The Prince and Princess of Wales will be marking Mother’s Day today after a ‘ brutal ‘ year amid Kate’s cancer diagnosis and treatment – and royal expert Jennie Bond believes William will have a special treat in store for his wife
The Prince and Princess of Wales together earlier this month (Image: PA)
The Princess of Wales will be in line for a special gesture from Prince William as she marks a very special day today, an expert has predicted. Today is Mother’s Day and no doubt Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be doing all they can to show their appreciation for mum Kate after a brutal year.
This time last year, she had just revealed her cancer diagnosis and had started chemotherapy treatment. Now, she has completed her course of treatment, revealed that she is in remission and has been slowly increasing her royal duties. But royal expert Jennie Bond says it won’t just be the children spoiling their mum, husband William will be too.
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William and Kate with their three children (Image: PA)
Last year, he spoke out about how ‘brutal’ the year had been for the family and on Kate’s birthday in January, heaped praise on his ‘amazing’ wife. And the former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror: “This year Mothers’ Day falls at the start of the school holidays, when the family would usually be in Norfolk. And if they are there, I’m sure the day will be filled with as much outdoor activity as possible: walks and games, cycle rides and picnics.”
“There’s no doubt that every milestone is extra special for the Prince and Princess and their family as they move further from the day she was diagnosed with cancer. This Mother’s Day is one they can wholeheartedly celebrate as Catherine continues her recovery — looking radiant and back to her vibrant self.
” We know William thinks his wife has been amazing in the past year, and I’m sure he’ll want to let her know that she’s a fantastic mum. So I can envisage a tasty, home-cooked, healthy breakfast in bed for Catherine, with some flowers from the garden and perhaps some of her own homemade jam! And then a day of simple family fun. “
Kate with her mum, Carole (Image: Getty Images)
One other person who will also no doubt be given a special treat tomorrow is Kate’s mum, Carole. She has been considered a rock for the Wales family as the daughter navigated her treatment.
Kate’s love of her family was evident when both Carole and dad Michael appeared in the deeply personal summer video update last year, in which the Princess revealed she had completed her course of preventive chemotherapy, enjoying a game of cards around the family table in their Anmer Hall home in Norfolk.
And Jennied added:” Of course Catherine will also want to use the day to thank her own mother for all that she has done during the past year. Whether Carole and Mike will decide to spend the day with the Wales’s or their other children we don’t of course know.
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“I suppose it’s possible that the whole Middleton clan could meet at Buckleberry for a family celebration— or at Pippa’s nearby. Whatever the case, it’s certain that everyone will want to make a fuss of Catherine and Catherine will want to make a fuss of her mother, who has been so important in helping her recover.
” I’m sure William will also want to show his love for Carole, who is much more than just a mother-in-law to him. She has for many years been his friend and comforter in good times and bad. “
EXCLUSIVE: Despite being one of the biggest boybands in the 90s, Five have admitted people would be surprised by their time in the limelight, with J saying ‘ people will think that a lot more came our way ‘
Boyband Five have reunited
They sold over 20 million records worldwide, but iconic nineties boyband Five have confessed their time in the limelight wasn’t all as it seemed.
Despite boasting huge success and gaining the public’s adulation with hits such as Slam Dunk (Da Funk), the quintet of Scott Robinson, Abz Love, Ritchie Neville, Sean Conlon and J Brown have revealed certain parts of their rise to fame will surprise their fans. The confession comes as the boys get ready for their eagerly awaited comeback tour almost 25 years after their last gig as a full band.
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Ritchie has often been open about his money struggles following the band’s split in 2001. He previously claimed he was exploited in the music industry as he was only making £100 a week at the height of their fame. He also alleged he and his bandmates were only given “two days off in two years”.
Five are back as a full group for the first time in almost 25 years(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Now, speaking to the Mirror ahead of their Keep On Movin’ 2025 Tour, he said: “Ultimately, people think when you join a band and you have number one hits and you make lots of money, and it always seemed to be to me that other bands made all the money.
” I’ve said it before, but yeah, I was flat broke after about 18 months after the band finished, so, yeah, “he shrugged.
J then jumped in to admit:” For what we achieved, for the units we sold and for how people see us, people will think that a lot more came our way. For whatever reasons, it didn’t. “However, he was keen to point out that in no way did that have any bearing on why the group decided to reform.
Instead, he admitted it was mainly to do with reconnecting with lost friends. He said the group had finally reconnected on a friendship level that helped roll back the years, saying the upcoming tour was simply “perfect timing”.
Ritchie went on to say he had no regrets with how things panned out back in the day”. Everything’s a learning curve, “he admitted, before J added:” It’s all led exactly back to this crest that we are perfectly surfing now.
“Basically, it wasn’t meant to happen]a different way] the first time around”, J went on. “I think this, how it’s happening now, is just utterly perfect”.
Scott also opened up about the excitement he is feeling about getting back on stage as a whole group. “I genuinely believe that this time around, we’re all in such good had space”, he said.
“We’re genuinely so excited about the prospect of being back out there because it’s been a long time since we shared the stage together”.
Five have sold over 20 million records across the globe(Image: Mirrorpix)
Abz interrupted to say the group will “appreciate it a lot more this time around”. “Personally to be rocking and rolling with these guys again is going to be amazing”, he added.
Explaining why this tour will be different for the band Sean said: “It’ll be nice to enjoy it with clarity this time. Last time we were really young and sort of rabbits trapped in the headlights, whereas now we can actually walk on stage really, really embrace it, look at each other in the eyes and it’s going to be a special moment”.
And the group have promised a show to remember for any fans in attendance. J vowed: “We’re going full throttle. We’re going to be putting on the best show genuinely that we’ve ever done”.
“We are having it, hard”!, Ritchie adamantly added, before Sean wholeheartedly agreed.
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Tickets for Five’s upcoming tour are available now.
The actor played assassin Mr Wint in James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. His son Crispin, who is also an actor, has paid a heartbreaking tribute to his dad.
Back to the Future star Crispin shared the news of his father’s death to followers on Instagram by posting a photo of himself as a child with his dad and mum. He wrote: “Bruce Herbert Glover. May 2, 1932 – March 12, 2025”.
There was no mention of how his dad had died.
Devastated family friends and fans flocked to comment, with one writing: “Sorry to hear about your dad passing. I remember many years ago when you came to our house for boyscout, my dad was your boyscout leader. We lived on Gilmore Avenue and you and your family lived on the next street over. At the time I was a kid but I knew your dad was famous and yes I was a bit starstruck when he came to our house to pick you up and meet with my dad. I just wanted to tell you it was a treat to meet your dad”.
Bruce Glover starred in Diamonds Are Forver alongside Sean Connery (Getty Images)
While another commented: “I had the privilege to sit across the aisle from him at a screening of” What Is It? “At the Egyptian theater. To say he was beaming with pride was an understatement. He was all class. My best to you and your family Mr. Glover”.
A third wrote: “I’m so very sorry to hear this. It was a pleasure to meet and talk with you both in Chicago many years back”.
Bruce Glover’s son Crispin shared a photo of himself as a child with his mum and dad (crispinhellionglover/instagram)
Bruce Glover made a number of notable film appearances in the 70s, including 1974’s Chinatown, 1973’s Walking Tall and Hard Times (1975).
He first began acting after serving in the US Army from 1953 to 1955, during which time he served six months in Korea. Born in Chigago to Eva Elvira and Herbert Horman Glover, he was of Czech, English and Swedish descent.
Bruce and Crispin Glover at the premiere of American Gods season 2 in 2019 (Getty Images)
His first TV appearances came via 1963’s My Favourite Martian, 1965’s Perry Mason: The Case of the Golden Girls and then The Rat Patrol in 1965. He also starred in 1970’s Mission: Impossible and The Dukes of Hazzard (1979).
But his most memorable appearance was when he starred alongside jazz musician Putter Smith as assassins Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd in Diamonds Are Forever, starring Sean Connery.
Glover continued acting through the 90s, but also continued to teach acting classes (which he had started in the 50s). While living in his West LA home, he added an additional level to provide an acting studio.
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Mark Wright and Olly Murs were both offered some words of wisdom about all things parenting from Elton John during a heartfelt interview on Heart Radio
3am
Elton John opened up about fatherhood with Heart Radio listeners (Image: Getty Images)
Mark Wright recently became a father for the first time after wife Michelle Keegan gave birth to a baby girl – and he has been offered words of wisdom by none other than Elton John.
He was interviewing the Rocket Man star alongside his Heart FM co-presenter Olly Murs. Elton was promoting his new album that features Brandi Carlile.
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One of the songs on the Who Believes in Angles record touched on parenthood – a topic of huge interest to Mark and Olly who both have young daughters.
Wanting advice from the legendary performer, Mark said they were “seriously news dads” before asking for Elton’s biggest tip.
Never one to disappoint, Elton shared: “I was brought up in a very strict household in the ‘ 50s. I grew up in fear of my mum and my dad and I said to David when we were having Zachary… I said, ‘ I never want my kids to grow up in fear. I never want them to be afraid of us. ‘
The legendary musician opened up about his childhood (Image: Michelle Quance/Variety via Getty Images)
” I was walking on egg shells the whole time in my childhood. And it wasn’t a bad childhood but the fear of doing something wrong and I said to David, ‘ that’s it, they mustn’t be filled with fear’.
“Have discipline, of course, but no fear, no smacking, nothing. And it has worked beautifully, they have been fantastic”.
Elton is immensely private about his two sons, Zachary and Elijah, and they are rarely seen out with their famous fathers. After becoming a first-time dad via surrogacy on Christmas Day in 2010, Elton said it was “the best decision we’ve ever made”.
Baby Palma has brough great joy to Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan’s families (Image: Instagram)
And speaking to Olly earlier in the radio show, Mark offered a similar sentiment, saying: “It is the best thing ever. It is the best thing ever. Except when I am trying to wind her after a bottle at 2am, nightmare”.
Michelle gave birth to Palma earlier this month, and despite loving life as a father, Mark also opened up to listeners about the challenges, especially when a listener called Lisa contacted the show to say she was tired from sorting clothes.
The first-time parents are enjoying their new lives (Image: Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal)
Unable to resist, Mark joked: “Lisa, I’m going to go back to what you just said there, it’s very tiring sorting your clothes in your room – don’t talk to me about tired right now”.
Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed 65 out of 111 drones launched by Russia overnight, which caused damage in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
At least two people were killed and 25 injured in Kharkiv after a Russian drone strike targeted a military hospital, shopping centre, apartment buildings and other targets late on Saturday.
Russia said it captured the village of Shchebraki in the southern Zaporizhia region and Panteleimonivka in the eastern Donetsk region.
Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking Russian energy facilities in the past 24 hours despite having agreed on a United States-brokered deal to refrain from targeting the sites.
Politics
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an overnight address that he spoke to his top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskii, about the situation along the 1, 000-km (621-mile) front line and said they were “maintaining active measures that prevent the occupiers from advancing into]Ukraine’s] Sumy and Kharkiv regions”.
Ukraine accused Russia of committing “war crimes” after targeting a military hospital, which it said violated “the norms of international humanitarian law”. Zelenskyy said Kyiv expected a strong response from the West on the near-daily Russian attacks on the country.
While global attention remains fixed on Israel’s war on Gaza, Israel is rapidly redrawing the map of the occupied West Bank.
On January 21, just two days after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza, the Israeli military intensified its assault across the occupied West Bank, particularly in the northern regions. Israeli bulldozers have razed entire residential areas, forcibly expelling at least 40, 000 people from their homes.
For the first time since the second Intifada, Israeli forces have reintroduced tank incursions and air attacks into the West Bank, part of a systematic Israeli strategy to change the geography of the West Bank, paving the way for full annexation.
This report, produced by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, SANAD, draws on United Nations data, satellite imagery, and maps to reveal how this is happening.
The occupied West Bank at a glance
The West Bank, called al-Daffah in Arabic, is , west of the Jordan River, from which it gets its name.
Together with occupied East Jerusalem, it covers an area of 5, 655sq km (2, 183sq miles), making it about 15 times larger than Gaza or roughly the same size as the US state of Delaware.
Since 1967, Israel has militarily occupied the West Bank, subjecting Palestinians to checkpoints, arbitrary arrests, home demolitions, land seizures, settlement expansion and frequent raids, severely restricting every aspect of their lives.
The West Bank is home to approximately 3.3 million Palestinians. It is divided into 11 governorates, with Hebron, or al-Khalil in Arabic, being the most populous at about 842, 000 residents. Jerusalem follows with 500, 000, Nablus with 440, 000, Ramallah and el-Bireh with 377, 000 and Jenin with 360, 000.
About 700, 000 Israelis live in illegal settlements on Palestinian land.
(Al Jazeera)
Escalating attacks before October 7
Deadly attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have persisted for years.
Since systematic documentation began in 2008, UN data shows that at least 1, 896 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers.
By October 6, 2023 – just hours before the Al-Aqsa Flood operation – the death toll for 2023 had already risen to 198, surpassing 2022’s total of 154 and making it the deadliest year on record at the time.
Since October 7, 2023, the number of attacks has skyrocketed.
(Al Jazeera)
Over the past 17 months, more than 900 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank. More than half of them were from Jenin and Tulkarem.
Amnesty International described this violence as “brutal”, citing unlawful killings, the disproportionate use of deadly force, and the deliberate denial of medical care to the wounded – all unfolding as global attention remains fixated on Gaza.
Why is the northern West Bank being targeted?
Israel’s continuing military incursion, which it calls “Operation Iron Wall”, has primarily targeted the northern governorates of Jenin and Tulkarem.
These governorates have fewer Israeli settlements than the rest of the West Bank and have long been centres of Palestinian resistance, a factor that has historically hindered their annexation. In response, Israel has carried out systematic raids and large-scale demolitions in these regions, aiming to suppress resistance and establish full control – part of a broader strategy to tighten its hold on the entire West Bank.
The refugee camps in particular have been heavily targeted. Since October 2023, the Tulkarem refugee camp, the second-largest in the West Bank, witnessed the destruction of 205 structures, including homes, commercial buildings, and agricultural infrastructure, followed by 174 structures in Nur Shams camp and 144 in Jenin camp. The peak in Jenin occurred in August 2024, when 37 structures were demolished in a single month.
(Al Jazeera)
According to Peace Now, an Israeli nongovernmental organisation (NGO), in 2024 a record-breaking 48 new settlement outposts were established in the West Bank.
Even before the war, settlement expansion was accelerating. In 2023, 31 new outposts were set up, with 21 appearing in just six months between February and July – well before October 7.
Settler violence: An informal weapon of displacement
Settler attacks have become a daily occurrence in the West Bank, especially in rural areas near settlement outposts. Settlers have blocked roads to Palestinian communities, hindering access to essential services and livelihoods. In some instances, they have destroyed water sources, cutting off vital resources for Palestinian herding communities.
(Al Jazeera)
Testimonies from the southern West Bank village of Khirbet Zanuta describe homes and water sources being destroyed, forcing residents to flee. In Nablus, eight families (51 people) were forcibly displaced at gunpoint.
A report by the Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din, which analysed 1, 664 police investigations into settler violence against Palestinians between 2005 and September 2023, found that:
94 percent of cases were closed without indictment.
Only 3 percent led to convictions.
In at least 80 percent of cases, investigations were closed due to an alleged inability to identify suspects or gather sufficient evidence.
The study highlighted a deep mistrust of Israeli law enforcement among Palestinians, with 58 percent of Palestinian victims in 2023 choosing not to report crimes to the police. B’Tselem, another Israeli human rights group, has described settler violence as “Israel’s unofficial tool” for expelling Palestinians, with the lack of accountability contributing to a culture of impunity.
Illegal seizure of Palestinian land
A June 2024 report by HaMoked, an Israeli human rights organisation, showed that Israel has rapidly intensified its control over the West Bank since October 2023, moving towards full annexation.
This effort is led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was recently given a newly created minister position in the Ministry of Defence, granting him extensive powers over civilian affairs in the West Bank.
Smotrich, a settler who lives on Palestinian land outside the illegal settlement of Kedumin, also heads the Settlement Administration, a division within the Israeli Ministry of Defense, responsible for overseeing the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements.
In 2024, 24, 700 dunams (6, 100 acres or 2, 470 hectares) were classified as “state land” by Israeli authorities, surpassing the 23, 000 dunams annexed between 2000 and 2023. Additionally, 68 illegal settlement outposts were recognised by Israel and provided with infrastructure, deepening Israeli control.
Smotrich’s transfer of planning and demolition powers has accelerated the forced displacement of Palestinians. His administration works with settlers to seize land, demolish Palestinian homes, and recognise illegal outposts, further entrenching settlement control.
(Al Jazeera)
Satellite image analysis of northern West Bank
An analysis of satellite images from March 12 over Tulkarem and Jenin reveals widespread destruction and bulldozing by the Israeli military:
12.5km (7.8 miles) of roads were destroyed in Tulkarem and Nur Shams camp.
17.5km (10.9 miles) of road networks were demolished in Jenin camp.
Extensive damage to buildings across all three camps.
Since October 7, 2023, the bulldozing of at least 523 buildings, which housed numerous families, has forced nearly 3, 000 people from their homes, including:
Tulkarem camp: 1, 070 people displaced after 205 buildings were demolished.
Nur Shams camp: 965 people displaced following the destruction of 174 structures.
Jenin camp: 960 people displaced after 144 structures were demolished.
Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, on March 12, 2025 [Airbus] (Al Jazeera)Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Jenin refugee camp, on March 12, 2025 [Airbus] (Al Jazeera)Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Tulkarem refugee camp, on March 12, 2025 [Airbus] (Al Jazeera)Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Nur Shams refugee camp, on March 12, 2025 [Airbus] (Al Jazeera)
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), displacement has doubled in recent months, with the latest military operation triggering the largest wave of Palestinian displacement in the West Bank since 1967, with more than 40, 000 people being forced to flee their homes.
These figures point to a strategy of dismantling Palestinian communities, as their presence in the West Bank poses a demographic challenge to Israel.
New images and reports highlight the scale of devastation in Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams – entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble, thousands forced to flee and the fabric of Palestinian society under systematic assault.
A unique pattern was identified in Jenin, which was not observed in Tulkarem and its camp. The Israeli military has constructed 14 earthen barriers surrounding the camp, with military vehicles positioned near some of these barriers.
Satellite image showing Israeli military vehicles and a ground checkpoint in Jenin refugee camp, on March 12, 2025 [Airbus] (Al Jazeera)
In addition, since October 2023, the Israeli military has imposed severe movement restrictions on Palestinians, with 793 checkpoints by November 2024, 60 percent of which are in Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah – hindering medical access, disrupting trade and isolating communities.
Open calls for annexation and displacement
Despite rapid settlement expansion, Israel faces a key demographic challenge, as the birthrate among the Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel remains higher than among Israelis living in Israel and the occupied West Bank, although population numbers are roughly , equal now.
(Al Jazeera)
To counter this, Israeli policy increasingly focuses on reducing the Palestinian presence in strategically sensitive areas, framing displacement as both a security necessity and a “humanitarian” solution.
This strategy is evident in statements by Israeli officials. In March 2025, Defense Minister Israel Yoav Katz defended illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank as “essential for protecting Israeli cities”, while media figures like Gideon Dokov called the forced removal of Palestinians from all of Palestine “the only humanitarian solution”, labelling Palestinians as “a murderous nation”.
The “Fighting for Life” campaign echoed this message with the slogan “No Future in Palestine”, encouraging what they euphemistically called “voluntary emigration”.
Meanwhile, Meir Masri, professor of geopolitics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said on social media platform X that the annexation of the West Bank is “the greatest Zionist achievement since 1967”, calling it a historic opportunity that must not be missed.
![Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, March 12, 2025, [Airbus]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/INTERACTIVE-Tulkarem-camp-Nur-Shams-camp-West-Bank-Israel-1743158423.png?w=696&ssl=1)
![Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Jenin refugee camp, March 12, 2025 [Airbus]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/INTERACTIVE-Jenin-camp-West-Bank-Israel-1743158434.png?w=696&ssl=1)
![Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Tulkarem refugee camp, March 12, 2025 [Airbus]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/INTERACTIVE-Tulkarem-camp-West-Bank-Israel_1-1743158444.png?w=696&ssl=1)
![Satellite image showing destroyed buildings and roads in Nur Shams refugee camp, March 12, 2025 [Airbus]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/INTERACTIVE-Tulkarem-camp-West-Bank-Israel-1743158457.png?w=696&ssl=1)
![Satellite image showing Israeli military vehicles and a ground checkpoint in Jenin refugee camp, March 12, 2025, [Airbus]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/INTERACTIVE-West-Bank-Jenin-road-block-1743158410.png?w=696&ssl=1)
