In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Get previews of every single team at the World Cup sent directly to your inbox, featuring the players to look out for, games you shouldn’t miss and Metro’s big England predictions.

Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.   

The new LEGO Batman game is an open-world adventure with lots of secrets for fans to discover.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is out now in early access, but you can only play if you’ve spent £79.99 on the Deluxe Edition.

Fortunately, the standard edition release date is almost here, which means everybody can enjoy the block-based Batman adventure that’s being favourably compared to the iconic Arkham trilogy.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has a May 22 release date for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game will be available at midnight local time in all regions, apart from the west coast of the US.

Indeed, LEGO Batman has a midnight ET release time on May 22 on the east coast, but a 9pm PT (May 21) release time in the west.

The PC version is a little different and has a separate release time that’s bad news for UK fans looking to get stuck into the action.

According to the product page on Steam, LEGO Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight has a 6pm BST release time for PC gamers living in the UK.

That’s 10am PT / 1pm ET for US players, and 7pm CET for Batman fans playing in Europe.

Families will be able to enjoy activities for less throughout the summer thanks to this new government scheme

The UK Government has promised to slash VAT on certain family activities to help people enjoy more days out during the summer. The scheme will run from June 25 to September 1, 2026 and is aiming to support both businesses and families through the cost of living crisis.

The Great British Summer Savings scheme will reduce the costs of “children’s meals in restaurants, children’s tickets for theatres and cinemas and tickets for everyone for attractions like soft play, adventure centres, and theme parks”. Children between the ages of five and 15 in England will also be able to travel for free on local bus services in August.

The scheme is said to cost around £300 million and hopes to reduce borrowing and debt. The VAT rate on eligible activities will be cut from 20 per cent to 5 per cent across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The reduced VAT will apply to:

• Children’s menu meals served in restaurants for consumption on the premises
• Children’s and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts, shows and exhibitions
• Admission tickets, for both children and adults, to a range of attractions, including: amusement parks, fairs, museums, zoos, soft play centres, circuses, adventure parks, nature reserves, wildlife parks and observation attractions

HMRC has published guidance for businesses on how they can operate the scheme. Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “Whether it is a fun day out, a family meal or taking advantage of the thousands of amazing attractions across the UK, Great British Summer Savings will support families with the little treats in life while boosting business across the UK.

“This comes on top of support we’ve already put in place including freezing fuel duty, taking off £117 off energy bills, freezing prescriptions, fuel duty and rail fares.

“We are able do this because we have made the right choices, resulting in the UK having the fastest growing economy in the G7, with inflation going down.

“I know the cost of living is still a number one concern for households. Our economic plan is the right one, supporting families and businesses and building a stronger and more secure Britain.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he learnt of his side’s Premier League title win from his tearful son while he had a barbecue in the garden.

The Spaniard says he did not watch Bournemouth holding title rivals Manchester City to a 1-1 draw – a result which meant the title would be heading to north London for the first time in 22 years.

The Arsenal players gathered at the training ground to watch the match that would see them crowned champions on Tuesday night, but Arteta says that he had to leave because he “couldn’t bring the energy that I wanted”.

“You probably don’t realise it. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Arteta said about winning the league title.

“I was supposed to be watching the game with the boys and the staff because that’s what they wanted – but I couldn’t.”

Arteta left for home 20 minutes before the game kicked off but did not actually watch the match.

“I went to the garden, started to build a fire and had a barbecue and I didn’t watch any of it,” he said.

“I was just hearing some noises in the living room and suddenly the magic happened.

“My oldest son opened the garden door, started to run towards me, started to cry, gave me a hug, and said: ‘We are champions, Daddy’.

“Then my other two boys and my wife came over and it was beautiful. Just to see that joy on them as well, that they are always with me, it was magical. A minute later, Martin [Odegaard] called me on video.”

He also revealed that after the game he rang Bournemouth manager and childhood friend Andoni Iraola to thank him.

Arteta and Iraola grew up in the same region of the Basque Country and played for youth team Antiguoko in San Sebastian.

“I didn’t message him, I rang him. I called firstly to congratulate him on the incredible job he has done with Bournemouth,” Arteta said.

“I told him he almost took the Premier League away from us [the 2-1 loss that Arsenal suffered to Bournemouth in April] and then helped us to win it.”

Iraloa has announced that he will depart Bournemouth at the end of the season once his contract expires and Arteta said the call was full of compliments and good wishes.

“I rang him to show my admiration towards him and wish him the best in the next chapter of his career, which I’m sure is going to be very successful,” he added.

Arsenal have the chance to add a second trophy this season when they take on Paris St-Germain in the Champions League final on Sunday, 30 May in Budapest.

The Gunners’ title-winning parade is set for the day after the final and Arteta, who is looking forward to celebrating with the thousands of fans who have already been to the stadium to enjoy the occasion, wants to make sure they see more success.

“We want to have the parade with two trophies,” he said.

“We had 48 hours to enjoy the success of winning the league; now we are going to prepare really well because we need to lift our habits and standards to be in the best possible way to compete [against Crystal Palace in the final Premier League game of the season] on Sunday.

“We will have a little window to lift the trophy and connect with the people around us – and then we have six days to write a new history in this football club.”

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.

Click here to find out the latest Manchester City news in our daily newsletter

“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.

Advertisement

“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.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

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.