63 h. ago 'Nearest thing to hell': British man held by Taliban with wife describes horrific conditions in Afghan jail

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 76, were captured by the terrorist group while returning to their home in central Afghanistan

Events

64 h. ago Briton held by Taliban with wife describes dire conditions in Kabul jail

Peter Reynolds, 79, detained with his wife, Barbie, since February, says prison is ‘nearest thing to hell I can imagine’A Briton held captive by the Taliban for more than nine weeks has said he is living in dire conditions in a prison in Kabul, describing it as “the nearest thing to hell I can imagine”.In a recording of a phone call from Pul-e-Charkhi prison, Peter Reynolds, 79, also spoke of his fears for the safety of his wife, Barbie, who is being held in the women’s section of the the maximum-security jail. Continue reading...

Events

68 h. ago Son of British couple held hostage by the Taliban issues urgent plea to Donald Trump and reveals captives' conditions in jail

The son of British couple Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, who are being held hostage by the Taliban has urgently pleaded to Donald Trump for help.

Events

3 d. ago British pensioner held hostage by the Taliban describes his 'hell' living in a cage, shackled to murderers and limited to one meal a day inside Afghanistan's most notorious prison

No charges have been issued, nor any explanation given for why Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 with their interpreter.

Events

9 d. ago Twisted reason 'extremely jealous' top doctor 'tried to kill' engineer wife on Hawaii hiking trail and his bombshell phone call to son

Arielle Konig,36, the nuclear engineer wife of Dr. Gerhardt Konig, 46, described what had happened when he allegedly tried to kill her on top of a Hawaiian hiking trail last week.

Events

1 week ago Taliban release American woman held in Afghanistan for using drone

Faye Dail Hall was detained in February on accusations of unauthorized drone usage

Events

1 week ago 'Lonely' Taliban man gets married in glitzy ceremony but his new wife is banned

The ceremony for the high-ranking Taliban member was held in northern Kabul, Afghanistan, and was attended by thousands of blokes who showered the groom with gifts

Events

2 w. ago Scots dad fighting for life after Rome B&B explosion has surgery to remove debris from body

Grant Paterson, from East Kilbride, remains in a critical condition following the horrific blast at his accommodation on Saturday.

Events

2 w. ago Daughter of Brit couple held by Taliban issues devastating update and fears dad will die

Peter and Barbie Reynolds were due to appear in court on Thursday but the trial was halted at the last minute while a new judge was found, their daughter has said

Events

2 w. ago SAS: Who Dares Wins Ant Middleton hit with court ban after failing to pay £1million in tax

Former SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton and his wife Emilie failed to pay tax on their business which was described as offering media representation services

Economics

2 w. ago Fears British pensioner held by the Taliban along with his wife could die before he is released as family issues health update

The daughter of an elderly British couple imprisoned in Afghanistan for unclear reasons says that she worried her parents could die in jail as their health deteriorates. 

Society

2 w. ago Fears for health of British couple held by Taliban as ‘trial delayed’

Afghanistan prison conditions were described as ‘brutal’ and likened to ‘what I imagine hell is like’

Politics

2 w. ago Britain's oldest rescue cat saved from horrific conditions seeks new home in Scotland

Cleo, the oldest rescue cat in the UK, was saved from horrific hoarding conditions.

Events

2 w. ago Fears for British couple in 70s held by Taliban as court appearance delayed

Daughter says Barbie Reynolds, 75, is malnourished after being given one meal a day and Peter, 79, is also decliningThe family of a British couple in their 70s imprisoned by the Taliban has expressed serious concerns over their deteriorating health after delays to their expected court appearance.Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who run a training business in Afghanistan, were detained last month when they travelled to their home in Bamiyan province. The couple, aged 79 and 75, who have been running projects in schools in Afghanistan for 18 years, had not been informed of the charges, their daughter said. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz by Anne Sebba review – playing for their lives

The remarkable story of conductor Alma Rosé and the musicians who survived the Holocaust by performing amid horrific conditionsWhen 13-year-old Pearl Pufeles disembarked from the cattle car at Auschwitz in March 1944, she was surprised to hear the strains of Dvořák and Smetana wafting towards her. “Gosh,” thought the Czechoslovakian schoolgirl, “this can’t be that bad if they play music here.” But it was that bad and, indeed, so much worse. Pearl and her twin sister Helen were swiftly selected as laboratory fodder for Dr Josef Mengele’s grotesque medical experiments.It isn’t clear which orchestra Pearl had heard that day. Auschwitz was a 15 sq mile complex with multiple sub-camps and there were at least six “official” orchestras staffed by prisoners who had been funnelled into southern Poland from all over Europe. Some of these orchestras concentrated on the classical repertoire, albeit without the Jewish composers Mendelssohn and Mahler. Others specialised in Sunday ...

Politics

2 w. ago US man released after being held by Taliban for more than two years

George Glezmann was abducted more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a touristUS politics live – latest updatesA US man who was abducted more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist has been released by the Taliban in a deal brokered by Donald Trump’s hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, and Qatari negotiators.George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is the third American detainee to be released by the Taliban since January. He was seized by the Taliban’s intelligence services in December 2022 and was designated by the US government as wrongfully detained the following year. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Britons held by Taliban to face court hearing despite charges remaining unclear

British couple Peter and Barbie Reynolds have been separated in a Kabul prison ahead of court hearing without their Afghan interpreter

Events

3 w. ago Netflix's Adolescence star Stephen Graham describes famous wife as his 'rock'

The lead in the new Netflix drama Adolescence has been married to his wife since 2008.

Politics

3 w. ago UN human rights chief voices horror at Israel’s new Gaza strikes

Volker Türk calls for immediate end to violence and unconditional release of hostagesMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe UN’s human rights chief has voiced horror at Israel’s resumption of airstrikes on Gaza that have killed at least 404 people, saying further misery was being inflicted on people “already suffering catastrophic conditions”.In a statement on Tuesday Volker Türk said he was horrified by Monday night’s airstrikes and shelling in Gaza. The decision to resume shelling in effect ended the fragile ceasefire that has paused the violence in the devastated Gaza Strip since mid-January. Palestinian authorities reported 404 deaths by about noon local time, nine and a half hours after the strikes began. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Children of British couple held by Taliban denounce their ‘cruel and unjust’ detention amid health fears

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, have worked in Afghanistan for 18 years

Society