EXCLUSIVE Harry wants to reconcile with Royals but knows he must do it WITHOUT Meghan: As he walks through Diana minefield, friends say he's sick of being the 'bitter prince'... and hint why his wife isn't with him
Only a few days after that remarkable meeting between the King's communications secretary and two representatives from the 'Sussex Household', Harry has now landed in Africa for a solo charity trip, surely designed to improve his public image.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Hope for peace as DR Congo and M23 rebels sign peace deal in Qatar
The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels have signed ceasefire deal in Qatar to end fighting between the warring sides. Dubbed the Declaration of Principles, Saturday's agreement seen by the BBC, says includes that both sides must refrain from attacks, "hate propaganda" and "any attempt to seize by force new positions on the ground".The declaration is intended as a roadmap towards a permanent settlement. The two sides agreed to implement the deal's terms by July 29. A final peace deal is due by 18 August and must align with last month's US-brokered deal between DR Congo and Rwanda, which denies accusations it backs M23. Decades of conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels seized control of large parts of the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo including the regional capital, Goma, the city of Bukavu and two UN says thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following since. The M23 disputes the figures, saying fewer than 1,000 people have Congo spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said the deal took the government's "red line" into account - including the "non-negotiable withdrawal" of the M23 from occupied areas. But in a video posted on X, M23 negotiator Benjamin Mbonimpa said the deal did not mention such a pull-out. It is the first direct accord between the two sides since the rebels launched their offensive at the turn of the said negotiations were set to continue. The African Union Commission called the declaration a "milestone" in lasting peace efforts and security in the declaration also outlines a commitment to reinstating state authority in eastern DR Congo. This is the latest in a long line of failed peace deals in the region. One of the main players in today's conflict - the M23 rebels - emerged from a failed peace deal 16 years ago that never delivered on March, DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame met in Qatar and both called for an immediate following month, DR Congo and M23 group agreed to a ceasefire facilitated by Qatar, but fighting continued on the ground. The Washington deal, which came about in June, has been met with widespread criticism as a key incentive for the US' intervention is access to the DR Congo's vast mineral wealth. President Trump boasted of this feat. There has been talk of Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame going to Washington to meet Trump together, though no date has been reporting by Emery Makumeno Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
DRC and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels agree to end bloody conflict
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group signed a ceasefire deal on Saturday to end fighting that has devastated the country's mineral-rich east. The two sides signed a declaration of principles, whose terms include a 'permanent ceasefire', after three months of talks in Qatar. It followed a separate peace deal between the Congolese and Rwandan governments, signed in Washington last month. Rich in natural resources, especially lucrative minerals, eastern DRC has been wracked by conflict for more than three decades, creating a humanitarian crisis and forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. More than 7,000 people were killed in a lightning offensive by M23 in January and February, in which the group seized swathes of territory including the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu. In the agreement the warring parties agreed to 'uphold their commitment to a permanent ceasefire', including refraining from 'hate propaganda' and 'any attempt to seize by force new positions'. The deal includes a roadmap for restoring state authority in eastern DRC, and an agreement for the two sides to open direct negotiations toward a comprehensive peace agreement. Sumbu Sita Mambu, a Congolese presidential envoy, and Benjamin Mbonimpa, the M23 permanent secretary, shook hands after signing the deal at a ceremony in Doha. M23 had insisted on seeking its own ceasefire deal with Kinshasa, saying the DRC-Rwanda deal signed in Washington in June left out various 'problems' that still needed to be addressed. The two sides said the new deal aligned with the Washington agreement, which Donald Trump, the US president, said at the time was the start of 'a new chapter of hope and opportunity' for the region. Patrick Muyaya, a Congolese government spokesman, said the deal took account of the DRC's 'red lines', including 'the non-negotiable withdrawal of the M23 from occupied areas followed by the deployment of our institutions', including the armed forces. The two sides agreed to implement the deal's terms by July 29 at the latest, and to start negotiations toward the comprehensive agreement by Aug 8. Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, and Felix Tshisekedi, the Congolese president, are due to meet in the coming months to solidify the Washington peace deal, whose terms have not yet been implemented. Questions remain over an expected side deal on economic issues after Mr Trump boasted of securing mineral wealth in the vast central African nation. In April, Mr Tshisekedi said he had discussed a deal for access to the DRC's mineral wealth with Massad Boulos, the US special envoy. Mr Boulos, who was at the signing ceremony in Doha, called the restoration of the Congolese government's control over its eastern territory 'one of the most important clauses' in the new deal, but told a news conference that 'we know that there are no magic solutions' to end the conflict, 'especially regarding the timeline'. Previous ceasefire agreements for eastern DRC have collapsed in the past. Neighbouring Rwanda denies providing military backing to M23, but UN experts say the Rwandan army played a 'critical' role in the group's offensive, including combat operations. The front line has stabilised since February, but fighting was still breaking out regularly between opposing forces. The African Union hailed the new agreement as a 'significant development', saying: 'This marks a major milestone in the ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region.'
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
I stayed in one of the multimillion-pound Omaze houses. This is what it was like
Every time I pick up my phone for a guilty scroll on Instagram, or turn on the TV mid-day, there it is: an advert for Omaze. It's usually a jolly media personality extolling the virtues of the latest prize – a swimming pool here, a cinema there. The company has recognised something in the British public that has enabled them to captivate the nation; our love of a good raffle mixed with our addiction to property porn, tied up with a neat feel-good factor bow (a guaranteed minimum donation of £1m and 17 per cent of ticket sales from each draw go to charity). The prize may be a multimillion pound house, but – with upkeep costs sky high – an overwhelming trend has seen all but a handful of the 39 winners to date choose to sell up and cash out, rather than move in. Indeed, April's prize, a Highland Perthshire property on the banks of Loch Rannoch, won by 81-year-old Patricia Moule, went on the market almost immediately – at the end of June – and is currently listed on Rightmove for £3,975,000. There is one alternative, however: renting out the property to holidaymakers. This is what Lisa Morgan chose to do, after she won a £4.5m home in Cornwall, along with £250,000 in cash, in September 2024 (and hit the headlines when she turned up for her 11.5 hour shift as an NHS nurse in Merseyside the next day). Her home, Seahorses, in Maenporth near Falmouth, is one of just two properties in the UK openly advertised as an Omaze-winner's home – the other being Post Knott Lodge in Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District. The opportunity for a real-life snoop around one of these media-famous houses was too tempting an opportunity to pass up, so I tracked Seahorses down on Cornish Holiday Cottages, booked in, and bundled my family off for a weekend by the sea. I'll admit, the struggle to get our compact crossover SUV up the steep incline approaching the house filled me with a sudden apprehension – but once I was out of the car, punching in the code for the electric gate and confronted with the spectacular views, my fears abated. If the south Cornwall coast is good for anything, it's a touch of drama. It was a rare, sunny day in early May with clear blue skies and a bracing breeze, and across the lawn I could see straight out to sea, with Falmouth blinking in the sun on the horizon. I traced the coastal path – accessible through the gate at the end of the garden – scrawling away through the lush green clifftops opposite, the grass dropping into dramatic granite grey towards the crashing seas below, while Pendennis Castle stood in stately, historic contrast to the glass-clad luxury home beside me. 'Swimming pool!' screamed my three-year-old son, breaking me from my quiet moment of wonder. The family had begun exploring, and my husband was already rolling back the electric top on the outdoor heated pool – my children watching, delighted, from the safety of the pool house. Seahorses feels like the sort of place that's been designed so that you hardly ever need to leave it – and over the next three days, aside from a trip to a local supermarket (to supplement the lovely Cornish Food Box which was left for us), and a spot of exploring, we barely did. Open plan in design, its two lounges have very distinct purposes: a smaller room with sofas, an Xbox and even a VR headset was clearly intended for teens; while a larger communal living space was connected to the kitchen and offered sublime sea views. There were also indoor and outdoor dining areas, a barbecue, fire pit, hot tub, four additional bedrooms – all with electronic blinds – multiple bathrooms, a boot room and utility space. There was even a wine room – although this, sadly (if not unsurprisingly), had not been stocked. But the highlight (for me at least) was the turret, reached by a winding, wooden, floating staircase, at the top of which was a desk and telescope, and a door opening onto a large, private terrace complete with sun loungers. A sun trap with outstanding views. 'From the moment I walked into the house I knew I had to keep it,' Morgan told me. 'The emotion I felt was quite overwhelming, knowing what I was about to give to my family.' A flick through the guest book made it clear that this generosity has been felt far beyond her own family, however. Inside, I found personal messages that suggested fond familiarity with the owner, signed off in shortened names and with kisses. 'This house couldn't have 'happened' to a nicer, [more] hard-working family,' one read. 'Memories made to last a lifetime,' said another. Morgan's passion for the home is undeniable. 'The decision to set Seahorses up as a holiday home was an easy choice because we didn't want to leave it empty for long periods of time,' she told me. 'I want others to be able to share in the magic and make lasting happy memories here. Families these days are so spread out, and Seahorses is an ideal place to bring everyone back together.' Her words are borne out in love and care which has clearly gone into making the house feel like a home. It's packed with thoughtful details – a wide variety of glass types (essential), plenty of washing powder, and baskets of blankets dotted throughout the common spaces, allowing you to roll back the doors and let the cool, refreshing sea air roll in while keeping warm. What was missing? Shampoo – though, to be fair, this is an omission typical of many a self-catering property. And search though I did across the many, many drawers of the five large bedrooms, I could not find a hairdryer (a small inconvenience, I know, but when there's a VR headset downstairs, a somewhat surprising one). Otherwise, however, our every need had been met. We also made time for a bit of exploring – or as much as you can do with a one- and three-year-old in tow – heading out for a walk along the undulating coast path (my son more interested in the discovery of abundant sticky weed than the views), and making the two-minute drive down to Maenporth Beach, where there was plenty of parking, soft sand and a café. The children also enjoyed nearby Trebah gardens, an eight-minute drive to the west, where a great adventure playground, small beach and – as the name suggests – pretty gardens made for a lovely day out. For those keen to venture further, popular Falmouth is just 10 minutes away by car (or 45 minutes on foot), and links by tiny ferry to even more popular St Mawes across the Carrick Roads estuary. It's a wonderful part of the world – but lovely as it was to explore the area (and put some money in the pockets of local businesses), it was even more lovely to come back to Seahorses each time; our tucked-away, temporary idyll. After a weekend of bubbling in the hot tub, splashing in the pool and barbecuing by the open log fire, my family returned home, as promised, with memories to last a lifetime. And, in my case, a monthly subscription to Omaze. Essentials Penny Walker was a guest of Cornish Holiday Cottages (01326 250339). Seahorses has five bedrooms (sleeps up to 10) and six bathrooms, plus a hot tub, swimming pool, electric car point, dishwasher and woodburner. It is also pet-friendly. There is limited availability in August and September, although the calendar opens up in October. From £3,096 a week.
