Bible reading, Latin and learning poetry by heart could return to Italian primary and middle schools as part of a revamp of national curriculum guidelines criticised as “retrograde” and “nostalgic”. The education minister, Giuseppe Valditara, unveiled the guidelines, which predominantly affect children aged three to 14 and are expected to take effect from the 2026/2027…

Strikes by Avanti West Coast train staff scheduled for the next two Sundays have been suspended to allow for “intensive talks”, raising hopes that a run of planned disruption every weekend until June could be called off. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said that the next two dates in the series of Sunday…

As many as 50 people are thought to have died after a boat bound for the Canary Islands got into difficulties after a 13-day voyage along the perilous Atlantic migration route from west Africa. The migration NGO Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) said the boat set off from Mauritania on 2 January carrying 86 people. It…

Arctic air is expected to sweep across much of the United States later this week and into next week, bringing dangerously cold temperatures and severe wind chills. The National Weather Service has warned that this frigid air will move over the Rockies and Great Plains on Friday, and by Saturday night it will head toward…

Wendy Williams has spoken out about her court-mandated guardianship in a rare interview on Thursday morning, saying that it makes her “feel like I’m in prison”. The longtime TV host and personality called into the popular Breakfast Club radio show for an interview, in which she discussed her current situation living in a care facility.…

Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard has apologised after the film was engulfed in a wave of criticism over its depiction of Mexico. A Spanish-language musical about a cartel boss who transitions to a woman, starring transgender actor Karla Sofía Gascón opposite Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez premiered in Mexico City on Wednesday before its Mexican release…

One of Nasa’s two stuck astronauts got a much-welcomed change of scenery on Thursday, stepping out on her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station more than seven months ago. Suni Williams, the station’s commander, had to tackle some overdue outdoor repair work alongside Nasa’s Nick Hague. They emerged as the orbiting lab…

Australia’s “diabolical” treatment of asylum seekers and youth crime has worsened, a global human rights advocacy body has warned, urging voters to push back on leaders politicising the issue for gain. Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) latest world report has lashed Australia for going backwards on children in the criminal justice system in 2024, referencing the…

A human rights lawyer involved in a case featuring a prominent Ugandan opposition leader has been tortured after he was arrested and detained without trial, according to colleagues who have visited him. Eron Kiiza was assaulted and arrested by soldiers on 7 January while entering a military courtroom where he was representing Dr Kizza Besigye…

Gunfire erupts in Kyiv as Ukrainian forces attempt to shoot down drone over capital Luke Harding Luke Harding is a Guardian foreign correspondent Gunfire erupted in Kyiv as Keir Starmer held talks on Thursday with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during the prime minister’s first official trip to Ukraine. The presidential palace – where the two leaders…