A small French town has found itself in the social media glare after an unusual name clash in its local election.Incumbent mayor Charles Hittler is contesting a runoff against Antoine Renault-Zielinski, a coincidence that has sent the internet into a frenzy.Arcis-sur-Aube, a community of about 2,785 people roughly 160km southeast of Paris, heads to the polls in a municipal run-off this...

Households face a sharp rise in energy costs from July, with consultancy Cornwall Insight projecting an increase of roughly £332 a year for a typical dual-fuel home.The firm estimates the annual bill under Ofgem's price cap for July to September would reach about £1,973, up from the current level of £1,641.Cornwall Insight is updating its outlook weekly because of large swings in wholesale...

The family of an 18-year-old who died after a meningitis infection in Kent have described the loss as devastating and urged faster action to protect other young people.Juliette Kenny fell ill with symptoms including vomiting and facial discolouration and died the day after they appeared, her father said.She is one of two confirmed fatalities linked to the current outbreak. Health officials now...

A 61-year-old woman has died after a ski gondola came off its cable and plunged down Mount Titlis at the Engelberg resort in central Switzerland on Wednesday morning.The crash happened at about 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT), officials said.Police in the canton of Nidwalden say the victim was alone in a Titlis Xpress cabin that had just left the Trübsee station and was ascending the middle section...

A small commune in north-central France has unexpectedly become an online talking point because its incumbent mayor shares a striking surname with history's most notorious dictator.Charles Hittler, the mayor of Arcis-sur-Aube (population about 2,785), is seeking re-election in Sunday's municipal run-off and narrowly led after the first round.The retired laboratory chief says the surge of social...

Survivors who fled northern Mali say Russian-linked mercenaries carried out summary killings, brutal interrogations and other abuses as part of counter-insurgency operations, forcing thousands to escape across the border.One man, who is now in a refugee camp in Mauritania, described being seized in the town of Nampala last August and subjected to repeated water torture and threats after fighters...

Italy’s parliament has approved a new law that treats the gender-motivated killing of women as a separate offence punishable by life imprisonment.The vote, held on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, passed unanimously with all 237 deputies backing the measure.The bill was proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and received support from both the government...

One of Jacob Zuma’s daughters has filed a criminal complaint alleging her sister recruited South African men to fight alongside Russian mercenary forces in the Ukraine war.Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube says Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a member of parliament, and two others persuaded 17 men to travel abroad by telling them they were going to Russia to train as bodyguards for the former president’s party,...

As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver the Budget, ordinary Britons are voicing clear and varied priorities.From housing taxes to care for disabled people, voters across incomes have specific asks they want reflected in government plans.Wesley Thorne, 52, and his wife Toni run a sweets business near Bristol and say moving into a larger home is out of reach because stamp duty could tack...

Renowned Irish designer Paul Costelloe has died in London at the age of 80 after a short illness.His family said he was at home, surrounded by his wife and seven children when he passed.Born and raised in Dublin, Costelloe grew up in a household connected to clothing—his father ran a raincoat business. He trained at the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design before traveling to Paris to study at...