Prince William visited Scotland earlier this year on an under-the-radar basis, and he shared a photo of one of the adults-only adults-day centers as they celebrated their 100th birthday today.
Prince William with Christina Charlton on a surprise visit to the Deidre Knight Centre in Forfar(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Prince William has shared never-before-seen pictures from an under-the-radar visit and released a surprise message. It has emerged that the Prince of Wales paid a secret visit to the Deidre Knight Centre, an adult day care centre in Forfar, Scotland, two months ago while on a trip to nearby Aberdeen.
He met Christina Charlton, who also provides support for people who have a physical or mental handicap or social isolation, as well as other people, including carers and support workers. And after Christina celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday, his official social media accounts shared images of the visit and his meeting with her. The now-centenarian is seen laughing at the princes as William and Christina take sweet snaps of them.
READ MORE: King Charles forced to close beloved Sandringham Estate after ’emergency’
Christina celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday(Image: INSTAGRAM)
The pictures were captioned “It was a pleasure meeting Christina Charlton during a recent visit to the Deidre Knight Centre in Forfar, Angus,” according to a surprise message sent to her birthday. She turned 100 today, she celebrated! We wish you a wonderful day.
“Thank you to the amazing caregivers and support staffers who make Deidre Knight such a warm, welcoming community. “
The couple’s 14th wedding anniversary celebrations on the Isle of Mull were recently celebrated with William and wife Kate’s return from another trip to Scotland.
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The royal couple showed off their creative and DIY talents by renovating Aros Hall, a community-owned space in the picturesque coastal town of Tobermory, on Tuesday when they arrived on the island for the two-day visit.
William and Kate on the Isle of Mull earlier this week (Image: PA)
With her balayage look, which features chestnut-colored locks with highlights, Kate debuted a new hair color, while William wore a similar smart casual outfit.
During the visit, Kate also revealed she has taken up beekeeping and received a chainsaw for Christmas as she immersed herself in nature to recover from cancer. Kate, who has previously told how nature became her family’s ‘sanctuary’ after her diagnosis and during chemotherapy last year, told a local beekeeper how she was “desperate for any tips” for her new hobby.
Kate mentioned how important it is for kids to “get outside as much as they can” on day two of a visit to a remote forest on the Isle of Mull. Together with William, they spent their second day in Scotland, spending the mornings in the sun-soaked Ardura Community Forest, a haven for local families, and the money they’ve been purchasing for locals.
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Both men described the “fabulous” time they had on Mull as they boarded a ferry to Iona at the conclusion of their trip as they left the island. A crew member questioned the couple about their time on Mull as they approached the ferry and asked how they had enjoyed it.
William replied: “It’s been fantastic, thanks”, adding that the good weather the couple have enjoyed throughout their stay “obviously helps”.
Philip Grindell, who served 30 years in the Metropolitan Police, shared his thoughts on the investigation into Gavin Plumb, who was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years in jail last year for his Holly Willoughby plot
Last year, jurors heard how Plumb had been planning the terrifying attack since 2021 (Image: Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images)
A man who plotted to rape and murder Holly Willoughby reportedly had more than 130 other names on his list of potential targets.
In a new Channel 5 documentary, Philip Grindell, who served 30 years in the Metropolitan Police, weighed in on the investigation of Gavin Plumb, a 37-year-old Essex man who plotted to kidnap, rape and murder the former This Morning star.
Last year, jurors heard how Plumb had been planning the terrifying attack since 2021, after becoming obsessed with the star over a number of years. Chelmsford Crown Court ultimately handed Plumb a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years in jail.
Plumb, who discussed his kidnap plans online, having joined forums like one titled ‘Abduct Lovers’, reportedly had thousands of pictures of Holly on his phone and had gathered information on her movements.
Philip explained how police received intelligence that Plumb posed a threat after he shared his plans online. He also pointed out an “immediate red flag” when the plotter, who has previous convictions for attempted kidnap, talked about murder.
Gavin Plumb reportedly had more than 130 names on his list of potential targets(Image: PA)
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It was suggested that the security guard, from Harlow, Essex, planned to use “serious violence”, and once police descended on his home, his unlocked phone allowed them to “make an assessment”. But what they found next was equally chilling.
Philip said: “And so when they were able to look at his mobile phone and see images that he’d saved of Holly Willoughby – I think it’s over, you know, 10,000 or something – it allows them very quickly to make an assessment.
“They’re in the right place; it’s the right person. They know they’re on the right track. During the search, they find a list in his bedside cabinet, which has over 130 names on it, of people he is also interested in or has some fixation on.
“At that stage, they won’t know how much of a fixation, which ones he’s targeting. Are any of those other people at greater risk? You don’t know who else he’s engaging with. Does he have co-conspirators? Who’s at risk here?”
In a press release issued last year, Essex Police described how Plumb spoke online about his intentions to restrain his victim and even bought chloroform, cable ties and ropes.
Philip explained how police received intelligence that Plumb posed a threat after he shared his plans online(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)
Thankfully, an undercover police officer from the US reported Plumb to the FBI and UK police. As Plumb continued to talk about his sick plot online, he attempted to include the undercover cop in his plans, who then reported him.
Plumb, who was arrested at his home in 2023, will serve at least 15 years and 85 days in prison, due to the time he spent on remand prior to his trial, reports the BBC.
Essex Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood said: “He tried to claim throughout the trial that he was an obsessive fan and a fantasist – that is simply not true.
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“He planned this attack on Ms Willoughby over a two-year period, scoping her movements, seeking to elicit help from others to carry out his wicked plan, buying chloroform and other items to incapacitate, restrain and inflict violence upon her.
“He is no fantasist – he’s a calculated, violent, sexual predator who has spent his adult life inflicting or plotting to inflict harm on women.”
A fourth round of discussions with the United States about Iran’s nuclear program has been postponed, according to Oman’s foreign minister.
Just days before the scheduled start of the negotiations in Rome, Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi made the announcement on the social media platform X on Thursday.
For logistical reasons, he wrote, “We are temporarily rescheduling the US Iran meeting for Saturday, May 3rd, 2019.” When mutually agreed, new dates will be announced.
Al-Busaidi had previously facilitated three US-Iranian negotiations. The first event took place on April 12 in Moscat, Oman, with a follow-up event taking place in Rome over the weekend. On April 26, a third round of negotiations with the US resumed in Moscat, promising “progress” in the direction of a nuclear deal.
However, the Iranian and US governments have been at odds with one another for a while.
Although Tehran has long disputed that armament is a goal, President Donald Trump’s administration has stated that its goal is to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. It views its nuclear program as a source of energy for the general public.
However, the Trump White House has suggested that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program’s complete destruction may be among its stated objectives. As part of a final agreement, US special envoy Steve Witkoff stated in a statement that “Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”
Iran claimed earlier on Thursday that the US had made “contradictory statements” about the nuclear negotiations and that the statements were “provocative.”
And on Wednesday, the US launched a string of threats as part of its “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, boosting tensions in the region.
First, the US Department of State formally sanctioned seven businesses that trade Iranian oil products because the proceeds “support its terrorist activities and proxies.” Then, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made his own warning that the Iranian support of the Yemeni-based armed group the Houthis could lead to US reprisals.
“Message to Iran: We appreciate your sincere support for The Houthis. We are aware of what you are doing, Hegseth wrote on Wednesday on social media.
You were warned, and you are well-versed in what the U.S. military can accomplish. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at our choosing location and time.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that the delay on Thursday was “at the request of Oman’s foreign minister.” Esmail Baghaei, an Iranian spokesman, added that his nation was committed to reaching “a fair and lasting agreement” with the US.
Unseen, a senior Iranian government official confirmed to the Reuters news agency that the delay was a result of recent US actions.
The official told Reuters that the US sanctions against Iran during the nuclear negotiations are not going to help the parties reach a diplomatic agreement. The date of the next round of talks will be announced, depending on how US-minded the US is.
Meanwhile, other media reports suggest that the US wasn’t entirely supportive of the possibility of further discussions in Rome this weekend.
The US “had never confirmed its participation” in the anticipated talks for this weekend, according to an anonymous source, but further discussions were anticipated “in the near future.”
Iranian nuclear weapons have been a goal of successive US administrations. A 2015 agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was the result of one recent effort.
In exchange for reducing its uranium enrichment and submitting to inspections of its nuclear facilities, Iran was able to benefit from the multilateral agreement, which was forged under US President Barack Obama’s administration.
However, Trump’s plans to leave the US from the JCPOA in 2018 were halted when he took over as president of the United States.
Trump has since taken office a second time in January, but in his first year as president, from 2017 to 2021, he has focused on a campaign of “maximum pressure” against Iran.
Trump issued a warning about holding Iran accountable for Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea in March when he launched a new round of US attacks on Houthis. He also suggested that he might use force against that nation in the wake of this.
“Iran will be held accountable, suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire,” declares the statement “every shot fired by the Houthis will be treated from this point forward as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN.” Trump published a letter on March 17.
If a nuclear deal is not reached, the US president threatened that military action might follow.
Trump addressed the US’s allies’ military repression in an interview with Time Magazine on April 25 and claimed he had not ruled it out.
Trump once said, “It’s possible we’ll have to attack because Iran won’t have nuclear weapons.” In the end, I decided to leave it to them, but I said I would much prefer a deal over dropping bombs.
He later stated, “I’ll be leading the pack if we don’t make a deal,” making an ostensible reference to military intervention.
However, the US president emphasized that he was optimistic about the outcome of the Iran-Iran talks. He even expressed his willingness to personally meet with Iran’s leadership.
Air India has asked the Indian government to make up for the cost of the year-long ban on Pakistan’s airspace by paying about $600 million in additional costs.
According to a letter the airline sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and obtained by Reuters, the New Delhi-based airline requested a “subsidy model” in proportion to the economic impact, which it estimated would lose more than $591 million (50 billion Indian rupees) annually for the duration of the ban.
After Pakistan shut its airspace to the country’s carriers in a tit-for-tat retaliation following an attack on tourists in Kashmir last week, Indian airlines are anticipating higher fuel costs and longer travel times.
“Subsidy for affected international flights is a good, reliable, and fair choice. According to the report, the letter stated that the subsidy can be eliminated as the situation improves.
“Air India’s impact is greatest as a result of airspace closure, additional fuel consumption, and additional crew,” according to the statement.
Reuters received a request from Air India to comment. The outlet requested comment, but the Civil Aviation Ministry did not.
According to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, Air India sent the letter after the government asked its executives to assess the impact of the airspace ban on Indian carriers.
After a period of government ownership, the Tata Group-owned airline is currently in the process of undergoing a multibillion-dollar turnaround, and Boeing and Airbus’ jet delivery delays are already limiting growth. It reported a net loss of $520m in fiscal 2023-2024, on sales of $4.6bn.
Air India frequently flys through Pakistan’s airspace, which has a 26.5 percent market share in India. It has a lot more long-haul routes than its domestic rival IndiGo.
According to information from Cirium Ascend, IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express, the company’s budget division, have roughly 1,200 flights scheduled for Europe, the Middle East, and North America in April.
Three other people with knowledge of the situation said that the Indian government is considering ways to lessen the impact the closure of Pakistan’s airspace would have had.
Indian carriers met with the Civil Aviation Ministry to discuss possible solutions, including tax exemptions for flying over challenging terrain closer to China.
The Bee Gees and The Beatles are going head-to-head in a battle of the biopics, as RJ Gibb reveals a Spielberg-backed film about the Gibb brothers starts filming in September – just as Sam Mendes prepares four Beatles movies starring Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan
They were two of the biggest bands of all time and now The Bee Gees and The Beatles are fighting for supremacy in a new battle of the biopics. Leading British stars Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan announced last month they were to play Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in four Sam Mendes films about The Fab Four.
But today, speaking exclusively to The Mirror, RJ Gibb, son of late Bee Gees star Robin Gibb, reveals that the eagerly awaited Paramount movie about the Gibb brothers will start shooting in September – sparking a box office skirmish between two musical megabands.
RJ Gibb claims Steven Spielberg has joined forces with Gladiator director Ridley Scott to make the movie, with the working title You Should Be Dancing. RJ, named after dad Robin John, says: “Our biopic is happening. Graham King, who wrote the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is writing our movie. Spielberg has a part of the action and Ridley Scott will be directing.
READ MORE: Netflix’s You fans left gobsmacked as they discover cast’s hidden talent
RJ Gibb is the son of late Bee Gees star Robin Gibb(Image: COSMIC RUSH)
“Our movie, hopefully, starts filming this September. We are all very excited, as it has been a few years in the making. The Beatles versus the Bee Gees, you don’t get much bigger. Of course the Beatles sold more records… but The Bee Gees, well, they had longevity.”
Shooting in London and Miami, the biopic will chart the rags to riches rise of the Gibb brothers – Barry, Maurice and Robin.
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Born on the Isle of Man, before moving to Manchester and then emigrating to Australia, it will follow their journey to chart success in Oz and beyond – after record producer Robert Stigwood introduced them to a worldwide audience.
Global stardom followed, with the Bee Gees selling more than 220 million records and making history in 1977, when their soundtrack album to the Saturday Night Fever movie became the biggest selling album of all time, selling 40 million copies.
RJ, 42, reveals that the biopic may also include newly unearthed early recordings made by the then penniless Gibbs in 1967, when they busked in exchange for their passage aboard SS Fairsky from Australia back to the UK.
He says: “We have just found songs they recorded on board that ship. We have some amazing things we want to show the world for the first time. They were coming back to (the UK) to meet Robert Stigwood.
“My dad told me how they asked the captain if they could do a show each night to entertain the passengers in order to pay their fare.” Busking on a guitar, they would slap a suitcase for drums.
“Thankfully, my grandfather Hughie recorded the sessions where my dad and his brothers can be heard covering songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Adam Faith.
“It is audio gold as these songs have never been heard before. My dad would have been 16 at the time.”
RJ, who has just released his own single Let It Be You, says: “These new songs will be sought after, especially with the new biopic. The president of the Bee Gees fan club located them somewhere. My grandmother Barbara entrusted someone with the tapes and they have now given them back to us
RJ has followed in his father’s footsteps releasing his own single(Image: COSMIC RUSH)
“Thankfully, my grandfather recorded everything as he was always walking around with a tape recorder. He always had the latest bit of kit. The world has never heard the Bee Gees cover songs by the Stones or The Beatles before. Nobody knows they exist.”
RJ, who is being consulted over the new movie with Barry Gibb, hopes the band’s first live debut in 1957 will be included, when they were known as The Rattlesnakes, before changing their name to The Bee Gees.
Speaking from his dad’s 12th century home in Thame, Oxfordshire, he shares his hope that the movie will include their first UK performance at the Gaumont Cinema in Manchester.
He says: “That night they were meant to be lip synching, but Maurice dropped the wax recording and it smashed so they had to sing for real.”
RJ also hopes the biopic will reveal the secret behind the Bee Gees’ famous harmonies.
“They sang in toilets, as they used the tiled walls for the resonance and it helped tone their sound, “ he laughs. “My dad said they used to sing in the best toilets in Australia.”
His dad also told him how the engine noise as he flew over Germany helped him devise the rhythm to the song I Started A Joke.
“It was just like a Hoover or a fan sound ,but Dad heard the melody. It is incredible. These kind of stories need to go into the biopic,” says RJ.
Casting is underway for the new movie and RJ believes rumours that Hollywood star Bradley Cooper will play Barry Gibb are true.
“Casting is always up in the air until the last moment,” he says. “The last I heard, Bradley was in line to play uncle Barry.
The trio had numerous top hits(Image: Getty Images)
“I saw Rami Malek in the Queen biopic and he looked uncannily like my dad in the early 60s. I did put that forward for Rami to play Dad and, for a while, it was considered, but I don’t think Graham King wants to use the same actors. I am sure there is someone out there who wants to play my dad.”
Despite the Gibb brothers’ musical harmony, things could be less harmonious on the road, according to RJ. He says: “Creative brothers do row, but when it came down to it, they loved nothing more than being on the road together.
“The Bee Gees were an incredible team.” Moving to other volatile brother teams, RJ is delighted to see the Gallagher brothers reuniting as Oasis.
Back in 2021, Noel spoke highly of the Bee Gees in the documentary How Do You Mend A Broken Heart, saying: “You can’t buy that (Bee Gees) sound from a shop. When you have family members singing together it is unique. They are an important chapter in the book of music.”
In a mutual show of respect, RJ says: “I was very pleased when I heard Oasis were getting back together. I think it is wonderful.
“I have met them a few times. They are fun guys, a bit off the wall but who isn’t in this industry?. All geniuses are like that. Noel took it a bit to heart what happened (clash with Liam) but it is positive they are coming back.
“I guess when you are brothers you can speak your mind. You can say something when you are family, you can say the most terrible things but if it is your brother they will forgive you.”
Hinting that he could have new songs on the way, which he recorded with his dad, before his death from cancer and intestinal surgery complications in 2012, aged 62, RJ says: “As well as carrying a torch for my dad I am finding my own voice.
“But I do have about six or seven songs that I wrote with my dad before he passed that have never been released. There are some musical gems with him singing along with me which I can turn into a mainstream song.”
Writing up until his death, RJ says his dad even penned songs with brother Barry, who visited from his home in Miami, before he died.
“Barry and my dad were close at the end. I know they wrote together in the hospital room,” says RJ.
“They were talking just before dad was diagnosed about working together again. So who knows? Those songs could come out at some point.”
Unashamedly proud of The Bee Gees and of his dad’s legacy, RJ adds: “The Bee Gees are the soundtrack to a lot of people’s lives.
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“My dad was my best friend. We were like brothers. That is why it was so hard to lose him. But growing up with the legacy has been a blessing. I mean, what better shadow to live in.”
RJ Gibb’s new single Let It Be You is out now. The summer mix of Lose Control by RJ Gibb and DJ Kokiri is available on all platforms.
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The Boomtown Rats star announced yet another exciting project to follow the 40th anniversary of the legendary concert as it approaches.
Bob Geldof hopes his Live Aid musical will help those in need(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Bob Geldof looked back on the legacy of Live Aid 40 years on insisting there was still more work to be done – as he launched a musical telling the remarkable story and a new album. The 73-year-old, who organised the original 1985 event alongside singer Midge Ure, reunited at Wembley Stadium today.
It was where it all started, when icons like David Bowie, Queen with Freddie Mercury and Elton John took to the stage to raise funds for the famine in Ethiopia. Bob says the charity still has so much work to do, as he announced the Just for One Day – The Live Aid Musical album. “We wake up every day with 10 or 12 emails dictating the latest horror from the hungry lands,” he said.
READ MORE: Bob Geldof insists Queen had nothing to do with the success of Live Aid
Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure at the launch event for the Live Aid musical, Just For One Day(Image: PA)
“We couldn’t possibly know that 40 years down the track that the issue would be as vital. The world and it’s emotional bandwidth with Gaza and Ukraine and Trump and all that evil and accept that in Sudan 2.5m are being forced to starve as an instrument of war because America has decided not to send any grain, then 5 million people in Africa are in peril of their lives from AIDS because Trump has decided that’s not fun anymore.”
The Boomtown Rats star told Radio 1 host Jo Whiley, “Wembley doesn’t look any different, looking around Wembley Stadium.” Although it appeared shiny and new, it still looks awful.
Freddie Mercury and Queen bandmate on stage at Live Aid Wembley in 1985(Image: FG/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images)
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He said he wasn’t entirely convinced of the idea at first but was blown away by the performance when he spoke at the launch of the musical Just For One Day, which tells the story of the Live Aid concerts taking place in the US’s national football stadium in London and Philadelphia. He admitted, “I was mortified as I read the script.” You’re reading a version of yourself, I tell you.
Midge agreed, “I went to see the Old Vic show.” I entered as a jaded, obedient old rock star anticipating cheese.
However, both men described how impressed they were by what they saw. The musical is remarkable, according to Bob. Its political relevance is what makes it unique, in my opinion. People used to understand, but now it’s about Freddie and everything else. The musical offers a contemporary perspective on the subject.
“When you hear (The Who’s) My Generation sung like that. I took Pete Townshend to see the show. He couldn’t imagine his song, which is beyond at anthem… He clutched my knee and I knew he was thinking ‘Should I record it like that?’”
The late David Bowie at Live Aid(Image: Getty Images)
Midge added: “One song in particular jumped out for me. Bob Dylan’s Blowing In The Wind. The interpretation was phenomenal and it changed my option of what musicals and theatres could be. Fred and Ginger was all I could conjure up. The passion they have equals the passion of the artists on the day. This is a different way of getting the message out, which is incredibly important.”
The Old Vic hosted the musical’s premiere last year. It has so far raised £600,000 for the Band Aid Charitable Trust, and it is anticipated to have raised more than £1 million by the year’s end.
The musical “presents” the idea of what people could do together in a different generation,” Bob said. It’s another jukebox musical, I read somewhere. It’s true, dude! That is the name of it. It was repeatedly hit. The result is to bring that sense from 40 years ago to life and relevance. And that is what it accomplishes.
On May 15, the Band Aid Charitable Trust will receive 10% of the proceeds from Just For One Day’s return to London’s Shaftesbury Theatre. The album will be released on July 11 in preparation for Live Aid’s 40th anniversary on July 13.
