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Los Angeles residents are facing sticker shock over the presale ticket prices for the 2028 Olympics, with many expressing frustration over the high costs. The tickets, which went on sale for local residents on April 2, range in price from $28 to thousands of dollars.Many residents found that the lower-priced tickets quickly sold out or were unavailable for popular sports like gymnastics and track and field, leaving them with more expensive options. A 24% service fee was also added to the ticket prices, which some residents found excessive.One resident, Kathy Dorn, spent around $1,200 on tickets to watch the rhythmic and artistic gymnastics preliminaries and the sailing finals. She was deterred from buying a ticket to a swimming event due to the high price of $558 per ticket for a two-hour event.Another resident, Tony Anthony, spent $11,000 on eight tickets for track and field events, with nearly $400 going toward the service fee. He noted that the lower-priced tickets were not available during his time slot.The LA Olympics committee has defended the ticket prices, stating that most of the $28 tickets went to purchasers in southern California and Oklahoma City. They also noted that the ticket prices are meant to ensure that the Games can break even without burdening the city with costs.The high ticket prices have raised concerns among residents, particularly in Inglewood, where the opening ceremony and some events will take place. Some residents are worried that they will be priced out of attending the Games and will have to bear the burden of traffic, congestion, and noise during the events.

‘Departures’ arrives in UK and Irish theatres on 17 April, offering a sharply observed portrait of a man navigating the aftermath of a breakup. The story centers on Benji, a thirty‑something who, after parting ways with his charismatic trainer Jake, plunges into a haze of parties, substance use and fleeting encounters in an attempt to dull the ache of lost love. The film tackles weighty subjects—body‑image insecurity, familial rejection and the pressures of toxic masculinity—yet it avoids sentimentality by leaning into a darkly comic tone and a poppy visual palette. Its elliptical editing stitches together present‑day self‑destruction with fragmented memories of Jake, creating a nonlinear rhythm that mirrors the disorienting experience of a broken heart. Ey​re‑Morgan not only co‑writes and co‑directs but also embodies Benji, delivering a performance that feels both self‑deprecating and raw. His on‑screen chemistry with David Tag’s Jake provides the emotional anchor of the film, allowing the audience to glimpse the genuine connection that fuels Benji’s subsequent turmoil. Despite its strengths, the movie leans heavily on voice‑over narration, which at times hampers momentum, especially during emotionally charged scenes. The tendency to verbalise feelings rather than let the cinematography speak can feel redundant, and the multiple flashbacks occasionally drift into over‑exposition. Overall, ‘Departures’ stands as a thoughtful exploration of love, identity and the search for authenticity, while also showcasing the burgeoning talent emerging from northern England’s film scene.

Scientists at London's Institute of Cancer Research and the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin have announced a new AI-driven approach to identify how patients with advanced bowel cancer will respond to bevacizumab, a drug recently introduced by the NHS. The method uses PhenMap, an AI tool that integrates complex data on the genetic makeup of tumors, allowing researchers to track patterns of how different patients react to the drug. This development aims to spare potentially thousands of patients from being given drugs that would be ineffective in fighting their cancers. In the UK alone, nearly 10,000 cases of advanced bowel cancer are identified every year, with young adults seeing a particular rise in diagnoses. Bowel cancer has the second-highest mortality rate of any cancer, behind only lung cancer. While survival rates can be as high as 98% when caught early, the five-year survival rate for advanced bowel cancer can be as low as 10%. The study tracked 117 European bowel cancer patients who had been treated with chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Researchers identified a group of patients who all had the same gene mutation and were at a high risk of having negative reactions. The scientists behind the tests now hope to expand the number of patient samples and see if the results can be used in treatments for other types of cancer. Anguraj Sadanandam, a professor in stratification and precision medicine at the ICR, said: “Once bowel cancer spreads to other parts of the body, there are very few treatment options available for patients. It is therefore positive that patients can now access the targeted drug bevacizumab on the NHS. However, we know that the majority of patients won’t benefit from the drug, meaning thousands of people in England could be facing unpleasant side effects unnecessarily.” Sadanandam added that while the findings were encouraging, the tool would need to be tested on a larger cohort to be validated. “In future, I hope this approach will lead to a test that can be used by clinicians, to ensure patients receive personalised care that has the highest chance of working against their cancer.”

Oil prices jumped back above $100 a barrel and global stocks fell after weekend talks between the US and Iran ended without an agreement and Donald Trump imposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The US president announced the blockade on Sunday, targeting Iranian vessels and ships that have paid a toll to Iran for passage through the strait, in an attempt to choke off the flow of Iranian oil.US Central Command said it would start at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 3pm in the UK), blocking all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas, in effect seizing control of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The news drove oil and gas prices sharply higher again, after the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran announced on Wednesday prompted a sharp fall in energy prices, and crude ended the week below the psychological $100 a barrel threshold.Brent crude rose by nearly 7% to $101.74 a barrel on Monday morning, while US crude is up more than 8% to $104.69 a barrel. Gas prices also increased, with the British wholesale gas contract for May soaring by 11.7% to 122.5p a therm. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase said last week they expected oil prices to stay high in the second quarter, above $100 a barrel, before easing in the second half of the year.Most Asian stock markets fell on Monday, with Japan’s Nikkei down 0.7% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index losing 1%, while Chinese stocks rose slightly. Sentiment was helped by Beijing’s announcement of a 10-initiative strategy aimed at deepening ties with Taiwan. European stocks also fell, led by airlines including Lufthansa, Wizz Air, easyJet and British Airways parent IAG. The FTSE 100 index in London lost 0.4%, dropping 45 points to 10,555. Germany’s Dax fell 1%, Italy’s FTSE MiB slipped 0.7% and Spain’s Ibex was down 1.1%. With oil and gas prices rising sharply higher, energy companies such as BP and Shell are rallying.Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at the broker Phillip Nova, said: “In today’s environment, every barrel of risk added to oil markets carries an inflation price tag for the global economy.” She added: “The market reaction underscores a simple but powerful reality: Hormuz risk is not theoretical; it is structural, and it is real.”Interest rate expectations have shifted again; investors now see an 84% chance of two rate increases from the Bank of England this year to tackle rising inflation, up from 60% on Friday. Before the Iran war, the central bank was expected to cut rates. The price of gold fell 0.4% to $4,730.75 an ounce as the blockade fuelled inflation concerns, prompting traders to scale back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts this year.

At the break of day in Keswick, the air still carries a chill despite it being April. From a drystone wall on St John’s Vale, I watched the sky race past Helvellyn, while bright daffodils bowed on a nearby farm as if shivering in the breeze. The surrounding trees stood still, and a shaft of sunlight ignited the bracken below the crags, turning it a vivid colour that starkly contrasted with the dead grass and dark scree. This scene illustrates a place where change has settled gently, with farms preserving their protective belts of trees that nestle comfortably against the fell’s edge.The low fields echoed with the call of curlews, and although some farmers elsewhere lament a lack of moisture, the land here was saturated; the river ran brown with flood‑water and the becks churned white. Many ewes were gathered for lambing, yet one independent ewe chose to give birth alone on a small green shelf in a ghyll above a stream. The newborn lamb was still damp and trembling when a farmhand arrived in his tractor, loading the pair onto a hay‑lined trailer to bring them back to the safety of the farm, fearing the lamb might tumble into the beck as its mother went to drink.

Polls have closed in Benin, with Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni expected to emerge victorious in the presidential election. Wadagni received the endorsement of former President Patrice Talon, who is stepping down after two five-year terms.Nearly eight million voters were eligible to cast ballots on Sunday to choose a successor to Talon. Wadagni, 49, faces a crucial factor in voter turnout after a lackluster campaign affected by voter apathy.In Benin’s largest city, Cotonou, vote counting began late on Sunday afternoon, with provisional results expected on Tuesday. Wadagni is being challenged by Paul Hounkpe, an opposition figure whose campaign has needed help from majority lawmakers to gain parliamentary endorsements.Under Talon, Benin has experienced rapid growth, with gross domestic product (GDP) doubling during his decade in power and numerous infrastructure projects completed. However, a wealth gap remains, and the winner of the vote will also face challenges with insecurity, particularly in the north of the country.The north of Benin has increasingly experienced violence from armed fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate that has spilled over from the Sahel region.

A devastating air strike by the Nigerian military on a village market in northeastern Nigeria has killed dozens and injured hundreds, sparking widespread outrage and condemnation. The strike, which occurred on Sunday, was aimed at members of the rebel group Boko Haram.According to Amnesty International, over 100 people were killed and 35 others wounded in the attack on the Jilli village market in Yobe state. A local chief, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, reported that the total casualties, including dead and injured, were around 200.The Nigerian Air Force claimed to have killed Boko Haram fighters in an air strike on the Jilli axis in Borno state, but did not mention hitting a market. The government of Yobe state later confirmed that an air strike near a market had been conducted, affecting people attending the weekly market.Amnesty International condemned the strike, stating that launching air raids is not a legitimate law enforcement method and that the Nigerian military's actions demonstrate a shocking disregard for human life. The organization called on Nigerian authorities to immediately investigate the incident and hold suspected perpetrators accountable.The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) activated the emergency response, and many of the injured were taken to hospitals in nearby Geidam and Maiduguri. A worker at the Geidam General Hospital reported that at least 23 people injured in the incident were receiving treatment.

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged accusations of violating the Orthodox Easter ceasefire, as the conflict between the two nations continues to escalate. The truce, which was agreed upon for 32 hours, was intended to provide a temporary reprieve from hostilities during the religious holiday.According to the Ukrainian military's general staff, 2,299 ceasefire violations were recorded, including 28 enemy assault actions, 479 enemy shellings, and 747 strikes by attack drones. In response, Russia's Ministry of Defence accused Kyiv of nearly 2,000 breaches, including 258 artillery or tank attacks and 1,329 FPV drone strikes.The ceasefire violations have raised concerns about the prospects of a lasting peace agreement. The Kremlin has stated that it will not extend the truce unless Kyiv accepts its terms, which include control of 17-18 percent of Ukraine's disputed Donetsk region. Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines, but Russia has rejected this, seeking control of the entire Donetsk region.Despite the challenges, the truce did bring some relative calm to the region, with the Ukrainian army reporting no long-range Shahed drone attacks, guided aerial bombings, or missile strikes during the ceasefire period. However, the conflict has continued to take a toll on civilians, with Governor Alexander Khinshtein of Russia's Kursk region accusing Kyiv of breaking the ceasefire by attacking a petrol station, injuring three people, including a baby.

Tehran – Iranian officials warned that the United States must increase pressure for any peace agreement while urging their supporters to keep the streets under control.Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the US delegation in Islamabad “failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation” during the marathon talks.US President Donald Trump announced an immediate naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and declared that US forces are “locked and loaded” to finish Iran at the “appropriate moment.”Iran hailed the delegation’s refusal to accept Washington’s core demands – ending nuclear enrichment and relinquishing control of the Strait – as a sign of defiant resolve.Judiciary chief Gholam‑Hossein Mohseni‑Ejei thanked the Islamabad team for “guarding the rights” of government supporters, including paramilitary forces that have been gathering in Tehran’s main squares for more than six weeks.State television aired an IRGC aerospace officer urging flag‑waving crowds not to worry, stating, “If the enemy does not understand, we will make them understand,” which was met with cheers demanding more missile and drone attacks.Iranian officials blamed Trump’s “excessive demands” for the talks’ failure, noting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not expect an agreement after a single day of negotiations.Hard‑line parliamentarians expressed satisfaction with the stalemate, viewing Iran as holding the upper hand. Deputy speaker Hamidreza Haji‑Babaei said only a UN Security Council resolution signalling US surrender would lift sanctions on Iran.Lawmaker Amir Hossein Sabeti of the Paydari faction thanked the negotiating team for standing by red lines and called for “resistance in the field against these evildoers.”The sudden announcement of a two‑week cease‑fire left pro‑state voices disappointed; local media reported the Iranian delegation numbered over 85 members, including state‑affiliated journalists and factional analysts.The talks confirmed that a diplomatic breakthrough was not imminent and hinted at further escalation, though not necessarily a return to full‑scale fighting.National security commission head Ebrahim Azizi dismissed Trump’s blockade threats as “excessive talk.”The IRGC warned it would meet any vessel passing the Strait of Hormuz with “full force” and rejected US claims that two warships had already transited the waterway.Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian he remains ready to facilitate a Middle‑East peace settlement.Pezeshkian, focused on domestic affairs, reaffirmed support for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and announced that schools and universities will continue online via a limited intranet.Iran’s economy continues to suffer from chronic inflation, rising unemployment and a near‑total internet shutdown, deepening public hardship.