2 h. ago Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie review – the joy of the hatchet job

Is giving an artist a one-star review an act of abuse? An influential theatre critic finds out in this smart story of #MeToo-era revengeWhen Jesus is pressed to condemn the woman taken in adultery, he says, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” No one does, and a lesson in critical generosity is learned. Judge not, that ye be not judged.Is giving an artist a one-star review an act of abuse – casting the first stone? Is it worse when the reviewer is male and the artist female? That’s the starting point of this entertaining and very timely debut novel from Charlotte Runcie, an arts journalist who, as a young intern, was lambasted on stage by a successful standup to whom she’d given a bad review.There was an interactive customer feedback device propped up on the bar. Tell us what you think of our service, it said, and underneath there were two buttons you could press: an angry red face or a smiling green one. Excellent or worthless, nothing in...

Society

4 h. ago US debate over whether to bomb Iran recalls anguish of Iraq war

Shadow of intelligence debacle two decades ago hangs over Donald Trump as he considers joining Israeli attacks

Events

4 h. ago I grew up on American food. Trust me, it’s the last thing Europe needs | Alexander Hurst

The EU is under pressure to strike a trade deal with Trump, but an influx of mass-produced, low-quality food must be off the tableAll over European media, the take seems to be similar – that the EU is “under pressure” to conclude some sort of deal with the US in order to avoid Donald Trump’s 9 July deadline for the unilateral imposition of broad tariffs. What might be on the table in the attempt to secure that? In early May, the EU trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, was already suggesting that a deal to increase purchases from the US could include agricultural products – a possibility that seems to remain even though Šefčovič later clarified that the EU was not contemplating changing its health or safety standards.Since I have failed to Abba (“Always be boldly acronyming”) and don’t have anything as good as Taco (“Trump always chickens out”) – coined by the Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong – at the ready, I’ll simply reach for the easy line: opening the door even slightly...

Politics

4 h. ago SNP urges UK Government to speed up smart meter roll out after RTS switch

EXCLUSIVE: Nationalist MP Graham Leadbitter has called for "a cast iron guarantee to Scottish communities that never again will they be left to live in fear of their hot water supply being cut-off and their electricity supply disrupted."

Politics

7 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia ‘on verge of recession’, Putin minister tells economic showcase

Drone attacks on Kharkiv and Odesa; don’t forget about Ukraine because of Iran-Israel fighting, say Kyiv officials. What we know on day 1,213 Vladimir Putin’s economy minister has warned that Russia is “on the verge” of recession as he spoke on the second day of a signature event meant to bolster economic confidence. The minister, Maxim Reshetnikov, said at the St Petersburg economic forum that his view was based on “current business sentiment and indicators” pointing to a slowdown. “Everything else depends on our decisions,” Reshetnikov said, calling for the central bank to show a “little love for the economy”.Russia’s central bank raised interest rates to an eye-watering 21% in October 2024 to combat inflation and kept them at that level until this month when it eased them to 20%. Russia’s economic growth slowed to 1.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest quarterly figure in two years. Prices are rising across the economy driven up by massive government spending ...

Politics

8 h. ago Changing faces of the Made in Chelsea stars: How show's posh cast have splashed the cash on Botox, new teeth and even salmon sperm facials

When Made in Chelsea first burst onto our screens 13 years ago it featured a sea of young stars in their early 20s as they navigated a life of luxury in SW3.

Politics

9 h. ago Consumer confidence up in June amid ‘dark shadow’ of inflation and war

GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index rose two points but remains firmly in negative territory at minus 18.

Economics

10 h. ago Canada imposes tariffs on steel and aluminium to curb imports

Ottawa places 100% levies on non-US shipments as it looks to protect jobs

Politics

10 h. ago Coronation Street cast 'left furious over budget cuts as they suffer another blow' after stars axed and episodes slashed

The ITV soap is set to have its episode count slashed by bosses after already seeing a number of stars axed from the programme.

Politics

11 h. ago Love Island chaos as Toni's awkward nip slip leaves fellow Islanders stunned

The Love Island cast were left in hysterics after Islander Toni suffered an awkward nip slip while attempting to perform a cartwheel in front of the rest of the villa

Events

11 h. ago The Bank of England never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity, says ALEX BRUMMER

The latest minutes from the Bank of England show that after an unexpectedly firm start to the year, the British economy has descended into gloom.

Politics

11 h. ago Coronation Street team hit by huge new blow as budget cuts trigger more setbacks

The Coronation Street cast have been hit by a fresh blow amid the ongoing budget cuts - which have seen a number of changes in the long-running ITV soap throughout the year

Events

12 h. ago ‘Bobby Kennedy is going to kill more people than any Cabinet secretary’: James Carville warns of RFK Jr’s vaccine plan

RFK Jr. recently purged all 17 member of CDC vaccine advisory panel, replacing them with members experts say are critical of vaccines

Events

15 h. ago Texas megachurch in ‘ruin’ following former Trump spiritual adviser Robert Morris’ child sex scandal

Gateway Church says donations, or tithing, have dropped significantly since the scandal involving its former pastor, Robert Morris

Politics

16 h. ago Celebrity Gogglebox signs up huge popstar in first ever reality TV stint

Celebrity Gogglebox's cast is set to become even more star studded as a string of new names have been added to the upcoming series line-up including popstar Rag'n'Bone Man

Politics

17 h. ago I'm A Celeb stars no longer speaking after Maura Higgins and Danny Jones kiss scandal

Former I'm A Celebrity star GK Barry has revealed that the group WhatsApp between the cast members has 'died down' following Danny Jones and Maura Higgins' kiss scandal

Politics

17 h. ago Squid Game Season 3: director promises a 'crazy, insane, nuts' finale

The cast and crew were speaking ahead of the third season’s release at the end of June

Sport

18 h. ago Gulf companies prepare contingency plans amid fears of conflict spillover

Risk advisory firms report rise in inquiries since start of Israel-Iraq war as groups consider crisis management strategies

Events

18 h. ago Squid Game Season 3: director says the finale was ‘so difficult’ to write

The cast and crew were speaking ahead of the third season’s release at the end of June

Sport

19 h. ago Spanish PM rejects Nato’s ‘unreasonable’ 5% GDP target for defence spending – Europe live

Pedro Sánchez reportedly says move would be ‘counterproductive’ and harm Spanish economy Earlier today, I cheekily suggested that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is probably wondering how to persuade US president Donald Trump to stay at the Nato summit in The Hague next week long enough to get to discussions on Ukraine and Russia – and not leave early, as he did at the G7 summit.Well, looks like this issue may have actually influenced the planning.“Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on 28 June as a city event. Period.” Continue reading...

Events