Lia Belle 🦋

Big belly, wavy fur and a nose for trouble: we exclusively reveal the new-look Paddington It’s been the biggest secret in theatre: what will the marmalade-loving, hyper-polite Peruvian look like in Paddington the Musical? As the curtain rises, we speak to the new bear’s creator, a veteran of Star Wars and PG Tips ads Paddington stands within touching distance. His fur flutters as he turns, his neat button nose sniffs the air, and his eyes soften with a smile. For years, design details of the bear for Paddington the Musical, directed by Luke Sheppard, have been kept top secret. Now here he is, in his blue duffel coat and red hat. A quiet theatrical marvel. “What we’re doing,” says producer Sonia Friedman, “has never been done before.” Standing around 1.2 metres (just under 4ft) tall, the bear is beautifully round, all belly and sloping shoulders. He is not an exact replica of the Paddingtons we’ve seen in illustrations or movies, but something new. His shaggy, caramel fur has a gentle wave, and his white snout is dotted with a brown nose, ideal for sniffing out trouble. Around his neck sits a label, threaded through an old piece of string, asking for someone to look after him. Continue reading...

Big belly, wavy fur and a nose for trouble: we exclusively reveal the new-look Paddington

Liberal-progressive party D66 wins election, Dutch media report Party will take lead in first round of talks to form coalition government after securing majority of votes The Dutch liberal-progressive party D66 won the most votes in Wednesday’s general election, the news agency ANP has reported, putting its 38-year-old leader, Rob Jetten, on course to become the youngest prime minister in the Netherlands. While the last few thousand votes are still being counted, Dutch media reported on Friday that Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration, anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) could no longer win. Continue reading...

Liberal-progressive party D66 wins election, Dutch media report

What would you do if democracy was being dismantled before your eyes? Whatever you’re doing right now | Andy Beckett In California, daily life under Trump is marked by sporadic resistance and avoidance. Neither will defeat the autocrats, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett

What would you do if democracy was being dismantled before your eyes? Whatever you’re doing right now | Andy Beckett

Wishing all of you a very happy spooky Halloween 👻

When your little devil @sintrathecat.com is too cute to handle. Happy spooky Halloween to all of you 🎃👻🎃

#halloween #fridayfeeling #photography #photooftheday #lifeinpicture #photodiary #photojournal #happyhalloween

In a study of some 20,000 election-related posts in the Netherlands, researchers from the University of Amsterdam and the University of Mainz found that over 400 posts were AI-generated. 

What does that means for European politics and for its voters?

🔗 www.politico.eu/article/elec...

Fear for a weakened Crown drove King Charles' ruthless move against Andrew King Charles' ruthless move to banish his younger brother Andrew from public life was born of a desire to insulate a weakened monarchy before he passes on the crown, but it remains to be seen if the profound damage can be contained.

Fear for a weakened Crown drove King Charles' ruthless move against Andrew reut.rs/4hybvLk

The comeback of the mountain gorilla – podcast Patrick Greenfield hikes up the Virunga mountains in east Africa to trace the remarkable comeback of the mountain gorilla

The comeback of the mountain gorilla – podcast

De positieve krachten hebben gewonnen! Ik wil voor alle Nederlanders aan de slag, want dit is het land van ons allemaal!

Congrats— it looks fine. However, I am wondering when will Flashes multiple account support be released?

One more symptom of the assault on higher ed is that the more prestigious research institution in the dominant producer of science in the world is slashing investments in the people who generate new knowledge.

Have we reached peak social media? Use ‘falls among Gen Z’ A study has suggested under-25s in Germany are being put off by AI ‘slop’ on Instagram and TikTok. But the reality may be more complicated

A study has suggested under-25s in Germany are being put off by AI ‘slop’ on Instagram and TikTok. But the reality may be more complicated

The Light of “The Brothers Karamazov” Although Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote with wildness and urgency, he patiently insisted on asking an essential question: What are we living for?

“The Brothers Karamazov” asks what we are living for, and it “seeks the answer in the little life, among the small people, in the frail, the fragile, the fallible, the failed,” Karl Ove Knausgaard writes.

Thanks 🙏 I thought I was the only one experiencing this issue 😬

Snapchat, Canva, Duolingo, Zoom, Amazon, MyFitnessPal, Fortnite, Signal, Roblox and more are currently down.

Huh GIF Alt: Huh GIF

That’s because the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s members are “woke” and “antifa”, etc, etc … 🥴

/s

Bonobos transformed how we think about animal societies. Can we save the last of the ‘hippy apes’? They are peaceful, female-led and use sex in everyday interactions. Now a new conservation scheme could offer a lifeline to our critically endangered close relatives living on the Congo river

Bonobos transformed how we think about animal societies. Can we save the last of the ‘hippy apes’?

An image of a rare hyena standing in front of an abandoned building in a former diamond mining town in Namibia has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 award.

See the winners of different categories and read more: https://cnn.it/4qc338E

Clyde is having fun at #NoKings

Shows such as Stranger Things and Yellowjackets have become bloated. I’m all for the one-and-done series | Priya Elan Fans who moan when a show is axed after its first season should be careful what they wish for. If only my TV obsession had ended a long time ago, says arts writer Priya Elan

Shows such as Stranger Things and Yellowjackets have become bloated. I’m all for the one-and-done series | Priya Elan

When transiting at the Gare d'Amiens in France

When transiting at the Gare d'Amiens 🇫🇷 🚆

#TrainStations #RailwayStations #France #VisitEurope #PhotoOfTheDay #Photography #PhotoDiary #PhotoJournal #LifeInPictures #Flashes

Happy birthday to the NES, companion to millions of Nintendo childhoods Forty years ago today, the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in the US – and a generation of kids were sucked into video games for life

Happy birthday to the NES, companion to millions of Nintendo childhoods

Food triggers nationalists. Really peculiar thing. Because I dared to point out in my first book that 1970s British cuisine broadly wasn't up to much, I had this group of really angry Brexit people on my case for about a year. The very mention of avocados seemed to send the poor dears off the edge.

No Kings As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power…

Today, veterans, public servants, and other patriots who love America will gather to show their love for democracy.

You can find here a No Kings rally near you:
www.nokings.org

Feet first: what to wear with ankle boots Flat or heeled? Chunky or sleek? Suede or leather? Here are three styling ideas to help you choose the right pair

Feet first: what to wear with ankle boots

Coffee transformed her life — and the lives of women from her village in Uganda Meridah Nandudu was a single mom of two kids, unemployed and in despair. Then she had an idea: Maybe the "humble" coffee beans she'd grown up with on her parents' farm could lead her to a better life.

Meridah Nandudu was a single mom of two kids, unemployed and in despair. Then she had an idea: Maybe the "humble" coffee beans she'd grown up with on her parents' farm could lead her to a better life. n.pr/4nUB3ES

Swearing in isn’t some ceremony. You aren’t a member of Congress until it happens. He knows that.

No phones, no staff, nothing.

I had to escort her into the Capitol on Wed bc Capitol police must treat her as a public visitor until she’s sworn in. And solo visitors aren’t allowed during shutdown!

Pets on flights can be classed as baggage, top EU court rules Court was asked to intervene after dog was lost on journey from Buenos Aires to Barcelona Pets on flights can be classified as baggage, the European court of justice has ruled, meaning airlines are not required to pay higher compensation if the animal is lost. Europe’s highest court was asked to intervene after a dog was lost during a journey from Buenos Aires to Barcelona, triggering a claim for losses from the owner. Continue reading...

Pets on flights can be classed as baggage, top EU court rules

New Scientist recommends Sheri S. Tepper's science fiction novel Grass The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Kids who use social media score lower on reading and memory tests, a study shows Data from a large, ongoing study of adolescents shows a link between increasing social media use and lower cognition and memory in teens.

Data from a large, ongoing study of adolescents shows a link between increasing social media use and lower cognition and memory in teens.

A screenshot of “Allow others to be notified of your posts” with “No one” selected

Quick Tip: Don’t want people getting pinged when you post or reply?

You can turn that off by heading to: Settings → Privacy and Security → Allow others to be notified of your posts and toggling it off.