Helmet-wearing is rare in this nation of bike riders but authorities are pushing people to think againWhen 42-year-old Myrthe Boss gets on her bike to go shopping in the Dutch town of Ede, she pops on a helmet. This act, considered essential in many countries, marks Boss out as something of a radical in the Netherlands, where helmet-wearing is rare.Now,...

Men linked to militant group took two guards hostage at facility in southern city of RostovRussian special forces have freed two guards and killed several men linked to Islamic State who had taken them hostage at a detention centre in the southern city of Rostov, the prison service said.Automatic gunfire could be heard in footage published on Russian...

Scottish Highlands campaign has raised two-thirds of £300,000 target for footpaths on An Teallach. But more is needed to protect people and environmentOne of Scotland’s most impressive and recognisable mountains will have its walking paths restored after hillwalkers and charities clubbed together to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.Mountaineering...

Lack of awareness and obstacles such as last-known UK address requests cited as reasons for low participationUK election live – latest updatesFewer than 200,000 of the estimated 3.5 million British people living abroad for more than 15 years have applied to vote in the UK general election despite the change in law in January returning their right to...

Exclusive: Charity granted permission to intervene after ministers rejected calls to suspend weapon salesIsrael-Gaza war – live updatesSupplying arms to Israel while simultaneously providing humanitarian aid to Gaza is “intellectually and morally incoherent”, the head of Oxfam GB has said.According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 37,000 Palestinians,...

Shadow health secretary says ‘we will not make promises we cannot keep or that the country cannot afford’UK election live – latest updatesWes Streeting has failed to rule out an overhaul of the council tax system if Labour win next month’s election, as the shadow health secretary said the party wanted to do more in power than it has promised in its...