crazy

Why Innsbruck makes the perfect winter base

Innsbruck offers lots of options for a winter holiday. I found it’s a place where you don’t have to hurtle down ski slopes or dance like crazy at après-ski parties. In fact I was amazed when I took the 20-minute cable car from the city centre up 2,000 metres to an area where locals were sitting in deckchairs on the snow reading books and sipping hot chocolate in the strong Tirolean sunshine. You can ski to your heart’s content on slopes just half an hour from the famous Imperial Palace in the city centre. The city authorities provide some guided free walks and winter activities, including a cross-country skiing taster if you have a Welcome Card provided by your hotel. Then again, you can just sit and sample strong Austrian coffee or Gerschtnsuppe (soup with barley, smoked meat and vegetables) at riverside cafes and pubs.
Gina

Ski and hit the beach in one day in Andalucía

The Sierra Nevada range is just 17 miles south of Granada in Andalucía, making the beautiful city a viable place to stay if visiting these high mountains. For skiers the resort village of Pradollano is at 2,100 metres, from which cable cars and chairlifts reach up close to the 3,000-metre summits. It’s a fantastic ski resort, Europe’s most southerly, but is still very much under most people’s radar. There are 112km of pistes and 134 slopes, most of which are well above 2,000 metres so snow is fairly reliable. This year it’s opening on 29 November with ski passes from €38. It’s little more than an hour’s drive to Motril and the Mediterranean. You really can ski in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon.
Stephen McCann

Peaks of the Balkans, Albania and Montenegro

Last year I enjoyed a brilliant winter trip in the Albanian Alps and in Montenegro. Highlights included the walk to and from the spectacular Grunas waterfall in Theth national park in Albania, and the hike to 1,970-metre Hrid lake in Montenegro’s Prokletije national park. We skied and walked a section of the 120-mile Peaks of the Balkans trail and spent some time in the lively town of Plav, which included a folk song and karaoke night with some locals where I taught one group a version of Last Christmas to great applause.
Nick

The Alps in infrared, Austria

We stayed at the lodge Jagdhaus (€220 a night, sleeps up to 6) at Furx in western Austria. This wonderful place has a sauna, an infrared chamber and an external hot tub from which to enjoy special views towards the Alps. There are any amount of scenic walks on your doorstep and, 100 metres below, there is the Peterhof restaurant with remarkably low prices for such a high standard of cuisine.
Kevin Hill

Twinkling lights in Poland’s Tatra mountains

I first discovered the Tatra mountains on a day trip from Kraków some years ago and returned for a mountain break last February, staying in Zakopane, which is a great base for skiers and anyone who enjoys winter mountain activities. It’s affordable (my chalet for a week was just €400) and has lovely traditional wooden and stone houses, cafes and cheap restaurants serving tasty Polish stews and filled pierogis, which kept us warm throughout. We hired snow shoes to explore the foothills by day and at dusk the twinkling lights of the mountain villages came on, adding to the wonderful scene of lakes, mountains and forests. We also enjoyed sleigh rides and husky-driven carriages through the silent forests to magical ice mazes.
Yasmin

The amazing light of Eryri, north Wales

Our favourite winter break is at Llanberis in Eryri national park (Snowdonia). It’s peaceful, dramatic, and full of charm without Alpine crowds. We love the cozy log fires, hikes up the mountain passing waterfalls and the choice of yurts and eco-lodges to stay in. It’s particularly stunning in cold weather when kissed with snow or frost. The amazing light on the Llyn Padarn recreates a mirror in a breathtaking landscape dominated by Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). A special treat is the authentic Welsh community of makers and local craftspeople. Music, food and friendliness make this a more delightful experience than going abroad.
David Innes-Wilkin

Adrenaline-fuelled days in Austria

Kreischberg in the state of Styria is a medium-sized resort with log cabins and a James Bond-style restaurant in which to dine in style. We stayed at the base of the mountain in the Ferienpark cabins; each with log burners to cosy up beside. When it comes to skiing, take the long telecabin up the Kreischberg and explore blues, reds and blacks. For the best slopes head to Rosenkranzhöhe, where there are sweeping reds and blacks with expansive views over the Alps. After an adrenaline-fuelled morning, and for the best restaurant views, head to the Eagle, styled like a Bond villain’s lair.
Mark

Winning tip: Ice age roots in Sweden

There are mountain areas in Sweden where some of the oldest living things in Europe survive. When the ice retreated from Scandinavia 9,000 years ago, various isolated elevated areas were left frozen, and the root systems of ice age trees live on. Sonfjället national park in the empty Härjedalen region of central west Sweden is one such area, where the spruce Old Rasmus, grown from 9,500-year-old roots, can be found. The park is also known for its high density of bears. I return to the mountains in summer, autumn or winter. I find them incredibly peaceful; you can experience absolute silence and often you can gaze at the northern lights.
Lars

WIMBLEDON legends are thrilled to see Thomas Tuchel go full Crazy Gang in England’s bid for World Cup glory.

The England boss is taking a leaf out of the Dons playbook by telling his Three Lions to use long throws and big goal-kicks to secure their first major trophy since 1966.

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Wimbledon were renowned for their direct and physical style of play both during the 1980s and 1990s.

As well as climbing from non-league to the top tier, they also pulled off one of football’s biggest shocks to beat Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final at Wembley.

Former Dons manager Dave Bassett told Sun Sport: “I think Tuchel’s on the right lines.

“The purists have been living in fantasy land. Even Manchester City use the long ball more. Our old ways are catching on.

“If you can get the ball forward — not aimlessly — and get players running in behind, it unsettles defences.

“People panic more with long throws than they ever do with corners — they become frightened to death.

“Going sideways and backwards doesn’t get you goals.

“We didn’t hang around. The ­players knew it was one-touch and going into the box. But we did not get the credit because people called it anti-football.”

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Bassett backs Tuchel’s decision to leave Jude Bellingham out of his latest squad — raising the ­possibility the Real Madrid superstar may not even feature in the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer.

The 81-year-old added: “Tuchel needs to decide what formation he wants and which players best suit his system and share his vision.

“Bellingham is a very good player but if he’s not conducive to the team spirit, then tough luck on Bellingham. One person cannot hold the team to ransom.

“When you go away, Tuchel can’t have moody, selfish people who are not sold on his ideas.

“If players are suspect he won’t take them — even if they may be great players.”

Bobby Gould took the reins after Bassett fell out with Dons owner Sam Hammam — and led them to their most famous win.

His first masterstroke after taking over the Crazy Gang was hiring ex-England coach Don Howe.

And Gould, 79, said: “England’s loss was Wimbledon’s gain with Don.

“We just added a bit more quality rather than ripping it up and starting again. It worked wonders.

“Don was Arsenal through and through and steeped in tradition — but even he got into the mind games.

“In the Wembley dressing room he told every player and staff member to put their watch back ten minutes.

“When the referee came to tell us to get into the tunnel, Don said, ‘no, not yet your watch must be wrong’. So off the ref went, we kept Kenny Dalglish & Co waiting — and that was our first ­victory of the day.”

Tuchel’s England exploits remind Gould of the Dons’ good old days.

He added: “England have scored a couple of goals under Tuchel right out of the Wimbledon playbook.

“But it showed our much-maligned tactics still work because the opposition don’t know what’s hit them when you get forward quickly and slaughter them with crosses or long throws.

“Mentally and physically you’ve got to be in it together and that gets the opposition thinking, ‘what have we got to do to stop them?’”

Wembley goal hero Lawrie Sanchez went on to use his Wimbledon experience as Northern Ireland manager.

And he masterminded a shock 1-0 victory over Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England at Windsor Park 20 years ago.

Sanchez, 65, said: “The thing the Crazy Gang had is we were greater than the sum of our parts.

“Whether you could get away with half the gamesmanship we got up to with 24 cameras focused on games is a different matter.

“But on the football side, the set-plays, strength of the characters, strong team ethic and belief in what we were doing would still stand us in good stead.

“We were stats-based well before stats came into play and our set-plays were the logical development from that stat-based stuff. We did set-plays in training ­boringly for hours on Thursdays and Fridays — but it paid off.

“Whether you can get that in an England team in a short space of time is a different matter.

“But they’ve been doing the same thing for the last 59 years and not won anything.”

Full-back Nigel Winterburn helped Wimbledon to a couple of promotions under Bassett but left for Arsenal a year before the cup glory.

He said: “No one liked us because of the way we played but we were often cast-offs with a determination to prove people wrong.

“Boy-oh-boy we intimidated a lot of teams.”

But the likes of John ­Fashanu and Vinny Jones met their match when they faced the British Army.

Winterburn, 61, said: “Dave Bassett liked to bond everyone in pre-season.

“We’d get a typed itinerary saying which five-star hotel awaited.

“But we would end up in the most basic places — usually with the army.

“Once we had to camp out overnight, attack a mock fort and rescue a so-called prisoner.

“It ended up in chaos with Fash and Vinny fighting soldiers.

“There were weird and wonderful times. It forged a togetherness that made sure we were always there to help team-mates.”

Fox News has never been bothered by the Trumpian approach to social media, with its all-caps posts and multiple exclamation points. Its self-aggrandizing hyperbole. Its mean-girl name-calling. But this week, the MAGA network’s hosts were triggered.

“You have to stop it with the Twitter thing,” said host Dana Perino. Sean Hannity bemoaned the “performative confrontational style” that only “wins you points with the loony radical base.” Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher referred to the tone as “childish.”

So why the sudden dismay and hurt feelings? Because the taunts and boasts are coming from a Democrat, and not just any lefty but King Snowflake himself, California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Adopting Trump’s low-bar social media tactics, the X account of Newsom’s press office has spent recent weeks mimicking the president’s social media style to troll the trollers. They’ve nicknamed U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem “Commander Cosplay.” And Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — who took that sunny Mexican vacation during a deadly 2021 winter storm in his state — is “Cancun Cruz.” As for the commander-in-chief? “Small Hands.”

Playing off the doctored images of a virile Trump posted by the president’s account on his own platform, Newsom’s account has generated equally delusional memes. One shows the governor’s face carved into Mt. Rushmore, another of him as a king on the cover of Time magazine and as a messiah-like figure worshiped by MAGAites Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock and the late Hulk Hogan (the latter post was followed by another that just read “I HATE KID ROCK!!! – GCN”).

This week on Fox News’ “The Five,” an incredulous Perino said of Newsom: “I don’t know where his wife is? If I were his wife I would say, ‘You’re making a fool of yourself, stop it!’”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a discussion Wednesday with Fox’s Jesse Watters, said that Newsom’s obsession with Trump is distracting him from doing his job as governor. “Why is he spending all this time trying to be fresh with President Trump?” DeSantis asked. “Why doesn’t he do his job and protect the people?”

“Fresh” with Trump? I don’t even know where to go with that other than therapy, especially since it was accompanied by a banner at the bottom of the screen that read: “Dems look for Big Daddy Energy.”

Newsom’s account promptly tweeted: “Jesse, please stop calling me Daddy. It’s disturbing.”

Fox keeps insisting Newsom’s SnarkPosting is a big fail, but the numbers would suggest otherwise. Since the beginning of August, the governor’s press office account has gained 250,000 followers and more than 225 million impressions.

And it’s clearly made an impression on Fox News.

“WOW! FOX NEWS CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT ME (GAVIN C. NEWSOM), AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR!!!” Newsom posted Wednesday on X. “TONIGHT THEIR ENTIRE PRIMETIME LINEUP WAS ABOUT ME! JESSE WATTERS KEPT CALLING ME ‘DADDY’ (VERY WEIRD, NOT INTERESTED, BUT THANK YOU!). SEAN HANNITY (VERY NICE GUY) NEARLY CRIED BECAUSE I WON’T TAKE HIS ‘ADVICE.’ SORRY SEAN!!!! THEN THEY DRAGGED OUT THE B-TEAM OF DUMB DUMBS: ‘MEATBALL RON,’ TOMI ‘TOILET’ LAHREN, AND TEDDY ‘CANCUN’ CRUZ (HE EVEN FLEW BACK SPECIAL FROM MEXICO!) ALL WHINING ABOUT ME, GCN! THEY HAD TO ‘PLAY THE MUSIC’ TO SHUT TED UP ABOUT MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR (I GET IT! SO JEALOUS!). TOTAL DISASTER…”

Even the granddaddy of MAGA agitators, Steve Bannon, was impressed by Newsom’s online lack of decorum. “If you look at the Democratic Party, he’s at least getting up there, and he’s trying to imitate a Trumpian vision of fighting, right?” he told Politico. “He looks like the only person in the Democratic Party who is organizing a fight that they feel they can win.”

Fox pundits spent much of Thursday blaming Newsom and the “Sanctuary state of California” for a deadly Florida traffic accident involving an undocumented truck driver. It was preferable to reporting on another post that got under their skin (see below) or a political victory for Newsom when a ballot measure he pushed to redraw California’s electoral map was approved by the California Legislature. It calls for a November special election asking voters to redraw the state’s electoral lines. The ballot measure is in response to Texas’ proposed redrawing of its maps to favor Republicans in the 2026 midterms, possibly adding five more GOP-held seats to the House.

“NOT EVEN JD ‘JUST DANCE’ VANCE CAN SAVE TRUMP FROM THE DISASTROUS MAPS ‘WAR’ HE HAS STARTED,” said the Newsom press office post. “NOT EVEN HIS EYELINER LINES LOOK AS PRETTY AS CALIFORNIA ‘MAP’ LINES. HE WILL FAIL, AS HE ALWAYS DOES (SAD!) AND I, THE PEACETIME GOVERNOR — OUR NATION’S FAVORITE — WILL SAVE AMERICA ONCE AGAIN. MANY ARE NOW CALLING ME GAVIN CHRISTOPHER ‘COLUMBUS’ NEWSOM (BECAUSE OF THE MAPS!). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. — GCN”

Fox pundits and hosts aren’t the only media folk to find Newsom’s Trump-esque communiques troubling. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough called them “embarrassing.”

But as Newsom told the media last week, if the mockery bothers you, look to the original source. “If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he’s putting out as president.” Fox News has concerns, but they’re not about Trump.

With the City Section now having more girls flag football teams (93) than 11-man teams (71), the growing popularity of the sport is clear. But the sport faces a huge challenge when official practice begins on Aug. 8 — rule changes.

Confusion among all the stakeholders — coaches, players, officials, parents — is certain to take place in the early games.

That was evident during a meeting on Wednesday. City Section coaches received a briefing from Nelson Bae, the section’s rules interpreter. There were so many questions that City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos had to halt them or the meeting would have lasted for hours. Coaches were told to submit their questions later.

A national rulebook was established by the National Federation of State High School Assns. and some of the changes are massive, such as the addition of punting and screen blocking.

“Crazy stuff is going to happen,” Bae told the coaches. “All of us are going to have to adjust. I’ve already seen some things, ‘This is going to be a problem.’”

Screen blocking could be a vocal point of confusion because, as Bae said, penalties could be called on every play similar to holding in 11-man football. No contact is allowed when blocking but deciding who made the contact and who receives the penalty will be the judgment call that could have parents yelling in the bleachers if they don’t understand the correct interpretation.

Coaches are having to train players not to use their hands and rushers can’t run into moving screens or a penalty is supposed to be called.

“Go around,” Bae advised.

It will be confusing in early games, particularly until everyone adjusts.

There will be four playoff divisions, up from three last season, as the sport enters its third season in the City Section.

Coaches have been seeking out soccer players to serve as punters. Prepare for the unexpected this fall.

One festivalgoer has taken his journey to Glastonbury to all new lengths as he’s been cycling 100km a day for almost a month in a bid to get to Worthy Farm from Madrid, Spain

The countdown to Glastonbury is fast approaching, with mere days to go before hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers pitch up their tents for five days of spectacular performances. While many will be travelling by car, train or coach, one man is so dedicated to the UK’s biggest festival that he’s riding a whopping 100km a day on his bike to get there!

Ollie White, 25, started his lengthy journey at the end of May from Madrid, Spain, where he lives and works as a content creator for La Liga, the Spanish football league. Over the course of almost a month, he has ventured across majestic mountains, the biggest sand dune in Europe, serene coastlines and desert-like landscapes with just a backpack, a tent and his bicycle.

In total, Ollie will travel over 1,600km, or 994 miles, to Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, racking up 62 miles a day.

With just a few days to go until the gates open at Glastonbury on Wednesday, 25 June, at 8 am, Ollie has almost completed his trek and has been documenting his journey on TikTok and Instagram every day.

READ MORE: Expert shares ‘crucial’ things you need to pack for a festival

In his most recent update on Sunday, 22 June, Ollie confirmed that he reached Plymouth before heading to Totnes, Devon, where he’d stay the night. He is hoping to reach Glastonbury by Tuesday, 24 June.

When asked by the BBC why he opted to ride from Madrid to Worthy Farm, he simply said: “I have a ticket for Glastonbury, so why not cycle?”

Speaking further about his experience, he also shared with the news outlet: “A lot of people think I’m crazy for doing this, but for me it doesn’t seem too crazy.

“It’s just a challenge I’ve set myself and, at the end of the day, once you’ve done all the preparation, you just have to get on the bike each day and do the kilometres.”

He described his adventure as “absolutely incredible” and that “everything has been really positive”. He’s spent time camping alone in secluded, yet beautiful spots across Europe and the UK, while taking in nature and the incredible scenery during each leg of his journey.

When he finally reaches his end location, Ollie has a list of performances lined up to watch during the weekend at Glastonbury, including Neil Young, Loyle Carner, Kneecap, Caribou, Scissor Sisters and Kaiser Chiefs.

He adds that Neil Young has been a particularly good soundtrack while riding through endless countries.

READ MORE: Amazon shoppers rave over ‘perfect for festival’ tent reduced in time for Glastonbury

A 68-YEAR-OLD woman has revealed that she said ‘I Do’ with her Nigerian toyboy, who is 43 years her junior.

When Kay, 68, and Ablack, 25, first connected on Facebook, they had no idea that a simple social media like would lead to marriage. 

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But now, the couple have opened up on their unique relationship and explained how just three days after meeting in real life, Kay’s toyboy popped the question.

Revealing all to Truly, on an episode of Love Don’t Judge, the couple admitted that they are constantly stared at in the street and Kay has even been accused of being Ablack’s “grandma”.

Opening up about how their relationship first blossomed, Kay recognised: “He liked something I posted. He went from somebody who liked my post to my very best friend, I could tell him everything. It just kept getting stronger and stronger.” 

After three failed marriages, Kay was initially “very leery about being scammed” by the youngster.

Not only was the mother called “crazy” by many, but before long, the couple had tied the knot, with Ablack being Kay’s fourth husband. 

Despite falling in love, the couple constantly face judgement over their age gap, with Kay being 43 years older than Ablack. 

But Kay beamed: “I do not feel old when I’m around him. I feel very young, like a teenager.” 

With Ablack based in Nigeria and Kay over in the US, the pair have had to make the relationship work with the geographical distance. 

However, Ablack knows that the pair are destined to be, as he acknowledged: “A prophet told me that I’m going to get married to a white woman and here she is.”

But although destiny brought them together, not everyone agrees with their relationship, as Ablack said, “Some people say, ‘she’s old enough to be your mum’. Some say, ‘you’re married to your grandma’, ‘she’s too old for you’.

“Anywhere we go, people take pictures of us.” 

Not only this, but people have even accused Ablack of getting “married for a US green card”. 

Be careful girl. Scammers can be “in love” too!

YouTube user

Clearly unfazed by the judgement, Kay, who is often referred to as Ablack’s “sugar mummy”, said: “I’ve never felt love like this before.

“This is the one I’m supposed to be with, I just had to wait a long time for him to be born.

“He treats me like a Queen. I’m his priority.” 

A-list age gap relationships that have stood the test of time

1. Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble – 25 years
   The Kardashian matriarch, 69, met her younger man, 44, at a mutual friend’s 40th birthday party in Ibiza. They’ve been together since August 2014.
2. Sam & Aaron Taylor-Johnson – 23 years
   The director, 57, and actor, 34, reportedly met at a film audition in 2009, and were married by 2012. The pair share two daughters and Sam has two children from a previous marriage.
3. Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham – 20 years
   The model, 37, started dating actor Jason, 57, in 2010. They were wed in 2016 and have since welcomed a son and a daughter together.
4. Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas – 25 years
   Catherine, 55, was introduced to Michael, 80, a film festival in 1996 and engaged three years later. Shortly after their engagement, the couple welcomed a son and married in 2000.

Social media users react

Social media users were left stunned by the couple’s age gap relationship – and nasty trolls were out in full force in the comments on the YouTube clip. 

One person said: “As a middle aged woman who’s probably close to her age, this makes me uncomfortable.” 

This is the one I’m supposed to be with, I just had to wait a long time for him to be born

Kay

Another added: “The prophet”s name is Visa.” 

A third warned: “Be careful girl. Scammers can be “in love” too!”

At the same time, someone else wrote: “Hope she has a lot of money to feed his whole family, why else would a 25 year old be with a woman in her 60s.”  

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DISPOSABLE vapes are being sold for as little as 29p in a “crazy” fire sale before they are banned this weekend. 

It means they are being flogged for less than a Cadbury’s chocolate Freddo bar — which now costs 30p in supermarkets. 

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From Sunday it will be illegal to sell single-use e-cigarettes in the UK under new laws to protect kids and reduce landfill. 

But online sellers are desperate to avoid being stuck with illegal stock with £200 fines looming. 

One site boasting a “UK Vape Bargain Blast” is selling Flavaah Bar disposable vapes for 29p each, down from £5. 

Elf Bars are on sale for 49p each, also down from a fiver. 

And a packet of 20 e-cigs can cost just £10, which would have been £100 a year ago. 

Kate Pike, from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, told The Sun: “This is crazy. 

“We are anticipating a challenging spike in illegal operations and supply during the changeover. 

“Shops have been warned and told to run down their stocks and I’ve seen some unbelievably low prices. 

“This is an addictive product and we shouldn’t be selling them for these prices, but they aren’t doing anything wrong at this stage.” 

Campaigners We Vape said it showed the new law will create a black market and is “impossible to enforce”. 

Ministers have brought in the rule as part of a drive to deter children and teenagers, who often use single-use vapes in fruity flavours, with flavours also set to be banned. 

They also acted on environmental concerns about huge amounts of plastic and lithium batteries being thrown out, with an estimated one million vapes binned every day. 

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United States President Donald Trump has lambasted his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, describing him as “absolutely crazy” after Moscow launched its largest aerial attack of the war on Ukraine, killing at least 13 people.

Trump’s comments, issued on his Truth Social platform late on Sunday, marked a rare rebuke of Putin.

“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” the US president wrote.

“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” he added.

The comments came as Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia had launched a record number of drones against Ukraine overnight on Sunday. It said Russian forces deployed 298 drones and 69 missiles, but that it was able to down 266 drones and 45 missiles.

The Russian attack was the largest of the war in terms of weapons fired, although other strikes have killed more people.

Ukraine’s emergency services described an atmosphere of “terror” across the country on Sunday, and regional officials said those killed included victims aged eight, 12 and 17 in the northwestern region of Zhytomyr.

More than 60 others were wounded.

“Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.

“The silence of America, the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin,” he said, adding: “Sanctions will certainly help.”

Sanctions

Trump has increasingly voiced irritation with Putin and the inability to resolve the now three-year-old war, which the US leader had promised he would do within days of returning to the White House.

He had long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin and repeatedly stressed that Russia is more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal.

But earlier on Sunday, Trump made it clear that he is losing patience with the Russian president.

“I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people. And I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” Trump told reporters as he departed northern New Jersey, where he had spent most of the weekend.

“I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.”

Asked if he was considering more sanctions on Russia, Trump said, “Absolutely.”

Trump also criticised Zelenskyy, a more frequent target of his ire, in his social media post, accusing him of “doing his Country no favours by talking the way he does”.

“Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” he said of Zelenskyy.

Europe condemns Russia

A peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine remains elusive.

Last week, Trump and Putin held a two-hour phone call, after which the US leader said Moscow and Kyiv would “immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire”.

Putin, however, made no commitment to pause his three-year invasion of Ukraine, announcing only a vague proposal to work on a “memorandum” outlining Moscow’s demands for peace.

That conversation occurred after Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkiye for the first face-to-face talks since 2022. But on Thursday, the Kremlin said no direct talks were scheduled.

The Russian attack against Ukraine prompted criticism from Europe, too.

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called for “the strongest international pressure on Russia to stop this war”. In a post on X, she said the attacks “again show Russia bent on more suffering and the annihilation of Ukraine. Devastating to see children among innocent victims harmed and killed”.

German Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul also denounced the attacks, saying, “Putin does not want peace, he wants to carry on the war and we shouldn’t allow him to do this,” he said.

“For this reason, we will approve further sanctions at a European level.”

The massive attacks on Ukraine came as Russia said it had exchanged another 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for the same number of Russian soldiers held by Kyiv – the last phase of a swap agreed during talks in Istanbul on May 16.

That marked their biggest prisoner swap since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with 1,000 captured soldiers and civilian prisoners in total sent back by each side.

US President Donald Trump has said he is “not happy” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, following Moscow’s largest aerial attack yet on Ukraine.

In a rare rebuke, Trump said: “What the hell happened to him? He’s killing a lot of people.” He later called Putin “absolutely crazy”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said Washington’s “silence” over recent Russian attacks was encouraging Putin, urging “strong pressure” – including tougher sanctions – on Moscow.

At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in Ukraine overnight Sunday after Russia fired 367 drones and missiles – the highest number in a single night since Putin launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.

Air sirens warning of incoming drones and missiles sounded again in many regions of Ukraine early on Monday.

At least three people, including a child, were injured in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

Speaking to reporters in New Jersey late on Sunday, Trump said of Putin: “I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.”

Asked about whether he was considering increasing US sanctions on Russia, Trump replied: “Absolutely.” The US president has repeatedly threatened to do this before – but is yet to implement any restrictions against Moscow.

Shortly afterwards, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that Putin “has gone absolutely crazy”.

“I’ve always said that he wants all of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”

But the US president also had strong words for Zelensky, saying that he “is doing his country no favours by talking the way he does”.

“Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” Trump wrote of Zelensky.

Despite Kyiv’s European allies preparing further sanctions for Russia, the US has said it will either continue trying to broker these peace talks, or “walk away” if progress does not follow.

Last week, Trump and Putin had a two-hour phone call to discuss a US-proposed ceasefire deal to halt the fighting.

The US president said he believed the call had gone “very well”, adding that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start” negotiations toward a ceasefire and “an end to the war”.

Ukraine has publicly agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.

Putin has only said Russia will work with Ukraine to craft a “memorandum” on a “possible future peace” – a move described by Kyiv and its European allies as delaying tactics.

The first direct Ukrainian-Russian talks since 2022 were held on 16 May in Istanbul, Turkey.

Aside from a major prisoner of war swap last week, there was little or no progress on bringing a pausing in fighting closer.

Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. This includes Crimea – Ukraine’s southern peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.

GREGGS has launched its summer menu for 2025 and it includes a new bake and biscuit-inspired iced latte that fans will go crazy for.

The high street favourite has added a wave of new options to its shelves, with new spicy chicken sandwiches, summer drinks and sweet treats joining the line-up.

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Available in shops nationwide from tomorrow, May 15, the new menu includes a Red Pepper, Feta & Spinach Bake, which has already been dubbed “lush” by excited followers on Instagram.

The Mediterranean-style pastry will cost £2.10.

For coffee lovers, the new Caramelised Biscuit Latte is proving to be the star of the show.

Available hot from £2.75 or iced from £3.10, it’s inspired by the popular Lotus Biscoff biscuit.

Greggs has also upped its hot sandwich offering, introducing a new Korean Chicken range.

It features a Korean Crispy Chicken Burger from £4, a BBQ Chicken Wrap from £3.80, and a Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Baguette from £3.60 – all part of its Hot Sandwich, Wedges & Drink Deal.

A new Chicken, Sweetcorn and Red Onion Pizza slice is also joining the menu, priced from £2.40, available as part of Greggs’ after-4pm Pizza Deal.

On the sweeter side, there’s a Lemon Meringue Muffin from £1.55, which can be paired with a hot drink in a meal deal.

Customers can also pick up Plenish wellness shots, with Ginger Immunity and Turmeric Recovery options both priced at £1.55 and a fat-free Greek Style Yogurt with Strawberry Compote, priced from £1.55.

The new menu is available for in-store purchase, click and collect via the Greggs app, and delivery through Just Eat and Uber Eats.

Greggs posted the announcement online with the caption: “Babe wake up, Greggs summer menu just dropped!!”

Fans shared their excitement for the new menu.

One customer wrote: “That biscuit latte looks so good”, others agreed saying: “the latte looks amazing”.

A third said: “could really go for that lemon muffin”.

Whilst another added: “need that chicken sandwich, yum”.

But not everyone is thrilled by the new launch.

Comments were quickly flooded with complaints from fans asking where the vegan options were.

“This is so disappointing, where’s the vegan stuff?” one user asked.

Another added: “Give the vegans what they want for gods sake.”

It seems fans still haven’t recovered from the Vegan Steak Bake being axed from menus last year.

Customers were hoping the veganuary menu signalled a long-term commitment to expanding Greggs’ vegan offering, but many have been left disappointed by its absence from the summer launch.

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