Moldova has ordered three Russian diplomats to leave the country after accusing their embassy of helping a pro-Kremlin lawmaker to escape imprisonment, prompting Russia to declare it will mount an “appropriate response”.
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry expelled the Russian Embassy employees on Monday, stating on the messaging app Telegram that its decision was “based on clear evidence on the conduct of activities contrary to the diplomatic status”.
The move provoked an immediate response from Moscow, with Russia’s Foreign Ministry announcing it would hit back, according to a report by state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
The diplomatic spat arose after Moldova accused the Russian Embassy on Monday of engineering the escape of a pro-Kremlin Moldovan lawmaker to the Russian-backed breakaway Transnistria region just as he was about to be jailed over illegal political funding charges.
The case of Alexander Nesterovschii is the latest in which Moldova’s pro-European government has accused Russia of meddling in its political landscape, allegations that Moscow denies.
Moldova’s security service released footage that allegedly showed Nesterovschii entering the Russian Embassy in Chisinau on March 18, a day before a court sentenced him to 12 years in jail.
The lawmaker has denied charges of illegally channelling money to a pro-Russian party associated with fugitive businessman Ilan Shor at local elections in 2023, as well as the 2024 presidential vote and a national referendum on Moldova’s EU aspirations.
Moldova’s security service said that on the day of his sentencing, Nesterovschii was driven in a white car with diplomatic plates visible in the video to the Transnistria region, which broke away from Moldovan control in the early 1990s.
In a statement, the Russian Embassy said the allegations of interference in the lawmaker’s case were unfounded and unacceptable. It said it had called on the Moldovan authorities to “refrain from provocative speculation”.
Russia’s Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov was cited by RIA Novosti as saying the co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission, a peacekeeping force overseeing the Transnistria region since 1992, was among the expelled diplomatic trio.
Moldova holds a parliamentary election this autumn that will be a test of the popularity of the pro-EU government’s course.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Poland, along with the European Union’s top diplomat and defence commissioner, said they were ready to adopt new sanctions against Russia over “its war of aggression” in Ukraine.
Eid al-Fitr is supposed to be a time filled with joy and celebration. Children should be running around in new clothes, laughing, collecting Eidiya (Eid money the grown-ups distribute) and visiting relatives.
Homes should be filled with the aroma of maamoul and kaak, the traditional Eid cookies, and streets should be alive with gatherings and celebration.
But in Gaza, this is a time of grief. The air is thick with dust from the rubble of destroyed buildings, and the sound of bombardments doesn’t abate.
Instead of joyful reunions, families sit among the ruins, mourning their loved ones.
Many of us are starving, barely holding onto life, wondering if the next bomb will fall on us. Nights are sleepless, haunted by memories and nightmares that do not fade away.
This will be my first Eid without my little sister, Rahaf. She was my only sister, my best friend. During the genocide, we clung to each other, finding comfort in each other.
We spent 13 Eids together on this Earth, and Rahaf was the joy of every one of them. Ever since she could walk, she would wake up before everyone else, running through the house, announcing it had begun.
She would put on her new clothes and ask me to do her hair before we visited our grandmothers in their homes, sitting with the extended family gathered there, drinking tea and eating the sweets the mothers had spent days preparing.
This year, there is nothing to prepare, no place to go, no Rahaf to share it with.
I never thought I would lose her, and I was not prepared for her absence. We dreamed of a future when we would always be by each other’s side to celebrate milestones, creating lives filled with art and words.
A drawing Rahaf made days before she was killed reflects the hope she had for 2025. ‘ Sadly, her hope became a hope in heaven as she left us before the New Year began, ‘ author Alnaami says]Courtesy of Shahd Alnaami]
I longed to see her become the artist she always dreamed of being, to watch her paintings come to life and witness the world recognise her talent.
We imagined the day I would publish my first book. How we would celebrate together, knowing that no matter where life took us, we would always be each other’s biggest supporters.
Rahaf was taken away from me on December 28.
We were sleeping at home when, at 4am, my uncle’s home right next door was bombed. The explosion destroyed our home too.
Rahaf was asleep in the room closest to my uncle’s house and was crushed.
That was the room I used to sleep in. We had switched places only four days before she was killed.
Ever since then, there has been no time to grieve, no space to process loss. Grief does not ease amid bombs.
How can you heal when every moment threatens to take yet another loved one? How can you find a path forward when the future you envisioned has been stolen?
In the midst of my own grief, I have been reminded that there are those who understand her killing even less than I do.
As we adults carry unbearable anguish, children are left to navigate their own pain alone. They, too, have dreams interrupted by loss, by fear, by the absence of those who once made their world feel safe. My seven-year-old cousin Qamar recently called my attention to that.
One afternoon as I sat on a couch in the home of another uncle who had taken us in when our house was destroyed, Qamar came and sat beside me.
Her little hand reached up, gently touching my arm. I could tell she had been thinking.
“Shahd”, she began, her voice heavy with curiosity, “why aren’t you at your home? Why isn’t it there anymore”?
My heart skipped a beat at the simplicity of her question, yet I felt like it carried the weight of a thousand memories I didn’t know how to explain to those innocent eyes.
“Our home – it was destroyed. There was nothing left after the bombing. We lost everything – the walls, the memories and Rahaf”.
She stared at me for a moment, her eyes wide: “And Rahaf, where is she”?
Rahaf at school in June 2023 being celebrated for her academic excellence in the fifth grade. This was the last school year she completed before the war]Courtesy of Shahd Alnaami]
I knew that Qamar had been told Rahaf was gone, so her question hit me like a cold gust of wind.
The weight of losing Rahaf felt impossible to put into words again for someone so young, especially someone like Qamar, who had known Rahaf’s warm laughter and gentle spirit.
I closed my eyes for a moment. My voice was barely a whisper. “Rahaf is in heaven now. She was taken from us during the bombing, and we can’t bring her back”.
Her face was filled with confusion and innocence. “Why did she have to go? Why did they take her”?
My hands shook as I pulled her close. “I don’t know, Qamar. I wish I could explain it to you in a way that makes sense”.
She whispered, “I want to see her again. I miss her”.
Tears welled up in my eyes, my heart aching. “I miss her too. Every single day. But she will always be with us, in our hearts”.
In that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder about the day when Qamar would understand what war does – not just to the land, but to people. How long before she realises that even when we try to move on, the pain of loss lingers like a shadow.
I don’t want her to understand these things. She’s too young for the weight of this harsh reality. She shouldn’t have to feel this kind of pain and loss.
I wish I could take the children of Gaza and hide them in my heart to protect them from terror, fear and grief.
The world expects us to be strong, to have sumoud (perseverance), but the emotional exhaustion of living through war and loss leaves little room for anything else.
The weight of survival without the luxury of healing is a burden. There is no closure in a genocide that continues to unfold.
There’s no space to grieve when survival demands every ounce of strength.
But we hold onto the love of those we have lost, keeping them alive in our memories, our words and our fight to exist.
Hope, however fragile, is an act of resistance.
It keeps us searching for light in the ruins, for meaning in absence, for life beyond mere survival.
Norwegian athletics coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen told a court on Monday he “loves” his children and was just an “overly protective” father as he denied abuse allegations.
Ingebrigtsen, 59, is on trial in Norway accused of physically and mentally abusing his 24-year-old son Jakob and another of his children.
Double Olympic champion Jakob said when giving evidence last week that his father “manipulated” and “controlled” him throughout his upbringing and detailed a series of alleged incidents.
Gjert addressed the court at the criminal case in Sandnes in his own defence. He said he had tried to shield all seven of his children, two more of whom also became successful athletes.
“I became a father very early, with an enormous need to protect. I became what one might call overly protective”, Gjert was quoted as saying in court by Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.
“Highlighting relevant incidents in relation to the charges may make it seem like I am being portrayed negatively towards my children. But I love my children immensely”.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen told the court the ambition of some of his children had been “absolutely extreme” when they started to participate in sports.
“I never heard ‘ could you please’, but rather entirely different demands and expectations”, Gjert said.
“The demands from the children were about district level, national level, European level, and world level. Later, ‘ Dad ‘ became ‘ Gjert’, and ‘ Gjert ‘ became ‘ the accused'”.
It was alleged in court last week that Gjert struck Jakob several times after he received a negative report about his behaviour from school when he was aged eight.
Jakob also said that in 2008, when he was about the same age, his father hit him in the face because he was late for a race.
He described another incident a year later when he alleged Gjert kicked him in the stomach after he fell off a scooter.
Background
Jakob and his brothers Filip, 31, and Henrik, 34, who are also Olympic athletes, made public claims in October 2023 that their father – who was their coach until 2022 – had been violent.
The trio, who are among seven Ingebrigtsen children, wrote at the time that they “still feel discomfort and fear” about Gjert, who they accused of being “very aggressive and controlling”.
Gjert said at the time via his lawyer that the statement was “baseless” and he “never used violence against his children”.
Gjert was charged with one offence in April 2024 – but five cases were dropped on the strength of evidence and one other because of time constraints. A further charge was later added to the case.
In addition to his two Olympic titles, Jakob Ingebrigtsen is a two-time 5, 000m world champion, two-time outdoor world 1500m silver medallist, and 16-time European champion.
Prince Harry has been heavily criticised by Dr Sophie Chandauka – and according to a royal expert, the charity chair’s remarks about the Duke are ‘ predictable ‘ and ‘ very disappointing ‘
Prince Harry is back at the centre of a fire storm(Image: PA)
Prince Harry is at the centre of an extraordinary public spat that has seen him and his charity chair “tear each other apart.” The crisis unfolded last week when Harry sensationally quit as a patron of Sentebale, the beloved charity he set up to help young children in Lesotho, along with trustees, amid a boardroom battle.
He co-founded Sentebale in 2006 in honour of his mother, the late Princess Diana, and the ordeal has reportedly left him “torn apart.” Chair Dr Sophie Chandauka has publicly condemned Harry in a blistering attack, accusing him of ‘bullying’ while stating there has been “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, harassment and misogyny” at the organisation. The allegations have been refuted.
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British historian and royal expert Dr Tessa Dunlop claims their “public scorched earth policy is difficult to watch, with the charity of a small impoverished African state the biggest loser.” She told the Mirror: “And therein lies the real tragedy of this melodrama: amidst the blame and counter blame, the accusations of bullying, harassment and misrepresentation.
Dr Chandauka took over as Sentebale chair in July 2023(Image: PA)
” Rather than waiting for rulings from the Charity Commission and High Court, Chandauka is publicly fighting back – including weaponising the Sussexes ‘ words against them, berating their use of the ‘ very press they disdain, to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct”.
And the Sussexes ‘ brand has come under the spotlight once more, with Dr Chandauka branding it ‘ toxic’. Tessa continued:” Even for those of us keen to give the Prince the benefit of the doubt, a pattern of entitlement and truculence is emerging. It turns out there was something in the TikTok rumours that railed against Meghan when she appeared to move Dr Chandauka out of the picture at that Miami polo match.
“The Duchess and Chandauka were seemingly having a standoff. In other words, the bad blood extended beyond ire towards the Prince’s management style, and included Meghan herself. How predictable. And how very disappointing.
READ MORE: Excruciating Meghan Markle video at the heart of bitter row leaving Harry ‘torn apart’
Meghan was seen telling Sophie to change positions while on stage(Image: sussexroyal_hm / Instagram)
“Prince Harry who, beyond Invictus, is little more than the husband of an influencer these days, needs to have a long hard think about where next. The most recent spat has left him with precious little wriggle room. Accusations of misogyny and bullying will go down like a lead balloon in their favoured liberal circles. It is deeply ironic that in 2016 Harry accused the British press of ‘abuse and harassment’ against his girlfriend, the very same terms that Sentebale’s chairperson has levelled against the Prince.”
She further claimed:” More broadly, while Chandauka’s numerous interviews has done her few favours, longer term questions over the direction of travel for the charity are a reminder that Princes who want to ‘ save Africa ‘ are no longer the order of the day. Given his track record for raising awareness and funds, it would be a crying shame if this latest derailment marks the beginning of the end for Harry’s ‘ life of service’. “
It comes after the Telegraph claimed that Dr Chandauka’s refusal to issue a statement in support of Harry’s wife, Meghan, contributed to the bitter dispute, which saw the Duke resign as head of the HIV children’s charity he had co-founded almost two decades ago.
Harry is alleged to have reached out to Dr Chandauka following the Sussexes ‘ appearance at the Florida polo challenge in April last year. Problems arose at the end of the match when the players and their partners gathered on the podium for a post-match photograph.
READ MORE: Prince Harry phone call that ‘changed everything’ in nightmare charity row
In an exchange captured on camera, Meghan appeared to instruct Dr Chandauka to move away from Harry as he celebrated his win. The Duchess was filmed asking the Zimbabwean lawyer to move to the other side of her husband, forcing the charity chairman to duck under the trophy to switch positions.
The footage generated huge publicity and, behind the scenes, Harry and Meghan were said to be furious at the way it had appeared. According to the publication, a member of Prince Harry’s team initially asked Dr Chandauka to issue a statement dismissing any suggestions of tension.
But Dr Chandauka, who felt she had been treated with disrespect during the charity day, refused, saying she did not wish to” become an extension of the Sussex PR machine”. In an interview on Sky News yesterday, Dr Chandauka claimed:” Prince Harry asked me to issue some sort of a statement in support of the Duchess, and I said I wouldn’t. Not because I didn’t care about the Duchess, but because I knew what would happen if I did so, number one. And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes. “
READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s team hit back at Sentebale as fierce row escalates
Harry had reportedly contacted her directly to complain about her actions, with sources describing the message as “unpleasant” and using “imperious” language. A spokesman for Sentebale confirmed to the Telegraph that the Duke had sent the message. “This is true. There is a document,” they said.
In his statement announcing his decision to step down as a patron of Sentebale, Harry said he felt” in shock “and” truly heartbroken “to be resigning. Neither Harry nor Meghan have publicly commented on the ongoing drama with Dr Chandauka – but sources close to the Duke have also said her latest comments in the row are a” deflection”, and that the resignation of the trustees and Harry was as a” direct result of the chair’s mismanagement”.
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Since Dr Chandauka’s latest interviews, representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not commented. However, a source close to the former trustees and patrons of Sentebale dismissed her comments as a” publicity stunt”. They added:” They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth. “
Venue: Tannadice Park, Dundee Date: Friday, 4 April Kick-off: 19: 35 BST
Caroline Weir says Scotland must build on the “definite progress” in the Nations League amid a “transitional period” for the managerless national side.
Scotland face a double header against Germany, ranked third in the world, after a 1-0 defeat in Austria and a 2-1 home loss to the Netherlands in their opening games.
Those were both under the stewardship of interim boss Michael McArdle as the Scottish FA continues its search for a new manager after the departure of Pedro Martinez Losa, following the failed bid to qualify for Euro 2025.
McArdle will continue to guide the team for the visit of Germany to Tannadice on Friday, before the return in Wolfsburg the following Tuesday.
Weir says “clarity” on who the next manager will be is the “most important thing” but until then she and the rest of the squad must focus on taking on one of the world’s best sides.
“It’s two really tough games, but I think they’re important for us”, Weir told BBC Scotland.
“They are one of the best teams. I’m interested to see how we do. Off the back of the last camp, that performance against the Netherlands, I think there was definitely some positives to take.
” We were competitive for most of the match as much as we didn’t get any points.
“It is a transitional period for sure for the squad, the manager situation and then obviously the change in personnel and the players.
Weir was speaking at the launch of a new film produced by the Scottish FA about her life and career called ‘ Galactica’, which will be published on Wednesday.
It documents her rise from humble beginnings to playing in Real Madrid’s midfield and earning 108 caps for Scotland, including her recent comeback after a year out with a knee injury.
” It’s a little bit surreal to be honest – it’s quite strange to see your face on posters and on a big screen, “the 29-year-old said.
” I remember when they were filming in October and they were asking me all these different questions. It was sparking so many memories that I’d just kind of forgotten or just moved on from.
TV personality and model Christine McGuinness has revealed that her ex-husband and TV presenter Paddy McGuinness, who she was with for 11 years, has started dating again
Christine McGuinness reveals strict house rule as ex Paddy begins dating again(Image: Getty, Instagram)
Christine McGuinness has opened up on the strict rule she has for ex-husband, Paddy McGuinness, after he started dating again. The former couple, who were together for 11 years and share three children, shocked fans when they revealed they made the “difficult decision” to part ways in July 2022,.
To make things easier for their children, who were all diagnosed with autism, the duo decided to continue living in the same house. After three years of separation, Paddy, 51, decided to dip his toe back into the dating pool. Christine discussed having relationships and said “he’s always been open and honest”.
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They announced their split in 2022(Image: mirror.co.uk)
Speaking on the latest episode of The Shizzio Show, Christine said the one rule she has is that he cannot bring women back to their family home.
During the same interview, Christine revealed it was something “unforgivable” that made them separate in 2022. However, she doesn’t know if she will ever talk about what happened between them.
“It was a difficult time. It wasn’t something that, you know, I just decided to do overnight, or that we chose to do”, she said. “We tried, and, yeah, there just, unfortunately, there was no repairing it, you know”?
Christine revealed Paddy is dating again(Image: WireImage)
She continued: “I’ll always, always love him as the father of the children, and I still live at home with him, which says a lot. We separated three years ago, and we are completely divorced, and we live in separate parts of the house, but we share a family home”.
Paddy recently opened up on what he looks for in a relationship. Speaking to Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie on their Table Manners podcast, the star revealed what made him “putty” in a woman’s hands.
Speaking to the duo, Paddy said of his connection with his mother: “Growing up it was just me and my mum and I would see my dad on weekends. She gave up her life for me and I didn’t realise until I was older, after she died. I wish I could have spoiled her rotten. My mum would make pies, big Sunday dinners”.
And he explained how cooking a dinner really is the way to his heart. “Everyone who makes me something now I am instantly putty in their hands”, he confessed. “I’m like, ‘ this is amazing, this is the best! ‘”
Paddy later went on to skirt over the question about his current dating status. Lennie asked: “Can I ask a cheeky question are you dating? Because I’d love to see Take Me Out again”.
Instead of answering about his personal status, he revealed he is unsure whether Take Me Out would work as well in today’s world. However, he revealed he would be up for a charity edition of the dating show.
“I’d be all over a charity special but as a series I don’t know”, he said. “Now, at the age I’m at, if I’m taking to a 20-year-old about dating, I wouldn’t have a clue. We are one of the most successful dating shows. We’ve had about six marriages”.
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