Customer service at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is at an all-time low as phone line waiting times continue to deteriorate, according to MPs. Nearly two-thirds of taxpayers were forced to wait more than 10 minutes to speak to an adviser, a committee found.more

London is the worst city for air pollution from aviation, according to a new study. Researchers for the Transport & Environment think tank found planes taking off and landing in the capital’s airports pump out emissions equivalent to 3.23 million cars worth.more

RCD Mallorca's footballers have advanced to the final of the Spanish Cup. They drew for the second time in the return leg against Real Sociedad, this time away 1:1, but won the penalty shootout 5-4. Their final rival will be determined by tomorrow's match between Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid.more

The UK is safe, we are not on cusp of war with Russia and no one is planning to reintroduce conscription, the Chief of the British Defence Staff, Admiral Tony Radakin, assured yesterday.more

A three-day warning strike by German Lufthansa's technical department ground staff began this morning and is expected to last until Friday evening. By midday today, the industrial action had not affected passenger flights, said representatives of the Verdi trade union.more

The London home of Freddie Mercury - former lead singer of the band Queen - was put up for sale yesterday. As relayed by estate agency Knight Frank, its owner, Mercury's partner and later friend Mary Austin expects offers in excess of £30m.more

A life sentence was heard yesterday at the trial in Amsterdam of one of the most dangerous and longest wanted drug gang bosses Ridouan Taghi. He was convicted of a series of murders from 2015-17. The trial was one of the longest ever - lasting almost six years.more

The UK has no plans for a large-scale deployment of its troops to Ukraine, other than the small group already there advising the Ukrainian armed forces, a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said yesterday, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion.more

Erling Haaland scored five goals for trophy defending champions Manchester City, who won 6:2 away against Luton Town in the 1/8 finals of the FA Cup. Four of the Norwegian striker's hits were assisted by Belgian Kevin De Bruyne.more

Portuguese police detained a 36-year-old Pole in Lisbon, wanted on a European arrest warrant for leading a criminal group involved in drug smuggling to Poland. The man was tracked down by police bounty hunters from Silesia and passed the information on to colleagues from Portugal.more

The rivers of Britain and Ireland are in a desperate state from the impact of pollution, with not a single waterway in England or Northern Ireland listed as being in good overall health, a report said on Monday.more

Four primary schools in the southern French city of Beziers introduced uniform uniforms for students from this Monday. Over 700 children are participating in the pilot program. Education authorities want to see if uniforms will help reduce inequality and improve relationships in schools.more

An entire church has hit the market - for just £5k more than a parking space in London. The dilapidated building in Pembrokeshire is in need of some love and attention but could be a unique home for the right buyer. The three-bed, two-bath property has already had more than 20 viewings, estate agent John Francis said. more

Iga Swiatek is one step away from moving into the top "10" of the tennis all-time payroll, and her on-court earnings since the beginning of her career have surpassed the $25 million mark. The world ranking leader is closing in on the highest ranked Pole, Agnieszka Radwanska, who is ninth.more

28% would like to introduce a 4-day working week. employees - according to the latest "Polish Labor Market Barometer" by Personnel Service. It was added that every tenth employer plans to implement such a system.more

For people who never moan about the cold, can take or leave showers and will get used to a relentless thrum of hooting trumpet noises, ideal jobs have come up. A heritage charity is advertising vacancies at the bottom of the world. Based in Antarctica, just 9,000 miles from the UK, successful applicants will have to adapt to near-constant daylight and always freezing temperatures.more

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is conducting a thorough review of its cost of living payments to determine if more are needed, reports BirminghamLive. Charities, campaigners, and MPs have been urging for another round of financial aid as daily costs remain high, but the government has so far stated that no further payments will be made after the recent £299 sum.more

Iga Swiatek, last year's winner of the tennis Grand Slam French Open, was on the list of nominees for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Award in the "Sportswoman of the Year" category for the second year in a row. The awards gala will take place on April 22 in Madrid.more

Labour is being warned by a powerful alliance of thinktanks and charities that poverty will soar if it comes to power and then fails to spend many billions of pounds on welfare reform to help those struggling most with the cost of living.more

Around 250 banks are set to close this year or have already shut - as financial services continue to be stripped from the high street at pace. Twelve major bank branches closed in January alone and another 38 will have been shut down by the end of this month. They are among 245 banks set to close in 2024, with another six branches also due to shut but with no end date yet announced.more

The disciplinary committee of the Saudi Football Federation has initiated proceedings against Cristiano Ronaldo, local media reported. The famous Portuguese from Al-Nassr club is accused of making a controversial gesture towards Al Shabab fans after Sunday's match between these teams.more

The speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Radosław Sikorski, at the UN Security Council, pointing out Russia's false narrative about the war in Ukraine, became a sensation and received enthusiastic praise - the American Bloomberg agency reported yesterday.more

The majority of councils across England and Wales have introduced measures to dim or cut street lights altogether over the past 15 years, some saving millions of pounds a year. Now cash-strapped local authorities have increased the cuts in an effort to plug gaping holes in budgets, with Croydon, Cornwall, Havering and Hampshire the latest to declare plans to switch off lights.more

Warning strikes are to be held in local transport in many regions of Germany until Saturday. Yesterday, city bus drivers in Schleswig-Holstein, Saarland and parts of Trier went on strike, resulting in many connections being canceled. There are also several hours of disruption in Berlin, the Tagesschau portal reported.more

Girona's players won at home against Rayo Vallecano 3-0 in the match ending the 26th round and returned to second place in the Spanish Premier League table, pushing Barcelona to third.more