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Italian authorities have seized €20m (£17.3m) of assets in Tuscany, including property, vineyards, and olive groves, allegedly bought with money embezzled from the actor Ursula Andress.Andress, 90, had filed a complaint in her native Switzerland alleging a “progressive and significant depletion of her assets” by individuals charged with managing her finances, Italy’s financial crimes police said in a statement on Thursday.Prosecutors in the Swiss canton of Vaud built a picture of a “systematic misappropriation of financial resources” worth about 18m Swiss francs carried out through multiple, opaque transactions, the police said. The money was traced to Italy, where prosecutors in Florence took up the case and police began following the paper trail.They tracked it to San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, and a real-estate complex consisting of 11 units and 14 plots of land used as vineyards and olive groves, as well as works of art and other assets, the statement said. The judge for preliminary investigations of the court of Florence ordered the seizure of the entire illicit profit, up to the amount of CHF 18,000,000, to be enforced against the identified assets.No suspects were identified in the statement. Andress surged to fame thanks to a scene in the 1962 James Bond movie Dr No, in which she emerged from the sea on to a Caribbean beach in a white bikini, knife at her hip and a seashell in each hand.

The UK launch of HBO Max has introduced a distinctly British true-crime docudrama, 'Boom Box: Beats and Betrayal', which tells the astonishing tale of a record shop and recording studio in Edmonton, north London. The studio, known as Boom Box, was initially set up to provide a safe space for teenagers involved in petty crime, but it unbeknownstingly became a hotbed of gang-related activity.The series reveals that the people these teenagers were getting involved with were not criminals, but undercover police officers who had targeted the area after a spate of murders in 2008. As the four episodes unfold, the ethics of the police operation are questioned by those who feel they were ensnared and manipulated to commit serious crimes they would never have thought about otherwise.The documentary uses dramatic reconstructions contrasted with interviews, and even features the actors who play the Boom Box teens talking to the actors who portray them. The studio was equipped with top-of-the-range equipment, which kids could use for just £15 an hour, giving it a 'Dr Dre vibe' according to one of the teens, Junior.The operation, which cost several hundred thousand pounds, raises questions about the fairness and impact of the police actions. While some officers argue they were making the operation look legitimate while pushing for information on existing criminal activity, others, including a lawyer for two of the men, argue that there was an abuse of process by the police.A judge later deemed the police actions lawful, but the series leaves viewers questioning the morality and effectiveness of the operation. The documentary is co-produced by Rogan Productions, known for diverse and ambitious documentaries, and is centered around the kids whose lives were forever altered by their time at Boom Box.The series is now available on HBO Max, offering a thought-provoking look into the complexities of the situation and the lasting impact on the individuals involved.

The UK's Environment Agency is facing criticism for its inability to effectively tackle the growing issue of illegal waste dumping. A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has highlighted that the agency lacks the necessary powers and intelligence to deal with the problem, which is costing taxpayers £1bn a year.The committee found that there are at least 8,000 illegal dumps across the country, with several large-scale tips containing between 20,000 and 30,000 tonnes of household rubbish and other waste. The problem is attributed to organised criminals who are heavily involved in illegal waste dumping.The PAC chair, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, stated that the committee's report found that regulators were not sufficiently resourced to follow through with recommendations and carry out their responsibilities towards the environment. The report calls for closer cooperation and intelligence sharing between the Environment Agency, local authorities, police, and other agencies to tackle illegal waste dumping risks.In response, a Defra spokesperson stated that the report was out of date and did not reflect the significant reforms already underway, including publishing a waste crime action plan and investing in the Environment Agency to boost monitoring and investigations.

Hong Kong police have made a significant move in their ongoing crackdown on dissent, arresting a bookstore owner and three staff members for allegedly selling 'seditious' publications. The arrested individuals are accused of selling copies of The Troublemaker, a biography of Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper.Lai was sentenced to a 20-year jail term in February for collusion with foreign forces and sedition in Hong Kong's biggest national security case. The arrests highlight the city's increasingly restrictive environment, where selling books about prominent dissidents can lead to serious legal consequences.The national security law, known as Article 23, makes sedition punishable by up to seven years in jail and a maximum of 10 years if the act involves collusion with an 'external force'. This law has been used to justify a wide range of actions against perceived dissenters, including the arrest of the bookstore staff.Human Rights Watch has criticized the move, stating that Hong Kong has become 'increasingly dystopian'. The organization's Asia director, Elaine Pearson, expressed concern that the authorities' actions will only create more insecurity. The crackdown on dissent continues, with the city government recently gazetting new amendments to the implementation rules to the Beijing-imposed law.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, have announced a poignant tribute to the 11 fans who lost their lives in a stampede outside their home stadium, M Chinnaswamy, during title celebrations last year. The team will keep 11 seats empty at the stadium as a memorial to the victims.The tragic incident occurred on June 4, 2025, when RCB won the IPL for the first time. The stampede claimed the lives of 11 supporters, aged between 14 and 29, and injured over 50 people. The event took place during a homecoming trophy parade, where hundreds of thousands gathered to welcome the team and star batsman Virat Kohli.In the wake of the tragedy, the stadium was initially deemed unsafe due to structural and crowd management issues. However, after significant enhancements to crowd management measures, including the installation of AI-guided cameras, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approved the stadium to host games, including RCB's home fixtures.RCB CEO Rajesh Menon emphasized that the empty seats are a tribute to the fans who will always be part of the team's journey. The team will also wear black armbands and warm-up tops with the number 11 during their upcoming match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, marking the start of the 2026 IPL season.The stampede led to several officials, including a senior RCB executive, being questioned by police, though no one has been convicted. The team's management has taken steps to prevent such a tragedy from recurring, ensuring a safer experience for fans.

Hong Kong police have been granted the authority to require individuals suspected of violating the city's national security law to provide passwords to their mobile phones or computers. This measure, which took effect on Monday, is part of the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The new provisions empower police to require a person under investigation suspected of endangering national security to provide any password or decryption method for electronic devices and to provide the police “any reasonable and necessary information or assistance”. Refusing to comply could lead to up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 Hong Kong dollars ($12,768), while providing false or misleading information could bring up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 500,000 Hong Kong dollars ($63,840). The imposition of the 2020 national security law, supplemented by a second component in 2024, has led to a marked decline in civil liberties in the former British colony returned to China in 1997, according to human rights advocates. The new amendments have sparked concerns over the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy and its status as an international financial and business centre. Urania Chiu, a law lecturer in the UK researching Hong Kong, said the new provisions interfered with fundamental liberties, including the privacy of communication and the right to a fair trial. “The sweeping powers given to law enforcement officers without any need for judicial authorisation are grossly disproportionate to any legitimate aim the bylaw purports to achieve,” Chiu told the Reuters news agency. A Hong Kong government spokesperson said the amended rules conform to the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and its human rights provisions, and “will not affect the lives of the general public or the normal operation of institutions and organisations”. According to the Security Bureau, a total of 386 people have been arrested for national security crimes so far, with 176 people and four companies convicted.

Iran has launched a significant missile attack on Israel, causing damage and injuries in Tel Aviv. The attack, which occurred on Tuesday, triggered air raid sirens across the city, including in the densely populated areas of Tel Aviv. A multistorey apartment building suffered extensive damage, with gaping holes torn through it, although it was unclear if the damage was from a direct hit or debris from an interception. At least six people were lightly injured at four different sites, according to Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service. Police in Tel Aviv reported dealing with multiple impact sites of munitions, while the National Fire and Rescue Authority was searching for people trapped in one building and found civilians in a shelter in another damaged building. In response to the missile strikes, Israel's military carried out a wave of airstrikes in central Tehran on Monday, targeting key command centers associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence arm and the Iranian Intelligence Ministry. The military also hit over 50 additional targets overnight, including ballistic missile storage and launch sites. The escalation comes amid ongoing uncertainty about possible talks to end the three-week US-Israel war on Iran. The situation remains volatile, with both sides engaging in military actions that could have broader implications for regional stability.

Dario Fo, born 100 years ago, was a multifaceted genius who seamlessly blended politics and comedy in his works. As a dramatist, actor, director, and designer, he brought satire to the masses, achieving a global reach with plays like Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can't Pay? Won't Pay!, which justly earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1997.Fo's background was marked by his involvement in wartime resistance against the Nazis in northern Italy, where he helped smuggle Allied soldiers across the border to Switzerland. His career in entertainment began with a weekly TV variety show that attracted huge audiences, but was abruptly ended due to his refusal to accept censorship.Fo's theatre company, Nuova Scena, gave the first performance of Mistero Buffo, his one-man show that satirized the Catholic Church. The show was condemned by the Vatican as 'the most blasphemous show in the history of television.'Fo's plays injected new life into political theatre, with Accidental Death of an Anarchist being a notable example. The play derived from a real-life case of a railway worker falsely accused of planting bombs and who 'fell' out of a police HQ window. The play's 2023 revival at the Sheffield Crucible, which transferred to the West End, showcased its timeless relevance, with Daniel Rigby's performance being 'breathlessly funny.'Fo's works provided actors with memorable roles, such as Griff Rhys Jones' virtuoso performance in Trumpets and Raspberries. His approach to comedy was rooted in tragedy, using laughter as a means to make audiences confront problems like cruelty, injustice, and oppression.Throughout his career, Fo faced significant harassment, including 45 prosecutions from the Italian police, and physical intimidation from both the Catholic Church and the Communist Party. Despite this, his legacy as a master of merging politics and comedy endures.

The recent sanctions imposed by the Trump administration against a UN human rights expert have raised alarm bells about the state of free speech and the ability to criticize government policies without fear of retribution. The expert, Francesca Albanese, was appointed by the United Nations to monitor human rights in occupied Palestine. Her offense was recommending that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes committed in Gaza. The sanctions, which amount to a "civil death," have effectively silenced Albanese, preventing her from opening a bank account, selling her Washington DC house, or drawing a salary from American universities that employed her. This has had a ripple effect, causing fear among faculty and students on campuses who are now hesitant to criticize Israel's human rights record. The executive order signed by Trump threatens to criminally prosecute anyone who provides Albanese or other designated figures with "funds, goods, or services." This vague language has led to a Maine university canceling an academic conference where Albanese was to make an unpaid appearance via Zoom. The authors of the article, a group of North American university professors and human rights lawyers, argue that this has created a chilling effect on free speech, deterring people from expressing their views for fear of facing sanctions or arrest. They have filed a "friend-of-the-court" brief in support of a lawsuit filed by Albanese's husband and daughter against Trump's unconstitutional sanctions. The targeting of Albanese has significant implications beyond those focused on Israel's human rights record. It should concern anyone who believes in free speech and the ability to challenge those in power without fear of retribution. When a government claims the authority to police ideas, everyone's liberty is on the line.