A university student, Sterling Nasa, improvised a piano solo to save a La La Land live orchestra performance in Sydney when the keyboardist fell ill. This echoes a 1974 incident where Patrick McCarthy stepped in for a collapsed baritone during Carmina Burana at the Proms.
Matt Brittin, the new BBC Director General, has warned staff of "tough choices" and "sweeping cuts" as his first day coincided with a strike by journalists over increased workloads. Insiders see the strike as a sign of challenges Brittin faces in implementing budget cuts.
Fatima Bio, Sierra Leone's First Lady, discusses her journey from escaping child marriage and seeking asylum in London to her current role. She advocates for women's rights and child marriage bans, but faces criticism over her political involvement and retaining a UK council flat.
Fatima Bio, Sierra Leone's First Lady, reflects on her journey from asylum seeker in London to a prominent political figure. She champions anti-child marriage laws and women's empowerment, but faces criticism for her vocal role and retaining a UK council flat.
A clandestine network is smuggling Starlink satellite internet devices into Iran, where using the technology is illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The operation, funded by Iranians abroad, aims to bypass a national internet blackout that began after US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28. Human rights organizations estimate at least 50,000 terminals are now in Iran, with at least 100 people arrested for possession.
Alibaba's Qwen app has partnered with China Eastern Airlines in its first external collaboration, enabling users to complete full flight booking processes – from search and seat selection to check-in – through a natural-language chat interface. The deal marks a significant expansion of Alibaba's agentic AI capabilities beyond its own ecosystem into real-world services, supporting the company's massive AI investment strategy. Alibaba pledged 380 billion yuan ($55.6 billion) to AI and cloud over three years in early 2025.
