Ola Ince, who has refreshed Agatha Christie's record-breaking mystery, says we all fancy ourselves as detectives'Audiences left hungry for more suspense after the nail-biting Celebrity Traitors finale should visit the ultimate murder mystery, The Mousetrap, its new director has suggested.Ola Ince has taken charge of Agatha Christie's indomitable whodunnit, the world's longest-running play, which is in its 73rd year in London's West End. The director, acclaimed for her bracing takes on Shakespeare, said Christie's drama about a group of strangers snowed in at a remote guesthouse with a killer at large is juicier" than she had previously imagined. Continue reading...
by Julian Borger Senior international correspondent on (#71BRH)
IDF soldiers tell documentary of opening fire unprovoked and arbitrary designations of who was an enemyIsraeli soldiers have described a free-for-all in Gaza and a breakdown in norms and legal constraints, with civilians killed at the whim of individual officers, according to testimony in a TV documentary.If you want to shoot without restraint, you can," Daniel, the commander of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tank unit, says in Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel's War, due to be broadcast in the UK on ITV on Monday evening. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Rallies, organised by anti-lockdown protester Monica Smit and others, are set to go ahead in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane at the end of November
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#71BRN)
Programme uses artist's sketches, drawings and watercolours to build unprecedented psychological portraitHe is widely regarded as England's greatest painter, but despite his extraordinary output, elements of JMW Turner's personality have remained a mystery.Now, a groundbreaking BBC documentary delves into Turner's 37,000 sketches, drawings and watercolours to build an unprecedented psychological portrait, one that raises the possibility that Turner's singular vision was shaped by childhood trauma and neurodivergence. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#71BQA)
Exclusive: Homelessness charity planning to buy properties as it can no longer rely on access to social housingSimilar pressure to London': the housing crisis reaches NewcastleThe homelessness charity Crisis is going to become a landlord for the first time in its 60-year history, saying the housing crisis in the UK has reached a catastrophic scenario".Matt Downie, the charity's chief executive, said it was preparing to launch a fundraising appeal to buy its own housing stock as it can longer get access to social housing to help homeless people. Continue reading...
Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to push for full lifting of remaining sanctions imposed during 13-year civil warSyria's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, will on Monday hold talks with Donald Trump at the White House, the first such official visit by a Syrian leader since national independence in 1946. He is expected to push for a full lifting of the remaining sanctions on his war-ravaged country.Sharaa, whose Islamist rebel forces toppled the longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, has courted the US president to try to reverse the economic restrictions imposed during the 13-year civil war, arguing they are no longer justified. Continue reading...
Suharto presided over a period marked by rampant corruption, nepotism, censorship and allegations of mass human rights abusesIndonesia has awarded former authoritarian leader Suharto the title of national hero, in a move that has sparked accusations of historical revisionism in the world's third-largest democracy.The award has deepened fears about attempts to whitewash Suharto's rise and decades-long rule, a period marked by rampant corruption, censorship and accusations of mass human rights violations. Continue reading...
Fifteen-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux was captured looking suave in a picture outside the Paris museum on the day of a crown jewels heistWhen 15-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux realised an Associated Press photo of him at the Louvre on the day of the crown jewels heist had drawn millions of views, his first instinct was not to rush online and unmask himself.Quite the opposite. A fan of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot who lives with his parents and grandfather in Rambouillet, 30km (19 miles) from Paris, Pedro decided to let the mystery linger. Continue reading...
Wide-ranging review finds no convincing connection after Trump said women should fight like hell' to avoid painkillerA wide-ranging review into paracetamol use by pregnant women has found no convincing link between the common painkiller and the chances of children being diagnosed with autism and ADHD.Publication of the work was fast-tracked to provide prospective mothers and their doctors with reliable information after the Trump administration urged pregnant women to avoid paracetamol - also known as acetaminophen or Tylenol - claiming it was contributing to rising rates of autism. Continue reading...
Senior insiders admit concern about big editorial errors and fear attacks are part of ongoing campaign to undermine the broadcasterThere is a joke regularly deployed by BBC staff that deputy heads must roll" over big mistakes because they rarely appear to have any impact on those at the top of the organisation. That all changed on Sunday, when Tim Davie and Deborah Turness both quit their jobs.Davie oversaw no shortage of scandals during his five years as director general - in recent months these included rows over a Gaza documentary and Glastonbury coverage - and was nicknamed Teflon Tim" by BBC insiders because nothing seemed to stick. Continue reading...
At least two people found dead as super-typhoon hits Philippines, days after Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 224More than 1 million people have been evacuated from their homes in the Philippines and at least two people have been killed as Typhoon Fung-wong - the second big storm to hit in days - made landfall on the east coast.The super-typhoon crossed over the north of the archipelago's most populous island, Luzon, with torrential rain, sustained winds of 115mph (185km/h) and gusts of up to 140mph (225km/h). Continue reading...
Barclay family set to lose another part of former business empire, once known as Littlewoods, to Carlyle GroupThe Barclay family is set to lose control of another part of their former business empire with a US private equity firm taking control of online retailer the Very Group.Washington-headquartered Carlyle Group is expected to announce it has taken over the retailer as soon as Monday morning. Continue reading...
Jeffrey Epstein associate, serving 20 years for sex-trafficking crimes, is now in minimum-security federal prison in TexasLongtime Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex-trafficking crimes, has reportedly said that she is much, much happier" after the Trump administration transferred her to a minimum-security federal prison in Texas, according to emails obtained by NBC News.Maxwell, 63, was moved from a low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida, to the minimum-security Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas in August -just days after she was interviewed about the Epstein case by deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche. Blanche is a former personal lawyer for Donald Trump, who had been friends with the late Epstein - a convicted sex offender - before winning two presidencies. Continue reading...
Switch comes amid first festive season since Daniel Ketinsky's takeover of parent company IDSRoyal Mail says that it has delivered Christmas" for more than 500 years, but this year many workers have been left feeling less than festive after the company downgraded a small gift to workers to second class.The postal service, which traces its history back to the appointment of a master of the posts" by Henry VIII in 1516, has given workers a collection of 50 Christmas stamps to recognise their work over the busiest time of year. In previous years, including in 2024, workers have received a book of 50 or 100 first-class stamps, but that has quietly been switched to second class this year. Continue reading...
Over 2,500 flights cancelled as transportation secretary says flight reductions could reach 20% if shutdown persistsFlight cancellations and delays are set to grow as airline passengers across the United States spent the weekend grappling with those issues at major airports nationwide after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated a 4% reduction in air traffic in response to the ongoing federal government shutdown.If the shutdown continues, the FAA has instructed airlines to cut 6% of flights on Tuesday - and to do the same to 10% by 14 November. The transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, has warned that flight reductions could reach 20% if the shutdown persists, and on Sunday he predicted a substantial" number of people in the US would be unable to celebrate the upcoming holidays with their families if the shutdown wasn't resolved.The Associated Press and Reuters contributed reporting Continue reading...
Igor Rogov, who left Russia in 2021, due to go on trial accused of informing on other Russian opposition activistsA Russian opposition activist arrested in Poland and due to go on trial next month has admitted he worked as an undercover agent for Russia's FSB security service and informed on other opposition figures, court documents claim.Igor Rogov, 30, has been associated with various opposition movements in the Russian city of Saransk, including Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and Open Russia, linked to the exiled businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#71BBF)
Only 15% of families are eligible for legal aid which has led to huge swathes of UK becoming legal advice deserts', body saysThe Bar Council has called for all family court cases involving domestic abuse to be brought within the scope of legal aid for both parties, and for means testing to be scrapped for alleged victims and survivors of domestic abuse.In a new policy paper, the body, which represents all 18,000 barristers in England and Wales, has set out a package of recommendations to improve the ability of the family justice system. Continue reading...
Campus police officer Roger Smith was killed during a struggle and a person of interest' is in custody, police sayA police officer was shot and killed during a struggle in the emergency department lobby at a North Carolina hospital Saturday.The shooting happened around 9am at the WakeMed Garner Healthplex, killing WakeMed campus police officer Roger Smith, according to a WakeMed statement. Continue reading...
Boris Johnson and White House criticise the corporation, but some journalists say criticism is part of campaign to destroy the BBCThe BBC is expected to apologise on Monday for the way in which a speech by the US president, Donald Trump, was edited in an episode of Panorama. The show is one of a number of examples highlighted by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC's editorial standards committee, who detailed his concerns about the broadcaster's impartiality in a memo published by the Telegraph. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Exhibition will reveal complex reality, featuring women and artistic creations, beyond armour-clad warriorsA groundbreaking samurai exhibition that promises to challenge everything we think we know about Japan's warrior elite" spanning a millennium of myth and reality is to open at the British Museum next year.Titled Samurai, the blockbuster exhibition will reveal a world beyond armour-clad warriors and epic duels, as popularised by the noble, katana-wielding heroes of Akira Kurosawa's classic action films and PlayStation's hit video games. Continue reading...
Royals joined by senior politicians at Cenotaph in London and events are held across UK to pay tribute to war deadVeterans of the second world war were applauded as they arrived at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, before being joined by royals and senior politicians to honour those who have died in conflict.King Charles laid the first wreath in recognition of those killed in wars and conflicts dating back to the first world war. He was followed by his son, the Prince of Wales. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#71B9R)
Reform's leader may hope to tread a similar path to Italy's prime minister, but she is an experienced parliamentarian open to collaboration and compromiseOne of the more striking images from June's G7 summit showed a small group of world leaders engaged in an impromptu and informal evening chat at the venue's restaurant. In the foreground of that photo was a familiar blond head: Giorgia Meloni.During her three years as the Italian prime minister, Meloni has moved beyond her hard-right populism, not to mention her fascism-adjacent origins, to earn at least the respect of other leaders - Keir Starmer among them - for her pragmatism and flexibility. Among those watching this transformation from the sidelines will be the man hoping to be Starmer's replacement: Nigel Farage. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Mohammed Baraka's case alleges discrimination on basis of nationality after EU counterparts were transferredA Palestinian man who was dismissed from his job in Gaza after the war broke out is suing the European Union for allegedly breaching Belgian law.Mohammed Baraka, who worked at the EU border assistance mission (EUBam) at Rafah after its inception in 2006 as an unarmed civilian third-party presence, has filed his case in a Belgian court. Continue reading...
Two-minute silence held at 11am GMT, with commemorations also taking place across the UK, including in Edinburgh, Cardiff and BelfastThe Prince of Wales, dressed in Royal Air Force uniform in the rank of Wing Commander, saluted after laying his wreath at the Cenotaph.He was followed by the Duke of Edinburgh, with wreaths also laid on behalf of the Duke of Kent and the Princess Royal. Continue reading...
Storage dwindles in Mashhad, home to 4 million people, as country struggles with droughtWater levels at the dam reservoirs supplying Iran's north-eastern city of Mashhad have plunged below 3%, according to reports, as the country suffers from severe water shortages.The water storage in Mashhad's dams has now fallen to less than 3%," Hossein Esmaeilian, the chief executive of the water company in Iran's second largest city by population, told the ISNA news agency. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#71B9V)
Incursions halted flights at Brussels and Liege airports last week with Russia said to be the most likely culpritBritain is deploying Royal Air Force specialists to help Belgium counter drone threats to the country's airports after disruptive sightings last week that some politicians blamed on Russia.Sir Richard Knighton, the head of the UK's armed forces, said the British military would provide our people, our equipment" to help Belgium, though he was careful to say we don't yet know" the origin of the drones seen last week. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Almost half of families flagged as emigrants based on Home Office travel data were still living in UKHome Office travel records used in a trial of a controversial anti-fraud crackdown that under which thousands of parents lost their child benefit were so flawed that almost half of the families initially flagged as having emigrated were still living in the UK, it has emerged.The pilot scheme saved HMRC 17m but left 46% of families targeted incorrectly suspected of fraud, a margin of error far in excess of the 1% to 5% scientifically acceptable. Continue reading...
Workers at the SunTrapp - opened in 1973 in Salt Lake City - claim the shuttering was a stunt' to prevent unionizationSalt Lake City's oldest and longest-running LGBTQ+ bar has closed, with workers claiming the shuttering was a stunt" to prevent unionization.The SunTrapp, widely considered the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Utah was founded in 1973 and is one of the few safe havens for the community. It shut on 31 October after workers pushed to unionize. Continue reading...
Company already under scrutiny on secondary ticketing' amid outcry over touts using such platforms to exploit fansTwo UK divisions of the ticket resale website Viagogo have been hit with a 15m tax bill after HMRC found they had not paid enough duty.Corporate filings for VGL Services and IFOT Services, both part of the US-listed StubHub group that includes Viagogo, reveal that both firms set aside money to cover costs arising from a transfer pricing inquiry with HMRC" relating to the period between 2016 and 2018. Continue reading...
Culture secretary has spoken to BBC chair Samir Shah about criticised edit of US president's 6 January 2021 speechCulture secretary Lisa Nandy has said she retains confidence in the BBC's leadership, as the corporation prepares to apologise over the way it edited a Donald Trump speech.Samir Shah, the corporation's chair, is poised to apologise tomorrow for the edit, which appeared in an edition of Panorama. The issue was one of a series of criticisms of the BBC made in a letter to its board by a former external adviser. Continue reading...
Two men and a woman died in separate incidents after sudden sea surges battered the Spanish islandThree people have died and at least 15 were injured in separate incidents linked to rough seas battering the Spanish island of Tenerife, pulling several victims into the ocean, emergency services said.A rescue helicopter airlifted a man who had fallen into the water at a beach in La Guancha, a municipality in the north of the island, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. Continue reading...
Ron Dailey, 65, survived nearly three weeks in the frosty, mountainous wilderness after taking a wrong turnThe California hunter who spent nearly three weeks stranded in the frosty, mountainous wilderness reportedly survived by rationing out the little food he brought with him - eating 70 or fewer calories daily for a stretch - as well as consuming melted snow to stay hydrated.Yet before his 1 November rescue, 65-year-old Ron Dailey was so unsure whether anyone would save him that he tried to text his family regrets for possibly missing the rest of their lives - while assuring them that he would watch them from heaven". Continue reading...
Half of UK public unaware of contribution made by 2.5m British Asian members of armed forces who served in second world warBritish Asian families are being urged to record the experiences of relatives who fought for Britain for future generations" as data reveals half the British public don't know that Indian members of the armed forces served in the second world war.The My Family Legacy project, backed by the Royal British Legion, is building an online archive of Asian veterans' experiences to raise awareness of the shared histories and sacrifices of Britain's diverse communities. Continue reading...
More than 150 psychiatrists sign letter condemning contract to host exams in country with well-documented human rights abusesThe Royal College of Psychiatrists is facing a backlash from members over a controversial partnership with Qatar's state healthcare provider.The college has signed a contract with the state-owned Hamad Medical Corporation to host international exams in Doha, enabling psychiatrists from across the Middle East and beyond to apply for membership. Continue reading...
Power to be cut for as much as 16 hours a day across most of Ukraine while repairs are carried outPower will be cut for between eight and 16 hours across most regions of Ukraine on Sunday, state transmission system operator Ukrenergo has said, after Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure reduced the country's generating capacity to zero".Moscow, which has escalated attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure in recent months, launched hundreds of drones at energy facilities across the country from Friday into Saturday, which killed at least seven people, according to Ukrainian officials. Continue reading...
This blog is closed.BoM's axing of free flood forecasting potentially deadly consequences'Natural disaster-prone councils in south-east Queensland say the Bureau of Meteorology's decision to axe its free real-time flood forecasting tool is a cost shifting" exercise with potentially deadly consequences", with New South Wales emergency services also affected.The main treatment for viral gastroenteritis is to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Most people recover without complications, but more urgent care may need to be sought for infants, people with suppressed immune systems, and the elderly, who may experience more serious illness. Continue reading...
by Dan Jervis-Bardy Chief political correspondent on (#71B4G)
Andrew Bragg says he can't imagine Liberals leaving Paris climate agreement and threatens to quit frontbench if party drops net zero emissions by 2050 target
Djeison Rafael, 21, also charged with two counts of assault and possession of blade after incident in city centreA man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was stabbed in the neck in Birmingham city centre.West Midlands police were called to reports of a stabbing at Smallbrook Queensway outside the Bullring shopping centre, shortly before 9pm on Friday. Continue reading...