Sculptor plans inspiring Captain Tom statue

Sculptor Andrian Melka is hoping to raise £28,500 to create a bronze statue of Captain Sir Tom Moore, which he hopes will be displayed at a hospital in Leeds as inspiration to the staff and patients.

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  • Prince Harry and William to reunite at unveiling of Diana statue as they move past rift

    The Duke of Sussex is determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother at the unveiling of a statue of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, whatever the fallout from his interview with Oprah Winfrey. Prince Harry hopes that the brothers can present a united front at Kensington Palace on July 1, which would have been the Princess’s 60th birthday, in an attempt to move past their rift. A source close to Prince Harry insisted that whatever had been said and done, he desperately hoped to attend the event and considered it a priority. There is more uncertainty about whether the Duke might make it back to the UK for earlier events, such as Trooping the Colour on June 12 or the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday on June 10, partly due to the impending birth of his second child, thought to be due around that time. Despite the explosive nature of the revelations made to Ms Winfrey, the Sussexes consider the interview their last word on the subject and want to move on. They felt they needed to have their say and explain to the public why they turned their backs on royal life, but now consider the matter closed, sources said. One friend said: “It was something they felt they wanted and needed to do but now they have done it, they feel a line has been drawn under that chapter of their lives and they want to move on.”

  • Duchess of Sussex 'bullying' investigation will not feature any other Royal family members

    The Buckingham Palace investigation into bullying will be confined solely to allegations concerning the Duchess of Sussex and will not involve any other members of the Royal family. The review will be deliberately limited in scope, focusing on a specific time period, and will invite only members of staff from the time to give evidence, The Telegraph understands. A senior royal aide denied claims that the Duchess of Cornwall or the Duchess of Cambridge would be involved, insisting that it was solely for employees. A Sunday newspaper claimed that the senior royals could be called upon to assist palace officials in the probe if participants claimed they had witnessed the offending behaviour. The Duchess of Cambridge, in particular, is said to have been unhappy with the way her sister-in-law spoke to her staff. She was once said to have been left in tears after a confrontation during Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress fitting. But a well-placed source said: "Only staff will take part in this review, no one else." The investigation is expected to be led by Elisabeth Hunka, director of HR at Buckingham Palace. She could be aided by Catherine James, the treasurer of Prince Charles's household, who is responsible for HR at Clarence House. Members of staff past and present will be invited to give evidence in confidence. It has been claimed that up to a dozen aides have already lined up to take part. The Sussexes have made clear that if allegations are made against them, they expect to be formally notified and given the right of reply. However, the palace has stressed that the review is designed solely to improve internal policies and procedures and will not be treated as a “kangaroo court”. It was set up after it emerged that an official complaint had been raised about the Duchess’s behaviour by Jason Knauf, then the Sussexes’ communications secretary. In an email complaint sent in October 2018 to Simon Case, who was then the Duke of Cambridge's private secretary and is now the cabinet secretary, he said: “I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X was totally unacceptable.” He added: “The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y.”

  • Austria suspends AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine batch after death

    Austrian authorities have suspended inoculations with a batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as a precaution while investigating the death of one person and the illness of another after the shots, a health agency said on Sunday. "The Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG) has received two reports in a temporal connection with a vaccination from the same batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the district clinic of Zwettl" in Lower Austria province, it said.

  • Liverpool "not good enough" says Klopp following Fulham defeat

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reviews his side's 1-0 loss to league trailers Fulham. Klopp said the Reds "conceded a goal, didn't score and lost the game, not good enough".

  • UK records lowest daily Covid deaths in almost five months

    First time daily deaths below 100 since 19 October

  • Over-56s are invited for Covid vaccine jabs as July target date on track

    Everyone aged 56 and over will be invited for jabs this week, NHS England has announced. Hundreds of thousands of letters for those aged between 56 and 59 began landing on doorsteps on Saturday. The latest round of invitations comes after eight in 10 people aged 65 to 69 took up the offer of inoculation. More than 18 million people in England - more than a third of the adult population - have already received a vaccine. Across the UK, more than a million people have received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, while almost 21.4 million people have had one dose. Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS England national medical director for primary care, said: "It is testament to our incredible staff that we can now move on to the next age group. The vaccines are both safe and effective, so if anybody who is eligible hasn't been vaccinated yet, I'd urge them to go online or call 119 and get themselves booked in."

  • Our Girl's Michelle Keegan responds to rumours of marriage problems with TOWIE's Mark Wright

    "I find it ridiculous."

  • Piers Morgan claims he was ‘scolded’ in the street by an elderly woman for Meghan Markle criticism

    Morgan has criticised the duke and duchess of Sussex multiple times in recent weeks

  • Boris Johnson news: PM ‘misled parliament’ over Covid contracts as strike fund launched over 1% NHS pay rise

    Follow the day’s events as they happened

  • Hospitals offer holiday and bonuses to Covid-weary staff in England

    Hospitals offer holiday and bonuses to Covid-weary staff in England. Food, drama and poetry also part of efforts to reward NHS workers and improve conditions

  • Hope for summer holidays but Britons should prepare for hard winter, Dr Susan Hopkins says

    ‘Population immunity’ to flu and other viruses may have been impacted by Covid health measures, government adviser says

  • Coronavirus deaths continue to fall as 82 further fatalities are recorded in the UK

    This is the first time that fewer than 100 deaths have been reported since October 19

  • ‘Keep Meghan Markle’s name out of your damn mouth’: Kamala Harris’ niece defends the Duchess ahead of interview

    She accused critics of the Duchess of being racist

  • Boris Johnson defends NHS pay rise saying the government has given ‘as much as we can’

    ‘My gratitude is overwhelming’ says prime minister

  • PM vows to stick with cautious lockdown approach as schools prepare to return

    It comes as those aged 56-59 are being invited to join the cohort of the population being offered a Covid-19 vaccine.

  • Dancing On Ice semi-final sees another celebrity sent home

    Four contestants competed for a place in the grand final.

  • Scots don’t support independence after Sturgeon inquiry, poll suggests

    More than third of Scottish voters less likely to vote for cutting ties with rest of UK after events of recent days

  • Exodus of foreign workers ‘a threat to UK recovery’

    Exodus of foreign workers ‘a threat to UK recovery’Construction, care and hospitality industries all at risk from major shortage of employees, say business leaders The government could fail to meet its target to build 300,000 homes a year because of a potential shortage of workers in the construction industry. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

  • School Holidays Could Be Cut After Covid, Gavin Williamson Confirms

    Education secretary said teachers were among public sector workers set to face "pay restraint".

  • Six million ‘hidden’ patients could flood NHS waiting lists this year

    Exclusive: Chancellor has only done ‘half the job’, warn NHS bosses as they call for waiting time targets to be suspended