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a deliciously decadent journey through the surrealist world of Elsa Schiaparelli

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a deliciously decadent journey through the surrealist world of Elsa Schiaparelli

“Nobody has been able to pronounce my name properly … but everybody knows what it means,” Elsa Schiaparelli once said, with typical self-assuredness.

A protagonist of surrealism, the Italian-born fashion designer was an extraordinary couturier who pushed the bounds of creativity, leaving her mark on Paris fashion and beyond. Dazzling, theatrical, witty and avant garde, her creative genius is the subject of the V&A’s latest blockbuster exhibition Fashion becomes Art in London.

Elsa Schiaparelli wearing a black silk dress with crocheted collar of her own design.
Fredrich Baker / Conde Nast / Getty Images

More than 400 objects have been brought together by a fashion, art and photography curatorial team for the first exhibition of its kind in the UK to showcase her unique contribution.

It is Schiaparelli’s connection to the Surrealist movement that she is most renowned for, through her creative collaborations with the artists Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau.

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One of the most iconic designs is Schiaparelli’s lobster dress, created in 1937 in collaboration with Dali, which demonstrates how her work blurred the lines between fashion and art – a theme articulated throughout the show. The lobster dress is on display in the room titled Creative Constellations, next to Dali’s famous lobster telephone which was created a year after the dress.

A mannequin in a cream sleeveless dress with coral waistband and a lobster stretching down the front.
Lobster dress designed with Salvador Dali.
Fundacio Gala Salvador Dali / Philadelphia Museum of Art

Schiaparelli was a designer who transformed what fashion could be, and who saw dress designing not as a profession but as art. Her autobiography, Shocking Life, highlights her innovative approach. She was the first to use shoulder pads and animal print, and will forever be known as the woman who created the colour of shocking pink. The exhibition showcases these themes including her strength as a colourist, beautifully illustrated by the Harlequin-style coat from her 1939 Modern Comedy Collection.

A mannequin wearing a brightly coloured geometric patterned coat.
Schiaparelli’s Harlequin evening coat from 1939.
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Schiaparelli transformed herself from an untrained designer to become the most discussed designer in Paris during the interwar period. The silhouettes, materials, embellishments, use of colour and accessories are curated beautifully against a mesmerising soundtrack, making this a fitting exhibition to showcase Schiaparelli’s extraordinary life.

From Rome to Paris

Elsa Luisa Maria Schiaparelli was born in a Roman palazzo to a family of aristocrats and intellectuals on September 10 1890. She left Italy for Paris at the age of 23, where she began to embrace a less conventional life.

Her first collection was launched there in 1927 – the same year she opened her atelier, where the more daring woman could buy knitwear featuring geometric black-and-white trompe l’oeil designs. These pieces remind us that in her early career, Schiaparelli was known for designing clothes for sport and leisure as a response to modern society’s growing interest in these pursuits.

As her creative style flourished, she transformed the everyday wardrobe through suits embellished with the most extraordinary buttons and unusual pocket placement. This is wonderfully illustrated in a coat designed for British socialite and star of the stage Pamela Carme, with buttons in the shape of Greek comedy/tragedy masks.

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From extraordinary daywear to exquisite evening gowns, the exhibition delights with an array of creations that narrate Schiaparelli’s creative journey and radicalisation of the ordinary to the extraordinary.

The evening wear collections (Pour le Soir) embody her use of innovative materials such as cellophane, and her love of striking silhouettes. These drew the attention of socialites and celebrities, and established her as a leading designer of the 1930s who transformed the traditions of haute couture fashion.

Blurring the lines of fashion and art

The exhibition’s senior curator, Sonnet Stanfill, defines the 1930s as the era when Schiaparelli started to experiment with the boundaries between art and fashion.

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Examples include the wonderful Circus Collection from summer 1938, which features the bone dress with its unique padded construction and visible zips. It stands as perfect example of Schiaparelli’s affinity with surrealist ideals and an innovative approach to materials and construction.

A black close fitting dress with the outline of a ribcage on it.
Schiaparelli’s bone dress, also designed with Salvador Dali.
Fundacio Gala Salvador Dali / DACS / Emil Larsson

The surrealistic philosophy is further encapsulated through the display of lavish Schiaparelli jackets, where a shifting spotlight draws attention to embellishments and embroidery by the renowned Parisian embroidery house Maison Lesage.

There is a spectacular array of accessories on display, most notably Schiaparelli’s upside-down shoe hat – showcased in a circular glass bubble through which is framed, in the background, the lobster dress. Glimpsing further into the distance, the glass bubble reveals the 1937 evening coat designed with Cocteau with mirrored kissing faces beneath a cascade of pink roses. The display technique is a surrealistic spectacle in itself.

Beyond Paris

Other highlights include Schiaparelli’s creations for stage and screen. Featured work includes a trouser suit for Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich, who herself challenged the conventional ideals of femininity and female style.

Schiaparelli had a great passion for British textiles and in 1933 opened her London salon in Mayfair. According to her autobiography, London was the most masculine city in the world, and of the English she said: “They are profoundly honest, but mad, mad, mad.” Although her time in London was short-lived with the salon closing in 1939, she came to the attention of some notable clients including Lady Alexandra Haig, whose plum jacket is on display.

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Schiaparelli retired and closed her fashion house in 1954. It lay dormant until its resurrection in 2019 under the creative direction of Daniel Roseberry. Many garments on display illustrate how Roseberry maintains the Italian designer’s vision by combining innovation with unpredictability.

An exhibition of mannequins wearing high fashion.
Head of the fashion house Daniel Roseberry is channelling Elsa Schiaparelli for the 21st century.
V&A London.

Schiaparelli’s creative legacy continues, her aesthetic enthusiastically embraced by high-profile celebrities. The show includes Roseberry’s 2025 red Oscars gown, created for Ariana Grande who was nominated for best supporting actress in Wicked. Stanfill describes this as one of the exhibition’s highlight pieces.

Fashion Becomes Art takes visitors on a deliciously decadent journey through the world of Schiaparelli, where nothing was ever ordinary. While the correct pronunciation of her name may continue to confound (it’s Skaparelli), this exhibition ensures her creative genius is never in question.

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How Olivia’s Haven founder turned a lockdown vision into a thriving business

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Belfast Live

Taking a leap of faith and turning your business dream into a reality is always a risk but it’s one that’s certainly paid off for this busy working mum

Olivia’s Haven’s ‘phygital’ business approach

Taking a leap of faith and turning your business dream into a reality is always a risk, never more so than during a global pandemic.

But that’s exactly what busy working mum Olivia Burns did back in 2020. After taking voluntary redundancy, Olivia founded her candle and home fragrance business Olivia’s Haven just as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold and the world locked down. She worked through the pandemic from her home studio in her native Coleraine to build the business one candle at a time.

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Six years on, that risk has certainly paid off with a thriving business in the “phygital era”—the fusion of physical store experiences with the more digital TikTok shop approach. After almost a decade working in branding for both big global companies and smaller start-ups, Olivia always desired to create her own brand from start to finish.

READ MORE: ‘I swapped Amazon to walk the streets with strangers – I wouldn’t change it for the world’READ MORE: Riot Cycle – Inside Belfast’s newest exercise craze that’s more than just a spin class

A self-confessed candle lover, in January 2019 her fascination with the link between scent and how it helped her recall her own memories grew. She started experimenting with wax and fragrance oils to create the ultimate range of scented candles inspired by her own childhood memories. But it wasn’t just about creating a great range of products for Olivia’s Haven; they also needed to look just as amazing as they smell.

Initially starting online, Olivia went on to establish shops in Coleraine, another on the Belmont Road in east Belfast and a pop-up store on Ann Street in Belfast city centre in the run up to Christmas 2025. Olivia produces her range of soy candles and home fragrance at the firm’s base in Coleraine.

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She told Belfast Live: “This all came about because I just loved home fragrance and candles. I loved having a beautiful home to come back to that just smelt warm and welcoming. But I also wanted to find scents that were totally unique because I found that when you went to the supermarket for example, all the fragrances were pretty boring or samey.

“I wanted something that was totally unique and really exciting but also looked beautiful and looked as good as they smelled—that’s what we’ve worked really hard to do. We started with just six soy wax candles and now we’ve got about 50 scents in our range overall which also includes reed diffusers, wax melts and room sprays.”

Olivia explained how the wide range of scents on offer are all linked to memories and stories: “All of our scents start with the story and then, the scent follows after that. For example we have one called ‘The Potting Shed,’ and the story behind that is my dad and his love of gardening.

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“I really wanted to get that scent completely perfect with that feeling when you walk into a greenhouse or a potting shed and a gorgeous natural smell of greenery, tomato vines, and it’s lovely and earthy as well. The story behind the scent appears on every candle and diffuser box.

“Others in the range like ‘The Wedding,’ I had for my own wedding day and it smells like a beautiful bouquet of summer flowers while ‘The Nursery,’ as you might expect, smells like a beautiful fresh baby powder fragrance. We use soy wax and toxin-free ingredients and eliminate all the nasties from the products, so a lot of people like nice to burn in your home and you’re not breathing in paraffin wax which you do with mass produced candles.

As well as the physical stores, Olivia’s Haven sells its products on its website, as well as online on TikTok.

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She explained: “We’re quite unique in that we have physical stores, plus we have the online and then we really lean into our socials as well. We do a lot on TikTok including live selling and packing our products to send them out across the world. Our beautiful physical stores give people the full experience and one of the reasons we did go down that route was just because we knew people wanted to hold, touch and smell our products and feel that quality as well.

For anyone considering making their business dream a reality, Olivia has this advice: “I had it in my head that I was going to start a business before I was 30. On my 30th birthday I had a big glass of Prosecco and was just like ‘right, I’m just going to put out my first Instagram post and then I’m committed and have to it.’

“Just do it and don’t worry about what other people think. You’ll regret more what you didn’t do than what you did. ‘Take a leap and the net will appear’ was always a little quote that was in my head. It’s really risky, but things tend to work out if you take the risk and put the work in.”

Full fibre broadband is a non-negotiable in today’s fast-moving digital world. Whether it is an online business, a physical store or both, nowadays retailers rely on a steady internet connection to operate and communicate with customers as well as ensuring their day-to-day operations run smoothly.

Colin Hutchinson, managing director of Fibrus Group said: “Reliable, high-speed broadband is now essential to businesses, whether it’s powering card payments and stock systems in store or enabling brands to sell, stream and engage customers online in real time.

“It’s fantastic to see a local business like Olivia’s Haven thriving across physical stores while also embracing the pace and opportunity of platforms like TikTok Shop. At Fibrus Broadband, we’re proud to play a part in supporting ambitious businesses who are pushing boundaries and growing to reach new audiences by combining great in store experiences with strong online performance.”

Video: Justin Kernoghan

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Man arrested after two hospitalised in Horwich collision

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Man arrested after two hospitalised in Horwich collision

The incident took place on Good Friday, April 3, on Lee Lane, Horwich, when a car collided with three pedestrians outside the Victoria and Albert Pub, leaving two hospitalised.

A 33-year-old man remains in custody for questioning after being arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, Greater Manchester Police confirmed this week.

A GMP spokesperson said: “At around 10.53pm on Friday, April 3, we were called to reports of a road traffic collision between a car and three pedestrians.

“Emergency services attended, and two men were taken to hospital for treatment.

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“A 33-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

“He remains in custody for questioning, and enquiries are ongoing.”

The incident occurred outside the Victoria and Albert pub at around 10.53pm.

The pub did not want to comment on the incident itself due to its sensitivity, but did confirm that one of its staff members had been injured.

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“The event has been traumatic for the staff team,” said Kevin Galbraith of the Victoria and Albert, “so we don’t wish to go over it again.

“We have assisted police with their enquiries.”

Greater Manchester Police issued an appeal for CCTV and dashcam footage to aid them in their investigations.

One anonymous Facebook user posted footage of what is thought to be the driver in question.

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CCTV footage of pedestrians on the street seconds before the incident (Image: Anonymous)

The car in the footage swerves slightly onto the pavement before returning to the road.

It continues driving behind the car ahead of it before swerving to the left back onto the pavement, exiting the dashcam’s frame.

Horwich Cllr Charlotte Moncado-Sears said: “Horwich isn’t a place where we want people driving dangerously – we’re such a small, close-knit town.

“And Horwich is always so busy on Good Friday – everybody goes up Rivington Pike and comes back down into the village for a drink or something to eat.

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“I know it was late, but there could be families and kids there.”

Also shared with the police was CCTV footage showing the moment of the incident, taken from the camera of a nearby business.

Horwich Councillor Ryan Bamforth said: “I really do hope everyone involved in the incident is alright.”

Anybody with information or footage of the incident is advised to contact GMP on 101 or via the online chat facility on the GMP website.

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Anybody not comfortable contacting the police directly can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 to submit their footage/information anonymously.

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Man arrested following police incident in Radcliffe

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Man arrested following police incident in Radcliffe

Police confirmed that they responded to a concern for welfare on East Street just after 1am on Thursday (April 9).

Church Street West had been closed off in both directions with no access to vehicles or pedestrians, and tram services between Bury and Whitefield were suspended for several hours this morning.

Radcliffe Metrolink station had also been taped off.

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Greater Manchester Police confirmed a man was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage following the large emergency presence.

 Speaking earlier in the day, a force spokesperson added: “Officers currently responding to a concern for welfare on East Street, Radcliffe, reported at around 1am today (09/04/26).

See all the updates from this incident in our live blog here.

“Road closures are currently in place while emergency services attend.”

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Pictures from the scene show a large presence in the area, including ambulances and fire crews as well as the police.

One eyewitness reported seeing a person sitting near a bridge on the main road with a cordon in place.

The Bee Network said services on the Bury Metrolink line had resumed at just after 10.30am, and traffic monitoring site INRIX confirmed traffic on Church Street West was open in both directions by 11.15am.

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The Bread Box bakery opens in Rawcliffe in York today

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The Bread Box bakery opens in Rawcliffe in York today

YORK is getting a unique new bakery from today – based in a garden shed with an honesty box for payment.

The Bread Box is a one-of-kind pop-up run by keen baker Rachael Bell.

Rachael is launching the bakery today from her home in Rawcliffe, York.

On the menu will be a range of savoury treats, many with an unusual twist, as well as homemade butter and treats for dogs.

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Rachael, 37, who works full time in HR for an IT firm, told The Press: “I have always worked in the corporate and media industry but always loved baking.

“I tend to do it at the weekend – but there is only so much bread you can eat!”

She got the idea for the pop-up Bread Box after seeing similar enterprises springing up around York where bakers sell cakes and sweet treats from a home setting via an honesty box.

The idea is that customers choose what they want then pay either in cash or via a card machine. Rachael says she also has CCTV installed for everyone’s safety and peace of mind.

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The Bread Box will open at 8am today (Friday April 10) and run through to Sunday, with Rachael topping up low supplies from her kitchen, where the oven will be fired up over the weekend.

Scones at The Bread Box Photo – supplied (Image: SUPPLIED)

The plan is to run the business every weekend from the drive at her home at 65 Manor Park Road in Rawcliffe, York. The location is near St Mark’s Church.

On the menu this weekend are a range of items priced from £2 for a pesto and parmesan twist to £3.50 for a farmhouse boule loaf.

Rachael has been experimenting with flavours too. Look out for a spelt loaf with fig and pumpkin seed, which she says is perfect for cheese on toast.

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Another novelty is the use of Caramilk chocolate and brown butter, which add a caramel flavour and nuttiness to her products.

And she will be launching a ‘Buttered toast cookie’ – where cookie dough is rolled in buttered toast crumbs then baked.

Rachael Bell of The Bread Box, a pop-up she is running from her drive way in Rawcliffe, York, every weekend. Photo – supplied

“I had to find a way to use up all that bread!” she said.

Her favourite bread is her cheddar and hot honey, she added.

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A dog lover – Rachael and her husband have a pet Golden Retriever – she will also be selling treats for dogs.

Rachael said after noticing pop-up home bakeries with honesty boxes springing up across York she thought there was a gap in the market for a bread-focussed one.

“I will be selling bread, scones, pastry and butter. I am self taught and a lot of it is experimental,” she said.

Also for sale will be granola.

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And it has all happened rather quickly too. “I decided to do it and the next day I was doing my Amazon order!”

For all the latest updates, follow Rachael on Instagram at @thebreadboxyork.

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Hungarian election exposes tensions at the heart of Donald Trump’s plans to boost the far-right in Europe

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Hungarian election exposes tensions at the heart of Donald Trump’s plans to boost the far-right in Europe

The world will be watching on April 12 when Hungarians head to the polls in parliamentary elections that will determine the country’s next prime minister. This may sound exaggerated, but these parliamentary elections are about much more than simply whether the incumbent prime minister, Viktor Orbán, will serve another term as Hungary’s leader.

His main challenger, Péter Magyar, was until two years ago a close ally of the Hungarian prime minister. On some key issues – future oil purchases from Russia, resisting fast-track EU accession for Ukraine – Magyar is a continuity candidate who, at best, signals moderation, rather than radical change.

If he fails to win a two-thirds majority, which would allow him to change the constitution and undo many of the deeply undemocratic changes Orbán has made to Hungary’s political system, Magyar’s hands will also be tied domestically and he may not even be able to deliver on his key campaign promise – to clean up the systemic corruption that has thrived under Orbán.

But – while important in itself – the outcome of the elections is almost secondary in a bigger picture of an election campaign that has revealed much about the broader, and increasingly fraught, geopolitical dynamics of European politics.

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Orbán has been leaning into his close relationship with the US president, Donald Trump. At one level, this is not surprising. Trump has publicly endorsed him twice this year alone – first in February and then again in March. The US president also dispatched both his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and vice president, J.D. Vance, to Hungary to add weight to his candidacy.

Vance, visiting Hungary just days before the elections, praised Orbán’s governance and leadership style as a model for Europe and attacked the EU for trying to influence the outcome of the vote.

Such blatant election interference by the US in a Nato and EU member state is as unprecedented as it is worrying. It signals a new level of determination by the White House to shape alliances with other far-right populists predicated on the vague notion of “moral cooperation … and the defence of western civilisation”, as Vance put it during his visit to Budapest on April 7.

But while Orbán revelled in Washington’s endorsements, his unconditional embrace of Trump is no longer the dominant approach to Washington among many of Europe’s rightwing populist parties. The appeal of the Maga movement is rapidly diminishing in Europe.

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While fulsome in their support for Donald Trump for more than a decade, many European rightwing populists have begun to realise the fraught nature of their association with Trump. “America first” is exactly what it says on the tin. Moreover, Trump’s interpretation of what it means makes it even worse for some of his erstwhile supporters.

For Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki, Trump’s cosy relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin runs counter to the almost universal perception of Russia as the main threat to Polish security. For the Danish People’s Party, which sits with the far-right Patriots for Europe faction in the European parliament, Trump’s designs on Greenland were so unpalatable that one of its members, Anders Vistisen, told the US president to “fuck off”.

For others, like the French Rassemblement National (National Rally), Trump’s tariff threats have affected some of their core constituencies among farmers. Even more so, Trump’s illegal war against Iran, hugely unpopular across European electorates, highlights the electoral liabilities of an association with the US president.

This does not make these rightwing populist movements more liberal. They still share a broad resentment of liberalism and what it stands for: open societies, open borders and a commitment to global institutions. But many of these parties have staked their political legitimacy on the defence of the sovereignty of their individual nation states. They are now asking themselves whether this sovereignty is perhaps more threatened by Washington – and Moscow – than by Brussels.

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The answer to this question will partly be determined by the outcome of Sunday’s elections in Hungary.

What an Orbán victory would mean

A win for Orbán would, at a minimum, indicate sufficient desire for an autocratic and illiberal model of governance and at least some residual appeal of an alignment with Trump. But that logic may not prevail for long in the face of the conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s continuing onslaught on Ukraine.

Warm relationship: Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, with Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, November 2025.
Sipa US/Alamy Live News

Orbán’s close relationship with Putin – and his persistent obstruction of the EU’s Ukraine policy – is likely to leave him increasingly isolated, even among otherwise ideologically close rightwing populists. This vulnerability became apparent as early as 2022 when Orbán’s long-time ally Jaroslaw Kaczynski, then Polish deputy prime minister, publicly bashed his pro-Russian leanings.

Divisions over the EU’s Russia policy have exposed one significant faultline among rightwing populist movements across Europe between those seeking accommodation with the Kremlin and those seeking deterrence and containment. The far-right Sweden Democrats, for example, threatened to leave the European Conservatives and Reformists parliamentary bloc if Orbán’s Fidesz party had been allowed to join. This is precisely because the Hungarian prime minister was seen as too close to Russia.

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For these Russia-sceptical parties, Orbán’s alignment with Putin is clearly anathema. Trump’s apparently warm relationship with the Russian president is likely to deepen their unease about aligning too closely with the White House. Geographical proximity to Russia and a long history of confrontation with Russia will remain powerful drivers for these parties’ foreign and security policies.

Trump’s endorsement of Orbán may thus more effectively accelerate Orbán’s isolation among rightwing populists in Europe. This will undermine his agenda of building a powerful coalition of like-minded illiberal leaders eroding the EU from within.

These tensions and contradictions at the heart of a supposedly ideologically well-aligned transatlantic populist right movement predate Hungary’s parliamentary elections and they will outlast them. At a time of almost unprecedented global disorder and uncertainty, the battle for Hungary is both an election campaign and, more broadly, a key episode in the ongoing debate over the meaning of the west as a geopolitical project.

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Iran-US war live: Trump says Iran will ‘never have a nuclear weapon’ while accusing Tehran of doing ‘poor job’ in Hormuz

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Iran-US war live: Trump says Iran will ‘never have a nuclear weapon’ while accusing Tehran of doing ‘poor job’ in Hormuz

Islamabad under lockdown with 10,000 security personnel ahead of US–Iran talks

Islamabad has been placed on high alert, with more than 10,000 security personnel deployed across Islamabad, the capital preparing to host crucial peace talks between the United States and Iran.

Authorities have implemented a sweeping, multi-layered security plan overseen by the military, with support from paramilitary Rangers, as well as Islamabad and Punjab police forces. Traffic and highway police have also been mobilised to manage movement across the city.

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The deployment includes around 6,000 Islamabad police personnel, 900 Frontier Constabulary troops and 3,000 members of the Punjab Constabulary, alongside Rangers and Pakistan Army units. An additional 1,000 traffic police officers have been stationed to control roads and diversions.

Talks are scheduled for Saturday but the delegations are expected to start arriving on Friday.

The Dawn newspaper reported that a 30-member US team has already arrived in Islamabad to review security arrangements.

The US delegation to the Islamabad talks will be led by vice president JD Vance, joined by senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, signa.

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Iran will be represented by foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reflecting high-level engagement from both sides as efforts continue to stabilise the fragile ceasefire.

Security has been tightened particularly in the city’s high-security “red zone”, where key govepnment buildings and diplomatic sites are located.

Shweta Sharma10 April 2026 05:30

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Albanese meets Singapore PM as Australia seeks fuel security

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese is meeting Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong on Friday as Canberra looks to shore up fuel supplies amid ongoing disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.

Speaking after arriving in Singapore late on Thursday, Albanese said the talks come at a time when “fuel security is on the agenda right around the globe” due to the crisis in the Middle East.

Singapore – Asia’s key oil trading hub – is Australia’s largest supplier of petrol and a major source of diesel and jet fuel.

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains near standstill despite a fragile ceasefire, tightening global supply.

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Australia imported about 84% of its petroleum needs last year.

Australia supplies about one-third of Singapore’s liquefied natural gas imports, while importing around 26% of its refined fuel from the city-state.

“Australia and Singapore are strategically aligned… and that is why it’s so important that at difficult times in the world we can rely upon each other,” Albanese said.

Singapore’s own refining sector is also under pressure. Despite a combined capacity of about 1.2 million barrels per day, refineries have cut output due to disrupted crude supplies following the Strait’s closure.

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According to data from road insurer NRMA, Singapore accounted for 54.7% of Australia’s petrol imports – nearly 6 billion litres – with South Korea and India the next largest suppliers.

Shweta Sharma10 April 2026 05:00

Stocks edge higher, oil ticks up ahead of US–Iran talks

Stocks rose on Friday as investors remained cautiously optimistic about the fragile US-Iran ceasefire ahead of planned weekend talks, while oil prices inched higher.

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Asian equity markets extended weekly gains in early trading, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei each rising by at least 1 per cent.

Singapore and Manila also posted solid gains, although Sydney slipped.

The positive momentum followed another strong session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 closed 0.6 per cent higher on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Brent crude climbed 1 per cent to $96.83 a barrel as trading resumed in Asia, reflecting lingering concerns over supply despite the tentative diplomatic progress.

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Shweta Sharma10 April 2026 04:39

US says Iran suffered ‘generational military defeat’

Admiral Brad Cooper, the leader of US Central Command, said in a video posted to social media Thursday, “Iran has suffered a generational military defeat”.

“The United States and Israel systemically destroyed Iran’s ability to conduct large-scale military operations for years to come”, the admiral added.

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Cooper said that while military operations have been paused amid a two-week ceasefire, “We remain present. We remain vigilant and we remain ready if called”.

Rachel Dobkin10 April 2026 04:30

US summons Iraqi ambassador over drone strike on diplomatic facility in Baghdad

The United States has summoned Iraq’s ambassador following a drone strike near key diplomatic facilities in Baghdad, in the latest escalation linked to the Iran war.

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US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau called in Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Khirullah on Thursday after a drone hit an area close to a major US diplomatic installation, the State Department said.

Earlier, the US Embassy in Baghdad accused Iran-aligned “terrorist militias” of carrying out multiple drone attacks near the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Landau acknowledged efforts by Iraqi security forces to respond, but stressed what Washington described as the government’s failure to prevent the attacks.

The State Department said the US expects Iraq to take concrete steps to dismantle Iran-backed militia groups operating in the country.

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It also alleged that some elements within Iraq’s state apparatus continue to provide political, financial and operational backing to these groups.

Violence has surged across Iraq since the start of the Iran conflict, with dozens reported killed, according to Iraqi health authorities.

The casualties include civilians, members of Iran-linked Shi’ite Popular Mobilisation Forces, US-allied Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, as well as police and army personnel.

Shweta Sharma10 April 2026 04:11

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Analysis: Britain and Nato are pulling away from Trump’s America – to save it from itself

Just a day after Donald Trump floated the idea of turning the Strait of Hormuz into a “joint” tollbooth to enrich the US and Iran, the British government revealed that a joint operation with Norway had been undertaken to protect Nato’s northern flank.

The move, combined with a visit this week by Keir Starmer to the Arabian Gulf, is the latest sign that even Europe’s Anglo-Saxons are pulling away from Washington. The UK and its allies are determined to defend the alliances and principles of international law that the US president and his deputy are keen to destroy.

Sam Kiley10 April 2026 04:00

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Kuwait military base hit by drone attack, officials say

Kuwait’s National Guard said one of its bases was hit by a drone attack, the Associated Press reported.

The attack caused damage to the base, but no injuries were reported.

Rachel Dobkin10 April 2026 03:30

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Trump rants about former MAGA faithfuls who criticized Iran war

Donald Trump has issued a lengthy rant on social media against former MAGA faithfuls he calls “losers”.

“They think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs”, Trump wrote on Truth Social late Thursday afternoon.

Rachel Dobkin10 April 2026 03:00

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Watch: Starmer says Gulf leaders were ‘shocked’ at the way they were attacked by Iran

Starmer says Gulf leaders were ‘shocked’ at the way they were attacked by Iran

Rachel Dobkin10 April 2026 02:30

IRGC denies striking Gulf nations post-ceasefire: report

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has denied striking Gulf nations, or any country for that matter, after a ceasefire in the war was announced, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian state media.

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Iran’s paramilitary said it had made “absolutely no launches toward any country” since the two-week ceasefire was announced Tuesday.

Rachel Dobkin10 April 2026 02:00

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‘Panic buying’ setting in on fourth day of fuel protest

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‘Panic buying’ setting in on fourth day of fuel protest

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) said Ireland’s overall fuel supplies remain “robust and resilient” but said the obstruction of key routes from ports is threatening the provision of animal feed supplies, fertiliser and other vital materials, resulting in potential animal welfare issues and a threat to livelihoods in the agriculture sector.

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James McAvoy: ‘I need to make money – directing does not pay’

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James McAvoy: ‘I need to make money - directing does not pay’
James McAvoy has turned the story of two gutsy Scottish rappers into a movie (Picture: Getty)

We’ve all told the odd fib, or perhaps embellished the truth a little, but have you ever dived so deep into a falsehood that your entire life felt like a lie?

Back in the early 2000s, a couple of gutsy, talented Scottish rappers took a bus down to London to audition for a record company looking for the next Eminem. One of the executives dismissed them as the ‘rapping Proclaimers’, and they headed home, dejected and deflated.

But Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd (not to be confused with the Lord of the Rings actor) didn’t give up, deciding instead to reinvent themselves in the most audacious way possible. They renamed themselves Silibil N’ Brains, pretended they were an established duo from California and, before long, had a record deal, a big flat in Soho and all the excesses – and potential risks – that came with it. 

Were they out purely for themselves or were they aiming to expose the hypocrisy of the business? Maybe a bit of both.

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It’s a cracking true story, and X-Men and Atonement star James McAvoy has turned it into a movie called California Schemin’, with a script by Elaine Gracie and Archie Thomson.

Asked why he picked this tale for his directorial debut, the Scottish-born star, 46, told Metro: ‘It gave me the opportunity to tell a unique story about people from a working-class background. It’s entertaining and with a possibility of reaching a mainstream audience – quite rare in the film business – while being funny and underpinned by some real stakes.’

California Schemin’ is a cracking true story (Picture: PA)
Undated film still handout from California Schemin'. Pictured: James McAvoy as Anthony Reid See PA Feature SHOWBIZ Film California Schemin. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ Film California Schemin. PA Photo. Picture credit should read: Studiocanal All Rights Reserved. NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ Film California Schemin
James plays a terrifying record company boss in the movie (Picture: Studiocanal)

In order to make their fake identities seem more believable, the boys agreed fully to inhabit their new characters, speaking with American accents and doing their best not to call each other by their real names. But, as is the case in many stories depicting a sharp, misguided trajectory to success, the two weren’t always on the same page, Gavin wrestling with his demons and ambition, and Billy trying to maintain a solid relationship with Mary, his girlfriend back home.

‘There was personal health, wellbeing and sanity at stake here, because the boys are faced with the opportunity to get ahead by sacrificing one of the most important things you have in this life, which is your personal identity, authenticity and integrity,’ says James, who plays a terrifying record company boss in the movie. ‘That’s also important to the art form, that they love each other so much.’

It’s not clear whether the two men’s friendship is still as tight in real life. Although they both continue to make music, Billy works on an oil rig and is devoted to his family. The film is based on Gavin’s book about the events, so he played a key part in the shape of California Schemin’. Billy got involved towards the end of the project (having previously been affiliated with another version of the story).

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‘I think at times it’s difficult for them watching it, because we show them at their funniest and their best, and we also show them at their worst, making some bad choices and suffering because of it,’ says James. 

‘I can’t imagine what that would be like to watch, and reliving certain events, one of which has a guy in mortal danger at one point.’

Samuel Bottomley (who played the lead in Liam Williams coming-of-age comedy drama Ladhood) takes on the role of Billy, while Séamus McLean Ross (young Colum MacKenzie in Outlander, and the son of Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh) plays the troubled Gavin.

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While Bradford-born Samuel plays a lad with a Fife accent pretending to be American, Séamus’s starting point is a Glaswegian accent. But the biggest change for them both was the rapping; they’re both big fans of the genre, but doing it on stage (albeit on a film set) is far from easy.

‘I grew up on Eminem and Dr Dre, and I love that stuff, man,’ says Samuel. ‘We both spent a lot of time listening to the songs and practicing them.’

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‘Their flows are so fast and they love putting in as many complex words into each sentence as they can,’ adds Séamus. ‘It’s like they’re tripping each other up and making it as hard as they can to impress with their battle rapping.’

Both actors felt a responsibility to respect the intensity of Gavin and Billy’s friendship, especially when you get the sense that Billy would much rather be telling the truth and being his true self with Mary (played with charm and wit by Lucy Halliday).

‘Getting into Gavin’s psyche prior to and after the lie was very interesting because it really was like two different characters – Gavin and Brains,’ says Séamus. ‘The ways in which Gavin starts and how he ends up are so different; we had to map out where we see Gavin and where we see Brains.

‘Billy’s like a catalyst for Gavin. He allows him to expand and be confident. Without him his light diminishes. We see that in some bits of the film when Billy’s not around and Gavin’s by himself. It’s almost as if he’s thinking, “I don’t know what to do when my best friend’s not here.”’

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EMBARGOED TO 1900 THURSDAY APRIL 2 EDITORIAL USE ONLY James McAvoy during filming for the Claudia Winkleman Show, at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, to be aired on BBC One on Friday April 3. Issue date: Thursday April 2, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments
James is keen to get stuck into more directing (Picture: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments)

‘I was really nervous to see how Gavin took it when he saw the movie for the first time,’ adds Sam. ‘We were in the same room, watching him, and he was really happy with it.’

‘Yeah, that felt like the biggest pay-off – getting the nod from Gavin,’ echoes Séamus. Lucy also got a heartwarming message from Mary, who she describes as ‘a fiercely intelligent person who knew what she wanted, and was key in helping the boys achieve this, but also key in creating the life that she and Billy have to this day’.

James is keen to do more directing, and is particularly interested in bringing to the big screen stories about relationships – ‘the connection between people’. But first, he’s got to get back to the day job.

‘I need to make some money and be an actor for a while,’ he smiles. ‘I’ve been directing for a year and three quarters and it does not pay. Not yet anyway. Maybe film number two.’

California Schemin’ is out in UK and Irish cinemas from April 10.

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Trump boasts over his new renovation project at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool: ‘It will be much more beautiful’

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Trump boasts over his new renovation project at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool: ‘It will be much more beautiful’

President Donald Trump has boasted over his new renovation project at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool as part of his social media frenzy Thursday evening.

“We were told it was going to take YEARS to do this job, and it will take a fraction of that time, at a fraction of the cost — and it will be much more beautiful than the day it was built!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The reflecting pool has become one of the most iconic sites of Washington, D.C. It was completed after the Lincoln Memorial’s dedication in 1922. The reflecting pool was previously closed for renovations for two years and reopened in 2012.

Trump announced his plans to “fix” the reflecting pool with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last November.

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“You won’t be seeing this Biden filth and incompetence much longer!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, alongside a black-and-white video of the pool, edited to highlight green water.

President Donald Trump boasted about his new renovation project at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool as part of his social media frenzy Thursday evening
President Donald Trump boasted about his new renovation project at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool as part of his social media frenzy Thursday evening (Getty Images)

Trump has turned the beautification of the White House and the D.C. area into his passion project.

He has demolished the East Wing of the White House for his estimated $400 million ballroom, paved over the Rose Garden for a new patio and redesigned the Palm Room and bathroom attached to the Lincoln Bedroom.

The president also wants to build a massive “Independence Arch” near the Arlington National Cemetery and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, which Trump’s name is now attached to symbolically. The Center is set to close for two years of renovations.

Trump had a very active night on Truth Social, boasting about his latest renovation project while also threatening Tehran during the two-week ceasefire in his war with Iran.

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Trump announced his plans to 'fix' the reflecting pool with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last November
Trump announced his plans to ‘fix’ the reflecting pool with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last November (Getty Images)

The president bashed The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board for writing that Trump has declared “premature victory” in Iran.

“Actually, it is a Victory, and there’s nothing ‘premature’ about it! Because of me, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON and, very quickly, you’ll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran and, to me, it makes no difference, either way,” Trump wrote.

Trump later accused Iran of doing “a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!”

The strait typically carries about a fifth of the world’s oil, but after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran nearly six weeks ago, the country effectively closed the waterway.

When Trump announced the U.S.-Iran ceasefire Tuesday, he said it was contingent on Iran agreeing to the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”

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'We were told it was going to take YEARS to do this job, and it will take a fraction of that time, at a fraction of the cost — and it will be much more beautiful than the day it was built!' Trump said about the reflecting pool
‘We were told it was going to take YEARS to do this job, and it will take a fraction of that time, at a fraction of the cost — and it will be much more beautiful than the day it was built!’ Trump said about the reflecting pool (AFP via Getty Images)

Trump also blasted prominent MAGA media figures Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones, who have all criticized his war with Iran.

“They think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs,” Trump wrote.

Trump then railed against former President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats for their immigration policies after a Haitian immigrant allegedly beat a woman to death with a hammer at a convenience store in Florida.

The immigrant, Rolbert Joachin, confessed to the murder, the Tampa Bay Times reported, citing a police report. The Homeland Security Department said Joachin was an “illegal alien.”

“This animal was allowed to stay here because the Biden Administration granted him, and all Haitians, ‘Temporary Protective Status,’ a massively abused and fraudulent program which my Administration is working to terminate, but Deranged Liberal District Court Judges are standing in our way,” Trump wrote.

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Man accused of possessing sexual images of corpse pleads guilty

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Cambridgeshire Live

The man also pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photos of children

A man has appeared in court after being charged with possessing sexual images of a corpse. Ben Sharpe, 31, of Burlton Road, Cambridge, appeared at Cambridge Magistrates Court on Thursday (April 9).

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The 31-year-old was charged with possessing an extreme pornographic image or images portraying acts which involved sexual interference with a corpse. This relates to three images on or before January 31, 2025, in Cambridge.

Sharpe pleaded guilty to this charge, as well as other offences. The other charges he faced and pleaded guilty to were:

  • Making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child relating to 962 category A images on/before January 31, 2025 in Cambridge;
  • Making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child relating to 388 category B images taken on/before January 31, 2025 in Cambridge;
  • Making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child relating to 838 category C images taken on/before January 31, 2025 in Cambridge;
  • Possession of a prohibited image of a child taken on/before January 31, 2025;
  • Four counts of breaching a sexual prevention harm disorder.

He will next appear at Cambridge Crown Court on May 21 for sentencing.

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