As a host of countries move to rein in social media use by children, could this be technology’s big tobacco moment?
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‘You’re history itself!’: how Arab World Cup commentators fuel fans’ passions
Arabic’s rich history of poetry lends itself well to ‘beautiful commentary that … sounds like a love letter to football’
Even before Cristiano Ronaldo’s close-range shot had hit the back of net, the commentator had begun shouting. “Allllllllaaaaaaah!!!!” exclaimed Amer al-Khudhiri, an Omani football announcer for BeIN Sports, as the Portugal star scored his first goal of the 2026 World Cup against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
He took a deep breath and then began his soliloquy. “I knew you were coming for revenge. I knew you would answer everyone, the world, the World Cup, the doubters, those who have lost their memory,” al-Khudhiri said. “Oh history, put Ronaldo here as Portgual’s all-time top scorer, through all its history. Allah, Allah, Allah!”
Continue reading...Karl Stefanovic to leave Nine immediately after Today host’s podcast controversy
Network says it was ‘no longer possible’ for Stefanovic to host Today, days after he interviewed far-right activist Tommy Robinson on independent podcast
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Karl Stefanovic is leaving Nine immediately, the network said in a statement on Friday.
It was presented as a joint decision, however it follows days of controversy after the highly paid Today presenter used his independent podcast to interview British far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Continue reading...Ransom note about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance says she died, according to reports
Note reportedly said kidnappers her didn’t mean to kill mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, but she died shortly after her disappearance
A ransom note related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie – the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie – said the 84-year-old had died, CNN and other news organizations are reporting, citing law enforcement sources.
Some media outlets had previously reported receiving ransom notes tied to the case in the days after Guthrie’s disappearance in early February from her home in the foothills just outside Tucson, Arizona.
Continue reading...Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah killed in Israeli strike on Gaza
Wishah among at least 260 journalists killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023
Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera has said one of its journalists was killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza on Saturday, becoming one of the at least 260 Palestinian journalists to have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.
Ahmed Wishah, a cameraman for the network, was killed in a strike targeting a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the broadcaster said on its website.
Continue reading...Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley among journalists recognised at 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes
Boseley won for her high-profile, multiplatform political explainer series, Parliamen-Tea: explaining the chaos of Australian politics
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Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley’s political explainer series Parliament-Tea was recognised at the 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes, winning the young journalist award for innovative storytelling.
The high-profile, multiplatform political explainer series, in which Boseley explained machinations in Australian parliament over a cup of tea, engaged a younger generation in national policy debate. The category recognises journalism that breaks standard structural moulds to reach and inform audiences through dynamic digital platforms and creative production formats.
Continue reading...Lululemon apologises after Japanese drum row at Great Wall yoga event
Online uproar follows Canadian brand’s use of taiko drum at sponsored festival held to celebrate Chinese culture
The activewear brand Lululemon has apologised after a promotional event held on the Great Wall of China appeared to mistakenly feature a Japanese drum, prompting an uproar.
The Canadian-headquartered company, known for its upmarket leggings, has been growing rapidly in China and arranged for a yoga festival to take place in late May on a section of the wall near Beijing.
Continue reading...First trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook sequel The Social Reckoning
Oscar winner Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong to star in film focused on fallout from whistleblower Frances Haugen
The first trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to The Social Network has landed.
The Social Reckoning has been described as a film that isn’t a “straight sequel” but one that will still revisit Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.
Continue reading...Tuesday briefing: Is a social media ban in the UK enough to help protect young people?
In today’s newsletter: With Keir Starmer expected to announce Australia-style restrictions, further problems – including AI chatbots - are on the horizon
Good morning. Keir Starmer’s expected speech next week about young people’s access to social media will be analysed as much for how it benefits the outcome of a certain byelection, as its safeguarding of children’s synapses.
After issuing an ultimatum to tech firms yesterday to block children’s phones from sharing nude images, the government is expected to make another major announcement about social media within days. Briefings suggest it will stop short of a blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media. But it will still amount to radical regulation, with Downing Street insisting that Starmer is up for a fight with big tech.
UK politics | Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that he plans to invite King Charles on a state visit to Ukraine as early as this year, which would make him the most senior royal to travel to Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Middle East | Fears of a return to a full-scale regional war in the Middle East eased on Monday as Israel and Iran said they had halted attacks on each other after an appeal from Donald Trump to “immediately stop shooting”.
UK news | A report has found “widespread and concerning evidence” of bias and victim-blaming in the family courts – primarily disadvantaging women.
US news | Donald Trump was loudly booed when he was shown on the video screens at Madison Square Garden on Monday night at the NBA finals.
Unemployment | A government-funded pilot of “hyperlocal” job support in 10 neighbourhoods across England has shown “promising early signs of effectiveness”, including for young people, and could be scalable nationwide, a new evaluation has shown.
Continue reading...ABC began international search to replace Justin Stevens as news director without his knowledge
Hugh Marks confirms ABC secretly engaged recruitment firm and signals sweeping changes at national broadcaster
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The ABC managing director, Hugh Marks, has confirmed he secretly engaged a recruitment company to look for a replacement for news director Justin Stevens after the two disagreed over the direction of ABC News.
Marks said Stevens “did not know” he had begun an international search for a new head of news but it was a necessary move because they “couldn’t get agreement on the way forward”.
Continue reading...Delivery pain for UK dad as baby magazine arrives 19 years late
Paul Edwards ordered the publication before the birth of his son in 2007, but experienced pregnant pause before receiving it this week
When Paul Edwards ordered a parenting magazine in 2007, he was hoping that it would provide helpful advice and offers to help him navigate the stresses and challenges of bringing up children.
However the magazine never arrived – until now. The copy of Mother & Baby was delivered on Friday – 19 years after he ordered it – with his children now studying at university.
Continue reading...Ministers may try to curb spread of misinformation during social unrest
Technology secretary Liz Kendall says she is ‘very concerned’ about role of social media but will not be ‘bullied off’ X
The government is considering fresh action to halt the spread of misinformation during public crises, Liz Kendall has said, insisting she will not be “bullied off” Elon Musk’s X.
The technology secretary was speaking after rioting broke out in Southampton over the police response to the fatal stabbing of Henry Nowak, a case about which Musk has repeatedly posted.
Continue reading...Two men convicted of wounding journalist in London ‘on orders of Iran’
Pouria Zeraati of Iran International TV was stabbed three times outside his London home in attempt to ‘silence’ him
Two men have been found guilty of involvement in a targeted knife attack on an Iranian journalist in London said to have been carried out on behalf of the regime in Tehran.
Pouria Zeraati, a British journalist of Iranian origin, was working for Iran International, a Farsi-language dissident broadcaster, when he was stabbed in the leg outside his west London home in 2024.
Continue reading...‘Catastrophic for creative industries’: Brexit barriers shut UK actors out of EU jobs
Casting shifts to EU talent as paperwork delays and visa limits make hiring British crews less viable
From blacklists for UK passport holders to being asked to work illegally while on holiday, the plethora of extra costs and red tape thrown up post-Brexit are restricting opportunities for British actors seeking work in the EU.
Mainland Europe has always been a springboard for those in the creative industries, from gaining crucial first credits on a TV, film or theatre production to building a marketable resume and paying the bills while attempting to make it big in the UK or US.
Continue reading...Sky ends controversial news joint venture in United Arab Emirates
Sky News Arabia to retain name in brand licensing deal after criticism of its coverage of atrocities in Sudan
Sky is exiting its TV news joint venture with the United Arab Emirates, Sky News Arabia, which has been criticised for its coverage of the war in Sudan, with accusations of genocide denial.
Sky and its partner IMI – the investment vehicle controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the vice-president of the UAE and owner of Manchester City – have announced a new commercial deal in which the UK-based broadcaster will relinquish all strategic and operational ownership of the 24-hour Arabic language news and current affairs service.
Continue reading...‘Deep unease’ at BBC Radio Scotland as majority of axed presenters are women
Changes are part of sweeping shake-up by Victoria Easton Riley, BBC Scotland’s new head of audio and events
There is a “deep sense of unease” among staff at BBC Radio Scotland after a succession of respected arts presenters, more than half of them women, were dropped from schedules.
The changes have prompted questions about diversity of coverage amid an apparent shift to a “more commercial sensibility” for the public broadcaster.
Continue reading...Local US newspaper workers allege Hearst is trying to ‘destroy unions’
Media company says it is ‘committed to good faith bargaining’ amid claims including contract violation
Workers at local newspapers owned by Hearst allege the company is trying to “destroy unions” amid claims of widespread anti-union tactics, including violating union contracts and bad-faith bargaining.
The Albany Newspaper Guild, which represents the Times Union newspaper in Albany, New York, said it had been more than 17 years since the union had a contract and there had been little progress toward reaching a new one.
Continue reading...James Murdoch to acquire half of Vox Media in deal reportedly worth $300m
Deal is the biggest acquisition for Murdoch since family resolved dispute over future control of media holdings
James Murdoch, second son of publishing giant Rupert Murdoch, has agreed to acquire some of Vox Media’s assets, including New York magazine, in a deal believed to be worth around $300m.
The 53-year-old publishing scion is acquiring the assets through his company, Lupa Systems, which has built up holdings in Art Basel, the traveling art fair business, and Tribeca Enterprises, the media and entertainment company co-founded by Robert De Niro, and the Indian streaming service Bodhi Tree Systems.
Continue reading...New York Times sues Pentagon again over ‘utterly unreasonable’ press restrictions
Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the Department of Defense last September
The New York Times has filed a second lawsuit against the Pentagon, arguing that its recent policy requiring journalists to have official escorts when on Pentagon grounds is unconstitutional.
The Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the US Department of Defense, which it calls the Department of War, last September.
Continue reading...X to block UK access to accounts linked to terrorist groups in Ofcom agreement
Media regulator announces commitments by Elon Musk’s platform to crack down on terrorist and hate content
Elon Musk’s X platform has promised to block UK access to accounts linked to banned terrorist groups under an agreement with the communications regulator to crack down on terrorist and hate content.
X will also review suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within 48 hours and seek expert advice on how to handle user reports of such content.
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