26 m. ago BBC licence fee is unenforceable and unfairly targets vulnerable women, says culture secretary Lisa Nandy of the £174.50 annual charge

Lisa Nandy acknowledged that there are 'problems' with the fee and that 'fewer and fewer people are paying it'.

Society

32 m. ago World leaders and royals join 400,000 for Pope Francis’s funeral – live

Italy’s interior minister says 400,000 mourners in St Peter’s Square and surrounding area for funeral of Pope FrancisAt least 130 foreign delegations, including about “50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs”, would attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, the Vatican said on Thursday.Heads of state and government who have confirmed their attendance at the funeral include Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and Javier Milei, the president of Pope Francis’s native Argentina. Francis had a delicate relationship with politics in his home country, but Milei hailed his “goodness and wisdom”.We will be present at the pope’s funeral, as is only right. Continue reading...

Politics

98 m. ago Gregg Wallace calls for ‘space to heal’ after misconduct allegations

Wallace claimed allegations he had groped crew members were ‘absolutely not true’.

Politics

1 hour ago Vladimir Putin's 'WW3 satellite' linked to nukes is 'spinning uncontrollably' in space

A Russian space satellite which has been linked to a dangerous nuclear weapons program is reportedly 'spinning uncontrollably' in orbit - US officials have previously issued a warning about the equipment

Politics

1 hour ago Pope Francis’s coffin arrives at church for burial after world leaders, royals and crowds come together for funeral – live

Vatican says 250,000 in attendance for funeral of Pope FrancisAt least 130 foreign delegations, including about “50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs”, would attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, the Vatican said on Thursday.Heads of state and government who have confirmed their attendance at the funeral include Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and Javier Milei, the president of Pope Francis’s native Argentina. Francis had a delicate relationship with politics in his home country, but Milei hailed his “goodness and wisdom”.We will be present at the pope’s funeral, as is only right. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Conservatives fighting ‘antisemitism’ are actively targeting US Jews. Why? | Josh Schreier

The pro-Israel campaign to ‘protect’ Jews by punishing anti-Zionist speech often targets Jews. That is no surpriseThe Trump administration claims that its moves to defund universities, arrest and deport students and force schools to demote or monitor professors are meant to combat antisemitism, protect Jewish students and remove “Hamas-supporting” foreign nationals from the country. American pro-Israel groups including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Hillel International, Aipac and the Heritage Foundation have united behind Republican measures to crack down on higher education and its putative antisemitism. Religiously identified groups such as the Orthodox Union and Christians United for Israel have joined the chorus, celebrating the punishment of supposedly antisemitic students and professors. Whatever their varied pasts, today’s pro-Israel groups are not about protecting American Jews. Instead, they are allies in Maga’s war on free speech, academic freedom and the US’s democrat...

Events

1 hour ago She should have been able to trust him but instead 'lived in fear' every day

Ben Carr has now been locked up

Politics

2 h. ago BBC Saturday Kitchen fans threaten to 'switch off' as they issue same complaint

Saturday Kitchen fans were left unimpressed with today's edition of the breakfast culinary programme

Events

2 h. ago Amanda Holden shares sweet nickname Les Dennis had for her that she 'still loves'

Amanda Holden has opened up on the early years of her relationship with her ex-husband Les Dennis - recalling how she 'loved' one thing the former Coronation Street star used to call her

Politics

2 h. ago Donald Trump is accused of breaking the dress code at Pope Francis' funeral

The president, who sat in the front row of hundreds of foreign dignitaries and royalty, donned a mid-blue outfit, adorned with a pin showing the American flag. He paired it with a shiny blue tie.

Politics

2 h. ago BBC Saturday Kitchen viewers 'switch off' as they share similar complaints

Saturday Kitchen viewers were left unimpressed with the latest edition of the BBC show

Politics

2 h. ago Pope Francis funeral live: Vatican says 250,000 attended mass as Trump and Zelenskyy meet in St Peter’s Basilica

Pope Francis is remembered as a ‘pope among the people with an open heart towards everyone’, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re saysAt least 130 foreign delegations, including about “50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs”, would attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, the Vatican said on Thursday.Heads of state and government who have confirmed their attendance at the funeral include Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and Javier Milei, the president of Pope Francis’s native Argentina. Francis had a delicate relationship with politics in his home country, but Milei hailed his “goodness and wisdom”.We will be present at the pope’s funeral, as is only right. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Sunday best: Thomasina Miers’ recipes for braised chicken with chickpeas and rosewater dried apricots

An aromatic Persian stew, followed by stewed dried apricots with pistachio cookiesSpring is here in all its glory, as the birds testify with their ebullient chitter-chat. But the weather is wilful and the air can turn chilly in a flash, and it’s this in-between time when soothing braises made with lighter ingredients are just what’s needed. I recently found a recipe for an Iranian chicken stew recipe that paired carrots and yoghurt, and its sunniness really appealed to me; I added cardamom for its evocative scent and chickpeas for body, and it was demolished by the troops. Pudding had to be simple, and both the biscuits and poached apricots can be made a few days ahead, so it is also blissfully easy. A lovely spring lunch for a lazy, sun-soaked day. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago They staged protests for Palestine. The consequences have been life

Legal aid group says most students contacting them are Palestinian, Arab Muslim and other students of colorEK was completing a take-home exam on 6 March when the dean of student conduct at Swarthmore College emailed her about an urgent Zoom meeting. On the video call, she said, the dean told her that she would be suspended for one semester for staging a protest at the college’s trustees’ dinner in December 2023. Using a bullhorn, EK had interrupted the event to demand that the school divest from products that fuel Israel’s war on Gaza.A panel of students and school employees had found her responsible for assault, among other code of conduct violations for the incident. EK, a final-semester senior who is using a pseudonym out of fear of retaliation, recalled being in shock: “I’ve been really distraught by all of this,” EK said. “I used to be unhoused before I came to Swarthmore, so to be put into this situation again is very disturbing.” Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Anthea Turner 'sobbing on the floor' after nightmare love split

TV icon Anthea Turner, now happily engaged to Mark Amrstrong, opens up about the heartache of her 2015 divorce from Grant Bovey, which she admits was one of her darkest moments

Politics

2 h. ago 'My partner is Benidorm's new Sticky Vicky – her shows are extreme but I love her'

EXCLUSIVE: Jade's shows have been described as ‘extreme’ but the story of how this Costa Blanca power couple came into existence comes from unlikely origins: workplace bullying

Politics

2 h. ago Anthea Turner's heartbreaking advice from mum that helped her through 'toughest time'

EXCLUSIVE: Former Blue Peter presenter Anthea Turner has opened up about her love life and turning 65, during an exclusive chat with OK! following a holiday to Sandals Regency La Toc in Saint Lucia

Politics

3 h. ago BBC licence fee is unenforceable and unfair to women, says Culture Secretary

Lisa Nandy has previously she could be open to replacing the flat licence fee with a sliding scale.

Society

3 h. ago Pope Francis to be buried with heartwarming note in final tribute to late Pontiff

Deed honouring Francis’s life recalls ‘a simple and much-beloved pastor’ who loved the poor

Events

3 h. ago ‘Everyone’s scared’: little appetite for mirth before White House correspondents’ dinner

Annual event likely to prove gloomy affair amid Trump attacks on press and rise of Maga media ecosystemIt is no laughing matter. The annual dinner for journalists who cover the White House is best known for American presidents trying to be funny and comedians trying to be political. But this year’s edition will feature neither.Instead the event in a downtown Washington hotel on Saturday night will, critics say, resemble something closer to a wake for legacy media still trying to find an effective response to Donald Trump’s divide-and-rule tactics and the rise of the Maga media ecosystem. Continue reading...

Events