Author: Lucas Bennett

What happened at Aintree I Am Maximus has become the first horse in half a century to win back-to-back Grand Nationals, storming home in the 2026 Randox Grand National to claim the famous steeplechase for a second time and pocket the £500,000 prize. The 10-year-old, sent off as the favourite, reclaimed the crown he narrowly surrendered last year when he was beaten into second place by Nick Rockett. His latest victory makes him the first horse to regain the title since the legendary Red Rum managed the feat in 1976. A field of 34 runners lined up for the contest,…

What unfolded on the taxiway A United States military aircraft has been damaged after a man broke into the secure area of Shannon Airport in Ireland and attacked it with a hatchet, in an incident that briefly forced the airport to suspend operations. The alarm was raised shortly before 9.45am on Friday, when a man was spotted in a restricted zone of the airport. According to reports, he made his way onto the wing of a US Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane that had been parked on a remote taxiway, and is then said to have struck the fuselage…

What happened off the Pakistani coast The Pakistan Navy has evacuated 18 crew members from a merchant ship in the North Arabian Sea after responding to a distress call, the country’s military has confirmed. According to a statement from Pakistan’s armed forces, the crew were aboard the vessel GOLD AUTUMN when the alert was raised. The 18 seafarers — a multinational group including nationals of China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia — were taken to Karachi, where they were due to receive medical attention before being repatriated to their home countries. Pakistani authorities have not so far disclosed the nature…

What Beirut is reporting Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has said that 13 members of the country’s state security forces were killed on Friday in an Israeli strike on a government building in the southern city of Nabatieh. In a statement issued in the wake of the attack, Aoun condemned what he described as the continuation of Israeli military action against Lebanon, and said the targeting of state institutions would not weaken the country’s resolve to defend its sovereignty.

A quieter sex life than you might think Britain’s bedrooms are a good deal less busy than popular culture might suggest. Research indicates that roughly 16 per cent of men and 22 per cent of women in the UK are sexually inactive, and one survey has put the share of sexless relationships at more than a quarter. The reasons vary enormously — some people choose celibacy outright, while others find themselves in partnerships where one half wants intimacy and the other does not. That raises a question many people quietly wonder about but rarely ask aloud: if you stop having…

What police say happened on Honeybourne Way Two teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man in his 70s died from injuries sustained during a confrontation in Cheltenham earlier this week. Gloucestershire Police said the elderly victim was punched to the ground during an exchange with two males who, moments earlier, had thrown a large branch from the Millennium Bridge towards a cyclist passing on the road beneath. The cyclist is not thought to have been hurt in that incident. According to the force, officers were called at around 7.30pm on Wednesday to a report involving…

What the charity is alleging Sentebale, the southern Africa charity co-founded by the Duke of Sussex nearly two decades ago, has issued a sharply worded statement confirming that it has begun libel proceedings against Prince Harry and former trustee Mark Dyer in the High Court of England and Wales. In a statement released by its Board of Trustees and executive director, the charity said it was seeking “the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution” following what it described as “a coordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its…

What happened on the GM-2 road A British tourist has died and 27 other people have been injured after the coach they were travelling on came off a mountain road in La Gomera and tumbled into a ravine, emergency services in the Canary Islands have confirmed. The vehicle was carrying 27 British holidaymakers and its driver, according to 112 Canarias, the regional emergency service, which posted details of the incident on X. The group had been en route to the dock at San Sebastián de La Gomera, where they were due to board a ferry to neighbouring Tenerife, Spanish newspaper…

What police found at the Dormanstown address A three-month-old girl has died following a suspected dog attack at a house in Redcar, with a 45-year-old man arrested in the hours that followed. Cleveland Police said armed officers were dispatched to Hardale Grove, in the Dormanstown area of the town, shortly after 1.30pm on Thursday after a report raising concerns for the welfare of a child. Officers destroyed one dog in the street and a second inside the property. The force said it believed the infant had died as a result of a dog bite. A 31-year-old woman was also bitten…

What is on the table in Pakistan Vice-President JD Vance has set off for Islamabad at the head of an American delegation tasked with exploring a possible end to the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, arriving with a pointed message for his Iranian counterparts: do not attempt to game the process. Speaking at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly before departure, Vance said: “If they’re gonna try to play us they’re gonna find the negotiating team is not going to be that receptive.” He added that Donald Trump had given the team “some pretty clear guidelines” for…