Dark humour for dark times: How comedy helps in Ukraine
Ukrainian stand-up comedians say humour can help people cope and raise money for the war effort.
Firefighters battle huge blaze near Los Angeles as winds pick up
Authorities warn Thursday is "the period of greatest concern" as conditions remain extremely dry.
Giant iceberg on crash course with British island puts penguins at risk
More than twice the size of greater London, the expanse of ice is unpredictable and dangerous.
Giant iceberg on crash course with island – penguins and seals in danger
More than twice the size of greater London, the expanse of ice is unpredictable and dangerous.
Jack Lowden joined by Martin Freeman in alcoholism drama The Fifth Step
Lowden first appeared in David Ireland’s two-hander in Edinburgh last year. For its West End run, he is paired with his ‘hero’ Freeman
Slow Horses star Jack Lowden is to reprise his role in The Fifth Step, a play about addiction, faith and masculinity, in a new West End production co-starring Martin Freeman.
Lowden first appeared in the drama, written by David Ireland, at the Edinburgh international festival last year and drew acclaim for his performance as an alcoholic, Luka, who joins the 12-step programme. The two-hander starred Sean Gilder as Luka’s older mentor, a part that will be played by Freeman in the production at @sohoplace in London, running from 10 May until 26 July. Finn den Hertog will again direct.
Continue reading...Unpaid internships ‘locking out’ young working-class people from careers
UK charity calls for positions of four weeks or longer to be banned to help close social mobility gap
Young people from working-class or disadvantaged backgrounds are being “locked out” of careers by unpaid or low-paid internships that benefit middle-class graduates, according to a social mobility charity.
Research by the Sutton Trust found that middle-class graduates made more use of internships as stepping stones into sectors such as finance or IT, even in cases where the internships paid nothing or below the minimum wage as required by legislation.
Continue reading...US military sends troops to Mexico border amid Trump immigration crackdown
The deployment is part of Trump's executive action to declare a 'national emergency' at the US's southern border.
‘We have been waiting 18 years’: Joy as Thailand legalises same-sex marriage
It means LGBT couples now have the same rights as any other couple - the culmination of a decades-long campaign.
Child mental health admissions to acute wards in England rise 65% in a decade
Hospital wards struggle to cope with rising cases of self-harm and eating disorders, the study warns
The number of children admitted to acute hospital wards in England due to serious concerns over their mental health has increased by 65% in a decade, with a particularly alarming surge in girls who have self-harmed, research reveals.
Doctors are treating almost 40,000 children with acute mental ill health in general wards every year, up from about 24,000 10 years ago. The increase is six times higher than the rise in admissions of children for all conditions (10.1%) over the same period.
Continue reading...Houthis Release Hijacked Crew and Signal End to Red Sea Attacks – The Wall Street Journal
- Houthis Release Hijacked Crew and Signal End to Red Sea Attacks The Wall Street Journal
- Crew of hijacked ship Galaxy Leader freed by Yemen’s Houthis Al Jazeera English
- Houthis Release Galaxy Leader Crew; Trump Designates Group a Foreign Terrorist Organization USNI News
- Houthis release crew of Israel-linked ship over a year after seizure off Yemen coast The Times of Israel
- Houthis Free the Crew of a Cargo Ship They Hijacked 14 Months Ago The New York Times
New California fire spurs evacuations as residents endure dangerous winds
Hughes fire ignites north of Los Angeles late Wednesday morning as Eaton and Palisades fires burn for third week
Additional evacuations were ordered for residents near a large fast-moving wildfire north of Los Angeles, as parched southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend.
The Hughes fire broke out late on Wednesday morning and quickly ripped through nearly 5,000 acresof trees and brush, sending up an enormous plume of dark smoke near Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area about 40 miles (64 km) from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week.
Continue reading...Academy says Oscars will go on as planned and ‘honor’ LA amid fires
Letter from Academy leadership also says show will ‘move away’ from live performances to celebrate songwriters
The Oscars will go on as planned in March, though with special accommodations to acknowledge to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, according to a new update from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A letter from the CEO, Bill Kramer, and president Janet Yang, sent to all members on Wednesday, confirmed that the ceremony will “celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires”.
Continue reading...Musk clashes with OpenAI’s Altman over $500bn Stargate
Hours after Trump announced the $500bn plan for Stargate, Musk questioned the value of the investment.
House Republicans form new January 6 panel in attempt to undercut past inquiry
Mike Johnson says party has ‘exposed the false narratives’ of the attack but that ‘there is still more work to be done’
House Republicans will continue investigating the January 6 insurrection, attempting to undermine the prior investigation that found Donald Trump responsible and rewrite the narrative about the deadly Capitol siege.
House speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that a new select subcommittee will be formed to investigate “all events leading up to and after January 6”. The move comes after the president pardoned or commuted sentences for every defendant convicted for their roles in January 6, including those convicted of violence against Capitol police and the leaders of extremist groups.
Continue reading...‘Rising star’: Europe made more electricity from solar than coal in 2024
Report reveals solar power generated 11% of Europe’s electricity, surpassing coal at 10%
Europe made more electricity from sunshine than coal last year, a report has found, in what analysts called a “milestone” for the clean energy transition.
Solar panels generated 11% of the EU’s electricity in 2024, while coal-burning power plants generated 10%, according to data from climate thinktank Ember. The role of fossil gas fell for the fifth year in a row to cover 16% of the electricity mix.
Continue reading...Real Madrid cruise past Salzburg, but Man City hit by PSG turnaround
Holders Real Madrid keep alive automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16, but PSG dent Man City hopes.
Witkoff says Trump directed him to get Gaza ceasefire to next phase – Middle East Eye
- Witkoff says Trump directed him to get Gaza ceasefire to next phase Middle East Eye
- Trump’s Middle East envoy will enter Gaza as part of ‘inspection team’ Al Jazeera English
- Steve Witkoff: Trump’s man in the room for Gaza negotiations NBC News
- Trump's envoy says he'll be part of Gaza ceasefire inspections The Jerusalem Post
- Trump envoy says Gaza ceasefire could pave way for Mideast normalization deal: 'Inflection point' Fox News
Blizzards bring snow to beaches and ice hockey to roads in US south
Snow and freezing rain hits parts of the deep south, closing highways and airports and prompting a first-ever blizzard warning in southwest Louisiana.
The Gaza ceasefire is stoking violence in the West Bank – The Economist
- The Gaza ceasefire is stoking violence in the West Bank The Economist
- LIVE: Israel’s deadly West Bank raids continue as Gaza ceasefire holds Al Jazeera English
- Israeli Forces Kill 2 Men in Jenin Who They Say Were Wanted for Murder The New York Times
- Middle East latest: Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian militants who carried out West Bank bus attack The Associated Press
- Violence erupts in West Bank as settlers attack, Israel raids Jenin The Washington Post
Eleven passengers killed by another train after fleeing fire rumour
Another five people are injured after being hit by an express train on an adjacent track.