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How China’s President Xi Jinping has been dogged by health rumours from heart attack, cancer and stroke speculation to ‘mystery disappearance’
Online rumours about Xi Jinping’s health intensified after footage appeared to show Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi checking on him during a BRICS summit. The speculation claimed Xi had fallen ill, been given first aid and flown back to China, but the exchange was reportedly caused by a faulty earpiece rather than a medical emergency.…
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Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
This roundup highlights new books for children and teenagers across picture books, graphic novels, fiction, myths and educational non-fiction. It celebrates stories exploring family change, friendship, imagination, history, folklore, racism and horror, with recommendations generally aimed at readers aged four to early teens. – *Once Upon a Tiger*: a tender picture-book fable about a tiger…
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Trump’s DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin shares Washington ‘crash pad’ with best friend congressman in unusual arrangement: ‘It’s strange’
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reportedly shares a Capitol Hill home with his close friend, Republican Congressman Jason Smith, in an unusual arrangement that has prompted questions about living costs and House ethics rules. Mullin’s representative says he is Smith’s landlord, while sources describe the property as a part-time “crash pad” used by people…
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Only in Florida! Terrifying moment crab armed with a BLADE swipes at homeowner and his dog
A Florida homeowner recorded video footage of a crab that appeared to be wielding a blade, which he shared on Instagram with the caption ‘Florida is getting out of hand.’ His dog Summer was investigating the crab when it swung what looked like a knife at the animal and subsequently at Alvarez when he attempted…
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World famous ‘Sad Oompa Loompa’ is finally all smiles after winning a Golden Ticket
Kirsty Paterson, a Scottish actress, became an internet sensation in 2024 when photographs of her looking glum in an Oompa Loompa costume went viral following the catastrophic Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience in Glasgow. Netflix tracked her down and cast her in a starring role for their new reality show “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket,” transforming her…
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Darkling review – Stranger Things’ Linnea Berthelsen confronts a gruesome Indian disaster
Darkling is a new theatrical production at London’s Bush theatre featuring Stranger Things actress Linnea Berthelsen in her UK stage debut. The play is a dramatic monologue about a young girl’s coming of age set against the backdrop of the 1984 Bhopal toxic gas disaster in India, one of history’s worst industrial catastrophes that killed…
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Bonnie Greer obituary
Bonnie Greer, the writer, critic and broadcaster known for her composed, incisive appearances on programmes including Late Review, Newsnight Review and Question Time, has died aged 77. Her work mattered because it bridged American and British culture, while her empathetic style helped make often-combative television discussions more inclusive. Greer worked across drama, fiction, biography, memoir…
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Mystery baby boy had twine tied around his neck when his skeletal remains were found under floorboards in newspaper from 1910, inquest hears
The skeletal remains of a newborn boy were discovered beneath the floorboards of a building in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, during construction work in July 2024, wrapped in a newspaper from 1910. An inquest has concluded that the infant—now called “Baby Auckland”—was deliberately strangled with twine and murdered, with the coroner recording a verdict of…
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Revealed: Shower row behind mystery ‘incident’ at women’s-only swimming event that went viral around the world and ended in the cops being called
A women’s-only swimming event at Sunshine Leisure Centre in Melbourne sparked global social media speculation after the centre announced a “serious incident” involving “poor behaviour” without providing details. The vague announcement led to thousands of internet users worldwide theorising wildly about what had occurred—from anti-trans protests to men gatecrashing to a hippo being released into…
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Bad Apples review – Saoirse Ronan’s suffering teacher best thing about school horror-satire
*Bad Apples* is a black comedy-horror satire about Maria, an idealistic primary-school teacher whose class is disrupted by a violent pupil, Danny. After accidentally rendering him unconscious, she imprisons him in her basement, and the class improves dramatically, but the film’s implausibility and uncertain satire weaken its impact. The review argues that the film is…