Bangladesh goes to the polls this week in its first general election since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was deposed by youth-led protests in 2024.

Thursday’s poll will be seen as a verdict on that student uprising and also as a signal of the political direction of the subcontinent more broadly. In a country of more than 127 million registered voters, it “will be the biggest democratic process of 2026, anywhere”, said the EU delegation to Bangladesh on X. For “the first free and fair election in more than a decade”, said CNN, “the prevailing mood” on Dhaka’s streets “is one of anticipation”.

Who is in the running?
Of the 59 registered political parties in Bangladesh, 51 are taking part, with 1,981 candidates standing, including 249 independents. Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been banned.

The contest is expected to be a battle between two rival coalitions. The first is headed by the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and a representative of the entrenched political elite. The other coalition is led by Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, and includes the National Citizen Party, formed by student leaders of the 2024 uprising.

What’s at stake? 
The vote will reflect deep-seated concerns on issues including high inflation (which reached 8.58% in January), economic stagnation, law and order, and endemic corruption. Nearly half of those registered to vote are aged between 18 and 37, and youth unemployment and the lack of opportunities for young Bangladeshis have been key campaign issues. For many, the question of national identity is also at stake, as religious and secular forces vie for power.

As well as voting for representatives in the national parliament, Bangladeshis will also cast their ballot in a referendum on reforms to restructure state institutions and limit executive power. “Everyone agreed that there must be reform in the system so that no one can become a dictator in the future,” Salman Al-Azami, from Liverpool Hope University, told Anadolu Agency.

The polling will also be seen as a verdict on the success of the student uprising. As many as 1,400 people died in the protests, the majority of them killed in the security crackdown ordered by Hasina. After the election, said the BBC, “students will learn whether their revolution, and the bloodshed, were worth it”.

It was “sensible” of Emerald Fennell to put quotation marks around the title of her film adaptation of “Wuthering Heights”, said Matt Maytum in NME. It’s a “fair warning” that this won’t be a faithful retelling of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel.

Instead, the scene is set for something “a little more arch, playful and scandalising” that’s sure to “stir up heated discourse among literary purists”. But if you embrace Fennell’s “bold vision” and accept her film on its own terms, it’s difficult not to get “swept up in this gothic tale of toxic attachment”.

‘Resplendently lurid’
Like the book, the action takes place against the backdrop of the rugged Yorkshire moors. We’re introduced to young Cathy (Charlotte Mellington), living in a “crumbling” old house with her “increasingly drunken, destitute father” Mr Earnshaw (Martin Clunes), said Robbie Collin in The Telegraph. One night, he brings home a young “foundling”, Heathcliff (Owen Cooper), who soon becomes a playmate for his daughter. But the children’s sibling-like relationship develops into “something dark and taboo”.

The narrative jumps forward a decade and the chemistry between Cathy (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) is palpable. “Resplendently lurid, oozy and wild”, the “central illicit affair” between the pair (pictured above) begins to unfold, their encounters accompanied by a series of “breathy electro-ballads by Charli XCX”. This is an “obsessive film about obsession, and hungrily embroils the viewer in its own mad compulsions”.

‘Mostly strait-laced’
I found it “whimperingly tame”, compared with Fennell’s earlier films, like “Promising Young Woman” and “Saltburn”, said Clarisse Loughrey in The Independent. She has used the “guise of interpretation to gut one of the most most impassioned, emotionally violent novels” in history.

Even the “much-vaunted trysts” between Cathy and Heathcliff are short-lived and perfunctory, said Danny Leigh in the Financial Times. “Sorry people, but the kink proves mostly strait-laced, the S&M more M&S.”

“It’s all wildly fun, a fever dream come to life,” said Vicky Jessop in The Standard. But I was left feeling disappointed. “When the sexy sugar rush passes, what’s left?”

Jutta Leerdam cries with joy after winning the women’s 1,000m speedskating gold at the Winter Olympics. The Dutch star (and fiancée of influencer Jake Paul) set a new Olympic record of one minute, 12.31 seconds by, she said, telling herself: “You have 80 years to recover from this. You can feel tired after.”

Canadian Press / Shutterstock

For some, romance means rose petals, chilled champagne and magnificent views. Others are content with a no-frills cabin in the woods and a bit of peace and quiet. Whichever you prefer, these romantic hotels are perfect for a Valentine’s Day escape.

One&Only Aesthesis, Athens
For “seaside seclusion” and a “sure-fire hit of coastal glamour”, One&Only Aesthesis (pictured above) is a safe bet, said Condé Nast Traveller. The beachfront resort, hidden within a protected forest reserve, has a series of private bungalows and villas. Couples can relax by the pool, take a romantic stroll on the beach or book in for a pampering session at the Guerlain spa.

The Lake Cabin at Lime Wood Hotel, New Forest
This “gorgeous” cabin in the heart of the New Forest dials up the romance with its “open fires and a freestanding bathtub”, said The Independent. It also features a “fully stocked larder” and kitchenette, making it ideal for “couples seeking a secluded hideaway”.

Saint James Paris
“It’s easy to spark a love affair” in France’s capital, said Vogue. And, for extra romance, consider booking a stay at this “exquisite château hotel in the 16th arrondissement”. Unlike the big, glitzy hotels Paris is famous for, this “neoclassical trophy” offers a “supremely intimate experience in a quiet neighbourhood”.

Sarara Treehouses, Kenya
Hidden in a forest in northern Kenya, Sarara Treehouses has “long been popular with honeymooners for its wild location in the Mathews mountain range” and its “infinity pool overlooking a watering hole visited by elephants”, said The Times. Days are easy to fill with horseback safaris, game drives and “dinner out in the bush”.

Everyone in Asia Wants a Stronger Japan. Except China
Karishma Vaswani on Bloomberg
The “scale” of “Sanae Takaichi’s election triumph” in Japan “matters far beyond” Tokyo, writes Karishma Vaswani. The Japanese PM insists “she wants stable relations with China”, yet she’s not walking back her comments that a “crisis in the Taiwan Strait” could threaten her country’s security. Beijing’s attempt to apply “pressure” has “backfired”. A “more confident Tokyo” will complicate China’s “preferred regional order”, with South Korea already signalling a “willingness to set aside old hostilities and deepen cooperation” after Takaichi’s diplomatic overtures.

I’m sleepless, angry and anxious over this – and I know I’m not alone
Alastair Campbell in The New World
The revelations in the Epstein files are “disgusting on so many levels”, writes former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell. But from a political angle, I’m “angry” about how the Mandelson scandal taints Labour. It all “plays into” Reform’s “narrative that ‘they’re all the same, all in it for themselves’”. I believe “politicians can be a force for good”, but I’m anxious about “what happens next and what it means for politics, and for the country”.

Men, text us straight after a date
Olivia Petter in The Times
“In the past, if someone texted me immediately after a date, I’d write them off as a crazed loser,” writes Olivia Petter. But “according to a new study, this is generally the best approach”, and I’m increasingly inclined to agree. “Frankly, the sooner someone messages, the better.” Playing “hard to get” was “drilled” into us, but “at 31, I no longer have the energy”. After all, “dating is supposed to be fun”, and “gameplay” is “the antithesis of that”.