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Lead: A Bold Fusion of Realism and HorrorClaire Fuller returns with Hunger and Thirst, a novel that fuses the gritty texture of social realism with the unsettling atmosphere of gothic horror. Set in 1987, the story follows Ursula, a young woman haunted by the deaths of her mother and a later, more sinister companion, while the narrative oscillates between documentary‑style observation and nightmarish spectacle.Fuller Blends Social Realism with Gothic Horror in 'Hunger and Thirst'The novel opens with Ursula’s traumatic childhood—spending two days trapped in a Moroccan bathroom by her mother’s corpse after a dengue fever death. By sixteen, she drifts through seven children’s homes before landing a postroom job at Winchester School of Art, where she meets the volatile Sue and her boyfriend Vince. Their obsession with horror films like The Shining and The Stepford Wives steers the plot toward a derelict house, the Underwood, where a seance and a reenactment of a past murder blur the line between art and atrocity. Fuller’s prose captures the “porousness” of identity, as characters literally and figuratively inhabit each other’s bodies.Publication Details and PricingPublisher: Fig TreeRelease price: £18.99Publication year: 2026Previous award: Fuller’s 2021 Costa‑winning Unsettled GroundSocial Critique of Thatcher‑Era Care System Through HorrorThe novel uses its horror framework to expose the under‑resourced British care system of the 1980s, a period when Thatcher’s government prioritized nuclear families over community support. Ursula’s movement between children’s homes and a “halfway house” populated by addicts and ex‑prisoners illustrates the systemic neglect that left many youths adrift. By juxtaposing this social critique with visceral horror, Fuller argues that the genre can convey truths about societal failure more starkly than conventional realism.Potential Legacy and Reader ReceptionFuller’s “outrageous aesthetic gamble” may set a new benchmark for literary horror that does not sacrifice social urgency. If readers and critics embrace the novel’s dual narrative—documentary‑style observation paired with gothic terror—it could inspire a wave of fiction that treats horror as a vehicle for political commentary. The book’s blend of “intense feeling” and “intimate portrayal” positions it as a contender for future literary awards and a touchstone for authors exploring the intersection of genre and social critique.

The LeadA friend of mine was recently left in tears after filling up the car she relies on to drive to work. Thanks to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, prices at the pumps have soared. She wasn't sure how her family was going to make it to the next paycheck.It is a personal story and a distressing one, but the big picture is truly obscene. Fossil fuel companies are raking in monstrous, unearned war profits taken from the pockets of people like you, me, my friend, and any of us who fills up a vehicle or pays an energy bill.The War-Profits Bonanza$30m an hour: that's the pure, unearned profits banked by the world's top 100 oil and gas companies in the first month of the conflict in Iran, purely due to the spike in the oil price. Now the first numbers are in, and that $30m may have been a major underestimate.Shell's profit for the first three months of 2026 more than doubled to $6.9bn, as did BP's, to $3.2bn. TotalEnergies profits also surged by more than 50%, up to $5.8bn. Even in the Gulf itself, where the flow of oil through the strait of Hormuz has been heavily restricted, some companies have still flourished. Aramco, the state oil company of Saudi Arabia, saw its profits soar by 26% to $33.6bn in the first quarter.The Financial Impact on ConsumersThose four companies alone, benefiting not just from the oil price hike but also bumper oil-trading profits, made $23m an hour for the whole of January, February and March. And the Iran conflict only started on 28 February.To get some idea of the scale of this, imagine I gave you $6,200. What would you do? Pay off a loan? Book a fancy holiday? A second later, I give you another $6,200; then again, for hours, weeks and months. That is the rate of profit of just those four companies.There is plenty more to come for the industry. Oil and gas supplies will take months to return to prewar levels, and reserves are getting dangerously low. Even if the oil price remains at today's level of about $100 a barrel, those 100 companies will make $234bn by the end of the year. Remember, the companies, and petrostates such as Russia, have done no extra work for this, just ridden a soaring oil price. Also remember, you are paying for this. Where I live in the UK, household energy bills are about to jump by £209 ($280) a year for the average home.The Industry's Climate ObstructionThe profits are extreme, but not new: big oil and gas has been wildly profitable for decades. It has made an average $1tn a year in pure profit for about 50 years. The fossil fuel sector also benefits from explicit subsidies that totalled $1.3tn in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund.These riches have funded the lobbying and campaigns that block climate action and have done so for years, long after the science became crystal clear. As an example of the consequences, the UK's official climate advisers said on Tuesday that all care homes and hospitals will need air conditioning within the coming 10 years, to stop the heat killing people.The Green Transition AccelerationBut here's that silver lining I promised: these peak profits contain the seeds of their own downfall. Sky-high fossil fuel prices are pushing people, companies and nations to supercharge their rush towards green power for the simple reason that it is now cheaper and more reliable. Solar power does not need to transit through the strait of Hormuz, as Bill McKibben has observed.The numbers on the surge in renewable energy deployment, already exponential, are not yet in, but they will almost certainly be huge. Green funds are already attracting billions of dollars in new investments and one consultancy estimates that an oil price of $100 a barrel will drive $4tn of extra green investment by 2030.Big oil remains a formidable political force but, on the ground, people are already voting with their feet. Sales of new electric cars in the UK leapt by 59% in April, for example. The pain and anger of today's energy crisis may yet become a critical turning point in confronting the climate crisis.

English Homes with Lush Party Gardens for Sale The Guardian has featured a selection of homes for sale in England that boast impressive gardens, ideal for hosting parties and outdoor gatherings. Garden Party Havens These properties offer a range of outdoor spaces, from expansive lawns to beautifully landscaped gardens, perfect for entertaining friends and family. The Allure of Outdoor Living With the increasing importance of outdoor living, these homes cater to those seeking to enhance their lifestyle with luxurious garden spaces. Showcasing England's Hidden Gems The featured homes are located across England, offering a glimpse into the country's diverse property market and the opportunity to find a dream home with a stunning garden.

The Lead The Royal Exchange's 50th anniversary season production, 'Even These Things', is a bold attempt to encapsulate the complex history of Manchester. The play explores themes of identity, community, and belonging through three seemingly unrelated scenes. MAPPING MANCHESTER'S HISTORY The play is built from three scenes, each set in a different time period. The first scene is set in 1846 and features a heavily pregnant Irish immigrant, Annie Donovan, who brushes shoulders with Friedrich Engels on her way to a fist fight. The second scene is set in 1996 and describes the city-centre life of an ordinary Saturday, with a community cast playing out whimsical vignettes. The final scene takes place after the IRA bomb outside the Arndale Centre and features a tender exchange between two strangers of Irish heritage. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY The play's cumulative meaning may be tricky to grasp, but as the scenes rub up against each other, what emerges is a thoughtful, rich and complex picture of home. The connections between the scenes are elliptical, but they ultimately reveal a city with a shared history and a strong sense of community. THE FUTURE OF MANCHESTER The play suggests that, however difficult, a future is possible. The final scene's chat about miscarriage and childbirth between two strangers of Irish heritage meeting in the park some months after the attack on an Ariana Grande concert brought the city together, implies that the city can heal and move forward. CONCLUSION 'Even These Things' is a bold and ambitious production that successfully maps Manchester's complex history. The play's themes of identity, community, and belonging are timely and thought-provoking, making it a must-see for anyone interested in theatre and the city of Manchester.

A candid kitchen conversation with Sir Derek Jacobi The Guardian’s interview captures a warm, unguarded moment as Jacobi and his husband, director Richard Clifford, share coffee and stories in their London home. Jacobi, 80, jokes about his looks, admits he never felt “movie‑star material,” and confides that he would love to reach his centenary. Career milestones and personal anecdotes 1970s breakthrough as the stammering Emperor in I, Claudius. Acclaimed stage work including Cyrano de Bergerac (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1980s) and Macbeth at the Barbican (1993). Recent TV roles in Vicious and Last Tango in Halifax. Early life in Leytonstone; rheumatic fever at nine sparked a shift from working‑class roots to a posh accent and ambition. No financial figures – cultural impact takes centre stage The piece contains no monetary data; its value lies in documenting the lived experience of a veteran actor whose voice and presence have shaped British drama for five decades. What Jacobi’s reflections mean for British theatre and aging performers Jacobi’s honesty about age, health (including his AIDS diagnosis) and self‑image highlights the often‑unspoken pressures on older actors. His partnership with Clifford, who directs and designs their home, underscores the importance of supportive creative collaborations in sustaining long‑term artistic careers. Looking ahead: the goal of hitting 100 Jacobi ends on a hopeful note, expressing a desire to “hit 100” and continue contributing to the arts. His story suggests that longevity in performance is as much about personal resilience and community as it is about talent.

The LeadGreenlanders have organized demonstrations against the opening of a new US consulate in Nuuk, the capital of the autonomous Danish territory. The protests highlight growing tensions over foreign presence in the strategically located Arctic island.The Opening of a New Diplomatic MissionThe United States recently established a new consulate in Nuuk, signaling increased diplomatic engagement with Greenland. This move comes amid heightened geopolitical interest in the Arctic region, particularly as ice melt opens new shipping routes and potential resource extraction opportunities. Greenland, while autonomous, remains under Danish sovereignty, though has been seeking greater international recognition and independence.Geopolitical Implications in the ArcticThe protest movement reflects broader concerns about foreign influence in Greenland. The island has become a focal point in strategic competition between global powers, particularly between the United States, China, and Russia. Greenland's strategic location and untapped natural resources make it a valuable asset in the evolving Arctic geopolitics. The demonstrations underscore the sensitivity of foreign diplomatic presence in the territory.Future of Greenland's International RelationsAs Greenland continues to navigate its relationship with Denmark while engaging with other international actors, the protest against the US consulate may signal a shift in how the territory approaches foreign engagement. Greenlanders appear increasingly wary of foreign powers viewing their homeland solely through a strategic lens rather than recognizing their unique cultural and political aspirations. The outcome of this diplomatic standoff could shape Greenland's international relations for years to come.

The Journey of a Reject to Liverpool LegendThere was the Barcelona comeback on the night he ruffled Lionel Messi's hair, the Champions League triumph in Madrid, winning Liverpool's first league title in 30 years and pressing five Manchester City players in one career-defining run at Anfield when 4-1 up. But the best feeling Andy Robertson experienced at Liverpool was "climbing the mountain" with Jürgen Klopp's all-conquering team. Nobody climbed higher or harder.The boy who was rejected by Celtic at 15 and tweeted: "Life at this age is rubbish with no money" after his debut for Queen's Park aged 18 became the man many consider to be Liverpool's finest left-back, and arguably the best in the world at his peak. With 377 fiercely committed appearances in a Liverpool shirt behind him, Robertson will say goodbye on Sunday. The 32-year-old Scotland captain leaves "with no regrets, no bitterness" and "glad that one of our Egyptian friends might take a bit more of the limelight. I can just sneak underneath that."The Climbing of the Mountain Together"We were on the most amazing journey ever, all together," he reflects. "When we started out Mo Salah didn't sign as the best player in the world or the best winger in the world. Virgil van Dijk had the potential to be but wasn't the best centre-back in the world. Alisson wasn't the best goalkeeper in the world. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] wasn't the best right-back in the world. Hendo [Jordan Henderson] was still trying to find his feet as captain. We were all just on this journey from the bottom to the very top together and climbing that mountain was the best feeling ever."Every day we came in knowing we were getting better and better and starting to click as a team. We'd beat teams in the tunnel. Genuinely. When I speak to my Scotland teammates, they were lining up in the tunnel and looking over thinking: 'We're going to need to run our socks off today to get anything.' And more often than not they didn't get anything."We had an unbelievable environment to express ourselves, to play with freedom, but in our minds we knew we had to work at 100%. That was obviously from the manager, from the coaches, and I think then all the staff and people behind the scenes bought into it and you had the whole training ground determined to achieve all our dreams. Everyone was on the same page and we just made magical things happen thankfully."The Impact of Tragedy and TransitionRobertson's reminiscence prompts an inevitable follow-up. Why does Liverpool not feel like that now? His reply stops everyone in their tracks, and brings home the tragic reality of what this season has entailed for the now deposed Premier League champions. "In terms of the club I am leaving behind I think we are not at the 2017 stage, we are at the transition stage," begins one of Diogo Jota's closest friends. The Liverpool forward's death in a car crash alongside his brother in north-western Spain last July cast a dark pall over the campaign."This year hasn't worked out for a variety of reasons. We can't hide away from it, and it is not an excuse, but what we went through in the summer no team will ever go through. No member of staff will go through. I hope they never go through it because the devastation we went through … football didn't matter. We didn't care about football for weeks. None of us wanted to train. You were getting treatment off physios and physios didn't want to treat you. That is the reality of it."As footballers we of course have a duty, we have to move on and we managed that. We started the season fairly well although it was still an emotional time for us. The [season-opening] Bournemouth game was ridiculously emotional with all of Jots' family being there. I think after the 20th minute you saw a real dip in performance because of the emotional impact that it had on all of us.The Future of Liverpool FC"But then the season has been inconsistent. We bought players that we all got excited about, and they will all have an unbelievable career at Liverpool. I have no doubt about that. But they are also young. The one thing I get annoyed about in football is that footballers do not control their price tag. The market controls it. These players will be successful for Liverpool but they probably need a bit of time."Then some players who have played at a ridiculously high level haven't played to that level. If you add all that in then we have had an inconsistent season and that is the huge frustration for us. We have been too easy to play against. There is no hiding away from that but I believe they have more than enough in that changing room to be successful for Liverpool again."

The Play's Concept Imagine if One Day was set in Long Eaton. Now, take its sweeping, time-spanning love story, but make it platonic, and about two theatre-obsessed best mates. That’s the foundation for Jane Upton’s luminous, heart-exploding play, which catches Jess and Billy in a series of snapshots across their friendship. The Story Unfolds Beginning in the early 90s, during their school days, and then moving through their 20s, 30s and into their mid-40s, the play threads together teenage crushes, career decisions, breakups, marriages, births and children. Jess (Katie Redford) is an oversharer while Billy (Benedict Salter) has secrets. Their early years together pass through play rehearsals, parties, personal revelations and betrayals, but even in their lowest moments, the two are always pulled back to each other’s side. The Evolution of Friendship As their lives move in different directions, with Billy heading to London for drama school and later building a career as a high-flying agent, and Jess staying at home in a “suburban bubble” before eventually tiptoeing her way back into the creative scene as a playwright, they turn their noses up at the other’s choices. Still, in times of turmoil, they can’t help but pick up the phone or race across the country just to be there for their old friend. Their dialogue accurately captures people who know each other’s lives inside out. The Production Directed by Hannah Stone, the production shows friendship as something defining. Redford and Salter make their characters people we want to stay with across the decades. In fact, time here slips through our fingers. One moment they’re 15 in 1995, and Jess is getting advice from More! magazine; the next it is 2022, and a 42-year-old Billy is considering surrogacy for his next child. Abby Clarke’s design evokes nostalgia, with the back wall composed of white, Polaroid-inspired squares that shift from photographic outlines to mirrors. The Verdict With so much life to fit into 95 minutes, there are inevitable gaps in Billy and Jess’s stories. We could learn more about the structure of their families and the other relationships in their lives. But really, this is a play about the complicated, beautiful bond between two people. It leaves you desperate for more days with them. Where to Watch At Nottingham Playhouse until 12 June

The United States is enforcing strict quarantine measures on Americans exposed to Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks, sending them to facilities in Germany and the Czech Republic instead of repatriating them. Legal scholars and public‑health experts argue the policy may infringe on constitutional travel rights and discourage volunteers from assisting in future crises. US Quarantines Ebola and Hantavirus-Exposed Travelers Abroad Officials announced that an American doctor infected with Ebola and six other exposed individuals are being transferred to Germany and Czechia for specialized care. The decision follows a mandatory quarantine order for passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius who were exposed to the Andes hantavirus, now being held in a Nebraska biocontainment facility. Satish Pillai, CDC Ebola response lead, said the patients are asymptomatic and need rapid access to high‑level care. The quarantine locations were chosen as the “most expeditious” options, with Czechia selected due to an existing relationship with the U.S. State Department and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. During the 2014‑15 Ebola outbreak, former President Donald Trump publicly opposed returning infected Americans, a stance echoed by current White House opposition. Scope of the Quarantine: Numbers and Timelines The current measures involve: One American doctor with Ebola. Six additional U.S. citizens or residents exposed to Ebola. Passengers from the MV Hondius required to remain in Nebraska until 31 May, marking the 21st day of their monitoring period. Legal Rights and Volunteer Participation at Risk Alexandra Phelan, associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, emphasized that U.S. citizens and green‑card holders have a clear legal right to return home, and the travel‑restriction order explicitly excludes them. She warned that perceived barriers could "substantially dampen the response from volunteers" and reduce critical assistance in outbreak regions. Historical precedent shows courts have rejected overly restrictive quarantine attempts, such as the 2014 case of nurse Kaci Hickox and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's quarantine order. Implications for Future US Public Health Travel Policies Experts predict that continued reliance on overseas quarantine may prompt legal challenges and force a reassessment of the "least restrictive" principle in global health law. If volunteers perceive a risk of being denied repatriation, the United States could face a shortage of skilled responders in future epidemics, potentially prolonging outbreaks and increasing global health costs.