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South Park – I mean, South America – is back, with no Donald Trump in sight (yet)
The season 29 premiere of South Park establishes that the town has already been renamed “South America”, turning Donald Trump’s habit of renaming places into a broader satire of American decline and political absurdity. The episode centres on children’s enthusiasm for powerful e-bikes, while adults’ backlash develops into an increasingly violent campaign to ban them.…
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Labour’s union paymasters to set out ‘wish list’ on tax and Brexit in meeting with Chancellor John Healey… amid fears he will hike CGT to fill £10bn black hole
Chancellor John Healey is meeting Labour’s union leaders today to hear their policy demands ahead of a major Budget due in six weeks’ time. The unions are expected to present a “wish list” including wealth taxes, increased personal allowance, relaxed fiscal rules, and closer ties with the EU. This meeting is significant as the government…
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‘When you tell people the story, it’s almost too good to be true’: the incredible journey behind The Cycle of Love
The documentary The Cycle of Love recounts how Indian artist Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia, known as PK, cycled thousands of miles from India to Sweden to reunite with Lotta von Schedvin, the Swedish woman he fell in love with in 1975. Their extraordinary journey, shaped by determination, coincidence and predictions about PK’s future wife, has led…
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Rancour, road trips and revival: tale of battle for Brighton’s future hits the stage
A new play called “Stand or Fall” is being staged this month to commemorate Brighton & Hove Albion’s fight to save its historic Goldstone Ground in the 1990s, marking the club’s 125th anniversary. When owners announced plans to sell the stadium and relocate to Portsmouth in 1995, supporters launched an intensive campaign that included pitch…
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Raheem Sterling’s bleak tale a reminder of absurd path young footballers face | Jonathan Liew
Raheem Sterling’s court case over a dangerous driving incident is presented as a troubling endpoint to a career that once made him one of football’s biggest young stars. The article argues that his decline also exposes the pressures and instability created by a football system that recruits, commodifies and discards players from childhood. Sterling moved…
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Hard parties, cheap rents and horrible flats: how 90s art and fashion redefined British culture
A new Tate Britain exhibition, *The 90s: Art and Fashion*, captures how Britain’s creative culture was reshaped by art, fashion, music and nightlife. Curated by Edward Enninful, it portrays a youthful generation of artists, photographers, models and writers who moved from the margins towards the mainstream, often while still poor, ambitious and experimental. The exhibition…
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Postie stole bank cards from customers’ mail as part of $130k fraud scheme: ‘I need money bro’
Mauro Paul Coluzzi, a 57-year-old postman, has been jailed until December 2027 after pleading guilty to leading two criminal syndicates that stole bank cards from customers’ secure mail over 15 months. His gambling addiction drove him to systematically pilfer cards from post in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, constituting a significant breach of trust that undermined public…
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Peers call for UK to enact tobacco-style ban on gambling advertising
A cross-party group of House of Lords peers has called for a blanket ban on gambling advertising in the UK, similar to tobacco restrictions, arguing it would be the most effective way to reduce public harms. The 173-page report from the liaison committee criticises the government for being “too passive” in the face of explosive…