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The Unlikely Motivation At 56, I am running my first marathon, an old, fat, bald dad surrounded by millennials in body-hugging Lycra and smiles that look AI-generated. But I am ahead of them. For they are only competing for positions and personal bests, and I am being chased by zombies. The Event Details I started off accompanied by audiobooks, but when Ben Elton’s autobiography got a bit whiny, I remembered Zombies, Run! – an interactive running game for smartphones that came out years ago. That became my running companion. The Data Analysis I am doing the Hal Higdon Novice Marathon Training Program, involving three “short” runs during the week and a “long” run at weekends. The distances slowly increase over 18 weeks. For the first few weeks, I am doing three- or four-mile runs during the week and six- to 10-mile runs at the weekend. The Impact Analysis Unfortunately, I spent the 90s playing football on hangovers and Red Bull without stretching once. My glutes and hamstrings give me constant pain after 10km, and the story is no longer enough to distract me. Luckily, the best bit about Zombies, Run! is that you can link the game to a playlist on your phone, so you get a minute of narrative, then the music fades up for a bit before returning to the story. The Prediction I ran the first half in two hours and 10 minutes and the second half in three-and-a-half hours. Now I have to train for another one so I can try to beat five hours – because that is what dafties like me do. Luckily, Zombies, Run! is now up to season 11, and I only got as far as the end of season 2.

The Lead The Edinburgh Festival 2026 promises to be an exciting event with a wide range of theatre productions. From feminist explorations to epic dramas, there's something for everyone. Roleplay and Mayflies Producer Francesca Moody brings 'Roleplay', a new offering by Australia's Hannah Reilly, about a feminist podcaster who becomes an online 'slutfluencer'. Meanwhile, Andrew O'Hagan's coming-of-age novel 'Mayflies' is adapted by Ben Harrison and directed by Grid Iron. 'Roleplay' - Summerhall, 6-31 August 'Mayflies' - Brown's of Leith, 7-30 August Epic Dramas Paines Plough's Katie Posner directs 'After Party', an epic drama by Morna Young, which explores family secrets on the night of an actor's 80th birthday celebrations. Additionally, Internationaal Theater Amsterdam revives Tony Kushner's 'Angels in America', a masterpiece about AIDS in the 1980s, directed by Ivo van Hove. 'After Party' - Traverse, 6-30 August 'Angels in America' - King's theatre, 15-20 August Unique Performances Other notable productions include '116 Grams: A Play to Lose Weight' by Letícia Rodrigues, 'Cathy' starring Elaine C Smith, and 'The Jolly Fisherman' by John Dinneen. '116 Grams: A Play to Lose Weight' - Zoo Southside, 7-30 August 'Cathy' - Traverse, 31 July-30 August 'The Jolly Fisherman' - Underbelly, 5-31 August Experimental and Innovative The festival also features experimental and innovative productions like 'Bigfoot Ripped My Dog in Half I Saw It' by Xhloe and Natasha, 'The Singer' with music and lyrics by KT Tunstall, and 'Concerts of the Future' by Ciaran Frame. 'Bigfoot Ripped My Dog in Half I Saw It' - Summerhall, 6-30 August 'The Singer' - Traverse, 4-30 August 'Concerts of the Future' - Summerhall, 6-31 August Powerful Messages Lastly, productions like 'Hang Time' by Zora Howard and 'A Trial – After An Enemy of the People' tackle serious issues like racialised violence and social justice. 'Hang Time' - Royal Lyceum, 20-23 August

The Lead In a revealing interview, Mark Williams, beloved for his portrayal of Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films, shares candid insights about his experiences on set, his relationships with fellow cast members, and the enduring impact of his iconic roles on both his career and public recognition. On-Set Memories and Fellow Actors Williams reflects on the challenges and joys of filming the Harry Potter series, noting that the worst part was "being away from home and the long hours," while the best was "the work and talking to the other actors." He recalls the legendary storytelling abilities of his co-stars, particularly Michael Gambon and Richard Griffiths, whose backstage anecdotes were "brilliant, and completely unpublishable." One of the more unusual on-set activities involved browsing agricultural equipment magazines with Robbie Coltrane. "With Robbie Coltrane I used to like going through Plant Trader, which was a sales magazine for big stuff: cranes, tractors, earthmoving equipment. We never purchased anything, but we came close," Williams reveals. The Unexpected Recognition Williams shares an amusing anecdote about recognizing someone unexpected on the Harry Potter set. While filming in the Ministry of Magic, he spotted his accountant among the extras. "When we'd stopped shooting I went over and said: 'Harry? What are you doing?' He said: 'Oh, it's a group of us. We just come and do supporting artist extra work for a laugh. That guy over there is a high court judge, and he's a contract law specialist.'" This experience taught him to "never underestimate the extras," highlighting the diverse backgrounds of people working in the film industry. Career Highlights and Collaborations When asked about his favorite collaborations, Williams cites two distinct areas: working with Hugh Laurie in films like "101 Dalmatians" and "The Borrowers," and his relationships with costume departments. He recalls a particularly memorable meeting with costume designer Bunny Christie on "Shakespeare in Love," who looked him up and down and declared, "Hmm, a make, I think," making him feel like he'd "arrived" in the industry. Williams also discusses his role as Brian Williams in "Doctor Who," describing his character as "the sort of antihero," and expresses his fondness for the maritime culture of the British Isles, which he'd love to explore in a potential documentary series. Iconic Catchphrases and Public Perception The interview touches on Williams' most famous catchphrases from "The Fast Show," including "Suits you, sir" and "Nice." While he doesn't find himself frequently quoting these lines in everyday life, he reveals that his mother used to say "Which was nice" without acknowledging its origin. When asked if he's tired of hearing his catchphrases, Williams responds with characteristic humor: "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime." When asked which catchphrase he wishes was his, Williams singles out Catherine Tate's "How very dare you?" as "a work of genius," noting its political undertones and versatility. Life Beyond Harry Potter Williams discusses his current role as Father Brown, revealing his love for the "Britishness" of music hall traditions and the "lunacy, the madness of it." While he has an excellent voice and can perform an uncanny George Formby impression, he hasn't pursued a singing career, though he has played Doctor Dolittle on tour. He also shares his thoughts on the Harry Potter studio tour, particularly fond of "Fluffy's paw," describing it as "a giant animatronic hand" that reminds him of Ray Harryhausen's work, noting that such creations are unique to films.

The Lead Addie E Citchens's debut novel Dominion has been shortlisted for the Women's Prize, offering a scathing critique of patriarchy through the lens of a prominent Black church family in Mississippi. The Event Details The novel, set in the fictional town of Dominion, Mississippi, revolves around the Winfrey family, particularly Rev Sabre Winfrey Jr and his wife Priscilla. The story explores the exercise of dominion through violence, charisma, piety, and male entitlement. The Character Analysis The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of Priscilla and Diamond, Wonderboy's teenage girlfriend. Both women become tragically bound to Wonderboy, with Priscilla having helped create and enable him, and Diamond experiencing the cruelties that flourish under his indulgence. The Impact Analysis Citchens astutely interrogates the ways religious performance can become a theatre for power, highlighting the hypocrisy of public holiness masking private cruelty. The novel reveals itself to be a tale about inheritance: the inherited scripts of masculinity, the inherited submission of women, and the inherited sadness of towns built atop generations of grief. The Prediction Dominion has been praised for its bruising, funny, and deeply intelligent exploration of the ways women’s lives are warped by the whims and cruelty of men. The novel offers a powerful portrayal of what becomes possible when women begin to imagine lives larger than those who diminish them.

The Grim Reality of China's Gig Economy Hu Anyan's memoir, 'I Deliver Parcels in Beijing', began as a blog and became a bestseller in China, selling nearly 2 million copies. It details his experiences as an internal migrant, working 19 jobs in six cities over 20 years, often in terrible conditions and for very low wages. The Daily Grind Hu's jobs included security guard, hotel waiter, delivery driver, bicycle salesman, bike courier, gas station attendant, and logistics warehouse worker. He often worked long shifts on little sleep and went without food for eight hours at a time. The Human Cost The book, translated by Jack Hargreaves and narrated by Winson Ting, conveys the dehumanizing reality of Hu's experiences and the struggles of internal migrants in China. It is a grim indictment of a system that prioritizes convenience over people's well-being. Further Listening Maybe I'm Amazed by John Harris, a moving account of a father's bond with his autistic son, narrated by the author. Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, a novel about an American spy who infiltrates a group of eco-warriors in France, narrated by the author.

Visual Overview of the Biennial’s Core NarrativeThe Guardian’s picture‑rich report presents a snapshot of the Upstate Photography Biennial, emphasizing three intersecting motifs: lesbian rebels challenging gender norms, exotic dancing as a form of bodily expression, and domestic scenes that foreground everyday intimacy.Exploring the Three Narrative ThreadsLesbian rebels: Photographs showcase queer subjects asserting agency through bold poses and activist symbolism.Exotic dancing: Images capture kinetic performances that blur the line between art and ritual, highlighting movement as narrative.Domesticity: Intimate home settings reveal the quiet power of routine, contrasting the overt rebellion of the other themes.Why These Themes Resonate in Contemporary PhotographyBy juxtaposing radical queer visibility with sensual performance and ordinary life, the Biennial reflects a broader cultural appetite for nuanced representation. The curatorial choice underscores a move away from singular aesthetic statements toward layered, socially aware storytelling.Implications for Regional Art PlatformsHighlighting such diverse subject matter positions Upstate New York as a fertile ground for experimental photography, potentially attracting wider curatorial interest and funding. The exhibition may encourage other regional festivals to adopt similarly inclusive programming.Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter for the BiennialFuture editions are likely to build on this momentum, inviting more artists who explore identity, performance and the private sphere. Continued media coverage, like the Guardian’s visual essay, will be crucial in amplifying the Biennial’s impact beyond its geographic locale.

The Vision for a Just and Sustainable FutureImagine a future in which everyone enjoys high levels of wellbeing; where 90% of the world's population doubles their income but works half the hours we work today. A world in which the bottom half of humanity sees its share of global wealth rise from just 2% today to 30%; a world where we consume enough, but nobody over-consumes. And imagine achieving this on a planet that can comfortably sustain human life without its climate breaking down.Against the bleak techno-authoritarian futures now being sold to us, a radical new vision for global progress in the 21st century feels urgently needed. The most credible vision is one in which the habitability of the planet is a precondition for human development and equality.The Three Pillars of Global TransformationOur new report examines the conditions required for the world to progress towards this ambition on an economically and ecologically compatible path, by the end of the century. Its conclusion? A global transformation that reconciles planetary habitability and high standards of wellbeing for all is possible – as long as three conditions are simultaneously met.Fast decarbonisation of energy systems is necessary. But we also need a major shift away from overconsumption towards 'sufficiency'. This would involve a sharp reduction in labour hours and the use of raw materials, along with big changes in consumption patterns, food habits, land use and forest cover. Financing and politically sustaining decarbonisation and sufficiency will require a drastic reduction in inequality of income, wealth and power, between countries and within them.Quantifying the Path to Global JusticeThe Global Justice Report is the first attempt to propose a fully quantified plan for this transition. It combines four dimensions that today's debates often treat separately: redistribution at the world scale; a deep reform of the international financial and economic order; a radical transformation of energy systems; and substantial shifts in consumption patterns. Compared with most climate scenarios (including those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the main novelty is that we model all four dimensions together – and place inequality and sufficiency at the centre of the analysis.The Economic Convergence by 2100What would this transition deliver? At its heart is convergence between countries. Average per capita national income, today separated by a 16-fold gap between the poorest (€290 a month in sub-Saharan Africa) and richest (€4,590 in North America/Oceania) regions of the world, would rise towards a common level of about €5,000 a month in all countries by 2100.But this convergence is not just monetary. Annual working hours per employed person would fall from roughly 2,100 to about 1,000, continuing the long shift towards shorter working time; while the share of global working hours devoted to education and health would rise from 11% to 43%. Women and men would converge on equal pay and on an equal share of economic and domestic labour.Climate and Wealth TransformationAll of this would unfold within a habitable climate. Thanks to sustainable convergence and fast decarbonisation, global heating would reach 1.8C, against more than 4C on current trends.None of this will be possible without a deep contraction of inequality. The income scale between individuals would narrow to a ratio of one to five and the wealth scale to one to 10, prolonging what western and Nordic Europe achieved over the 20th century. The share of global wealth held by the poorest half of humanity would rise from 2% to 30%, while the share held by the billionaire class would fall from 6% to 0.05%.Financing the Global Justice TransitionThese shifts would be financed and governed through new institutions. A global justice fund would spend an average of 10% of world GDP a year from 2026 to 2060 on country dividends and investment, against the less than 0.4% that aid and the combined budgets of the UN, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank represent today.Its resources would come from a world sovereign fund holding 10% of the world capital stock, a global wealth tax rising to 20% a year on billionaires and a global income tax rising to 90% at the very top, each touching about 1% of the world's population.The Political Path ForwardThe result is not a transfer from many to few but a gain for almost everyone. Close to 90% of the world's population would double their income between 2026 and 2100, and once leisure and a habitable planet are counted, more than 99% come out ahead.Our report is part of a broader international agenda for planetary habitability, social justice and reform of the global financial architecture – including the Bridgetown agenda launched by Barbados in 2022, the Sevilla Commitment on development finance, the UN tax convention process, and G20 initiatives led by Brazil and South Africa on global inequality.A habitable, equal and prosperous 21st century is materially possible. The carbon budget allows it and history offers precedents at comparable scales: universal suffrage, the universalisation of healthcare and education, the halving of working hours and the sharp compression of inequality over the 20th century. Technical impossibility is not what is standing in the way, but rather the absence of a shared vision of social progress, at once concrete and radical. What it will take instead is political choice, and the hard work of coalition-building behind it.

Why Reducing Screen Time Has Become CriticalSmartphones have become the primary source of dopamine for many, leading to compulsive scrolling that erodes mental wellbeing. Recent legal action against major platforms underscores the urgency of adopting concrete habits to break the cycle.Legal Wake‑Up Call: Meta and YouTube Fined $6 MillionIn March, Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay a combined $6 million after a U.S. court ruled their platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive. The ruling serves as a public acknowledgment that the tech industry’s engagement loops can have harmful consequences.Numbers That Reveal the Scope of Phone AddictionSearch interest for “phone addiction” has risen steadily over the past decade, according to Google Trends data for the UK.The court‑imposed fine totals $6 million, a tangible financial penalty for design practices that prioritize user attention over health.Experts cite parallels between substance addiction and app usage, noting similar patterns of positive and negative reinforcement.How Excessive Screen Use Is Reshaping Mental Health and Tech DesignProf Marcantonio Spada, emeritus professor of addictive behaviours at London South Bank University, explains that intermittent rewards—likes, notifications, short videos—keep the brain in a state of anticipation, amplifying the “hangover” effect after prolonged scrolling. Psychotherapist Hilda Burke observes that patients often experience low mood, sleep disruption, and concentration problems linked to phone overuse.Both experts stress the importance of conscious choice: moving from passive “I found myself scrolling” to active “I chose to open Instagram.”Practical Steps to Reclaim Control Over Your DeviceTrack your time: Use built‑in tools like Android’s Digital Wellbeing or iOS’s Screen Time to monitor app usage and set limits.Schedule screen‑free periods: Implement “wait training” by leaving the phone behind during walks or designating a full screen‑free day (e.g., Sundays).Change your lockscreen: Replace distracting widgets with neutral images or information that discourages immediate checking.Set clear boundaries: Turn off non‑essential notifications, especially for messaging apps, to reduce the urge to respond instantly.Create physical distance: Keep the phone in another room during meals or focused work sessions.What the Future Holds for Digital Wellbeing Tools and RegulationAs courts continue to hold platforms accountable, we can expect tighter scrutiny of design features that exploit attention. Meanwhile, operating‑system providers are likely to expand Digital Wellbeing and Screen Time functionalities, offering more granular controls and proactive alerts. Users who adopt the outlined habits now will be better positioned to benefit from these upcoming enhancements while safeguarding their mental health.

The Leap into Opera Direction Danielle de Niese, a renowned singer, has taken on a new challenge by directing her first opera, The Marriage of Figaro. In an interview, she shares her thoughts on what inspired her to make this career shift and how she approached the project. An Unexpected Opportunity de Niese explains that she was approached by Wild Arts' producer Max Parfitt to direct a new production of Figaro. With a gap in her schedule, she decided to take on the challenge. Her deep familiarity with the opera, having performed in it multiple times, made her a suitable candidate for the task. A New Perspective on a Classic de Niese aimed to bring a fresh perspective to the classic opera. She set her production in the 18th century, the time it was written, and focused on creating realistic characters and believable plot actions. Her goal was to make the opera feel less pantomimic and more coherent, with every moment having tension and plausibility. Breaking Away from Tropes de Niese wanted to avoid common tropes in Figaro productions. She sought to portray the Count as more than just a buffoon and Cherubino as a young page with more depth. By doing so, she aimed to create a more nuanced and engaging performance. The Importance of Character Development As a performer, de Niese understands the importance of character development. She emphasized that every character's actions must make sense and be believable. This approach allowed her to create a cohesive and engaging production. A New Chapter in Her Career Directing Figaro marks a new chapter in de Niese's career. While she loves her day job as a performer, she sees directing as an opportunity to explore new skills and challenge herself. With this experience, she has proven that she is capable of taking on new roles and pushing her creative boundaries.