Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged heavy volleys of shells and gunfire across their frontier in Kashmir overnight, killing at least five civilians in a growing military standoff.
In Pakistan, an unusually intense night of artillery exchanges killed at least four civilians and wounded 12 others in areas near the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir, local police official Adeel Ahmad said. People in border towns said the firing continued well into Friday morning.
“We’re used to hearing exchange of fire between Pakistan and India at the Line of Control, but last night was different,” said Mohammad Shakil, who lives near the frontier in Chakothi sector.
In India, military officials said Pakistani troops barraged their posts overnight with artillery, mortars and gunfire at multiple locations in Indian-controlled Kashmir. They said Indian soldiers responded, triggering fierce exchanges until early dawn.
A woman was killed and two other civilians were injured in Uri sector, police said, taking the civilian death toll in India to 17 since Wednesday. Pakistan said Indian mortar and artillery fire has killed 17 civilians in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the same period.
Novak Djokovic has taken a wildcard to play the upcoming Geneva Open as he looks to find form and match fitness before the French Open.
Djokovic, who is aiming for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam title in Paris, pulled out of this week’s Italian Open.
The 37-year-old Serb has lost his past three matches after early exits at clay-court events in Monte Carlo and Madrid last month.
Djokovic did not give a reason for missing the ATP Masters tournament in Rome – where he is a six-time champion.
It has been a patchy season by Djokovic’s high standards.
A positive start saw him reach the Australian Open semi-finals, although he had to pull out injured against Germany’s Alexander Zverev after losing the first set.
The world number six, who turns 38 this month, lost three matches in a row on his comeback before rediscovering form at the Miami Open.
However, he was overwhelmed by powerful Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in the final, costing him another chance to win his 100th ATP title.
Overall, he has won 12 of his 19 matches this season and hopes to improve that record in Geneva.
Last year, Djokovic reached the semi-finals on his first appearance in the Swiss city.
He went on to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals, but had to withdraw from his last-eight match against Casper Ruud with a knee injury picked up in the previous round.
Norway’s Ruud, who beat Britain’s Jack Draper in the Madrid final on Sunday, is also in this year’s Geneva field, along with American world number four Taylor Fritz.
Love Is Blind UK presenter Emma Willis made her first major public appearance since undergoing heart surgery to correct a congenital heart condition
Emma Willis makes stunning red carpet return after heart surgery with husband Matt(Image: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Ima)
TV presenter Emma Willis dazzled on the red carpet last night, making a glamorous comeback in her first public outing since undergoing heart surgery.
The Love Is Blind UK host, 49, arrived at a star-studded event arm in arm with her husband Matt Willis, looking radiant in a tailored red jumpsuit and stylish leopard print heels.
Emma and Busted singer Matt, 42, were all smiles as they attended the British Vogue and Netflix BAFTA TV party in London. The couple looked delighted as they held hands, making their way into the venue.
The happy couple’s date night also served as Matt’s birthday celebration. On Wednesday night, Emma shared a snap of herself and her husband on the way to the swanky event on her Instagram Stories, captioning it: “Happy birthday to my beauty. I bagged a good ‘un.”
Emma Willis celebrated her husband’s birthday as they attended the swanky event (Image: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Ima)
The TV presenter shared details of her heart surgery with fans last month(Image: emmawillisofficial/instagram)
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Earlier in the day, the mum-of-three shared a snap of herself kissing Matt on her main grid. She wrote alongside the sweet update: “Happy day of your birth babe… in this life time, and every other, I would/will find you… @mattjwillis.”
Emma and Matt’s big night out marked The Voice presenter’s first major public appearance since having heart surgery to fix a congenital condition – a hole in her heart that had remained undetected for almost 50 years.
In April, Emma revealed she had undergone an operation after a “hole” in her heart was discovered. The former host of Big Brother, 49, was treated at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London and said her husband “never left my side”.
Announcing the health news, she shared a selection of photos to her Instagram, including one of her in a hospital bed with wires attached to her chest. She wrote: “A big humongous THANK YOU to the team at the Royal Brompton Hospital for their care and support.
“A few weeks ago, I had keyhole heart surgery, which feels very strange to write, and even stranger when I say it out loud. From investigations last year, to diagnosis and then surgery, they were absolutely incredible. As was @mattjwillis who never left my side.
“Turns out, I’ve been pottering around for 48 years blissfully unaware I had a hole in my heart isn’t it bonkers what’s happening in our bodies that we have no idea about…
“What blows my mind even more is the wonders of modern medicine, and the spectacular people that save, fix and help us every single day.” She also thanked her surgeon, who “was recommended as ‘a spectacular pair of hands’.”
Keyhole heart surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery or endoscopic surgery, is carried out through small incisions in the chest, and the technique has been pioneered at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, according to the Guy’s And St Thomas’ Specialist Care website.
In 2024, Emma and her husband presented the show Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones, which saw the couple stop using their smartphones for 21 days along with pupils at a school in Essex. She is also known for hosting The Voice UK, The Circle, and Love Is Blind: UK.
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk praised Daria Kasatkina’s “courage” in switching nationalities from Russia to Australia and hinted she may shake hands with her after their match at the Italian Open.
Kasatkina changed allegiance in April, having been critical of her country’s LGBTQ+ laws and the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian players have a long-standing policy of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players, with Kostyuk describing it as “a personal stance against Russia’s aggression”.
Kostyuk wrote on Instagram: “When someone not only tells the truth – calling Russia the aggressor – but also acts on it, that deserves respect.
“Daria Kasatkina has clearly spoken out against the war and made the decision to give up her Russian sports citizenship.
“This takes courage – and I acknowledge it.
“I hope this is not the final step but part of a deeper commitment.
“I stand with Ukraine. I stand for truth, for dignity, and for those who choose to speak and act – when staying quiet would be easier.”
The Italian Open is the third tournament Kasatkina has played under the Australian flag.
World number 15 Kasatkina has not returned to Russia in over two and a half years and was living in Dubai when her change of nationality was announced.
“With everything going on in my previous country, I didn’t have much choice [to switch allegiance],” the 28-year-old told reporters last month.
“For me, being openly gay, if I want to be myself, I have to make this step, and I did it.”
Kostyuk, 22, was booed off court at the 2023 French Open for not shaking hands with Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and said afterwards people should be “embarrassed” by their reaction.
“Some say sport should stay out of politics. But this isn’t politics – it’s about humanity,” Kostyuk wrote on Friday.
“When your country is under attack by an aggressor, silence feels like complicity.
“As an athlete, I believe in fair play and respect – but those principles mean little if they don’t extend beyond the court.”
Earlier in 2023 Kostyuk also refused to shake the hand of her Russian opponent, Vavara Gracheva, after winning a first WTA title in Texas.
One Direction singer Liam Payne’s estate was valued at a hefty £28,595,000, and later slimmed down to £24,280,000 post debts and bills
Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy ‘could claim some of his £24m fortune’(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Liam Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, could possibly claim a percentage of the One Direction singer’s £24million fortune if she chose to make a claim in the courts, reports suggested. Liam tragically died in October last year at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Five people were initially charged over his death, however three of them have now had the charges dropped including Liam’s friend Roger Nores. Liam’s estate was valued at a hefty £28,595,000, and later slimmed down to £24,280,000 post debts and bills. According to court documents filed on May 1, with Payne having died without a will, his ex Cheryl Tweedy, who shares an eight year old son named Bear with him, has been tasked with handling his assets.
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Liam and Kate dated two years before his shock death(Image: Instagram/Kate Cassidy)
Music lawyer Richard Bray was also named as an administrator. Under UK intestacy rules, Liam Payne’s son, Bear, is poised to inherit his late father’s wealth in a trust.
A source recently told The Mail’s Katie Hind: “Liam had some very sensible people around him for a time and he adored Bear so much. He always wanted to do the right thing by him financially.
“It is a small consolation that Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that.”
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Kate could possibly seek to claim a small percentage, it has been reported(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, it’s said Kate – who was dating Liam for two years at the time of his tragic death – could possibly seek to claim a small percentage of his money because of their living arrangements and future engagement plans.
According to The Sun, Kate could seek ‘reasonable financial provision’ under the UK’s Inheritance Act if she claims to have been financially dependent on the singer.
Kate previously revealed how she and the Strip That Down singer were planning their engagement and future before his death.
However, after the news of his fortune was published, model Kate posted light-hearted Instagram post just hours after it was revealed Liam tragically died without leaving a will.
Kate shared with her 900,000 followers a snap revealing her bag’s contents – a Starbucks snack and hair extensions – with the cheeky caption: “What’s in your purse? ? ? Mine: starbucks and @glamseamless.”
Meanwhile, according to some of Liam’s friends, the superstar made arrangements “some years ago” to ensure his money would go to his only child in the event of his death.
An insider previously told The Daily Mail: “Liam had some very sensible people around him for a time and he adored Bear so much. He always wanted to do the right thing by him financially. It is a small consolation that Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that.”
The Mirror have reached out to Kate for comment.
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Russia has marked the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive military parade on Red Square in Moscow.
Attended by President Vladimir Putin, alongside foreign leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the “Victory Day” spectacle, celebrated on May 9, is Russia’s most important secular holiday.
The parade and other ceremonies underline Moscow’s efforts to project its global power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the conflict in Ukraine that has dragged into a fourth year.
The fight against the Nazis in World War II – known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War – is a rare event in the nation’s divisive history under communist rule that is revered by all political groups. Putin has used that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia’s position as a global power.
The Soviet Union lost 27 million people as it fought Germany’s forces in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.
Speaking at the parade, Putin hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, saying that “we are proud of their courage and determination, their spiritual force that always has brought us victory”.
The event featured at least 11,500 soldiers and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armoured infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine. As a reminder of Russia’s nuclear might, launchers for the Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles rolled across Red Square.
Fighter jets from the air force’s aerobatic team flew by in close formation, followed by jets that trailed smoke in the colours of the national flag.
After the show, Putin shook hands with Russian military officers. He also talked to a group of medal-bedecked senior North Korean officers who watched the parade, hugging one of them.
Last month, Putin thanked North Korea for fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukrainian forces and hailed their sacrifices as Pyongyang confirmed their deployment for the first time.
Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting on May 8 to coincide with the Victory Day celebration, but warned that Russian troops would retaliate to any attacks.
The events were overshadowed by Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital’s airports.
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Wednesday morning cancelled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow, and delayed at least 140 others as the military repelled repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on the capital.
