Friends

Footy Addicts helps amateur players find a game at short notice – and tackles the problem of lonelinessCries of “Boss! Boss! Boss!” emerge from the pitch during a hard-fought game of football in a London park. There aren’t a lot of names used in this game, because most players only met just before kick-off. They were brought together by an app that’s injecting life into grassroots football.Footy Addicts was invented to solve an infuriating problem for amateur players – the late dropout, which can lead to unbalanced teams and ruined games. The app brings together strangers who are desperate to play football, and who can step in after a cancellation to make up the numbers at short notice. Continue reading...

Governor general Sam Mostyn, television personalities Richard Roxburgh, Julia Morris and Gretel Killeen among those who attended the packed public event in SydneyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJames Valentine’s fans joined his family, friends, colleagues, and the entertainment industry in a moving celebration of his life at the Sydney town hall on Friday afternoon.The broadcaster and musician, who hosted ABC Sydney’s Afternoon show for 25 years, died last month at the age of 64. Continue reading...

• Rylan Clark, 37, discussed the emotional difficulty of seeing celebrity friends be "cancelled" during an appearance on ITV’s *The Assembly* on Sunday, May 24. • The conversation occurred shortly after the BBC fired Clark's former Eurovision coverage co-host, Scott Mills. • The discussion took place on a program where neurodivergent individuals interview prominent British figures to explore complex social issues.

Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing with pomp and pageantry, just days after hosting Donald Trump. But as Russia’s war in Ukraine makes Moscow increasingly dependent on China, and western leaders thaw relations with Beijing, what does the power imbalance mean for Xi and Putin’s relationship? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, Devika Bhat Continue reading...

Supporters at the Victorian state library protested against prosecutors dropping a manslaughter charge against the man accused of killing herGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIsla Bell, the 19-year-old whose body was found in a Melbourne tip 18 months ago, has been remembered as a loving, courageous and open-hearted young woman with a green thumb and an “exquisitely beautiful soul”.Friends, family and supporters gathered outside the Victorian state library on Saturday to honour the teenager and protest against prosecutors dropping a manslaughter charge against the man who had been accused of killing her. Continue reading...

Valentine officially retired in February after almost 40 years in radio, for treatment for a recurring cancerFriends and former colleagues of James Valentine say the much-loved musician and ABC radio presenter has died.The ABC confirmed his passing on air on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Judge throws out claim by the singer’s father over the sale of items she once ownedAmy Winehouse’s father has lost a high court claim against two of his daughter’s friends over the auctioning of items once owned by the singer.Mitch Winehouse, acting as the administrator of his daughter’s estate, sued her stylist Naomi Parry and friend Catriona Gourlay over claims they profited from selling dozens of items at auctions in the US in 2021 and 2023. Continue reading...