World News

Elizabeth Harrower and Shirley Hazzard only met six times. They wrote to each other for 40 years

Elizabeth Harrower’s trip to Italy in 1984 should have been pure joy. She was invited by her friends Shirley Hazzard and Francis Steegmuller to join them, at their expense, in Rome, Naples, Capri and then New York. The couple wanted to thank Harrower for her years of care for Hazzard’s mother, through mental illness and decline in Sydney, and they had been urging her – pleading with her – for years. Harrower made excuses until September 1984,...

Sabrina Carpenter shocks Saturday Night Live viewers with ‘hilarious’ lyric change

Sabrina Carpenter shocks Saturday Night Live viewers with ‘hilarious’ lyric change - ‘Espresso’ singer included an unexpected twist during her debut appearance on sketch show

Bride's mother's heartbreak after wedding entertainment firm goes bust

The mother of a bride has revealed her heartbreak after a wedding entertainment firm went bust - ruining the couple's big day plans and leaving her £1,400 out of pocket.

30 TV Shows So Bad, They're Actually Good

Weird special effects, odd plot devices, dated references—and enough awareness to make it funny.

The Nose Dive Assembly review – a gen Z take on the trad touring circus

There’s a festival feel at a Revel Puck Circus show: the big top, the caravans and candyfloss, the sense of community. It’s like a gen Z version of a trad touring circus, with the young performers dressed in matching jazzy gender-neutral jumpsuits rather than leotards and spangles. Inside the tent are some fantastic acts. There is supremely graceful hair hanging from Poppy Plowman (yes, that’s hanging from a rope tied to your topknot). Plowman...

‘Set-jet’ by ship to your favourite film location

The sun-drenched islands of Bond films, Ripley’s palatial Italian boltholes, Succession’s ultra-luxe Big Apple living: we’ve all been captivated by screen locations – so much so, that many of us are now planning our holidays around them. Understandably, it’s a movement the whole travel industry is getting behind – and now, cruise lines are getting ...

Jonny Greenwood’s eight-hour organ piece is a bit too long, plus the best of May’s classical concerts

268 Years of Reverb, Octagon Chapel, Norwich ★★☆☆☆ The beautiful Octagon Chapel in Norwich has resounded to organ music for most of its 268 years. Over that vast tract of time, those ancient pipes and brick walls must have absorbed innumerable sounds and their echoes. Imagine if they could be magically released: what woul...

Tiger Stripes review – entertaining Malaysian horror shows its claws

Amanda Nell Eu’s snarling debut is not the first film to harness body horror tropes as an allegory for the adolescent angst and the shame of female puberty. But this Malaysian production, which shares central ideas with Pixar’s Turning Red, as well as genre films such as Carrie and Ginger Snaps, folds in a distinctive element of south-east Asian folklore and superstition, in addition to universal themes of preteen girl bullying. Bursting on to...

20 of the most heartbreaking TV episodes

We appreciate all forms of cinema, from the comedies that make us laugh out loud to the dramas that leave us balling. So, to honor the latter, here are 20 television episodes we think are the most heartbreaking.

Sources reveal Melania is 'primary decision maker' on Barron's future

Melania Trump will direct son Barron's future as he prepares to graduate from high school, keeping him in her protective sights as he navigates the transition from his teenage years to adulthood.

Farmer stuns fiancee by mowing 'marry me' into his field

Farmer Tom Heal, from Somerset, stunned his girlfriend Chloe Morley by mowing 'marry me' into his field before showing her the romantic gesture and popping the question.

The week in theatre: Withnail and I; Spirited Away; Mary Said What She Said; Boys on the Verge of Tears – review

I had never thought of Bruce Robinson’s Withnail and I as being theatre-infused. Too grime-groaning for that, what with rats in the oven, plastic bags on feet, the swigging of lighter fuel. Oh, and the carrot fixation: not only the adoration of the root vegetable (when “firm”) by Withnail’s sexually avid uncle, but the celebrated 12-skin spliff called “the Camberwell carrot”. Yet Sean Foley’s production of Robinson’s new adaptation points up the...

'Fallout’s' success makes me crave a final send-off to this canceled sci-fi series

The success of ‘Fallout’ has me itching to return to the robot-ruled lands of ‘Westworld,’ which never got to see its narrative fully realized.

Comedians can’t experiment because of ‘sensitivities’ of younger people, says Stephen Merchant

Comedians are no longer able to experiment in their work because of the “sensitivities” of younger people, Stephen Merchant has said. Addressing how cancel culture has impacted his industry, he described comedians’ fear of offending people as a “straitjacket” that has suppressed creativity. The 49-year-old said he noticed the change after recently ...

SNL finale teases Trump’s VP picks: a gun-toting Kristi Noem and the ‘late, great Hannibal Lecter’

SNL finale teases Trump’s VP picks: a gun-toting Kristi Noem and the ‘late, great Hannibal Lecter’ - ’Finally, my last and favorite choice is a man I can’t stop talking about in my rallies. It’s the late great Hannibal Lecter,’ James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump said in the cold open of SNL’s season finale

70 Rare Photos From Princess Diana’s Wedding You’ve Never Seen Before

Yeah, I didn’t think any existed either.

Can you guess the richest female celebrities?

Priyanka Chopra: a colorful life in 20 looks

Dabney Coleman, scene-stealing actor with memorable roles in Tootsie and 9 to 5 – obituary

Dabney Coleman, who has died aged 92, was a comic actor renowned for his portrayal of obnoxious authority figures, typified by two choice early 1980s roles that sealed his image in the popular imagination: the corporate chauvinist outmanoeuvred by Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5 (1980) and the sexist, bottom-spanking director in ...

Eddie Hutch Jnr, a prominent member of the Hutch clan, has died after a long illness

Eddie Hutch Junior, who was in his 40s, with an address at Portland Place in the north inner city, was a nephew of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.

Crocus founders on the Chelsea Flower Show: ‘It’s not necessarily about horticulture at the highest level’

Imagine if the Chelsea Flower Show gardens were films. The designers would be the directors, responsible for the vision. The flowers and plants would be the actors, arranged intelligently and coaxed into blooming at just the right time. And the producers? That would be the nurseries and builders, charged with making sure the artistic vision actuall...

John Koerner obituary

When Bob Dylan enrolled as a teenager at the University of Minnesota in 1959 he went to check out the Minneapolis music scene in the Dinkytown area near the campus, and there, in a “beat coffee house” called the Ten O’clock Scholar, he met a tall, gangling figure with a driving guitar style and a love of the blues, whose long legs had earned him the name “Spider” John Koerner. Dylan was impressed. In his 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One he...

Is Coco Mellors allergic to subtext?

The aptly named Blue sisters – once a quartet, now a trio – are in crisis. It has been a year since the second-youngest sibling, Nicky, died of an accidental drug overdose: she had long suffered from endometriosis, but the only help that unsympathetic doctors would offer was a hysterectomy. Now the sisters’ icily removed mother (who makes Harriet W...

Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg review – suitably enigmatic portrait of the mercurial Stones muse

The terrifying magnetism of Anita Pallenberg – the German actor, model, style icon, muse and, according to some, murderer who dated two Rolling Stones and epitomised rock chick cool – is captured in Alexis Bloom’s suitably enigmatic documentary portrait. Composed of interviews with those in Pallenberg’s orbit, and home movies that crackle with chaotic energy, Catching Fire is more concerned with the mercurial essence of its subject than it is...

Travis Kelce reveals his favourite song off Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

Travis Kelce reveals his favourite song off Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ - The Kansas City Chiefs star and the Grammy winner have been dating since summer 2023

Artist reveals why his portrait of the King is so red

Artist reveals why his portrait of the King is so red - Jonathan Yeo says he enjoyed the internet memes his painting of monarch generated

Diddy admits beating ex-girlfriend Cassie, says he's sorry, calls his actions 'inexcusable'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted that he beat his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 after CNN released video of the attack, saying in a video apology he was “truly sorry” and his actions were “inexcusable.” “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” the music mogul said in a video statement posted Sunday to Instagram and Facebook. The security...

Video: Crowd Boos Transgender Winner At Girls Track Event

The crowd at a girls track meet in Oregon booed the winner of an event, as the winner happened to be transgender. Aayden Gallagher, a sophomore at McDaniel High School, is a transgender runner in the girls division. She won the 200 meter dash in the Oregon School Activities Association ...

Selena Gomez gets emotional as her film receives standing ovation

Selena Gomez got emotional during the premiere of her upcoming film, Emilia Perez, at the Cannes Film Festival. The performer wiped away tears after the Jacques Audiard-directed musical crime drama received an impressive nine-minute standing ovation.

Megalopolis' shock factor is already being overshadowed by 2024's most experimental movie

Another bonkers, mould-breaking film has premiered at Cannes to great acclaim.

The Best Celebrity Memoir Audiobooks Read by the Authors

From funny to insightful to straight-up shocking, these stars don’t hold back as they recount their lives.

‘I’ve read Jilly Cooper’s Riders 60 times’: The people who use repetition to enrich their lives

Every day, just past noon, Clare Gleave prepares an omelette. It is a simple task: whisking eggs, adding spinach and cheese, with a small salad on the side. An omelette maker ensures perfect delivery – the same lunch, day in, day out. Gleave, 44, is not obsessive, or strange (‘Well, at least, I don’t think so’). In a complicated and busy life – she...

Celebrities past and present

Celebrities past and present

Hollywood women you didn’t realize are so tall

There are certain famous faces you just expect to be tall. Then there are those celebrities who we are always surprised to learn are of above-average height. Just take Nicole Kidman or Zendaya, who, even without heels, are both of impressive stature. So, who are Hollywood's tallest women, and how tall are they really? Check out the following gallery and see how you measure up against your favorite female personality.

Harry to miss Duke of Westminster’s wedding while William attends as usher

Harry to miss Duke of Westminster’s wedding while William attends as usher - Harry will not partake in his long-time friend’s June nuptials

Evanne Ní Chuilinn rocks one of summer's hottest style trends on daughter's big day

If you've been on social media over the last few days then there's a good chance that you will have been greeted by communion and confirmation snaps. And while it's lovely to see the children on their big days, we've also been lapping up all the style inspiration from their proud parents! Today's top videos […]

Ciara Revins 'so proud' as daughter makes her First Holy Communion

Ciara Revins was one proud mum this weekend as her lookalike daughter Fiadh made her her First Holy Communion. The Cork radio DJ and presenter's eight-year-old daughter is in second class and looked beautiful in her white communion dress with a flower crown. Today's top videos The big day got off to a cracking start […]

Sean 'Diddy' Combs apologizes after video depicting attack on ex-girlfriend

By Katharine Jackson (Reuters) -Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs posted an apology to social media on Sunday, two days after the release of hotel surveillance video that appeared to show him attacking his ex-girlfriend. "I'm truly sorry," Combs said in a video post on his Instagram page. "My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm

'It's a great comfort' Charlie Bird had thoughtful gift made for wife Claire

Charlie Bird and his wife Claire inspired the nation with their strength following his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis and she's now candidly spoken about their relationship and the thoughtful gift he had made for her. Claire chatted with Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Radio One on Sunday, reminiscing about their 'wonderful life' and the ways they […]

Rambert: Analogue review – close encounters on the dancefloor

There’s something magical about watching dance at a distance when everything seems effortless. But arguably it’s more interesting to experience dance up close, to see the beads of sweat, feel the endurance and the heat radiating from the dancers’ bodies as they push themselves on. Jill Johnson’s new creation for Rambert, Analogue, presented in association with the Southbank Centre at Stone Nest, makes the most of that proximity. For those who...

Three things with Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson: ‘It’s a dirty, smelly old beast, rather like myself’

Australia first met Ian “Dicko” Dickson as the original mean judge on Australian Idol. It was the music figure’s debut TV role, one he stepped into as an extension of his day job. At the time, Dickson was a senior executive for BMG Australia, the record label that would sign whichever act won the talent show. As he tells it, his spot on the judging panel served an important purpose: “We wanted someone on the inside to make sure we didn’t end up...

Charity set up by Queen announces second series of reading podcast

Charity set up by Queen announces second series of reading podcast - The first series of The Queen’s Reading Room Podcast was listened to in 158 countries.

Where did Edward VIII's money come from?

It is often assumed that it was the Abdication that poisoned relations between Edward Vlll and his family but less well-known is that money played a crucial part, writes ANDREW LOWNIE.

Every Taylor Swift Fan Needs These "Meet Me at Midnight" Slippers

For $20? Yeah, I'll definitely take a pair.

Surprise! Rosemary MacCabe delighted as she announces baby number two is on the way

There are exciting times ahead for journalist Rosemary MacCabe and her husband Brandin Wallace as they have announced that they are expecting their second child. The journalist and her partner officially become man and wife with a civil ceremony in Indiana in March 2021. Today's top videos Rosemary and Brandin share a son Atlas, who […]

Cannes Film Festival meat ban starts beef over A-listers jetting in to France

The Cannes Film Festival has banned beef to be more environmentally friendly – as A-list stars fly in from across the globe to southern France. Stars hoping for a steak on the Riviera will be disappointed, after a policy shift led to a reduction of meat on its menus. Beef has been totally banned by Cannes bosses to reduce the festival’s carbon foot...

Man charged with punching actor Steve Buscemi is held on $50,000 bond

Man charged with punching actor Steve Buscemi is held on $50,000 bond - The man charged with assaulting actor Steve Buscemi is being held in New York on $50,000 in bond

Murder most necessary: why Agatha Christie justified killing

Can murder ever be justified? What can law-abiding people do if the justice system betrays them? This isn’t the sort of moral dilemma you expect to find in the stories of Agatha Christie or other writers of “the Golden Age of detective fiction” between the world wars. Their stories are stereotyped as cosily conventional. That supposed cosiness is t...

The definitive Led Zeppelin playlist

In celebration of the group's expansive and exceptional hard rock catalog, we offer a definitive list of the 25 best Led Zeppelin songs.

Donald Trump Floats Hannibal Lector As Possible VP Pick In Searing 'SNL' Open

The fictional serial killer has come up in Trump's campaign speeches multiple times over the past few months.