UK

The BBC row with Gary Lineker “goes straight to the heart” of the broadcaster’s wider reputation in news coverage, the head of Ofcom has said. Dame Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of the broadcasting regulator, said that “it hasn’t been a great weekend for BBC sports fans” after the broadcaster was forced to pull much

High-profile figures from sport and broadcasting appear to have poked fun at the BBC over its U-turn on the Gary Lineker impartiality row. After the corporation last Friday suspended the Match of the Day presenter, 62, for his tweets criticising the government’s migration policy, it has now agreed to allow him back on air this

Gary Lineker will return to Match Of The Day on Saturday after he was taken off air over his tweets criticising the government’s migration policy. The BBC has also apologised for the episode and announced an independent review into its social media usage guidelines. Sky Sports News understands that the BBC also apologised privately to

Sources close to Gary Lineker are increasingly confident the row with the BBC will be resolved to his satisfaction in the next 24 hours. Sky News also understands there could be a statement on the Lineker issue as early as tomorrow morning. It follows a tumultuous weekend for the BBC and its football shows, notably

Match of the Day 2 coverage is expected to be “much-reduced” as the fallout from the Gary Lineker BBC row continues. BBC Two will also broadcast the Women’s Super League Chelsea v Manchester United match using world feed commentary – without presenter or pundits around the coverage of the game. It is the second day

The BBC’s director general says the damage done to football programming following Gary Lineker’s suspension is a “real blow” but he will not be resigning. Tim Davie said he was “sorry audiences have been affected and they haven’t got the programming” after presenters and pundits pulled out in support of Lineker, whose social media criticism

Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad has become the latest to pull out of programmes on the BBC today as the row involving the broadcaster and Gary Lineker grows. The programme is not going ahead this afternoon, and has been replaced by The Repair Shop. It comes after the midday Football Focus programme was also scrapped

Gary Lineker has been forced off his Match of the Day duties by the BBC because he won’t apologise for his comments on social media, Sky News understands. The BBC said in a statement that the presenter will “step back” from hosting the weekly football highlights programme. But, it’s understood that Lineker has not agreed

“Hundreds and hundreds” of stranded drivers have been stuck in “never-ending” miles-long tailbacks overnight in heavy snow – and forecasters say blizzards are on the way and will cause “treacherous conditions”. Travellers have been warned of train and flight cancellations, while the Met Office says the cold snap is moving south, as Storm Larisa continues

“I don’t want to attend the Home Office to proceed with my claim. I don’t want to risk it,” says Dravid, 28, who arrived in the UK from India on fake documents last year. “They may detain me and send me to Rwanda. At the moment I don’t have any choice.” In the week the

Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has told reporters outside his London home that he stands by his criticism of the government’s asylum seeker policy and does not fear suspension by the BBC. The former England striker, 62, has faced criticism from members of the Conservative party after comparing the language used to launch

A man has been arrested over footage shot from inside a police cordon on the day Nicola Bulley’s body was found. Lancashire Police said the 34-year-old man from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was arrested on Wednesday morning. He was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice in connection with the investigation

The sister of one of the Cardiff car crash victims says she was “disappointed” with the police response to the incident, saying detectives “should have acted straight away”. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the crash, while Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, who were in the same

Council tax is due to rise on 1 April for many people, another turn of the screw for those already struggling with the cost of living crisis. People in Wales have seen their council tax rise significantly faster than those in England and Scotland over the past 12 years. However it’s those in Rutland and

Two women and a man who were killed in a car crash in Cardiff after a night out have been named – as their loved ones paid tribute to them. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the accident, while Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, who were in

A friend of the victims of a fatal car crash in Cardiff has criticised police search efforts, claiming members of the public found the vehicle before officers. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the Volkswagen Tiguan they were travelling in came off the A48(M) in the Welsh capital and

Police in Wales searching for five people who went missing after a night out say they have found three bodies. Gwent Police also say two people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries. It comes after the force released an appeal for information on the whereabouts of Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and

Harry and Meghan have been invited to the King’s coronation, their spokesperson has indicated, despite tensions with Buckingham Palace over bombshell disclosures made by the prince. However, they declined to immediately reveal if the monarch’s olive branch offer would be taken up by the couple, who have publicly been at loggerheads with the royal household.

Prince Harry has said he always felt different to the rest of his family – and that his mum felt the same. The Duke of Sussex made the remarks during a live-streamed conversation with author Dr Gabor Mate. “I certainly have felt throughout my life, my younger years, I felt slightly different to the rest

Boris Johnson is facing a fight for his political career after MPs said evidence strongly suggests breaches of COVID rules would have been “obvious” to the then PM. The cross-party privileges committee said the Commons may have been misled at least four times over Partygate allegations, and MPs are set to cross-examine Mr Johnson in