More than 22,000 people are expected to attend a musical celebration for Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee at Buckingham Palace in London on Saturday.
The Platinum Party at the Palace is the highlight of the third day of public events to mark the 96-year-old monarch's record-breaking 70 years on the throne.
On Saturday, police briefly evacuated London's Trafalgar Square, close to where the celebrations are to be held, after reports of a suspicious vehicle but later said the security alert had concluded.
Police have been carrying out checks ahead of the concert which will see soul singer Diana Ross performing on a purpose-built 360-degree stage outside the royal residence.
It is her first performance in the UK in 15 years and comes before she heads to the Glastonbury Festival this month.
Ross, 78, said she was “absolutely delighted to receive an invitation to perform on such a momentous occasion”.
Prince Charles has revealed that her 1980 disco hit Upside Down was one of his favourite songs.
Other performers on Saturday include Alicia Keys, Craig David and Rod Stewart, Queen and Adam Lambert, George Ezra and Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder.
Stars including Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham and Stephen Fry will also feature, and there will also be a specially recorded performance by Sir Elton John.
The evening will highlight global themes that have developed during the queen's reign, including British and Commonwealth contributions in the fields of fashion, sport, the environment and pop music.
The concert also features artists including Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli and James Bond composer Hans Zimmer.
The queen is not expected to attend the concert but will watch on television at Windsor Castle.
She made two public appearances to huge crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony on Thursday, and was then at Windsor for a beacon-lighting ceremony.
The effort, after months battling difficulties walking and standing, left her in “some discomfort”, Buckingham Palace said.
It led to her withdrawing from Friday's church service and also an appearance at Epsom racecourse for the flat-racing showcase The Derby on Saturday.
Her heir Prince Charles, 73, and his eldest son, Prince William, 39, will be in attendance at the concert.
The jubilee celebrations began on Thursday with the pomp and pageantry of the Trooping the Colour military parade to mark the sovereign's official birthday.
Friday's focus was a traditional Church of England service of thanksgiving attended by senior royalty at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
