National news

Here are the latest stories from the team at Radio News Hub. The links will open in a new page and take you to the Radio News Hub website. You can hear the latest national news every hour on the radio station.

• Vatican says Pope Francis is in a critical condition

  Pope Francis is in a critical condition after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican said.

• Ireland survive Six Nations scare before clinching Triple Crown with Wales win

  Title favourites Ireland survived a major Six Nations scare as they clinched the Triple Crown by beating a transformed Wales team 27-18 in Cardiff.

• Claudia Winkleman wanted to cry after pair won 100000 on One Question

  Claudia Winkleman said she wanted to cry when a father and daughter won £100,000 on Channel 4 gameshow One Question.

• Starmer tells Zelensky he will press case for safeguards with Trump

  Starmer has told Volodymyr Zelensky he will press the case for safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty in talks with Donald Trump next week as European leaders scramble to contain a growing transatlantic rift.

• Three people arrested on suspicion of murder after man went missing in 2002

  Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder more than 20 years after Robert Scott Clive went missing in north-east England, Northumbria Police said.

• Girl three killed in crash between tram and van in Manchester

  A three-year-old girl has been killed in a crash between a tram and a van in Manchester.

• Fire delays start of British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham

  A fire has delayed the start of the British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

• Starmer to set date to increase defence spending during Trump visit report

  Sir Keir Starmer is expected to confirm a timeline to raise defence spending and give Donald Trump an invitation for a state visit when he visits Washington next week, according to a report.

• Sir Elton John and Simon Cowell call for creative talent to be protected from AI

  Sir Elton John and Simon Cowell have called on the Government to rethink proposals to relax copyright rules in a bid to protect creative talent from artificial intelligence (AI).

• Family confirms second body released by militants was Shiri Bibas

  A body released by Palestinian militants overnight has been confirmed as Shiri Bibas, the Israeli mother whose two young sons also died in captivity, her family said.