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The US Treasury Department has taken a strong stance against the Financial Times (FT), formally requesting a retraction of a report that suggested Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had discussed increasing oversight of the Federal Reserve in a manner similar to the Bank of England's model. In a detailed email to senior editors at the FT and its parent company, Nikkei Inc., Treasury officials disputed multiple claims in the story, criticizing the headline as misrepresenting the underlying reporting. The FT had reported on March 26 that Bessent had discussed adopting practices similar to the Bank of England, including regular communication between the Fed governor and the US Treasury Secretary over inflation targets. Treasury officials denied that Bessent had endorsed such views or discussed adopting similar practices in Washington. They also took issue with the headline, which stated that Bessent had 'praised' the Bank of England model for tighter oversight, a claim that did not appear in the text of the story. “The Secretary has never made any of the above statements in public or private,” Elliott Hulse, the acting assistant secretary for public affairs, wrote in the email. “At no time has the secretary ‘discussed tightening the US Treasury’s oversight of the Federal Reserve by adopting elements of the Bank of England’s model in a step that would shake up the central bank’s relationship with government.’” The FT responded by stating they were confident in the accuracy of their story, including US Treasury responses in the article. This incident highlights the sensitivity surrounding the Federal Reserve's political independence, especially following Donald Trump's repeated threats to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not reducing borrowing costs as requested. Investors prioritize the Fed's independence in making policy decisions, as political pressure could lead to rapid inflation and subsequent sharp rate increases. The Treasury's actions mark an effort to discredit the FT report, with Bessent himself denying the claims on social media.

Mohaddeseh Fallahat recalled the ordinary morning of February 28 when she prepared her children for school, never imagining it would be the last time she would see them alive. That simple morning routine now haunts her as she struggles to cope with the devastating loss of her two children.Speaking through tears to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva via videolink, Fallahat described the unbearable pain of sending her children off with a smile, only to be met with silence. "My heart burns with pain," she shared, as the memory of their final words—"Mum, come pick us up after school"—repeats endlessly in her mind.Her children were among more than 170 people killed when United States Tomahawk missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls' School in Minab, southern Iran, during the initial hours of the US-Israeli assault. The majority of victims were schoolgirls, marking one of the deadliest attacks on educational facilities in recent memory.Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the council with strong condemnation, asserting that the attack was no mere miscalculation. "No one can believe that the attack on the school was anything other than deliberate and intentional," he stated, pointing to the advanced precision technologies claimed by American and Israeli forces.Araghchi accused the US and Israel of "slaughtering [victims] in cold blood" and committing "the worst humanitarian crimes with impunity." He called on UN member states to denounce what he described as a "blatantly unjustified" war on Iran, warning that indifference would bring no lasting security or peace.UN special rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed, presented evidence suggesting the school was "each struck individually by precision munition," indicating intentional targeting. However, ongoing investigations suggest the attack may have resulted from "outdated intelligence" used by the US military.Shaheed emphasized that "the killing of children can never, ever be justified" and highlighted the broader impact on education in Iran, where more than 600 schools and education facilities have been destroyed or severely damaged by US-Israeli attacks, with at least 230 children and teachers confirmed dead.UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk reinforced that targeting schools constitutes a grave violation of international law, stating: "Whatever differences countries have, we can all agree they will not be solved by killing schoolchildren."

David Chase, the creative mind behind HBO's groundbreaking series The Sopranos, recently shared insights into how the show transformed both his life and television history. The 80-year-old creator revealed that his seminal work was born from personal pain, particularly stemming from his complex relationship with his mother.While in London promoting HBO Max's UK launch, Chase reflected on how The Sopranos elevated HBO from a little-known network focused on sports and standup comedy to a powerhouse of prestige television. Despite the show's monumental success, Chase remains characteristically modest, attributing much of the achievement to luck rather than his own genius."I'd been taking network notes and eating network shit for however many years, and I was done with it," Chase explained of his decision to create The Sopranos after years working on network television shows like The Rockford Files and Northern Exposure. The creative freedom offered by HBO proved transformative, with the network providing minimal notes throughout the series' run.Chase revealed that the show's central premise—a mob boss seeking therapy—was directly inspired by his own difficult family dynamics. "In 1967 at the height of the Vietnam war, my mother said to me, 'I'd rather see you dead than avoid the draft,'" he shared. "I had to create a whole TV series to get over it."The interview also touched on Chase's complex relationship with James Gandolfini, who portrayed Tony Soprano. While acknowledging their creative tensions, Chase defended Gandolfini's commitment to the role, emphasizing that the actor never refused to perform scenes despite his struggles with the character's darkness.When asked about his legacy nearly two decades after The Sopranos concluded, Chase offered a simple yet profound reflection after a long pause: "God is in the details."Looking ahead, Chase discussed his upcoming limited series about MKUltra, the CIA's experimental program that sought to weaponize LSD. The project will explore scientists Sidney Gottlieb and Jolly West, who became consumed by their research into psychedelic substances. "They all went crazy and it became like the big party drug of the 1970s," Chase noted of the scientists' descent.The creator also expressed disappointment about a previously announced project, "A Ribbon of Dreams," about early cinema, which was ultimately shelved after HBO insisted on filming in western Canada. "I thought, 'What are you talking about? I don't even want to go into this,'" Chase recalled of the network's decision.

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.

The Reykjavik Open, a prestigious nine-round chess tournament commencing at the Harpa Conference Centre, carries significant historical weight as it takes place near the site of the legendary 1972 Bobby Fischer versus Boris Spassky match. First established in 1964 with Mikhail Tal as the inaugural winner, this year's event has attracted a substantial field of 422 players.The top seed is Iran's Amin Tabatabaei, the sole 2700-rated competitor in the tournament, followed by Romania's Bogdan-Daniel Deac (2655) and veteran Ukrainian Vasyl Ivanchuk (2654) as the fourth seed. England has dispatched a contingent of over 20 players, though most are amateur competitors. Grandmaster Matthew Wadsworth (2522) is seeded 21st, while Grandmaster Simon Williams (2443) holds the 39th position. Notably, 11-year-old Women's International Master Bodhana Sivanandan is pursuing her second Women's Grandmaster norm.In the opening rounds, the English trio secured victories, including Williams' impressive 20-move triumph. Sivanandan drew against a 2484-rated Chinese International Master in the second round.For the author, any chess event in Reykjavik evokes memories of 1973, when Fischer was anticipated to return to competitive play following his victory over Spassky. The author recounts an ambitious plan to organize a match involving Fischer, which included a two-game match against British champion William Hartston and an eight-board simultaneous exhibition against England's junior players. Despite personal connections to Fischer—including participation in a BBC-recorded consultation game in 1960—the proposed event never materialized after a negative response from Fischer's representatives.The author speculates that had the match occurred, it would have significantly advanced English chess, with Fischer likely prevailing 6-2 to 7-1 against the promising English juniors who would later achieve grandmaster status.The article concludes with a chess puzzle solution for position 4017, demonstrating the tactical complexity that characterizes high-level chess competition.

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.

Tamerlano, a 1724 opera by Handel, has been reimagined in a modern production at the London Handel Festival. The story revolves around the despotic emperor Tamerlano, who has brought the stubborn Bajazet to his court in chains. Tamerlano's infatuation with Bajazet's daughter Asteria leads him to offer his betrothed, Irene, to the Greek prince Andronico. However, both Bajazet and Andronico threaten to end it all, while Asteria plots to assassinate Tamerlano.In an attempt to make the opera more accessible, director Orpha Phelan has aligned each character with a recognizable famous figure. Tamerlano is reimagined as Donald Trump, Andronico as Alexander the Great, and Irene as Elizabeth Bennet or a Bridgerton escapee. The production is billed as 'Social Experiment 2', manipulated by Andronico's friend Leone, played as Sigmund Freud.Despite the modern twist, the opera's musical standards are high, led by Laurence Cummings and the excellent Academy of Ancient Music. The cast, including Benjamin Hulett as Bajazet, Nardus Williams as Asteria, and Kitty Whately as Irene, copes admirably with Phelan's concept. However, James Laing's portrayal of Tamerlano is somewhat overwhelmed by excessive fidgety business, including eating Big Macs and doing the Trump dance.The production runs at Shoreditch Town Hall, London, until 28 March. Despite some reservations, the opera's vital element of danger is somewhat lost in the buffoonery. Nevertheless, it remains a fine cast and a resourceful set by Madeleine Boyd.

Andris Nelsons' tenure with the Boston Symphony may have been cut short, but his work with the Gewandhaus Orchestra is a testament to his exceptional skill. This collection of Mendelssohn's symphonies and oratorios, recorded live between 2021 and 2024, highlights Nelsons' ability to bring out the best in the orchestra. The tempi are brisk but never rushed, and it's the phrasing that truly brings these performances to life. The Italian Symphony's opening movement is ultra-lithe, and the Scottish Symphony's scherzo features intricate woodwind work. Nelsons elevates the often-overlooked First Symphony to stand alongside its more colorful counterparts. The set includes two oratorios, Elias (Elijah) and Paulus (St Paul), sung in German. Elias boasts a distinguished lineup, including Golda Schultz and Wiebke Lehmkuhl, with Andrè Schuen delivering a standout performance in the title role. Nelsons' interpretation of Paulus is particularly noteworthy, bringing out the drama in this lesser-known work. This collection is a must-listen for classical music enthusiasts, offering a unique insight into Mendelssohn's works and Nelsons' exceptional conducting style. Stream it now on Apple Music or Spotify.

Legendary musician Paul McCartney has unveiled his 18th solo album, titled The Boys of Dungeon Lane. The album's title is a nod to the route from Liverpool to the Speke shoreline, an area where McCartney spent his early childhood. Described as McCartney's most introspective album to date, The Boys of Dungeon Lane offers 'a collection of rare and revealing glimpses into memories never-before shared, along with some newly inspired love songs'. The musical styles on the album span McCartney's entire career, including 'Wings-style rock, Beatles-style harmonies, McCartney-style grooves, understated intimacy, melody-driven storytelling, character songs'. The lead single, Days We Left Behind, references Dungeon Lane and was debuted on BBC Radio Merseyside. McCartney, 83, shared that the song is 'very much a memory song for me', reflecting on his days in Liverpool and his friendship with John Lennon. The album was produced by Andrew Watt and features 14 tracks, including As You Lie There, Lost Horizon, and Ripples in a Pond. McCartney and Watt worked on the album between dates on McCartney's five-year global tour, in studios in Los Angeles and Sussex. The Boys of Dungeon Lane is credited solely to McCartney, following the style of his 1970 solo debut McCartney and its 1980 counterpart McCartney II. The album promises to offer listeners a glimpse into a world that existed before the Beatles, 'offering memories never previously shared and revealing, with extraordinary honesty, the human story behind a global icon'.