A new Bar Car christened ‘3674’ is unveiled aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. ‘3674’s’ new interiors feature vibrant blues and golds, reflecting the iconic livery of the historic carriages and patterns inspired by the train’s marquetry. ‘3674’ is the social hub of the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and the scene of many a celebration from romantic proposals to milestone anniversaries and birthdays. …

THIS is a hotel with so many elements of surprise it just keeps giving and giving. From the heaving and buzzy bar to a smartypants and elegant library bar to an hypoxic gym and a theatrette, the Ham Yard hotel is a self-contained community right in the middle of what is the coolest part of London: Soho. But the one …

While the Moveo VR machine, first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, was the flashiest part of Krush’s installation at SXSW, it was used to draw people to the company’s new emotion-reading apps (Credit: Michael Franco/Gizmag). View gallery (2 images) If you wander into the installation at SXSW sponsored by software developer Krush, you’ll be immediately taken …

  Study found that Nordic countries are among the most literate in the world, but countries in the Western Hemisphere didn’t do well. Corbis (Correction: Central Connecticut State University has released a corrected version of the rankings. The US moves up from 11th to 7th.) A new world ranking of countries and their literacy rates puts the United States at 7th. …

Club Med has unveiled the latest development to the Club Med Punta Cana resort with a new Zen Oasis area, which has “been designed with serenity in mind and is reserved for adult guests only”. Sophisticated and stylish, the Zen Oasis area is located within the resort focusing exclusively on adults and couples looking for rest, relaxation and wellbeing. Concealed …

No one likes to think that their success has at least as much to do with their parents forking out as it does their own hard work Eton College, Berkshire. Photograph: Corbis Ihave lived in Britain – mainly on, sometimes off – for 25 years, but there are still two things about this country I don’t understand. Number one: why …

The app calculates a quotation based on students’ preferences for study, accommodation and extra-curricular activities. Photo: David Blackie Beckie graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in Japanese, during which she lived in Kyoto for a year. She can often be found debating feminism, politics and the media or looking for the best gin cocktails in London. She’s …

The government has passed legislation that will turn ‘inadequate’ schools into academies The Education and Adoption Bill, which will force all schools deemed to be “failing” to be turned into academies, completed its passage through Parliament last night. It will become law “as soon as possible” once it receives royal assent, the Department for Education has said. But what is …

Six language schools in Australia, Malta, France and Germany have become new members of the International Association of Language Centres this month, bringing the total membership to 158 schools. BELS in Malta and Gozo is one of the schools which has recently become a member of IALC. Photo: The PIE News. Natalie is a journalism graduate from City University London, who …

The longer this accreditation process drags on, the more it is going to be a real problem, warns union leader Well over half of the new GCSE, AS and A-level qualifications being introduced in September have still not been officially approved, just 18 school weeks before they are due to be taught, TES can reveal. Figures from exams watchdog Ofqual …