9 h. ago Inside world's only public park where visitors can mine and take home real DIAMONDS

A unique U.S. park is the only place in the world where visitors can search for real diamonds and take home what they find - and one recent tourist just walked away with a gem worth thousands.

Politics

14 h. ago Israel’s ‘no hunger in Gaza’ narrative flies in face of obvious evidence

Justification for Israel’s blockade is hard to sustain amid photos of malnourished children and critical famine warningsFor many decades, Israel was proud of its officials’ ability to defend and argue and convince around the world. The war in Gaza has seen the country’s public diplomacy face its greatest test – as was made clear on Wednesday morning with a robust exchange between David Mencer, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, and Nick Robinson, a presenter of the BBC’s flagship Today programme.Mencer stressed that he was speaking on behalf of the prime minister and made an uncompromising statement of Israel’s arguments, including the accusation that Hamas – described as a “genocidal death cult” – uses civilians as human shields. Continue reading...

Politics

47 h. ago Andrew Tate dubbed 'Bonnie Blue of fighting world' after public stunt with 60 men

Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate has been flamed after repots claim the man went head-to-head with '60 men in a single night' – many have compared him to the adult star Bonnie Blue

Politics

5 d. ago Jack London State Historic Park hitting a major milestone with park visitors. Here’s how to get in on the celebration

Jack London State Historic Park hitting a major milestone with park visitors. Here’s how to get in on the celebration  Sonoma Index-Tribune

Events

6 d. ago Welsh triplets who starred in film with Keira Knightley set for 'world first' transplant

Julien, Eliot and Ryan Gregory are heading back to Wales for a "world first triplet hair transplant" after first capturing public attention on the day they were born at Witybush Hospital

Politics

6 d. ago New Pope Leo makes first public appearance to jubilant scenes in Rome

The 267th Pope elected after 24 hours of cardinals meeting in conclave inside the Sistine Chapel

Culture

7 d. ago Girl, 13, raped in woodland as police hunt teen last seen in McDonald's

West Mercia Police officers are searching for a boy aged between 15 and 18 after a 13-year-old girl was raped in woodland near the Visitor Centre in Telford Town Park last night

Events

8 d. ago I travelled the length and breadth of Luxembourg by bus – and it didn’t cost me a penny

With free public transport for all – including tourists - exploring the vineyards, mysterious canyons and lush forests of the Grand Duchy couldn’t be easierI am not sure what surprises me most when I get off the train at Luxembourg’s main station – the sheer friendliness of locals who seem to greet everyone as they pass by with a cheery Moien (hello), or the fact that from this point I will not be paying a penny to travel the length and breadth of the Grand Duchy.Five years ago, Luxembourg became the first country in the world to actively tackle its carbon footprint by making all public transport free for everyone, including tourists. So I have come to see how it works in practice, aiming to travel to the country’s little known vineyards hugging the slopes along the Moselle River and then trek through the mysterious canyons and forests of the Mullerthal region. Continue reading...

Transport

8 d. ago ‘They’ll have to go home’: Trump’s World Cup task force touts welcome, warns visitors

Trump convenes first meeting of World Cup task forcePresident hails windfall despite questions over readinessUS president Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his administration’s 2026 World Cup task force on Tuesday in a public event in which he revealed that he did not know Russia had been banned from Fifa competitions and insisted the tournament would go off without a hitch.Boasting repeatedly that the 2026 World Cup, due to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the “biggest, safest and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history”, Trump went on to claim that the tournament would generate “tens of billions of dollars in economic activities for local businesses” and “thousands and thousands of jobs for American workers”. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago ‘They’ll have to go home’: Trump’s World Cup taskforce dismisses fears but warns visitors

Trump convenes first meeting of World Cup taskforcePresident hails windfall despite questions over readinessUS president Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his administration’s 2026 World Cup taskforce on Tuesday in a public event in which he revealed that he did not know Russia had been banned from Fifa competitions and insisted the tournament would go off without a hitch.Boasting repeatedly that the 2026 World Cup, due to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the “biggest, safest and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history”, Trump went on to claim that the tournament would generate “tens of billions of dollars in economic activities for local businesses” and “thousands and thousands of jobs for American workers”. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago North Wales theme park horror as girl falls 'several metres' after rollercoaster malfunctions

A young theme park visitor at Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza has been raced to hospital in North Wales after the ride she was on detached from the tracks, causing her to fall from height

Events

2 w. ago Readers give their verdict on Trump’s 100 days: ‘Extraordinary destruction’

The president promised an ‘extraordinary’ first 100 days in office but for many that has been true in all the wrong waysThe first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term have polarized the United States and the world.Public opinion polls show the president’s approval rating is around 40% – having flipped from positive to negative since his inauguration. A vast majority of Americans are worried about a recession and how his trade war will affect the economy. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The ‘delightful’ Manchester park that’s an ‘escape from city life’ on a sunny day

One visitor said it was the best-maintained park they'd been to in Manchester

Politics

2 w. ago The US used to be the gold standard for press freedom. Not any more | Kai Falkenberg

The Trump administration is creating a chilling effect on independent reporting and public dissentThis week is World Press Freedom Day. That used to be a time when we pointed fingers at governments that kept journalists from doing their jobs – places like Turkey, where reporters are imprisoned for libel, or Saudi Arabia, where government censorship is a part of daily life. From our privileged perch here in the US, we highlighted the struggle of journalists suffering under authoritarian rule. But this year, the ones suffocating aren’t halfway around the world – they’re right here at home.In my 20 years as a media lawyer, I’ve always seen the United States as the gold standard for press freedom – a model admired by journalists around the world. But in just a few short months, the Trump administration has severely undermined those protections, creating a chilling effect on independent reporting and public dissent. Today, the White House is waging an increasingly hostile campaign agains...

Politics

2 w. ago Giorgia Meloni faces awkward weekend at funeral of pope whose values she opposed

Italian PM and pontiff could not have been further apart on issues such as migration, climate crisis and economyIt is an awkward weekend for Giorgia Meloni. The Italian leader will host a gathering of world leaders to say goodbye to a much-revered pope whose public views – from the treatment of people fleeing war to the climate crisis – were diametrically opposed to hers.While Pope Francis was a staunch advocate for asylum seekers, and blessed the vessels that saved refugees at sea, Meloni once said Italy should “repatriate migrants back to their countries and then sink the boats that rescued them”. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Pope Francis funeral latest: Public queue to pay respects for last time as world leaders fly in for Vatican ceremony

Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday with world leaders in attendance

Politics

2 w. ago Lifesize herd of puppet animals begins climate action journey from Africa to Arctic Circle

The Herds project from the team behind Little Amal will travel 20,000km taking its message on environmental crisis across the worldHundreds of life-size animal puppets have begun a 20,000km (12,400 mile) journey from central Africa to the Arctic Circle as part of an ambitious project created by the team behind Little Amal, the giant puppet of a Syrian girl that travelled across the world.The public art initiative called The Herds, which has already visited Kinshasa and Lagos, will travel to 20 cities over four months to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Pope Francis' last public words in full hours before death at the Vatican

Pope Francis' last public words were read in the 'Urbi et Orbi' message on Easter Sunday, just hours before his death was announced

Events

3 w. ago ‘A maverick’: pope defies doctors’ orders with another surprise public outing

Dressed down pontiff visits St Peter’s Basilica, and is expected to appear at Easter Sunday mass Lorena Araujo Piñeiro, a restorer, was putting the finishing touches on the restoration of the 17th-century tomb of Pope Urban VIII, a dark bronze and gold monument in St Peter’s Basilica when she noticed a man wearing a striped poncho-like top, black trousers and no shoes, being pushed in a wheelchair towards her.“It was around noon and the basilica was practically empty,” said Piñeiro. “I struggled to recognise who it was I thought he was a simple pilgrim. It was as if he’d just got out of bed.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Maverick’ pope defies doctors’ orders with another surprise public outing

Dressed-down pontiff visits St Peter’s Basilica, and is expected to appear at Easter Sunday massLorena Araujo Piñeiro was putting the finishing touches to the restoration of the 17th-century tomb of Pope Urban VIII, a dark bronze and gold monument in St Peter’s Basilica, when she noticed a man wearing a striped poncho-like top, black trousers and no shoes, being pushed in a wheelchair towards her.“It was around noon and the basilica was practically empty,” said Piñeiro, a restorer. “I struggled to recognise who it was I thought he was a simple pilgrim. It was as if he’d just got out of bed.” Continue reading...

Politics