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Replica of world-famous train aimed at reviving glamour of the classic version makes debut journey from RomeA replica of the world-famous Orient Express made its debut journey from Rome on Friday, transporting well-heeled passengers into the heart of Tuscany's wine region.La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the first Italian-made luxury train, is aimed at reviving the glamour of the classic version as well as the romanticised notion of Italy's dolce vita, or sweet life", all the while promoting slow tourism. Continue reading...

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Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina - set in the troubled 1680s - can almost describe current events, say directorsA Russian political leader sings about war with Ukrainians and the need for a durable peace". The fractured political elite argues over whether they should pursue closer ties with Europe or embrace Russian traditions.The plot of Modest Mussorgsky's opera Khovanshchina was written in the 1870s and is set in the 1680s. But, as the characters lament the fact that their homeland is mired in an endless cycle of violence and unhappiness, the dark and brooding work can feel alarmingly contemporary. Continue reading...

Actor and comedian charged with rape, indecent assault, oral rape and two counts of sexual assault, say policeThe comedian and actor Russell Brand has been charged with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape as well as two counts of sexual assault.Brand will appear in court in London on 2 May, according to the Metropolitan police, which began investigating him in September 2023 after a range of allegations. Continue reading...

FoI release shows further evidence of Lord Evans of Watford's role in apparent cash-for-access ventureNew documents reveal the extent of a Labour peer's involvement in organising the attendance of a minister at a commercial event in parliament.Emails show how David Evans contacted officials working closely with Sharon Taylor, a housing minister in the House of Lords, who was to be the keynote speaker at an event on housing that Lord Evans of Watford was hosting in parliament. Continue reading...

Removed president says he is very sorry' to have not lived up to expectations. This blog is now closed

Hard-hitting internal investigation found roots of scandal lay in racist immigration legislationAt least 22,000 was spent by the Home Office on hiring lawyers in a failed attempt to prevent the release of a hard-hitting internal report that found that the roots of the Windrush scandal lay in 30 years of racist immigration legislation, officials have acknowledged this week.The government spent three years attempting to bury a report written by a Home Office commissioned historian, which described how the British empire depended on a racist ideology in order to function" and noted that immigration laws in the postwar period were designed to reduce the UK's non-white population. Continue reading...

Opposition leader shrugs off suggestions close relationship with mining magnate has cooled over gas and net zero policy

LSPH chief executive announces groundbreaking proposal' intended to grow international rail travel from the UKCross-Channel train services serving new destinations will be cheaper to run under a scheme to grow international rail travel from the UK.London St Pancras Highspeed (LSPH), which owns and operates the railway and stations from the capital to the Channel tunnel, said it would slash charges for operators planning new routes. Continue reading...

After a year off, the often controversial art festival returns, having signed a new three-year funding deal with the state government

More health-conscious young people take total to 11.5m memberships, report finds, as experts cite social aspect alongside fitnessRecord numbers of Britons are going to the gym, as the desire of many gen Zers to socialise while getting fit instead of drinking in the pub drives an unprecedented surge in membership, a report shows.In all, 11.5 million people aged 16 and over- a new high - now belong to a gym in the UK, a rise of 1.6 million from 2022. It means one in six people have taken out a membership. Continue reading...

Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr were found dead in their home in Les Pesquies in Aveyron on 6 FebruaryThe deaths of a British couple who were found in their renovated rural home in Aveyron, south-west France, are being treated as a murder followed by a suicide.The bodies of Andrew Searle, 62, a retired fraud investigator, Dawn Kerr, 56, a project manager, were discovered on 6 February at their home in the village of Les Pesquies, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Continue reading...

AEC review finds content did not require authorisation statement after Liberal senators raised concerns

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese says no one has got a better deal' but adds that doesn't mean it's a good thing'

French president tells ministers that judges are independent and all litigants have the right of appeal'Emmanuel Macron has said the French judiciary is independent and must be protected as a judge was put under police guard after sentencing Marine Le Pen to an immediate ban from running for office.Speaking on Wednesday, two days after the far-right leader's conviction for the embezzlement of European parliament funds, the French president told ministers that judges must be protected" and that all litigants have the right to appeal." Continue reading...

A 26-year-old man was rescued from a hotel in the capital Naypyidaw, long after the disaster killed thousandsA man was pulled alive from the rubble of a hotel in Myanmar on Wednesday, five days after the country's worst earthquake in a century flattened entire neighbourhoods and tore through temples, bridges and highways.A joint team of rescuers from Myanmar and Turkey found the 26-year-old in the ruins of the building in the capital, Naypyidaw, after midnight, the fire service and the country's ruling junta said. Continue reading...

Funeral director Robert Bush, 47, charged after 35 bodies and suspected human ashes found at premises last yearA 47-year-old man has been charged with 64 offences in connection with the investigation into remains found at a funeral directors in Hull, Humberside police said.Funeral director Robert Bush, formerly of Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, has been charged with 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial and 30 counts of fraud by false representation after 35 bodies and suspected human ashes were found at his premises between 20 April 2023 and 6 March 2024. Continue reading...

Potential cuts expected to more than 25% of backroom staff, underlining challenge for state government crippled by debt but trying to bolster public safety

The US nonprofit, whose online community encouraged members to write a novel in a month, has been rocked by controversy in recent yearsNaNoWriMo, the US-based nonprofit organisation that challenged people to write a novel in a month, has announced it is closing down after 20 years.NaNoWriMo - an abbreviation of National Novel Writing Month - fostered an online community of participants aiming to write 50,000 words of fiction in November. It began informally in 1999 before becoming a nonprofit in 2006. Each year, tens of thousands signed up to the organisation's flagship programme. Continue reading...

Lucy Osborne tells high court she was taken aback' at number of people in contact over the actor's alleged sexual misconductA Guardian journalist who has worked on high-profile investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct by men said the volume of fresh leads received after writing about Noel Clarke was the most she had ever witnessed.Lucy Osborne, who, with Sirin Kale, carried out the Guardian's investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against the Doctor Who actor, told the high court that she was taken aback" by how many people got in touch after publication of the first article. Continue reading...

IDF says residents should evacuate Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Zayed, al-Manshiya and Tal al-ZaatarAt least 50,399 Palestinian people have been killed and 114,583 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.At least 42 bodies and 183 injured people have been received by hospitals in Gaza over the last day, according to the territory's health ministry, which said that at least 1,042 Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli forces since Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas on 18 March. Continue reading...

Officers attended theatre in Southend after reports of altercation at end of Paul Chowdhry's showPolice were called to a comedy show in Essex after a fight broke out in the audience, which reportedly led to a man being assaulted.Inquiries are ongoing after the altercation at the end of standup comic Paul Chowdhry's performance of his Englandia tour at the Cliffs Pavilion in Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend. Continue reading...

Source reportedly says no free trade without free speech' after US bureau holds meeting with anti-abortion campaigner

National Rally president says French electorate must be outraged' at judgment that would rob' them of a voice

Arizona allows testimony in the case of Donald Day who is accused of making threats to public figures and the FBI

NSW Health Care Complaints Commission is investigating the man, who has been the subject of multiple complaints

ACT watchdog says report into former judge's conduct during Lehrmann trail inquiry may be protected by parliamentary privilege

Queenslander ordered to pay $350,000 plus interest and costs as judge finds his video about American gamer Billy Mitchell was recklessly' based on false claim

The Albanese government pledges to crack down on price-gouging', but there is no clear definition of what it is - and charging high prices is not illegal

Elzbieta Olszewska refused time to complete paper application but was only told of decision after visitor visa had expired

Paul Marchant accepts behaviour fell below standards expected at owner Associated British FoodsThe boss of Primark has admitted an error of judgment" and resigned following an allegation made by a woman about his behaviour towards her in a social situation, the retailer's owner has said.Associated British Foods (ABF) said that Paul Marchant accepted that his actions fell below the standards it expected and had resigned with immediate effect. Continue reading...

Annual peak is lowest on record, covering 5.53m sq miles - about 30,000 sq miles below the previous low in 2017Winter sea ice in the Arctic has reached a record low in 2025, according to Nasa and the US's National Snow and Ice Data Center. The annual peak, recorded on 22 March, was the lowest since records began 47 years ago, with sea ice covering just 5.53m sq miles - about 1.1m sq miles less than last year - and 30,000 sq miles below the previous low in 2017. The Gulf of St Lawrence had almost no ice, while the Sea of Okhotsk experienced notably lower than average sea ice extent.In late January, sea ice extent in the Arctic unexpectedly decreased, losing an area the size of Italy (more than 115,000 sq miles). This can be attributed to cyclones pushing southerly winds in the Barents and Bering seas, causing ocean waves that broke apart and melted thin ice at the edge of the ice sheet. Temperatures up to 12C above normal were recorded between northern Greenland and the north pole. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Meeting hosted by shadow housing minister for estate agents and landlords prompted accusations of collusionSenior Tories have held private talks with big landlords about how to thwart the government's renters' rights bill, the Guardian has learned, with ideas including launching a legal challenge under human rights law.Jane Scott, the shadow housing minister, recently hosted a roundtable meeting with several of the country's largest landlords and estate agents, at which they discussed a number of ways to delay or stop the bill altogether. The ideas included challenging it in the courts and delaying it with repeated rounds of Lords amendments, according to three people in attendance. Continue reading...

Ozgur Ozel expanded call to boycott companies perceived as close to President Recep Tayyip ErdoanTurkey's anti-government protesters are weighing their options, amid calls by the main opposition leader for weekly rallies, a growing economic boycott and a groundswell of fired-up student demonstrators determined to stay on the streets.The leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, expanded a call to boycott goods and services from companies perceived as close to the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, during a rally in support of the jailed Istanbul mayor, Ekrem mamolu. Continue reading...

A nurse, a civil servant and a teacher, among thousands of Palestinians detained without charges, were not informed their relatives had died in Israeli attacks He insisted we take him to the graves': the Palestinian hostages coming home to catastrophe

Alaa Abu Zeid only discovered his wife and children had been killed after his release from an Israeli prison. His is a story repeated across Gaza They don't want them to know anything': Gaza civilians held in Israel not told families had been killedMore than a year after his abduction by Israeli soldiers, the first thing Alaa Abu Zeid wanted to do on his return to Gaza was hold his wife and children. He didn't know that Ali, his brother, would be the only person waiting when he arrived in Khan Younis earlier this month: Alaa's wife, Hala, and all five of the couple's children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike last summer.Abu Zeid, 48, the headteacher of a primary school funded by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in Bureij in central Gaza, was arrested along with dozens of other men when Israeli troops raided the school turned shelter in December 2023. He would never see his family again. Continue reading...

Woman pulled to safety after 30 hours trapped in building a rare glimmer of hope in midst of devastationRescue workers battled for a second night to find survivors of Myanmar's devastating earthquake, which has killed at least 1,644 people and injured thousands more.Teams with little protective equipment, at times using only their bare hands, scrambled to free survivors from the rubble of countless buildings that were shattered by Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake. Continue reading...

Giridharan Sivaraman says politicians on all sides must not dehumanise migrants' in election lead-up

Faye Hall had been detained since February along with a British couple before a court order led to her releaseA US citizen detained in Afghanistan in February by the Taliban administration has been released, the former US ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said on Saturday.American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home," Khalilzad posted on X. Continue reading...

The military junta is calling for foreign aid but agencies and rescuers must navigate crumbling roads, an overwhelmed health system and ongoing fightingThe children at Bright Kids nursery in Kyaukse, a town south of Mandalay, were taking a nap when the earthquake struck on Friday afternoon. The two-storey building collapsed with dozens of children aged between two and four trapped inside. For hours, rescuers sifted through the rubble, searching desperately for survivors.We were clearing the building using diggers and rescuing people with manual tools," said Thar Nge, a volunteer. They needed better equipment - metal cutters and generators - but made use of what they had. Thar Nge helped carry a four-year-old girl to safety. She pleaded, over and over, for him to save her, he said. He held a bottle of water to her mouth before her dusty body was freed. Continue reading...

At least 20 officers forced their way into property and police said some present were planning direct action in LondonPolice have raided a Quaker meeting house and arrested six women attending a gathering of the protest group Youth Demand.More than 20 uniformed police, some equipped with Tasers, forced their way into the Westminster meeting house at 7.15pm, according to a statement by the Quakers. Continue reading...

France has been urged to shun Maga America as #BoycottUSA hashtag spreads, but teenagers say they can't afford to join the actionOn the rainy Grands Boulevards in Paris on Friday, the branches of McDonald's and KFC were doing brisk business.There was little sign of le boycott" - a movement among French customers to reject American brands and products made in the US, in protest at Donald Trump's trade tariffs and anti-Europe rhetoric. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands gather for Ekrem mamolu outside Istanbul centre in move to keep momentum after clashes with policeTurkey's main opposition has rallied in defence of the jailed Istanbul mayor, Ekrem mamolu, in a move to sustain the largest anti-government demonstrations in years.Hundreds of thousands of people attended the protest called by the head of the opposition Republican People's party (CHP) in a spot far from the Istanbul city centre. The party leader, Ozgur Ozel, claimed 2.2 million people attended. Continue reading...

Body of team leader found almost a week after six rescuers went missing, Gaza's civil defence agency saysIsrael's military admitted on Saturday it had fired on ambulances in the Gaza Strip after identifying them as suspicious vehicles", with Hamas condemning it as a war crime" that killed at least one person.The incident took place last Sunday in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood in the southern city of Rafah, close to the Egyptian border. Continue reading...

New emails reveal panic' inside the Home Office at the case of Ali Kololo, who was wrongly imprisoned for the 2011 murder of British tourist David TebbuttA Kenyan man who was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death over an attack on British tourists is suing the Metropolitan police over its role in the case.Ali Kololo was imprisoned for more than a decade in what his lawyers called appalling conditions" before being released when his conviction was quashed in 2023. Continue reading...

Aid agencies warn of extremely difficult' response amid Myanmar's continuing civil war with true scale of disaster yet to emerge

The high-stakes race will determine which party will control a court that will rule on abortion and voting rightsA race to determine control of the Wisconsin supreme court that has profound stakes for voting, abortion and labor rights in the state, is also shaping up to be a litmus test of Elon Musk's political power, making it one of the most consequential elections of Donald Trump's second term.Liberals currently hold a 4-3 majority on the state supreme court, but the liberal justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring. Susan Crawford, a liberal judge, is facing off on Tuesday against the conservative judge Brad Schimel for the seat. The winner will determine which party has control of a court that is set to rule on the future of the state's 1849 abortion ban, collective bargaining rights and the makeup of the state's six congressional districts. Continue reading...

Daughter of deceased graduate gives clock part back to Gonville & Caius College - but minute hand still missingThe hour hand of a university chapel clock that was taken in a student prank and replaced with a cardboard copy has been returned almost a century later.Trixie Baker inherited the hour hand on the death of her father, Geoffrey Hunter Baker, a Cambridge graduate who died in 1999 aged 83. Continue reading...

Brianna Stern details alleged abuse in lawsuit filed in Los Angeles and seeks restraining order against influencerAndrew Tate is facing a lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend, who has accused him of sexual assault and battery.Brianna Stern, a model, detailed alleged physical and emotional abuse that took place throughout their 10-month relationship in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles. She also sought a restraining order against Tate. Continue reading...