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Turkey is in mourning after a deadly school shooting in the southern province of Kahramanmaras left nine people dead, including eight students and a teacher. The attacker, identified as 14-year-old Isa Aras Mersinli, opened fire on two classrooms at the Ayser Calik School on Wednesday before being found dead.Funerals were held on Thursday for the victims, including maths teacher Ayla Kara, 55. A 10th victim died while being treated in hospital on Thursday, and six of those wounded in the attack were in critical condition.The interior minister, Mustafa Ciftci, said the attacker is believed to have used guns that belonged to his father, a former police officer. The attack was the country's second school shooting in two days, following an attack on Tuesday at a high school in Sanliurfa province that wounded 16 people.At a funeral for four of the victims held near Kahramanmaras city's main mosque on Thursday, one father sat motionless beside the coffin of his daughter, 10-year-old Zeynep. "Our grief is endless. These children were like our own. They were all innocent," said Vezir Yucel, father of a student named Yusuf, who lost his close friend, 10-year-old Bayram, in the shooting.The interior and education ministries held a joint school security meeting in the capital, Ankara, on Thursday, which was attended by both ministers and all 81 of Turkey's provincial governors, as well as police chiefs and provincial education directors. Dozens of students were arrested on Thursday over alleged social media posts implying they might stage similar attacks.Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that 67 social media users were detained over posts targeting 54 different schools. The incident has raised concerns about school safety and the rise of gun violence in Turkey.

British food critic and journalist Grace Dent and Irish chef Anna Haugh have taken over as the new co-hosts of the popular cooking competition MasterChef. The duo, who have previously served as guest judges on the show, bring their unique blend of humor, warmth, and culinary expertise to the program.Dent, who grew up watching MasterChef with her father, says she never imagined she'd be hosting the show. 'We used to laugh our heads off at the critics,' she recalls. 'Just utterly ridiculous people, with their overblown egos, thinking their opinions on food matter. Who are these people?'Haugh and Dent make a wonderful pair, with Dent being funny and warm, and Haugh being pristine in her chef's whites and demanding of excellence. They come from working-class families and have succeeded in male-dominated fields. Dent believes that 'tenacity, hard work' are key to success, while Haugh thinks that 'success is authenticity. It's being able to pay your bills, [but] it's not about somebody else telling you that you're great. You have to be able to acknowledge it yourself.'The new hosts are focused on celebrating culinary ambition and promoting opportunities in the hospitality industry. 'MasterChef opens that door,' says Haugh. 'Tons of people, whether they win the show or not, enter into hospitality because they entered MasterChef. Our industry really needs that.'MasterChef starts on Tuesday, April 21, on BBC One at 9 pm. Don't miss the new season with Dent and Haugh at the helm!

The newly opened V&A East Museum in Stratford marks the latest milestone in the East Bank cultural quarter on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The £135 million, architect‑designed outpost sits beside the V&A Storehouse—recently listed among Time’s “World’s Greatest Places to Visit 2026”—and joins Sadler’s Wells East, the London College of Fashion and the forthcoming BBC Music Studios.Once described by V&A East director Gus Casely‑Hayford as “a place where fridges went to die”, the area has been transformed into a vibrant creative hub. Yet outside London, many venues face falling visitor numbers, job cuts and closures, highlighting a stark contrast with the newly polished facilities.Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is betting on the Arts Everywhere Fund—a £1.5 billion package over five years announced in 2025—to shore up the sector’s creaking infrastructure. This week, £130 million was distributed to more than 130 museums, theatres, venues and libraries, representing the largest cash injection into the arts for a decade.The funding reaches a diverse range of institutions, from Newcastle’s iconic Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art to the modest Armitt Museum in Ambleside, and from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford to Gloucestershire’s trailblazing TwoCan Theatre Company, which offers workshops for deaf, neurodivergent and disabled participants.Despite these initiatives, the UK remains among the lowest spenders on culture in Europe, with per‑capita public funding down nearly a third since 2010. Nevertheless, the cultural sector contributed an estimated £40 billion to the economy in 2024, underscoring its role as a significant wealth generator and a soft‑power asset.Financial support must also reach the people who run these institutions. Over the past year, staff at several leading museums have staged protests and faced redundancies, and even before its doors opened, V&A East workers sent an open letter demanding a living wage for all employees.In its inaugural year, the V&A Storehouse attracted 500,000 visitors, many of whom were younger, more diverse and locally based than the museum’s traditional audiences. The new V&A East hopes to replicate this success, emphasizing the need for parallel investment in arts education to nurture future audiences.Decades of neglect cannot be reversed overnight, and costs continue to rise. While the Arts Everywhere Fund is a cause for celebration, it also signals Labour’s broader commitment to making art accessible to everyone, reinforcing the message that, even in tough times, culture matters.

San Francisco‑originated Philz Coffee announced on Friday that it will keep Pride flags displayed in all of its locations, overturning a policy introduced just days earlier that called for their removal.Chief executive Mahesh Sadarangani said in a statement, "I made a mistake and I am sincerely sorry," adding that the Pride flag represents "a symbol of safety and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world," and that he does not wish to deprive any customer of that feeling.When the policy was first unveiled, Sadarangani framed it as a move toward uniformity, indicating that other non‑U.S. flags would also be taken down to maintain consistency across stores.The decision triggered an immediate and vocal backlash from both employees and customers. An online petition opposing the ban quickly amassed more than 7,300 signatures, reflecting the chain’s long‑standing reputation as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.State Senator Scott Wiener, whose district includes San Francisco, condemned the policy on social media and suggested it was linked to Philz’s recent acquisition by private‑equity firm Freeman Spogli, raising concerns about corporate influence on inclusive practices.Sadarangani credited San Francisco Pride leaders Suzanne Ford and Jupiter Peraza for prompting the reversal, noting their outreach helped the company understand the broader impact of the decision."What gave me reason to engage with Mahesh was something I don’t always see from a CEO in this situation: genuine humility," Ford said. "He reached out, listened, and understood that this wasn’t about optics—it was about whether queer people and the employees who support them feel safe and seen. That matters."Founded in 2003, Philz Coffee has grown from a single San Francisco shop to a network of over 80 locations across California and Chicago, positioning itself as a community‑focused brand.The controversy occurs against a backdrop of nationwide debates over Pride symbols. Republican‑led states have recently removed rainbow flags from public spaces, and the Trump administration previously took down a rainbow flag at New York City’s Stonewall monument before agreeing to a settlement that restored it.Across the country, rainbow crosswalks have been targeted for removal, prompting cities like Miami Beach to install alternative displays—such as rainbow‑colored benches and plaques—to demonstrate solidarity with LGBTQ+ residents.

The relationship between comedy and politics has always been complex, but during Donald Trump's presidency, it has become increasingly clear that satire may not be enough to combat the enormity of his actions. While comedians like Stephen Colbert have made it their goal to remind audiences of reality, there is growing concern that political comedy may be having the opposite effect, allowing people to laugh away the severity of the situation.Weak mockery of authoritarian leaders can have unintended consequences, as it may permit them to solidify their power while appearing more relatable or human. This phenomenon has been referred to as 'clownwashing,' where comedy sanitizes the targets of satire rather than challenging their actions.However, comedians and writers argue that humor can be a powerful tool for social commentary and change. By using comedy to deflate the image of a strongman and challenge societal norms, comedians can create a 'persuasion window' that allows people to reconsider their opinions and take action.Effective comedy can penetrate people's psyches and create a sense of safety, allowing them to reconsider their views without feeling defensive. For example, costumes worn at anti-ICE protests have been used to ridicule the agency and challenge its actions, making it harder to maintain a narrative of serious law enforcement.Ultimately, the article suggests that comedy must be used thoughtfully and strategically to challenge systems of power and promote change. While personality-driven satire may be entertaining, it may not be enough to combat the slippage toward totalitarianism. Instead, comedy must ruthlessly target policies and systems to create a more just and equitable society.

Britain is bracing for its most severe economic contraction in decades, a side‑effect of the United States’ escalating conflict with Iran and the resulting shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. The British Treasury and the IMF warn that the nation’s growth could be crushed, public confidence in the government is eroding, and the prime minister’s position may become untenable. The original aim of sanctions was to punish hostile states and force leaders like Vladimir Putin to change course. Yet, data shows that in the years following the sanctions, Russia’s growth outpaced that of the United Kingdom. Similarly, the 2010s sanctions on Iran, intended to halt its nuclear programme, appear to have accelerated it, and current measures aimed at toppling the ayatollahs show little prospect of success. The United States now enforces economic restrictions on around 30 countries, including North Korea, Myanmar, Belarus and Afghanistan. Despite the breadth of these measures, the targeted regimes have largely remained in power, indicating a systemic failure of sanctions to destabilise entrenched governments. Beyond their limited impact on regime change, sanctions have unintentionally bolstered the Sino‑Russian trade bloc and driven many nations toward the BRICS alliance, positioning it as a counterweight to the G7. This realignment underscores the counter‑productive nature of the policy. Academic research, such as Nicholas Mulder’s The Economic Weapon, reinforces the historical pattern: except for very small states, trade restrictions are easily circumvented, and authoritarian regimes insulated from democratic pressures are largely immune. Mulder concludes that “the history of sanctions is a history of disappointment,” a sentiment echoed by critics who warn that each new round of sanctions repeats the same mistakes. One of the most damaging side‑effects is the exodus of skilled professionals. Iran, for example, has seen a diaspora of over four million people as of 2021, many of whom belong to the educated middle class that could have fueled internal reform. The brain drain weakens any potential opposition and inadvertently benefits Western economies that absorb this talent. Russia experienced a similar talent flight after the 1990s, when a vibrant civil society briefly flourished. Today, the remaining dissenters face both Kremlin repression and Western ostracism, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of McCarthy‑era loyalty tests. Given these outcomes, the article argues that the West must abandon blunt economic coercion in favour of nuanced, soft‑power strategies. Supporting opposition groups through academic, cultural, and diplomatic channels could nurture the very alternatives that sanctions have helped to erode. In sum, sanctions have proven illiberal and counter‑productive, reinforcing authoritarian borders while draining the human capital needed for genuine change. Restoring constructive relationships with societies like Iran and Russia, rather than relying on punitive trade measures, may offer a more viable path to long‑term stability.

In Tokyo, a group of elderly Japanese people are determined to master smartphones and stay connected in a 4G and 5G world. The class, led by Yasushi Nishioka, a retired programmer, teaches students the basics of smartphone use, including turning their phones on and off, controlling volume, and using cashless payments and QR codes.The students, most of whom are in their 70s, say they are intimidated by their devices, but are eager to learn and not be left behind in an increasingly digital world. Japan's 3G network has been shut down, and telecom companies are encouraging subscribers to switch to 4G and 5G networks.Nishioka guides his students through the basics, including health trackers and weather forecasts, and promises that future sessions will cover entertainment, social media, and photo and video content. The students also express concerns about security, a growing problem in Japan, and Nishioka shares an app that filters out suspicious contacts.The participants' reasons for taking the plunge aren't wildly different to those that keep younger people umbilically attached to their devices: reserving tickets, joining WhatsApp groups, learning a foreign language, and making travel plans. As Nishioka notes, one of the biggest challenges for users of all ages is managing their passwords.

The UK government has taken a significant step in boosting its tech sector by announcing its first investment in a £500m sovereign AI fund. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has urged the public to 'make AI work for Britain', despite concerns about job disruption and cybersecurity risks.Kendall acknowledged that 'people are worried about the risks and what it means for their jobs', but emphasized that AI entrepreneurs believe they can create new employment opportunities. The government has taken an undisclosed shareholding in London-based Callosum, a company that helps different types of computer chips work together efficiently to train and operate AI models.The investment is part of a broader effort to support national AI champions and ensure that internationally competitive companies can start, scale, and stay in Britain. The sovereign AI unit, designed to act like a venture capital fund, has also provided access to a network of government-funded supercomputers to help six UK companies develop AI models.These companies include Prima Mente, which is building 'biological foundation models' to tackle diseases like Alzheimer's; Cursive, a company developing autonomous AI agents founded by Google DeepMind alumni; and Odyssey, which develops 'world models', an approach to AI where systems interact with a convincing simulation of the real world.Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, said that by supporting national AI champions, the UK could ensure that internationally competitive companies can 'start, scale and stay here in Britain'. The investment is seen as a key step in establishing the UK as a leader in the AI sector.

David Miliband, former British foreign secretary and head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), has warned that cuts to overseas aid by countries such as the US and UK will worsen global economic instability and humanitarian crises. Speaking at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington, Miliband emphasized that the current global landscape is more interconnected than ever, and untended humanitarian crises can incubate political instability.Miliband expressed regret over the UK's decision to slash its aid budget under Keir Starmer's government, citing that supporting the world's poorest is morally justifiable and a 'good investment for Britain'. He also criticized the US under Donald Trump for 'abandoning' its aid program, which he believes will have far-reaching consequences for global stability.The Middle East conflict, particularly the Iran war, is expected to increase global poverty and displace millions of people. Miliband highlighted that 32.5 million people globally could be plunged into poverty due to the economic fallout from the conflict, with developing countries being hit the hardest. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to soaring global energy and fertilizer prices, posing a 'food security timebomb' that could cause widespread hunger.Western governments, including the US, Germany, France, and the UK, are cutting their aid spending amid elevated borrowing and debt levels. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, rich countries cut aid spending by $174.3 billion in 2025, a decline of almost a quarter from 2024. Miliband argued that now is a critical time for international support, as the evidence shows that aid has a positive impact on reducing poverty.