Workers told to be realistic about outcome of union talks as corporation aims to make savings with job cutsBBC staff have been told their bosses will forgo a pay rise this year but fear the freeze will lead to a meagre increase for the rank and file, who have been urged to be realistic about the outcome of union negotiations.Employees have been told that the corporation's executive committee - its 12 highest-paid bosses including the director general, who were paid almost 5m in total last year - will have their pay frozen this year amid a 600m cost-cutting drive. Continue reading...

The Crystal Palace, Arsenal and England striker says his life story - now in development with the rapper's Merky Films - has hard-hitting moments, but in the end I want it to give people hope and joy'Stormzy has announced he is to produce a biopic of former Arsenal, Crystal Palace and England striker Ian Wright.Wright, who successfully transitioned to TV punditry after a distinguished playing career that included becoming Arsenal's highest ever goalscorer, before he was overtaken by Thierry Henry, said he wanted the film to give people hope and joy". Continue reading...

National broadcaster RTE accused of antisemitism for decision to screen satirical 1996 Eurovision episode in boycott of contestIt is considered one of the funniest episodes of a beloved sitcom, but the Father Ted storyline about Eurovision has been dragged into the row over Israel's participation in this week's song contest.Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE, which is boycotting the competition in protest against Israel's inclusion, will instead broadcast the 1996 episode A Song for Europe, in which the characters Father Ted and Father Dougal perform their song My Lovely Horse and earn nul points. Continue reading...

NDIS changes foreshadowed by health minister Mark Butler will drastically reduce access to the scheme, with nearly 700 staff positions to go at NDIA

Catalano's lawyer says press attention potentially detrimental' to Australian Community Media co-owner's mental health

The 17 passengers to be transferred to a quarantine center in Nebraska to assess them for risk', as one tests positive and another shows symptomsThe 17 Americans onboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship M/V Hondius, including one person who has tested positive, have disembarked the vessel after it docked in Tenerife on Sunday and are being repatriated to the US.Upon their arrival in Spain, medical teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awaited and interviewed the passengers, whose identities have not been publicly disclosed and who have not tested positive for the virus, about their exposure on the cruise. Continue reading...

Four Australian citizens and one permanent resident from the MV Hondius to fly home via Perth on Tuesday

Historic Farrer byelection win ignites internal rumblings about Coalition leadership

Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections, while Nigel Farage's Reform UK and the Green party made substantial gains. So is the era of two-party politics over? And can the prime minister survive?Lucy Hough speaks to political correspondent Alexandra Topping Continue reading...

After Labour's demise was overestimated, the prime minister's potential challengers are staying quiet - for now

Owner IAG expects to recover 60% of additional fuel bill caused by Iran war through revenue and cost management'

Law says conviction of two men for spying raises serious concerns over how they accessed sensitive informationNathan Law, an exiled leader of the Hong Kong student protest who lives with a 100,000 bounty on his head from the Chinese authorities, was not surprised to discover a spy ring had photographed him entering the Oxford Union for an evening debate in November 2023.The conviction at the Old Bailey of Chi Leung Peter" Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Bill" Yuen, 65, for assisting a foreign intelligence service, was a sobering first - no Chinese spies had been convicted in British criminal history before Thursday - but the details that came out in the nine-week trial mainly served to confirm his suspicions. Continue reading...

Leader defiant in face of calls from some of his MPs to quit but admits results are tough, and there's no sugarcoating it'

Patient remains on south Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, say health officials, as vessel heads to Tenerife

Anthony Albanese rejects calls for her to resign over the breaches, saying she had done the right thing and had also apologisedThe communications minister, Anika Wells, has repaid more than $10,000 for incorrect travel claims, identified amid controversy about her use of taxpayer-funded entitlements.In a statement released on Friday, Wells said an audit by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority identified four mistakes in her claims dating back to Labor's 2022 election victory, worth a combined $8,092.89. Continue reading...

Former foreign minister steps down early as finance minister Katy Gallagher says embattled institution must continue rebuilding trust and confidence'

Australia's most prominent portrait prize was announced on Friday at the Art Gallery of NSW, where the finalist exhibition will open on Saturday

Stone being paid $50,000 a month to rebuild' relations between Washington and Myanmar's military-backed governmentUS lobbyist Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of Donald Trump, has been condemned for accepting $50,000 a month to rebuild" relations between Washington and Myanmar's military-backed government.Myanmar's leaders have been internationally isolated since seizing power in a coup in 2021, and have repeatedly been accused of atrocities that may amount to war crimes. Activists say the military rulers, which recently held widely condemned sham" elections, are now trying to reassert themselves abroad. Continue reading...

Naturalist says he has been overwhelmed by greetings' as milestone is marked with event at Royal Albert HallDavid Attenborough said he had been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings" for his centenary on Friday and thanked wellwishers most sincerely".

Donald Trump says the ceasefire remains in place despite the strikes, with Iranian TV saying the situation is back to normal'The United States and Iran exchanged fire late on Thursday in the most serious test yet of their month-long ceasefire.Iran accused the US of violating the ceasefire by targeting two ships at the strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian areas, as the US insisted it struck in retaliation. Continue reading...

Moscow steps up maritime presence in North Sea after UK threats to seize shadow fleet oil tankersBritain's Royal Navy tracked and followed a Russian frigate every day last month as it sailed from the Atlantic to the North Sea, as Moscow steps up its maritime presence after UK threats to seize shadow fleet oil tankers.The Russian navy's Admiral Grigorovich escorted six Russia-linked vessels during April, including at least three under economic sanction passing east through the Dover strait, while being watched continuously by four UK ships and helicopters. Continue reading...

Facebook and Instagram owner claims charges should not be calculated based on a company's global revenueMeta has launched a legal challenge against the UK's media regulator over the fees and fines regime it is enforcing under landmark digital safety legislation.The Facebook and Instagram owner is claiming that Ofcom's methodology for calculating the charges is flawed and should not be based on a company's global revenue. Breaches of the Online Safety Act can be punished by fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue (QWR) or 18m - whichever is higher. Continue reading...

A group of prominent Senate Democrats sent a letter to FCC chair, Brendan Carr, to protest the commission's order last week challenging ABC's licensesA group of prominent Senate Democrats sent a letter on Thursday to Brendan Carr, the Trump-aligned Federal Communications Commission chair, asking him to rescind the US media regulator's order last week requiring ABC to apply early to renew its television licenses.The eight ABC-owned station licenses were not originally up for renewal until 2028 at the earliest and 2031 at the latest; now, the renewal requests must be filed by the end of May. Continue reading...

Chi Leung Wai and Chung Biu Yuen convicted over surveillance of dissidents in shadow policing' operationA UK Border Force officer and Hong Kong trade official based in London have been found guilty of spying for China and surveilling dissidents through a shadow policing" operation.Chi Leung Peter" Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 65, also known as Bill, were found guilty at the Old Bailey of assisting a foreign intelligence service, making them the first people in British history to be convicted of spying for China. Continue reading...

Yona Simcha Schreiber from settlement in West Bank faces charge of assault motivated by hostility towards religious groupAn Israeli settler suspected of kicking and wounding a French Catholic nun in Jerusalem will go on trial for assault motivated by hostility towards a religious group, Israel's justice ministry has said.The attack on the nun, a 48-year-old researcher at Jerusalem's French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, occurred on Mount Zion, just outside the Old City. Continue reading...

The honour recognises Albanese's work documenting and denouncing violations of international law in Gaza'The Spanish government awarded the UN legal expert Francesca Albanese one of its highest civilian honours in recognition of what it termed her extensive work in documenting and denouncing violations of international law in Gaza".Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer who serves as UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, has been vocal in her criticisms of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which she has described as genocide. Continue reading...

Retail group with 4,800 stores worldwide expects drop in profits this year amid muted market'

Smart went missing in California after returning from a party, and was declared legally dead in 2002Authorities plan Thursday to enter the second day of their search of a home connected to the man convicted of killing 19-year-old college student Kristin Smart in 1996, according to law enforcement.The San Luis Obispo county sheriff's office served the warrant Wednesday in the continuing investigation into Smart's disappearance. Her remains were never found and she was declared legally dead in 2002. Paul Flores was convicted in October 2022 and ultimately sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Continue reading...

New PEN America report analysed 3,743 unique titles removed from libraries and classrooms and found books about activism and social movements were targetedA new report has found that the number of banned non-fiction books doubled during the 2024-2025 school year in the US.PEN America analysed the 3,743 unique titles removed from school libraries and classrooms in the July to June period and found that over 1,100 or 29% were non-fiction, more than double the year prior. Continue reading...

Additional funding for the costly 90km public transport project promised ahead of state's November election

Police say man is not suspected of involvement in the theft itself and the phone has not been recoveredPolice investigating the theft of a phone belonging to Keir Starmer's former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney have arrested a man.The man, who was arrested on Wednesday in Peckham, south London, is suspected of receiving the phone after it was stolen, the Metropolitan police said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Regime, which executed 243 people last year for drug offences, accused of investing in entertainment to whitewash its human rights recordThe acclaimed Australian film-maker Phillip Noyce is being paid by the Saudi regime to make a feature film portraying the repressive state's narcotics officers as heroes.The Watchful Eyes, based on a real Saudi ministry of interior narcotics case, is billed as a dramatic depiction of the heroism of security men in combating drugs". Continue reading...

Justice department targets MacArthur Park, which has long struggled with fentanyl use, overdoses and homelessnessFederal authorities arrested 18 people in Los Angeles in a crackdown on drugs in MacArthur Park, the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.The DoJ said it was targeting an open-air drug market" in the park near downtown, which has long struggled with fentanyl use and overdoses and has at times had large encampments of unhoused people. Continue reading...

As Reform vows to block solar and windfarms, energy leaders say renewables offer most secure future, insulating UK from hostile forces

Some MPs accuse Burnham of undermining local election messaging by agreeing to speak at event later this month

Steve Roth was responding to the announcement by New York's mayor of tax on second homes worth more than $5m

Almost two-thirds of respondents said US used to be a great place for immigrants but no longer is

President issues fresh ultimatum despite US claims of progress in stalled negotiations

US president says war will end if Tehran agrees to deal, but that bombing starts' again if it does notOil prices fell and stock markets rose as Donald Trump said the war with Iran would end and the strait of Hormuz would be open to all" if Tehran struck a deal with Washington.The US president posted on social media: Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran." Continue reading...

Rami Elghandour tells Guardian in exclusive interview that cancellation sends dangerous' message to studentsRutgers University abruptly rescinded its invitation to a prominent alum who was slated to deliver a graduation speech next week after some students complained about social media posts he had published about Palestine.Rami Elghandour - a tech entrepreneur, graduate of Rutgers' School of Engineering, and executive producer of the Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab - was set to deliver a commencement address at the school's campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey on 15 May. Continue reading...

Demonstrators, angered by Russia's inclusion at arts festival, shouted Curated by Putin, dead bodies included'The Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale was forced to temporarily shutter its doors on the second day of the preview after the activist group Pussy Riot staged a chaotic protest against the country's inclusion in the art festival.Wearing pink balaclavas, the protesters ran towards the Russian pavilion where they gathered outside and lit pink, blue and yellow flares while playing punk music and shouting slogans, including Blood is Russia's Art". Continue reading...

Conservative leader says her party are willing to work with people who will help deliver Conservative policies'Labour has criticised Zack Polanski for saying he was concerned about how the suspect in the Golders Green stabbings was treated when he was arrested by the police.Referring to what Polanski said about this in his Today interview this morning (see 9.33am), a Labour party spokesperson said:Our brave police ran towards a suspected terrorist and tackled him while he was still carrying a knife and before they could handcuff him.The fact that Zack Polanski is still sympathising with this individual is utterly astounding. For the Green party leader to be litigating the case for the defence against the police shows whose side he is truly on.The latest unemployment figures for February showed a fall, interest rates were expected to come down, the markets were pricing in a couple of cuts during the course of the year.The truth is, with the effect of the Iran war, we can't count on any of that at the moment. There is likely to be an effect on prices, which feeds through from energy costs, and there may well be labour market implications. Continue reading...

Jordan Linden sentenced to 18 months for crimes committed over 10 years between 2011 and 2021A former Scottish National party council leader has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of sexual offences against young men and teenagers as young as 14.Jordan Linden, once considered a rising star in the SNP, was convicted of five sexual assaults on young men after a trial at Falkirk sheriff court in March, which heard that the SNP had downplayed or ignored" complaints about his behaviour. Continue reading...

Profits jump to 122m at ticketing retailer but it expects flat or declining revenues over the coming year

Chedrick Greene will have to defend his new perch in midterms, as Republican challenger vows to run again

Pontiff responds after US president accuses him of endangering a lot of Catholics' with stance on Iran war

FCA focuses on marketing, misleading ads, unfair exit fees and people being signed up without their permissionThe City regulator has launched a review of claims management companies amid concerns that firms are misleading victims of financial scandals, such as car finance, about their compensation.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said some companies were pursuing aggressive marketing, misleading advertising and unfair exit fees". Continue reading...

Plans to be included in king's speech will allow tougher action against proxies for foreign powers such as Iran

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Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood join Conan O'Brien to discuss forthcoming album Foreign TonguesOn Tuesday afternoon in New York, the Rolling Stones gathered friends, journalists and fellow artists for a preview of their forthcoming 25th album, Foreign Tongues.Before the trio stepped on stage, host Conan O'Brien deadpanned that perhaps, finally, this is the album where the band will finally make it after decades of obscurity". The audience, which included Leonardo DiCaprio, director Baz Luhrmann and actor Odessa A'zion, laughed appreciatively. Continue reading...