Robert Tollast, land warfare expert at the Royal United Service Institute, told BBC Verify that some brigades were estimated to need up to 1,000 tonnes of fuel, food, ammunition and other key supplies every day. He said Ukraine had previously used a long-range strike campaign against Russian air defence units, but the new drone strike ranges “are something else”.

EXCLUSIVE: A former SNP strategist has shed new light on the close working relationship between the couple that ran the party for more than a decade.

Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell were “tight” and made decisions “around the breakfast table instead of the boardroom”, a former senior SNP adviser has said.

Kirk Torrance, who worked at the Nationalists’ HQ in Edinburgh for seven years, told the Record he did not find credible the former first minister’s repeated claims that she was unaware of her estranged husband’s 10-year spending spree.

“I mean, she takes every opportunity to wax lyrical about how much of a micro-manager she is,” he said.

The ex-SNP leader has faced ridicule after she used an appearance at a book festival in Ireland on Thursday to claim she wasn’t aware of the multiple expensive items of kitchenware Murrell had purchased with party cash “I didn’t spend any time in my kitchen”.

Murrell, 61, served as chief executive of the SNP for two decades and married Sturgeon in 2010. They shared a suburban home on the eastern edge of Glasgow before separating last year.

Murrell pled guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh this week to embezzling more than £400,000 from his employers during a decade-long spending spree.

Torrance worked for the SNP as a digital and political strategist from 2009-2016, an era which saw the party win a majority of MSPs at Holyrood in 2011 and secure a referendum on independence in 2014.

He told the Record: “Nicola’s not been charged with any offence, and that must be respected of course, but people are going to find it very difficult to believe, given how centralised the SNP was, that it could operate like that for so many years.”

Asked if he thought the ex-FM’s denials were credible, Torrance said: “No, absolutely not. I mean, she takes every opportunity to wax lyrical about how much of a micro-manager she is.

“Things had become so centralised, with decisions made around the breakfast table instead of the boardroom table. Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell were tight.

“Alex would come into the HQ and say hello to everybody, ask after family members. Nicola would come into the HQ and not say hello to anybody.

“She would walk right up to Peter’s desk, she would tap him on the shoulder, he would look up, she would walk into the library and he would follow. They would spend a few hours in there. Then they would both come out, she would leave, and Peter would call a meeting to tell us what we were doing.”

OPINION

Torrance quit his job with the SNP in 2016, two years after Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond as leader, and claimed by then “things were becoming politically and culturally unhealthy in the party”.

He added: “I thought power was becoming concentrated too much. Alex himself said that, that a leader shouldn’t have been married to the chief executive. And I think it’s one of the reasons why Nicola fell out with Alex.

“Meetings became tenser. It was noticeable that Peter became short-tempered and angry. I don’t know why, but you can only imagine.

“Nicola became increasingly controlling. It was a bad atmosphere. And I had other projects in mind so I took the opportunity to head off.

“Once organisations stop tolerating internal disagreement, they start making bad decisions.”

Torrance said he had no inkling that Murrell was embezzling party funds during their time working together.

“Peter Murrell gave me opportunities professionally during the SNP’s most succesfull years and I’ll always acknowledge that,” he added.

“But what’s happened here is deeply sad to me and deeply disappointing. It’s a terrible situation. We’re not dealing with online rumour anymore, he’s admitted to the fact.”

Sturgeon said on Thursday she had not questioned how her former husband was able to purchase some items as they were both on “high salaries”.

She said she had never seen some of the “stuff” reported this week, but added: “Things that I did recognise, none of it would have made me question.”

“We were two people on high salaries, no kids. I was doing a job – and this is another factor – I was doing a job that had me working around the clock, away from home a lot of the time.”

She added: “Maybe this doesn’t reflect well on me: I didn’t spend a lot of time in my kitchen – spend any time in my kitchen – but I would never question that some of these things he was buying that I was aware of he couldn’t have afforded, because on the basis of our incomes he could have afforded it.”

Speaking at Listowel Writers’ Week in Co Kerry, Sturgeon said: “This has been probably the worst week of my life and you know the last few years have had some tough ones for me, but this one, I think, surpasses all of them.

“You’re coming to terms with the fact that you spent many years – I spent many years – married to somebody that, as it turns out, I obviously didn’t know at all.

“It’s a really painful truth to process, and I think I’m only in the very early stages of processing it. And then to be in a position of such public turmoil myself makes that even harder.”

Sturgeon told the audience said she was “completely exonerated” following the Operation Branchform investigation and “totally cleared” after a “lengthy” and “very forensic” police investigation.

What’s a kola nut, and what other flavours are involved?

Anything else?

My hack to reduce holiday stress is a no-brainer to reduce travel anxiety

As a travel writer, I often find it surprises people to learn how disenchanted I am with airports. You may well think of Gatwick as the gateway to an adventure to sunnier climes, but when you travel as much as I do, it’s another stressful dash to make your flight by the seat of your pants.

Admittedly, my discontent stems from leading a disorganised life and always imagining I had more time than the Gregorian calendar allows.

This delightful personality quirk has previously led to booking buses that arrive as the gate is about to close, prompting a frantic dash through the airport, with so much adrenaline coursing through my veins that I thought my heart might burst through my chest, like a scene from Alien (seven coffees probably didn’t help).

As I age disgracefully, I have come to realise that I can no longer tolerate this level of stress (and frankly, neither can my long-suffering husband), so I decided to spend a little extra to make my trips a lot less stressful and reduce my chances of having to live alone as a spinster above a chip shop.

My hack in recent years to reduce holiday stress is simply to book an airport hotel for the night before my morning or early-afternoon flight.

I appreciate that it sounds like a no-brainer solution, but after years of backpacking and budget travel, I always try to cut costs and find the cheapest way to travel.

However, as I am now old and tired, I’ve found the additional cost of booking an airport hotel the night before an early flight is the ultimate stress-free travel hack.

You eliminate morning traffic anxiety, get extra sleep, and, in some cases, gain access to ‘twilight bag drop’ services, where you check your bags the evening before so you can breeze through security the next morning.

I cannot tell you how much travel stress has been reduced by simply booking an affordable hotel close to the airport so that I can wake up and be at the terminal in a flash, without worrying about traffic jams, train strikes, or my car breaking down on the M5 again.

With more early-morning departures than ever and airlines continuing to push ultra-early take-off times, getting organised and planning ahead is the key to travelling like a pro.

If you’re savvy, you also don’t have to spend a fortune; you can get some great deals on airport hotels on sites like Booking.com or Hotels.com.

If you book your airport hotels via a cashback site like Quidco, you can even get money back on your purchase to put towards another trip. Read more about my favourite Cashback hack here and make sure to follow me on TikTok for more travel tips and destination advice.

Data shows that UK airport hotels are becoming even more affordable due to off-peak pricing, increased budget-chain competition, and bundled “park-and-stay” packages, which are helping to offset general inflation.

A quick search on the Booking.com app shows that for next week, you can bag decent hotels near Heathrow Airport for as little as £62 per night for two adults. You can go even cheaper, but obviously, the quality might be dubious.

Now, I concede that for a family of five, my hotel hack might not be as cheap, but I did spot a Holiday Inn family deal with a free kid’s stay for just £143.

One of my favourite stays near Heathrow is the ibis London Heathrow Airport, which is super close to Terminals 2 & 3 and is on the Hotel Hopper route and on local bus routes to the airport.

It’s a wallet-friendly stay, typically costing around £70 for a double room, decor is fresh and contemporary with nods towards music, and there is air-con (a scarce commodity at most budget Heathrow hotels).

It’s got all the amenities you might expect from a three-star hotel, including free wifi, toiletries, a hairdryer, TV and fan. Connecting rooms are available if you are travelling with your whole family or as part of a group.

Downstairs, there is a restaurant and bar, so you can have dinner in the airport if you wish and a buffet breakfast in the morning, which I particularly enjoyed. Why yes, I will have a full English, fruit, yoghurt and some pastry chasers, I’m not paying airport prices for food.

The main sell (other than the bar) is that for me, it’s actually cheaper to get the bus from Cardiff the night before and book a night here (or equivalent – the Best Western is also around £70) rather than pay for petrol and parking at the airport. Leaving more money for treats, which is the kind of girl math I can fully get behind. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here

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Of course, I don’t always fly from Heathrow; many of my trips start from Gatwick, and my preferred stay there is BLOC Hotel Gatwick.

These sleek, soundproof rooms are ideally situated for both terminals, just a few short steps from the South Terminal departure lounge, so you can hop out of bed and be in the security line in mere minutes, allowing for a longer lie-in.

A welcome bonus: you’ll also bag a complimentary Fast Track Security pass if you book your stay directly on the Bloc Hotel website, letting you beat the queues.

At Bristol Airport, I have yet to find a good deal on their only on-site hotel, Hampton by Hilton, but there are several reasonably priced off-site B&Bs and hotels. If you are travelling without a car, I would try to find accommodation along the A1 Bristol Flyer route that takes you to the airport.

Alternatively, book a stay in Bristol city centre and get the A1 bus in the morning. My personal favourite is the Moxy Hotel, which has a 24/7 lobby bar where guests check in and receive a complimentary welcome drink, a game zone, a fitness space, and modern rooms equipped with Chromecast TVs.

With a trip looming where I’ll be departing from Birmingham this time, I’ll be scouting for hotel deals to once again avoid the same-day departure stress and instead have a lovely kip, knowing I’ll be waking up near the airport all nice and smug.

Unless I forget to set the alarm, that is. If anyone knows any alarm hacks, please send them my way. I would be most grateful.

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The crash involved a car and a lorry

A woman has been taken to hospital with “life-threatening” injuries after a crash near the Cambridgeshire border. Suffolk Police were called to Brandon Road, Eriswell on Thursday, May 28, with reports of a crash.

It involved a car and a lorry and happened just after 11.45am. The driver of the car was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The police are now asking for anyone with information to come forward. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage of the crash or the moments leading up to it should contact the Roads & Armed Policing team at Suffolk Police through the force website quoting 37/30444/26.

If you do not have access to the internet, you can call 101.

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In 2024, voters in the Southern California city of Arcadia elected the first all-Asian city council in the city’s history.

Now, one of those politicians has pleaded guilty to being an illegal agent of the Chinese government. Former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang’s plea, entered in federal court Friday, continues a saga that some residents of the area worry could bring unfair scrutiny on the broader Chinese and Asian American community.

Arcadia has gone under rapid demographic change in the last two decades as immigrants from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong flocked to the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles. After Wang’s case was made public May 11, the news made national headlines and filled the unassuming suburban city with anger, disappointment and murmurs of quiet concern. On social media, fears about spies and Chinese Communist Party influence abounded.

“We cannot allow this moment to become an excuse for people to paint entire communities with one brush or weaponize ethnicity for political gain,” acting Mayor Paul Cheng said in a statement.

Shock in heavily Chinese community

Wang agreed in April to plead guilty to doing the bidding of Chinese officials by sharing articles favorable of Beijing on a news website she ran, without notifying the U.S. government as required by law.

The 56-year-old was elected in November 2022 to a five-person City Council, from which the mayor is selected on a rotating basis. She was born in Chengdu, China, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1995.

The San Gabriel Valley is home to the largest concentration of residents of Chinese and Taiwanese descent in the United States. Beginning in the 1970s, real estate developers marketed the region as “Chinese Beverly Hills” to woo affluent immigrants. As the population grew, it became a haven for newer immigrants who could go about life without needing English, access business opportunities, and avoid putting their children through China’s intensely competitive education system. Arcadia’s population of about 53,000 is majority Asian, like many other cities in the region.

Ted Tseng, 52, arrived in Arcadia from Taiwan nearly 40 years ago with his parents, who emigrated because they feared potential conflict between Taiwan and China.

Tseng was concerned Wang’s indictment would deepen animosity against Asian Americans and discredit their contributions to the region. Fears of anti-Asian racism, though hate crimes are down since the COVID-19 pandemic, still linger.

“I’m just worried our image has been damaged,” Tseng said.

Feds crack down on Chinese espionage

The U.S. Department of Justice has escalated efforts in recent years to combat Chinese espionage. In April, a man accused of running a secret Chinese spy outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood was convicted of acting as an illegal foreign agent.

Wang has suggested that she was misled by her former fiance, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, who pleaded guilty to the same charge last year and is now serving a four-year prison sentence. Sun was the treasurer for Wang’s 2022 election campaign.

A statement shared by Wang’s lawyers references her “trust and love for apparently the wrong person who ultimately led her astray.”

April Verlato, a former City Council member who served with Wang, said Wang and Sun lived together, and Sun accompanied Wang wherever she went.

Verlato said Wang should have stepped down as soon as she came under investigation.

“She was being selfish, getting sworn in as mayor and not resigning when she knew she was going to be pleading guilty to something,” Verlato said.

Gene Sun, a long-time lawyer in Arcadia, agreed.

“I don’t understand how she could have continued being a City Council member,” he said.

Beijing seeks influence overseas

It is not surprising that the Chinese government would attempt to exert political influence in the region, especially given the increased political tension and economic rivalry between China and the U.S. in recent years, said Wei Li, a professor of Asian Pacific American Studies at Arizona State University.

“A lot of countries, if they have the will and if they have the means, will try to influence their diaspora,” Li said.

According to his federal criminal complaint, Sun was in contact with John Chen, who also pleaded guilty to being an illegal agent of the Chinese government, regarding local politicians that Beijing could influence. In reports to Chinese officials, Sun and Chen called Wang a “New Political Star” and bragged about her contacts with mainstream U.S. politicians.

They also wrote of combatting “anti-China forces” such as Taiwan independence and the Falun Gong, an exiled anti-communist spiritual movement.

In a January 2023 message from Chen to Wang referenced in Sun’s criminal complaint, Chen said: “You are doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud.”

Some fear political repercussions for Asian Americans

Not only was the news of her guilty plea like a “slap in the face,” the reaction from some community members has also been painful, said Cheng, the acting mayor.

Some residents at a May 19 City Council meeting blamed remaining council members for enabling Wang and called for their resignations.

“I’ve been called more names, been told to go back to China although that’s not where I’m from,” said Cheng, who came to the U.S. from Taiwan at age 2.

For many Arcadia residents and workers, life was as usual the day after the news broke. Many smiled apologetically when asked about the issue, saying they don’t pay attention to politics.

Aliza Mo, who emigrated from China six years ago for her children’s education, said she first thought the headlines must be exaggerated.

“A lot of people wondered if it was discrimination,” she said.

When she learned what Wang pleaded guilty to, she changed her mind.

“I think it would be improper for anyone to be doing something like that,” she said.

The WASPI campaign is seeking a judicial review of the DWP’s refusal to pay state pension age compensation, as the group raises funds and awaits a High Court decision on whether their legal challenge will proceed

The WASPI campaign (Women Against State Pension Inequality) continues to challenge the Government’s position and press for compensation payments. The organisation believes the current political uncertainty in Westminster offers new opportunities to garner support.

In January 2025, Labour announced there would be no compensation for women born in the 1950s represented by WASPI and similar groups. These women were affected by the state pension age increasing from 60 to 65 and later to 66. Campaigners maintain they weren’t properly informed of the changes, with many discovering them too late, leaving their retirement plans in ruins. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman previously backed their case, finding the DWP guilty of maladministration.

The Parliamentary watchdog proposed compensation sums ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 and urged Parliament to tackle the issue. However, Labour has rejected compensation, contending that most affected women were aware of the changes and that earlier notification would have made little difference.

WASPI has subsequently filed an application for a judicial review of this decision. The campaign group anticipates hearing from the courts within the next two to three months about whether their claim will advance to the High Court.

Numerous MPs have individually expressed their support for compensation, as have particular political parties. This includes the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. Both parties increased their councillor numbers in the recent local elections, while Labour shed more than 1,400 seats, mirroring the country’s mounting dissatisfaction with the Labour Government. Angela Madden, chair of the WASPI campaign, suggested that the current turmoil in Westminster might offer a new chance for them to make progress, reports Lancs Live.

‘Quite interesting’ development

Ms Madden said: “Keir Starmer’s Government becomes less popular every day. I think Andy Burnham joining the race in the Makerfield by election is quite interesting.

“Andy does say he is a supporter of ours, but then so did many Labour people before they got into power.” Andy Burnham had previously told the BBC that he considered the decision not to award WASPI compensation to be “the wrong decision”, saying that all political parties ought to have accepted the Ombudsman’s report and acted on its findings.

Ms Madden noted that the campaign has substantial backing from Labour backbenchers. WASPI is currently fundraising to meet its legal expenses for the judicial review, aiming for £100,000, having already secured over £60,000.

The campaign leader stated she remains “hopeful” that they will continue to gain momentum. Reform UK emerged as the clear victors in the local elections, securing hundreds of seats and assuming control of numerous councils.

‘A complete unknown’ Ms Madden acknowledged that the implications for their campaign remain unclear. She said: “It’s a complete unknown. They haven’t come out in support of WASPI, so we still don’t know. It’s a very difficult time, but it seems there will always be opportunities in any change for us, there always have been.”

While the high court has the authority to overturn the DWP’s ruling, it is not in a position to order any compensation payments. In the near future, WASPI will be attending a number of union conferences over the coming weeks in an effort to raise awareness and secure additional support.

The organisation will be represented at the GMB conference in Blackpool and the Unison conference in Brighton, with both events due to take place in June.

Manchester United’s summer transfer prospects are on the up as Michael Carrick goes about improving his options

Manchester United have received word off AC Milan forward Rafael Leao that could influence their summer transfer plans. Michael Carrick is currently processing a whirlwind first six months at Old Trafford but has no time to rest on his laurels.

The same can be said for a number of squad stars, many of whom are preparing for the World Cup 2026 kick-off in a fortnight. But with only seven weeks until United’s first pre-season friendly, even those with a summer break don’t have too long before the action resumes.

That leaves time for a host of new arrivals to plant roots at Old Trafford before Carrick’s men reunite in July. And Mirror Football has compiled some of this weekend’s top stories as a couple of new names emerge in the rumour mill.

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Leao reveals United preference

The Portuguese contingent at Old Trafford could be set to grow by one if United decide to pursue a move for Leao this summer. And they’ve been encouraged to do after the forward shared his affinity for the club.

The 26-year-old has been linked with United in years gone by without such speculation bearing any fruit. However, the Red Devils may give the idea more thought as Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot could welcome another compatriot to the club.

“Yeah, of course,” he said during an appearance on the Cernucci podcast when asked if United are his favourite Premier League club. “I like United because my idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. So back then, I used to watch them. I like Arsenal also.”

Better yet, it’s suggested the player could be available on a cut-price fee after Milan missed out on Champions League qualification. The Rossoneri lost at home to Cagliari on the final day of the season and finished fifth in Serie A, which was only enough to qualify for the Europa League.

As a result, it’s reported Leao’s asking price could be slashed to as little as £43million, which is half the kind of valuations linked to his signature in the past. United’s wings aren’t believed to be a major priority heading into the transfer window, though Leao has come to be deployed more as a central striker in recent years.

The arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo strengthened United’s wide areas significantly last summer. That being said, the departures of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho mean the left flank in particular could perhaps do with some reinforcement.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Osimhen dubbed ‘dream signing’

United legend Patrice Evra has named Victor Osimhen as the one name he would bring to Old Trafford above all others this summer. Benjamin Sesko demonstrated significant progress over the course of his debut campaign at United but Evra wants to see more striker options at his old club.

Galatasaray spent a Turkish-record fee of around £65m to sign the Nigeria frontman last summer following a successful loan from Napoli. In addition to his supposed £250,000-a-week wages, another obstacle relates to reports that Gala have put a £130m asking price on their star.

Nonetheless, Evra believes his former employers should break the bank to sign one of the hottest finishers in Europe. Doing so would be a move straight from the Sir Alex Ferguson handbook as Carrick looks to fire his team to the next level.

“Osimhen. I have all due respect for Galatasaray, the love he gets there and what the player is like,” Evra told Goal. “Man United need a proper striker, and I have so much respect for the strikers at Man United, sometimes [Bryan] Mbuemo. But back in the day, we had four amazing strikers, and if you want to play every competition, you need more strikers.

“Of course, you need some defenders, like an extra left-back, because you could have an injury and a right-back. Of course, Casemiro is leaving, so you need to replace those players. To name one player, I say Osimhen because I know these guys can make the difference.”

Admittedly, there were portions of last term when United looked light up top, such as when Sesko was injured in late 2025. The likes of Cunha and Mbeumo each had trial runs leading the attack during that period but neither looked a natural fit in the role.

Osimhen helped Galatasaray retain the Super Lig crown this season despite a less prolific campaign by his standards. He finished the campaign with 22 goals and eight assists in 33 games all competitions, having seen his progress impeded by several injury setbacks.

Bradshaw Hall Fisheries Ltd said the incident happened over the weekend and has been reported to police.

In a post on its Facebook page, the business claimed people entered the premises, caused damage and attempted to steal machinery.

The fishery alleged that baby chicks hatched from its chickens were taken and killed during the incident.

Owners also reported that a DeWalt circular saw was stolen and said attempts were made to take other machinery, although these were unsuccessful.

Bradshaw Hall Fisheries said police officers attended the site on Sunday to review CCTV footage and that further action was expected.

The business posted: “Baby chicks that have been hatched out from our chickens have been taken and killed, a DeWalt circular saw was taken and they attempted to take other machinery but failed.

“The police have been to the fishery today to review the footage and further action is due to be taken.”

The appeal posted online from Bradshaw Fishery (Image: Bradshaw Fishery)

The fishery appealed for anyone with information about those involved to get in touch directly.

When contacted, Bradshaw Hall Fisheries declined to comment further beyond the statement issued on social media.