LONDON (AP) — Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made a rare apology to Prince Harry in settling his privacy invasion lawsuit and will pay him a substantial sum, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne read a statement in court saying News Group offers a “full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex” for years of unlawful intrusion.

The bombshell announcement in London’s High Court came as the Duke of Sussex’s trial was about to start against the publishers of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World for unlawfully snooping on him over decades.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other man were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers over allegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully intruded in their lives.

In all the cases that have been brought against the publisher since a widespread phone hacking scandal forced Murdoch to close News of the World in 2011, Harry’s case got the closest to trial.

Murdoch shut down the News of the World after the Guardian reported that the tabloid’s reporters had hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a murdered 13-year-old schoolgirl, while police were searching for her in 2002.

As the case was about to start Tuesday morning, his lawyer asked for a one-hour recess, then got a longer adjournment and finally asked to have the rest of the day as it became clear a settlement was in the works.

The case was one of three lawsuits Harry has brought accusing British tabloids of violating his privacy by eavesdropping on phone messages or using private investigators to unlawfully help them score scoops.

His case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror ended in victory when the judge ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at the newspaper and its sister publications.

During that trial in 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, putting him at odds with the monarchy’s desire to keep its problems out of view.

His feud with the press dates back to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs.

But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper.

He blames the media for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020.

The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary “Tabloids On Trial.”

He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million).

“I’m doing this for my reasons,” Harry told the documentary makers, though he said he wished his family had joined him.

Harry was originally one among dozens of claimants, including actor Hugh Grant, who alleged that News Group journalists and investigators they hired violated their privacy between 1994 and 2016 by intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, bugging cars and using deception to access confidential information.

Of the original group, Harry and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the holdouts headed to trial.

News Group had denied the allegations.

NGN had issued an unreserved apology to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World and said it settled more than 1,300 claims. The Sun has never accepted liability.

The outcome in the News Group case raises questions about how Harry’s third case — against the publisher of the Daily Mail — will proceed. That trial is scheduled next year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday pledged to “deepen strategic coordination” in a video call less than a day after President Donald Trump re-entered the White House.

A transcript of the call posted to the Kremlin’s website showed that both Putin and Xi referred to one another as “friends” and vowed to back one another’s strategic interests, no matter the “current global situation.”

“This year, I am ready, together with you, to elevate Chinese-Russian relations to a new level, to counter external uncertainties by preserving stability and resilience of Chinese-Russian relations,” Xi said while addressing Putin.

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The pair both vowed to back the U.N.-centered international system ahead of the 80th anniversary this year, and to defend the post-World War II global order – a nod to Putin’s pursuit to reclaim Ukraine in what many have argued is an attempt to re-establish the Soviet Union. 

Xi also told Putin about a call he had with Trump on Friday regarding TikTok, trade and Taiwan, according to a report by Reuters.

The Chinese and Russian leaders also reportedly “indicated a willingness to build relations with the United States on a mutually beneficial, mutually respectful basis,” Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters, adding this will happen “if the Trump team really shows interest in this.”

“It was also noted from our side that we are ready for dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukrainian conflict,” he added.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping attend a reception during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 23, 2024. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via Reuters)

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Neither readouts of the call issued by China or Russia directly mentioned Ukraine, though Russia highlighted that Beijing has remained a major supporter of Moscow’s economy as it is the largest consumer of Russian energy resources – a major earner for Putin’s war effort.

“Five years ago, we launched the Power of Siberia gas pipeline together, and today, Russia has become the leading supplier of natural gas to China,” the Kremlin said in a readout.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a Victory Day military parade marking the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II in Moscow. (Tian Bing/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Though according to Beijing, Moscow did directly address China’s interests in Taiwan and, according to the readout issued by the Chinese Communist Party, “Russia firmly supports Taiwan as an integral part of China’s territory and firmly opposes any form of ‘Taiwan independence.’”

“I believe that the past year was very good for us,” Putin said. “It can be said confidently that our foreign policy ties and Russia and China’s joint efforts objectively play a major stabilizing role in international affairs.”

Today Radio Schuman speaks with Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament’s Trade Committee, who noted that Europe still has room to respond to Trump’s policies.

In his inauguration speech, Donald Trump provided little detail regarding his earlier threats to impose tariffs on the European Union. His previously stated demand that Europe face tariffs unless it increased purchases of US oil and gas was already well-known, with many European politicians asserting they are prepared to respond proportionately.

Potential measures the EU could apply include increasing LNG imports and reducing car tariffs, the MEP says. Lange also stressed that the EU’s future trade agreements could be shaped in reaction to shifts in US trade policy.

Radio Schuman also has a quick look at the European Parliament’s agenda today and at the most depressed country in Europe.

Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by  David Brodheim. Music by Alexandre Jas.