A month of air strikes, economic collapse and harsh crackdowns has left many Iranians living on edge, sleepless and worried about survival.In Tehran a young woman — given a pseudonym for her safety — describes the moment the war came into her office: a violent blast, smoke on the skyline and instant panic as colleagues fled to the roof.Her employer closed the business that day and let staff...

Outlander picks up this week after a dramatic cliffhanger and the return of a familiar face, with episode five promising to raise the stakes for Jamie Fraser.The instalment, titled Send for the Devil, lands in the UK on Saturday, April 4 via MGM+ on Prime Video.Viewers will need both MGM+ and Prime subscriptions to stream it, and episodes can be downloaded for offline viewing. In the United...

Konrad Bien-Stephen, who rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia and later reached the semi-finals of The Challenge Australia, has died at the age of 35, his manager has confirmed.Ella Dolan, speaking on behalf of his team, said they were mourning his loss and requested privacy for his family while they come to terms with the news.No information about the cause of death has been...

A petition calling on the Treasury to give pensioners a higher tax-free earnings limit has forced a Commons debate after drawing more than 116,000 signatures.Campaigners want pensioners to benefit from a £25,140 threshold before income tax applies — double the current personal allowance of £12,570.The petition secured enough support to trigger a parliamentary discussion, but a date for the...

Four Syrian nationals have been detained in Germany after coordinated raids aimed at a criminal network that supplies boats and equipment for crossings of the English Channel.Police in North Rhine‑Westphalia seized inflatable boats, an engine, petrol cans, life jackets and boxes of tyre inner tubes during Wednesday’s early‑morning searches.The action follows a joint probe led by the UK’s...

Bones uncovered beneath a church in Maastricht may belong to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the 17th-century soldier popularly known as d'Artagnan.The skeleton was found under the floor of St Peter and Paul Church after damaged tiles prompted a closer look.Jos Valke, a church deacon involved in the discovery, says he is almost certain the remains are those of the famed musketeer. Excavators say...

Matt Brittin, a former senior executive at Google, has been named the BBC's next director general.He succeeds Tim Davie, who stepped down following controversy over a Panorama edit that sparked widespread criticism.Brittin led Google's activities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa before leaving the company in 2025 after an 18-year tenure. BBC chairman Samir Shah argued the corporation...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the government is drawing up contingency plans to shield the most vulnerable households if the war in the Middle East drives UK energy costs higher.Reeves warned the full economic fallout is still unclear but promised measures would focus on those most in need, while sticking to borrowing limits and a goal of keeping inflation and interest rates down.Households in...

The Irish government will temporarily reduce excise duty on fuel to ease pressure from recent price spikes.From midnight on Wednesday until the end of May, diesel duty will be cut by €0.20 per litre and petrol by €0.15 per litre.Cabinet approval is expected after leaders agreed the measure on Monday. Officials also plan a backdated rebate for haulage companies and bus operators to help...

Mortgage borrowers, and first-time buyers in particular, are facing a sudden squeeze as lenders withdraw low-deposit deals and interest rates climb sharply.Industry data show more than 200 low-deposit mortgage products have been removed since 6 March, with one day seeing 52 deals pulled and another 30 taken off the market.Overall, over 20% of products available at the start of the month are no...