announced

Channel 4 has confirmed that filming for its new period drama Army of Shadows has begun.

A new production is in the works for Channel 4 as they announced a six-part series is underway.

Army of Shadows will feature the likes of MobLand’s Alex Hassell, Kit Harrington, Lisa Gunning, Paddy Considine and America Ferrera in the upcoming period drama.

The synopsis reads: “Britain looks almost normal, but the flags are different, the news is careful, and nobody says certain things out loud anymore. But everyone can feel it. Somewhere beneath the surface of ordinary life, something has gone terribly, quietly wrong.

“Out of the shadows emerges a former soldier known only as Berry, who starts building a secret resistance network. He knows one thing above all else: don’t act before you’re ready.”

An unlikely band of individuals, comprising a soldier, student, journalist and radiographer, gradually gathers around him as they conclude they can no longer turn a blind eye.

The synopsis continued: “Ordinary people, with ordinary lives, making an extraordinary and irreversible choice. Against them: a state with unlimited reach, a ruthless minister who’ll do whatever it takes to maintain “order”, and an American intelligence operative called Jessie, who is very, very good at her job.

“Army of Shadows is a tense, propulsive thriller about what resistance actually costs. If your country were occupied, what would you do?”

The broadcaster has confirmed that production has kicked off across Liverpool, Manchester, London and Paris.

Billed as ‘provocative’, Army of Shadows draws from Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1969 film and Joseph Kessel’s landmark novel of the same name.

Penned by Ronan Bennett, Army of Shadows charts how resistance begins to take hold in an occupied Great Britain during the Second World War, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Discussing the upcoming drama, Interim Head of Drama at Channel 4, Gwawr Lloyd, expressed their enthusiasm while applauding the ‘stellar cast’ signed up for the series.

They said: “Ronan Bennett has created a gripping, provocative and action-packed drama that feels both epic in scale and strikingly relevant. Army of Shadows asks powerful questions about freedom, resistance and the choices people make when democracy is under threat.

“With a stellar cast lined up under the direction of Lisa Gunning, this is exactly the kind of thought-provoking and high-stakes drama that Channel 4 looks to bring to our viewers.

“We’re delighted to partner with STUDIOCANAL and Two Cities Television on what promises to be an unmissable event series.”

Channel 4 has confirmed that additional information regarding the show’s broadcast date will be revealed in due course.

July 15 (UPI) — Britain announced plans Wednesday for a midnight social media curfew for older teens aimed at preventing them from staying up late into the night on apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, with the new measures expected to take effect in Spring 2027.

Targeted at 16- and 17-year-olds and following on from a full social media ban for children younger than 16 announced in June, the package of measures calls for a 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. curfew to be set by default within the apps and that other “addictive features” such as autoplay and customized feeds be automatically disabled, the government said in a news release.

However, unlike the total ban for under-16s, restrictions on the older teens will be discretionary, meaning they will be able to override them, or turn features back on again, at will.

The Science, Technology and Innovation Department said the move was designed to ease young people’s transition into the online world and ensure there was “no cliff edge” when the full social media restrictions they will have been under, in some cases for their entire life, were suddenly lifted when they turn 16.

It said the protections, which came out of a nationwide pilot that found they improved sleep and focus, struck a balance between protecting older teenagers while giving them age-appropriate independence to change the settings, trusting that they will make good choices.

“Our consultation provided a clear message from parents and teenagers alike — even as young people gain greater independence at 16, they should still be protected from the most addictive online features that can have a harmful impact on their wellbeing,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.

“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life,” she added.

The first set of regulations will be introduced to parliament by the end of this year, with measures expected to come into force in spring 2027, timed to coincide with when the social media ban for children younger than 16 comes into force.

The opposition Conservative Party’s shadow education secretary Laura Trott described the move as “absurd.”

“Either Labour think 16 & 17 year olds should be on social media or they don’t, but curfews they can switch off won’t achieve anything. They should stop tinkering and get on with getting u16s off social media,” she wrote in a post on X.

Ellen Roome, who alleges her 14-year-old son lost his life in an online dare that went awry in 2022, was also highly critical.

“I just think it’s not good enough really just to have a product you can switch off; it’s a bit like offering a 17-year-old a bottle of alcohol and then moving it slightly out of arm’s reach, they can just drag it back in, I really wish they could go stronger and harder on these things,” she told the BBC.

Kendall said measures were also in the pipeline to help children younger than 18 use AI chatbots safely, including regular breaks, and tackling bots or apps pushing “dangerous, misleading or unverified” mental health tips with ministers open to all solutions, including banning chatbots that put children at serious risk.

Wednesday’s development follows announcements in June giving Apple, Google and other tech firms three months to stop explicit images from being shot, shared or viewed on children’s mobile phones and in April on planned legislation to ban children from using smartphones in schools in England.

Whether you covet a golden statuette of your own or just want to see your favorite show sweep its categories, it’s time to start gearing up for the 2026 Emmy Awards.

The best way to stay in the know is to follow nominations as they’re revealed in real time Wednesday. It may have been a somewhat underwhelming year for television, but there are still a number of standout series to root for and races with the potential to surprise us.

Will Jean Smart win her fifth straight Emmy for “Hacks”? Will “Widow’s Bay” shoot to the top of the nominations list despite its late-season arrival? And which streamer will dominate the ceremony?

Read our predictions here, and find everything you need to know about this year’s nominations below.

When will Emmy nominations be announced?

Nominations for the 78th Emmys will be announced live Wednesday starting at 8:30 a.m. Pacific./11:30 a.m. Eastern. Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas (“The Bear”) and Jeff Hiller (“Somebody Somewhere”) will do the honors, along with Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego.

How can I watch?

You can livestream the announcement on the Television Academy’s website or Youtube channel. If social media is more your speed, you can also stream it on Facebook, TikTok or Instagram.

Who are the predicted nominees?

“Pluribus” and “The Pitt” are expected to lead in overall nominations, with the latter poised to shine in the acting categories.

Other top drama series likely to score a nomination include “Task,” “Paradise,” “Slow Horses” and “The Diplomat.”

In the comedy field, “Hacks” is once again considered the frontrunner on the heels of its fifth and final season. “Shrinking,” “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear” and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” are also strong contenders.

Among limited series, nominations are probable for “Beef,” “Half Man,” “DTF St. Louis” and “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.”

This year’s awards will honor programming that aired between June 2025 and May 2026, meaning summer releases are not eligible. Neither are foreign productions, which means the Canadian hockey romance “Heated Rivalry” is off the table.

When is the actual awards show?

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. It will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.

No host has been named yet. In January, the Television Academy announced that this year’s ceremony will include the first new major prize in almost 20 years: the Legacy Award, which will be “presented to television programs that have made a ‘profound and lasting impact’ on audiences and remain relevant to society, culture and the industry.”

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards, honoring artistic and technical achievements,  will be held Sept. 5 and 6.

A MAJOR ferry operator has announced a raft of changes – with one major route set to close permanently.

This comes as the French carrier firm announced a substantial cost-cutting plan.

Brittany Ferries is reportedly considering closing the Le Havre to Portsmouth route in Autumn this year, as the company faces financial pressures.

The popular route, which has operated as a “no-frills” service since 2014, offers one departure daily for passengers and vehicles.

By ceasing the service, French-outlet Le Marin reported that the company is expected to save more than €20million (£17million).

Two ships in its fleet will also be sold – the Barfleur, which travels between Poole to Cherbourg and the Cotentin, which runs from Cherbourg to Rosslare.

CAMP OUT

Britain’s best holiday campsites revealed from beachfront pods to £8 pitches

ROCK ON

Hidden European beach you can only reach by rock tunnel that feels like Thailand

As a result, the Poole to Cherbourg route will be stopped, and replaced with a daily service from Portsmouth to Cherbourg.

The Cherbourg to Rosslare route will continue operating via other vessels.

Christophe Mathieu, CEO Brittany Ferries, told the Portsmouth News: “Brittany Ferries has a track record in adapting its business to long- and short-term challenges.

“But we have to be realistic. We need to adapt and that means a plan to secure a future that will continue to bring opportunities for all those who live and work in the regions we serve.

“We have informed our ports and will work with everyone affected on this plan for the future.”

The company’s financial trouble began following a loan taken out during the pandemic.

Although half the debt has already been paid off, the carrier company continues to face a £27 million bill, as the remaining debt has been further burdened by the EU’s Emission Trading System tax.

THE UK suffered yet another crushing Eurovision Song Contest defeat in tonight’s grand final.

Look Mum No ­Computer’s Sam Battle took to the stage to perform his bonkers entry titled Eins, Zwei, Drei.

But it sadly wasn’t enough to win over the voters –  landing just one point from the jury and zero points from the public, placing him in bottom spot.

The competition was won by Bulgaria after 25 acts battled it out on stage in Vienna, Austria at the Wiener Stadthalle. 

Sam performed his upbeat hit, which was one of our most unconventional songs ever. 

Last year’s UK entry – Remember Monday –  finished in 19th place after performing What The Hell Just Happened? – landing zero points from the public. 

Cast your votes!

Who is announcing the Eurovision results? Spokesperson for every country

CAST YOUR VOTE

Eurovision 2026 voting: How the Song Contest voting results work

Pop star Dara’s high-energy song Bangaranga secured her the win.

Singer Dara came just ahead of Israel in the world’s biggest music competition, with an estimated audience of 160million. 

Bulgaria’s best result is a second-place finish with Beautiful Mess performed by Kristian Kostov at the 2017 contest in Kyiv.

Dara performed a high pace dance routine while belting out her catchy tune in sync with her back-up dancers.

Strictly star La Voix was the United Kingdom’s very first Eurovision ‘spokesqueen’, and delivered the results of the UK’s National Jury live from Salford.

In an exclusive interview before tonight’s final, Sam said: “There are gonna be people that don’t like the UK for the sake of it being the UK, but that’s the way it is. We can’t change that.

“So we’ve just got to crack on. Keep calm and carry on.”

Due to its German title and lyrics about being “sick of munching roly-poly with custard” — and about how pounds “feel counterfeit” and needing “some euros to counter it” — some have interpreted it as an apology for Brexit. 

He is also known for his madcap inventions — such as an organ made from Furbies and a synthesiser-equipped bike — which he shares with 721,000 YouTube subscribers. 

Sam, 37, was picked for ­Eurovision by the BBC at the start of the year having made a name for himself by touring across Europe.

Sam recently admitted to The Sun that his song is like “marmite” and Eurovision fans couldn’t have agreed more.

One viewer wrote: “I can confidently say that the UK won’t be winning this year.”

A second posted: “What the hell was that UK Eurovision entry, looked like they picked the act out a pub raffle.”

A third echoed: “UK every year I think you can get any lower but this time I think you managed to do it.”

During tonight’s competition Israeli singer Noam Bettan performed their song Michelle. 

At the start of tonight’s show, Graham Norton mentioned the five countries that had withdrawn from the competition.

He also noted that there was a “mixed response” in the hall, adding: “I’m not quite sure what we’re hearing”.

The crowd then booed when Israel’s entry was awarded a huge public vote – landing then in second spot.

Israel’s participation in the singing competition had sparked controversy.

The Eurovision walkouts followed the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) general assembly in Geneva on December 4, 2025.

EBU members voted on new rules to tighten voting and promotion guidelines, but did not put Israel’s participation itself to a separate vote – meaning Israeli broadcaster KAN was cleared to compete.

Within hours, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia all announced their withdrawals. On December 10, 2025, Iceland followed suit.

The boycotters have cited the war in Gaza and concerns over the integrity of recent contests. 

Spain was the first of the contest’s Big Five broadcasters – the five biggest financial contributors – to officially confirm it was boycotting Eurovision. 

“Designating an area as a bathing water before it is suitable for bathing and without a plan in place to clean it up risks confusing the public, who will rightly believe it is safe to swim there,” a spokesman for Water UK, which represents the water companies, told the BBC.

A precise figure of how much full nationalisation of British Steel could cost has not been announced and it is understood that following legislation an independent valuation would be carried out of the business, to see what, if any, compensation might be due to Jingye.