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In a landmark decision, a Manhattan federal jury determined that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary wield a monopolistic grip on major concert venues across the United States. The four‑day deliberation ended Wednesday with a finding that the ticket‑selling platform had overcharged buyers by $1.72 per ticket, a figure that will now be used by a judge to calculate total damages. The case, originally spearheaded by the federal government and later joined by dozens of states, accused Live Nation of leveraging its extensive venue network to stifle competition. Plaintiffs argued that the company barred venues from using alternative ticket sellers and retaliated against those that attempted to do so. Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, representing the states, called Live Nation a “monopolistic bully” that inflates prices for concertgoers. He cited the company’s control of 86% of the concert‑ticket market and 73% of the combined concert‑and‑sports market, underscoring the breadth of its influence. Live Nation, which reported over $22 billion in annual revenue, rejected the monopoly label, insisting that pricing decisions rest with artists, sports teams, and venue owners. Company counsel argued that the firm’s size reflects “excellence and effort,” not antitrust violations. The jury’s finding arrives amid a broader regulatory push. In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission required Ticketmaster to disclose ticket fees up front, prompting the company to eliminate a post‑checkout processing charge. However, a recent Guardian investigation revealed that Ticketmaster introduced alternative fees to offset lost revenue, raising questions about compliance with FTC rules. Earlier, the Department of Justice settled with Live Nation under the Trump administration, creating a $280 million settlement fund for participating states. The agreement also imposed caps on service fees at select amphitheaters and opened the door—though not the obligation—for venues to work with Ticketmaster rivals such as SeatGeek and AXS. More than 30 states declined the settlement and pursued the trial, arguing that the federal government’s concessions were insufficient. During the proceedings, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino testified, including about the 2022 Taylor Swift ticket fiasco, which he attributed to a cyber‑attack. Internal communications from Live Nation executive Benjamin Baker surfaced, in which he described certain pricing practices as “outrageous” and disparaged customers as “so stupid,” later apologizing for the “very immature and unacceptable” remarks. Live Nation has announced its intention to appeal the verdict, stating confidence that the ultimate outcome will align with the original DOJ settlement framework. The case continues to spotlight the tension between dominant market players and antitrust enforcement in the live‑entertainment industry.

"The failure is big," Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch declared after the Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain. The defeat not only eliminates Liverpool from Europe but also seals a season that will finish trophyless. Manager Arne Slot has repeatedly insisted that the future looks very bright for Anfield, yet the club’s reality is starkly different. A business model built on lucrative broadcasting and commercial revenues now faces a potential top‑five miss, a scenario that would be financially and reputationally humiliating for a side that spent nearly £450 million on its squad last summer. Slot’s request for three seasons to steer Liverpool’s transition is under intense scrutiny. In the past 16 days Liverpool have played five matches: three defeats, two aggregate exits totalling 8‑0, and a solitary league win sparked by 17‑year‑old Rio Ngumoha. The pattern underscores a season riddled with setbacks. Sporting director Richard Hughes observed that despite a respectable xG of 1.94 against PSG, Liverpool’s performance fell short, a symptom of deeper issues. The situation worsened when forward Hugo Ekitiké collapsed with a suspected Achilles injury in the 27th minute, likely ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign. His absence further hampers the newly assembled £320 million front line of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitiké and Florian Wirtz, who have barely featured together. Slot’s tactical gamble of starting Isak after a four‑month hiatus and deploying a back five at the Parc des Princes backfired. Isak managed only five touches before being substituted at halftime, illustrating that a Champions League quarter‑final is not the venue for experimentation. After the second leg, Slot attempted to inject optimism, stating, "The good thing is Alex is back" and reiterating that the club can compete with Europe’s champions on home soil. Critics argue this positivity is misplaced, especially as Liverpool scrambles through the run‑in with key players missing. With six league games remaining, a fit Isak could be the difference between securing Champions League qualification and enduring further humiliation. Both Isak and Wirtz must begin to justify their hefty transfer fees, despite recent injury concerns and underwhelming output. In a candid interview with Ziggo Sport, Gravenberch summed up the mood: "No, actually not. It’s disappointing. We have to pick ourselves up as Sunday is waiting. We still have six matches in the league and we just want to play in the Champions League next year as well." He added that the season feels plagued by setbacks—late goals conceded and missed chances—making this a tough, failure‑laden campaign from which the squad must learn.

Arsenal's 0-0 draw against Sporting Lisbon was enough to secure their place in the Champions League semi-finals, but the performance was far from convincing. Manager Mikel Arteta was seen pulling his jumper up over his eyes to obscure the spectacle in front of him, highlighting the team's struggles.The match was marked by Arsenal's possession-based football, which often felt like a slow-burn attempt to win by default. The team's lack of creativity in the final third was evident, with passes that were just the wrong weight or line, and early crosses eschewed.Sporting Lisbon were well-drilled and physically robust, with Morten Hjulmand dominating the midfield for a while. The Portuguese team's Victor Gyökeres had a close-range chance but nudged at it weakly with his right foot, highlighting the limitations of being one-footed.Despite the uncomfortable nature of the match, Arsenal's fans stayed with the team, generating noise and finding elements to cheer. The Emirates Stadium crowd played along with I Feel For You at half-time, which felt apt given the team's performance.Arsenal's progression to the semi-finals sets up a potential clash with Atlético Madrid, with one other team standing between them and their first Champions League title. While the result was good, the performance was not, leaving fans to wonder if this is just how you win things.

President Donald Trump announced on Fox Business that he will dismiss Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if the central‑bank chief does not vacate the post by the statutory end of his term on May 15. “I’ll have to fire him, OK, if he’s not leaving on time,” Trump said, adding that he had previously held back the decision to avoid controversy. Powell, who has just over a month left in his tenure, has repeatedly been criticized by Trump for what the president calls a “bad job” and for refusing to lower interest rates despite Trump’s repeated demands since his return to the White House in January 2025. In January, Trump nominated former Fed governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell. Warsh, known for his criticism of the Fed’s relatively high rates, is expected to align more closely with Trump’s push for rate cuts. His confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee is slated for April 21, but the outcome remains uncertain. Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a member of the banking committee, has signaled he will block Warsh’s nomination until the Department of Justice concludes its criminal investigation into alleged misconduct surrounding the Fed’s headquarters renovation in Washington, D.C. Tillis described the probe as “reaching the point of absurd,” yet insists the investigation must be resolved before moving forward. The probe appears active: prosecutors made an unannounced visit to the construction site this week, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, underscoring the seriousness of the inquiry. During the same interview, Trump dismissed the investigation’s relevance, claiming the project was “probably corrupt, but what it really is is incompetence,” and questioned whether a $25 million renovation could balloon to a $4 billion expense. Powell responded in January with a rare public rebuke, labeling the investigation a “pretext” aimed at pressuring the Fed to lower rates. He warned that political intimidation could jeopardize the Fed’s ability to set monetary policy based on economic evidence. The legal backdrop adds another layer of uncertainty. The Supreme Court has yet to rule on Trump’s authority to fire a Fed board member without cause—a question that resurfaced after the president’s attempted removal of Fed governor Lisa Cook last summer. Justices appeared skeptical of such unilateral action during oral arguments in January. With the Fed’s independence at stake, the coming weeks will determine whether Trump’s threat translates into action, whether Warsh can secure Senate confirmation, and how the renovation investigation will influence the broader debate over political interference in U.S. monetary policy.

A Chinese national has been sentenced to one year in prison and fined by a Nairobi court for attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya, a lucrative trade in east Africa that was exposed last year.The insects are mostly destined for China, the US, and Europe, where they become pets and can be worth about $100 each.Ant smuggling made headlines last year when two Belgian teenagers were arrested in possession of nearly 5,000 ants, mostly stored in small test tubes. They were fined about $7,700.Zhang Kequn, who evaded capture until his arrest on 10 March, had been linked to another case involving two people, one Vietnamese and one Kenyan.More than 2,200 ants – including 1,948 prized Messor cephalotes – were found in test tubes in Zhang’s luggage at Nairobi’s international airport that was destined for China.He was initially charged with wildlife trafficking without a permit and conspiracy, which carries a seven-year sentence, his lawyer said. He pleaded guilty after latter charge was dismissed.At the court in Nairobi, the judge, Irene Gichobi, described Zhang as lacking in remorse and “not an entirely honest person”.She said he would be fined 1m Kenya shillings ($7,700) and handed down a one-year jail sentence, after a 14-day appeal. She said he would then be “referred to his home country”.“There is need for a stiff deterrent sentence,” she said, noting the “rising cases of dealing in large quantities of garden ants and the negative ecological side-effects”.

Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the Federal Reserve to slash borrowing costs, likening the approach to the fiscal tactics of a “banana republic.”Trump has publicly urged the central bank to deliver the lowest interest rate in the world, arguing that cheaper financing would ease the service burden on the United States’ staggering $39 trillion debt.Speaking at an HSBC investor summit in Hong Kong, Yellen asked, “How often does the president of a developed country demand that interest rates be set to reduce debt‑service costs? This is what you hear in a banana republic.” She warned that such political meddling could unleash inflation if the Fed’s independence is compromised.The Fed, under Chair Jerome Powell, last lowered its policy rate in December to a range of 3.5 %–3.75 %. However, policymakers are growing uneasy about inflationary pressures, especially as the ongoing Iran conflict threatens oil supplies.Powell is slated to step down next month, but his successor—Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh—has yet to secure Senate confirmation. Powell has indicated he will remain in his role if a replacement is not confirmed, and he may continue as a Fed governor until a pending Department of Justice investigation concludes.Trump has openly dismissed the idea of Powell staying on, telling Fox Business that he would “have to fire him” if the chair does not leave. Powell, for his part, describes the DOJ probe as a “pretext” aimed at pressuring the Fed to cut rates.Warsh, who argues that potential productivity gains from artificial intelligence could justify lower rates, faces skepticism from Yellen, who doubts he commands the same respect as former Fed chair Alan Greenspan. She noted, “Greenspan was widely respected for his expertise; I don’t think Warsh walks in with that level of credibility.”Trump’s broader effort to reshape the Fed board includes an attempt to remove Governor Lisa Cook, who is currently facing a Supreme Court case over alleged mortgage fraud.Meanwhile, finance ministers and central bankers have gathered in Washington for the International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey warned that rising oil prices, driven by the Iran conflict, constitute a “major supply shock” that central banks must assess carefully.The IMF has cautioned that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global recession, underscoring the interconnected risks of geopolitical tensions, sovereign debt, and monetary policy decisions.

Brian Cox steps behind the camera for the first time with Glenrothan, a sentimental comedy‑drama that paints a broad, colour‑rich portrait of family ties in rural Scotland. The screenplay, penned by David Ashton, follows the uneasy reunion of two brothers against the backdrop of a lucrative, family‑run whisky distillery.Cox portrays Sandy, the stern yet ailing chief of the distillery, a business that anchors the local economy. His sister‑in‑law Jess, played by Shirley Henderson, runs the operation with unflinching competence. Sandy’s younger brother Donal, embodied by Alan Cumming, has been living in Chicago, managing a blues bar with his daughter Amy. When the bar falters, Donal receives a plaintive invitation to return home, prompting a journey that includes his granddaughter Sasha.The film juxtaposes the gritty world of Chicago blues with the serene, panoramic vistas of the Scottish Highlands, delivering visual moments that are both expansive and intimate. Whisky expertise becomes a narrative thread as Sandy, aware of Donal’s superior palate, grapples with the future of the family business and the inevitable question of succession.Humorous touches—such as Donal’s disastrous attempt at making porridge and his nostalgic discovery of a bedroom frozen in time with Buzzcocks posters—lend the story a comforting, almost TV‑night feel without sacrificing depth.Glenrothan opens in UK cinemas on 17 April and reaches Australian screens on 25 June, offering audiences a gentle, well‑acted exploration of brotherly bonds, legacy, and the pull of home.

After a 90‑year blackout, MGM’s 1932 melodrama Letty Lynton is set for its first legal public screening. The film, starring Hollywood icon Joan Crawford, was withdrawn in 1937 following a plagiarism lawsuit and pressure from the Hays Office, which deemed its risqué themes “unfit for adaptation”.The controversy began when MGM attempted to acquire the rights to the Broadway hit Dishonored Lady, a play notorious for its depictions of booze, drugs and sexual intrigue. After the playwrights demanded $30,000—a sum the studio balked at—MGM settled for the cheaper novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes for $3,500. The resulting film, inspired by the 1857 murder trial of Scottish socialite Madeleine Smith, shocked contemporary censors with scenes such as Crawford’s character watching her ex‑lover sip poisoned champagne.Legal battles intensified when playwrights Edward Sheldon and Margaret Ayer Barnes sued MGM for plagiarism, alleging the movie copied their work rather than the novel. The protracted case forced MGM to pull the film from circulation in 1937, and a year later Crawford herself was labeled “box‑office poison”. Yet both the actress and the film survived, resurfacing in cultural memory through fashion and later adaptations.Beyond cinema, Letty Lynton left an indelible mark on 1930s style. Costume designer Adrian created a white organdy dress with exaggerated sleeves for Crawford; the design was mass‑produced for Macy’s and sparked a nationwide craze. Edith Head later called the dress “cinema’s single biggest influence on fashion”.The film’s revival is largely credited to Crawford’s grandson, Casey LaLonde. In an Instagram post, he announced that the play’s copyright would expire on 31 December 2025, clearing the legal path for a public showing. Warner Bros., which now holds the rights to many pre‑1986 MGM titles, restored the picture in 4K and arranged for its debut at the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles on 1 May 2026. The movie will also be issued on Blu‑ray and DVD through the Warner Archive.LaLonde thanked Warner Bros. and library historian George Feltenstein for making the restoration possible, noting that without their effort “we wouldn’t have this fabulous film to see again on big and small screens.”Fans of classic Hollywood can finally experience a piece of cinema history that was once deemed too daring for the silver screen, offering a fresh look at Joan Crawford’s daring performance and the era’s bold storytelling.

Leeds, the largest European city still without a mass‑transit system, may finally see a tram line – but not before the late 2030s. The latest West Yorkshire Mass Transit plan, championed by combined‑authority mayor Tracy Brabin, received a fresh £200 million in development funding, part of a broader £2.1 billion allocation for the region.City council leader James Lewis, who began his career on a 1993 work‑experience placement with the council’s highways department, says the new scheme differs from past attempts. Instead of squeezing trams onto existing bus routes, the proposal envisions a dedicated line that could “float over or under the M621 motorway, similar to the Docklands Light Railway,” linking the White Rose shopping centre, Elland Road stadium, Leeds railway station and St James’s Hospital.The Treasury’s independent review, however, forced the government to demand a fresh business case that proves the need for trams rather than buses. This procedural hurdle has added roughly two years to the timetable, pushing the projected opening into the late 2030s. Brabin acknowledges the setback, noting critics now claim the project is effectively “cancelled,” but she insists the work is merely delayed, not abandoned.Leeds’ transport woes date back to the removal of its historic double‑deck tram network in 1959 and the construction of the M621, which many locals blame for isolating the city’s south side. A 2025 Treasury review warned that previous “Supertram” proposals failed because they could not demonstrate sufficient value for money, leading to the withdrawal of funding in 2005 and the abandonment of a trolley‑bus plan in 2016.Supporters argue the tram is essential for unlocking massive regeneration. Leeds United investor Pete Lowy predicts the line could catalyse up to £1 billion of investment, including 2,500 new homes, retail and leisure space, and a 15,000‑seat stadium expansion. Northern Powerhouse Partnership chief executive Henri Murison points to the emerging South Gateway development in Bradford as evidence that transport‑led investment is already materialising.Critics remain sceptical. Leeds University transport professor Greg Marsden questions how an 18‑year‑long project can still be justified, while local residents voice doubts that a tram can ever be built in a city they consider “not big enough.” Tom Forth, co‑founder of data‑city firm Information Group, blames centralised decision‑making in London, arguing that devolved funding would accelerate delivery.In the meantime, the council is focusing on improving bus services, which will come under public control in 2027. Centre for Cities analyst Rob Johnson notes that increasing bus frequencies could immediately benefit the 390,000 residents currently poorly connected, potentially delivering more mobility gains than a tram in the short term.Nevertheless, Brabin maintains that trams are “more attractive, carry more passengers, and generate more jobs and growth” than buses, and she reaffirms her promise: “I promised a tram, and a tram is what we’re going to get.” The pledge to have “spades in the ground” by 2028 for preparatory works remains on the table, even as the project navigates the Treasury’s stringent process.