Director

• Il direttore dell'FBI Kash Patel ha negato le accuse riguardanti l'abuso di alcol sollevate durante un'audizione del Senato sul bilancio, rispondendo a domande sulla sua condotta alla guida dell'agenzia federale per l'applicazione della legge. • La testimonianza è avvenuta mentre il Senato esaminava gli stanziamenti di bilancio dell'FBI e le priorità di supervisione operativa per l'anno fiscale. • La difesa pubblica di Patel segnala la continuazione dello scrutinio riguardo alle pratiche di leadership all'interno del Bureau durante un periodo di significative transizioni politiche.

‘Sappiamo che Mark Carney vuole in qualche modo abbracciare l'Europa’, afferma il direttore della competizione Martin Green. Il Canada è il benvenuto a unirsi all'Eurovision se lo desidera, ha dichiarato il suo direttore, mesi dopo che il paese ha rivelato nel suo bilancio federale di voler "esplorare" l'idea di partecipare al concorso canoro. Il direttore dell'Eurovision, Martin Green, ha detto alla BBC mercoledì che il Canada non ha ancora presentato domanda, ma che sarebbe il benvenuto a farlo. Continua a leggere...

• La visita avviene dopo che le relazioni tra Stati Uniti e Cuba sono peggiorate significativamente, con Washington che ha imposto un blocco del carburante sull'isola a gennaio • Il direttore della CIA John Ratcliffe ha incontrato funzionari cubani a L'Avana giovedì come modo per migliorare il dialogo tra gli Stati Uniti e l'isola governata dai comunisti, ha dichiarato il governo cubano. • L'incontro ha avuto luogo "in un contesto segnato dalla complessità delle relazioni bilaterali, con l'obiettivo di contribuire al dialogo politico tra le due nazioni", ha affermato un comunicato.

il regista, a lungo isolato a Hollywood a causa delle accuse legate al movimento #MeToo, cercherà location per Rush Hour 4, secondo quanto riferito dalla portavoce. Brett Ratner, il regista della serie di film Rush Hour e di un documentario su Melania Trump, accompagna Donald Trump in Cina per il suo summit con Xi Jinping. Trump terrà colloqui con il leader cinese giovedì e venerdì su questioni economiche e geopolitiche urgenti, tra cui l'Iran e Taiwan. Il presidente degli Stati Uniti era accompagnato su Air Force One da CEO e alti dirigenti di importanti aziende tecnologiche e finanziarie statunitensi, tra cui Tim Cook di Apple, Elon Musk di Tesla e Larry Fink di BlackRock. Anche Ratner faceva parte del gruppo. Continua a leggere...

• Juliette Binoche si unisce a 600 figure di spicco per mettere in guardia contro una "presa fascista dell'immaginario collettivo". • Più di 600 personalità del cinema hanno dichiarato che la crescente influenza dell'estrema destra sulla produzione cinematografica francese rischia di trasformarsi in una "presa fascista dell'immaginario collettivo". • In una lettera aperta pubblicata sul quotidiano Libération in occasione dell'apertura del festival di Cannes, hanno affermato che la posizione dominante del miliardario Vincent Bolloré nella produzione e distribuzione cinematografica francese minaccia l'indipendenza del settore. Continua a leggere...

Exclusive: Regime, which executed 243 people last year for drug offences, accused of investing in entertainment to whitewash its human rights recordThe acclaimed Australian film-maker Phillip Noyce is being paid by the Saudi regime to make a feature film portraying the repressive state’s narcotics officers as heroes.The Watchful Eyes, based on a real Saudi ministry of interior narcotics case, is billed as a dramatic depiction of the “heroism of security men in combating drugs”. Continue reading...

Agents would not allow Pavel Talankin to carry statuette for Mr Nobody Against Putin onto flight from New YorkSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Oscar statuette belonging to Pavel Talankin, star and co-director of the Academy award-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin, has disappeared after officials at New York’s John F Kennedy airport confiscated it before he boarded a flight, claiming it could be used as a weapon.Talankin, whose documentation of Russia’s propaganda machine in grade schools won international acclaim, told Deadline that he has brought the statuette on several flights without incident. But when he arrived at JFK’s terminal 1 on Wednesday morning, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents said he could not take the 8.5lb trophy on board because it posed a security risk. Continue reading...

• Ex-FBI Director James Comey surrendered to authorities and appeared in court on April 29, 2026, facing DOJ charges for allegedly threatening President Trump's life via a seashell social media post. • Prosecutors claim the post symbolized a threat, leading to swift federal action amid heightened political tensions. • The case underscores escalating rhetoric between Trump allies and former officials, potentially influencing 2026 midterm dynamics.

Tearful testimony details missed warnings and lack of plan as families oppose reopening of Texas campA director of Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian camp in the Texas Hill Country where 25 campers and two counselors were killed in a flash flood last summer, has offered a tearful apology to victim’s families for the loss of life.“We tried our hardest that night. It wasn’t enough to save your daughters,” Edward Eastland said, at a joint Texas House and Senate committee panel in Austin investigating the deadly flooding. “I’m so sorry.” Continue reading...

Comey, one of Donald Trump’s political enemies, charged with two felonies. Plus, Disneyland introduces facial recognitionGood morning.The justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday.What has he been charged with? Two felonies: making a threat against the president, and transmitting that threat, via social media, across state lines.What does the indictment say? That the seashell numbers were something a reasonable person “would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States”.And how about Comey? He published a video of himself saying: “Well, they’re back. This time, about a picture of seashells on a North Carolina beach a year ago. And this won’t be the end of it, but nothing has changed with me. I am still innocent. I am still not afraid. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. So, let’s go.” He continued: “It’s really important that all of us remember – this is not who we are as a country, this is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be, and the good news is we get closer every day to restoring those values. Keep the faith.” Continue reading...

• Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for a second time on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, over an Instagram post interpreted by the DOJ as a threat against President Donald Trump. • The Justice Department expanded its probe following renewed scrutiny of the post described as a coded message referencing the president. • Comey maintains his innocence, stating the charges stem from misinterpretation of his social media activity amid ongoing political tensions.

Subject of charges remains unclear, after earlier case over congressional testimony was dismissedUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.The subject of the charges was not immediately clear and the justice department did not immediately return a request for comment. CNN first reported a new indictment had been filed. Continue reading...

Tim Heidecker could take over for Alex Jones as the head of conspiracy website Infowars in days as part of the Onion's acquisition. The comedian, actor and musician told As It Happens about his plan to get people laughing and smiling on a platform that inspired anger and fear.

Hollywood star expected to testify about claim a fellow actor confided in her that she was uncomfortable about a bathing request from another colleagueFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHollywood star Rebel Wilson has entered a courthouse ahead of giving evidence in her high-profile defamation battle against the star of her directorial debut.The Pitch Perfect star is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the Australian lead actor of musical comedy The Deb. Continue reading...

Teatro La Fenice called comments by its controversial appointee Beatrice Venezi ‘offensive and detrimental’Teatro La Fenice, the prestigious Venice opera house, has fired its incoming music director after she insinuated its hiring practices were nepotistic, with jobs “practically passed down from father to son”.After months of controversy over the appointment of Beatrice Venezi, La Fenice Foundation said on Sunday it had decided to “cancel all future collaborations” with the 36-year-old conductor and pianist. Continue reading...

Rosemarie Milsom, who formed and runs Newcastle writers festival, will take over from Louise Adler after the literary festival imploded over invitation to Randa Abdel-FattahIn January, as the implosion of Adelaide writers’ week made headlines around Australia and the world, Rosemarie Milsom was watching closely.The Adelaide festival board, which oversees AWW, had overridden the literary festival’s director, Louise Adler, and disinvited the Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah over past comments she’d made about Israel and Zionism. This decision resulted not in a quieter, less-controversial festival as the board members may have hoped, but a boycott by 200-odd writers, the resignation of Adler – followed by the whole board – a potential defamation lawsuit against the South Australian premier and the collapse of AWW. Continue reading...

Amid growing congressional scrutiny of his conduct, Patel has claimed he has ‘never been intoxicated on the job’US politics live – latest updatesHouse judiciary Democrats have launched a formal inquiry into FBI director, Kash Patel’s alleged drinking habits, demanding he complete a standardized alcohol abuse assessment and submit the results to Congress.In a letter sent on Tuesday, led by Jamie Raskin, a Maryland representative, Democrats on the committee called on Patel to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit) – a 10-question World Health Organization screening tool used to identify harmful patterns of drinking – along with a sworn statement attesting to his answers. Lawmakers also requested all security clearance questionnaires Patel has completed since taking the role. Continue reading...

Mathieu Kassovitz, who is currently working on an AI-enabled film, also dismisses concerns over copyright His hit film was a masterpiece capturing the gritty truth of the Paris suburbs, but the director of La Haine is now sold on an AI-generated future for cinema.Mathieu Kassovitz has called the technology the “the last artistic tool we need” and dismissed concerns about AI stealing other artists’ intellectual property, telling the Guardian: “Fuck copyright”. Continue reading...

Maria Medetis Long had expressed doubts over case of John Brennan, whose agency said Russia boosted Trump in 2016Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA federal prosecutor leading the investigation into former CIA director John Brennan is no longer working on the case after expressing reservations about it, according to a person familiar with the matter.The prosecutor, Maria Medetis Long, informed attorneys involved in the case she was no longer handling it, according to CNN, which first reported she was leaving the case. Medetis Long is a career attorney serving as the chief of the national security division in the US attorney’s office for the southern district of Florida. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Continue reading...

‘If we celebrate the impact of physical storytelling, we must acknowledge the artists behind it,’ says Equity body, calling out the lack of movement categories in major awardsChoreographers and movement directors in theatre are undervalued by awards ceremonies and deserve greater acknowledgment, says the Equity group representing both disciplines.At last weekend’s Oliviers ceremony, the award for best theatre choreographer went to Fabian Aloise for Evita at the London Palladium. In a statement, Equity’s Choreographers and Movement Directors Network (CMDN) said it was “brilliant to see choreography recognised on major stages like the Olivier awards” but drew attention to the movement directors who worked on nominated productions yet went unrecognised with their own category. The ceremony “opens up a bigger conversation about what language we use to describe how theatre is made, and questions who gets named in that process – especially when it comes to movement and choreography”, said the CMDN. Continue reading...

Lyons, who led agency since March 2025, to resign after turbulent year carrying out Trump’s immigration agendaTodd Lyons, the acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is stepping down after a turbulent year carrying out Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.Lyons, who has been leading the agency since March 2025, will resign at the end of May and move to the private sector, Markwayne ​Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, said in a statement on Thursday. Continue reading...

Schwartz was deputy surgeon general under Trump’s first administration and is a rear admiral in the US Coast GuardDonald Trump announced Thursday that he has selected Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bringing to an end a months-long search for a permanent head of the troubled public health agency.Trump revealed his choice on Truth Social, saying: “I am pleased to announce the new leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is my Honor to nominate the incredibly talented Dr Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, as my Director of the CDC,” he wrote. “She is a STAR!” Continue reading...

Nadia Fall calls for bold thinking as she announces new shows including anti-Trump version of Thelma & LouiseTheatres facing financial difficulty can only prosper by “programming their way out of it”, according to the Young Vic artistic director, Nadia Fall, who has announces her new slate of shows, including an anti-Trump musical version of Thelma & Louise.Fall, who took the helm at the Young Vic in 2025 and oversaw staff cuts after a £500,000 deficit in the last financial year, said theatres must put on unmissable productions in order to balance the books. Continue reading...

John Brennan says president who made volatile remarks about destroying Iranian civilization ‘is clearly unhinged’The former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan has added his name to growing calls for the president to be ousted on grounds that he is unfit for the job, arguing that the US constitution’s 25th amendment addressing involuntary removal from office was “written with Donald Trump in mind”.Brennan, who served as head of the spy agency during Barack Obama’s presidency, told MS Now on Saturday that Trump’s recent volatile remarks about destroying Iranian civilization and the danger he posed to so many lives merited his removal from the Oval Office. Continue reading...

• University of Alabama announced Nick Saban's hiring as interim football program director, a newly created role overseeing recruitment and player development. • Saban, 74, brings his 17 years of Alabama head coaching experience and seven national championships to the athletic department position. • The move aims to stabilize the program following recent coaching changes and NCAA compliance investigations.

Study that reportedly found reduction in ER visits and hospitalizations being reviewed by Jay BhattacharyaA Trump administration appointee has delayed publication of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that shows benefits related to the Covid vaccine, leading to concerns that the administration is engaging in behind-the-scenes tactics to undermine vaccines.Research by CDC scientists found that the Covid vaccine cut the likelihood of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults last winter by about half, according to reporting from the Washington Post. The acting CDC director, Jay Bhattacharya, reportedly delayed the report’s publication due to concerns surrounding the research’s methodology. Continue reading...

Melissa Chiu, 54, director of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, led the institution for 12 years A museum director at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington has announced that she is leaving to take over at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.Melissa Chiu has been director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on the National Mall for 12 years. In an interview on Thursday, she insisted that her departure is not related to Donald Trump’s efforts to interfere with the Smithsonian. Continue reading...

Aria Fani of University of Washington’s Middle East Center is latest critic of Israel to lose position at US universitySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA University of Washington professor was removed as head of the school’s Middle East Center after reportedly using newsletters from the center to criticize the US and Israel’s war on Iran and describe Zionism as “cancerous”.His case is one of at least three incidents in the past month in which higher education faculty members have faced suspension or dismissal after voicing opposition to US-Israeli actions in the Middle East. Continue reading...