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Lonely lives, falling between the gaps, are at the heart of this 1935 psychological thriller by Rodney Ackland, adapted from Hugh Walpole's novel. It's an atmospheric period piece, but isn't entirely a stretch to reflect on our own concerns about solitude in an ageing population.The three ladies in an English cathedral town are without partners, families or much of an income. They eke out their genteel poverty in a rickety boarding house. They weren't raised to work; Miss Beringer, in desperate need of a job, can only imagine becoming a paid companion or, possibly, flower arranging.In Brigid Larmour's finely etched production, irritable passions ferment beneath the frowsty knits and beads. The characters are prey to spite and greed, nerves and night terrors. Voices are tremulous; eyes glance at a fearful future.Beringer is the new lodger: Catherine Cusack, whittled by anxiety, timidly nibbles on a scallop-edged biscuit. She is welcomed by Julia Watson's Mrs Amorest, flustered but keeping up appearances. Down to her last £10, she writes into the void to a long-absent son.The third lady is Agatha. Fruitily overblown in the novel, that's how Edith Evans played her in 1935. Abigail Thaw makes her disconcertingly eccentric: forbidding in jet black, she mocks and snaps at quivering Miss Beringer. She covets Beringer's one cherished possession – a translucent chunk of amber from a beloved female friend.It's a play of cross-hatched conversations and melodramatic plotting. Larmour's design team help turn the screw: the dank-toned house and clothes in tones of moth and cobweb, a bitter wind blowing.Ackland's plays about rackety lives are increasingly revived. He, Walpole and John Gielgud, the play's original director, were all queer artists, and it's tempting to imagine them drawn to these lives on the margins of British society. Though these ladies don't so much rage against the dying of the light as wait, fearfully, to be snuffed out.

The BBC has been accused of creating 'glossy propaganda films' for Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has raised concerns about the corporation's impartiality and potential damage to its reputation.BBC Storyworks, the corporation's commercial arm, has entered into a partnership with PIF to produce a series of films and written articles lauding Saudi Arabia's progressive attitude towards women and eco-friendly credentials. These content pieces are hosted on a mini-site bearing BBC branding, but are not accessible in the UK unless users employ a VPN.Critics argue that this partnership is inappropriate, especially given Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The BBC's reputation as an unbiased news outlet is at risk, according to former Baghdad bureau chief Patrick Howse: 'The BBC's existence depends on its reputation as an unbiased and reliable news outlet that is beholden to no one and pursues the truth without fear or favour.'The partnership comes as the BBC seeks alternative funding sources due to a dwindling number of licence fee payers, with a loss of about £50m in revenue. Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil exporter, is also promoting its green credentials through a BBC Storyworks piece funded by PIF, despite significant investments in fossil fuels.Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have criticized PIF's investments as tools of Saudi soft power and influence, aimed at whitewashing government abuses. They argue that businesses should avoid activities that bolster the reputation of government entities or officials accused of serious abuses.In response, a BBC Studios spokesperson stated that 'BBC News maintains clear separation between its commercial and editorial departments' and that journalists continue to report impartially and without fear or favour.

Congo-Brazzaville authorities have taken a significant step in their pursuit of Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, the embattled president of the country's football federation, Fecofoot. An Interpol arrest warrant has been requested following his conviction for embezzling $1.1m in funds provided by FIFA.Mayolas, along with his wife and son, was sentenced to life imprisonment earlier this month for their roles in the embezzlement. The funds, part of FIFA's COVID-19 relief plan in February 2021, were intended to support the country's football community. However, the trio fled the country weeks before the hearing, with investigators suspecting they may be hiding in Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The embezzlement scandal involves $500,000 earmarked for the Congo women's team. According to allegations, only $20,000 of the allocated funds was actually paid out. Mayolas has denied all allegations, calling them a conspiracy. This is not the first time Mayolas has faced scrutiny; in 2015, he and other officials received six-month bans from FIFA for ethics violations related to gifts and benefits.The situation has led to significant repercussions for Congo's football community. The country was banned from international football due to third-party interference, resulting in the forfeiture of World Cup qualifiers against Tanzania and Zambia. While Congo has since been reinstated, the scandal continues to cast a shadow over the sport in the region.

UConn's shock win over No 1 seed Duke on Sunday night to advance to the Final Four connected two disparate eras of college basketball. The game produced one of the greatest endings in NCAA Tournament history, with freshman Braylon Mullins's three-point heave from well beyond the arc sealing the 73-72 victory.The final 10 seconds of Sunday night's game evoked some of the greatest endings in tournament history, with Mullins and Silas Demary Jr's swarming of Cayden Boozer conjuring memories of UCLA's stunning 2006 comeback against Gonzaga and Villanova's 2016 national title win.UConn coach Dan Hurley praised his team's resilience, saying, 'We fought, we clawed, put ourselves in position to take advantage of a mistake that they made.' Mullins's game-winning shot will forever torment Duke fans, as the Blue Devils had led by 19 points in the first-half and No 1 seeds had been 134-0 when leading by 15 or more points in NCAA Tournament history.The win proved that recruiting and continuity still dictate success in college basketball, with UConn's senior Tarris Reed Jr. named the game's Most Outstanding Player after finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. Reed's performance reminded fans of the era of dominant post players like Patrick Ewing and Dwight Howard.UConn's victory, coupled with their previous wins over Michigan State and St John's, showed that traditional powers can still thrive in an era of unlimited transfers and Name, Image and Likeness deals. Hurley's adaptability and UConn's roster, which included transfers Malachi Smith and Silas Demary Jr, demonstrated that an old-school approach can still yield success in modern college basketball.

Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening to "obliterate" its power stations and fresh water plants if a peace deal is not reached soon. This comes as the US and Israel's joint war against Iran enters its second month, with Tehran remaining defiant in the face of US peace proposals.The conflict has already had significant repercussions, including a record monthly rise in oil prices and concerns over a potential US ground operation to seize Kharg Island. Trump's threat to destroy civilian infrastructure, such as power and water facilities, has been condemned by human rights groups as a potential war crime.The White House has also suggested that Arab countries may be asked to help foot the bill for the war, adding a new dimension to the conflict. "It's an idea that I know that he has," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.International pressure is mounting, with Spain closing its airspace to US planes involved in the conflict and the UK's prime minister reiterating that "this is not our war and we are not going to get dragged into it". Egypt's president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has called on Trump to end the war, warning that "no one will be able to stop the war in our region".The conflict threatens to plunge the global economy into recession and trigger shortages of food and pharmaceuticals. The International Monetary Fund has warned that "all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide" if the conflict continues.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a stark warning that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East will lead to higher prices and slower global growth, affecting countries worldwide. The Washington-based organisation emphasised that a rise in energy and food costs will harm economic growth this year and could leave lasting scars on the global economy.The IMF's analysis, published in a blogpost by its main department heads, including chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, noted that governments with high levels of borrowing will have limited access to funds to cushion the worst effects of the crisis. The organisation warned that all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth should the conflict continue to disrupt the supply of oil, gas, and fertiliser from the Gulf.While some countries, such as the US, may gain from higher fossil fuel prices as net exporters of oil and gas, the rise in bills for petrol, diesel, and food will harm living standards. Businesses are also forecast to come under pressure to raise prices, possibly forcing central banks to raise interest rates to combat inflation.The IMF highlighted that about a third of fertiliser production travels through the strait of Hormuz, which could push up prices. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation projects that global prices could average 15% to 20% higher in the first half of 2026 if the crisis persists. Natural gas prices have more than doubled in the UK since last December to about £140 a therm, while a barrel of Brent crude that cost about $60 before the conflict hit more than $116 on Monday before falling back to $112.The IMF added that forecasts for sharp rises in the cost of gas and electricity in Europe next winter are forcing governments to consider higher subsidies and welfare payments to the worst-affected households. The organisation noted that countries such as Italy and the UK are especially exposed by their reliance on gas-fired power, while France and Spain are relatively protected by their greater nuclear and renewables capacity.

Dayton Webber, a quadruple amputee cornhole champion, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly shooting and killing his friend, Bradrick Wells, in a suburban Washington DC area. Webber's ex-girlfriend, Tori Mattingly, claims he had a 'dark side' and was prone to anger and control during their four-year relationship.Mattingly shared a video with TMZ that allegedly shows Webber shouting at her and demanding she leave his property. She also made allegations of abuse and claimed she was not surprised by the murder charge against him.According to the sheriff's office in Charles county, Maryland, Webber was driving three passengers in his car on the night of March 22 when he began arguing with his front-seat passenger, Wells, and shot him twice in the head. Webber allegedly asked his other passengers to help him remove Wells's body from the car, but they refused and fled the vehicle.Police later found Wells's body in a local yard and tracked Webber down about 150 miles away in Virginia, where he had allegedly sought treatment at a hospital for an unspecified medical issue. Webber faces charges of murder, assault, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.Despite his disabilities, Webber became a budding wrestler and football player, then became a champion in the sport of cornhole, recording numerous tournament wins in the American Cornhole League (ACL). His former doubles partner, Mike Hoffman, expressed shock and sadness at Webber's arrest, saying 'If the allegations are true, he's made some terrible decisions'.

A powerful and unusual weather pattern has unleashed severe thunderstorms across parts of the Middle East, battering countries including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Arabian peninsula, typically dominated by arid desert climates, received up to 150mm of rain in just a few days.The deluge was caused by an abnormally strong jet stream, which helped a deep area of low pressure to develop north of Saudi Arabia. This, in turn, drew moist tropical air from the Indian Ocean and triggered intense storms.In Oman, hailstones as large as tennis balls fell during Wednesday evening's storms, alongside torrential rain. Doha, Qatar's capital, experienced flooding the same day.Further thunderstorms developed on Thursday evening, with a more organised line crossing the UAE and hitting densely populated areas such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Gusts of up to 80mph, large hail and intense lightning were reported, as heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding.A weather station on Jebel Yanas in northern UAE recorded 244mm of rainfall, with many others exceeding 100mm in just a few days, far surpassing typical annual totals of 60-100mm. The event reflects a broader global trend of storms bringing more intense rainfall as the climate warms.Attention is shifting to the Mediterranean, where a developing low-pressure system south-east of Italy is expected to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to Greece, Turkey and other countries in south-east Europe this week.

A sexual assault survivor has spoken out against Travelodge's decision to cancel a meeting with MPs, calling it 'shocking'. The meeting was intended to discuss the hotel chain's security processes and procedures that allowed the assault to occur.The survivor, who was attacked by Kyran Smith in December 2022, expressed her disappointment and frustration with Travelodge's handling of the incident. More than 20 MPs had demanded the meeting to discuss the matter, including details of the chain's security processes and procedures that led to it offering the victim an 'insulting' £30 refund after the incident.Prime Minister Keir Starmer had written to Travelodge's CEO, Jo Boydell, saying he was 'very concerned' about the meeting's cancellation. He pressed the hotel chain to 'seriously engage' with MPs over the 'utterly appalling' assault.The survivor told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'I think if you are the CEO of a company, then you have a responsibility to answer these questions and engage in that situation, and say how you're going to now improve.' She also expressed her skepticism about Boydell's claims that the hotel rooms had deadbolts, saying it was 'deflection'.Boydell has apologized to the survivor and said the company had made immediate changes to its door key policy. However, the survivor is taking legal action against the hotel chain.