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Forecasters warn more flooding, landslides expected as tens of thousands of people are evacuated from their homes.

Authorities in Vietnam say at least 41 people have been killed in a barrage of torrential rain, flooding and landslides, as rescue crews worked to save stranded people from the rooftops of submerged homes.

Rainfall exceeded 150cm (60 inches) over the past three days in several parts of central Vietnam, a region home to a key coffee production belt and the country’s most popular beaches.

At least 41 people have been killed across six provinces since Sunday, while the search was continuing for nine others, the environment ministry said on Thursday.

More than 52,000 houses were flooded, and nearly 62,000 people were evacuated from their homes, while several major roads remained blocked due to landslides, and one million customers were left without electricity.

A suspension bridge on the Da Nhim River in Lam Dong province was swept away on Thursday morning, the VietnamNet newspaper reported.

Photos taken by the AFP news agency also showed hundreds of cars underwater as flooding inundated entire city blocks in Nha Trang, a popular tourist spot on the coast.

Local business owner Bui Quoc Vinh said his ground-floor restaurants and shops were under about a metre (3.2 feet) of water in the city.

“I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now,” he told AFP.

“I don’t think the water is going to recede soon, as the rain has not stopped.”

The national weather forecast agency has warned of more flooding and landslides on Friday, with heavy rain set to continue in the region.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung told the leaders of three flood-affected provinces – Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak and Gia Lai – to mobilise the army, police and other security forces to “promptly relocate and evacuate people” to safe areas, according to a government statement.

Meanwhile, state media reported that rescuers using boats in Gia Lai and Dak Lak pried open windows and broke through roofs to assist residents stranded by high water on Wednesday.

Photographs shared in state media reports showed residents, including children, sitting on the roofs of flooded houses and calling for help via social media platforms.

“Any group out there please help! We’ve been sitting on the roof since 10pm last night, including kids and adults,” a resident of Khanh Hoa province posted on a local Facebook page.

Natural disasters have left 279 people dead or missing in Vietnam and caused more than $2bn in damage between January and October, according to the national statistics office.

The Southeast Asian nation is prone to heavy rain between June and September, but experts say the climate crisis has made extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.

ONE of Canary Wharf’s trendiest hotels – and one of the few actually within the London district itself – is Tribe.

Here is everything you need to know from what the rooms are like to what you can do nearby.

Where is Tribe Canary Wharf?

Overlooking Canary Wharf’s dock, Tribe is a five-minute walk from the tube station.

The hotel was created by two Perth design fans, who have since opened 18 Tribe hotels around the world.

Aiming to be for the “modern travellers as an affordable luxury,” Tribe Canary Wharf is surrounded by some of the city’s most popular chain restaurants like Patty & Bun and Dishoom.

What is the hotel like?

The hotel is modern and stylish, with edgy graphic design and chrome gold lighting in the bedrooms.

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It’s in a prime spot in London and the cool interiors separate it from older, more traditional hotels.

What is there to do there?

Guests can pay for a day pass to the Third Space gym, one of the swankiest ones in London.

Costing £20, it includes access to all of the facilities including the gym, pool, sauna and spa.

The hotel also has a beautiful lobby area which is popular with co-workers, thanks to the number of desks and plugs.

Otherwise just outside is GoBoat if you fancy a ride around Canary Wharf’s canals, while many of London’s main tourist attractions are a short tube ride away.

Being the festive season, you can even find Canary Wharf’s ice rink popping up this month.

What are the rooms like at Tribe Canary Wharf?

The rooms have trimmed some of the frills to keep the hotel affordable for travellers – so don’t expect dressing gowns or slippers.

But the 320 rooms have everything you need, including complimentary toiletries, USB ports by the bed plus tea and coffee making facilities.

They range from Tribe Essential – the most compact – to Tribe Extra.

The huge windows in each room with views over Canary Wharf make them feel larger than they actually are.

Everything you need to know about the hotel from what is on offer to check out times are access by the TV.

What is there to eat and drink at the hotel?

The district might have all the food joints you could want, but the hotel’s Feels Like June restaurant offers a unique take on California dining.

The All Day Menu has everything from delicious Chicken Katsu Sandos to delicious rib eye steaks. Vegetarians don’t worry as there are lots of meat-free options too.

I also loved my Miami Vice – a concoction of gin, elderflower and melon sorbet.

(Make sure to grab a cocktail between 5pm and 7pm for their Happy Hour deal of two for £15).

Check out the live events at the hotel as there are sometimes live DJ sets.

It’s also a great spot for breakfast, so you can indulge in avocado on toast or a superfood smoothie bowl before checkout.

Remember to visit the 24-hour Grab & Go station near reception, which has pre-packaged meals, snacks and a coffee station.

How much is Tribe Canary Wharf?

Rooms start from £100 a night. Click here to book.

Is Tribe Canary Wharf family friendly?

The hotel is not really suited to kids but families can request a cot for children under 5.

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Is there access for guests with disabilities?

Yes, there are 16 accessible rooms and there is lift access.

Looking for a place to stay? For more hotel inspiration click here.

DESIGNS for a train station from the 1850s have been unearthed revealing what could have been the UK’s own Grand Central Station.

A map of the station from 172 years ago shows that it would have been a huge hub just like New York’s station of the same name.

To mark 200 years of modern railway, Perceval Parsons’ plans have been released and put on sale.

And they reveal a very different looking rail hub than what we know today.

The Grand Central Station would have connected up lots of mainline stations in the capital.

It would have been built next to Great Scotland Yard, close to where Embankment tube station is now and backed onto the River Thames.

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Outside would have been lots of decoration with a front that would be 800 feet in length.

For passengers there would be multiple entrances into the main concourse which would be around 300 feet long.

There would have been eight arrival platforms and eight for departure.

In comparison, Grand Central Terminal in New York is 275 feet long, 120 feet wide, and 125 feet high.

Parsons wrote on the plans: “The great desideratum of a connecting link to unite the termini of the various metropolitan railways, and at the same time afford them access to the heart of London, has long been admitted.

“And a line that would effect this, and at the same time give a like accommodation to the principal suburbs, would be of still greater importance”.

The proposal was supported by Robert Stephenson, chief engineer of the London and Birmingham Railway, but the reason why it didn’t go ahead was due to the Crimean War.

The war meant many expensive projects were scrapped across the UK.

Charing Cross Station opened in 1864, eight years after the end of the Crimean War.

One train line that was running in the 1800s was what was dubbed one of the spookiest train lines in history.

The London Necropolis Railway would transport up to 2,000 bodies a year from the city, to be buried in the countryside due to overcrowding.

Starting at Waterloo Station, the Necropolis Railway would transport coffins from London to Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey.

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Here’s how to find the UK’s most beautiful rail journey that takes 10 minutes and costs just £10.

Plus, here’s one of the world’s most beautiful train routes is in the UK – and it’s getting a £15million upgrade.

Here’s more on the London Transport Museum…

From rare road and rail vehicles to vintage posters, visitors can see over 320,000 items relating to the English capital’s transport history at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton.

There’s lots to explore at the Museum Depot like decommissioned tube carriages – including some from the 1930s.

There are also signs, ceramic tiles, original posters and ticket machines from over the years.

There are limited open days each year where there are expert talks and demonstrations.

Some topics ask the questions; why are buses red? to why design of the Piccadilly Line train is the way it is.

The depot also has a working miniature railway based on real underground trains from the carriages to signals – this only runs on weekends during the open days.

For more information and details on opening days, head to the London Transport Museum Depot website.

We checked in to this stylish new hotel in west London and discovered stunning interiors, a tranquil garden and innovative drinks at the bar

A few minutes’ walk away from bustling Earls Court Road, past quiet cobbled mews, is Templeton Garden, chic European hotel group Miiro’s latest opening, and arguably London’s most stylish new hotel.

A former townhouse, its grand white-pillared entrance opens up into what looks like an interiors Pinterest board brought to life, an elegant colour palette of creams, beiges and rusts, with a light and airy lounge area leading onto a beautiful private garden out the back – a rare find in central London – with a terrace for taking lunch or drinks.

Stay between 17 November-24 December and get access to the hotel’s Ribbon Room, a Santa’s grotto stocked with beautiful papers and ribbons to wrap your finds from your Christmas shopping expedition like a pro, accompanied by a hot buttered Brugal cider, from Sprout, the hotel’s bar.

The rooms at Templeton Garden

The complimentary colour palette continues to the 156 bedrooms, which our Junior Suite was elegant and understated with soft plaster-pink walls and lots of fabric textures, and immediately made us want to redecorate ours at home. A pop of colour comes from the dark red tiled shower space in the bathroom, complete with marble bath, vintage-style brass fittings and Le Labo Santal 33 products. Sleeping here under the canopy bed feels special yet still homely – a tricky balance to get right.

The food and drink at Templeton Garden

Evenings at Templeton Garden begin with a drink at Sprout, lined with hand-painted wallpaper and low velvet seats arranged around lamp-lit tables, with a stunning gold oak leaf light fitting overhead.

The most interesting thing about this bar, however, is the drinks list. The Market Stall Menu features innovative cocktail creations using ingredients commonly found in the back of your cupboard, such as a Marmitini, Red Onion Manhattan and Anchovy Gimlet. The Specials Menu, meanwhile, uses seasonal fruit and vegetables, and changes regularly depending on what’s available.

Templeton Garden

From £290 per night

Booking.com

Book here

A stylish new hideaway in London’s Earl’s Court.

We opted for the Sweet Pea Spritz, made, we were told, by separating the peas from their pods, roasting the pods, blending them both back together to make a cordial, then mixing them with vodka and sparkling wine. Fresh and slightly sweet, it was like nothing we’d ever tried before, and completely delicious.

It was then on to dinner at Pippin’s restaurant, where the focus is again on seasonal ingredients with lots of fresh herbs from the garden. The spring vegetable salad was a colourful plate of crunchy pickled veg and leaves atop a tangy cheddar emulsion, while for mains, the catch of the day was a delicious crispy-skinned stone bass paired with a herby, zingy chimichurri.

How much does it cost to stay at Templeton Garden?

Rooms at Templeton Garden start from £290 per night.

The race for access to Central Asia’s natural resources is intensifying.

United States President Donald Trump has set his sights on the C5 nations, comprised of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

He hosted a summit with their leaders at the White House, as Washington aims to get access to the mineral-rich region and reduce its reliance on China for imports of critical minerals.

But the leaders of the C5 face a delicate balancing act to make deals with the US without annoying Moscow or Beijing.

The meeting in Washington came just a month after Russia’s Vladimir Putin attended a summit with the C5.

And earlier in the year, the Chinese president also met C5 leaders, hoping to maintain China’s role in the region.

So, can Washington succeed in a region long dominated by Russia, and where China is making inroads?

Presenter: Nick Clark

Guests:

Zhumabek Sarabekov – Acting Director at the Institute of World Economics and Politics in Kazakhstan

William Courtney – Senior Fellow at the RAND Corporation

Dakota Irvin – a Senior Analyst at PRISM Strategic Intelligence

WASHINGTON — President Trump will host leaders of five Central Asian countries at the White House on Thursday as he intensifies his hunt for rare earth metals needed for high-tech devices, including smartphones, electric vehicles and fighter jets.

Trump and the officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are holding an evening summit and dinner on the heels of Trump managing at least a temporary thaw with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on differences between the United States and China over the export of rare earth elements, a key point of friction in their trade negotiations.

Early last month, Beijing expanded export restrictions over vital rare earth elements and magnets before announcing, after Trump-Xi talks in South Korea last week, that China would delay its new restrictions by one year.

Washington is now looking for new ways to circumvent China on critical minerals. China accounts for nearly 70% of the world’s rare earth mining and controls roughly 90% of global rare earths processing.

Central Asia holds deep reserves of rare earth minerals and produces roughly half the world’s uranium, which is critical to nuclear power production. But the region badly needs investment to further develop the resources.

Central Asia’s critical mineral exports have long tilted toward China and Russia. Kazakhstan, for example, in 2023 sent $3.07 billion in critical minerals to China and $1.8 billion to Russia compared with $544 million to the U.S., according to country-level trade data compiled by the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an online data platform.

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Wednesday to repeal Soviet-era trade restrictions that some lawmakers say are holding back American investment in the Central Asian nations, which became independent with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

“Today, it’s not too late to deepen our cooperation and ensure that these countries can decide their own destinies, as a volatile Russia and an increasingly aggressive China pursue their own national interests around the globe at the cost to their neighbors,” said Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a sponsor of the legislation. “The United States offers Central Asian nations the real opportunity to work with a willing partner, while lifting up each others’ economies.”

The grouping of countries, referred to as the “C5+1,” has largely focused on regional security, particularly in light of the two-decade U.S. military presence and then withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan, China’s treatment of ethnic Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and attempts by Russia to reassert power in the region.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the Central Asian leaders at the State Department on Wednesday to mark the 10-year anniversary of the C5+1 and to plug the potential for expanding the countries economic ties to the U.S.

“We oftentimes spend so much time focused on crisis and problems – and they deserve attention – that sometimes we don’t spend enough time focused on exciting new opportunities,” Rubio said. “And that’s what exists here now: an exciting new opportunity in which the national interests of our respective countries are aligned.”

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and the U.S. ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s special envoy to South and Central Asia, recently visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to prepare for the summit.

Administration officials say deepening the U.S. relationship with the countries is a priority, a point they have made clear to the Central Asian officials.

The president’s “commitment to this region is that you have a direct line to the White House, and that you will get the attention that this area very much deserves,” Gor told the Central Asian officials Wednesday.

In 2023, Democratic President Joe Biden met with the five leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. That was the only other time that a sitting president has taken part in a C5+1 summit.

Madhani writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

Captain Ben Stokes has extended his England central contract through to the end of the next home Ashes series in 2027.

Stokes, whose previous deal was due to expire at the end of next summer, is one of 14 players to sign on for two years.

They include pace bowler Jofra Archer, who has signed an extended contract following his return to Test cricket.

England said the contracts reward performances in the past year, while also looking ahead to the upcoming schedule. The home Ashes in 2027 is followed by a 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

All of the 16 players in the squad for the upcoming Ashes in Australia have been handed a contract of at least one year.

Eleven of the Ashes squad – including Stokes, Archer, Joe Root and Harry Brook – have signed two-year deals.

Four of the five with one-year contracts – batters Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, spinner Shoaib Bashir and seamer Matthew Potts – are not multi-format players, while 35-year-old pace bowler Mark Wood is entering the final part of a three-year contract he signed in 2023.

The extension of Stokes’ contract is particularly eye-catching.

The 34-year-old all-rounder has a chequered injury record and is currently recovering from a shoulder problem.

However, he is on track to be fit for the first Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November, which would be his first action since July.

In signing a longer deal, it indicates the potential for him to lead England into the 2027 Ashes and also aligns his future with head coach Brendon McCullum, who is contracted to England until the end of the World Cup that year.

Jon Stewart’s biting satire may have made his new bosses squirm, but they went ahead and extended the comedian’s run on Comedy Central through December 2026.

The channel’s parent company, Paramount, announced Monday that Stewart will continue to host “The Daily Show” on Monday nights and serve as an executive producer through the end of next year.

Members of the show’s news team will continue to share Tuesday through Thursday hosting duties. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“Jon Stewart continues to elevate the genre he created. His return is an ongoing commitment to the incisive comedy and sharp commentary that define The Daily Show,” Ari Pearce, Comedy Central’s manager said in a prepared statement. “We’re proud to support Jon and the extraordinary news team.”

Stewart’s contract was re-upped nearly four months after Paramount-owned sister network CBS notified Stephen Colbert, who rose to fame on “The Daily Show,” that it was dumping his late night show at the end of the season. The cancelation was revealed days after Colbert lambasted a $16 million settlement Paramount agreed to pay President Trump to end a lawsuit over edits to “60 Minutes.” Colbert called the arrangement “a big fat bribe.”

Paramount settled the Trump suit to win approval from the Trump administration of its sale to David Ellison’s Skydance Media and RedBird Capital Partners. CBS has said the reason for Colbert’s cancellation was financial, not political, although many people have expressed doubts.

Ellison took ownership of Paramount in August. Stewart has joked that he, too, might be tossed as the company tries to reposition itself to the political center.

Last week, the company began a deep round of layoffs, cutting 1,000 employees with plans to terminate another 1,000 in the coming weeks, in an effort to trim its workforce by 10%.

After a nine-year absence, Stewart returned as a host in February 2024. He had helmed the show for 16 years before taking a break in 2015. His current contract was expiring.

The show was hosted by Trevor Noah until 2022, when he stepped down. That prompted a rotation of guest hosts, including Kal Penn, Charlamagne tha God, Sarah Silverman and Michelle Wolf.

Last month, during a conversation with the New Yorker at a cultural festival, Stewart was asked whether he might stick around longer. “We’re working on staying,” Stewart told the New Yorker’s David Remnick.

The rotation of “The Daily Show” hosts also will include Ronny Chieng, Josh Johnson, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta, and Desi Lydic with Troy Iwata and Grace Kuhlenschmidt.