68 m. ago Power outage hits Cannes Film Festival and traffic in southeastern France

A major power outage has hit southeastern France, disrupting traffic and briefly halting events at the Cannes Film Festival as the prestigious event prepared to hand out its top prize

Events

79 m. ago Hush over Hollywood: why has it become so hard to make films in Los Angeles?

The drop in productions is causing alarm – can Tinseltown halt the exodus and reclaim its spot as the home of movie-making?When Adam Scott was working on the hit TV show Parks and Recreation in the early 2010s, the Los Angeles studio where the show was filmed was packed – “every stage was filled and working”.These days, he told his former co-star Rob Lowe in a much-discussed recent podcast conversation, “it’s quiet over there” – in part because “it’s just too expensive to shoot here”. Continue reading...

Culture

91 m. ago BBC spy thriller hailed as 'the best series about a true story in a long time' finally lands on Netflix

The six-part programme, The Trial of Christine Keeler, reenacts the story of the 1960s Profumo affair.

Politics

2 h. ago Sirens creator explains origins of Kiki’s strange catchphrase

Dark comedy satire is set on a lavish beach resort that serves as a playground for the super-rich

Politics

3 h. ago Cannes Film Festival chaos as city is hit by power cut hours before awards ceremony

The city of Cannes, which is currently hosting the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, has been struck by a power cut hours before the Palme d’Or is due to take place

Events

3 h. ago Original stars of Glee today – from tragic death to surprising new lives

When Glee hit screens in 2009, it became a global sensation. From tragic losses to award-winning success, here’s where the original cast members are now, nearly a decade after the show ended

Events

3 h. ago What Rayner’s crackdown on child benefit will really mean for middle

A leaked government memo reveals that Angela Rayner wants to stop child benefit handouts to middle-class mums. The trouble is, says Charlotte Cripps, many on her hit list might have middle-class backgrounds but can no longer match them economically

Politics

3 h. ago Braveheart at 30: Mel Gibson’s gory, hokey Oscar winner plays like a biblical epic

The 1995 best picture winner is less interested in historical fact and more in rousing fantasy and makes for a telling portrait of its troubled makerFor a storied best picture Oscar winner and dorm-wall poster staple of the 1990s and beyond, it’s a little surprising how modest Braveheart’s success was when it opened in theaters 30 years ago. Though it powered through a mild opening to become a solid summer hit, on the 1995 charts it sits below Father of the Bride Part II and Congo (though congratulations are in order; it did edge out both Grumpier Old Men and Mortal Kombat). Even among other Mel Gibson vehicles from the 90s, you might be surprised to learn that Maverick, Conspiracy Theory and Payback all posted stronger numbers.But Braveheart stuck around, both in theaters and in the public consciousness. It wasn’t necessarily tipped as an awards contender at the time of release – Gibson had only directed one other movie, a small-scale drama called The Man Without a Face – but wound...

Politics

4 h. ago Russell Mael: ‘Describe myself in three words? One handsome dude’

The Sparks singer on shoplifting red liquorice as a child, a head-to-head with Godzilla, and underselling his life storyBorn in California, Russell Mael, 76, and his brother, Ron, first recorded under the names the Urban Renewal Project and Halfnelson, before becoming Sparks in 1972. Two years later, they relocated to London and had a hit with their song This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us. More recently, they composed a radio opera, The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, collaborated with Franz Ferdinand in supergroup FFS, and released a film, Annette, which won five César awards in 2022. Their 28th studio album is Mad! and their tour comes to the UK in June. Mael lives in California.What was your most embarrassing moment? Signing away the rights to my life story to a major motion-picture company for a sum that I have since been told was way below the market rate. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago James Martin rages at lawless London as yob smashes his car window after friends were mugged or had cars stolen in last two weeks

Martin, who hosts James Martin's Saturday Morning on ITV every week, took to Instagram to hit out at crime rates in the capital after he and several friends were all targeted in the space of a week.

Politics

4 h. ago Pensioner furious after being slapped with 'ridiculous' £170 parking fine... but claims there is a big catch

Garth Burden, 80, a former deputy managing editor for the Daily Mail, decided he would wash his car, blissfully unaware he would incur any issues at the Esso Garage in Rickmansworth.

Economics

5 h. ago Netflix's Love Is Blind couple Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton split after four years together

Love Is Blind stars Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton of series three have announced the end of their four year marriage after meeting on the Netflix show back in 2022

Politics

6 h. ago The stunning Portuguese escape that's just 3 hours from London and inspired hit movie Casino Royale

The weekender: Sintra, Portugal

Events

7 h. ago The Rehearsal: Nathan Fielder makes genius appointment TV that may spoil you forever

In his twisted and often horrifying reality show, Fielder piles ethical grey areas on top of each other like problematic pancakes. Get stuck in!Schopenhauer defined genius as someone who aims at a target the rest of us can’t see. Which raises a philosophical paradox – how do we know they’ve hit it? I was moved to such musings while watching this week’s pick, a singular piece of art that functions unlike anything else on TV, and calls the medium itself into question. No, it’s not Police Interceptors.In The Rehearsal (Monday, 10pm, Sky Comedy), comedian Nathan Fielder blends documentary, social experiment, performance art and absurdist satire in a devised method all his own. He has ordinary people tackle emotionally fraught situations from their lives, by role-playing them with hired actors in meticulously recreated sets that mirror significant personal locations. It’s arch, but the stakes are real. The first series opened with a man who wanted to apologise to his pub quiz teamma...

Politics

7 h. ago The Rehearsal: Nathan Fielder makes genius appointment TV that may spoil you for ever

In his twisted and often horrifying reality show, Fielder piles ethical grey areas on top of each other like problematic pancakes. Get stuck in!Schopenhauer defined genius as someone who aims at a target the rest of us can’t see. Which raises a philosophical paradox – how do we know they’ve hit it? I was moved to such musings while watching this week’s pick, a singular piece of art that functions unlike anything else on TV, and calls the medium itself into question. No, it’s not Police Interceptors.In The Rehearsal (Monday, 10pm, Sky Comedy), comedian Nathan Fielder blends documentary, social experiment, performance art and absurdist satire in a devised method all his own. He has ordinary people tackle emotionally fraught situations from their lives, by role-playing them with hired actors in meticulously recreated sets that mirror significant personal locations. It’s arch, but the stakes are real. The first series opened with a man who wanted to apologise to his pub quiz teamma...

Politics

7 h. ago FCDO issues updated warning to Brits travelling to huge country 'do not travel'

A tourist-magnet country that welcomed more than 18 million international visitors last year will be hit hard by fresh travel warnings from the FCDO - and it could invalidate your insurance

Events

7 h. ago Five killed after torrential rain and flash flooding hits Australia

Hundreds of flood-hit residents still in evacuation centres even as conditions improve

Events

8 h. ago Seaside town named one of best in the UK is loved by families who visit

Southwold's pristine beach makes it a hit for both families and those looking to dip their toes in the sea. Pier beach is flanked by a promenade that stretches all the way to the harbour

Politics

8 h. ago Jack MacKenzie's Aberdeen trauma is a line in the sand for skipper as he blasts 'reckless stupidity'

Graeme Shinnie has revealed how he's been lifting MacKenzie's spirits after Dons fan hit him with a seat

Events

9 h. ago Kyiv bombarded by Russian missiles and drones as civilians take shelter in subways

Ukraine's capital has been hit by a Russian drone and missile attack, with residents forced to take cover in underground subway stations amid a flurry of explosions

Events