National News

More must be done to address “stubborn staffing shortfalls” in the NHS, a leading think tank has said as it warned that patients in some parts of the country are more likely to get GP appointments compared to others. The next government should set “bold policies and specific goals” to tackle workforce shortages in the […]

Most Government work to overhaul Britain’s railways is delayed, according to a damning report by Whitehall’s spending watchdog. The Department for Transport (DfT) has made “limited progress” on rail transformation plans published in 2021, with the majority of changes and expected savings not expected to happen until “at least the next Parliament”, the National Audit […]

Fewer than a third (31%) of women feel confident about investing, compared with more than two-fifths (44%) of men, a survey has found. More than a third of women (34%) do not have any savings to invest, compared with 28% of men, according to the research launched to mark International Women’s Day. Nearly two-thirds (63%) […]

Luke Humphries registered his first Premier League night win as the world champion defeated Michael Smith 6-3 in Brighton. The final of the tournament’s sixth night saw world number one Humphries, a competition debutant this year, surge into a 5-1 lead. Smith, the 2023 world champion and winner of night one in Cardiff, hit back […]

Some parents are keeping their children at home due to disputes with schools, a headteachers’ union chief is to say. John Camp, president of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), will warn that the “unwritten social contract” between families and schools is “fracturing”. In a speech at the union’s annual conference on Friday, […]

The Traitors champion Harry Clark has said he suffered sleep deprivation due to the intense schedule on the show. The 23-year-old took the £95,150 prize pot during the dramatic final of the BBC reality show after he deceived his friend Mollie Pearce into thinking he was a fellow faithful, when in reality he was a […]

Researchers have identified an area of human and mouse DNA that plays a role in controlling anxiety. A University of Aberdeen team found a section of DNA which “switches” on key genes in parts of the brain that affect anxiety levels in mice. They found removal of the “switch” increased anxiety in the animals. The […]

High street lender Virgin Money has agreed a £2.9 billion proposed takeover by Nationwide Building Society in a move set to create the UK’s second largest mortgage and savings group. Nationwide has put forward a 220p-a-share approach for Virgin Money, including a planned 2p-per-share dividend payout, which it said is a 38% increase on Virgin […]

Lord David Cameron is to visit Berlin on Thursday for talks with his German counterpart, warning that the West “cannot insulate ourselves from crises around the globe”. The Foreign Secretary’s visit comes as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces continued pressure from Western allies and politicians in Berlin to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles. Downing […]

The BBC has announced that a TV adaptation of Sir Ian Rankin’s best-selling Inspector Rebus character will launch this spring. The six-part crime series, which was filmed in Edinburgh and Glasgow last year, will see Scottish actor and Outlander star Richard Rankin play the lead role of Detective Sergeant John Rebus. Scottish author Sir Ian, […]