Articles about Virgin

The stars of Sex Education and The Morning Show will appear in a new West End production of Edward Albee’s classic, directed by Marianne ElliottGillian Anderson is to return to the West End in a role she has coveted “for decades”. The Sex Education star will appear opposite Billy Crudup in a revival of Edward Albee’s marital meltdown classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in the autumn. Staged in-the-round, the production will be directed by Marianne Elliott at the intimate @sohoplace theatre.Anderson will play Martha who spars with her professor husband George over drinks with a young married couple in the 1962 play. “Martha’s rage is inseparable from her longing, her disappointment and her need to be seen – all things still eminently relatable 60 years on,” said Anderson. The role was first played on Broadway by Uta Hagen, on screen a few years later by Elizabeth Taylor (opposite her husband Richard Burton) and in a 1996 London revival by Diana Rigg. “I’ve wanted to play Martha for decades,” said Anderson. “I’m thrilled Billy Crudup is joining me in the ring as George.” Continue reading...

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced public comment solicitation on Google's proposed data center campus in Botetourt County, Virginia, focusing on effects to local water sources. • The project highlights growing infrastructure demands from tech giants, with Virginia Tech expert Murat Kantarcioglu noting data centers' critical role amid rising cybersecurity risks like potential drone attacks. • This development underscores tensions between tech expansion and environmental concerns in the US, potentially influencing future data center approvals nationwide.

What happened on board, and are vapes considered a fire risk on flights? Here’s what you need to knowGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was met by firefighters after landing on Sunday afternoon, after smoke was seen coming from a vape on board.The pilots of Virgin Australia flight VA328 issued a “pan” call after a vape activated in the cabin during descent, with smoke seen coming from the device. Continue reading...

Passenger on Flight VA 328 alerted the crew who responded by ‘containing the device’ before plane landedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was met by firefighters after smoke was seen coming from a vape on board.Flight VA 328 landed safely and all passengers disembarked normally after a vape “activated” in the cabin shortly before landing at about 4pm on Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, Melbourne airport said. Continue reading...

• Virginia's 2026 General Assembly session ended Saturday without passing a state budget, prompting lawmakers to schedule a special session on April 23 amid ongoing affordability debates. • Key bipartisan achievements included raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028, protecting contraception access, extending back rent payment periods before eviction, closing the firearm 'boyfriend loophole,' and prohibiting federal immigration enforcement at courthouses. • Governor Abigail Spanberger faces complex bills on marijuana legalization, skill games, and casino regulations, potentially requiring stakeholder engagement through June; disagreements persist on data center tax exemptions and collective bargaining for public employees.

• Governor Abigail Spanberger praised the 2026 General Assembly's passage of bills reducing heating costs (HB2, SB72), establishing a Weatherization Task Force (HB3, SB5), empowering localities on affordable housing (HB4), and improving renter protections (HB15, SB48). • Additional successes include eliminating healthcare premium fees (HB220, SB630), promoting portable solar systems (HB395, SB250), optimizing grid utilization (HB434, SB621), expanding the Eviction Reduction Program (HB527, SB628), limiting prior authorizations (HB736), and boosting healthcare workforce access (HB815, SB405). • Further measures allow communities to adopt affordable housing programs (HB867, SB74), improve power forecasting (HB892), and increase energy storage deployment (HB895, SB448) to lower costs for Virginians.

• Lawmakers cut severance taxes on metallurgical coal and attempted similar for natural gas, prioritizing fossil fuel industries amid energy cost hikes. • They passed data center rules maintaining developer secrecy but requiring water use disclosures to affected landowners. • These moves support AG Morrisey's $300M Hope Scholarship while diverting public school funds, sparking education debates.

• Virginia lawmakers passed a bill legalizing recreational cannabis sales for adults 21+ from January 1, 2027, authorizing up to 350 retail stores by 2028. • The framework prioritizes licenses for residents from disproportionately policed areas, veterans, and distressed farmers, with a 6% state tax plus local add-ons up to 3.5%. • This aligns Virginia with eastern states' tax models, potentially generating revenue while promoting equity in licensing.

• West Virginia Senate on March 14, 2026, passed Senate Bill 947 providing free certified birth certificates to homeless individuals under 18, waiving fees up to $12. • Senate Bill 906 allows prescription, distribution, and marketing of federally approved psilocybin-based medications, reclassifying from Schedule I status. • Bills advance women's collegiate sports via endowments at NCAA Division I public universities under Senate Bill 502.

Muhammad Baylor Jalo, a former Virginia Army National Guard member with prior ISIS material support conviction, opened fire on ROTC students at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, killing one instructor and wounding two others before dying. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism linked to the shooter targeting military trainees. Federal agents brace for additional threats amid rising tensions from the Iran conflict and related attacks. Law enforcement heightened alerts nationwide following multiple domestic incidents.