighters – among them reportedly another 50,000 troops from North Korea.

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There are widespread rumours that Putin will be forced to launch another round of compulsory mobilisation – perhaps calling up as many as half a million citizens – in order to replenish the armed forces and continue the war. In response to the last mass mobilisation in September 2022, an estimated 700,000 Russians, mostly young men of military age, left the country to avoid fighting in the war.

Mobilisation has been deeply unpopular with the soldiers and their families. Mobilised soldiers do not serve for a specified term but instead have an open-ended obligation. Families of the mobilised have been willing to complain about the conditions of their service, including a lack of adequate training and equipment, and the infrequency of leave periods to return home.

Some of the wives of these soldiers have even openly campaigned for an end to mobilisation and the return of their husbands.

Hardship on the home front

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s strategy of drone attacks deep inside Russia mean that the war is making everyday life more difficult for millions of Russians who might otherwise not have been significantly affected by it. Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries have created severe fuel shortages throughout the country. Most of Russia’s regions have experienced some form of fuel rationing, with long queues reported at filling stations.

Extraordinarily high rates of cash withdrawals from Russian banks demonstrate the economic insecurity experienced by ordinary citizens, who fear the government could seize private savings to help fund the war in Ukraine

Recent public opinion polls in Russia provide evidence that society’s views are shifting. Support for the war in Ukraine has dropped over the past year from 78% in July 2025 to 66% in July 2026. Over the same period, the percentage of Russians who believed their country was moving in the right direction dropped from 69% to 54%. In a country where the state exercises tight political control and expressing opposition to the war can lead to arrest, fines or even imprisonment, these are remarkably bad results.

In the run up to September’s elections, only one political party in Russia has expressed outright opposition to the war. Yabloko, a small, pro-democracy party, adopted the campaign slogan: “For peace and freedom, for a life without fear.” But Russia’s supreme court has now banned the party from participating in the elections, while another court has sentenced its deputy leader to 11 years in prison.

The banning of Yabloko is a measure of the Kremlin’s concern that the elections could provide an outlet, no matter how small, for a public expression of anger. In the previous elections in 2021, Yabloko only received 1.34% of the vote and failed to win a single seat in the State Duma.

Even if it had been allowed to participate in September’s elections, Yabloko would have had no realistic chance of making a dent in United Russia’s dominant position. No political actor, no matter how insignificant, can be permitted to threaten the state’s narrative that the war is under control and society is united behind Putin.

In an attempt to reassure the public that all is well, Putin himself has been visiting cities across the country this summer in a pre-election tour of Russia. This is an unusual step for a leader who is notoriously fearful of assassination and reluctant to leave the security of Moscow.

Putin’s visits have been accompanied by the sudden reappearance of petrol at the pumps wherever he goes, and its availability at surprisingly low prices – an indirect admission of the importance of bread and butter issues for Russia’s voters.

In all likelihood, Russia’s election management machine will swing into action next month and deliver the outcome that Putin both wants and needs. But the state’s lack of confidence in that victory, despite all the tools at its disposal, suggests that Putin and his allies are not nearly as confident in their ability to maintain their grip on power as they would like the rest of the world to think.

But there will be a new famous voice directing passengers to the big concerts over the next week

A Manchester rock star has been unveiled as the latest famous face to lend their voice to the Metrolink announcements as major travel warnings have been issued for the next two weeks.

The next two weeks will see the city host a series of big gigs, as well as see the first ever Manchester Village Pride take over the city centre. There will also be two big Premier League games at Manchester’s biggest football stadiums – with over 400,000 expected to descend on the region for the events.

But first up, following in the footsteps of Liam Gallagher, Rita Ora, Tim Burgess, and PinkPantheress before him, Liam Fray from the Courteeners will take on the role of tram announcer as he directs fans to the five big Wythenshawe Park gigs taking place across the next week.

Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter

The Middleton band, who are known for hits like Not Nineteen Forever and No You Didn’t, No You Don’t, will be playing the south Manchester park next Sunday (August 29), where they will be joined by support from Getdown Services, The Coral and Vaccines.

The Cure will kick off the week-long series of shows on Friday night (August 21). Also playing at Wythenshawe Park this weekend will be Lewis Capaldi (August 22), with next weekend’s shows also featuring The Prodigy (August 30) and Pulp (August 31). With the venue’s capacity increasing to 35,000 for each gig, it means up to 175,000 gig-goers are set to descend on south Manchester over the next two weekends.

Fans will be able to hear from Liam on each performance date, with a special set of messages on the day of The Courteeners show. During the announcements, he will be reminding fans that the ‘Metrolink is a solid shout’ for travelling to the park and wishing fans a great night.

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Bee Network has said that there will be as many double trams ‘as possible’ running every seven-and-a-half minutes to help fans get to and from the park. In their advice, attendees have been told to travel on the Manchester Airport line and get off at Moor Road tram stop, which is a ten minute walk away from the concert venue.

In addition, there will also be shuttle buses in operation, with city centre services departing from Aytoun Street, close to Manchester Picadilly, every six minutes. There will also be services running from East Didsbury every 15 minutes.

To make it easier, there will be an event travel pass which will cost £8 each day and will be available via the Bee Network app. It will allow ticketholders to use any bus, tram or shuttle bus service on the day bought.

In addition to this weekend’s shows, Sunday (August 23) will see the start of the Premier League with Manchester City playing Ipswich at the Etihad, with 60,000 fans set to flock to the opening game. Next Sunday (August 30), Manchester United will be taking on Ipswich at Old Trafford. In addition, Manchester Village Pride, where tens of thousands will head into the city centre, will be held from Friday (August 28) to Monday (August 31).

Fran Wilkinson, Customer and Growth Director at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “We’re looking forward to helping thousands of people travel to Live from Wythenshawe Park later this month and have put comprehensive plans in place – including a new £8 travel pass – to make it as easy as possible for people to get to and from the concerts.

“Pride and big games at the Etihad and Old Trafford are also coming up over the same weekends as the concerts, so expect it to busy in and around the city centre too.

“We’d encourage everyone to plan ahead, check their travel options before they set off and consider using public transport wherever possible. The Bee Network offers a convenient and affordable way to get to around, helping people spend less time worrying about travel and more time enjoying their event.”

National Highways said its data showed 947 incidents of wrong way driving

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A motorist is prosecuted every week for risking a head-on collision by driving the wrong way on the motorway, research has found. Reckless drivers are caught reversing along the carriageway, pulling U-turns next to high-speed traffic and driving backwards in a bid to reach a missed exit junction, court papers show.

The Press Association has found that 31 drivers in the past 30 weeks were charged by police with criminal offences involving driving in the wrong direction on the motorways of England and Wales. Those convicted are typically ordered to pay out hundreds of pounds in fines and court fees while some face driving bans as a result of their actions.

The figures comes after five teenagers died on the M9 in Co Kildare last Sunday when their BMW crashed while driving the wrong way in a bid to get away from police. Three women and a seven-year-old boy in the other vehicle involved in the head-on collision were left badly injured in hospital.

In June, National Highways data obtained by the Press Association revealed that 947 incidents involving “oncoming vehicles” on England’s motorways had been logged in the 12 months to May 11. In a recent court case, Ervis Hatellari, 38, from Woodford Green in north-east London, was convicted after being caught reversing a Nissan Qashqai along the M11 in Essex.

Sergeant Philip Roberts, from Essex Police, said the incident happened at around 10pm on New Year’s Eve 2025 when he saw the car “in the hard shoulder and half in lane one of the M11, with reverse lights on, backing up to junction five.”

When Hatellari was pulled over, it turned out his driving licence had been revoked and the vehicle was being driven while uninsured. At Chelmsford Magistrates Court on July 27, Hatellari was fined £660, banned from driving for a year and also ordered to pay £120 costs and a £264 victim surcharge.

In another case, van driver Daniel Udrescu, 57, apologised for a “moment of poor judgment” when he was caught reversing up the slip road for the M6 toll motorway in Cannock, Staffordshire. He told police when pulled over, at around 10.30pm on April 29, that he was “attempting to get to Glasgow and went the wrong way”, and the officer also spotted that the driver’s seat belt was clipped in place, indicating that Udrescu was not wearing it while driving.

He pleaded guilty last month to both offences at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and was handed three penalty points, a £445 fine, £120 in costs, and a £178 victim surcharge.

In a third case, Innocent Ayodele, 32, an NHS worker from Manchester, apologised to a court in May after he was caught trying to escape a traffic jam on the M61 by driving the wrong way up an entry slip road. Pc Peter Weatherstone, from Greater Manchester Police, told the court he spoke to Ayodele to ask “what he was playing at driving the wrong way”.

“I could see another driver at the side of another vehicle whom he could have struck”, he wrote in his statement. “I pointed out the dangers of such behaviour, but the driver seemed totally blatant in his necessary to do this simply because he had finished worked and wanted to get home.”

Ayodele told Preston Magistrates’ Court he was trying to get home to his pregnant wife, but with nine penalty points already on his licence he could now face a ban when he is sentenced at a later date. In June, the National Highways said its data showing 947 incidents of wrong way driving could include unconfirmed reports and it insisted “confirmed incidents of wrong‑way driving on motorways remain rare. Every report is treated seriously and acted on quickly”.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “To think anyone could drive the wrong way onto a motorway heading into fast-moving traffic is truly the stuff of nightmares.”

After a record hot summer, the UK will be battered by heavy rain and high winds

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The UK is set to experience more storms and rain over the upcoming autumn and winter seasons caused by an “unprecedented” El Nino event, forecasters have warned. El Nino is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5C above the long-term average, impacting global rainfall patterns and average temperatures.

The natural warming of sea temperatures is forecast to reach more than 3C in the coming months, making this year’s weather event “the largest since the 19th century”, according to the Met Office. It creates a heightened risk of drought in the tropics, southern Africa and north-east Australia, while north-western Europe – including the UK – is likely to experience wetter and stormier conditions in the coming autumn and early winter, the forecaster said.

“We should be clear that this is an unprecedented event”, Professor Adam Scaife, head of long range forecasting at the Met Office, said. “I have never seen an El Nino signal this intense in our forecasts.”

He added: “A typical El Nino leads to an equatorial Pacific sea-surface temperature rise of between one to 2C, with 2C being a really big event. This implies that if the forecast is accurate – and other forecast systems show similar extreme values – then 2026 will far exceed our recent experience of El Nino and its worldwide climate influences.”

El Nino events also drive an increase in global average temperature, with 2027 forecast to be the warmest year on record. “During large El Nino events significantly more heat is released from the ocean to the atmosphere leading to an increase in global average temperature, particularly in the calendar year following the winter peak of the El Nino,” Met Office Science Fellow, Dr Nick Dunstone said.

“Hence, 2027 is very likely to replace 2024 as the warmest year on record and be another year to temporarily exceed plus 1.5C above the pre-industrial period”.

Professor Stephen Belcher, the Met Office’s chief of science and technology, said: “This summer we have experienced heat waves across Europe reminding us of the effects of climate change, this large El Nino is a reminder that natural variations in the climate system are also at play, adding to the stresses of climate change.”

The unprecedented string of heatwaves and lack of rainfall in recent months has brought the driest July in 190 years and has pushed almost three-quarters (71.3%) of England and all of Wales into drought, putting severe pressure on the water system, wildlife, farmers, emergency services and infrastructure.

Many areas of the country are facing water shortages as reservoir levels have fallen to 62.6% – 16.3% lower than is expected for this time of year, according to Defra. Following an emergency meeting to discuss the heatwave last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned: “We might be in for a wet autumn and winter straight after this, because of El Nino and some of the issues there, which was reported to Cobra.”

Parts of the country were hit by heavier showers on Wednesday and Thursday, with the north-west of England seeing the wettest conditions in the last 24 hours, with 52.5mm of rain falling over the seaside town of Morecambe in Lancashire, according to the Environment Agency (EA).

This represents a third of the region’s rainfall totals recorded over the period between June 1 and August 18 this year, which reached up to 156mm on average, the Met Office said. Significant showers also broke over southern parts of the country, with Pevensey Bay in East Sussex recording 32mm of rain over the last 24 hours, again according to an EA gauge.

The sudden heavy rainfall this week also sparked fears of flash flooding as the water has been hitting parched, dry, hard ground. But forecasters and officials warned it could take months of sustained rainfall before rivers, reservoirs and groundwaters are completely replenished – which is when a drought is officially over.

The National Drought Group, which brings together the Met Office, regulators, government, water companies, farmers, scientists and conservation organisations several times a year, said this week’s rainfall and cooler temperatures will not make any significant impact on current water scarcity.

It also warned drought conditions could persist into the new year as, despite El Nino, current forecasts do not suggest this autumn will have the amount of rainfall required to drive recovery before December. After meeting on Thursday, the panel revealed it is moving from monthly to weekly meetings to step up its co-ordinated response to extreme weather, with human-driven climate change driving increasingly volatile conditions across the UK.

The UK’s fifth heatwave earlier this month saw the hottest day of the year recorded in Kew Gardens, London, on August 13 when temperatures reached 38.1C. August 14 was provisionally a record-breaking 10th day in 2026 where temperatures have exceeded 35C or more, according to the Met Office.

The intense heat has also made 2026 the first year on record to see three separate days where temperatures reached the 37C threshold. Elsewhere, wildfires have ravaged parts of the UK, including in the West Midlands, where a blaze in Stourbridge destroyed 19 homes.

In an update on Monday, the National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026 so far – a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.

A dad used a bow and arrow to shoot a squirrel in his garden in front of a child on Christmas Day. The small creature was “pinned against a wall” but somehow survived, a court heard on Thursday, August 20.

Matthew Cumming was charged after a shocked neighbour reported him to an animal welfare charity. Cumming, 36, was fined £185 when he admitted an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard the incident happened at his home in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, on December 25 last year. Karon Rollo, prosecuting, said: “The accused was in the kitchen with a child.

“He looked out to the rear garden and saw a grey squirrel on top of a refuge bin. He sought out a large bow and arrows he had in his property, took aim at the squirrel and shot it.

“The squirrel was struck on the head. It managed to run away – I’m not sure how – but ended up pinned against a wall. A neighbour who observed this was concerned and contacted the SSPCA.

“Officers attended and it would appear that as they tried to dislodge the projectile it fell and the squirrel ran away. When charged by police officers in January the accused replied ‘I’m innocent’.”

The Met Office has forecast the weather for Wales today.

It says: “Another showery day today, with some showers possibly thundery and bringing hail, occasionally merging into longer spells of rain.

“Sunny intervals are likely between showers, and it will feel fresher than recently.

“Maximum temperature 20 °C.”

Formerly known as the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum, The Light will welcome the public on Saturday, August 22, with a weekend of events for all ages and a programme for the remainder of the school holidays.

The site previously housed the collection of historic DLI artefacts but closed in 2016 as the building was no longer fit for purpose.

Curator, Charli Summers. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Northern Echo was invited to see a sneak peek of the venue today (August 20) as staff prepare to welcome guests back to the site.

Tony Guillan, creative director of The Light, described the venue as “a building rooted in history but built for the future.”

Tony Guillan, Artistic Director. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

He said: “We’ve got a state-of-the-art facility, incredible new gallery spaces, so it’s really about investing in the endeavour as a sustainable, economic investment, so that we can stage world class exhibitions that people want to come and see.”

Tony, who is originally from Tyneside but has spent much of his career in London, added: “In the past few months, to be working with the team on the install, thinking about future programmes, it’s been mad, but it’s great to see people in the building.

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“I always thought it would be really nice to come back to my home region to do some of the wonderful, exciting things I’ve been doing.

“We’re underserved in the North East in terms of spaces and investment, so when I saw this, I knew this was the project for me.

“It’s very exciting.”

The museum’s first exhibitions are We Are The Durhams: The Durham Light Infantry Exhibition and Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light.

Gillian Kirkbride, Durham County Council’s heritage venues and collection manager, who put together the DLI exhibition, said: “We’ve gone for a thematic approach based on personal experiences.

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“All of the stories here are about people, their emotions, the DLI family, the DLI community.

“There are stories we’ve never told before and this exhibition is trying to give you a little break in that idea of the idealised soldier who is just in a trench in the first world war wearing khaki.

“Actually, they’re so much more than that – they’re artists, musicians, astronomers.

“There’s an awful lot of brotherhood and camaraderie.

“There’s an awful lot of light to counteract the dark, which is what we’re trying to get through in this exhibition.”

Natasha Howes, who curated the Victory Over the Sun exhibition, said: “It is a privilege to curate the inaugural exhibition.

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“We have 25 regional, national and international artists here.”

There will also be a range of events regularly held at The Light, including book clubs, concerts and workshops for all ages.

Councillor Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration, and high street, said: “It’s not every day you get to launch a venue as special as The Light, which is why we are pulling out all the stops to deliver an unforgettable opening weekend.

“As the former home of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum and Durham Art Gallery, we know people will be excited to see how the building has been transformed.”

On Saturday, Pittington Brass Band will perform outdoors, while The Cequin Circus will offer stilt walkers, fire-spinners, and dancers.

Sunday’s line-up includes music from North East singer-songwriters Steve Pledger, Ani Sandwith, Sam Slatcher, and Hels Pattison, as well as more circus performances.

There will also be science-themed lawn games, drop-in workshops, and the chance to contribute to an illuminated lantern sculpture.

There is a gift shop on-site selling lights, soaps, books and a café.

The venue’s gift shop. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The venue’s cafe. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The opening celebrations will continue into the final weeks of the summer holidays with daily art workshops for children aged eight and over, running from 11am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 3.30pm.

The new venue will be a sister site to The Story at Mount Oswald, which provides the permanent home to the DLI collection.

Entry to The Light and the DLI exhibition is free.

Tickets for Victory Over the Sun are priced at £10 for adults and £2.50 for under-18s.

A season pass is available for £25.

On the opening weekend, parking at The Light will be reserved for Blue Badge holders.

Free parking for other visitors will be available at the County Hall car park, with signposted pedestrian access to the venue.

A Manchester woman has shared her underwhelming first experience of climbing Yr Wyddfa, as she claimed it “wasn’t worth it”. Aisha shared her story in a candid video

A woman who scaled Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) for the first time was left taken aback by the ordeal, and it’s not the first occasion the mountain has left visitors somewhat startled. Aisha, from Manchester, previously journeyed to Wales to tackle the climb, but it’s fair to say she was left disappointed by what unfolded.

The vlogger, who boasts over 60,000 followers on TikTok, described her video as a warning “not to go hiking”, suggesting she wouldn’t attempt it again following her Welsh escapade. She opted to take on Yr Wyddfa for enjoyment, but her expedition appeared to be far from enjoyable.

It’s not the first time such a story has been shared either. Previously, another walker was left underwhelmed after climbing a mountain in Wales.

Overlaying the video, she wrote: “‘Let’s go to Snowdon for a hike’, he said. ‘It’ll be fun’, he said.” The footage then depicts Aisha ascending the mountain in shorts, battling against the wind and rain, and numerous others have previously shared how the ascent has left them somewhat rattled as well.

What might astonish people is Aisha’s assertion that the view from the summit is “definitely not worth it”. Despite the splendour our nation has to offer, it appears some individuals believe the treks required to appreciate our picturesque landscapes can simply demand too much exertion.

The video has been watched hundreds of times since being posted, and dozens of viewers have commented as well. People were swift to commend Aisha for completing the hike.

One individual remarked: “I saw you yesterday coming down the Llanberis path. You smashed it down there. Well done!”

Another person said: “I did it yesterday – my legs are destroyed.” Aisha responded: “Same, even standing is painful.”

A third remarked: “Haha, I was literally crying, having a panic attack to turn back when I hiked with my boyfriend. He hated me.”

Meanwhile, a fourth enquired: “How long did it take you to complete? My husband and I are doing it on Saturday.”

In the comments section, Aisha confirmed the trek took them five hours altogether, admitting they were keen to “get out of there ASAP”. She pointed out that some walkers can take up to eight hours to finish, depending on how long they linger at the summit and rest.

Aisha advised: “You should definitely go. Just mentally prepare – it’s painful.” Others also acknowledged the challenge of the climb, though many appear to appreciate the spectacular views.

What you need to know

Yr Wyddfa is a mountain located in North Wales. Standing at 1,085 metres above sea level, it’s the tallest peak in Wales and the highest in the British Isles, south of the Scottish Highlands.

The mountain has been designated a national nature reserve due to its rare plant and animal life. Those wishing to visit will find it within Snowdonia National Park.

Several lakes can be found on the mountain, with Llyn Lydaw being the largest, positioned on the eastern side. Historically, the mountain has been described as the “busiest in the United Kingdom.”

In 2022, a remarkable 543,541 walkers were recorded making the ascent. There are six principal routes to the peak, with the most frequented beginning in the northern town of Llanberis.

Alternatively, visitors can reach the top via the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which transported 98,567 passengers in 2021 alone. It is an enormously popular mountain that draws thousands of visitors throughout the year.

During particularly busy periods, such as summer weekends, queues have been known to form at the summit of Yr Wyddfa for access to the summit pillar. This typically occurs at the steps leading to the trig point; however, it remains perfectly possible to appreciate the summit area without joining the queue.

Danny Cipriani and AnnaLynne McCord couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they passionately kissed at a family pre-wedding dinner at Katana in West Hollywood on Wednesday evening. 

The couple, who are set to wed this weekend, were all smiles as they put on a loved up display after previously setting up a ‘tacky and distasteful’ crowdfunding page to fund their big day. 

Yet the finances of the day looked far from their minds as the actress, 39, looked bridal-ready in a white strapless minidress which featured a large dramatic bow which cascaded down her back. 

She paired the dress with white sandals and styled her blonde locks in a high bun.

Meanwhile the former rugby star, 38, opted for a relaxed look in a black button-down shirt and loose dark striped trousers.

It was revealed last month that the former rugby star, 38, and his actress fiancée, 39, were requesting that family and friends pay for everything from the marriage licence to their reception meal. 

The couple, who are set to wed this weekend, were all smiles as they put on a loved up display after previously setting up a ‘tacky and distasteful’ crowdfunding page to fund their big day

The unorthodox approach, especially given their flash Hollywood lifestyle, has raised eyebrows that they are not willing to foot their wedding bill themselves.

The move has been branded ‘tacky and distasteful’ by insiders for ‘two celebrities who boast a lavish lifestyle’ as they bid to raise around £10,000 for their nuptials.

Danny is thought to have made around £4million during his rugby career, where he played for Wasps, Sale Sharks, Gloucester, Bath and Melbourne Rebels, as well as earning 16 England caps.

AnnaLynne is believed to have amassed a similar fortune, after making a name for herself in roles on Nip/Tuck and 90210 in the Noughties. Her most recent part was in Days of Our Lives, which was announced in 2023.

On their website, which has been created through the Honeyfund platform, the couple are asking people to donate anything from £75 ($100) to £450 ($600).

There are particular elements of the day they can put money towards, including flowers, their wedding cake and drinks for the reception.

The total amount that they have asked for comes to £10,660, not counting the separate cash donations section. 

An insider told The Sun: ‘It’s extremely tacky and distasteful to ask guests to pay for your wedding – especially in this town.

Yet the finances of the day looked far from their minds as they shared a passionate kiss ahead of tying the knot 

The actress, 39, looked bridal-ready in a white strapless mini dress which featured a large dramatic bow which cascaded down her back.

She paired the dress with white sandals and styled her blonde locks in a high bun

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Meanwhile the former rugby star, 38, opted for a relaxed look in a black button-down shirt and loose dark striped trousers

AnnaLynne and Danny first met on the dating app Raya around a decade ago. They dated on and off for several years and split in 2020, before reconnecting in 2024 

On their website, which has been created through the Honeyfund platform, the couple are asking people to donate anything from £75 ($100) to £450 ($600) 

‘These are two celebrities who boast a lavish lifestyle.’

A message on the website asked their guests to ‘help us create our dream wedding and honeymoon experience’.

It is unclear how much has been contributed so far, but there currently remain six slots left to donate £225 ($300) to the photography fund.

If not buying from the registry there is also the option to give cash from £7.50 ($10). 

AnnaLynne and Danny first met on the dating app Raya around a decade ago.

They dated on and off for several years and split in 2020, before reconnecting in 2024 – only to go their separate ways again in January 2025. 

However, despite their split, the pair appeared to be back on last summer when they shared a smooch at an Emmy nomination party hosted by The McCord List in July. 

In July last year, Danny also confirmed their reunion as he gushed over his girlfriend as he shared a sweet picture to Instagram to wish her a happy birthday.    

Alongside the snap, he penned: ‘Happy birthday to My Love. Your light shines so bright, as you see the light in everyone you meet. 

‘You give your heart so effortlessly. You are creating a world of unity and love with your star dust everywhere you go. Love you’ 

According to People, AnnaLynne’s ring is a 15-carat, emerald-cut diamond with seven round accent diamonds set in the band on each side, all in yellow gold.

Danny previously met ex-wife Victoria Rose in 2019 and they were engaged by August 2020. 

It is protected as a Grade B1 listed building and is one of the best-preserved examples of its type in the UK

A nuclear bunker built in South Belfast during the height of the Cold War is now home to one of Northern Ireland’s most important heritage collections.

The new archive facility for the Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI) was opened this week at the former Belfast War Room in Mount Eden Park, Belfast.

The project secures the future of one of Northern Ireland’s most important heritage collections while giving new life to a significant Cold War landmark. Constructed in the early 1950s, the Northern Ireland Regional War Room was one of just 13 purpose-built Regional War Rooms established across the United Kingdom during the Cold War.

Designed to co-ordinate civil defence and regional government functions in the event of a nuclear attack, the building is recognised as one of the best-preserved examples of its type anywhere in the UK and is protected as a Grade B1 listed building.

The repurposed facility will provide a permanent, sustainable home for HERoNI, which documents more than 45,000 historic sites through maps, plans, records and photographs.

Opening the facility this week, communities minister Gordon Lyons said: “The opening of the HERoNI Archive Store represents an important new chapter in the history of the Belfast War Room, ensuring the continued preservation of both this remarkable historic building and the irreplaceable archive collections it now houses for the benefit of future generations.

“There is a unique relationship between the building’s original purpose and its new role. Once designed to safeguard government and society during a period of international uncertainty, the former Belfast War Room will now protect the records, knowledge and cultural memory that help future generations understand Northern Ireland’s rich and diverse heritage.

“This project demonstrates how our historic buildings can be adapted in innovative and sustainable ways, preserving not only the structures themselves but also the invaluable collections they can support.

“I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of the consultants, contractors and Department for Communities staff whose expertise and commitment made this innovative project possible.”

Documents included in the archive include records relating to more than 45,000 historic places, including archaeological sites, historic monuments and buildings, as well as industrial, marine and defence heritage sites. Its collections include drawings, maps, plans, documents and hundreds of thousands of photographs spanning all periods of Northern Ireland’s history.

The transformation of the War Room highlights the potential for the sustainable reuse of historic buildings. While the structure’s original design posed significant challenges for redevelopment, its distinctive features, including 1.5 metre-thick reinforced concrete walls, a windowless design and a network of small internal rooms, have proven highly suitable for archival storage.

These characteristics help maintain stable environmental conditions essential for the long-term preservation of sensitive historic records.

The building will be open for tours as part of European Heritage Days in September 2026.

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