Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that the use of nuclear weapons was a “last resort” measure after Russia and Belarus held massive nuclear drills on land, sea and air.

The Russian president claimed that Moscow’s nuclear arsenal acted as a guarantor of “sovereignty” as his army wrapped up its biggest nuclear exercise in years, involving 64,000 troops as well as submarines and hypersonic missiles.

Europe has condemned the nuclear drills as provocative as tensions rise with Nato, with the alliance’s secretary general Mark Rutte warning that any attacks on Nato would incur a “devastating” response.

The three-day drills that began Tuesday come amid a surge in Ukrainian drone strikes, including on Moscow‘s suburbs that killed three people and damaged several buildings and industrial facilities.

The strikes made it harder for officials in the Kremlin to cast the conflict in Ukraine — now in its fifth year — as something so distant that it doesn’t affect the daily routines of Russian civilians.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the exercise involved 64,000 troops, over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships and 13 submarines, including eight armed with nuclear-tipped ICBMs. The drills will focus on the “preparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression,” it said.

The drills also practice cooperation with Belarus, an ally that hosts Russian nuclear weapons. Russian arsenals in Belarus include its latest intermediate range nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system.

UK Senior Military Advisor, Colonel Joby Rimmer, said the drills reflected how Russia had “repeatedly employed irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and coercive signalling” during its war in Ukraine.

“The consequences are clear. As trust erodes, the risk of miscalculation increases; any reduced transparency over doctrine and force posture severely narrows the margin for error,” he said.

“When a participating State retreats from these frameworks while simultaneously intensifying nuclear signalling, the security environment deteriorates for all.”

Russian nuclear exercises typically use dummy warheads. One video released by the defence ministry showed a tarp-backed military truck travelling with minimal security, while others showed nuclear ⁠submarines, aircraft and warships.

Putin has repeatedly reminded the world about Moscow’s nuclear arsenals after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Kyiv.

In 2024, Putin adopted a revised nuclear doctrine, noting that any nation’s conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.

That threat was clearly aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range weapons and appears to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of Moscow’s nuclear arsenal.

The revised doctrine that placed Belarus under the Russian nuclear umbrella. Putin has said that Moscow will retain control of its nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus but would allow its ally to select the targets in case of conflict.

Moscow has accused Baltic countries of allowing Ukraine to fly over their territory ‌to attack northern Russia, an accusation that Nato has denied.

The Baltic states, all ​strong backers of Ukraine, counter that Russia is redirecting Ukrainian drones into their ‌airspace from their intended targets in Russia.

Manchester City will start a new era this summer if Pep Guardiola leaves after ten years at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola was tight-lipped on his Manchester City future on Tuesday night. City’s legendary manager is expected to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, albeit Guardiola insists that he still needs to speak to chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Should Guardiola make his exit, his replacement is expected to be Enzo Maresca. The Italian’s Chelsea spell ended with him being sacked but the calamity at Stamford Bridge since suggests the 46-year-old was doing a good job in the circumstances. Should he be unveiled at the Etihad Stadium, there are two players who might be keen to join him.

Enzo Fernandez criticised the decision to sack Maresca during the March international break. “Obviously, it was a departure that hurt a lot because we had a lot of identity, he gave us order but it’s the way that football is, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad,” Chelsea’s captain said.

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“But we always had a clear identity when it came to training, playing and obviously his departure hurt us especially in the middle of the season – it cuts everything short.”

Fernandez was punished with a two-game ban for his comments. While Elliot Anderson remains City’s top transfer target, Fernandez could fill the gap left behind by Bernardo Silva.

Fernandez’s teammate Marc Cucurella might also be keen on a reunion with his former boss. During the same international break, he said: “With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable, because we worked together for 18 months.

“If you look at our first pre-season with him, there were doubts. You need a process for every player to understand what we need to do.

“In our last months with Maresca, we played almost by heart. If we changed the system, we knew what we had to do. You need that time.

“The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision.”

Nico O’Reilly has performed excellently at left-back but all top clubs need strength in depth. Nathan Ake is set to leave this summer and Josko Gvardiol might be needed to play more games at centre-back next season with John Stones set to depart.

If Maresca does replace Guardiola at City this summer, some of his former players might be keen to follow him to the Etihad.

A soldier F flag was erected outside of a nursery in the area

Flags that have been erected in a children’s playpark and outside a nursery group in South Belfast have been condemned.

The flags have been erected in the Newtownbreda area of the city and have been condemned by local councillors as “completely unacceptable”. It includes a ‘Soldier F‘ flag that was placed outside of a local nursery group.

Alliance Castlereagh South councillor Jamie Harpur has said the erection of the flags has caused deep concern for local families and that it is designed to “create division and unease where it is least welcome.”

He said: “It is completely unacceptable that flags have been erected within a children’s play park in Newtownbreda, and that ‘Soldier F’ flags have been placed directly outside a local nursery group in the area.

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“Children’s spaces should be exactly that- spaces where young people can play, learn and feel safe, free from any form of intimidation or political messaging. The presence of these flags in and around facilities used by children is wholly inappropriate and deeply concerning to many local families.

“Regardless of background or viewpoint, we should all be able to agree that children must be kept out of these issues. Using shared community spaces in this way only serves to create division and unease where it is least welcome.

“We have raised this with the relevant authorities and will continue to push for action to have these removed. Our public spaces should be welcoming, inclusive, and safe for everyone, especially our children.”

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Barnaby’s mother, Emma Webber, added: “I’m under no illusions that had it not been for the inquiry, and had it not been for the amount of noise and pressure that we families have put onto this hospital trust, the other [mental health] trust and other agencies, it would have never come forward, it would have never seen the light of day.

She was pronounced dead at the scene

A woman has died after a collision on a major road in Cambridgeshire. The crash involved a lorry and two cars on the A47 today (Thursday, May 21).

A woman in her 50s was pronounced dead at the scene. She was driving one of the cars involved in the crash at South Brink at around 7.09am.

It is believed there are not any other serious injuries, police say. The road currently remains closed.

Cambridgeshire Police is now asking anyone with information to come forward. Anyone who witnessed the collision, saw any of the vehicles in the moments leading up to it or has relevant dashcam footage should get in touch.

Anyone with information can report it through the force website quoting Operation Thames or incident 72 of today. You can also call 101 if you do not have access to the internet.

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Dame Melanie said: “What we always try to avoid is being really specific about ‘you can do this and you can’t do that’, because fundamentally the responsibility is with Channel 4 and its production company, or with ITV or BBC or whoever is producing these shows, to get this right.

Motor Fuel Group is opening the bakery at Morrisons, Plumpton Park, at 6am.

The company posted online today: “The wait is finally over — Greggs opens its doors tomorrow!

“Come down and celebrate with your favourite bakes, fresh coffee, sweet treats, and more.

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“Be one of the first through the door — we can’t wait to welcome you!”

To mark the opening, Motor Fuel Group Starbeck Morrisons has also ran a raffle with a £100 (coupon) first prize, with a £50 coupon for the second prize.

The opening comes as the venue has also opened a new jetwash.

As previously reported, the opening adds to others nationally from the Motor Fuels Group.

In December a branch of Greggs opened at the Morrisons service station on the edge of Boroughbridge.

The supermarket is inviting the public to suggest locations as part of its UK-wide expansion plans.

Jonathan Neale, managing director of national real estate at Aldi UK, said: “We know how important it is for people to have access to affordable, high-quality food close to where they live, which is why we’re asking our shoppers to help us identify the communities that would benefit most from a new Aldi store.

Aldi asks for County Durham store suggestions (Image: Aldi)

“Opening new stores in these areas means we can bring great value to more customers, while also creating jobs and offering industry-leading pay.”

Aldi is investing more than £370 million in new stores this year as it works towards a long-term goal of reaching 1,500 locations across the UK.

This latest call for nominations follows last year’s campaign, which identified priority areas in London, Merseyside, and Oxfordshire.

Since then, Aldi has made progress on stores near Pendle Drive in Liverpool and in Hanworth and Willesden in London.

Members of the public can submit their suggestions by emailing NextNewStore@aldi.co.uk and stating the town they would like to put forward in the subject line.

The deadline for submissions is June 18.

Aldi expects to announce its latest list of priority locations later in the year.

Dunkin’ Donuts is set to release its viral 48-ounce cold beverage buckets across the U.S. this Friday.

In February, the chain tested its Beverage Buckets, designed with a unique lid and straw, in several Massachusetts and New Hampshire stores. At the time, customers could receive a coffee bucket starting at $8.99, or a refresher for $9.49.

Now, Dunkin’ plans to bring its largest drink size back to kick off Memorial Day Weekend, the coffee chain has confirmed to The Independent. When customers order an iced coffee or refresher May 22, they can have it served in the 48-ounce bucket for $12.99

Participating stores will only have 25 buckets each. Dunkin’ fans can customize their orders with a choice of dairy, swirls and flavor shots.

Once purchased, the collectible containers cannot be refilled at Dunkin’ locations.

Many Dunkin’ customers shared their excitement over the news, with one writing on Instagram: “YESSS YES YESSSSSS I WAS WAITING FOR THIS!!!!!!”

“I can’t wait to show up to my therapy session with this,” another quipped, while a third added: “This is incredible, looking forward to trying this.”

“Sign me up for an iced coffee bucket anxiety attack,” a fourth joked.

When the buckets rolled out in New England in February, some customers were overjoyed at the idea of the potentially monstrous caffeine intake. However, other Dunkin’ fans were frustrated by the limited release.

The massive bucket isn’t the only new offer at Dunkin’. As part of its summer menu release last month, the retailer hopped onto the dirty soda trend by launching the Dunkin’ Dirty Soda, which combines Pepsi, coffee milk and sweet cold foam.

For the summer season, Dunkin’ also introduced a line of Black Cherry refreshers and an Oreo-themed line-up of espresso, matcha and frozen drinks.

In January, the brand joined in on the viral protein craze and launched its first Protein Milk, which provides “a simple way to add protein to the drinks they already love,” according to a press release at the time. Packed with 15 grams of protein per medium-sized beverage, the special milk aims to offer a “creamy, familiar taste without a chalky texture or aftertaste.”

Dunkin’ also announced a line-up of protein-packed drinks, including a Strawberry Protein Refresher, Caramel Chocolate Iced Protein Latte, Almond Iced Protein Matcha Latte and Iced Protein Latte with Sugar-Free Vanilla.

Rachel Reeves has announced a cut in the rate of VAT on tickets for theme parks, zoos and museums from 20% to 5% over the summer holidays.

The Chancellor set out the measure as part of a package aimed at easing the impact on the cost of living from the Iran war.

Sir Keir Starmer said the support would give families concerned about the months ahead “a bit of breathing room” to “enjoy moments that matter without the same level of financial strain”.

Ms Reeves told the Commons in a statement on Thursday: “This will apply to ticket prices for both adults and children, covering attractions such as fairs, theme parks, zoos and museums.

“It will include children’s tickets for cinemas, concerts, soft play, and the theatre, and it will cut the cost of children’s meals in restaurants and cafes from 20% VAT to 5% as well.”

She said the changes will apply across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from June 25 until September 1.

The Government expects businesses to pass on VAT savings to customers.

Her “Great British Summer Savings” scheme, which the Treasury estimated would cost around £300 million, also includes free bus travel for children aged between five and 15 in England during the school holidays in August.

Other measures announced by Ms Reeves include a 10p per mile increase in tax-free mileage rates backdated to April, a £350 million critical chemicals resilience fund and a £120 million fund to help the ceramics sector, and the cutting of import tariffs on more than 100 types of food products.

The full package of measures comes at an estimated cost of £1.8 billion over six years, while the Treasury expects to raise hundreds of millions in revenue by changing the way oil and gas companies with overseas operations are taxed.

This would put an end to the practice of some firms structuring their tax affairs “in a way which ensures they pay little or no corporation tax on their UK energy trading profits” and “raise hundreds of millions of pounds a year”, Ms Reeves said.

As expected, Ms Reeves did not announce immediate help with energy bills driven up by Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East.

The household energy price cap is predicted to rise by £209 a year from July after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed up global oil and gas prices.

Ms Reeves told MPs: “Because of the decision that I made at the budget last year to cut £150 from energy bills, we have lessened the impact of rising prices and current external forecasts suggest that the cap from July will be at a similar level to the cap in April last year.

“We stand ready to act if market conditions worsen significantly later this year and I have been leading cross-Government contingency work on design of potential future targeted and temporary support for businesses.”

Final costings for all the measures will be detailed at the next budget following scoring from the Office for Budget Responsibility, according to the Treasury.

Sir Keir, who was seeking to regain control of the political agenda with the announcements after his premiership came under pressure, said it was “not right” that “for too many families those things – a trip to the seaside, a visit to the zoo, a bus ride into town for a day out, even a simple treat at the end of the week – are starting to feel out of reach”.

The Government was providing “a serious response” to the “concerns people have about the months ahead” due to global instability, the Prime Minister wrote on Substack.

“This summer, we are making it easier and more affordable for families to get out, spend time together, and make memories they will cherish for life.”

Theme parks and cinemas welcomed the the slashing of VAT, with British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions chief executive Paul Kelly saying it was “a very welcome and timely boost for the UK’s visitor attraction sector”.

“Our members stand ready to pass on this benefit and deliver brilliant, memorable experiences for visitors of all ages.”

UK Hospitality chairwoman Kate Nicholls said a lower rate of VAT for hospitality was “the quickest and simplest way to lower prices and boost consumer confidence”.