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OperaReviewRoyal Opera House, London The rising star, in her first major Verdi role, gives a tour de force of glorious singing in an otherwise unfocused production which struggles with character and dramatic intensity This is the fourth time that Nicholas Hytner’s staging of Verdi’s sprawling masterpiece, first seen in 2008, has been revived. As before, it’s the final version of Don Carlo that’s being performed – in five acts, and sung in Italian – and in most respects it is a routine revival.

Jessica Valenti columnWomen This article is more than 9 years oldIs women's visible pubic hair really so shocking that it must be censored?This article is more than 9 years oldJessica ValentiNow that more women aren’t depilating, we see depictions of what naturally happens when women don’t shave banned from view Shaved, trimmed, left alone, waxed out of existence or Vajazzled, we are both fascinated and utterly repelled by what women do and don’t do with their hair “down there”.

NSW oyster farmer Bernie Connell with Jack, his contender for the title of world’s largest oyster. Photograph: Laurelle Pacey/Narooma Oyster FestivalNSW oyster farmer Bernie Connell with Jack, his contender for the title of world’s largest oyster. Photograph: Laurelle Pacey/Narooma Oyster FestivalWorld records This article is more than 5 years oldJack the champion 2kg oyster set to break world recordThis article is more than 5 years oldThe ‘Usain Bolt’ of molluscs is expected to smash current record held by 1.

Activists and campaigners on an animal rights march in central London. But where do they stand on palm oil? Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/BarcroftActivists and campaigners on an animal rights march in central London. But where do they stand on palm oil? Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/BarcroftThe palm oil debateGuardian sustainable businessThe ubiquitous vegetable oil is plant-based so fits with a vegan diet, but its production can harm rainforests and biodiversity As marketing slogans go, NotFrom.

Michael Shannon: ‘I guess there’s something uneasy about me. I’m definitely in touch with uneasiness.’ Photograph: Mike Pont/WireImageMichael Shannon: ‘I guess there’s something uneasy about me. I’m definitely in touch with uneasiness.’ Photograph: Mike Pont/WireImageMichael ShannonInterviewMichael Shannon: ‘Actors are just models nowadays. Going to the Oscars is like going to the prom’Xan BrooksThe Kentucky actor has played cracked saints, remorseless mafiosi and tragic monsters. Now he’s bringing his brand of ‘all-American madness’ to sci-fi thriller Midnight Special At the end of the day, the walls begin closing in.

Bernie Sanders This article is more than 2 years oldCrochet artist turns viral Bernie Sanders image into a doll that sells for $20,000This article is more than 2 years old‘I really hope he thinks this is something cool,’ said Tobey King, who made the doll and plans to donate the proceeds to charity Bernie Sanders is widely beloved for his crotchety public demeanour, making it fitting that a crocheted doll of the 79-year-old Vermont senator – wearing chunky mittens and hunched cross-legged against the cold at Joe Biden’s inauguration last week – added no less than $20,300 to charitable efforts featuring the much-memed image.

Newtown shooting This article is more than 11 years oldNewtown gunman Adam Lanza's father claims body from funeral homeThis article is more than 11 years oldWeeks after mass shooting, Peter Lanza takes his son's body for private burial as Obama steps up pressure on gun controlThe body of a gunman who killed 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school has been claimed by his father, a spokesman for the family said Monday.

US news This article is more than 15 years oldTexas defies Hague and executes José MedellínThis article is more than 15 years oldMexican man at centre of international legal dispute is executed in Texas for rape and murder in 1993A Mexican man at the centre of an international legal dispute has been executed in Texas for the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in 1993. While protestors both for and against the death penalty demonstrated outside the Huntsville Unit near Houston last night, José Medellín, 33, died after being given a lethal injection.

The ObserverCrimeLast October, detectives were called to investigate the death of a woman under a London tube train. But as they traced her final moments, they discovered that she was, in fact, David Burgess, one of the most brilliant immigration lawyers of his generation. Here, Burgess's family and friends tell, for the first time, the complicated story of the loving father, brilliant colleague, sensitive woman and courageous person they knewOn an autumn evening last October, a slight, pretty woman with a mass of curly hair fell underneath a tube train during rush hour at King's Cross underground station.