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...

A month of air strikes, economic collapse and harsh crackdowns has left many Iranians living on edge, sleepless and worried about survival.In Tehran a young woman — given a pseudonym for her safety — describes the moment the war came into her office: a violent blast, smoke on the skyline and instant panic as colleagues fled to the roof.Her employer closed the business that day and let staff...

Richard Osman surprised his then-girlfriend Ingrid Oliver by revealing he had never watched a number of famous films, a confession that left her visibly taken aback.Osman, best known for his TV work from writing days on shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway? to presenting Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games, met actor-comedian Ingrid while she appeared on his quiz show. On the podcast...

Konrad Bien-Stephen, who rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia and later reached the semi-finals of The Challenge Australia, has died at the age of 35, his manager has confirmed.Ella Dolan, speaking on behalf of his team, said they were mourning his loss and requested privacy for his family while they come to terms with the news.No information about the cause of death has been...

Germany is preparing to tighten its laws on pornographic deepfakes after a television actress accused her former husband of circulating sexually explicit fake images of her online.Collien Fernandes has filed a complaint in Spain against actor Christian Ulmen, saying fake social media accounts with sexualised images of her have appeared for about a decade.She says the offending material was traced...

A petition calling on the Treasury to give pensioners a higher tax-free earnings limit has forced a Commons debate after drawing more than 116,000 signatures.Campaigners want pensioners to benefit from a £25,140 threshold before income tax applies — double the current personal allowance of £12,570.The petition secured enough support to trigger a parliamentary discussion, but a date for the...

The UK is set to experience the steepest slowdown in growth among G20 economies as a result of the war involving Iran, the OECD warns.The organisation now expects UK GDP to expand by just 0.7% this year, a marked downgrade from its earlier 1.2% forecast.At the same time, UK inflation is projected to rise to about 4%, up sharply from previous estimates. Global forecasts were also adjusted.While...

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...

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...