BBC boss faces barrage of staff criticism over job cuts in junior ranks
Matt Brittin fields questions on whether ‘bloated’ senior ranks are being spared and lays out iPlayer overhaulMatt Brittin, the BBC’s director general, has faced a barrage of accusations that frontline staff are being laid off instead of those from the…
Mumsnet denies using AI for content after prompt appears on message board
Users reject site’s explanations after detailed instructions for writing response to post on popular forum were publishedMumsnet has denied using AI to produce content after detailed instructions to help an AI model write one of its popular “am I being…
South West Water owner taps investors to fix infrastructure after sewage spills
Pennon slashes dividend and launches £550m cash call ‘to drive improved outcomes for customers and communities’Burnham, take note: water shareholders have their usesThe owner of embattled South West Water has slashed its dividend and launched a cash call…
Cruel torment, depraved violence, evil turns: where did TV’s real baddies go?
From Carrie’s bullies to Cathy Ames, sympathetic backstories have made villains boring. It’s time to bring back truly awful villains – in all their deliciously sinful gloryThe new Netflix adaptation of East of Eden largely sticks to the plot of the John…
The Uprising review – Paul Greengrass turns revolutionary rage into a Robin Hood origin myth
Andrew Garfield’s fictional ploughman joins the historical heroes of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt in a dirt-caked, docudrama-style film with disconcertingly silly momentsPaul Greengrass has in fact already made his “uprising” film: United 93, the…
Put down the pumpkin! How to create a cosy home this autumn – without the cliches
From tactile textures to softer lighting, these expert-approved updates bring all the warmth of autumn while steering clear of Sleepy Hollow vibes• Professional organisers’ tips for a tidy homeAfter a long, hot summer, the autumn chill is creeping in…
Gnomes review – Asa Butterfield takes on murderous garden ornaments in pulpy horror-comedy
Rightly described as ‘Gremlins meets Hot Fuzz’, this fun series has the high-spirit and gusto one hopes for in a show about evil killer gnomesOne can never trust marketing materials to accurately describe a movie or TV series, but I’m pleased to report…
What the £350 Grand Theft Auto ‘collector’s box’ says about the escalating cost of gaming
The launch of a collector’s box hints at a new reality: the kinds of games I grew up with are becoming a luxury item, locked behind a forbidding spending barrier• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereAs a parent (and partner) to…
Halloween is looming – this year, I’m ditching my cynicism and getting busy with the pumpkins | Iman Amrani
From Day of the Dead to Samhain, celebrating autumn is centuries old. Now, I want this to be a moment of magic and connection for my kidsDarker nights are drawing in, there’s a hint of a chill in the air and the supermarket’s seasonal aisles are groaning…
‘A real-life moment from The Castle’: the retired Australian couple who took on a coal giant and won
Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan’s four-year fight over MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant coalmine went all the way to the high courtSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereWhen Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan and a…