Comedian Diane Morgan has joined a group of public figures pressing the government to make the BBC portray farmed animals more honestly.The letter, sent to media secretary Lisa Nandy, is backed by names including Brian May, Athena Turner, Kirsty Gallacher, Jenny Seagrove and Will Young.It is also supported by 16 animal welfare organisations that have submitted a joint proposal to the Department...

When Rod Stewart received a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2017, he and his wife Penny Lancaster chose to keep the news private while awaiting further tests.The secrecy and uncertainty took a significant emotional toll on Penny, who later revealed the impact in her memoir.Penny describes the diagnosis as an intensely stressful period. Doctors told the couple the tumor was aggressive, yet Rod...

The Met Office has issued yellow wind warnings for parts of the UK over the Easter weekend, warning that strong gusts could disrupt travel and cause local damage.The alert runs from 6pm on Easter Saturday until around midday on Easter Sunday and covers swathes of Scotland, Northern Ireland, North Wales and the north of England from Liverpool to Newcastle.Forecasters say a cold air mass from...

A serious collision on the M23 has forced the northbound carriageway to close this morning, causing long tailbacks near Gatwick Airport.The crash occurred shortly after 5.30am on Thursday, April 2, between junction 10 for Crawley and junction 9 for Gatwick.Multiple vehicles are believed to be involved. Emergency crews are at the scene working to make the area safe, while traffic officers and...

Tom Hanks has long pointed to Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science-fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey as his top pick when asked about his favourite movie.The actor has talked about the film repeatedly over the years, telling Collider in 2012 he'd watched it roughly 120 times and listing it alongside other favourites like Fargo and The Best Years of Our Lives.Hanks admires 2001 for taking audiences...

NASA’s Artemis 2 mission blasted off successfully, but the crew encountered an early systems glitch when a toilet controller and a water tank valve failed shortly after liftoff.Mission leaders described the issue as not unexpected and said the team is only at the start of the flight, with crew members safe and in good spirits.A separate, short-lived communications interruption occurred during a...

Britain faces a changeable weekend as the clocks spring forward, with winds, rain and pockets of freezing temperatures arriving as Daylight Saving Time begins.Saturday will feel mostly settled for many people, with spells of sunshine broken by showers.The wettest activity is expected in the far north‑west, while daytime highs could reach about 13C in some areas. After dark on Saturday, rural...

President Trump has signaled a desire to step back from the conflict with Iran, but his approach remains muddled as Washington balances threats and talks.In a dramatic 48-hour stretch this week, the Pentagon ordered more than 1,000 paratroopers toward Iran while US negotiators sent Tehran a new 15-point peace proposal.The White House publicly urged acceptance even as it warned of tougher action...

Two Russian men have gone on trial in Angola accused of running a covert influence campaign to stir anti-government unrest and interfere in next year’s presidential vote.Igor Ratchin and Lev Lakshtanov were arrested in August and face 11 charges between them, including terrorism, espionage and influence peddling.Angolan prosecutors say the pair worked with a wider network that grew out of...

Bones uncovered beneath a church in Maastricht may belong to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the 17th-century soldier popularly known as d'Artagnan.The skeleton was found under the floor of St Peter and Paul Church after damaged tiles prompted a closer look.Jos Valke, a church deacon involved in the discovery, says he is almost certain the remains are those of the famed musketeer. Excavators say...