The Actual News

Key Facts:

• Jayant Narlikar was an Indian astrophysicist who proposed an alternative to the Big Bang theory.
• He believed the universe has always existed and expands continuously.
• Narlikar published over 300 research papers and was influential in science education.
• He collaborated with physicist Sir Fred Hoyle to develop the quasi-steady state model.
• Narlikar’s theory suggested a continuous creation of matter in an infinite universe.
• He remained committed to his theory despite the Big Bang model's wider acceptance.
• Narlikar studied at Cambridge University and became a global figure in astrophysics.
• In 1972, he returned to India to lead the Theoretical Astrophysics Group at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

Key Facts:

• The child poverty strategy was originally due in the spring but is now delayed.
• The strategy might be released in the autumn around the time of the government budget.
• The plan is being prepared by the Child Poverty Taskforce, set up last July.
• The government aims to reduce child poverty and has taken steps like expanding free breakfast clubs and increasing the national minimum wage.
• Some Labour MPs want to remove the two-child benefit cap, which limits benefits for families with more than two children.
• The two-child benefit cap affects about 1.5 million families and was introduced in 2017.
• The government has promised a comprehensive strategy later this year to address the root causes of child poverty.

Key Facts:

• Scott McTominay scored 12 goals for Napoli in the Serie A season.
• He helped Napoli secure their fourth Serie A title by scoring in a key match against Cagliari.
• McTominay was named Serie A's MVP for the 2024-25 season.
• He transferred from Manchester United to Napoli for a fee of £25.7 million.
• Moving to Napoli allowed McTominay to play in a more attacking role.
• His role at Napoli is different from his defensive position at Manchester United and Scotland.
• The transfer to Napoli happened after a planned move for another player, Marco Brescianini, fell through.

Key Facts:

• Bath defeated Lyon 37-12 to win the European Challenge Cup final.
• This is Bath's first European title since 2008.
• Tom Dunn, Max Ojomoh, Beno Obano, and Ben Spencer scored tries for Bath.
• Finn Russell, Bath's kicker, added points with conversions and penalties.
• Lyon scored through Navit Niniashvili and Arno Botha but were ultimately outplayed.
• Bath had two players receive yellow cards during the match, showing moments of ill-discipline.
• Bath is also leading in their league and hopes to win a treble this season, having already won the Premiership Rugby Cup.
• Bath had started the season in the Champions Cup but moved to the Challenge Cup after finishing fifth in their group.

Key Facts:

• Tom Grennan was the headline act on Friday at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Liverpool.
• Grennan's performance included surprise appearances by Ella Henderson, YouTuber KSI, Mel C, and The Zutons.
• Natasha Bedingfield performed her own set, featuring hits like "Unwritten" and "These Words."
• The Wombats opened the Main Stage performances and received enthusiastic support from the crowd.
• DJ and producer James Hype showcased a new project called "Sync," which synchronizes visuals with music.
• More than 100,000 fans are expected at the festival, featuring around 100 acts on four stages.
• Other artists performing over the weekend include Sam Fender, Mumford & Sons, Sugababes, and HAIM.

Key Facts:

• John Robinson won the Mastermind competition with 30 points.
• Claire Reynolds came second with 29 points.
• Both are from Birmingham and share a love for quizzes.
• Robinson is an English teacher who previously won £500,000 on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
• During the competition, Robinson found the experience nerve-wracking but stayed focused on the presenter.
• The romance began after the competition during their flight back to Birmingham.
• Reynolds has no plans to share the trophy but might compete again in the future.
• The couple attended pub quizzes before their Mastermind participation became public knowledge.

Key Facts:

• Liverpool wants to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
• Wirtz is 21 years old and plays as an attacking midfielder.
• The player is valued at over £120 million by Leverkusen.
• Liverpool also plans to sign Jeremie Frimpong from the same club.
• Wirtz reportedly prefers to move to Liverpool over Bayern Munich.
• Manchester City is not competing to sign Wirtz.
• Liverpool is considering strengthening their team for the next season.

Key Facts:

• England defeated West Indies by nine wickets in the second T20 match.
• England leads the T20 series 2-0, ensuring they cannot lose the series.
• West Indies scored 81 runs for 9 wickets in their 20 overs.
• Nat Sciver-Brunt scored 55 runs not out for England.
• England's bowlers, Em Arlott (3-14) and Lauren Bell (3-28), performed well.
• Only two West Indies players, Shemaine Campbelle and Shabika Gajnabi, scored over ten runs, with 26 and 22 runs respectively.
• The third and final T20 match will be played in Chelmsford on Monday.

Key Facts:

Key Facts:

• Gary Neville is a pundit for Sky Sports and a former Manchester United and England football player.
• Nottingham Forest banned Neville from their stadium for their final Premier League game against Chelsea.
• Neville was informed by the broadcaster that he would not receive accreditation to enter the stadium.
• The incident follows Neville's criticism of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis after a notable event involving the team manager during a match.
• Forest stated that the incident with Marinakis and the manager was due to frustration over a player's injury, not a confrontation.
• Neville expressed his disappointment over the ban, stating it is the first time he has faced such an action in his commentary career.
• Nottingham Forest can qualify for the Champions League if they win against Chelsea and other results support them.
• The Premier League clarified that stadium accreditation decisions are up to individual clubs.

Key Facts:

• Brian Bennett hit the fastest Test century by a player from Zimbabwe.
• The Test match is being played at Trent Bridge, a cricket ground.
• England enforced the "follow-on," which means Zimbabwe had to bat again immediately after their first innings.
• This Test match between England and Zimbabwe is a one-off, meaning it is a single match, not part of a series.
• The article mentions that the full content is restricted to certain locations, specifically available to UK users only.

Key Facts:

• Billy Joel has been diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH).
• NPH is a condition where fluid builds up in the brain and can affect hearing, vision, and balance.
• Joel has canceled 17 tour dates in 2025 and 2026, including shows in Edinburgh and Liverpool.
• He is undergoing specific physical therapy as per his doctor's advice.
• The condition has worsened due to recent concert performances.
• Billy Joel expressed gratitude for the care he's receiving and the support from fans.
• He had previously postponed shows due to an unspecified medical condition to recover from surgery.
• Billy Joel has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

Key Facts:

• Liverpool won the Premier League championship weeks ago.
• Chris Sutton is leading the BBC Sport prediction competition, which challenges various guests to forecast game outcomes.
• Sutton makes predictions for all 380 games in the Premier League season.
• Paul Oakenfold, a well-known DJ and Chelsea fan, is Sutton's guest for the final week of predictions.
• Oakenfold's connection to Chelsea started with a childhood visit to Stamford Bridge; his family supports Arsenal.
• Sutton hopes readers' predictions will outperform his own, as he's not confident in beating his guest.
• A correct match result prediction is worth 10 points, while predicting the exact score is worth 40 points.

Key Facts:

• Labour MPs are debating plans to cut disability benefits by £5 billion a year by 2030.
• The proposed changes could make it harder for people with less severe conditions to claim benefits.
• An assessment suggests the changes might increase relative poverty for 250,000 people, including 50,000 children.
• The government plans to invest £1 billion to help long-term sick and disabled people return to work.
• Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan opposes the reforms, fearing they might make poor people poorer.
• Labour MP Alex Ballinger supports the reforms, focusing on helping disabled people who want to work without losing benefits.
• The health and disability benefits budget is expected to reach £70 billion a year by 2030, which the government views as unsustainable.
• Labour MPs will vote on these reforms in Parliament next month.

Key Facts:

• Elden Ring is a dark fantasy role-playing video game with over 30 million players.
• The game will be adapted into a live-action film by director Alex Garland and A24.
• Fans have expressed both excitement and concern about the adaptation.
• Some think the game's complex story might be hard to fit into a movie.
• Critics mention past video game movie adaptations that did not succeed.
• The game was involved with Game of Thrones author George RR Martin in its story creation.
• Bandai Namco, the game's publisher, is excited about the film adaptation.

Key Facts:

• The Monaco Grand Prix will take place in Monte Carlo from May 23-25.
• Drivers must now make two pit stops during the race.
• This rule change follows a 2024 race that lacked excitement due to strategic tire use.
• Races in Monaco have often been described as lacking in overtaking opportunities.
• The new rule is intended to make races more entertaining by creating more chances for strategy and mistakes.
• Max Verstappen suggests the new rule could lead to unpredictable races.
• Previous attempts to change the track layout to encourage overtaking were not possible.
• Lewis Hamilton supports trying new ideas to improve the race experience.

Key Facts:

• Kelyan Bokassa was stabbed 27 times on a bus in Woolwich on January 7.
• The attackers are two 16-year-old boys whose identities are protected due to their age.
• Both teenagers had previous convictions, including possession of a knife in public.
• Emergency services could not save Kelyan, who had a severed femoral artery.
• The attackers planned the assault, boarding the bus knowing Kelyan would be there.
• One machete was thrown into the River Thames but was retrieved later.
• The court hearing for sentencing will consider lifting the reporting ban on naming the teenagers.

Key Facts:

• Charles Leclerc was the fastest in the first practice session at the Monaco Grand Prix.
• Leclerc experienced issues with his Ferrari but still led the session by 0.163 seconds over Max Verstappen.
• Lance Stroll's Aston Martin collided with Leclerc's car, damaging Ferrari's front wing.
• Stroll's car suffered rear suspension damage, and he received a one-place grid penalty.
• Lewis Hamilton narrowly avoided a major incident and finished ninth.
• McLaren's Lando Norris and championship leader Oscar Piastri had minor incidents but weren't harmed.
• A new rule change requires a two-stop strategy for the race.
• The practice session featured various tyre strategies as teams prepared for the race.

Key Facts:

• Charlotte May Lee, 21, from London, was arrested in Sri Lanka with 101 pounds of synthetic drugs found in her suitcase.
• The drugs were discovered at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport on May 5.
• Ms. Lee claims she did not know about the drugs and believes they were planted.
• She is being held in a prison near Colombo and is in contact with her family.
• Her lawyer, Sampath Perera, visits her daily for support.
• This drug seizure is reportedly the largest in the history of Sri Lanka Customs.
• Another British woman, Bella Culley, was arrested around the same time in Georgia for drug offences.
• A senior customs officer noted an increase in drug trafficking from Bangkok to Sri Lanka.

Key Facts:

• Sheffield United aims to join the Premier League's 12th US-owned club.
• Everton became the 10th US-owned Premier League club in December via the Friedkin Group.
• The Glazer family began US investment in English football with Manchester United 20 years ago.
• US investors own a third of the clubs in the English Football League (EFL).
• American investors are mainly interested in making money from these clubs.
• The global appeal of football and limited investment chances in US sports attract investors.
• US media coverage and programs like Ted Lasso increase American interest in English football.