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...

Senior US officials are warning that the fallout from the conflict with Iran could trigger a major retreat of Gulf capital from the United States.President Donald Trump is set to convene a Cabinet meeting to address the growing tensions and their wider implications.A report in Politico cites anonymous insiders who say strikes linked to Iran have alarmed Gulf leaders. Officials from countries...

UK health authorities have issued a travel alert ahead of the Easter and spring holiday period, urging travellers to protect themselves from mosquito-borne illnesses.Although dengue infections have eased, health officials say chikungunya cases among people returning to the UK have reached their highest level in more than a decade, and malaria remains common in travellers.Chikungunya typically...

This Nowruz has a different feel: homes are being swept and prepared for spring, but celebration is muted by war, internet blackouts and a sense of danger.Families who would normally gather are cut off from loved ones and struggling to get news from the outside.Reporters working with people inside Iran have been sent accounts under strict anonymity for safety. The government has tightened online...

Russia carried out an unprecedented drone offensive against Ukraine, firing 948 unmanned aircraft over a single 24‑hour period, Ukrainian authorities said.The country's Air Force reported 556 drones were launched from 09:00 local time in a rare daytime wave of strikes that struck cities across Ukraine.Officials said many machines were intercepted, but several made direct hits that caused deaths...

After eight years of talks, Australia and the European Union have finalized a wide-ranging free trade agreement in Canberra valued at roughly A$10 billion.The pact removes almost all customs duties between the two sides and also deepens cooperation on defence, supply-chain resilience and critical minerals — steps officials said are designed to withstand growing global uncertainty.Tariffs on...

Italy’s prime minister suffered a major political setback after voters rejected a constitutional reform she had championed, dealing a rare defeat to her right-wing coalition.Official counts gave about 54% of ballots to the No camp and roughly 46% to Yes, with turnout close to 60% in the two-day vote.The amendment would have enshrined a stricter separation between judges and prosecutors in the...

Two years after Dutch schools removed smartphones from the school day, teachers and education officials are reporting calmer corridors and sharper attention in class.Devices including phones, smartwatches and tablets are now kept out of classrooms, hallways and cafeterias across the country as part of a nationwide agreement reached with schools, parents and teachers rather than through new...

Larry Fink, chief executive of asset manager BlackRock, warned that oil at around $150 a barrel would likely push the global economy into a deep downturn.He told the BBC that if tensions with Iran persist and energy prices remain elevated, the fallout would be severe for growth and living standards.Fink, who runs a firm with about $14 trillion under management, outlined two broad paths for the...

Denmark went to the polls as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pursues a third consecutive term after calling an early election amid a surge in popularity following the diplomatic row over Greenland.Frederiksen’s Social Democrats remain the single largest party in opinion polls, but support has slipped since their strong 2022 result.Even with the lead, the party appears unlikely to secure the 90...