36 h. ago When do the BGT live shows start? How ITV release is different in 2025

Britain’s Got Talent has a change planned for its live shows in 2025 👀

Society

36 h. ago ‘Marriage feels like a hostage situation, and motherhood a curse’: Japanese author Sayaka Murata

The Convenience Store Woman author is renowned for challenging social norms in darkly weird near-future fiction. She discusses sex, feminism and her struggles to be an ‘ordinary earthling’“I have had relationships with humans, but I’ve also loved a lot of people in stories,” Sayaka Murata, the Japanese author of the bestseller Convenience Store Woman, confides a few minutes into our interview. “I’ve been told by my doctor not to talk about this too much, but ever since I was a child, I’ve had 30 or 40 imaginary friends who live on a different star or planet with whom I have shared love and sexual experiences.”It is 7pm in Tokyo, mid-morning in London. Sitting upright at a desk in an empty publisher’s office, the 45-year-old author – wearing a cream silk blouse and with a neatly curled bob – might be reading the news rather than discussing imaginary friends. For context, her latest novel to be translated into English, Vanishing World, depi...

Events

44 h. ago US senator says margaritas in photo with wrongly deported man planted by El Salvador – live

Chris Van Hollen of Maryland says drinks placed on table created hoax and neither he nor Kilmar Ábrego García touched themThe US is optimistic that it can end “the very brutal war” between Russia and Ukraine, Vice-President JD Vance said before a bilateral meeting with the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday.The meeting comes less than 24 hours after the pair met in Washington. Vance said:I want to update the prime minister on some of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine even in the past 24 hours, we think we have some interesting things to report on.Since there are the negotiations I won’t prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close. Continue reading...

Culture

3 d. ago London travel news LIVE: Lorry blocks M25 lanes at Dartford Crossing as Easter travel plans thrown into disarray

Train cancellations on the Bakerloo line is causing minor delays

Politics

3 d. ago Traffic news live: Easter travel disruption warning with hundreds of train closures planned

‘Potentially disruptive’ rain forecast as millions set off on Easter getaways

Events

3 d. ago Traffic news live: Warning issued over Easter travel disruption as millions plan getaways

‘Potentially disruptive’ rain forecast as millions set off on Easter getaways

Events

4 d. ago 'Long live the fish': Residents say plans will ‘destroy’ serene lakeside haven

'It's an escape from all the city noise.'

Politics

6 d. ago Protests in Hungary over government’s plan for constitutional amendment – Europe live

Rights campaigners say amendment, which will ban LGBTQ+ gatherings, is ‘significant escalation’ in efforts to chip away at human rightsThe Russian defence ministry also responded to the criticism for its attack on Sumy, claiming it had targeted a meeting of Ukrainian commanding officers, Russian news agencies reported on Monday.We are now hearing from the Kremlin, with Russia insisting that it “strikes only military or military-related targets,” despite the widespread condemnation for the attack on civilians in Sumy (9:18). Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump rolls back some more tariffs as his ‘Liberation Day’ plans continue to face scrutiny: Live updates

Electronics exemption to Trump’s tariffs are boost for high-tech companies like Apple and Tesla, as well as China, which still remains under 145 percent levy

Politics

8 d. ago Parliament approves British Steel bill as sources say owners blocked from entering Scunthorpe plant – live

The Steel Industry (Special Measures) has now passed through the House of Lords and is awaiting royal assentIt’s been a busy morning for Sarah Jones, who is now on BBC Breakfast.Asked whether the government had received any private offers for the company’s Scunthorpe plant, Sarah Jones said:There is not at the moment, to answer your question, a private company that is there willing to invest at this point.When we came into government, there was a deal on the table with Tata Steel in Port Talbot.We negotiated in 10 weeks a much better deal, but there was a private company willing to invest, who are now investing.We are hoping that the company will co-operate with what we are asking them to do, we hope that we will give them a notice and they will continue.If they do not, we will step in. Now the company will be liable for any costs that we incur, and we will seek to get that money back.We have the £2.5 billion fund for steel which we had in our manifesto, that we will use if necessar...

Politics

9 d. ago Judge says Trump lawyers’ failure to explain how they plan to return wrongly deported man ‘extremely troubling’ – live

US district judge Paula Xinis demands administration identify whereabouts of Kilmar Abrego GarciaAdvocates for academic freedom are bracing for what they expect to be the next phase of the government’s effort to reshape higher education: an overhaul of the system accrediting institutions of higher learning.Donald Trump has made no secret of such plans. During the campaign, he boasted that accreditation would be his “secret weapon” against colleges and universities the right has long viewed as too progressive.We may lose a lot of materials.All of the states, we are in dire shape. We have had a reconsideration of everything with regard to what Doge [is doing].” Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Boca Raton plane crash LIVE: Three feared dead as aircraft smashes into street causing huge fire

A plane has crashed in Boca Raton, Florida, with concerns multiple people have died and witnesses reporting seeing plumes of grey smoke close to the site of the impact

Events

9 d. ago Melbourne cinema says threats caused it to cancel fundraising screening of Oscar

Exclusive: Jewish Council of Australia’s Sophia Kagan says she was told there were protests planned against the screening of No Other Land in ElsternwickElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastA fundraising screening of the Oscar-winning documentary film on the Israeli displacement of the Palestinian community, No Other Land, has been cancelled by a Melbourne cinema after organisers the Jewish Council of Australia said the cinema received threats.JCA had arranged with Classic Cinema in Elsternwick to host the screening of the Palestinian-Israeli Academy Award-winning film on 1 May, which was to be followed by a discussion between a Palestinian and an Israeli speaker, with one of the film-makers recording a dedicated message for the event.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago House passes Republican budget framework paving way for Trump’s agenda

Multitrillion-dollar resolution unlocks path to deliver Trump’s sweeping tax cut and immigration planUS politics live – latest updatesThe House Republican speaker, Mike Johnson, muscled through a multitrillion-dollar budget framework that paves the way for Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”, one day after a rightwing rebellion threatened to sink it.The resolution passed in a 216-214 vote, with just two Republicans – fiscal conservatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana – joining all Democrats in opposition. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Live from London, it's Saturday night! SNL taking sketch comedy across the pond

Saturday Night Live says it plans to launch a British version of the sketch comedy show that is celebrating its 50th anniversary across the pond

Politics

1 week ago Trump pauses plans to hike US tariffs on most countries except China

Trump says he will raise US tariffs on Chinese exports to 125% and unveils 90-day pause for other countriesBusiness live – latest updatesDonald Trump shelved plans to hike tariffs on most countries except China, unveiling a 90-day pause and pulling back from his global trade war after days of market turmoil and warnings of recession.After insisting for days that he would hold firm on his aggressive trade strategy, Trump announced that all countries that had not retaliated against US tariffs would receive a reprieve – and only face a blanket US tariff of 10% – until July.Never miss global breaking news. Download our free app to keep up with key stories in real time. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago EU to build AI gigafactories in €20bn push to catch up with US and China

Up to five sites with power-hungry supercomputers and datacentres planned to drive AI ‘moonshots’Europe live – latest updatesThe EU has revealed details of a €20bn (£17bn) plan to create new sites equipped with vast supercomputers in Europe to develop the next generation of artificial intelligence models, while opening the door to amending its landmark law that regulates the technology.Publishing a strategy to turn Europe into an “AI continent”, the European Commission vice-president Henna Virkkunen said the technology was at the heart of making Europe more competitive, secure and technologically sovereign, adding: “The global race for AI is far from over.” Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago SNP warned rent control plans fail to 'live up to scale' of housing crisis as changes tabled

The Scottish Government has been accused of not doing enough to protect tenants after confirming how rent controls will work,

Events

1 week ago Trump tariffs live: US stocks plunge on opening as EU ‘finalising’ plan to hit back in trade war

US president describes sweeping tariffs as ‘medicine’ as bank hikes probability of global recession to 60 per cent

Events

2 w. ago Australia is in an extinction crisis – why isn’t it an issue at this election?

Some of the country’s most loved native species, including the koala and the hairy-nosed wombat, are on the brink. Is this their last chance at survival?Explore the series – Last chance: the extinction crisis being ignored this electionGet Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as an emailMost parliamentarians might be surprised to learn it, but Australians care about nature. Late last year, the not-for-profit Biodiversity Council commissioned a survey of 3,500 Australians – three times the size of the oft-cited Newspoll and representative of the entire population – to gauge what they thought about the environment. The results tell a striking story at odds with the prevailing political and media debate.A vast majority of people – 96% – said more action was needed to look after Australia’s natural environment. Nearly two-thirds were between moderately and extremely concerned about the loss of plants and animals around where they live.Get Guardian Austral...

Politics