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The usual visual language of hospital dramas relies on sterile whites and bright fluorescents. ‘What I’m Here For’ discards that palette entirely, immersing the audience in a world of black costumes and shadow‑filled set pieces.This daring aesthetic is the result of a collaboration between Vanishing Point of Glasgow and Teater Katapult from Aarhus, Denmark. Designer Mai Katsume outfits nurses, doctors and patients in deep black, arranging them in stark rows that dominate an ominously dark stage.At the centre stands Lærke Schjærff Engelbrecht as Flora, a nurse forced onto an extra weekend shift because of chronic short‑staffing. Even the flickering strip lights beneath her feet are cloaked in darkness, a visual choice amplified by Simon Wilkinson’s austere lighting design that drains the scene of any residual warmth, turning a hectic night ward into a gothic horror tableau.Written by Josephine Eusebius and performed in a blend of Danish and English, the script follows a familiar premise—too many patients, too few staff—but pushes it to a psychological extreme. Flora cheerfully repeats the hospital‑as‑hotel mantra while confronting impossible choices, such as whether to prioritize a pleasant woman with a brain tumour in room 22 or a demanding lady with a heart condition in room 33.The tension is heightened by Mark Melville’s pulse‑driven soundtrack, a low‑frequency thrum that underscores Flora’s isolation. As in many of director Matthew Lenton’s productions, the protagonist is both integral to and alienated from the medical team, a duality made palpable by her physical separation from the other actors and their disembodied commentary.Throughout the performance, Flora remains downstage, engaging in dream‑like exchanges with colleagues whose looming presence becomes as oppressive as the life‑and‑death decisions she must make. The staging forces the audience to feel the weight of each moral dilemma, turning routine triage into an almost tactile nightmare.‘What I’m Here For’ runs at the Tron in Glasgow until 4 April and will tour to other venues until 18 April.

A recent study has shown that a simple yet effective method can help prevent gulls from stealing food from beachgoers. Painting eyes on takeaway boxes can reduce gull theft by up to 50%. The research, conducted by Laura Kelley from the University of Exeter and her colleagues, involved presenting herring gulls with tempting takeaways at various seaside towns in Devon and Cornwall.The study found that when faced with a choice between a box with eyes painted on it and a plain box, gulls were slower to approach the box with eyes and less likely to peck at it. This effect was sustained, with gulls remaining wary of the boxes with eyes on them even after repeated exposure. The findings were published in Ecology and Evolution.The concept of using watchful eyes as a deterrent is not new. It has been shown to be effective in keeping starlings away from crops, raptors away from airports, and even reducing predator attacks on livestock by painting eyes on an animal's rump. Humans are also susceptible to the feeling of being watched, with images of human eyes successfully used to deterrent bike theft and increase charitable donations. However, not all gulls are deterred by the feeling of being watched, and shouting has been shown to be a good deterrent for bolder gulls.

Russia has officially designated Pavel Talankin, the main protagonist of the Oscar-winning documentary 'Mr Nobody Against Putin', as a 'foreign agent'. This move comes after Talankin, a teacher and videographer, spent two years documenting pro-war propaganda at a school in the Chelyabinsk region of west-central Russia.Talankin, in collaboration with US director David Borenstein, won the Best Documentary award at the Academy Awards earlier this month. The documentary features footage Talankin smuggled out of Russia in 2024, showcasing how students were exposed to pro-war messaging.A Russian court recently banned the documentary from several streaming platforms, citing that it promoted 'negative attitudes' about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities have sought to suppress opposition to the war and rally support among citizens.As a 'foreign agent', Talankin is subject to stringent bureaucratic requirements and income restrictions in Russia. He is also obligated to label his social media posts and publications with the 'foreign agent' designation.In his Oscar acceptance speech on March 15, 2026, Talankin urged an end to global conflicts, stating, 'Stop all of these wars now'. The documentary has sparked controversy, with some Russians opposing Putin and the war criticizing Talankin for filming colleagues and children without consent.

Renowned Formula One journalist Giles Richards was ejected from a Max Verstappen press conference at the Japanese Grand Prix, a rare occurrence in the sport. The incident stemmed from a question Richards asked Verstappen at the end of last season regarding an incident involving Verstappen and George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix.Verstappen had collided with Russell's car during the Spanish Grand Prix, resulting in a 10-second penalty that dropped him from fifth to 10th place and cost him nine points. When Richards asked Verstappen about the incident during the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen took umbrage, suggesting Richards was biased and only focused on negative aspects of his performance.Richards recounts that when he encountered Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Dutch driver refused to speak until Richards left the press conference. Despite attempts to clarify the situation, Verstappen remained resolute, telling Richards to 'get out'.The incident has sparked a heated debate about driver-journalist interactions in Formula One, with many colleagues expressing shock and concern for Richards' wellbeing. While Richards admits to feeling uncomfortable about being the story, he emphasizes the importance of asking difficult questions in his line of work.Richards has covered Formula One for over a decade and has interviewed Verstappen on multiple occasions, describing their interactions as generally friendly and good-humored. He hopes that he and Verstappen can have a better relationship in the future.

Around 15 years ago, Ashley Markle was introduced to a culinary curiosity that would later become a global phenomenon. While staying at her aunt's house, she encountered a small, plastic-wrapped biscuit that would forever change her perception of cookies. What began as an unknown airline snack evolved into one of the fastest-growing biscuit brands in the US, with Markle becoming an unwitting early adopter of what would become a cultural movement.The spiced caramel biscuit, created in 1932 by Belgian company Lotus, has experienced remarkable peaks in popularity over the past decade. From being described as 'crack in a jar' in 2014 to becoming a staple in freakshakes in 2016, the brand has consistently found new ways to capture consumer interest. The pandemic home-baking boom in 2021 propelled Biscoff into social media stardom, with chef Jon Watts demonstrating multiple Biscoff recipes on daytime television.In January 2026, Biscoff experienced another viral surge, particularly on TikTok and Instagram, where users obsessively shared recipes for a 'Japanese cheesecake' featuring the biscuits. Markle, a social media creator specializing in snack recipes, has seen her Biscoff-related content accumulate millions of views, including a cheesecake recipe that garnered over 4 million views and a two-ingredient cookie recipe with 5.6 million views.The phenomenon extends beyond social media. A teacher named Raj developed such an affinity for Biscoff that he purchased multiple boxes, declaring: 'I'd smoke Biscoff if I could.' At his school, colleagues use the biscuits as incentives for students to attend tutoring sessions, demonstrating the brand's cultural penetration.Food industry experts attribute Biscoff's success to several converging trends. Lisa Harris, co-founder of food consultancy Harris and Hayes, explains: 'Biscoff isn't a single trend in itself, more an expression of various converging trends.' The brand taps into nostalgia, accessible indulgence, and versatility, allowing it to appear in everything from drinks to ice cream to desserts.The brand's partnerships with other companies exemplify modern 'collab culture', with Harris noting that products with distinctive flavors often develop a life of their own among consumers. 'Fans run with it and feel as if they have ownership over the product as much as the brand itself does,' she observes.Lotus Bakeries has responded strategically to the social media buzz. The company is removing the Lotus embossing from biscuits, replacing it with the word Biscoff to better resonate with younger shoppers. Niamh Leonard-Bedwell, fast-moving consumer goods editor at The Grocer, notes: 'In the week to January 17, their volume sales were up 30% on the same time last year.'The business impact has been substantial. In its 2025 annual results, Lotus announced a 10% revenue increase, with more than half coming from the Biscoff brand. The company has expanded internationally with factories in the US and Thailand, with founder's grandson Jan Boone declaring: 'We want to conquer the world.'Despite its sweet reputation, Biscoff is venturing into savory territory with recipes like prawns in Biscoff sauce and creamy Biscoff duck breast. However, chef Jon Watts remains skeptical about these applications, preferring the biscuit's traditional uses in desserts and treats.Industry analysts believe Biscoff's universal appeal will sustain its popularity. Unlike divisive trends like matcha, Biscoff offers a 'quite universally likable flavor' that balances novelty with familiarity. As Kiti Soininen of Mintel notes: 'If it's that sort of safe adventure, where it's got that newness, that freshness, but it's pairing that with familiarity – that hits the mark with a lot of people.'Despite growing concerns about ultra-processed foods, Biscoff's traditional positioning may insulate it from criticism. There's a disconnect between how products are classified and consumer intuition, with Soininen observing: 'If my grandmother can have bought this then it can't be truly ultra-processed.'With retailers developing Biscoff-inspired products including porridge, tea, popcorn, and breakfast cereal, the trend shows no signs of abating. As Markle predicts: 'I don't see anybody deciding that they don't like Biscoff any more.'