National News

The Foreign Office says they're urgently trying to make contact with them Three British men are being held in Taliban custody in Afghanistan. Non-profit organisation the Presidium Network is assisting two of the men, charity medic Kevin Cornwell and a second unnamed man. Presidium confirmed that the third man is Miles Routledge (pictured), the British holidaymaker who received widespread attention and criticism on social media in August 2021 having travelled to Afghanistan despite

A “hugely important” exhibition exploring themes such as the legacy of systemic racism has opened at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Alberta Whittle: create dangerously is the largest exploration of the artist’s work to date and offers a survey of her work, featuring sculptures and installations, digital collages, drawings and watercolours, and new pieces made especially for the show. The exhibition also features two works which were at

Health officials have apologised after women were unable to get a certificate online to allow them to access cheaper hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescriptions. HRT should have been obtainable from Saturday using a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC), which will last for 12 months and cost £19.30 for the year. But women were unable to sort the certificate online due to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website being down. The

Lana Del Rey has drawn level with other acts like Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and Blur to secure a sixth number one album, the Official Charts Company said. Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd has become the fastest-selling LP of 2023 so far and makes Del Rey the female solo artist with the fifth-most number one albums. Martin Talbot, chief executive at Official Charts Company, said her “achievement” over 11

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted that he leads a “united” and “positive” Labour Party, as he joined campaigners in Kent ahead of the local elections. The Labour leader appeared in good spirits as he met with campaigners and candidates in Medway, but warned party members that the May poll was an “important step on the road to the next general election”. The campaign trail visit came days after the party’s

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has been “overwhelmed and touched” by donations from the public which have passed £100,000 after the death of the charity’s ambassador Paul O’Grady. The TV and radio presenter became an ambassador for Battersea in 2012 after the success of ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs, 11 series of which were filmed at the home. After O’Grady’s death on Tuesday evening at the age of

Max Verstappen has threatened to turn his back on Formula One if the sport’s bosses press ahead with plans to expand the number of sprint events. The shortened-race format was first introduced at three rounds in 2021, and has been doubled to six for this year, with the first of the season taking place in Azerbaijan at the end of the month. In its current guise, Friday qualifying determines the

The port has declared a critical incident and says the delays were “due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume” The Port of Dover has said it is “deeply frustrated” as coach traffic faces “significant delays”. The port, which has declared a critical incident, said the delays were “due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume”. Additional coach bookings taken by ferry operators for Easter have impacted operations,

The 86-year-old was admitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic on Wednesday Pope Francis has been discharged from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis. The 86-year-old was admitted on Wednesday to the Gemelli Polyclinic where he received antibiotics intravenously. He left the hospital three days after he was admitted. Francis sat in the front seat of a white Fiat 500 car, waving to a group of journalists outside the