The ski resort of Riksgränsen is the most northerly in the world, sitting way into the Arctic Circle. It is treated to regularly displays of the Northern Lights and delivers midnight skiing at middsummer

If you think that you’ve missed your chance to go skiing in Europe this year, then you’d be wrong.

There is a resort where the slopes remain open not just through April and into May, but in the high summer days of June.

Riksgränsen, a small ski resort in Arctic Sweden, is the most northerly in the world. It’s 94 miles further up the road from the famous ICEHOTEL, which has melted away into the river by this time of the year.

By June 21, the snow farmers of Riksgränsen have been hard at work for weeks, making sure there’s enough coverage on the 909m tall mountain for the Midsommar downhill jamboree. They’ve dug, they’ve blanketed and they’ve cornered off sections of the mountain.

The reward is three hours of skiing, unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere in the world. From 10pm to 1am, T-shirt-clad skiers whizz down Riksgränsen’s 21km of pistes, basking in the strange phenomenon of bright sun and blue skies throughout the night. At 68.4266°N, the sun won’t disappear again for another month.

When I visited the Swedish resort, it wasn’t nighttime and the sun was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a heavy cloud hung over the mountain, the wind whipping my face as I sat shivering on the ski lift. Skiing in Sweden in March hits a little differently.

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Unlike the Alpine ski season, where the temperature hangs around the 0 °C mark and there’s a 10 euro hot chocolate to warm your cockles at the bottom of every piste, Sweden’s resorts get really, really cold. -20C cold. Cold enough that after a few trips down Riksgränsen’s jump-littered slopes, you need to retreat to one of two food huts for a finger-thawing plate of meatballs or a veggie hot dog loaded with crispy onions.

The resort also stands out from others I’ve been to in terms of vibe. Gone are the Dior all-in-one après-skiers of the French Alps, replaced with gnarly 20-something youth hostellers who all seem to know how to backflip.

Riksgränsen is known as a paradise of off-piste skiing, and it does not disappoint. Either side of every piste is acres of mazy terrain, perfect for exploring and throwing yourself down. The resort also specialises in heli-skiing and snowmobile tours. You can even book yourself a caving tour at the nearby Kåppasjåkkagrottan, the largest cave in Sweden.

Riksgränsen translates as national border. Its area extends into Norway, meaning when you ski down the “Gränsleden” (border run), you swing into a different country at every corner.

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This boundary-hopping continues with the Arctic ski pass required to access Riksgränsen’s slopes. Starting from about £140, it also gets you onto the lifts of Björkliden, Fjällby and Narvikfjellet.

The two other resorts offer very different skiing experiences.

Björkliden is perfect for families, with a gentle mountain criss-crossed with runs through the pine trees ideally suited to beginners. Hotell Fjället sits metres from its bottom ski lift and is an excellent place to stay. Comfy, staffed by friendly ski enthusiasts from across Sweden, and boasting a dramatic view of Lapporten from its breakfast room. The U-shaped valley is known as ‘the gateway of Lapland’ and for providing a framing of the Northern Lights, which I was lucky enough to witness twice during a three-day trip. The 11-year solar cycle recently peaked, meaning the Arctic was doused in glorious streaks of green on a near-nightly basis.

A little further north is Narvik, where the mountains are higher and the slopes more intense. The resort is currently undergoing a major upgrade ahead of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship arriving in 2029.

The warming effect of the Gulf Stream means the port does not freeze. The view along the deep blue Ofotfjorden that treats skiers as they descend down the biggest drop in northern Europe is simply breathtaking.

Book it

The Arctic ski pass costs from £140

Chalets at Björkliden’s Hotell Fjället cost from £166 a night.

Flights to Kiruna (a short train ride away from Björkliden, Fjällby and Narvikfjellet) cost from £96 in June.

They are now further than any human has ever been

The Artemis II crew has broken the record for the furthest distance humans have ever been.

Nasa’s Artemis II astronauts have set a new record for the furthest distance humans have travelled from Earth

The record was previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 – the crew travelled 248,655 miles from Earth. Artemis II will beat this record by about 4,102 miles, reaching a maximum distance of 252,757 miles, the BBC reports.

On breaking the Apollo 13 record, one of the Artemis astronauts said: “We surpass the furthest distance humans have ever travelled from planet earth. We do so in honouring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration.

“We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything we hold dear.”

He challenges this generation and the next “to make sure this record is not long-lived”.

Allclear Demolition are several months into the phased pulling-down of a 1960s office block in Rougier Street on a plot which had been planned as a ‘Roman Quarter’ for the city centre.

As reported by The Press, the land is being prepared for a 140-bedroom hotel to be run by Evans Dakota Hotels.

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Receivers called in at Rougier House Developments of York

During the planning application process, government statutory advisor Historic England told City of York Council there could be damage caused to nationally significant Roman remains by elements of the demolition process.

Allclear Demolition are clearing vacant 1960s block to make way for a Dakota Hotel (Image: Allclear Demolition)

At the time, agents for the applicant said investigations into the concrete frame of the existing structure, latterly known as Northern House would not be up to modern loading standards.

A spokesperson for Leeds-based Allclear Demolition said: “Throughout 2024 and 2025 major borehole surveys and trial trenching was conducted within the existing building to model the complex layers of deposits beneath the site.

“Reports confirmed the site contained ‘nationally significant’ archaeology remains extending up to ten metres below ground level.

“Based upon these findings planning officials have recommended a strict “written scheme of investigation” and a permanent archaeological watching brief during all future groundworks.”

Allclear Demolition are clearing vacant 1960s block to make way for a Dakota Hotel (Image: Allclear Demolition)

Techniques employed for the use of construction piles for the new building are said to only affect 3.2 per cent of the deposits, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added: “In November 2025, following several months of planning and temporary works designing, Allclear Demolition were appointed as the preferred demolition partner, working alongside GMI Construction as main contractors and commenced their carefully designed, meticulous ‘top down’ demolition method for this building.

“Considering the neighbouring buildings and concerns raised from an archaeological, environmental and busy city centre perspective. Allclear Demolition are working closely with York City Council throughout this scheme, monitoring all demolition activity, with various noise and vibration monitoring equipment across the footprint of the site.

“To date, no Archaeological artefacts have been uncovered by our team, but this could change over the coming months as they reach ground level.”

Allclear Demolition are clearing vacant 1960s block to make way for a Dakota Hotel (Image: Allclear Demolition)

Allclear director Joshua Dean said: ““We’re proud to be part of the Northern House demolition scheme, marking an important step in the area’s transformation.

“While it’s always significant to see longstanding structures come down, we recognise the opportunities this project creates for future development and community growth.

“Our team is committed to delivering this phase safely, responsibly, and with respect for the site’s history as we help pave the way for what comes next.”

The Lloyd Mullaney previously left the ITV jungle after just four days

Former Coronation Street star Craig Charles has revealed why he couldn’t watch I’m A Celebrity after his brother’s death.

Known for playing Lloyd Mullaney on the ITV soap from 2005 until 2015, as well as starring in Red Dwarf as Dave Lister, the actor and DJ appeared on the Ant and Dec reality series back in 2014. However, he only stayed in the Australian jungle for four days.

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Craig had to go back home to the UK after he was informed that his brother Dean had suffered a fatal heart attack. Dean was just 52-years-old when he lost his life.

However, Craig is now taking part in I’m A Celebrity All Stars. Serving as an All Stars version of the series, he’s taking part with the likes of his former Coronation Street colleague Beverley Callard, TOWIE’s Gemma Collins and football legend Harry Redknapp.

Viewers on Monday night (April 6), saw Craig and Gemma introduced as the season’s first late entries. Speaking to ITV, Craig reflected on how Dean’s passing affected how he viewed the programme.

“The death of my brother, Dean, changed my life the last time I was on I’m A Celebrity… I was 50 at the time, my brother was 52, I had been in Corrie for ten years and I came in to do the jungle, then Dean passed away.

“It made me re-evaluate things. I just thought if that had happened to me, would I be happy with what I’d achieved? I came up with the answer and it was ‘no’. I had been in Corrie for ten years and I felt in a rut.

“I was really enjoying my time in the Australian jungle and it got sadly cut short. I knew I wanted to have some new adventures after that. “But since I left, there have been years of ‘What ifs?’ It’s nice to put that to bed,” he said.

Craig continued: “At first, I’m A Celebrity… felt bittersweet after I’d left,” he admits. “And in the first few years I couldn’t watch the show. It made me sad and it opened a world of loss.

“Every year it came around, I would feel a sense of loss and a feeling of what might have been – both for my brother and for me. He was only 52 and he would have been 63 now, which is no age.

“But that feeling has decreased over the years, and the last few years I have been able to watch it again without feeling the pain and the grief. And so, when this came round, it was at the right time. I feel strong and confident enough to face it again and have a laugh!”

Asked if Dean were still alive today, would he like to make him proud by going into the jungle again, Craig noted that his brother did get to see him in the jungle before he died.

“I found out when I got back for the funeral that after the first episode, he turned to his wife and said: ‘he is going to win that’. But sadly, Dean never woke up and so hopefully I will make him proud,” she stated.

ITV doctor has shared a lesser-known menopause symptom that can occur when driving

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A GP has revealed a little-known symptom that can emerge while driving and impacts “lots of women”. The expert says this can happen during perimenopause or menopause.

Menopause is a natural phase of life that typically affects women aged between 45 and 55. It happens when hormone levels in the body drop to a level where periods cease.

Because of these hormonal shifts, the body can go through a variety of symptoms that can affect both physical and mental wellbeing. Most people are familiar with some of the more widespread effects, including hot flushes, mood swings, and brain fog.

However, Doctor Amir Khan, who is widely recognised for his appearances on ITV, highlighted a possible symptom you might not be aware of. In a video shared on his Instagram page, Dr Amir cautioned that women may begin to feel more anxious when in a vehicle.

He said: “Earlier today I was told by my sister, I was just chatting to her while I was driving, and she told me that she’s suddenly become really anxious when she gets into cars. Either when she’s driving or when she’s a passenger in the car, and that’s when it’s worse actually, when her husband or her kids are driving her somewhere.

“And she said she has to like hold on really tight and she comments on their driving and it’s not like her, it’s not like her at all. She actually used to be a bit of a girl racer, I remember when she was younger she was racing up and down the streets of Bradford.”

Dr Amir noted that this is actually “really common”, yet it’s not something people “talk about it enough”. He went on to say: “Anyway, I told her driving anxiety is really common around the perimenopause and menopause. Really common, and actually we don’t talk about it enough. And I think her hearing that and normalising it really helped her.”

Dr Amir went on to outline why this phenomenon can happen. “Because when oestrogen levels drop, remember chemicals in your brain are linked to oestrogen, so when oestrogen levels drop and progesterone levels drop as well, serotonin, your happy brain chemical goes down.

“GABA, that’s the big one, GABA, which is your calming brain cushion is taken away. And suddenly things that didn’t feel like a threat before suddenly feel really threatening and your brain goes into fight or flight mode.

“So that’s what’s happening to her and that’s what happens to lots of women during the peri and menopause and they don’t even know why. So that kind of driving anxiety is linked to low oestrogen, progesterone causing low serotonin, and GABA in your brain and it’s completely normal.”

Dr Amir outlined several approaches that might ease this symptom. He said: “So knowing that might help, HRT [hormone replacement therapy] might help, cognitive behavioural therapy might help, breathing exercises, grounding exercises can help as well but just knowing you’re not alone.”

Other symptoms

As listed by the NHS website, “common” symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can include:

• Changes to your mood, like low mood, anxiety, mood swings and low self-esteem
• Problems with memory or concentration (brain fog)
• Hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy
• Difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day
• Palpitations, when your heartbeats suddenly become more noticeable
• Headaches and migraines that are worse than usual
• Muscle aches and joint pains
• Changed body shape and weight gain
• Skin changes including dry and itchy skin
• Reduced sex drive
• Vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
• Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Sensitive teeth, painful gums or other mouth problems

Symptoms can last for months or years. The NHS says you should see a GP or nurse if you think you have perimenopause or menopause symptoms.

NASA’s Artemis II moon mission has safely circled the moon, making history as it reached the farthest point any human being has ever been from Earth.

“Houston, Integrity, comm check,” said mission specialist Christina Koch as she re-established communications with Mission Control after a 41-minute blackout. “It is so great to hear from Earth again!”

In the final minutes before the blackout began, pilot Victor Glover cited the teachings of Jesus Christ as he delivered a message of “love” to the people of Earth.

“To all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you from the moon,” he said.

The mission marks NASA astronauts’ first close encounter with the moon in over 50 years, carrying commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen a maximum of 252,760 miles away from Earth.

It will take the astronauts four days to get back, with a splashdown in the Pacific set to conclude their test flight on Friday.

NASA has a livestream providing continuous coverage of the Artemis II mission.

What’s next for the crew of Integrity?

What do you do after witnessing the indescribable? For Artemis II, it’s all been planned out in advance.

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Having completed their lunar fly-by and observations, the Integrity crew are now “cleaning up” their notes and uploading the photos from their camera S.D. cards to send to NASA.

Overnight, NASA’s science team will beaver away going over all the data. When the astronauts wake up in the morning, they’ll hold a conference with the scientists to go over their personal experiences while the memories are still fresh.

After that, it’s all meetings. There will be a public affairs event, a private health check-in with NASA’s medical team, and a flight director conference.

Finally the crew will undertake their “hygiene activities” and eat their dinner before sleeping once again.

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Io Dodds7 April 2026 03:05

No words

Victor Glover is audibly awed as he struggles to describe what he is seeing during the solar eclipse.

“If you’ve ever seen the spotlight off the top of the Luxor at night in Las Vegas, this looks like what that wants to be when it grows up,” he says at one point.

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Later, he requests that Mission Control add “about 20 new superlatives” to the English language, so that he has words to capture it.

Io Dodds7 April 2026 02:43

Video: An ‘indescribable’ solar eclipse

Here’s an incredible video from NASA of the solar eclipse, giving a tiny sense of what the Artemis II crew witnessed as the sun dipped behind the moon.

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But it’s clear that video can’t hold a candle to what the astronauts are actually seeing as they fly through intense darkness.

“I know this observation won’t be of any scientific value, but I’m really glad we launched on April 1. Because humans probably have not evolved to see what we’re seeing,” says pilot Victor Glover said.

“Truly hard to describe. It is amazing… indescribable.”

Glover says the crew have eliminated every possible light source inside the cabin, turning all their screens down as low as they will go to avoid affecting their view of the stars and planets.

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“No matter how long we look at this, our brains are not processing this image in front of them,” he says.

“It is absolutely spectacular, surreal, there’s no adjectives. I’m going to need to invent some new ones to describe what we’re looking at out this window.”

Io Dodds7 April 2026 02:18

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‘Our scientists are jumping up and down’

Integrity has just reestablished bidirectional contact with Houston. And what they’re telling us has got NASA literally dancing on the live stream.

The Artemis II crew has spent the last half hour viewing the eclipse through special goggles, and what they saw was apparently stunning.

“This continues to be unreal,” said pilot Victor Glover as he observed the sun’s corona shining around the edges of the moon. “Wow. It’s amazing.”

Astronauts said they saw the surface of the moon illuminated by “Earthshine” — the sun’s light reflecting off our planet — and vivid views of stars and planets.

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“The entire moon is lit-up. It’s glowing behind the entire moon,” said mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. “I thought it would look dark against the black sky or deep space, but the sun is lighting up the entire limb [edge] of the moon. You can see the entire perimeter of it.

The crew also said they saw at least five flashes of meteors impacting the moon — something that Mission Control said made members of its science team “jump up and down, literally”.

On the live stream, one person in the control room could be seen dancing joyfully as Hansen described his observations.

“Even now, with the sun far behind the moon, you can still make up little bit of photography right around the entire limn, just bumps.”

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Io Dodds7 April 2026 02:11

Nutella enjoys being in lunar spotlight

A jar of Nutella spread was seen floating through the capsule during day five of the Artemis mission, and the brand was quick to promote itself being in space.

Graeme Massie7 April 2026 01:59

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‘Sun has gone behind the moon’

Graeme Massie7 April 2026 01:40

Crew now observing a unique solar eclipse

It is only visible to the crew on the spacecraft and no one on Earth!

Graeme Massie7 April 2026 01:36

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But when do we land?

For those just joining us, there won’t be any moon landing today. That mission is still in the future.

Its roughly ten-day mission has involved a period in Earth orbit to do systems checks, a powerful “trans-lunar injection” engine burn to catapult the Integrity capsule towards the moon, and a “lunar fly-by” that uses the moon’s gravity to slingshot Integrity round Earth’s largest satellite and back towards home.

“We’ll get eyes on the moon, kind of map it out and then continue to go back in force,” flight director Judd Frielin said before the mission.

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During the flyby, the astronauts split into pairs and took turns capturing the lunar views out their windows with cameras. They’d studied and practiced extensively beforehand to know what to look out for.

One highlight of the four-day return trip will be Integrity’s conversation with the International Space Station, where NASA currently has five astronauts.

It’s the first time ever that a moon crew has colleagues in space at the same time, so NASA can’t pass up the opportunity for a cosmic chitchat.

Next year’s Artemis III won’t be landing on the moon either. Its job, as currently planned, is to conduct further tests — including docking with the lunar lander, which will be launched into lunar orbit beforehand.

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Io Dodds7 April 2026 01:33

What’s next for Artemis II?

With the moon in their rear-view mirror, the Artemis II astronauts are now enjoying some well-earned downtime.

Integrity is now oriented away from the moon, meaning there are no more photo opportunities for a little while.

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It’s currently around 4,600 miles away from the moon, and around 252,000 miles from earth — the former decreasing, and the latter increasing, every moment.

The spacecraft is also taking the opportunity to charge its batteries from its on-board solar panels. We’re in a “forward link loss of signal” right now, meaning Integrity can’t hear Earth but we can hear them.

Soon, the crew will witness something never seen before by any human being: a solar eclipse as seen from the moon.

Io Dodds7 April 2026 01:11

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A small celebration ritual — and ‘toilet maintenance’

Roughly 250,000 miles away from Earth, a little ritual has just taken place to mark Integrity’s return from the dark side of the moon.

On the comms a few minutes ago, Christina Koch said all crew members had now flipped over their mission patches, which are double sided.

Until now, the patches were showing side A: the moon massive in the foreground, the Earth far away in the background.’

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But now they’ve been flipped to side B, showing the Earth in the foreground and the moon beyond it. It’s a symbol that the moon is now behind them.

And now, having earlier been in a state of “moon joy”, it’s back to normality. Maintenance checks must be done, including a “a shortened toilet maintenance” routine.

Io Dodds7 April 2026 00:52

Steve Dyson, landlord of The New Inn in Selby, was presented with a dedicated service award by Heineken-owned Star Pubs to celebrate more than 20 years’ service, 12 of which have been spent running the historic pub with his partner Alison and their daughters.

Before entering hospitality, Steve’s life was full of twists and turns. He started out racing bikes and spent several years as part of a travelling stunt show, even appearing on BBC1’s Late Late Breakfast Show.

Former motorbike stuntman Steve Dyson in action in the Kamikaze Stunt Show in 1986 (Image: DAVID HARRISON)

Former motorbike stuntman Steve Dyson in action in the Kamikaze Stunt Show in 1986 (Image: DAVID HARRISON)

From there he went on to run a motorbike shop, followed by a move into property development.

Fate eventually steered him towards pubs when a repossessed property he’d bought in Barnby on Marsh failed to get planning permission for conversion into homes.

A fall from a roof then made him step back and reassess his future. Rather than sell up, he decided to run the pub himself – an unexpected decision that sparked a lifelong love affair with the trade. Bitten by the bug, at one point he built up a portfolio of ten pubs.

Today, he operates both The New Inn in Selby and The New Inn in Barlby, a village pub that was facing closure when his daughters persuaded him to take it on ten years ago.

The New Inn in Selby (Image: Supplied)

Steve said: “I can’t imagine not running a pub.

“I have had very hard and very good times in the pub business.

“Selby has seen 12 pubs close since Covid with five closing since Christmas, so we’re doing something right.

“You can’t have a successful pub without great customers.

“So, thank you to all our regulars for your support over the years and thank you also to Alison and our daughters, without whose help The New Inn wouldn’t be what it is today.

“For those worried about its future, you can rest assured I am here for the duration.

“I have no intention of retiring anytime soon. We’ll be continuing with our karaoke and disco for which we’re renowned.”

Steve Dyson (left) celebrates his achievement (Image: Supplied)

Rachel Greenley, business development manager at Star Pubs, said: “Steve has created the go-to pub in Selby.

“It’s somewhere where people of all ages come in to chat and socialise.

“Although it’s Steve’s dedicated service award, knowing Steve, I am sure it is one he wants to share with Alison and his wider family, and of course his many regulars.

“So, congratulations to Steve and to all on creating a unique thriving institution and preserving Selby’s only independently run pub.”

As Artemis II astronauts travelled behind the Moon, they lost contact with Earth for about 40 minutes.

The communications blackout had been expected as the spacecraft signals were blocked by the Moon. Nasa says the crew flew to the furthest point from Earth during the blackout at 252,756 miles (406,771km).

Once contact was regained, astronaut Christina Koch said: “It is so great to hear from Earth again.”

Follow this story live.

Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) is taken back in EastEnders when she learns of Ravi Gulati’s (Aaron Thiara) mental health struggles and thus seeks out Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) for more information.

Ravi has been struggling for months after he discovered that he unknowingly attacked son Davinder ‘Nugget’ Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) while under the influence of drugs.

On the night in question, he had been spiked by Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), who was acting on behalf of Harry (Elijah Hollway), hellbent on revenge for Ravi’s role in her son’s traumatic hostage ordeal and subsequent relapse last year.

Ravi was also working as an informant for the police in order to stay out of prison, which added an extra layer of stress – especially when drug dealer Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) worked out that he was the informant.

After an incident in the chemist, which saw Ravi lock the doors and order the pharmacist to hand over Nugget’s epilepsy medication, he broke down in Priya’s arms.

Priya therefore managed to convince Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) to put an end to Ravi’s informing. Upset that she did so, Ravi convinced suspicious Mark to follow him to the woods, where he admitted that he was the informant – and Mark retaliated with violence.

As Priya cleaned up his wounds, she discovered that he’d been self-harming and urged him to get help.

It’s been a few weeks since we last saw the characters but they’re back on our screens next week as Ravi decides to help Vinny (Shiv Jalota) with some manual labour at the shop. Harry sees this and finds it amusing, proceeding to mock Ravi.

Nugget, meanwhile, is left devastated to learn that someone filmed him having a seizure and posted it online.

Priya does her best to defuse the situation but Ravi vows to sort it, leaving her worried. The following day, her concerns continue as it’s clear that Ravi hasn’t slept.

Nugget puts two and two together, realising Will Mitchell is the one who filmed him and thus he confronts him on the Square – as a despondent Ravi watches on.

Honey and Billy Mitchell (Emma Barton and Perry Fenwick) get involved, taking Nugget and Will to the cafe to discuss further, but when Ravi doesn’t intervene, Nugget storms off.

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Later, Suki is alerted to Ravi’s worsening state and thus heads to speak to Priya, who reveals everything. Taken aback, Suki offers to pay for private therapy to help – but Ravi is upset to realise that Suki knows what he’s been going through.

Will he accept her offer?

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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Santander will shut 40 high street branches by end of May 2026 with 291 jobs at risk as customers shift to digital banking

Santander is set to shut dozens of its high street branches across the UK before the end of May. The Spanish banking giant announced at the beginning of the year that 44 of its locations nationwide would close, with four already shutting in January.

The bank confirmed that an additional 40 branches would cease operations by May’s end, attributing the decision to customers increasingly turning to online services. The company revealed that 96% of customer transactions are now conducted through digital channels.

The lender also disclosed that 291 positions were under threat as a consequence of these closures. This latest round follows less than 12 months after Santander revealed in March 2025 that it would shut 95 branches, impacting 750 staff members.

Last July, Mike Regnier, who was then Santander’s UK chief executive, revealed that approximately 2,000 jobs had been cut in the previous year as part of the bank’s reorganisation. At that time, he indicated that additional redundancies were “might well be” probable.

Santander has committed that branches facing closure will be replaced by “community bankers” operating through Santander Local outlets or shared banking hubs. The bank maintains this arrangement will ensure continued access to services for customers in communities affected by the shutdowns, reports the Mirror.

The wave of closures will commence by April 2026’s end, with additional sites following in May. The complete list of affected branches in this latest round, along with their closure dates, is detailed below.

Branches closing in April 2026:

• Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – April 28
• Boston, Lincolnshire – April 28
• Evesham, Worcestershire – April 28
• Mold, Clwyd – April 28
• Ramsgate, Kent – April 28
• Woking, Surrey – April 28
• Bangor, County Down – April 29
• Bridgwater, Somerset – April 29
• Kirkintilloch, Lanarkshire – April 29
• Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire – April 29
• Newbury, Berkshire – April 29
• Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire – April 29
• Tonbridge, Kent – April 29

Branches closing in May 2026

• Bishop Auckland, County Durham – May 5
• Gosport, Hampshire – May 5
• Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire – May 5
• Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire – May 5
• Pontefract, West Yorkshire – May 5
• Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire – May 5
• Glengormley, County Antrim – May 6
• Leyland, Lancashire – May 6
• Mansfield, Nottinghamshire – May 6
• Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan – May 6
• Northallerton, North Yorkshire – May 6
• Ringwood, Hampshire – May 6
• Andover, Hampshire – May 12
• Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan – May 12
• Enniskillen, County Fermanagh – May 12
• Macclesfield, Cheshire – May 12
• Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire – May 12
• Cwmbran, Gwent – May 13
• Golders Green, London – May 13
• Heswall, Merseyside – May 13
• Redditch, Worcestershire – May 13
• Stranraer, Wigtownshire – May 13
• Newton Abbot, Devon – May 19
• Stafford, Staffordshire – May 19
• Banbridge, County Down – May 19
• Liskeard, Cornwall – May 20
• Shirley, West Midlands – May 20