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The UK hospitality sector is reeling from a triple whammy of rising costs, including increased minimum wage, business rates, and energy prices. This has put immense pressure on businesses, particularly pubs and hotels, to maintain profitability.Nick Evans, co-owner of the Old Crown Coaching Inn in Oxfordshire, exemplifies the struggles faced by many in the industry. Despite a rich history dating back to 1645, Evans is finding it challenging to make ends meet. The pub's annual revenue stands at £1.4m, but rising costs, including a £350,000 wage bill and £80,000 energy bill, are eating into profits.The latest blow to the industry came on April 1, with increases in the minimum wage and business rates. Evans notes that the wage bill will rise to nearly £370,000, and the business rates increase will add another £24,000 to the bill. This comes on top of surging energy prices due to the Iran crisis, which will further exacerbate the cost burden.Evans argues that the national insurance change is misogynistic, as it disincentivizes employers from hiring part-time workers, often mothers seeking extra income. He also believes that the minimum wage increase will price young people out of the market, as employers may opt to hire adults for a pound more.Kate Nicholls, chair of UK Hospitality, warns that one in five businesses fear they may not survive the next 12 months. She emphasizes that the sector cannot absorb any more cost increases, and hikes will simply be passed through to consumers, driving inflation and hitting jobs.For now, Evans and his co-owner, Mike Webb, are seeking a more lenient payment plan for their VAT bill from HMRC. As Evans says, 'It’s tough, tough, tough.' The future of many hospitality businesses hangs in the balance as they struggle to navigate these unprecedented challenges.

Arthur Rosenfeld, 73, and Meryl Tankard, 70, open the performance by introducing themselves as “sprightly old geezers,” setting a tone of candid humor that runs through the evening. The production, ‘Kontakthof – Echoes of 78,’ is a fresh staging of Pina Bausch’s iconic 1978 work, now re‑imagined by Australian choreographer Meryl Tankard. Unlike the 2010 London run that split the piece between teenagers and senior amateurs, this rendition features the eight surviving members of the original cast—all now in their late sixties to early eighties—performing the very roles they created half a century ago. A ninth dancer was absent due to illness. Their live movements are mirrored on a large screen by the black‑and‑white film of the 1978 performance, creating a visual palimpsest where past and present dance together. The choreography, set to 1930s dance‑hall songs, remains a wry commentary on courtship, power dynamics and consent. Tankard’s direction emphasizes the passage of time, allowing audiences to witness the same steps executed by bodies that have aged, yet retain a striking vitality. Dancers such as Josephine Ann Endicott, now in her seventies, glide across the stage in silk dresses, their frames more fragile but their confidence undiminished. Moments of poignancy arise when the film shows cast members who have since passed away. Onstage, John Giffin reaches for his late partner’s face, only to grasp empty air—a visual metaphor for loss that resonated deeply with the audience. Personal revelations punctuate the performance: Beatrice Libonati, 71, describes herself as “paranoid and a misanthrope,” while Tankard admits, “I wish I’d had children; I miss my mother every day,” underscoring the undercurrent of longing that runs through the piece. Beyond its narrative, the production offers a meditation on continuity. Bausch’s signature walking patterns—slow circles and linear traverses—are repeated, suggesting that despite changing bodies, the human species continues to tread familiar social routes. The music, unchanged from the original, carries on until the final dancer pauses, symbolising the inevitable end of the dance of life. The show runs at Sadler’s Wells, London through 11 April, offering a rare glimpse into how art can bridge generations and celebrate the endurance of the human spirit.

Mariam Sabbah, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl, lost her arm in an Israeli missile attack on Gaza and has arrived in the UK for specialist treatment. She was accompanied by her mother, Fatma Salman, and two brothers at Heathrow airport.The family was met with a warm welcome, including gifts, balloons, and bouquets. Mariam's arm was amputated after a missile tore through her family's home in Deir al-Balah. Her family had initially hoped to go to the US for treatment but was unable to due to visa restrictions.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 11,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza, with an estimated 18,500 more in need of urgent care. The UK government had announced a medical evacuation scheme last year, which led to the arrival of Mariam and her family in the UK for privately funded specialized treatment.Aid organizations have called on the UK government to increase efforts to help evacuate critically ill and injured children from Gaza. The WHO announced on Monday that it would suspend medical evacuations after a contracted worker was killed.Mosab Nasser, co-founder of FAJR Global, stated that more lives would be lost due to the WHO's decision. The UK government scheme relies on the WHO to provide a list of patients identified as priority cases by medical specialists in Gaza.Campaigners have expressed concerns that without urgent action, more preventable illness and deaths will occur. Since October 2023, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have assisted the most number of patients medically evacuated from Gaza.

Arsenal bounced back from their recent domestic struggles to secure a vital 1-0 win against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarterfinals. Kai Havertz scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, capitalizing on a superb pass from Gabriel Martinelli to beat the offside trap and slot past Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva.The Gunners arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium reeling from successive defeats to Manchester City in the League Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Despite a lackluster performance, Arsenal's resilience and Havertz's clinical finish earned them a crucial victory.Mikel Arteta's side will be favorites to advance to the semifinals in the second leg at home on April 15. However, they will need to significantly improve their form to win the tournament for the first time. Arsenal's Premier League title hopes remain strong, with the team sitting nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City.Sporting Lisbon, seeking their first Champions League semifinal spot since 1983, were unable to capitalize on their 17-game home winning streak. The hosts created several chances, including a fierce strike from Maxi Araujo that David Raya tipped onto the crossbar and a low drive from Geny Catamo that Raya smothered.Arsenal's injury-hit squad was still without several key players, including Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka. However, the team's depth and Arteta's tactical acumen ultimately paid off, as they secured a hard-fought win in Lisbon.

Vicky López, now 19 years, 8 months and 12 days old, has already etched her name in Barcelona’s history books, featuring in over 120 matches and netting 32 goals for the club.She joined Barcelona in July 2022 at just 16, making her first‑team debut under manager Jonatan Giráldez and instantly setting a series of age‑related records – the youngest player ever to appear at Camp Nou, in the Champions League and in an el clásico. The following campaign she became the club’s youngest scorer in that iconic derby.This season López has featured in 36 games, contributing 10 goals, a tally that already matches her previous year’s output. Barcelona need a maximum of three points from their remaining five Liga F fixtures to clinch a fourth league title – which would also be López’s 11th trophy with the club – while simultaneously preparing for a Champions League semi‑final against Bayern Munich.Despite being a senior figure, López admits younger teammates such as Clara Serrajordi and Aïcha Cámara often turn to her for guidance, though she defers more complex advice to veterans Alexia Putellas and Patri Guijarro.Putellas, the two‑time Ballon d’Or winner, praised López last summer, saying, “I see myself reflected in her – her passion, drive to win and endless ambition.”López’s rise is underscored by personal tragedy; her mother succumbed to a brain tumour in 2018 when López was 11. She honors her mother after every goal, pointing skyward, a ritual that mirrors Putellas’ own tribute to her late father.After a season with Madrid CFF, where she became Liga F’s youngest ever player, Barcelona secured López on a five‑year deal. She continues to dedicate each goal to her mother’s memory.In her debut campaign at Barcelona she logged 13 appearances and scored two goals. “I never imagined playing so many matches in my first year,” she recalled, thanking Giráldez for the trust he placed in her.Initially shy, López admitted, “I wasn’t fully myself in the first training sessions, but it was a dream to train with the world’s best.”She believes the blend of youthful exuberance and veteran experience is Barcelona’s greatest asset: “I bring joy, youth and playfulness,” she said, emphasizing the importance of a balanced squad.Often likened to male prodigy Lamine Yamal, López and Yamal both sport the number 19 and light up the wing with their creativity.On the international stage, López earned her first senior cap at 17 in the Nations League and featured in Spain’s 2025 European Championship final against England. The only time she missed a national‑team camp was in May 2024, when she sat her “selectividad” exams.Looking ahead, López acknowledges she will soon carry the mantle as Barcelona transitions away from legends like Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí. “I’m still working to become the player I aspire to be, but above all I enjoy playing football and spreading happiness to fans,” she affirmed.

Judith Rapoport, a leading child psychiatrist, passed away at 92, leaving a legacy defined by her groundbreaking work on obsessive‑compulsive disorder (OCD). Her 1989 book, The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing, translated into more than twenty languages, presented complex research in a clear, jargon‑free style that resonated with a broad audience. OCD is characterized by compulsive rituals—re‑tying shoelaces, repeatedly checking switches, or incessant hand‑washing—that can dominate a person’s daily life. Before Rapoport’s book, many sufferers concealed their symptoms out of shame, unaware that they were not alone. Rapoport’s research demonstrated that OCD has a neurological foundation and may affect up to 2% of the population, challenging prevailing beliefs that it stemmed from overly strict parenting. She proved that the disorder can be hereditary and responsive to medication. In a pivotal 1989 double‑blind trial, she showed that the antidepressant clomipramine significantly reduced OCD symptoms, prompting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve its use for the condition—a landmark moment in psychiatric treatment. Patients and colleagues credit her work with reducing stigma. "Reading Rapoport’s book washed away my shame," recalled Charles Gentz, who lives with OCD, while Professor Gabrielle Shapiro of the Icahn School of Medicine noted that the book “reduced the stigma for these people.” Rapoport herself reflected, “If my work alleviated just part of their pain, then it was not wasted time.” Born in New York City to a schoolteacher mother and a businessman father, she grew up with a literary lineage—her grandfather translated Ibsen into Yiddish. She excelled academically, graduating magna cum laude from Swarthmore College in 1955** and earning her medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1959, where she met her husband, Stanley Rapoport. After early positions at Mount Sinai and the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, she and her husband secured fellowships in Sweden, conducting research at Uppsala University and the Karolinska Institute on women seeking abortions abroad. Returning to the United States, Rapoport joined the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in 1976. There she led the institute’s child psychiatry branch from 1984, steering American psychiatry away from Freudian models toward a **biology‑focused** approach. Beyond OCD, she made significant contributions to the understanding of attention‑deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and childhood schizophrenia. Her 1978 study revealed that amphetamine improved concentration in both hyperactive and control children, contradicting the notion that stimulants only calm hyperactivity. Using MRI, she showed that childhood schizophrenia is progressive, involving loss of brain matter—a finding that shifted the focus from parenting to neurobiology. Rapoport’s expertise reached mainstream audiences through appearances on shows hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Larry King, further amplifying her message. By the time she retired in 2017, she had authored over 300 scientific papers, several books, and earned prestigious honors, including fellowship in the Institute of Medicine (1991) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2000). Colleague Gabrielle Shapiro described her as “a pioneer who turned child psychiatry into a modern, evidence‑based discipline.” Outside the laboratory, she enjoyed music, theatre, hiking, and gardening. She is survived by her husband, two sons, and four grandsons.

On Halloween night in 2022, the 33‑year‑old Los Angeles‑based musician Angelo De Augustine collapsed at home, experiencing a cascade of sensory failures that left him unable to see, hear or move properly. Family members rushed him to the hospital, where doctors ran extensive tests but could not pinpoint a diagnosis, ultimately sending him home with a warning to return only if he became completely deaf or blind. Faced with a semi‑incapacitated body, De Augustine’s sole focus became completing the album he had been crafting for the previous year, Toil and Trouble. He admits he believed he might not survive the illness, yet he pushed through the pain, hoping to finish the record before his presumed death. De Augustine’s career had been gaining momentum. After his 2014 debut Spirals of Silence, he joined Sufjan Stevens’ label Asthmatic Kitty for 2017’s Swim Inside the Moon and later co‑produced the acclaimed 2021 collaboration A Beginner’s Mind. A 2019 track, “Time,” from the album Tomb, amassed over 31 million streams after featuring in Zach Braff’s film A Good Person, but the artist was too ill to capitalize on its success. Recovery was gradual and arduous. Over three years De Augustine relearned basic functions—walking, speaking, hearing, and playing instruments. Those challenges informed his newest work, Angel in Plainclothes, an album that contemplates mortality and the fleeting nature of life through ethereal soundscapes. Musically, the record draws on influences ranging from Nick Drake’s wistfulness to early Paul Simon’s lyricism. Tracks such as “Spirit of the Unknown” celebrate simple joys, while the lead single “Mirror Mirror” uses a reflective metaphor to describe his feeling of being a ghost watching life from the sidelines. He records from a studio he calls “A Secret Place,” emphasizing the intimate, introspective tone of the project. Recent research, De Augustine notes, suggests that chronic stress can overload the central nervous system, causing the body to shut down—a possible explanation for his 2022 episode. He points to the relentless pressures of the music industry as a likely source of that prolonged anxiety. Born to musical parents—his mother Wendy Fraser sang on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack—De Augustine originally pursued soccer before injuries redirected him toward music. Largely self‑taught, he began writing original material without formal lessons, a factor he believes gives his songs a distinctive edge. During his convalescence he moved back in with his mother, unable even to prepare meals. A breakthrough came when he discovered that immersion in water alleviated his symptoms, prompting a deeper awareness of his stress levels. A disciplined regimen of physical and mental exercises helped rewire his nervous system, gradually restoring his ability to play guitar and sing. When his health permitted, De Augustine returned to the studio, this time enlisting collaborators such as string arranger Oliver Hill, harpist Leng Bian, producer Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), and his mother on percussion. Drummer Jonathan Wilson contributed drums and offered his Topanga Canyon studio for the track “The Cure,” a song that likens illness to addiction. The album’s sonic palette is enriched by antique instruments—a bowed psaltery, aquarion, Marxophone, bass recorder, train whistle, 1960s German guitaret, miniature accordion, and a 1990s synthesiser version of a Japanese koto harp—underscoring De Augustine’s penchant for unconventional textures. After a five‑year hiatus from live performance, he returned to the stage last year, describing the experience as “amazing” despite its challenges. Though he acknowledges he is not yet fully healed, he feels he is emerging as a blend of his former self and a newly humbled individual who no longer takes life for granted. Reflecting on his journey, De Augustine says, “For so long my only focus was to be a great songwriter, and perhaps I paid the price for that. Now I’m trying to live a good life rather than chase outcomes.” Angel in Plainclothes was released via Asthmatic Kitty on 24 April, offering listeners a glimpse into his renewed perspective and artistic resilience.

Rohan Dennis took to Instagram on Monday night to condemn what he called a "false narrative" spun by the press following the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins, in a car accident near their Adelaide home. In his post, the former world‑time‑trial champion wrote that the media wanted to portray him as "the husband who abused his wife," a characterization he vehemently denies. In May 2025, Dennis received a 17‑month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to an aggravated act likely to cause harm. He was not held criminally responsible for Hoskins' death, but the court imposed a $100 fine, a two‑year good‑behaviour bond, and a five‑year licence suspension. Earlier this year, Dennis sparked further controversy by posting a photo of a black Porsche with the caption "What an absolute weapon," prompting South Australia’s victims’ rights commissioner, Sarah Quick, to label the post "deeply offensive." He later shared a picture of his two children, calling them "two absolute weapons," which intensified media scrutiny. Denning’s Instagram statements accuse journalists of harassing his family, claiming they asked him if he was a murderer and how he felt "knowing he killed his children’s mother." He asserted, "I have ALWAYS been against any sort of abuse against women, especially the one who gave birth to my children." During sentencing, Judge Ian Press emphasized that Dennis was not charged with causing Hoskins' death, noting that she "held on to the car as you accelerated" before falling. The judge’s remarks underscored the legal distinction between the aggravated act and the fatal outcome. Denis’s career highlights include two world titles in the road time trial, a silver medal in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics, and a bronze in the road time trial at the Tokyo Games. Hoskins herself was a two‑time Olympian, competing in the team pursuit in 2012 and 2016 and contributing to Australia’s 2015 world‑title squad. By calling the coverage "pathetic journalism" and urging media outlets to "back off and leave my family alone," Dennis seeks to shift public focus from the tragedy to what he perceives as sensationalist reporting.

François Ozon's The Stranger is a lustrously beautiful and superbly realised modern take on Albert Camus's classic novella L'Etranger. Set in 1940s French Algeria, the film follows the story of Meursault, a sensitive white European who commits a racist act under the unbearable noonday sun.The film, shot in Morocco, boasts an almost supernaturally detailed sense of period and place. Ozon's adaptation brings a contemporary perspective to the book's themes of empire and race, making changes that include a critique of the original text. This approach perhaps loses some of the source material's brutal, heartless power and arguably some of the title's meaning.Meursault, played by Benjamin Voisin, is portrayed as a character with an unreadable expression of listless unconcern. His story unfolds through flashbacks, showing his dull office job in Algiers, his blank reaction to his mother's death, and his relationship with Marie, played by Rebecca Marder.The film's climax features Meursault's fatal encounter with the vengeful brother of Raymond's girlfriend, Djemila. When asked for a motive, Meursault simply says: “C’était à cause du soleil” – “It was because of the sun”. This response highlights the absurdity of the situation and the racist undertones of the act.Ozon's adaptation softens the argument presented in Camus's original work, and Meursault is ultimately condemned to death. The film emerges as a passionate act of ancestor worship in honour of a renowned French artwork, while also critiquing the original text and its representation of imperialism.