National News

It's going up to £10.42 per hour for those aged 23 and over from today The Government has hailed an increase in the National Minimum Wage from Saturday, saying the rates are rising to record levels. Millions of the lowest paid workers across the UK will receive a pay increase as the statutory hourly rate rises by 9.7% from £9.50 to £10.42 for adults. Business and trade minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “This Government

66 year old Stephen Alderton is due before magistrates in Huntingdon A man will appear in court charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in two villages six miles apart in Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said Stephen Alderton, 66, of no fixed abode, will appear at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday charged with two counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm. The bodies

The Port of Dover has declared a critical incident as high levels of traffic caused coach passengers to experience lengthy delays. It comes as operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways also reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible for waits and queues. P&O Ferries announced on Twitter just before 9pm that it was providing refreshments to coach passengers

The former head of the Royal Marines died by suicide after experiencing “substantial stress”, an inquest into his death has concluded. Major General Matthew Holmes, 54, was found in a bedroom at his home in Winchester, Hampshire, on October 2 2021, the inquest heard. The inquest heard that in the months before his death Maj Gen Holmes had lost his position as leader of the Royal Marines in a management

Southampton manager Ruben Selles will not waste time trying to work out how many points will keep his side in the Premier League as they prepare to tackle relegation rivals West Ham. The Saints head to the London Stadium on Sunday bottom of the table but only two points from safety. With nine clubs all looking set to battle it out for their top-flight status, the fight for survival appears

Reeva Steenkamp’s parents will oppose Oscar Pistorius’s parole application, their lawyer said. Unless the former Olympic runner “comes clean” about the deadly shooting of his model girlfriend 10 years ago, her parents “don’t feel that he is rehabilitated”, Tania Koen said. Pistorius, a multiple Paralympic champion who made history by running against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 Olympics, was convicted of murder for the Valentine’s Day 2013 shooting of Ms

The upcoming Gladiators reboot has unveiled its new revamped logo as it prepares to return to TV screens. The popular entertainment sports show is moving to the BBC for an 11-episode series which will see a new generation of “superhumans” compete against contestants in the “ultimate test of speed and strength”. The series will include new games alongside classic challenges such as fan favourite The Eliminator – the gruelling obstacle course. Viewers

The Football Association has announced more than 500,000 fans have attended Women’s Super League matches this season, the first time that milestone has been passed. The campaign that has followed England’s Euros triumph last summer included a WSL record 47,367 watching Arsenal defeat Tottenham 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium in September. A number of other WSL games have taken place at Premier League grounds since, with last week’s ‘Women’s Football

Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste has said the club has been in contact with Lionel Messi about a possible return to the Camp Nou. Messi made a tearful farewell to Barcelona in 2021 after the Catalan club were unable to offer him a new deal amid major financial woes, instead signing a two-year contract with Paris St Germain which expires this summer. Barca have made little secret of their desire to bring the World