Bernard Hill arrives for the U.K. premiere of the 2012 film “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” in London. Bernard Hill, the British actor best known for his portrayal of embattled King Théoden in two of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy films and the stoic Capt. In 2015, Hill played the Duke of Norfolk in “Wolf Hall,” an adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s book about the court of Henry VIII. Most recently, Hill starred in the BBC police drama “The Responder.” Its second season is set to air Sunday. At drama school, he became entranced by David Warner’s performance of “Hamlet.” “I just wanted to do what he was doing,” he said.

Labour wins in key UK polls a blow to PM SunakReuters, LONDONBritain’s Labour Party on Saturday won mayoral polls in London and central England, in crushing defeats for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s unpopular Conservatives ahead of a national election due later this year. While Labour politician Sadiq Khan’s re-election as London mayor was widely expected, Labour also snatched a surprise, narrow victory in the central West Midlands region that is home to Britain’s second-largest city of Birmingham. London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks after being re-elected to a third term at City Hall in London on Saturday. Photo: AFPOpinion polls predicted that Labour would win the next national election, propelling party leader Keir Starmer to power and ending 14 years of Conservative government. Conservative West Midlands Mayor Andy Street lost to his Labour opponent Richard Parker.

It's consumed rather a lot of her social media output as well, as she recently hit out at the actors who performed in the film adaptations of her movies. Do you ever feel like maybe social media hasn't been a good thing? Trans women are women. Harry MellingHarry Melling said 'transgender women are women and transgender men are men'. Featured Image Credit: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic/Samir Hussein/WireImageTopics: JK Rowling, Elon Musk, Twitter, Social Media, LGBTQ

(You can now subscribe to our(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channelBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday promised to work "as hard as ever" after a disastrous set of election results saw his Conservative Party being unseated across several local authorities and even losing a mayoralty stronghold in the West Midlands region of England. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman is leading this charge and issued a stinging rebuke in ' The Daily Telegraph ' to demand that it was time for Sunak to move on from "managerialism" and show strong leadership. "Let me cut to the chase so no one wastes time over-analysing this: we must not change our leader. Changing leader now won't work: the time to do so came and went. The Liberal Democrats beat the Tories into second place by winning over 500 seats as the Conservatives lost around 400 of previously held seats of local councillors, who manage day to day issues such as waste collection, roads and local infrastructure as well as crime fighting.

Israel has ordered a ban on Al Jazeera, suspending the Qatari news network's broadcasts in the country and access to its website. Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet made the decision after it deemed the broadcaster a national security threat, accusing it of being a mouthpiece for Hamas. Al Jazeera condemned the move as a 'dangerous decision' and vowed to take legal action. It has previously accused Israel of systematically targeting its offices and staff

Leicester have marked their Championship success with an open-top bus parade through the city. After suffering relegation from the Premier League on the final day of last season, the club appointed former Parma boss Enzo Maresca as they looked to bounce back at the first time of asking. However, the club again rebounded with three back-to-back wins with Leeds' defeat against QPR last week confirming their promotion. Travelling in an open-top bus adorned with the words 'straight back up', the players and staff travelled through jubilant scenes in the East Midlands city. The Foxes will be joined in the Premier League next season by Ipswich Town, who secured automatic promotion on the final day of the season thanks to a 21-0 win against Huddersfield.

(Reuters) - Three British retail property groups are among bidders eyeing a stake in Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent for a bid amount of 600 million pounds, The Times reported. British groups Land Securities Group Plc (LAND.L), British Land Company Plc (BLND.L) in partnership with Norges Bank [NOCB.UL], and Hammerson Plc (HMSO.L) are understood to be the final bidders for the stake, according to the British daily. Australia's Westfield Group (WDC.AX) and the sovereign wealth fund of Norway are also thought to be finalists, The Times said. The newspaper reported that Australia's Lend Lease, which manages Bluewater, is looking to sell 30 per cent of its share in the centre. Land Securities, British Land, Hammerson and Westfield Group could not be reached for a comment outside of normal business hours.

The news comes after Reus' representatives were pictured attending the Manchester derby at Old Trafford last year. However, since that visit Sir Jim Ratcliffe has purchased a minority stake in the club and taken full control of football operations. The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes in the organising of the club. It's such a vital part of a football club today, getting recruitment right." Image: PA) PA)"I'm incredibly grateful for and proud of this special time at my club Borussia Dortmund," Reus said after announcing his departure.

Thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday night in Tel Aviv, demanding the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accept a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that would see the remaining Israeli hostages brought home from Gaza. Israeli authorities estimate that 129 hostages, who were abducted during a Hamas-led attack on 7 October, are still being held captive. The demonstration comes amid renewed momentum in ceasefire talks and growing international pressure to stop the fighting

Celtic skipper Kelly Clark insists Elena Sadiku was well within her rights to give the players pelters after last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers. And she hopes it’s the boot up the backside the Hoops need ahead of Monday's SWPL title showdown with Rangers. Scotland star Clark said: “I don’t think Elena said anything to us that we didn’t know ourselves. “Elena could have said last weekend that we were unlucky to lose and we would all have known that she was talking rubbish. And Clark insists the midweek draw changed nothing about their preparations.

Sunday Vortex, May 5Unfair Play, by Sharron Davies with this author, has been shortlisted for the Sports Book Awards 2024 “Sports Writing Award”. The day Unfair Play can be shifted to the shelf marked “History” will be one worth celebrating. As things stand, the fight to save women’s sport for female athletes and uphold rules on safe and fair play, is alive and kicking. I know this is a national kind of award, but to me it feels almost local. Helsinki and Finland hold the record: the national population was around 4 million when the capital hosted the 1952 Games.

NEW YORK: The iconic Times Square here was awash with varied hues and styles of sarees as hundreds of women from the Indian-American community as well as other nations showcased the timeless elegance, heritage and cultural diversity of the garment at a special event. 'British Women in Sarees' is dedicated to raising awareness of the saree while supporting handloom artisans in India through global events. "As we come together to celebrate Saree Goes Global in New York City, let us embrace the spirit of unity and collaboration. "As the vibrant pulse of Times Square beat to the rhythm of the Saree Walkathon, participants and spectators alike embraced the spirit of unity and collaboration. In a world often divided, events like Saree Goes Global serve as a powerful reminder of the strength found in our diversity," the release said.

A few days before Britain’s Conservative Party suffered a stinging setback in local elections on Thursday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recorded a short video to promote some good news from his government. In the eight-second clip, Mr. Sunak poured milk from a pint bottle into a tall glass, filled with a steaming dark beverage and bearing the scribbled figure of 900 pounds on the side. “Pay day is coming,” Mr. Sunak posted, referring to the savings that an average wage earner would supposedly reap from a cut in mandatory contributions to Britain’s national insurance system. However partisan her jab, loser is a label that Mr. Sunak is finding increasingly hard to shake, even among his members of his own party. In the 18 months since he replaced his failed predecessor, Liz Truss, Mr. Sunak, 43, has lost seven special parliamentary elections and back-to-back local elections.

The political tension around the ever-growing pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses will likely be the focus of this week’s Sunday news shows. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), who had previously claimed that “outside agitators” were involved in protests at Columbia, will appear on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. has been in the spotlight recently, but not just for being a possible vice presidential pick for former President Trump’s 2024 campaign. ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark. NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.); Cindy McCain, executive director of the United Nations World Food Program.

I have been to a local PSC meeting where a British doctor who was recently working in Gaza (for Medical Aid for Palestine) spoke. He told us how the “safe house” for medical staff which he was staying in was deliberately targeted by an IDF missile. It was only categorised as a safe house for two reasons. Firstly because the Israeli military authorities were fully aware that it contained only medical staff. He showed us photos of this alledgedly safe house including from Google earth and after the missile strike.