A problem even larger than Gérard Depardieu faces the French government this week. Should President François Hollande intervene to rescue two sick elephants in a Lyon zoo?

Having done his time for his role in the Quins Bloodgate scandal, Richards is enjoying a new lease of life resurrecting Newcastle, as he tells Simon Turnbull

“This is not like one of those Pirandello plays,” mutters Javier Marzan at the end of the first half, shortly after his fellow performers have stormed from the auditorium, “no-one is acting here.”

“I have never found it easy to belong. So much repels,” declares Alan Bennett (uncannily well- played by Alex Jennings) towards the close of the first in this delectable double-bill of short autobiographical pieces. “Hymns help. They blur.”

Fifa refuse to ratify Lionel Messi's goalscoring record amid challenges from Brazil and Zambia

The Royal Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker has a richly traditional air. Snow lies thick on the steeply-pitched roofs of a German town. Christmas tree fairies gleam with gilding, while the tree itself soars upwards, growing magically to Tchaikovsky’s irresistible score.

More and more talented graduates are choosing to teach maths and fulfilling their ambition of securing a rewarding and challenging career

It’s usually taken as axiomatic that while pianists reach their technical peak at twenty, they need much longer to hone their artistry, and one of the merits of the Southbank’s current International Piano Series is that it’s allowing us to test this view against reality.

Alien Investigation, Sun, Channel 4 // Solar Mamas, Sun, BBC4

The Hour actor talks creative discipline, forgetting his lines and dressing up

'How many people do you need to write a banner? Just one. Then two holding it,' says Chelsea's new manager

Cecilia Bartoli always has a project, and her current one is to resurrect the work of Agostino Steffani (1654-1728) who combined the roles of spy, singer, bishop, and opera composer.

The news that MP Nadine Dorries is entering the I'm a Celebrity jungle has ruffled some political feathers

The billionaire tycoon and Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis yesterday expanded his reach into TV and film production as he shook up the board of DCD Media.