Noel Clarke has made ‘wild allegations’ against his abuse accusers, court told

Noel Clarke has made “wild allegations” against women who have accused him of sexual misconduct but has not explained why they would lie about him, the high court heard on the first day of his libel claim against the Guardian.The 49-year-old actor is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast published between April 2021 and March 2022 in which more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct.In written submissions, Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said: “[The defendant] will adduce evidence from 16 women who experienced C’s [the claimant’s] misconduct first-hand, some of them on multiple occasions. There is no motive for them to lie and [the claimant] has not suggested any, beyond making wild allegations as to an alleged conspiracy.“These witnesses have remained willing to give their evidence voluntarily despite the fact that, over the course of litigation, [the claimant] has published a number of statements on social media and elsewhere expressly or impliedly denigrating those who have made allegations against him, no doubt in the hope of deterring women from cooperating with [the defendant]

Jimmy Kimmel on Trump’s tariffs: ‘Can you believe we’re shaking down Canada?’

Late-night hosts recapped another week of mixed messages on Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, government cuts and chaos from the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge).Donald Trump moved ahead with his plan to dismantle the Department of Education this week, as its secretary, Linda McMahon, confirmed her “final mission” to dissolve the agency in a staff email. “WWE co-founder Linda McMahon will supervise the important work of dismantling the Department of Education,” Jimmy Kimmel marveled on Thursday evening. “Another genius tactical move, I’ll tell you why: he keeps getting attacked by all these smart people. What does he do? He outlaws smart

Sole portrait of England’s ‘nine-day queen’ thought to have been identified by researchers

She was known as the “nine-day queen” and was used as a pawn in the ruthless ambition that defined the Tudor court. But for centuries, historians have struggled to find a single portrait of Lady Jane Grey that was painted during her lifetime.Now, research by English Heritage suggests a mysterious portrait depicts the royal who reigned over England for just over a week in the summer of 1553, and who was executed less than a year later.The charity says there is “compelling evidence” that the royal portrait of Grey was significantly altered after it was made, perhaps to depict the sitter as a Protestant martyr.By using infrared reflectography, English Heritage, working alongside the Courtauld Institute of Art and the dendrochronologist Ian Tyers, discovered that changes had been made to the sitter’s costume, including her sleeves, coif and the addition of a white scarf

Seth Meyers on Trump’s address to Congress: ‘Interminable and excruciating’

Late-night hosts analysed Donald Trump’s chaotic and long address to Congress while also questioning the strength of the response.On Late Night, Seth Meyers called the 99-minute address “interminable and excruciating” while asking how it ended up being so long. “You couldn’t bring in Doge to make any cuts?” he said.He added that Trump’s speech was “so long Adrien Brody played him off” and that the “one exciting moment” was when Al Green protested by shaking his cane and saying he didn’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid.But Meyers found the other attempts to push back mostly ineffective, saying that “this guy changed the game and these are the new rules” so Democrats need to be tougher

‘One slip and I’d be lost in the flood’: shocking report reveals dangers of jobs in the arts

From dancers breaking bones to camera crews forced to take terrible risks, stage and screen jobs can be hugely hazardous, says a scathing new report. We meet workers who feel ‘disposable’ – and the groups pushing for change‘Every time I think about starting a new job,” says Lucy, a documentary maker, “I feel triggered. Because every job I’ve done in the last five years, bar maybe two, I’ve had some kind of absolutely horrendous experience. I now expect to be put in danger at work.”Lucy (not her real name) is by no means an isolated case

Edwyn Collins: ‘Could an Orange Juice reunion ever be on the cards? No!’

The singer-songwriter on breaking up his band, recovering from a stroke, being too old to be a punk, and the chaos of recording with Mark E Smith In these deeply troubled, fractured, febrile times, why did you call the new record Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation? smileywombatIt was Grace’s choice [Grace Maxwell, his wife and musical collaborator]. Up in Helmsdale [in the Scottish Highlands], in my studio, I have an art deco radiogram speaker which has a sort of sunburst thing with that phrase written on it. For £60 on eBay – pristine! It was the BBC World Service motto. When we were casting about for a title for the new record, it seemed like a great expression. Grace said, if you’re going to call it that you have to write a song with that title