Addressing the country’s parliament, in Welsh, he told them: “I know the Senedd and people of Wales share my sadness. Wales had a special place in her heart.”

Charles III, and the Queen Consort Camilla, attended a service for the Queen at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral, a motion of condolence at the Senedd as well as having a private audience with First Minister Mark Drakeford, and then meeting the public in Cardiff Castle.

Crowds greeted the new king – and former Prince of Wales – as he arrived in Llandaff, with some having arrived as early as 3.30am, and the band of the Royal Welsh Regiment played a fanfare as Charles entered the cathedral.

With Charles’ tour complete, the new king’s next task is to host a reception for dignitaries from around the world at Lancaster House on Sunday evening, as world leaders and heads of state reach British soil.

At 8pm on Sunday, people from across the nation will be observing a minute’s silence, to reflect on the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, this evening, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew will be joining the ceremonial guard for a 15-minute period for a silent vigil around the Queen’s coffin.

The queue to view the Queen’s coffin lying in state has continued to grow, reaching capacity earlier today at Southwark Park in Bermondsey – snaking an impressive 4.9 miles through London. The queue could close as early as Saturday evening, if it’s decided that no more could be admitted by the time the lying in state ends.

Whilst some 750,000 people are expected to get the chance to see the coffin in Westminster Hall – with former England footballer David Beckham one of those who has already made the journey – there will be many in the UK, and across the world who will miss out. 

Luckily, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, those unable to attend can view the Queen’s lying in state from the comfort of their own homes: It is being livestreamed 24 hours a day by the BBC.

The Queen’s lying in state will come to a close at 6.30am on Monday 19 September, and at 10.44am, her coffin will be moved to Westminster Abbey for a funeral service attended by a congregation of 2,000, including 183 key workers recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

The funeral, which has been described by a Whitehall source as “the biggest international event we have hosted in decades,” will also prove to be the Metropolitan Police’s largest ever security operation, with thousands of officers set to take to London’s streets.

The televised funeral is expected to set a new broadcasting record, with 4.1 Billion predicted to tune in worldwide, to witness the historic day.

The coffin procession left Buckingham Palace at 14.22, having arrived in London last night, and was met with crowds of thousands of mourners standing in the rain. 

The procession then made it’s way to Westminster, with King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry walking behind the coffin, which will is adorned with the Imperial State Crown. Gun salutes were fired from Hyde Park while Big Ben’s bells are tolling.

Thousands have gathered along the Mall to watch the procession, whilst a queue – that could eventually stretch as far as Southwark park in Bermondsey – has already started to form along the South Bank, with many having queued overnight.

More than 1,000 volunteers, stewards and Metropolitan police officers have been brought in to manage the queues, with a number of professional football matches being cancelled due to limited police resources.

Reports suggest that mourners could face queues of up to 30 hours.

After a short service in Westminster Hall, attended by members of the Royal Family, the public will be able to pay their respects from 17:00 today..

The queen’s body will lie in state in the hall, which will be open 24 hours a day for four full days, until 6:30am on Monday 19 September, the day of the funeral.

The coffin, which will be placed on a raised platform, will be guarded throughout this time by soldiers serving the Royal Household.

On Sunday evening, there will be a nationwide one-minute silence at 20:00, with Britons invited to reflect on the life and legacy of the Queen.

And then on Monday the coffin will be taken to Westminster Abbey at 10:44, for the funeral beginning at 11:00. The Queen’s state funeral could see 4.1 billion tuning in worldwide, breaking global viewing records, according to WatchTVAbroad.

Following the state funeral, the late Queen’s coffin will finally be taken to Windsor, where a committal service will take place at St George’s Chapel, where she will be buried beside her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip.  

It is is a remarkable military achievement by the Ukrainians. Russian forces – reportedly outnumbered eight to one – have been pushed back, in some cases as far as the Russian border. Ukraine says it retook 20 villages on Sunday, as well as taking Russian munitions and military hardware which had been abandoned.

In what feels like the first proper admission that the war is not going well for Russia, commentators on state TV have expressed concerns. One warned that “this has been the toughest week so far,” in Russia’s “special military operation.”

“It was particularly tough along the Kharkiv front, where following an onslaught by enemy forces that outnumbered ours, troops were forced to leave towns they had previously liberated,” conceded anchor Dmitry Kiselev.

Russian “patriotic” bloggers have attacked the military, accusing it of making mistakes, as has the Chechnyan leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

“I will be forced to speak with the leadership of the defence ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground to them,” Kadyrov said.

Swathes of Russian soldiers are reportedly fleeing the front line, changing into civilian clothes to avoid detection – “We are totally f—ed,” read one intercepted communication. Pictures are also emerging of Russian armoured vehicles and tanks abandoned on the sides of roads and in fighting positions.

Scores of Russian shells and ammunition have also fallen into the hands of advancing Ukrainian forces.

While Ukrainian forces are also advancing around Kherson, the main counter-offensive is concentrated in Kharkiv, in the north-east of the country.

The Ukrainian offensive has led to the recapturing of Izyum and Kupiansk – two towns that act as major supply hubs for Russian forces in the Donbas – apparently due to the diversion of too many Russian troops to Kherson.

With the success of its counter offensive though, Ukraine is now likely to face a vicious response from Russia.

On Sunday, there were blackouts in Kharkiv, affecting millions of Ukrainians, due to Russian attacks on infrastructure. Although power was quickly restored, settlements across the region were left with no access to water or electricity on Sunday evening.

Russia will undoubtedly step up its shelling campaign against civilians and military targets in Ukraine, but if the counterattack can maintain momentum, Putin could be in even deeper trouble.

Write to us with your comments to be considered for publication at letters@reaction.life.

In an exceptionally moving speech, the King talked about his mother in the most personal terms and of his own duty as the future king and public servant: “Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing … That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.” 

Charles III arrived in London today from Scotland to huge crowds gathering outside the palace to lay flowers for the Queen while thousands of mourners lined Pall Mall and the surrounding area. As flags fly at half-mast and the sound of gun salutes ring out across the country – and much of the world – a ten-day period of national mourning in Britain has begun. 

And it was a day of new beginnings. Just hours after King Charles lll arrived at the palace, the UK’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, was escorted by police motorcade to the palace for her first in-person audience with the new monarch. The PM had already spoken to the new King on Thursday night, offering her condolences via a phone call.

The country will now be in mourning until after the Queen’s state funeral, expected to be held on September 19. As Her Majesty died at the Balmoral Estate, her body will be moved to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, before a procession to St Giles Cathedral, where she will lie for 24 hours, while the public views her coffin.

From there, her coffin will be transported – probably by plane – to London, where a procession will take it from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. The coffin will be borne on a gun carriage, which may be pulled by sailors from the Royal Navy.

The Queen will lie in state for four days in Westminster Hall, as members of the public come to pay their respects. It is then most likely that the funeral will be held on Monday week, with the coffin taken, again, on a gun carriage, from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, followed by senior members of the royal family.

A one-hour long, televised funeral service will be officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, accompanied by a national two-minute silence. The coffin will then be taken via state hearse to Windsor Castle, where a committal service will be held at St George’s Chapel, and the coffin will be lowered into the royal vault.

Both houses of parliament have been postponed until September 21, although they were open today and tomorrow for MPs and peers to pay their tributes.

Speaking to a crowded chamber of members dressed in black earlier today, the PM described the Queen as “one of the greatest leaders the world has known.” Her predecessor Boris Johnson echoed this sentiment, calling her “Elizabeth the Great”. Johnson also made what was generally considered to be one of his finest speeches, praising the Queen for her undying devotion and selfless duty. Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute to the Queen, saying “it feels impossible to imagine a Britain without her.”

Tomorrow morning at 10 am, Charles will be formally proclaimed king at the Accession Council to be held at St James Palace, a formality that must take place within 24 hours of the death of a sovereign. For the first time ever the ceremony will be televised and no doubt watched by millions of people worldwide.

With more than half of England officially declared to be in drought, water companies will begin enacting drought plans, likely announcing stricter measures to preserve supplies.

Much of the UK has received little rainfall so far this summer, with England experiencing its driest July since 1935, seeing temperatures reach a record 40.3C on 19 July.

As Britain experiences its second heatwave, the drought declaration comes with the hope that people will curb their water usage.

So far, hosepipe bans have been announced by four water providers, with bans by Southern Water and South East Water already in effect. Today, Yorkshire Water – which has more than five million customers – announced its first ban in 27 years, set for 26 August.

Thames Water, the UK’s largest water company with 15 million customers, said a ban will be imposed “in the coming weeks.”

Hosepipe bans will generally mean people prohibited from using hosepipes or outside taps, including to water plants, and clean cars. There are exceptions, such as watering new lawns and filling religious fountains or pools for medical treatment, as well as topping up fishponds.

Businesses such as car washes and farms are exempt from the bans.

With drought, comes all sorts of problems. As the grass turns brown, Jerusalem’s famous line about England’s “green and pleasant land” no longer seems to apply. Grassfires tear their way through farmland filled with failing crops, with the Essex Fire Service alone tackling 20 field fires yesterday, and the nation’s rivers and reservoirs are also drying up.

Meanwhile, across the channel, Europe is suffering a similar fate. In Bordeaux, firefighters from five nations are battling a “monster” fire for the third day in a row, it has already consumed 29 square miles and forced 10,000 to evacuate.

In Germany, the Rhine river’s water level has fallen to 39 cm at a chokepoint in Kaub, becoming impassable to many barges supplying coal, oil and gas to factories and power stations upriver.

Similarly, Frankfurt Airport has seen barge deliveries of jet fuel cease due to the low water level.

While advice to reduce water consumption on a personal level – by taking shorter showers and such – should certainly be heeded, water companies have come under fire for not doing enough to repair leaks.

Currently, nine billion litres – 20 percent of the UK’s water use – is wasted each day due to leaking pipes. In comparison, Denmark wastes just seven percent of its water usage.

Next week, storms are expected for much of the UK. But it won’t be a magic fix. Rain will likely bring problems of its own, with the risk of flash floods increased due to the dry ground.

The country is now in the second stage of its three-stage emergency alert system, and the economy ministry is calling for German households to reduce their gas consumption.

“From now on, gas is a scarce commodity in Germany… We are therefore now obliged to reduce gas consumption, now already in summer,” German Vice Chancellor, Robert Habeck, warned.

Businesses were also asked to curb their usage, and Habeck said that he can’t rule out rationing for German industry further down the line: “All consumers, whether in industry, in public institutions or private households, should reduce their gas consumption as much as possible.”

The government will also provide €15bn of loans to bring in gas supplies from other regions, as well as implementing an auction system to promote lower usage in the industrial sector.

The move comes as Vladimir Putin maintains his tight squeeze on European gas supplies, with the NordStream 1 pipeline currently running at only 40 per cent capacity. Moscow blames this on maintenance work and unreliable Canadian contractors. Berlin says it’s a political ploy.

“We must not fool ourselves. The cut in gas supplies is an economic attack on us by Putin,” Habeck said.

Despite the recent decision to fire-up coal-fired power stations – in a bid to find alternative energy sources – Habeck has made it clear that the priority is to fill gas storage to 90 per cent by December.

Facilities are currently 58 per cent full, more than this time last year. Yet with the war in Ukraine about to enter its fifth month, fears remain that Germany will not have enough gas to make it through the winter should Russia switch off the supply entirely.

Having invested heavily in Russian gas pipelines in the decade prior to the war in Ukraine, Germany now finds itself with most of its eggs in a basket that it no longer has access to.

Berlin’s decision to phase out nuclear power (set to be completed this year), and its climate target of a coal-less energy sector by 2030, mean Europe’s largest economy is set to struggle without a reliable source of gas.

Germany’s overreliance on Russian gas means it risks falling into recession, with a recent S&P Global survey showing the German economy is losing momentum in the second quarter.

As Vladimir Putin continues his attempt to make the West pay for its sanctions, and threatens to expand his war into the Balkans, Europe looks set to face an arduous few months.

What is hay fever, and what are its symptoms?

Hay fever is a seasonal allergic reaction to pollen from grass, trees and weeds. Around a quarter of the UK population suffers from it during the summer months, some 16 million people.

It usually affects people between March and September, due to the high pollen count – this is particularly bad when it is warm, humid and windy.

Hay fever can cause itchy eyes and throat, sneezing and a blocked nose, as well as tiredness, coughing, shortness of breath and headaches.

Is hay fever worse this year?

The Met Office is forecasting very high pollen counts for the next week in most of England and Wales, dropping to medium and low levels in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We are currently in the peak of the grass pollen season, stretching from May to July, which most hay fever sufferers are affected by. 

Global warming has led to longer pollen seasons, and an increased amount of pollen in the air.

And according to the Met Office’s Weather Snap podcast, pollen could be especially intense at the moment. Speaking to the podcast, Yolanda Clewlow, the Met Office relationship manager for health and air quality, said: “A warm and wet May, coupled with a relatively warm spring, mean there’s a chance that the pollen that has developed is particularly potent.”

How can I manage my symptoms?

If possible, those with hay fever should avoid going outside on days with particularly high pollen counts, which can be found on the Met Office’s pollen forecast.

It is best to avoid coming into contact with pollen as much as possible: windows should be kept closed during the early morning and in the evening, when pollen levels are at their highest.

Allergy UK also recommends showering after being outside, and changing clothing, as well as drying clothes indoors to avoid pollen settling on them.

Sufferers should also steer clear of grass, smoking and keeping fresh flowers inside.

Wearing wraparound sunglasses, and a face mask could also help prevent pollen from getting into your eyes or nose – a layer of Vaseline can also be applied to your nostrils, to catch pollen when you breathe in.

What medication can I take?

There is no cure for hay fever, but the symptoms can be treated.

Antihistamines are the most common medication used to treat hay fever and are available in supermarkets and over the counter in pharmacies.

In some cases, when over-the-counter medication does not alleviate symptoms, or you suffer from other medical conditions, it is advised that you speak to a GP, who can prescribe stronger treatment.

Steroid nasal sprays can also be used to treat hay fever, with some available over the counter and others only on prescription.

Steroid injections can also be used to suppress the body’s immune response to pollen. However, these injections are no longer available on the NHS, only via private healthcare, due to a lack of evidence of its efficacy, as well as side effects such as thinning veins and rashes.

Here’s what you need to know.

How will rail strikes affect travel?

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has called three strikes to take place on 21 June, 23 June and 25 June.

Due to the effects of the pandemic, the government has told rail companies to cut costs by ten per cent, leading to workers fearing for their pay and job security. over 40,000 staff are set to participate in the rail strikes, in what could be the biggest since privatisation in the 1990s.

These strikes, which come after a London Underground walk-out on 6 June, will each last for 24 hours, and will affect Network Rail, as well as 13 train companies in England: Chiltern, Cross Country, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands, c2c, Great Western, Northern, South Eastern, South Western, TransPennine, Avanti West Coast and West Midlands.

The RMT has also announced that another 24-hour Tube strike will take place on 21 June.

While GTR, which runs Thameslink services, has voted not to strike, it is likely that these services will still be heavily disrupted.

In spite of the strikes, some trains will continue to run, but these services are expected to be very limited, and only run on mainlines, with rural stations likely to be closed.

Those who have already paid for tickets, such as season ticket holders, will receive refunds if the services do not run.

Why are flights being cancelled?

Thousands of flights are being cancelled across the UK, mainly due to staff shortages. Airlines are obligated to fill 70 per cent of their airport slots, or they could lose them. Most have chosen to offer these flights despite not having the staff to operate them.

Since the start of the pandemic, airlines cut around 30,000 jobs, while airports were forced to cut many staff and aviation support workers.

On a global scale, the pandemic has cost the industry an estimated £145bn, as well as four million jobs.

Despite many of these workers having been re-hired since, lengthy security checks mean that some can only carry out limited roles for the time being. As such, airlines are struggling, with a significant uptick in travel demand after restrictions for entering the UK were lifted on 18 March.

Flight bookings had reached 93 per cent of 2019 levels for June, July and August, according to travel consultancy ForwardKeys.

Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, said that Brexit has made it more difficult for airlines to bring in European workers.

British Airways has planned to cut 16,000 flights between March and October (10 per cent fewer flights), as part of a reduced schedule, in the hopes of avoiding short notice cancellations.

What’s happening to fuel prices?

In recent days, petrol costs have risen sharply, reaching an average of 182.31 pence per litre. Diesel has risen to 188.05 pence per litre.

These price rises are the result of an increase in the cost of crude oil, which is used to make petrol and diesel. As the world has started to recover from the Covid pandemic, suppliers have struggled to match demand for fuel.

Oil prices had been rising since the end of 2020, but when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, crude oil costs shot up, peaking at $130 per barrel – in comparison with less than $20 per barrel in March 2020.

As Western sanctions began to take effect, supplies have started to be squeezed, as less oil from Russia – a major producer – has made its way into the market.

The UK has committed to phasing out Russian oil by the end of 2022, with EU leaders planning to shut off most Russian oil imports by the end of the year.

What does this mean for summer travel?

For those travelling in June, they should expect heavy disruption on rail services during the strike periods.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested laws to make sure that “minimum service levels” are maintained, but questions have been raised over how effective this might be. In any case, the legislation will not be in place to prevent this month’s strikes.

Airlines have warned that the disruption to fights is unlikely to improve for some time. Yet companies will be trying to continue recruiting, training and passing employees through security checks in the run-up to summer.

Airlines will also be hoping that travel will be spread out across the summer, rather than take place in a single week, as happened in the recent school half-term.

Fuel prices are not expected to decrease any time soon, with the RAC having warned that petrol could soon cost more than £2 per litre.

VAT and fuel duty constitute about half of the cost of fuel to consumers, so it is possible that the government will cut these taxes, as Boris Johnson seeks to reaffirm his leadership following last week’s no-confidence vote.

The hearings are being led by the January 6 Committee, in the hope of establishing an authoritative narrative of the riot.

Here’s what you need to know.

What happened on 6 January 2021?

On 6 January, with Congress set to formalise Joe Biden’s presidency, thousands of Trump supporters descended on Washington DC, and gathered outside of the Capitol building.

More than 2,000 rioters stormed the building, looting and vandalising it, as well as attacking police officers. During the course of the riot, 138 police officers were injured, alongside many involved in the attack, one rioter was killed by Capitol police officers.

It has been alleged that Trump’s actions leading up to the riot, including a speech at a “Save America” rally earlier in the day, in which he said: “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country any more,” had incited the attack.

What are the January 6 Committee hearings, and what are they trying to prove?

During six televised hearings, the first of which was broadcast on Thursday, the January 6 Committee will present the findings of its almost year-long investigation into the US Capitol attack.

The committee is made up of seven Democrats, and two (resolutely anti-Trump) Republicans, who were appointed by Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Leader of the House.

The hearings are expected to be scripted, in order to avoid the chaos that often plagues committee hearings, and will show evidence from 6 January, in the form of footage, recorded interviews with witnesses, live interviews and documentary evidence.

Many Democrats will be hoping that the hearings jog the memories of voters ahead of the midterm elections in November – reminding them how the anarchy was prompted by the actions of a Republican politician.

The chairman of the January 6 Committee, Bennie Thompson, said in his opening statement on Thursday that Trump was “at the centre of the conspiracy,” and was “was trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power.”

The committee is expected to support Thompson’s statement with the evidence that it presents.

What’s been revealed?

According to Committee aides, the hearings will reveal “a whole lot of new material,” after law enforcement, protestors, Republican politicians, and Mike Pence’s political team were all interviewed.

A considerable amount of new information was revealed in Thursday’s hearing, including video testimony from Trump’s own advisors.  For example, Bill Barr, the Attorney General under Trump, testified that he had told the President that claims of election fraud were unfounded, and that the justice department had found no evidence to overturn the election.

Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, was also interviewed by the Committee. In a recorded statement, she said: “I respect Attorney General Barr so I accepted what he was saying.”

In another witness testimony, described by the vice-chair of the Committee, Liz Cheney, Trump responded to chants of “hang Mike Pence” from rioters by telling a room of staff members that “Mike Pence deserves it.”

British documentarian, Nick Quested, who followed members of the right-wing group Proud Boys during the riot described his experience of the attack: “I documented the crowd turn from protesters to rioters to insurrectionists. I was surprised at the size of the group, the anger and the profanity.”

What will the consequences be?

The Committee will produce a report following the hearings which is likely to suggest reforms to the US electoral process. As the hearings are set to take place until September, with the next scheduled for Monday 13 June, they will occupy the news agenda in the run-up to the November midterm elections.

With the Committee, which has no legal power, having described the riot as an “attempted coup,” it could recommend criminal charges for those involved, and provide evidence to the US Justice Department, which is running its own investigation into the attack.

Even in Russian-occupied Mariupol, a city reduced to rubble by the invading forces, mobile propaganda vans display Russian news channels, whilst the Russian government claims to have “liberated” the city.

But in the mass condemnation of blatant Russian propaganda, the West seems to have forgotten that the Ukrainian government, and one man in particular, has also been engaged in spinning. 

Oleksiy Arestovych is Volodomyr Zelenskyi’s official spokesperson when it comes to the war in Ukraine, but he is also a spin-doctor and propagandist. In daily government briefings, which have been run by Arestovych since 24 February, the presidential adviser gives updates on the war – often downplaying Ukrainian shortcomings.

Arestovych’s use of propaganda is no secret, he admitted as much in 2017, writing on Facebook that he has “lied a lot since the spring of 2014.”

“it was pure propaganda work, prompted by Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” he added.

A self-proclaimed military expert, Arestovych made his name as a blogger in the wake of the 2014 revolution in Ukraine, and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Arestovych made many television appearances and amassed a significant following on various social media channels.

Born in 1975, Arestovych has been involved in the Ukrainian government since 2020 – starting out as an adviser and speaker for the Ukrainian delegation at the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk. Since then, his governmental career has prospered.

But Arestovych’s political career has surprising origins, and he has experience that lends itself to the role of spin-doctor that he has embraced.

Likewise with the Ukrainian president, Zelenskyi, Arestovych began his career in acting in the 1990s. He also studied psychology and has previously held psychological seminars. Additionally, Arestovych has been involved in the Ukrainian military, including becoming a major in the army reserves.

This combination of acting ability, psychology and military knowledge seems to have benefitted Arestovych in his political and blogging careers – helping him act as a military adviser, adept at communicating to the Ukrainian people.

Speaking to OpenDemocracy, political scientist Maxim Yali said: “When people are under tremendous stress, they need guidance, experts they can trust, whose statements will support them psychologically. This is the role Arestovych fulfils.”

To Arestovych, Ukraine’s fight is one between good and evil: “[Russia] wants us to become like them. They want to turn us into demons. We simply can’t let them do this,” he said in an interview with The Economist.

And yet, in Arestovych’s past there are murky details that are not so favourable to the man tasked with keeping Ukrainian morale high. It is possible, to some extent at least, that Arestovych constitutes one of the “Nazis” that Putin claims to be liberating Russian speaking Ukrainians from.

In 2005, Arestovych became involved in the far-right group Bratstvo (Brotherhood), which viewed itself as a “Christian Hezbollah.” He also attended conferences run by Russian ultra-nationalist Alexander Dugin.

Beyond his daily briefings, it was a video from 2019 that brought Arestovych into the Ukrainian public eye. In the video, Arestovych predicted that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be most likely to take place by 2022.

“An invasion by Russian troops from our borders, the siege of Kyiv, using troops built up [in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions], transfer of troops via Crimea, taking of the Kakhovka reservoir to give Crimea water. An attack from Belarusian territory. Setting up of new ‘People’s Republics’. Attacks on critical infrastructure. Use of paratrooper forces. This is what a big war will look like,” Arestovych said.

Yet Arestovych is not some genius of military strategy. Ruslan Bortnik, the director of Ukrainian Institute of Politics, said: “Almost every serious Ukrainian political scientist predicted [the war]. Arestovych is great at PR, but he is not a forecaster nor an insider, nor a political or military expert. He is a screenwriter, coach and populariser.”

Bortnik also added that Arestovych “makes a lot of predictions and only some of them come true.”

Indeed, in March, Arestovych predicted: “No later than in May, early May, we should have a peace agreement, maybe much earlier, we will see, I am talking about the latest possible dates.” By late April, Arestovych had suggested that the war could last until 2035, in a “worst case scenario.”

With Russian forces likely to continue their advancements in the weeks to come, here is what you need to know.

Where is Severodonetsk and why is it important?

The city, which sits in the west of the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, acts as the administrative centre of the region. The surrounding area is largely industrial. It contains the Azot chemical plant, where hundreds of Ukrainian civilians are currently sheltering.

Severodonetsk fell to Russian-backed separatists in 2014, but was recaptured by Ukrainian forces shortly after. It is looking increasingly likely that it could fall against relentless Russian attacks.

Located on the eastern side of the Siverskyi Donets river, Severodonetsk is a stone’s throw away from Lysychansk. Together, they are the last two cities in the Luhansk Oblast that remain under Ukrainian control.

If Severodonetsk falls, Lysychansk will be next.

What is happening on the ground?

Fighting in the streets of the city has continued to escalate, after Ukrainian forces were able to regain control over half of Severodonetsk, pushing back Russian forces who had been in control of 80 per cent of the city.

According to an update from The Institute for the Study of War: “The ability of Ukrainian forces to successfully counterattack in Severodonetsk, the Kremlin’s current priority area of operations, further indicates the declining combat power of Russian forces.”

Despite Ukrainian gains, Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region said: “The situation has worsened a little for [Ukraine] again,” as Russian forces begin to double down on their assault on the city, as well as across the entire frontline in Donetsk.

“The fiercest fighting is in Severodonetsk,” Haidai told Ukrainian national television.

Russian forces have intensified their bombardment of the city, suggesting their aim is to level the city in the same way as they did Mariupol. According to Haidai, Russia is aiming to “wipe everything off the face of the earth, so there would be nothing to defend.”

What could this mean for Ukraine?

Both Ukraine and Russia have suffered severe casualties in the streets of the city, with some Ukrainian units reportedly having withdrawn to the neighbouring city of Lysychansk. If Ukrainian forces are unable to hold Severodonetsk, Russian forces would only have to seize Lysychansk to take control of the entire Luhansk region.

Dr Frank Ledwidge, a senior lecturer in military strategy and law at the University of Portsmouth, told Sky News: “[Ukrainian forces] don’t seem to have declared it a sort of fortress city in the way they did Mariupol. It looks like they’ve withdrawn forces.”

Russian forces are concentrating their attacks in the east of Ukraine, but have also once again targeted Kyiv, for the first time in weeks, with missiles striking rail infrastructure on Sunday.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, it’s probable that this was an attempt by Russian forces to prevent the supply of western military equipment to the frontlines. These strikes come as the UK agreed to send M270 long-range missiles to Ukraine, which Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said would “enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery.”

What does this mean for Putin’s war strategy?

Following Putin’s initial attempt to seize Kyiv, Russian forces have concentrated their attack on the eastern regions of Ukraine, as the Russian President seeks to consolidate his wins and regain control of the conflict.

After early failings, fears are that the Russian Army may have become more effective: “They’re pulling themselves together, even if some wider structural issues with the Russian army persist,” Dr Ledwidge said.

Russian forces are likely to continue their assault, with the hope of taking Severodonetsk in the coming weeks – giving them control of 90 per cent of Luhansk – before moving to capture the remaining Ukrainian held territory in the region.

A Ukrainian victory in the match would see them face Wales in the play-off final in Cardiff on Sunday, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar in December, joining England, Iran and the US in Group B.

Having been postponed from March due to the Russian invasion, Ukrainian hopes of World Cup qualification, as well as those of Scotland, rest on this single tie.

Yet inevitably, Wednesday’s match is about a lot more than just football. Without a doubt, the weight of the world’s support will fall behind the visiting Ukrainians. Scottish footballing hero Graeme Sounness has even said that he hopes Ukraine beat Scotland, adding: “I don’t just want Ukraine to qualify, I want them to go there [Qatar] and win it.”

Scottish fans have also shown they are supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia, despite their footballing rivalry. In a gesture commended by Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko as “an amazing, amazing initiative,” Scottish fans plan to join in with the Ukrainian national anthem, with song sheets to be distributed at Hampden Park tonight.

Zinchenko also said in a tearful pre-match interview: “My mission is to try to help Ukraine as much as I can, to make Ukrainian people proud and that our nation is living with freedom and that we will never give up.”

Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s record goal scorer, and manager between 2016 and 2021, said the match against Scotland is “much more than football for us right now.”

“We need to play for the fans, for the whole of Ukraine, for those at home, for those defending the country and for those who left the country.”

Despite some calls for Scotland to forfeit the match, the Scottish camp is intent on securing themselves a place in the World Cup. Steve Clarke, Scotland’s manager, said: “We have to focus on the football match, and I don’t think the Ukrainian team would want it any other way.”

“It’s very difficult to do but you have to separate the situation that the Ukrainians find themselves in and the context of a football match. It’s a football match and that’s what we focus on.”

With Ukrainian produce normally exported worldwide, the blockade could impact global food prices and supply for years to come. Here’s what you need to know.

Why is it a big deal?

Ukraine currently has around 20 million tons of grain stuck in silos at ports like Odesa, with a Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea preventing Ukrainian ships from exporting produce.

Often described as the “breadbasket of Europe,” Ukraine is the biggest supplier of grain to many developing countries, including many in Africa and the Middle East. Food prices in these countries have risen dramatically since Russia’s invasion, as supply from Ukraine, which normally feeds 400 million people globally, has faltered.

Without grain being exported from Ukraine, global food prices are set to rise, with the poorest nations who are the most reliant on Ukrainian produce likely to suffer most.

What has Putin said?

In a phone call with Italy’s Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, on Thursday, Vladimir Putin stipulated that sanctions from the West would have to be lifted before Russia would allow Ukrainian exports.

According to the Kremlin, Putin said that Moscow “is ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis through the export of grain and fertilizer on the condition that politically motivated restrictions imposed by the West are lifted.”

The news agency Interfax reported that Andrei Rudenko, the Russian deputy foreign minister, blamed the food crisis on western sanctions: “These are the sanctions that have been imposed against Russia by the US and the EU that interfere with normal free trade, encompassing food products including wheat, fertilisers and others.

How is the West responding?

Western governments are keen to find a way to help Ukrainian exports make it past the blockade. Denmark has committed to sending long range anti-ship missiles to help the Ukrainians break the blockade.

Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, said: “It is completely appalling that Putin is trying to hold the world to ransom, and he is essentially weaponising hunger and lack of food amongst the poorest people around the world.”

EU nations are looking at various options, including transporting grain via rail, but trains can carry very little in comparison to grain freighters.

Lithuania and Estonia, both of which are members of the EU and NATO, have called for a naval “coalition of the willing” to escort Ukrainian cargo ships through the Black Sea and past the Russian blockade – something that would require Ukraine to remove sea mines from around its ports. Ukraine wants assurance that Russian ships will not “sneak” into the harbour and attack Odesa, before it agrees to safe shipping corridors.

What could this mean for the rest of the world?

With Ukrainian grain stuck in Black Sea ports, the shortage will mean global food prices rising sharply. Between them, Ukraine and Russia account for one third of global barley production, as well as half of sunflower oil exports.

The stagnation of Ukrainian grain imports will leave this year’s imminent harvest with nowhere to be stored, as grain silos are still filled with produce from last year.

With poorer countries likely to suffer the most, the World Bank has announced over £9bn in aid for countries in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe for the next 15 months. The expectation of 40 per cent rises in food prices has led to some exporters, including India, stockpiling their own produce, which will only serve to drive up prices further.

Christina Ellingsen, who represents the feminist organisation Women’s Declaration International, could be sentenced to up to three years in prison for tweets directed towards Christine Marie Jentoft, a representative of Foreningen FRI, a trans activism group.

In a reply to a tweet by Jentoft, Ellingsen wrote: “Why [does] FRI teach young people that males can be lesbians? Isn’t that conversion therapy?”

In a second tweet, the Norwegian feminist wrote: “Jentoft, who is male and an advisor in FRI, presents himself as a lesbian – that’s how bonkers the organization which supposedly works to protect young lesbians’ interests is. How does it help young lesbians when males claim to be lesbian, too?” 

Jentoft, who identifies as a woman, also claims to be a mother. Elingsen had previously criticised Jentoft on national television, saying: “You are a man. You cannot be a mother. To normalise the idea that men can be mothers is a defined form of discrimination against women.”

Hate speech was made illegal in Norway in 2020. The bill, which was approved by the Norwegian legislative body without a second vote, expanded the penal code in favour of the LGBT+ community for the first time since 1981.

The expansion means that people found guilty of hate speech conducted in public could be jailed for up to three years.

Opponents of the bill claimed that it would infringe on free speech, criminalising criticism against LGBT+ rights.

A similar bill was passed in Scotland in 2021, extending protection to vulnerable groups based on their sexuality and gender identity.

Concerns have been raised that the bill does not create a balance between freedom of expression and protection from hate, instead that it sets a dangerous precedent against free speech in the West.

Twenty-four metres below street level, running under countless listed townhouses, the trains of the new Elizabeth line are hurtling, almost silently, at speeds of around 60 mph – revolutionising rail travel in the capital, and cutting commute times for those living outside London.

The long-awaited train line stretching across London – which was due to open in 2018, but suffered repeated delays – finally opened its doors to commuters on Tuesday. Ahead of the opening, transport enthusiasts travelled from as far as Canada and Hong Kong to experience the new line. Hundreds of passengers waited outside Paddington Station to get the first service at 6:33 am, with some having queued since midnight.

The Elizabeth line is a genuinely impressive feat of engineering – even to the untrained eye. Indeed, on Tuesday morning, at any one of the five central London stations (I visited every single one, apart from Bond Street which has yet to open) there were dozens of train-goers, camera-phones out, intent on documenting the whole experience.

This doesn’t change as you descend on the space-age, LED-lit escalators. In the hour or so I spent train-hopping, I saw hundreds of passengers photographing everything from the platform screen doors to the sleek departure boards.

Tunnelling for the project began in 2012, when the first of Crossrail’s boring machines, Phyllis, began her journey towards Farringdon. This was followed by three years of non-stop digging by seven additional machines – weaving around other tube lines, post office railways, culverted rivers and sewers – that was completed in 2015.

The project then saw its end date pushed back from 2018 to 2022, with the Covid pandemic adding to the delays. Finally, four years late, and £4bn over budget, the Elizabeth line is one of the largest transport engineering projects in Europe, and is meant to employ more technologically complex systems than anything outside China.

The line will operate as three separate services until the autumn, with passengers needing to change at Paddington or Liverpool Street. Within a few months, however, the line will be fully operational, from east to west and back again, giving passengers an uninterrupted trip through central London.

The Elizabeth line’s tunnels are much wider than those of traditional tube stations. This, according to Roger Hawkins, founding partner of Hawkins\Brown, who designed the new Tottenham Court Road Station, is down to modern tunnelling techniques.

The underground stations of the 19^th and 20th centuries were “cut and cover”, Hawkins told Reaction, meaning “they were dug down from the street, causing chaos – the whole of the Kingsway and Southampton row was redeveloped when the Piccadilly line was built.”

He added: “Crossrail just appears out of the ground, it’s quite incredible how all of this has been going on for years, under the surface, without people really knowing about it. It’s a real feat of engineering.”

The size of the bored tunnels also allows for bigger trains. In fact, the Elizabeth line’s trains are built for the mainline, and have a capacity of 1,500, nearly twice that of trains on the Piccadilly Line. When fully operational, the Elizabeth Line will be able to carry 200m passengers per year, something that will help alleviate pressure on the rest of the London Underground.

“There isn’t space on the roads for everyone to have a private car,” Hawkins said. “So we have to invest in public transport …the Central Line is late Victorian, it’s overdue, it’s congested, and often stations are at capacity. So, to create that additional space, and encourage people to use public transport, can only be good.

“I think a healthy public transport system in London will benefit the whole country.”

Building a new underground line in central London is by no means an easy job, however. Engineers and architects not only had to avoid other tunnels, but also the foundations of London’s buildings. They also had to find a way to construct the new stations into an existing city. The 200 metre platforms of the Elizabeth line are so long that passengers arriving in Liverpool Street can find themselves exiting from either Liverpool Street or Moorgate, a completely different station, depending on which end of the platform they leave the train.

The designers of the Elizabeth Line also took measures to reduce noise pollution created by the passing trains. Where the line passes underneath the Barbican Concert Hall, and Soho – home to many of London’s recording studios – the railway tracks were floated on top of springs to remove as much vibration as possible.

More than just being a marvel of engineering, the Elizabeth line is a triumphant example of Britain’s architectural talent. The new stations are a stunning departure from the cramped, Covid nightmare of the traditional London Underground that was built in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

“These stations are like cathedrals … I challenge anyone who uses the Elizabeth line next week not to have their breath taken away – it’s just mind-blowing,” said the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, last week. He’s right. The new stations are undeniably breath-taking, and are capable of replicating some of the awe felt upon entering a cathedral.

This, apparently, was fully intended. Oliver Tyler, director of WilkinsonEyre, who designed the new Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations, said: “I liken the escalator boxes to a medieval cathedral nave… we tried to make the escalator boxes open and expressive, by making sure that there was no propping or structure. The idea being, if you are coming up from the platforms, you would have a view of this grand space.”

Another reason why these stations are so large is to help natural light create an airy environment, Hawkins said, adding that it feels wonderful, “getting daylight down in the ticket halls.”

At Liverpool Street, one of the Elizabeth line entrances has a glass canopy with a steel frame. “We were very keen to make sure we could get as much daylight in as we could,” Tyler told Reaction.

The glass canopy has another use: guidance. “As light comes out of it at night, it acts like a lantern, so it aids wayfinding in the street at night.”

Ease of travel is a concept built into the rest of the stations, with a focus on creating clear and legible routes, in the hope of avoiding the congestion that plagues other underground lines.

“The construction of the tunnels lends itself to those sorts of fluid, flowing lines that I think aids intuitive wayfinding,” says Tyler. “It makes the cross passages more open so that we try and make people feel comfortable – not feeling that there are, sort of, corners where people might be hiding behind …it helps people feel comfortable moving through those spaces.”

The new line is set to put 1.5m people within 45 minutes of central London and will serve the capital for at least 125 years. For the architects who have worked on the project – several of them, like Hawkins and Tyler, for some 30 years – its opening is the crowning moment of decades’ worth of work. “It’s fantastic to see the trains and stations come alive with people using them. You know, just to see the expressions on their faces, just realising where they are,” Hawkins said.

The Elizabeth line may have had teething problems and some delays, but the project is still a magnificent victory for the future of British transport as well as a celebration of the country’s great engineering skills. With 130,000 passengers before 10am on its first morning of service, the new line will be an enormous improvement for those travelling around the capital as well as providing better access to the whole country.  

But is it going to be the next pandemic? Here’s what you need to know.

What is monkeypox?

While monkeypox was first discovered in monkeys in 1958, giving the virus its name, it is more commonly spread through rodents. The virus is endemic in Africa, occurring mostly in central and west African nations, near to tropical rainforests.

The virus, which usually spreads outside Africa via travel from affected areas, is part of the same family as smallpox, and as such can also be protected against using smallpox vaccines.

Currently, there are over 100 confirmed or suspected cases worldwide, with 20 confirmed cases in the UK, after Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that 11 more cases had been confirmed.

The government, which has 5,000 doses of the smallpox vaccine, has ordered a further 20,000 in order to vaccinate health workers.

How does it spread?

The monkeypox virus, unlike Covid-19 and other airborne viruses, is spread through close contact with an infected person. The virus can gain access through broken skin, as well as through the eyes, nose, and mouth.

A cluster of UK cases has appeared in men who identify as gay or bisexual. However, Dr Michael Skinner of Imperial College London said it was too early to “assume that sexual activity was necessary for transmission.”

He added: “By nature, sexual activity involves intimate contact, which one would expect to increase the likelihood of transmission, whatever a person’s sexual orientation and irrespective of the mode of transmission.”

The virus can also be spread through infected animals, or items such as bedding that have been in contact with an infected person.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of monkeypox are like those of the flu. Those infected are likely to experience fever, muscle aches, and chills. The virus also causes a rash that is similar to chickenpox.

In general, these symptoms are relatively mild, and according to the WHO, will only tend to last between two to four weeks.

In some cases, the virus can be more severe, and even fatal – in recent years, the virus’s fatality rate has been between three and six per cent.

Should we be worried?

Experts say that the chances of infection are low, and most of those infected will recover without treatment. 

Yet depending on the strain of the virus, mortality rates can vary. All the recorded cases in the UK are of the less deadly West African strain, which might kill one per cent of those infected, rather than the Congo strain, which is deadly in as many as ten per cent of patients.

In comparison with Avian Bird Flu – the H5N1 strain of which has a 60 percent mortality rate, having killed 456 people between 2003 and 2021 – the Monkeypox strain that has been found in the UK is far less dangerous, and is likely to be deadly in only one out of 100 cases.

Professor Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia said: “Because these cases are being reported as the West African type it is unlikely that we will see particularly severe disease or that we would see sustained community transmission in the UK.”

Outbreaks of monkeypox have happened before – in 2003 the virus appeared in the US, the first time it had been seen outside Africa, but despite 81 cases, there were no deaths.

Of the recent cases in the UK, two of the infected patients had travelled from Nigeria and are likely to have been infected in the country. Another of the patients is a healthcare worker who was infected by one of the two.

Currently, cases have been recorded in 11 countries, including Spain which has 38 cases – the highest of any country.

Dr Michael Head of the University of Southampton said, “It would be very unusual to see anything more than a handful of cases in any outbreak, and we won’t be seeing Covid-style levels of transmission.”

What happened last time?

Australia’s last election was in 2019, with the Liberal-National Coalition scraping through with 77 seats, one more than the 76 required for a majority – the first time since 2001 that a government had won a third consecutive term in office. This proved a major upset for the Australian Labor Party, which had polled ahead of the Liberal-National Coalition for three years.

Voting in Australia is mandatory for over-18s – in the run up to this election, 17.2 million people have enrolled to vote.

Who are the key characters?

Scott Morrison, the incumbent prime minister, has been in power since 2018. Morrison will be seeking to replicate his previous success, undoubtedly hoping that his closed-border approach to Covid, which gave Australia one of the lowest global death rates, will be enough to keep him in favour.

However, Morrison has recently faced criticism, even from within his own party. Text messages from Barnaby Joyce, the deputy prime minister, revealed that he had called Morrison a “hypocrite and a liar.” Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells also used her outgoing speech to describe the prime minister as having “no moral compass.”

Facing Morrison is Anthony Albanese, leader of the Labor Party since 2019. Albanese, who separated from his wife in 2019, would be Australia’s first prime minister to have been separated or divorced – with eight opposition parties having lost elections with a divorced and remarried leader.

Albanese, previously deputy prime minister under Kevin Rudd, has moved towards the centre after becoming leader, and has promised significant spending on the care sector, manufacturing and to provide cheaper childcare.

What’s at stake?

All seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs. The outcome will determine which party forms a government.

Of the total of 151 seats, 76 are needed for a majority government – otherwise, parties will have to rely on winning support from a host of independents.

With Labor leading in the polls by five per cent according to Ipsos, the party will be looking to improve upon the 68 seats it won in 2019, and push past the Coalition to take a majority this time around. However, the lead that Labor currently holds is down from the last poll 12 days ago.

While the government is making gains due to an unemployment rate of 3.9 per cent for April, the lowest figure since 1974, it is likely that it could suffer at the hands of the so-called “teal independents”. These 22 candidates are set to take votes from the Coalition by pushing for action on climate change, something the Coalition has failed to do.

Over half of the seats in the Senate’s 76 seats are also being contested, with the Coalition currently in possession of 35, and Labor holding 26.

What are the main issues being fought over?

A major concern amongst voters is climate change. In recent years, Australia has suffered at the hands of some of the worst bushfires and floods the country has ever seen. In February, Brisbane had more than 70 per cent of its annual rainfall in three days.

Around 500,000 properties in flood-prone areas are also likely to become “uninsurable” by 2030, as extreme weather increases costs of maintenance, repair and replacement of homes.

Both Labor and the Coalition have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, but have also said that they will back the coal mining industry.

The treatment of women in Australia’s government has also proved to be an issue for voters; a wave of sexual assault and harassment allegations in 2021 led to protesters marching for women’s rights across the country.

According to a 2021 report by Kate Jenkins, Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, one third of the employees in the Australian parliament had experienced sexual harassment – and one per cent had been sexually assaulted.

Originating in the French Limousin region, the gold-coloured cattle were once draught animals, renowned for their strength and sturdiness. Nowadays, they are raised, across the world, as beef cattle, and are the leading cattle breed in Britain.

However, Northern Irish Limousin farmers, along with their prized livestock, are unlikely to be in attendance at the celebrations, thanks to rules set out in the Northern Ireland Protocol that make it difficult for farmers to move their livestock between England and Ireland.

Warning that Northern Irish producers could be squeezed out of the UK market, William Irvine, deputy president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, said: “We are frustrated that the UK government seems to be hell-bent on opening to doors wide-open to anywhere around the world, when they aren’t supporting home-grown, quality product – that has traceability, is quality-assured, and is a known quantity.”

According to Irvine, the most significant issue facing livestock farmers in Northern Ireland is importing their livestock back into Northern Ireland from Great Britain: “If for any reason cattle are taken over to Great Britain and they don’t sell, they can’t come straight back – they have to have six months’ residency in Great Britain before they can come back to Northern Ireland again.”

Under the Protocol arrangement, goods arriving from the Great British mainland are checked before they reach Northern Ireland. This usually takes place in seaports such as at Belfast. The checks are required by the EU when products like meat, dairy and eggs are imported from a non-EU state and ensure that goods bound for the EU adhere to its strict standards.

The Protocol has led to Northern Irish farmers suffering, as the new rules and Brexit worries threaten to harm their trade.

“There was a traditional movement of livestock backwards and forwards,” says Irvine. “Our pedigree breeders would have taken a prime, pedigree stocked over to sales in the north of England and south of Scotland. And there would have been a small but lucrative market for them… [this rule] has killed that trade for us.”

“They can’t attend that event because of the six-month residency before they can bring their stock home again,” Irvine said. “Our local guys here have world-class Limousins that could compete with anybody.”

The Northern Ireland Protocol also hampers farmers’ abilities to compete with rivals from outside of the EU. The free trade deals that Britain has agreed with Australia and New Zealand have led to concerns that beef and lamb could flood into the UK market, undercutting Northern Irish meat which must adhere to EU standards, according to the current Protocol.

“At the minute, the vast majority of Australia and New Zealand’s products go into Asia. So in the immediate future it doesn’t worry us. But if, for any reason, the Asian market hiccups, then we will feel very vulnerable – Australia and New Zealand could just use us as a dumping ground for cheap product,” Irvine said.

“The demand in supermarkets is for British, quality-approved beef. The real issue would be in the restaurant sector – their beef tends to be cheaper.”

Once you’ve made it outside, you realise it’s all worth it. Long Beach Campsite, where we spent the night, sits on the northern shore of Loch Nevis, a short walk from the village of Inverie. 

The village, little more than a few houses dotted along a single-track road, is located on the Knoydart Peninsula, earning the title of “Britain’s last wilderness”. It is not connected to the national road network, so prospective visitors are faced with two options: a ferry across the loch from the tiny port-town of Mallaig, or a long hike through the rugged highland terrain. 

Unsurprisingly for three men in their early twenties, we chose the latter.

We had set out from the Morar Hotel four days earlier with rucksacks on our backs, map and compass in hand. It was reminiscent of our Bronze DofE glory days.

Also true to the stereotypes of twenty-somethings, we took the unspoken decision that our well-planned walking route, pencilled onto our trusty Ordnance Survey Map, was merely a guideline. Why not simply trust our eyes for directions? After all, it would be far more fun.

Instead of heading high into the Hibernian peaks as we had planned, we set off hugging Loch Nevis’ shoreline instead. All well and good, we thought, until we reached a stream that had cut itself a deep ravine into the earth or a stretch of sheer cliff face forcing us to choose between a refreshingly ice-cold swim or the slow trudge back up the mountainside.

Far removed from the bustle of southern living, this part of the highlands makes the Essex countryside that I call home seem like a metropolis. The deep blue of Loch Nevis provides panoramic vistas of the paradisal, unadulterated hills that stretch beyond the water.

There aren’t a huge number of landmarks in Scotland’s back of beyond — there are only so many trees or rocks that a person can see before they all become alike. But there is one, and it isn’t something likely to be mistaken.

As we descended towards the shoreline on the morning of our second day, the unmistakable shape of a whale began to come into view. Beached on the stony shore, the great grey beast would be in danger were it real.

It is, in fact, a boat, and the brainchild of adventurer and ex-British soldier, Tom McClean. McClean, now 80, has crossed the Atlantic solo five times, something he one day hopes to do again, but this time in the whaleboat that he built with his own hands.

Upon reaching his Lochside home, we discovered that Mclean was unaccountably absent — perhaps off on some sort of adventure. Even so, “Moby”, the 62-tonne whaleboat, proved an impressive view for us to take in as we chewed on our sandwiches.

Later, finding ourselves on a long stretch of rocky beach, alongside a lush pasture and a couple of holiday lets, we paused in the sun for a much-needed coffee break. As we set about concocting our brew, attempting to shield the stove from the coastal wind, we were surprised by the first faces — that weren’t of sheep — that we had seen in days.

The two holidaymakers guided us towards the gently lapping water of Loch Nevis, pointing with excitement at what appeared to be a collection of moss-covered rocks. But look again, and maybe again, a bit harder this time. Suddenly you see them, and they are everywhere. 

Mussels, masses of them. Before long, we had filled all manner of containers — pots, pans, mugs, the like — keen to secure some dinner that was fresh, and wasn’t tuna pasta, again.

There was more than just an immense sense of satisfaction that evening, sat around a campfire, enjoying the fruits (de la mer) of our labour, we felt something primal, as if we were part of the eco-system and the wilderness that surrounded us. Eight hours later, it was back to baked beans for breakfast.

At around the halfway point in our four-day hike, the promise of resting our heads at Sourlies Bothy is what kept us going. A bothy, to the uninitiated, is a stone hut, often nestled in some remote patch of the highlands — free to use for hikers and mountaineers. 

However, Sourlies Bothy was not the restful retreat we might have imagined — there was no complimentary chocolate on our pillows, or pillows, for that matter. Or beds, water or electricity. Add that to the likelihood of sharing the hut with other hikers, and it was really little better than a tent.

The real sticking point, however, that removed all possibility of a good night’s sleep, was the mice. Just as we drifted into a troubled sleep (induced, no doubt, by the wooden benches we were sleeping on), they began their dastardly crusade, laying siege to whichever rucksack proves unlucky enough to be their first target.

In the end, with a flickering hope of clawing back the remnants of what had seemed such a promising nights rest, we suspended our bags to the rafters, guided only by torchlight.

Rejuvenated — to some insignificant degree — the last stretch of our journey, and the assurance of a pint at the end of it, beckoned us. Our triumphant home stretch was cut short, though, when my right leg vanished into the ground. With a yelp of disbelief (after all, my companions had safely traversed the very path into which I had sunk) I realised my right leg was immovable.

They pulled me out, thankfully, but with a significantly damper leg than I had previously, not to mention a noticeable squelching sound emanating from my boot. Pushing on, despite the injustice of being the only one with wet feet, we began to descend towards civilisation and beer.

At the heart of Inverie’s community is a pub. Not The Old Forge — designated by Guinness World Records as the remotest pub in Britain, and also where we were booked in for dinner — but the small wooden shelter on the other side of the road that serves as the pub for Inverie’s locals, who are at war with the Belgian landlord of The Old Forge. At least they were, until March of this year when the community pooled together to purchase their true local.

All this became clear, as we settled into the somewhat quiet pub, enjoying a delightful (if a little expensive) meal that was not pasta or tuna-based. This was washed down with a couple of pints each — given our recent diet, rationed to what we could carry on our backs, I imagine any more would have sent us over the edge. Nevertheless, it was a perfect end to a taxing trip.

Of course, you don’t have to hike for four days to get a chance to appreciate Loch Nevis, Inverie and the rest of Knoydart. By all means, hop onto the ferry from Mallaig, get yourself a pint of locally brewed ale at The Old Forge and then stroll leisurely to whichever one of the slew of holiday cottages you have decided to book. You won’t regret it.

There is something raw about committing yourself to the arduous hike, though. Maybe it’s the remnants of some primitive caveman instinct talking — the same one that makes men obsessive about barbecue control perhaps. 

But that’s fine by me, it made that first cathartic sip of a cold pint feel like the reward for every step of our quasi-pilgrimage.

What to do

Take a hike

Hike across the highlands and take in the stunning views of Loch Nevis surrounding you. Forage for your dinner and enjoy the feeling of living off the land, surrounded by only mountains and lakes.

Spot Moby

Adventurer Tom McClean’s 62-tonne whaleboat “Moby” sits on the shore of Loch Nevis, awaiting the day it might finally set sail. In the meantime, it serves as the perfect companion for a sandwich break after a long day of hiking.

Where to eat and drink

The Old Forge

With no roads in or out, you face either an 18-mile hike or a 7-mile sea crossing to get to this pub — but the long journey will make your food and drink taste all the sweeter. The Old Forge is currently serving drinks only as the kitchen undergoes renovation but offers a wide selection of beers, lagers and ales, including some local specialities.

Where to stay?

Long Beach campsite

For just £10 a night you can camp with a view of Inverie Bay that spans all the way out to the Isle of Rum at this campsite. Waking up with the rising sun and chattering birds and taking in the crisp highland air, it couldn’t feel further from London.

Knoydart Luxury Pod

For those more accustomed to glamping, the Knoydart Luxury Pod sleeps two and offers stunning views of Loch Nevis, with its own private decking area. Small but cosy, the luxury pod is equipped with a shower, toilet, kitchenette and wifi and is located just five minutes walk from the pier, restaurant and pub. Rates from £130 per night, pets are welcome, 2-night minimum stay. To book email: knoydartluxurypod@gmail.com.

Many readers won’t have the slightest idea what it’s all about. But with the libel case set to dominate headlines for the next week, here’s what you need to know.

What happened?

The story begins in 2017, when Coleen Rooney, wife of England footballing legend, Wayne Rooney, began to notice that her private Instagram stories (updates that can only be seen by a select group of Rooney’s choosing) were being leaked to the Sun. One story that appeared in the newspaper mentioned an image of Wayne and their three sons “wearing matching pyjamas,” something she had earlier posted in private on Instagram.

As her private life continued to make it into the news, Rooney began to suspect foul play, and decided to take action – the game was afoot.

How did Rooney collect her evidence, and who was the suspect?

Rooney began to post false updates on her private story, seeking out the traitor amongst her friends.

In a series of fake posts, Rooney claimed that she was in talks with Strictly Come Dancing, that she had gone to Mexico for gender selection, and even that her basement had flooded. All appeared in the Sun.

Announcing her sting operation on Twitter in October 2019, Rooney wrote, “I blocked everyone from viewing my Instagram stories except ONE account.” It was this that led her to a suspect.

She then delivered the coup de grace: “It’s ………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.”

“Mon Dieu!” she undoubtedly exclaimed, channelling her inner-Poirot, when she made her shocking discovery.

The prime suspect is the wife of another Premier League star, Jamie Vardy, who catapulted Leicester City to a Premier League win in 2016.

What is the court case about?

Since the revelation in 2019, Vardy has vehemently denied being involved in the leaks, and has claimed on social media that she isn’t the only one with access to her Instagram account.

With no apology forthcoming from Rooney, Vardy filed for a libel case against her former friend in June 2020.

The libel case first went to court in November 2020, in a preliminary hearing, Mr Justice Warby stated that the purpose of Rooney’s post was to “Identify [Vardy] publicly”, and that, “there is ‘no hint’ in the post that Ms Vardy’s account could be accessed or operated by anyone other than the named account holder.” This means that Rooney will have to prove in court that Vardy was personally involved in the leaks, and that her statement on Twitter was “substantially true”.

Text messages between Vardy and her agent, Caroline Watt, have also been revealed. In one, Vardy describes Rooney as “a nasty bitch”. Watt’s phone, however, has since been lost, after she dropped it in the North Sea whilst on a boat trip; even so, she claims it would not have been of much use, as she frequently deletes her messages.

Vardy’s WhatsApp messages were also lost whilst being exported to her lawyer.

Why do we care?

Since the case involves two famous names – not to mention their famous husbands – it’s not surprising that the “Wagatha Christie” case is gaining a lot of attention. Part of what makes it newsworthy is the hefty legal bill both sides are amassing – expected to be more than £1m a piece.

It’s not hard to think of more important stories at the moment, which begs the question: does any of this actually matter? Maybe not. But the who dunnit story might just be the best British detective yarn since “Murder on the Orient Express”.