landmark

THERE’S a huge landmark that’s been under renovation for the last decade – and it’s under three hours away from the UK.

The huge structure overlooks the capital of Hungary and is about to reopen in March 2026.

If you’ve been to Budapest in the past decade, you might have noticed that the Citadella that sits on Gellért Hill has been undergoing a huge renovation.

It’s been shut for 11 years so far and has been undergoing a major renovation since 2020 – but it’s finally about to reopen.

The work has cost an estimated HUF 20 billion which is just under £46million.

While efforts have gone into maintaining the original structure,new features have been added too.

One of those is a new pedestrian bridge built entirely of glass.

There will also be a walk-through exhibition on Hungary’s history, called ‘The Bastion of Freedom’ which will be inside the large rondella.

The inner courtyard will have a new water feature and an eternal flame.

There’ll also be a new café and gift shop, and it will have incredible panoramic city views overlooking Danube, Buda Castle and Margaret Island.

Outside, locals and tourists will have plenty of room to enjoy the views as there will be twice as much green space as before.

There will be 10,000 shrubs, 100,000 perennials, and over half a million bulbs that will be planted in the area, along with 128 large trees.

The site is free to explore as it is an open outdoor public site – but you might need to pay to go inside.

The Citadella in Budapest was built by the Austrian Habsburg Empire between 1850 and 1854.

Its purpose was to serve as a military stronghold after the Hungarian Revolution between 1848 and 1849, which is why it sits on a hill overlooking the city.

Now, it’s considered a symbol of freedom with The Liberty Statue representing Hungary’s independence – it was added in 1947.

The Citadella is due to reopen to the public on Hungary’s Independence Day, March 15, 2026.

Budapest is a popular city break destination for Brits as it’s just a two and a half hour flight away from the UK.

Other popular historical sites include the Buda Castle district, the Matthias Church and and St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Budapest is also known for its famous thermal baths – for example the Szechenyi Baths in Budapest is one of the best and largest spa baths in Europe.

It has 15 indoor baths and 3 grand outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms with a ticket costing around £22.

For more trips to Europe – here are 39 of the best city break destinations – and the no.1 is VERY cheap.

Plus, discover the five European cities with lesser-known tours that let you explore like a local.

ONE tube station has just been awarded Grade II listed status just 25 years after opening.

The station has been described as “one of the most memorable and theatrical spaces on the London Underground network” – and has become a landmark in its own right.

On November 20, 1999, Southwark Underground Station opened to the public, and it’s now been added to the National Heritage List.

The underground station was one of six new stations built for the Jubilee Line Extension and was designed by engineers in 1994.

As regular commuters and London tourists will know, the underground station has a circular ticket hall, a towering blue glass screen and steel-panelled tunnel in the lower concourse.

During its design, the six stations were set to have their own unique identities with different looks but be linked by materials like steel and polished concrete.

A building usually has to be over 30 years old to be considered for listing.

But Southwark Underground Station became eligible for listing last year as the age of the building is calculated ‘from the point at which the ground was first broken’.

There are 72 London Underground stations on the National Heritage list – and Southwark Underground Station is the youngest.

Announcing the tube station’s listing was heritage minister Fiona Twycross, who said the station is a ‘stunning example’ of late 20th-century architecture.

She added: “I’m thrilled to celebrate and help protect this bold design, with its striking play on natural and artificial light.

“Used by thousands every day, this station is a great reminder of the extraordinary breadth of our country’s architectural heritage.”

Both locals and tourists are just as impressed with the train station.

One called it a “cosmic cruiseship” while another said it was a “space aged looking station”.

A third simply wrote: “This place is what I think the future looks like.”

Southwark was one of six new stations built for the Jubilee Line Extension in the 1990s, overseen by the architect Roland Paoletti.

The other stations built alongside it are Bermondsey, Canada Water, Canary Wharf, North Greenwich and Canning Town.

According to the C20 Society, the new stations on the Jubilee Line Extension were said to be the biggest architectural sensation of their kind since the Moscow Underground back in 1999.

Now, millions pass through Southwark Underground Station every day, with the most recent figure from 2023 recording 8.51 million passengers.

There’s another underground station in the UK that doesn’t have listed status but thanks to its design looks like it could be in Moscow.

Gants Hill sits on a roundabout in Zone 4 and from the outside, doesn’t look like anything special.

The interiors were designed by modernist Charles Holden, known for creating most of the London Underground system.

It was inspired by the Moscow Metro system, after Holden returned from the Russian city during WWII having been there as a consultant.

The barrel vault ceilings are similar to Elektrozavodskaya metro station in Moscow.

The central concourse even has the nickname “Moscow Hall”, and while it’s not a listed station, some believe it should be.

Joshua Abbott, author of the Modernism in Metroland blog, told local media that the underground “should be listed.”

He added: “It is unique among Holden’s stations due to the Moscow Metro influenced platform design and lack of surface buildings – Gants Hill should be very proud of its most secret building.”

Here’s more on the creepy hidden tunnel under UK’s busiest streets where you can spy on commuters – visitors wish they never entered.

And here’s how you can visit a secret abandoned tube station used in Bond, Paddington and the Bourne movies.

1 of 2 | A young girl pictured October 2020 helping her mother deposit her ballot in a drop box for the 2020 general election at the Los Angeles County Registrar in Norwalk, Calif. Around 16 states currently count late ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 10 (UPI) — The nation’s high court will decide if mail-in ballots need to be submitted by Election Day in a ruling that could affect the 2026 midterm election.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to weigh in on whether individual states can accept mail-in ballots sent on Election Day, in a bid by Mississippi GOP leaders to overturn a similar state law.

“The stakes are high: ballots cast by — but received after — Election Day can swing close races and change the course of the country,” Mississippi’s Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican, wrote in court documents.

Mississippi election law permits mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted.

Around 16 states currently count ballots received after Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The practice has been targeted by the Republican National Committee. A Mississippi court backed state Republicans in the belief that state statutes preempt federal law.

In addition, Mississippi’s Libertarian Party also joined the lawsuit in opposition to the state’s current practice.

Each state manages its own election process. But federal law states election day is the first Tuesday in November.

Republicans claim that states accepting ballots after Election Day is a contravention of federal law.

“It should await a case where the lower court answers the question presented incorrectly, should one ever arise,” the RNC stated in a court filing.

U.S. President Donald Trump has flip-flopped on the issue of mail-in ballots for years, most recently in opposition as Republicans seek to expand and maintain power ahead of next year’s election, including efforts at mid-cycle redistricting after sweeping nationwide defeats for the GOP in state and local races on Nov. 4.

Meanwhile, oral arguments in the case are expected next year.

A decision could arrive as early as summer 2026, ahead of November’s mid-term elections.

Disneyland is going to “Fortnite.”

Launching Thursday, “Disneyland Game Rush” is a new island that will bring some of the Happiest Place on Earth’s most popular rides into the “Fortnite” sandbox for the first time. A part of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration, the limited-time experience includes mini-games inspired by attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout! and Haunted Mansion.

The in-game island will also feature a replica of the 70th anniversary sculpture inspired by Sleeping Beauty Castle as well as glimpses of the theme park’s familiar landmarks including the Incredicoaster and Pixar Pal-a-Round across the virtual skyline. Players who complete the island’s mini-games will collect keys that can be used to unlock Disneyland 70th-themed island-exclusive cosmetics so players will be able to show their Disney spirit.

“Fortnite” players can access the island by searching for Disneyland Game Rush or using island code 4617-4819-8826.

“Disneyland Game Rush” marks the latest Disney-affiliated “Fortnite” crossover since Walt Disney Co. acquired a stake in Epic Games in 2024. Earlier this year “Fortnite” launched “Galactic Battle,” which was billed as its biggest Star Wars-themed tie-in, as well as a “Simpsons”-themed battle royale mini-season that kicked off earlier this month.

Still to come is Disney and Epic Games’ interconnected “games and entertainment universe,” which will include brands such as Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Avatar. This “new persistent universe” was announced last year.

WELL, arc at you, birthday girl!

Model Iris Law beams with joy under a rainbow as she prepares to celebrate hitting 25.

Iris showed off her toned tum in ­swimwear on a beach while on hols.

The daughter of actors Jude Law and Sadie Frost wrote on social media: “Last day of 24.”

For Iris, who dated footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold, 27, last year, the sky’s the limit in the fashion world.

We recently revealed how Iris had her assistants running across New York to find her favourite treats ahead of the Victoria’s Secret show.

The model made her debut as an Angel during the return of the world famous runway show in October.

Iris is said to have sent her team of assistants looking for cookies from a particular bakery and then smoothies from another place in New York, according to Daily Mail.

The Victoria’s Secret catwalk show made a stunning return earlier this month and was full of A-list models including, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jasmine Tookes, Angel Reese,  Barbie Ferreira,  Ashley Graham, Irina Shayk and Emily Ratajkowski.

Iris burst onto the modelling scene when she was in her teens and has been booked by some of the biggest fashion houses in the world.

She has previously posed for Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, and Versace.

She has also started to forge a career in the movies and follow in her famous parents’ footsteps.