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Photographer Alexander Meininger was inspired to create Playrise after seeing the destruction caused by the Ukraine war. He realized that children in disaster zones needed play equipment to help them cope with their situations. Meininger teamed up with UK architect firm OMMX and engineers Webb Yates to develop a prototype of modular play equipment. The Playrise prototype consists of iroko hardwood beams and planks fixed with metal bolts, which can be customized with add-ons like ropes, monkey bars, and basketball hoops. This system allows for easy reconfiguration to meet the needs of different locations and users. Research has shown that play is vital for child development, fostering motor skills, cooperation, teamwork, and social skills like sharing and communication. However, with close to 50 million children living in forced displacement globally, access to such opportunities is limited. The first Playrise set is set to be deployed to the Aysaita refugee camp in Ethiopia, where some children have lived their entire lives in the desert encampment. The equipment is designed to be easily assembled by the children themselves, providing them with hands-on experience with building and construction. Meininger's goal with Playrise is to scale the project and ensure that the play sets are available when needed by NGOs and young people. He emphasizes the importance of not imposing a Western perspective on what children should do but rather understanding that all children want to thrive and play, regardless of their circumstances.

Lonely lives, falling between the gaps, are at the heart of this 1935 psychological thriller by Rodney Ackland, adapted from Hugh Walpole's novel. It's an atmospheric period piece, but isn't entirely a stretch to reflect on our own concerns about solitude in an ageing population.The three ladies in an English cathedral town are without partners, families or much of an income. They eke out their genteel poverty in a rickety boarding house. They weren't raised to work; Miss Beringer, in desperate need of a job, can only imagine becoming a paid companion or, possibly, flower arranging.In Brigid Larmour's finely etched production, irritable passions ferment beneath the frowsty knits and beads. The characters are prey to spite and greed, nerves and night terrors. Voices are tremulous; eyes glance at a fearful future.Beringer is the new lodger: Catherine Cusack, whittled by anxiety, timidly nibbles on a scallop-edged biscuit. She is welcomed by Julia Watson's Mrs Amorest, flustered but keeping up appearances. Down to her last £10, she writes into the void to a long-absent son.The third lady is Agatha. Fruitily overblown in the novel, that's how Edith Evans played her in 1935. Abigail Thaw makes her disconcertingly eccentric: forbidding in jet black, she mocks and snaps at quivering Miss Beringer. She covets Beringer's one cherished possession – a translucent chunk of amber from a beloved female friend.It's a play of cross-hatched conversations and melodramatic plotting. Larmour's design team help turn the screw: the dank-toned house and clothes in tones of moth and cobweb, a bitter wind blowing.Ackland's plays about rackety lives are increasingly revived. He, Walpole and John Gielgud, the play's original director, were all queer artists, and it's tempting to imagine them drawn to these lives on the margins of British society. Though these ladies don't so much rage against the dying of the light as wait, fearfully, to be snuffed out.

The United Kingdom's prohibition on single-use vapes, implemented last June as part of efforts to address environmental concerns and curb youth vaping, is showing mixed results. 5.4 million adults in Great Britain now vape daily or occasionally, according to official figures, making these devices an inescapable part of modern British life.The ban, which carries penalties including fines up to £200 for initial violations and potential jail time for repeat offenders, was designed to tackle two significant issues: the environmental impact of millions of plastic devices with lithium-ion batteries ending up in landfills, and the rising popularity of vaping among young people.Recent data from the recycling campaign group Material Focus indicates that 6.3 million vapes and pods are still being discarded weekly, representing a nearly 25% decrease since the ban's implementation. While this suggests some impact, waste management companies report that the devices remain a major problem, with their batteries frequently causing fires in disposal facilities."It is quite a small reduction, really," said Sarah Marsh, the Guardian's consumer affairs correspondent and former vaper. "What we are hearing from Biffa and other waste companies is that they still have a massive problem with the waste, and that has not really changed. There are still fires and people still dump rechargeable vapes and the pods."Waste companies emphasize that the ban has not adequately addressed their concerns, noting that rechargeable vapes remain too inexpensive and appear disposable to many users. The lack of sufficient effort toward changing consumer behavior has limited the ban's effectiveness."If you introduce a ban like this but you don't put the support in place to achieve your goals, like making it easy for people to recycle, the ban isn't necessarily going to work," Marsh explained. "A ban in isolation is ineffective."The environmental challenges persist alongside concerns about youth vaping. The World Health Organization has warned that e-cigarettes are driving a new wave of nicotine use among children, who are nine times more likely than adults to vape. At least 15 million children vape globally according to WHO figures.While the UK government is conducting a large-scale study on vaping's impact on children, with a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds having tried vaping, there is not yet clear evidence on whether the disposable vape ban has affected youth usage patterns."In short, disposables have driven the surge in youth vaping, and banning them should bring numbers down, but it won't fix everything," Marsh noted. "Big tobacco companies are already set up to adapt fast and keep the next generation using nicotine. It won't be easy."Waste management companies are calling for more comprehensive solutions, including potential deposit reward schemes and changes to vape design and pricing that would discourage disposal. The UK government maintains that the ban was necessary to address the environmental blight and youth nicotine addiction caused by single-use vapes.

Harrods has faced criticism over its decision to close a compensation scheme for survivors of alleged sexual abuse by the luxury department store's former owner Mohamed Al Fayed. The scheme was set up in March last year and was due to close on March 31 this year.Kingsley Hayes, partner at KP Law, which is representing nearly 280 survivors, questioned why the scheme was being closed before Harrods had completed an internal investigation into what happened and who knew about it. Hayes stated that the decision appears to be driven by financial considerations rather than what is fair and appropriate for survivors.The scheme provided an alternative resolution for survivors who did not wish to pursue litigation, offering general damages of up to £200,000 and a work impact payment of up to £150,000 as well as payments for 'wrongful testing' and treatment costs. Harrods said more than 220 people had now engaged with the redress scheme, which it said had been designed in consultation with specialist barristers, survivors and their legal representatives.Harrods' decision to close the scheme has been criticized as 'neither fair nor just', with Hayes calling on Harrods to 'do the honourable thing' and delay the closure of the redress scheme and commit to publishing the findings of its long overdue internal investigation into what happened and who knew. Survivors are being asked to make life-altering decisions without access to the full picture.The Metropolitan police said last year that 111 women had made allegations against Fayed; the youngest is thought to have been 13 at the time. Harrods 'apologises unreservedly' for the sexual abuse survivors suffered and 'wants everyone who is eligible to receive this compensation'. A spokesperson for Harrods said the company 'recognises the remarkable bravery of survivors who come forward and continue to shed further light on this dark chapter to our history'.

The Bank of England's initiative to feature nature on future banknotes has sparked a call to include flora and fungi in the designs, rather than just animals. This would better represent the natural world and highlight the crucial role these species play in sustaining life.The article in The Guardian notes that plants and fungi form the essential fabric of ecosystems, shaping landscapes, sustaining animals, birds, and insects, and supporting environmental health. By featuring them on banknotes, the Bank of England can bring attention to their immense value and inspire a deeper public appreciation for the living systems that sustain us.Nicola Hutchinson, Chief Executive of Plantlife International, emphasizes that celebrating plants and fungi on banknotes would recognize their vital importance and promote a greater understanding of the natural world. This move would be a significant step towards acknowledging the often-overlooked foundations of ecosystems.

The poignant statement 'We can insure the ship, but we cannot insure a human life' brings to light the stark reality of insurance limitations. This phrase, often attributed to maritime contexts, emphasizes the disparity in how financial protection is offered to vessels versus human lives. In the realm of maritime insurance, ships and cargo can be insured against a variety of risks, including accidents, natural disasters, and theft. However, when it comes to human lives, the concept of insurance takes on a different form. Life insurance and health insurance are designed to provide financial protection to dependents in the event of a person's death or illness, but these policies have their own set of limitations and exclusions. The inability to insure a human life in the same way as a ship or property highlights the intrinsic value placed on human existence and the complexities of quantifying human life in monetary terms. This philosophical and practical distinction raises questions about the nature of value and protection in our society. As we reflect on this statement, it becomes clear that the true value of human life lies not in its monetary worth but in its inherent dignity and the impact individuals have on those around them. While insurance can provide financial security, it cannot replace the irreplaceable nature of human life.

Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, has become a hub for diplomatic activity as key regional powers converge to address the escalating conflict between the US and Iran. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud have arrived for talks with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. The meetings aim to bring an end to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its 30th day and caused a global energy crisis. The conflict has led to a significant increase in tensions in the Middle East, with 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been choked by Iran. Pakistan is walking a diplomatic tightrope, with close defense ties to Saudi Arabia and cultural ties to Iran. The country is also home to the second-largest Shia population in the world after Iran. Analysts describe Pakistan's role as a 'very delicate balancing act' as it tries to bring the Americans and Iranians back to the negotiating table. The diplomatic push is driven by severe economic fears, with millions of Pakistani citizens potentially losing their jobs in the Gulf region if the conflict spreads. The stakes are existential for Islamabad, which risks a major crisis if energy supplies decline. Experts point out that the enormous economic costs borne by the Gulf countries have dropped drastically due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian drone and missile attacks have targeted energy and industrial facilities, forcing petroleum companies to declare force majeure on supply contracts. The Islamabad gathering serves as a foundational step for an 'Islamic alliance' designed to counter the Israeli project in the region, address geopolitical vacuums, and mitigate uncertainties surrounding future US involvement.

Meta's attempt to shift the blame for a young user's mental health issues away from its platforms and onto her family and offline social problems has backfired in a landmark social media addiction trial. The company, parent of Facebook and Instagram, employed a aggressive defense strategy that included highlighting the plaintiff's complaints about her mother in her teenage text messages and personal writings.The jurors, however, were not convinced by Meta's arguments and decided 10-2 in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding $4.2m in damages from Meta and $1.8m from co-defendant YouTube. This verdict could set a precedent for thousands of similar trials already in the works against social media companies.Meta's defense strategy drew backlash from parental advocates, who argued that the company was attempting to shift the blame away from its own design choices and onto parents and users. "For the biggest tech executives, I want to say something: stop blaming the parents. It's on you," said Julianna Arnold, a co-founder of advocacy group Parents Rise!.The trial's outcome reflects a growing distrust of social media companies and their impact on society. A Pew Research Survey found that around 64% of US adults believe that social media platforms have a negative impact on the country, and around two-thirds of Americans have a negative view of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.The verdict has been celebrated by advocates for reining in big tech, who see it as a significant step towards holding social media companies accountable for their role in shaping societal harms. "This trial was proof that if you put CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg on the stand before a judge and jury of their peers, the tech industry's wanton disregard for people will be on full display," said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed strong support for curbing addictive social media features that target children, stating that the government 'will have to act' to regulate these features. In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Starmer emphasized that these features 'shouldn’t be permitted' and that the government is committed to taking action.The government's education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, also weighed in on the issue, stating that social media platforms are 'designed to keep you there' and that the government will closely examine how to tackle addictive features. The comments come amid a growing debate about the impact of social media on children's mental health and wellbeing.The UK government's consultation on social media regulation has garnered significant attention, with nearly 30,000 parents and children responding to the digital wellbeing consultation. The government is considering a range of options, including a ban on social media for under-16s, which has already been enacted in Australia.The move comes after a US court ruling found Meta and Google liable for a woman's childhood social media addiction, awarding $6m in damages. The companies plan to appeal the decision. The UK government's consultation will also examine the use of addictive algorithms and algorithmically driven content on social media platforms.As part of the consultation, hundreds of UK teenagers will trial social media bans, digital curfews, and time limits on apps as part of a government pilot. The government aims to introduce significant changes to regulate social media and protect children online.