Wimbledon 2025 ladies singles' draw: Emma Raducanu handed tough route as Brits dealt tricky ties
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Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits must have access to free-to-air TV, minister says, as licence change looms
Free-to-air terrestrial broadcast TV is only secure until the early 2030s, when licences expire, with campaigners demanding that traditional TV continues alongside any streaming Culture Minister Sir Chris Bryant has said that everyone in Britain must have access to free-to-air television. Free-to-air terrestrial broadcast TV is only secure until the early 2030s, when current licences expire. The Broadcast 2040+ coalition, whose members include the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) and the Rural Services Network, is urging the Government to commit to a hybrid future for TV and radio services, ensuring continued universal access to terrestrial TV alongside internet streaming, so that no one is left-behind. Sir Chris said free TV is an 'essential part of modern society' but failed to say what model the Government might support, prompting campaigners to demand that traditional TV must continue alongside any streaming. It comes after reports of all the celebrities rumoured to be joining BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2025. Asked if he could assure Brits that terrestrial TV wouldn't be ditched when licences expire in the early 2030s, Sir Chris told The Mirror: "Well, whatever we end up with, we have to make sure that everybody is able to have free-to-air television. 'You can't have the BBC and ITV and Channel Four and Channel Five and channels like that completely disappearing from elderly people's television screens. 'We need to make sure whatever system we end up with in the future is one that enables everybody to have access to high quality television. I'm sure that's what we'll have. We've managed several of these transitions in the past quite well, and we need to manage that transition as well.' He added: 'I think access to free to air broadcasting is an essential part of a modern society, just as access to the internet is, and I think we need to take the whole of the country with us." Campaigners have raised concerns that older people and poorer families could be left behind if they're forced to switch over to internet streaming, due to lack of consumer awareness, or not being able to afford costs of equipment or installation of fibre connection. Adults aged 75 and older watched an average of 5 hours 41 minutes of broadcaster television a day in 2024, up 3% since 2023, according to media regulator Ofcom's 2025 media report. A Broadcast 2040+ spokesman said: 'The Broadcast2040+ campaign welcomes the Minister's commitment to ensuring that free to air broadcasting remains available to everybody. But this will only be possible if traditional TV continues alongside streaming. 'Millions cannot afford to watch TV through high speed broadband, they cannot receive these services or they simply do not want to consume TV in that way. While viewing habits for many are changing that is not the case for everyone in our society. The government should therefore continue to support traditional broadcasting into the 2040s at the very least.' Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, said: "Millions of older people will breathe a sigh of relief that the Minister has committed to continuance of free to air television and public broadcasting beyond 2034. 'Because internet-based TV requires an expensive fast broadband contract, it cannot be free to air unless the Government pays for universal broadband to all homes, which seems unlikely. Therefore the only way to meet this welcome commitment is to upgrade and fund terrestrial TV to continue alongside paid-for streaming services for the foreseeable future.' Elizabeth Anderson, chief executive of the DPA, said: "We're so glad the Minister supports the need to ensure that everyone has access to trusted and popular channels like the BBC and ITV, and recognising the free to air nature of TV through an aerial as being an essential lifeline for many. 'We know the Minister also recognises that the cost of internet access is a barrier for many, as well as the usability of digital services, and the DPA therefore supports the campaign to keep the traditional TV broadcast past 2034, so that more people aren't pushed the wrong side of the digital divide without a safety net.' The Government last week announced £9.5million for local charities and councils to tackle digital inequality by improving people's tech skills and getting more people online.
Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
People stumped by pen challenge as only those with seriously high IQ can solve it
A brainteaser has been leaving Brits all over the UK scratching their heads - and it's not hard to see why. The tricky challenge has left many questioning their IQ levels Britons are scratching their heads over this bewildering brainteaser - even after they've been given the solution. Think you're the cleverest clogs in the household? Or believe you're a modern-day mastermind with razor-sharp vision and robust analytical abilities? Well, it's time to put that notion to the test with this punishingly difficult puzzle that's guaranteed to leave you flummoxed. Brain teasers like these aren't merely a brilliant way to showcase your intellect and compete with your relatives; studies have demonstrated puzzles can genuinely have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, enhancing your focus levels and attention span. So, let's dive straight in.. In other news, only those with 'detective skills' can solve this. TikTok user Mr Tricks, who has accumulated a staggering 239,000 followers thanks to his optical illusions and brain teasers. In a recent clip, he arranges 10 pens in four clusters numbered one-four based on how many pens are positioned together. "Currently there are 10 pens set up 1, 2, 3, and 4 from left to right," he explained. "So we have to move one pen and put it in any place and the order would be reversed. There would be 4, 3, 2, and 1. Can you solve this? Take your time." We're not revealing any hints on this one, so you'll simply have to think beyond the obvious... Ready to surrender? Scroll down to the bottom of the article or watch the complete video to discover the answer. If that brainteaser proved no challenge for someone with a sky-high IQ like yourself, don't fret. READ MORE: Just 1% of people can find the elephant hidden in incredibly hard optical illusion We've got a mini quiz that might appear straightforward, but is crafted to trip you up. Did you find it tough to answer all the questions, or do you reckon you've nailed a perfect 5/5? How many pairs of animals did Moses take on the Ark? You're in a race and pass the person in 3rd place. So, what place are you in now? John's father had three sons: Snap, Crackle, and...? If a plan crashes right in between France and Spain. Where do you bury the survivors? If it takes seven people seven minutes to eat seven burgers, how long will it take 30 people to eat 30 burgers? You can verify your answers here. ANSWER: Shift the 9th pen into the gap between the 1st pen. This should form a 4,3,2,1 pattern. Fancy another brain workout? Have a gander at our collection of tricky brainteasers, riddles, and puzzles here. Or, discover more about your hidden personality traits with these mind-boggling optical illusions.
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Harry Potter director reveals struggle to get support from 'suspicious' crew
Harry Potter director Chris Columbus recalled the crew's initial suspicions of him and how much 'work' it took to get their support. The filmmaker helmed the first two movies in the franchise, 2001's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and 2002 sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He most recently worked on the eagerly-anticipated adaptation of the Thursday Murder Club on Netflix, starring Pierce Brosnan, Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie During a Q&A session with the cast at the New York premiere, held at the Paris Theater, host Josh Horowitz asked how he managed being an American surrounded by a group of A-list Brits on set – and he compared the experience to his efforts on the wizarding series. 'I had already been through it with Potter,' the 66-year-old replied, explaining that he grew up with a 'love of everything British', stemming from the Beatles and watching A Hard Day's Night and Help! 'I'm pretty well steeped in the culture, and I dealt with all the jokes and the ridiculousness when I started Harry Potter – the first two weeks, the crew was completely suspicious of me. '[They] thought, 'What's this Yank doing here?' I heard all the Chris Columbus, Christopher Columbus jokes… But then you have to keep up. You have to keep up a certain level. 'The thing about working with the Brits is you have to keep up a certain level of humor. It's self-deprecating humor, and you have to be as sharp as f**k. 'You cannot ever, ever… If you lose your step, you lose your step for the whole shoot. 'For me, it was casting all of these incredibly brilliant, funny people and just keeping up with them. I hope that endeared me to the crew the second time. 'It was a lot of work on Potter to get that support from the crew – it felt a lot more comfortable going back for the second time on this movie. I'd do it again in a second.' Chris jumped straight into another book adaptation – with a mostly British cast – for the Thursday Murder Club, which is landing on Netflix in just a few weeks. The upcoming murder mystery film, based on Richard Osman's best-selling novel of the same name, follows retirees who spend their free time casually solving cold cases – but things take a murderous turn when they are thrown into a real crime. Naomi Ackie, Richard E Grant, Tom Ellis, David Tennant and Daniel Mays make up the rest of the line-up. Speaking of the star-studded cast, Chris revealed that they were all the first choices for their roles – which had only previously happened when working on Harry Potter. He continued: 'The interesting comparison, ironically, is that on Potter, we made a list of all of our first choices – Dame Maggie Smith, Richard Harris and Robbie Coltrane – and they all said yes, and that has not happened to me in 20 years, until this book.' 'And it was Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, and they all said yes. It inspires you to only want to work with British actors because they say yes,' he laughed. 'It was a labor of love … because when I walked in the first day of rehearsal, when we were reading through the script, the four of them were sitting there, and it was 160 years of British cinema, and it's very intimidating. More Trending 'I could hear my voice [shaking] and I had to get over that. 'They just set such a level of trust. I felt trusted, and I hope you all felt trusted. It was just this level of trust that we all had through the course of the film. I think you can see it on screen, definitely.' View More » The Thursday Murder Club is premiering on Netflix on August 28. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Home Alone director reveals why a reboot would be a huge 'mistake' MORE: The most iconic Fast and Furious villain is still 'waiting for a call' to appear in sequel MORE: The first 'feel-good' body horror left me thinking about its extreme scenes for days
