Friday evening news briefing: Putin arrest warrant issued

Also from this PM's Front Page newsletter: Macron faces no-confidence vote. Sign up below.

Good evening. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine. We also have the latest news from France, as a no-confidence motion was filed against Emmanuel Macron’s government.

ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes

Kyiv has hailed a decision from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children. 

"The world received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable," Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said in a statement on social media. The Hague-based ICC said it had also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, 

Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, on similar charges. Follow the latest news on our Ukraine live blog. Meanwhile, China's president Xi Jinping will embark on a three-day trip to Moscow in an apparent show of support for Putin. 

Sophia Yan and James Kilner report that the rumoured trip was officially confirmed on Friday by China’s foreign affairs ministry.

tmg.video.placeholder.alt 8ArUp6eJPAw

Duke of Sussex argued he could not pay for private security until he had a job

The Duke of Sussex argued that he and his wife, Meghan, could not afford to pay for their own security until they could earn his own money, court documents have revealed. 

Prince Harry sent an email to Sir Edward Young, the late Queen’s private secretary, in April 2020 in which he says he “made it clear we couldn’t afford private security until we were able to earn”. 

The message was disclosed in legal documents relating to the Duke’s libel claim against the Mail on Sunday, which hinges on a “false claim” concerning his willingness to pay for his own police protection in the UK. 

He has asked Mr Justice Nicklin to rule in his favour without a trial, an application the newspaper said was “wholly without merit”.

Our royal editor Victoria Ward has more on this story here.

Credit Suisse shares tumble amid banking concerns

Shares in crisis-hit Credit Suisse have fallen as much as 12pc on Friday afternoon, as concerns continued to swirl about the lender's future. The Zurich-listed bank's stock led a broader decline in European markets, as analysts continued to warn of a "crisis of confidence" in a turnaround plan laid out by bosses. 

Credit Suisse was plunged into crisis this week as bets that the bank would default on its debts hit a record high. You can catch up on all of today's developments on our business live blog.

Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines

Jacqueline Gold | The boss of lingerie retailer Ann Summers, Jacqueline Gold, has died at the age of 62 after a long battle with breast cancer.

tmg.video.placeholder.alt wunqa-vSnUc

Comment and analysis

World news: Emmanuel Macron faces no-confidence vote after forcing through ‘dangerous’ reforms

French opposition MPs filed a no-confidence motion on Friday against Emmanuel Macron’s government after it rammed a pension reform through parliament without a vote in a move they said was “dangerous to our democracy”. Henry Samuel reveals how the pension reform protests could topple Mr Macron’s government.

tmg.video.placeholder.alt _P59miBI0rc

Interview of the day

Penelope Lively: ‘My superior life expectancy is down to favourable genes, reasonable behaviour, and luck’

As she marks her 90th birthday, Dame Penelope Lively reflects on living through the 20th century – and her above-average longevity

Read the interview

Business news: One in three high earners unwittingly risk being dragged into 45pc tax

Research has shone a light on "persisting confusion around tax changes", with two in five of those who will be in the 45pc bracket from April unaware of the lowering of the threshold announced in the autumn. Charlotte Gifford has the full story here.

Editor's choice

Plymouth chainsaw massacre | How the felling of 110 trees tore a city apart

Katie Morley Investigates | ‘I was airlifted off a ski slope, but my insurer refused to pay for the helicopter’

Travel | ‘These days, a trip to a jungle shaman has become quite the middle-class thing’

Sport news: Lewis Hamilton announces surprising split with close confidante

Lewis Hamilton and his long-time performance coach and physiotherapist Angela Cullen have announced they are splitting after seven years working together. Tom Cary has the full story here.

Today's Matt cartoon

Turmoil in bank stocks inspired Matt's cartoon today. Click here to see more from Matt
And you can find today's political cartoon here.

Three things for you

And finally... for this evening's downtime

The best bits of Greece you’ve probably never heard of | There is a Greece that stands aloof from postcards and social-media feeds – and this may be the year in which to discover it

If you want to receive twice-daily briefings like this by email, sign up to the Front Page newsletter here. For two-minute audio updates, try The Briefing - on podcasts and smart speakers.

License this content