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The notion of governments controlling prices has long been considered taboo in modern economics. However, with the resurgence of inflation and its far-reaching consequences, this stance is beginning to shift. Politicians are now exploring the possibility of intervening in the market to regulate prices, a move that would have been deemed unthinkable just a few decades ago.The Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek had argued that governments lacked the necessary information to make informed decisions about prices, leading to inefficiencies in state-run economies. Nevertheless, as market economies have struggled to provide affordable essentials like energy and housing, interest in state-regulated prices has begun to grow.Examples from Mexico and Spain demonstrate the effectiveness of government intervention in controlling prices. In Mexico, the left-wing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum have capped the prices of essential goods, while in Spain, the centre-left government of Pedro Sánchez has implemented a national rent freeze and energy price cap.In the UK, Zack Polanski of the Green party has advocated for a wider price reset, while Andy Burnham, a possible Labour leadership candidate, has also called for more state involvement in the economy to reduce prices. Burnham's experiences as mayor of Greater Manchester, where he has brought buses back under public control, have informed his arguments.The pressure for the UK to adopt similar measures is mounting, with a majority of British voters supporting nationalizations to get prices under control. As inflation continues to rise, it remains to be seen whether the UK government will follow the example of countries like Spain and Mexico.

Rachel Zegler and Ben Platt have brought their talents together for a 25th-anniversary concert of Jason Robert Brown's two-hander musical, 'The Last Five Years', at the London Palladium. This poignant production explores the complexities of a disintegrating relationship through alternating solos, with one character recounting their story in reverse while the other tells it chronologically. The musical mastermind behind the production, Jason Robert Brown, directs and conducts from the piano, accompanied by a band of eight musicians. The set design by Bretta Gerecke effectively captures the urban spaces where the story unfolds, complete with central staircases and positioned windows. Rachel Zegler shines as Cathy, delivering a powerful performance that conveys the frustration and pain of a partner struggling to cope with the end of the relationship. Meanwhile, Ben Platt brings his signature energy to the role of Jamie, capturing the whirlwind of his character's rising success and its impact on their relationship. The concert format creates a jumble of joy and pain over an interval-free 90 minutes, with the band adding a sparkle to the performance. The chemistry between Zegler and Platt is undeniable, even when they're not sharing the stage, making their characters' bond convincing despite their limited time together. The production runs at the London Palladium until March 29, followed by performances at the Hollywood Bowl on April 3 and Radio City Music Hall on April 6-7.

Ali Ahmed experienced goose bumps watching Canada walk out at the last World Cup, a surreal moment for the winger who had never witnessed his nation compete on football's biggest stage. This time around, he'll not only be at home but at the heart of the action in two cities that hold special significance for him.Jesse Marsch's Canadian side faces Qatar and Switzerland in Vancouver after an opener against a potential European playoff winner in Toronto. An encounter with Italy in Ahmed's hometown would carry particular weight, given the city's substantial Italian population and his parents' Ethiopian heritage with their love for Italian football. Football has been ingrained in his family since childhood, a passion that has guided his remarkable journey.On the outskirts of Toronto, a teenage Ahmed used to sneak onto Toronto FC's training pitches before dawn for kickabouts with friends. His persistence and determination eventually led him to professional football, though not through the conventional path. At 17, he turned down a Toronto FC academy spot to pursue opportunities in Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands, facing numerous challenges along the way.Now at Norwich City since January, the 25-year-old has established himself as a key player on the left wing, contributing significantly to the team's improved form in the Championship. Ahmed started all seven Norwich matches during Ramadan, waking before 4am for Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal. His experience fasting during a crucial period of the English season has been a learning curve, though he's noted the exceptional support he's received in England.Ahmed candidly discusses his upbringing in Toronto's Lawrence Heights neighborhood, an area experiencing significant gun violence. Despite the challenges, he describes a close-knit community where people supported each other. Football provided an escape route, leading him to opportunities he never anticipated.His career has seen remarkable highs, including playing against Lionel Messi's Argentina at the Copa América and scoring in the MLS Cup final defeat to Inter Miami. After being knocked unconscious during a Canadian Championship match in 2023, Ahmed's determination only grew.As Canada prepares to host the World Cup, Ahmed sets ambitious goals: "I want to win our group. And then from there, into the knockout rounds. It's important to have that belief that we can play with anybody. Why not?" With home advantage in two cities that mean the world to him, Ahmed sees the perfect setup for both himself and the Canadian team.

Senegal's football governing body has vowed to mount a crusade against the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to strip the country of its African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title. The CAF's ruling was made after Senegal walked off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to Morocco in the final.The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has lodged an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision, with its legal team warning that the case could reshape the world of football and undermine the principle that refereeing decisions are final."This decision cannot even be considered a true sporting justice ruling – it is so crude, so absurd, so irrational," lawyer Juan de Dios Crespo Perez, representing Senegal's ruling body, told a news conference on Thursday.The FSF president, Abdoulaye Fall, said: "In the face of this administrative robbery, the FSF refuses fatality. We will fight a moral and legal crusade."Senegal's legal team has gathered international lawyers from Switzerland, Spain, France, and Senegal to plead the case, with lawyer Seydou Diagne saying the country suffered a "betrayal" and that they are asking CAS to speed up the process.

The film The Blue Trail (O Último Azul in Portuguese) has struck a chord with older women in Brazil, who see themselves in the protagonist Tereza, a tenacious woman who refuses to be defined by her age.The movie's themes of ageism and ageing resonate strongly in Brazil, where older women are increasingly prop up the community. The film offers a dark solution to the issue, depicting a dystopian future where senior citizens are banished to a remote housing colony.The film's director and screenwriter, Gabriel Mascaro, was inspired by his grandmother, who took up painting in her 80s after losing her husband. The film has been praised for its portrayal of older women as vibrant and full of life.Gilda Olinto, an 80-year-old woman who was given a prize at work recently, felt as if she was being told “nothing more is expected of you”. She relates to Tereza's story and sees her as a woman who “resists and is hungry for life”.The film's star, Denise Weinberg, puts her casting down to the fact that she is one of the few Brazilian actors her age who hasn’t had any cosmetic procedures. She joked with the director: ‘did you choose me because I have wrinkles?’Brazil is undergoing a rapid demographic shift, with the number of over-60s more than doubling between 2000 and 2023. This demographic is expected to account for a third of the population by 2050, prompting questions as to whether the country is prepared for this new reality.

The Republic of Ireland's hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup were cruelly extinguished in Prague as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat to the Czech Republic. Despite leading 2-0 and 3-2 in the shootout, Heimir Hallgrímsson's team failed to capitalize on their advantages and ultimately fell to a Ladislav Krejci equalizer in the 86th minute, forcing a shootout.Ireland had started brightly, with Troy Parrott scoring a penalty and an own goal by Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar doubling their lead. However, a needless penalty conceded by Ryan Manning allowed the Czechs back into the contest. The Czech Republic, led by captain Ladislav Krejci, equalized in the 86th minute, sending the match into extra time and eventually a shootout.In the shootout, Caoimhín Kelleher made a crucial save but Finn Azaz and Alan Browne failed to convert their spot kicks, allowing the Czech Republic to advance. Jan Kliment converted the fifth and final spot-kick to send the Czech Republic into a home final against Denmark on Tuesday.The Republic of Ireland have now lost five of their last six World Cup playoff fixtures, and the pain of this latest defeat will be heightened by the realization that it was largely unnecessary. As Heimir Hallgrímsson said, 'Just pain, we all feel pain. When you go this far it's a flip of a coin. Just pain we feel being that close.'

As its title suggests, this musical about Claude Monet is full of reflections – fittingly so given the artist's preoccupation with light. In 1916, while struggling to complete The Water Lilies with cataracts, the ageing painter (Jeff Shankley) retreats into memories of his early career. His single-minded younger self (Dean John-Wilson) may be about to change art forever, but looking back, all Monet sees is the personal cost of his drive, particularly his mistreatment of his first wife, muse and mother of his children, Camille (Brooke Bazarian).For a man usually defined by his success, this alternative reflection is refreshing. Also bouncing back at Monet are his peers' struggles, the artistic establishment's dismissal of impressionism, and art's relationship to war and women. So abundant are these reflections, in fact, that Carmel Owen's ambitious book at times becomes a house of mirrors – enticing but with a distractingly split focus.There are certainly strengths, though, not least Libby Todd's set: a floor-to-ceiling jumble of empty canvases, which fill with huge impressionist paintings, vivid washes of coloured light and animated backdrops rendered in flickering brushstrokes. It's an invitation to step inside the artistic movement that favoured feeling over realism.Director Christian Durham has an accomplished cast on his hands. Shankley brings moving introspection (and a brilliant turn as a sniffy Paris salon clerk), while Bazarian and John-Wilson deliver standout singing on a stage full of mighty voices. Their connection, however, is outshone by those between young Monet and his fellow impressionist upstarts Bazille (a lovable Ritesh Manugula) and Renoir (a breezy Sam Peggs), whose moments together are the show's strongest. They fizz with the impatience of young rebellion, and their bickering, which provides much-needed moments of gentle humour, gives way to genuine devotion.An excellent eight-piece orchestra takes on Owen's songs, which lead us aptly through the story's tonal beats – lush strings for young love; jaunty woodwind for bantering artists. But none are distinctive enough to reach the heights of "hum it all the way home".Like Monet's, this musical's ambition sometimes comes at a cost, but it still lands in a place of beauty and deep feeling.

The deadly conflict in Iran has precipitated what the International Energy Agency describes as the worst oil crisis in history, creating a complex situation for global clean energy efforts. While climate advocates are calling for accelerated transition away from fossil fuels, the war simultaneously presents both opportunities and significant challenges for renewable energy development.US-Israeli strikes on Iran have critically disrupted supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime channel through which 20% of global oil flows. The conflict has also seen direct attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure by all parties involved, creating additional market shocks and uncertainty.Interestingly, reduced reliance on oil and gas is proving beneficial for some regions navigating the ongoing fuel crisis. As Jan Rosenow, a professor of energy at Oxford University, explains: Electricity generated from wind and solar is largely insulated from fossil fuel price volatility – once built, the fuel is free.Countries with substantial renewable energy investments are demonstrating greater resilience. Spain and Portugal have witnessed electricity prices decline in recent weeks, while Pakistan has experienced a surge in rooftop solar installations over the past five years, helping the nation weather oil and gas market disruptions.The electric vehicle revolution is also providing some economies with protection against gasoline price increases. In China, more than 50% of all new cars sold are electric, while in Nepal, that figure reaches an impressive 70%.However, the war is creating near-term challenges that could impede clean energy growth. The conflict has disrupted transport routes for metals essential in solar panel construction, particularly aluminum. The Middle East accounts for approximately 9% of global aluminum production, and regional producers have begun scaling back operations amid the hostilities.Furthermore, the inflationary pressures stemming from the conflict pose significant hurdles for renewable energy projects, which require substantial upfront investment for construction, equipment, and installation.Paradoxically, the war and resulting energy shocks have provided a short-term boon for fossil fuels, including coal. Many Asian countries heavily reliant on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) are burning more coal to meet energy demand as LNG supplies through the Strait of Hormuz become constrained.The conflict has also incentivized increased oil and gas drilling and exploration, as countries scramble to replace disrupted LNG supplies and higher prices make previously unviable projects economically viable. US company Venture Global recently announced a new five-year contract to supply LNG, while Canadian energy company TC Energy indicated that Iran war disruptions are increasing the likelihood of expanding a massive LNG export facility.The Trump administration has further incentivized oil expansion, recently announcing plans to pay a French company $1 billion to abandon offshore wind farm projects in favor of fossil fuel initiatives.Experts propose various policy responses to encourage the green transition during this crisis. Rosenow advocates for tax reform to reduce the disproportionate burden on electricity compared to gas. Professor Gregor Semieniuk suggests imposing windfall taxes on oil and gas companies during the war, while Lauren Pagel of Earthworks calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and making polluters pay for their environmental impact.Despite the current challenges, Kingsmill Bond, a strategist for the energy thinktank Ember, maintains that this crisis could ultimately accelerate the clean energy transition: This is the first oil shock in history where oil faces a superior alternative. Solar, wind and EV are cheaper, local, faster to deploy, and huge.

A recent surge in no-fault evictions in the UK has left many tenants reeling, with one individual sharing their heart-wrenching experience of being forced out of their home despite being a responsible tenant.The tenant, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been served a section 21 notice ahead of the upcoming ban on no-fault evictions, which is set to come into effect soon. This has created a sense of uncertainty and anxiety, with the tenant struggling to come to terms with the fact that they will have to leave their home after years of paying rent and being a model tenant.The UK government has been criticized for delaying reform and creating the perfect conditions for this situation. By announcing changes years in advance but failing to implement them in time, the government has effectively signaled to the market to act now, leading to a last-minute rush of notices.The issue is further complicated by rising rents in London, which continue to price out tenants and limit their choices in the rental market. Without meaningful limits, the reality is that tenants are often forced to move not because they want to, but because they are priced out or pushed out.The tenant's experience highlights the painful simplicity of the reality faced by many renters in the UK. Despite doing everything right, they can still lose their homes. This raises questions about who the current reform was really designed to protect.