Author: James Carter

Béla Tarr, the Hungarian filmmaker whose uncompromising vision defined arthouse cinema through works characterised by extended takes, sparse dialogue and striking monochrome imagery, has died at the age of 70. The Hungarian Filmmakers Association, of which Tarr served as honorary president, confirmed his death on Tuesday following what it described as a long and serious illness. Born in Hungary in 1955, Tarr began making films as a teenager and studied at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. His early work drew attention for its depictions of working-class Hungarian life, before his style evolved into the austere aesthetic for…

Build to Rent planning activity outside London has fallen into decline, with quarterly growth rates turning negative as rising construction costs and planning delays dampen appetite for new schemes across regional markets. Analysis by Foxtons of Q3 2025 data shows planning levels in areas outside the capital dropped 1.4 per cent year on year. Between the first and third quarters of 2025, regional markets recorded an average quarterly decline of 2.9 per cent — a sharp reversal from the 1.8 per cent average quarterly growth seen throughout 2024. The national picture reflects this cooling momentum. While 106,406 Build to Rent…

A vast rotating cloud containing iron, calcium and other metals has been detected surrounding an unidentified object in a distant star system, in what researchers believe is evidence of a violent collision between two planets. The cloud, spanning approximately 120 million miles, is gravitationally tethered to a body orbiting a sun-like star designated J0705+0612, located roughly 3,000 light-years from Earth. Scientists have been unable to determine what the object is. Measurements indicate it has a mass several times greater than Jupiter at minimum, leading the US National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab to suggest it could be either a brown dwarf or…

A significant number of Democratic members sided with Republicans on Wednesday night as the House Oversight Committee voted to advance criminal contempt of Congress resolutions against Bill and Hillary Clinton. Nine Democrats supported the measure targeting the former President, which passed 34-8-2, though only three backed the resolution against the former Secretary of State, approved by a margin of 28-15-1. The resolutions accuse the couple of defying subpoenas to testify about their connections to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. If the full House approves the measures, the matter would be referred to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution. Committee…

British warships and a helicopter tracked a Russian corvette and accompanying tanker through the English Channel this week as part of a coordinated NATO effort to monitor Moscow’s naval movements near UK waters. Portsmouth-based patrol vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, supported by a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, intercepted the corvette Boikiy and oil tanker MT General Skobelev as the vessels made their way towards the North Sea following a deployment in the Mediterranean. HMS Mersey took over shadowing duties from NATO allies after they had monitored the Russian ships through the Bay of Biscay. Near the…

A grandmother was stabbed to death by a stranger who had purchased a hunting knife over the internet just an hour before the attack, despite living in a staffed mental health rehabilitation home where his behaviour had been escalating undetected. Jala Debella, 24, killed medical secretary Anita Mukhey, 66, in front of shocked passers-by at a bus stop in Burnt Oak Broadway, north London, at approximately 11.50am on May 9 last year. He stabbed her 18 times before walking casually away from the scene as members of the public rushed to help the victim. CCTV footage shown to the court…

The families of soldiers killed and maimed in Afghanistan have spoken of their disbelief after President Donald Trump suggested British troops remained away from the front lines during the conflict that claimed 457 UK lives. Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson is regarded as the most severely injured British soldier to survive the war, said she was “stunned as to how anyone could say such a thing.” She pointed out that Taliban improvised explosive devices were not planted miles from the fighting, adding that the Prime Minister should “make a stand” in response. Ian Sadler, whose 21-year-old son Trooper Jack…

Amazon is on course to execute the most significant round of redundancies since its founding in 1994, with plans that would ultimately see 30,000 corporate positions eliminated across the technology giant. The scale of the restructuring would surpass the approximately 27,000 roles cut in 2022, representing a reduction of nearly 10 per cent of the company’s white-collar workforce. Chief executive Andy Jassy has attributed the sweeping changes to organisational concerns rather than financial pressures or the emergence of artificial intelligence. During the firm’s third-quarter earnings call, he told analysts the decision was rooted in “culture,” explaining that Amazon had accumulated…

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel has amplified a claim that the deaths of the party’s candidates ahead of local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia are “statistically almost impossible,” even though police have found no evidence of foul play and the AfD’s own regional deputy leader says the available evidence does not support such suspicions. As many as six candidates standing for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have died in recent weeks ahead of local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous western state. Police have said there is no evidence of foul play in any of the deaths, though the…

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer weighs up whether Britain should back the United States if Donald Trump decides to strike Iran, Attorney General Richard Hermer has reportedly warned him that UK involvement could breach international law, a question Starmer, a former human rights lawyer and vocal critic of the Iraq War, is well placed to grapple with. As Keir Starmer considers whether Britain should support the United States should Donald Trump decide to bomb Iran, Attorney General Richard Hermer has reportedly told him that UK involvement could be unlawful. Starmer was a prominent opponent of the Iraq War back in…