7 h. ago Barry Hoban, British cycling legend and Tour de France icon, dies aged 85

Yorkshire-born cyclist won eight stages of Tour de FranceFamously beat Eddy Merckx at Gent-Wevelgem in 1974The pioneering British road sprinter and Classics rider Barry Hoban has died at the age of 85. Hoban was for many years the UK record holder for stage wins in the Tour de France notching up a tally of eight during his 17-year professional racing career, a total bettered only by the greatest sprinter of them all, Mark Cavendish, in 2009.Hoban’s first stage victory in the Tour, in 1967, was not one he cared to remember – or that he felt was really a win – as it came the day after the sudden death of his friend and rival Tom Simpson on Mont Ventoux; he was “permitted” to escape and cross the line first by the grieving peloton. Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago From Valerie the dachshund to Flaco the owl: the wildest animal escapes

From a sausage dog living wild for over 500 days to an owl who became a New York legend, the internet loves an animal on the run

Politics

15 h. ago Exposing ‘the illegals’: how KGB’s fake westerners infiltrated the Prague Spring

Kremlin’s most prized spies were sent in to Czechoslovakia to whip up the 1960s reform protests in a move then replicated across the eastern blocDuring the spring of 1968, as revolutionary sentiment began to grow in communist Czechoslovakia, a group of friendly foreigners began arriving in Prague, on flights from Helsinki and East Berlin, or by car from West Germany.Among them were 11 western European men, a Swiss woman named Maria Weber and a Lebanese carpet dealer called Oganes Sarajian. They were all supporters of what would become known as the Prague Spring, an ultimately doomed attempt to build a more liberal and free ­version of socialism and escape from Moscow’s suffocating embrace. Many of the visitors sought to get close to the movement’s leading lights, offering support in the battle to reform communist rule. Continue reading...

Events

16 h. ago Travellers can escape April showers with these bargain beach holiday deals

On the Beach is offering a variety of holiday deals perfect for travellers looking for some much-needed sunshine

Economics

25 h. ago Oliver Glasner calls for consistency as Bournemouth's Scott escapes red card

Bournemouth escaped punishment for an incident similar to that which saw Palace go down to ten men

Politics

27 h. ago Brits escape 'damp' Easter weekend for £32 per night holidays to Turkey

Easter weekend is set to be a damp one, but people are avoiding dusting off their umbrellas by booking last minute holidays to escape the rain and spend the weekend in the sun

Economics

30 h. ago Murder investigation after elderly couple, 91 and 88, killed in house fire in idyllic town

Stan Rickman, 91, and Roma Rickman, 88, were pronounced dead at the scene in  their home on Heron Close in Alton in the early hours of Monday, April 14.

Events

30 h. ago British tourist faces hellhole US jail term after he caused wrong

Thomas Robb, 22, drove past at least two 'No Entry' signs before travelling the wrong way on a road in Rockland County, New York and colliding into another vehicle.

Events

32 h. ago Personal trainer on FIRST DATE put seven police officers in hospital in six

Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, of Syliva Terrace, Stanley, County Durham, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court to admit a series of driving offences after the horrific crash (pictured).

Events

49 h. ago Escape To The Country star left red faced as buyers reject every single home

Fans of Escape To The Country may have been left cringing during a recent episode as show host Alistair Appleton completely failed a hopeful looking for a dream two-bed home

Politics

51 h. ago Alfredo Morelos gets Santos 'escape route' from Celtic flop as transfer decision on Rangers hero made

The Colombia international is reportedly being eyed up for a move to Mexico

Politics

52 h. ago BBC Escape to the Country's Sonali Shah issues 'word of warning' to couple over dream home

Escape to the Country host Sonali Shah was on hand to help find a couple find their dream home.

Events

54 h. ago Shocked students return to Florida campus after shooting that killed two

Suspect arrested and charged with attack on Florida State University in Tallahassee that also left six injuredStudents at Florida State University (FSU) were to return to a campus in shock on Friday to retrieve the belongings they abandoned in their scramble to escape a gunman, including laptops, handbags and even shoes, and a vigil is planned in the evening, after a student killed two people and left six others injured.Many gathered on Thursday night around a makeshift memorial on a sidewalk on campus, bringing candles, flowers, teddy bears and notes for the survivors. The impromptu memorials, dotted around the campus in the state capital of Tallahassee, came just hours after authorities arrested and charged a fellow student, Phoenix Ikner, 20, with the shooting. Continue reading...

Events

56 h. ago ‘No thought given to the human being’: Ben Affleck says he hated his ‘horrendous’ Batman suit

The actor, who took on the role in 2016 for box office let-down Batman v Superman, said the uncomfortable costume ‘made it difficult to make the movie’Ben Affleck says that he “hated” the Batsuit, and that it was “horrendous to wear” and “made it difficult to make the movie”.Speaking to GQ, Affleck said that the main issue with the elaborate costume was the heat it generated. “They don’t breathe. They’re made to look the way they want them to look. There’s no thought put into the human being. So what happens is that you just start sweating So in that thing, you’d just be pouring water, because you have that cowl over it. Like, there’s one thing to wear the suit, but once you cover your head, I guess that’s where all your heat kind of escapes and you feel it.” Continue reading...

Politics

63 h. ago Fear and panic at Florida State as deadly shooting sends students fleeing

When a 20-year-old opened fire at Florida State University, terrified students barricaded doors and fled across campus, abandoning chemistry notes and even shoes

Events

63 h. ago ‘They were chanting as they killed people in their homes’: survivors describe attack on Sudan’s Zamzam camp

On 11 April Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries attacked the country’s largest displacement camp. The extent of the brutality remains unclear, but some accounts are now emergingOnce they had massed on the perimeter of Sudan’s Zamzam camp, the Rapid Support Forces began the onslaught – shelling, firing from anti-aircraft guns mounted on pickup trucks and storming into the camp chanting racial slurs as they fired on their victims.An estimated 700,000 people had sought refuge in Zamzam, Sudan’s largest displacement camp, but last weekend they were forced to seek cover and plot the best escape route. Most had fled these fighters before. Continue reading...

Events

66 h. ago Squirrels 'run away and won't come back' when they smell kitchen scrap they hate

Squirrels are notoriously difficult to get rid of - but one pest control expert has revealed a simple kitchen scrap that will keep the furry rodents at bay for good

Politics

3 d. ago Mum whose 'terrified' son was 'grabbed by police officer' in chaotic footage hits out

The incident erupted on Edward Avenue in Salford involving a group of teens and a lone officer

Events

3 d. ago Belize plane hijacking: Man with knife 'tries to take over jet' full of terrified passengers

Local media have identified the man as an American citizen, adding he was fatally shot after resisting arrest during an incident that forced Belize authorities to ground flights

Events

3 d. ago Escape to the Country star made one 'life changing' decision that changed everything

Escape to the Country presenter Alistair Appleton has a very different life away from his TV work.

Politics