National News

Motoring groups have welcomed Jeremy Hunt’s decision to freeze fuel duty. The Chancellor confirmed in his Budget that the 5p per litre cut implemented in March 2022 will be retained for another 12 months, and fuel duty will not increase in line with inflation. This will save the average car driver £50 next year and […]

Mohamed Salah will begin his build-up to Sunday’s clash with title rivals Manchester City with minutes in the Europa League against Sparta Prague after recovering from injury. Klopp admits the Egypt international would not normally be in the squad after only returning to training on Tuesday but the current injury situation – there are at […]

The Government has confirmed plans to start selling its stake in NatWest to everyday investors as early as the summer, as it whittled down its shareholding in the bank further on Wednesday. It wants to fully hand over ownership of the bank by 2025 to 2026. The plans were confirmed in the spring Budget, delivered […]

Last month was the warmest February on record globally, making it the ninth month in a row with record temperatures for the time of year, scientists have said. Global sea surface temperatures are also at their highest ever recorded, data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service shows. The data shows February was 1.77C warmer […]

Dog thefts have increased across the UK amid a plea to potential owners to only ever buy from reputable breeders. Police figures suggest that at least 2,290 dogs were stolen last year, a 6% increase on 2022. Just one in six (16%) were found and returned successfully, the lowest level since insurer Direct Line started […]

Rafael Nadal says he has made the “tough” decision to withdraw from Indian Wells as he is not yet “ready to play at the highest level”. The 22-time grand slam singles winner has been off the tour since suffering a muscle injury in Brisbane in January. He was set to mark his return with a […]

Erling Haaland netted his 29th goal of the season as Manchester City eased into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over Copenhagen as Real Madrid battled past RB Leipzig. The Norway international found the net after early strikes from Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez at the Etihad Stadium to ease the holders to […]

Barbie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were among the highest paid actors in 2023, according to Forbes’ annual list. Greta Gerwig’s comedy about the Mattel doll contributed more than £80 million to the UK economy, according to production company Warner Bros, and US business magazine Forbes said it grossed 1.4 billion dollars (£1.1 billion) […]

Jeremy Hunt confirmed a 2p cut in national insurance as the centrepiece of his Budget He also cut personal taxes to their lowest level for almost 50 years in a highly political Budget ahead of this year’s general election. The Chancellor which sought to persuade voters to stick with the Conservatives rather than give Sir […]

The OBR says the UK economy is set to grow more than expected over the next two years as it rebounds from recession But it predicted growth would ease back earlier than previously forecast in the longer-term. New economic predictions by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) also showed that UK inflation is set to […]