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Virgil van Dijk drew a direct parallel between Liverpool’s current Champions League challenge against Paris Saint‑Germain and the club’s famous comeback against Barcelona in 2019, but warned that belief in the squad may be waning under new manager Arne Slot.Liverpool entered the quarter‑final with a 2‑0 deficit after a lackluster first‑leg loss at the Parc des Princes. Van Dijk, however, remains 100% convinced that a dramatic Anfield turnaround is still possible, citing the memory of overturning a 3‑0 first‑leg loss to Barcelona and winning 4‑0 at home.Reflecting on the 2019 semi‑final, the Dutch defender said, “We faced one of the best teams in Europe with the best player in the world, and we were injured. Now we face the European champions again, and on paper no one gives us a chance.” He stressed that success hinges on self‑belief, the manager’s game plan, and relentless intensity from the first minute to the last.Van Dijk also addressed Liverpool’s broader season, which has already produced 16 defeats across all competitions, including a penalty shoot‑out loss in the Community Shield and a recent FA Cup quarter‑final exit to Manchester City. “It’s unacceptable,” he said, describing the inconsistency as “disappointing” and acknowledging that the current squad does not match the standards set during the Klopp era.Despite the setbacks, the captain highlighted a positive sign: the team’s resilience in the previous Champions League rounds, notably the comeback against Galatasaray in the last‑16 and a strong showing against PSG at Anfield last season. He warned that “everything has to click” against a PSG side that excels in every department.Slot’s tactical shift to a three‑man central defence was only practiced for two days before the Paris match, adding to the challenges. Van Dijk admitted that recent league defeats, starting with a 2‑1 loss at Brighton, have tested the squad’s morale, but he remains hopeful that the experience gained in earlier European ties can fuel a decisive second‑leg performance.

What would Henrik Ibsen’s iconic heroine Nora look like in today’s Britain? In this bold re‑imagining, playwright Anya Reiss transports the 19th‑century drama into a world of high‑salary banking, social‑media façades and post‑pandemic consumer excess. Set against a sleek, white‑goods‑strewn stage designed by Hyemi Shin, the story follows Nora (played by Romola Garai) as the wife of a lucrative London banker, Torvald (Tom Mothersdale), who is also battling drug addiction. Though presented as a “trophy wife”, Nora is far sharper than her husband realises – she has secretly rescued the family from financial collapse and funded Torvald’s recovery, all while maintaining a veneer of festive, pre‑Christmas splurging. The familiar Ibsen plot points survive the update: a blackmail threat from Torvald’s colleague Nils Krogstad (James Corrigan) and a visit from the destitute, marriage‑for‑money‑failed friend Kristine (Thalissa Teixeira). Their interactions expose the tension between outward affluence and hidden desperation. Reiss’s version is unmistakably contemporary, peppering dialogue with references to Instagram, a stock market rattled by conflict in the Middle East, and the relentless pursuit of material status. This backdrop reframes the marital power struggle as a clash of class and modern capitalism, asking whether love can ever be insulated from market forces. Despite the heavy thematic load, the cast delivers a series of compelling performances. Garai’s Nora oscillates between calculated seduction – even donning a provocative nurse’s outfit for a flirtatious dance – and a keen intellect that refuses to be reduced to a mere commodity. Her portrayal suggests that, for Nora, the body has become a form of currency, yet she remains acutely aware of the performative nature of both marriage and motherhood. Notably, the children appear only through baby‑monitor audio, a deliberate choice that underscores the couple’s emotional distance and mirrors the original’s focus on Nora’s internal emancipation. The climax arrives in a charged confrontation where Nora questions, “Is love meant to be subject to the market?” The line encapsulates Reiss’s preoccupation with the commodification of intimacy, even as it feels like a summarising refrain rather than a fresh revelation. Ultimately, the production offers a nuanced, if occasionally over‑engineered, vision of Ibsen’s feminist aspirations. It hints at a future where Nora and Torvald might seek couples therapy to untangle their financial and emotional entanglements – a decidedly modern resolution. A Doll’s House runs at the Almeida Theatre, London, until 23 May.

Northampton Saints' JJ van der Mescht is a force to be reckoned with on the rugby field. Standing at an impressive 6ft 7in and weighing 23st, he is the joint-heaviest player in the Premiership. His size and strength make him a major collision threat, and his skills have earned him a spot in South Africa's alignment squad.Van der Mescht, 26, has a unique playing style that has drawn comparisons to Australia's Will Skelton. He is too heavy to be lifted regularly in the lineout, but his ability to give his team vital post-contact metres makes him a valuable asset. His director of rugby, Phil Dowson, describes him as 'a fly-half trapped in a second-row's body.'The South African lock has a personal connection with Bath prop Thomas du Toit, with whom he played as a youngster at the Sharks in Durban. He is eager to bump into his old friend during the match, and he expects a fierce encounter. Van der Mescht has dropped seven kilos since joining Northampton and currently weighs 146kg. He credits the club with rekindling his love for rugby, saying that he now enjoys the game again and feels happy.Van der Mescht's impressive performance has put him back on the South African radar, and he may be considered for the Springboks in the future. For now, he is focused on helping Northampton overcome Bath in the Champions Cup quarter-final. The match could be a prelude to another battle between England's top two sides in the Premiership final.

Harry Magunei believes the relentless spotlight at Manchester United would have broken many players, noting that the club’s demanding environment can overwhelm even seasoned professionals.After signing a new one‑year contract with an option for a further season, the 33‑year‑old defender extended a tenure that began with a then‑world‑record £80 million fee paid to Leicester in 2019.During his 266 appearances for United, Maguire helped the club win the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, captained the side from 2020 under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and endured a dip in form that saw him lose his place after Erik ten Hag took over. He even flirted with a move to West Ham in the summer of 2023 before re‑establishing himself as a key figure.“I see a lot of players come into this club and, frankly, it’s just too big for them,” Maguire said. “The eyes on you, the scrutiny, the analysis… there are ex‑players commenting on every goal. That’s part and parcel of playing for this club.”He added that many would have quit early under such pressure: “Probably. I think there’ll be a lot who want to close the book and restart their career. It’s probably broken them a little bit earlier.”Reflecting on his own ordeal, Maguire described the period of intense mockery and abuse as a low point that forced him to adopt a “laid‑back attitude” and ignore outside noise to regain form.Since Erik ten Hag’s appointment, United have climbed to third place in the Premier League, reviving hopes of Champions League qualification. Maguire is optimistic about the club’s trajectory: “If we get the recruitment right and keep the momentum, there’s no ceiling to where we can reach. We have to be in the conversation for the big trophies.”On the international stage, Maguire hopes to feature for England at the 2026 World Cup. Although manager Thomas Tuchel currently ranks him behind Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi, John Stones and the injured Trevoh Chalobah, Maguire remains determined: “I’m desperate to go, whether I start or come on late. I still believe I’m arguably one of the best defenders in the world in both boxes.”

Matthew Macfadyen headlines the new Sky Atlantic series ‘The Miniature Wife’, playing scientist Les Littlejohn, a brilliant but ethically dubious researcher who accidentally shrinks his wife Lindy (Elizabeth Banks) to six inches tall. The premise promises a darkly comic exploration of marital power dynamics and modern misogyny. However, the show quickly abandons this fertile ground. Showrunners Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner opt for a frenetic, screwball tone that feels forced, leaving the underlying commentary underdeveloped. The central conceit – a miniature wife trapped in a dollhouse – is treated more as a visual gag than a vehicle for satire. The series is littered with side plots that never coalesce. A subplot about a misattributed short story attempts to touch on authorship and truth in the digital age, yet it remains a superficial gesture. Likewise, the ensemble cast—including Zoe Lister‑Jones as a lab overseer, O‑T Fagbenle as a lovelorn colleague, and Sian Clifford as Lindy’s agent—offers colorful moments but fails to achieve narrative momentum. Visually, the production delivers inventive set pieces: Lindy’s daring escapes from towering household objects and explosive laboratory experiments provide occasional laughs. Nevertheless, the novelty wears thin before the series’ nearly ten‑hour runtime concludes. The original short story by Manuel Gonzales required far more expansion than the show supplies, resulting in a stretched‑out narrative that would have benefited from a tighter format. In short, while Macfadyen’s performance is competent, it is largely wasted in a series that promises depth but delivers only scattered comedy. ‘The Miniature Wife’ may satisfy viewers seeking light‑hearted antics, but it falls short of the incisive satire its premise suggests. The series is available on Sky Atlantic, streaming on Now in the UK and on Stan in Australia.

Amazon announced that, effective 20 May 2026, it will stop delivering software updates to Kindle and Kindle Fire devices launched in 2012 or earlier. The decision targets a range of models, from the original 2007 Kindle to the first‑generation Kindle Paperwhite and early Kindle Fire tablets. According to the company, owners will retain the ability to read books already stored on their devices, and their Amazon accounts will remain usable through mobile and desktop applications. However, a factory reset on the affected units will render them inoperable for new purchases, borrowing, or downloads. Amazon is offering discounts to encourage users to upgrade to newer hardware, acknowledging that many of the devices have been supported for 14‑18 years. The move has ignited a wave of criticism online, with users describing their still‑functional e‑readers as being reduced to "paperweights" and accusing the retailer of fostering large‑scale waste. Ugo Vallauri of the Restart Project—a UK‑based repair advocacy group—told the BBC that manufacturers often cite performance improvements when ending support, but this does not justify "soft‑bricking" millions of functional devices. He estimates the impact could affect roughly 2 million e‑readers, representing about 3 % of Kindle users, potentially creating more than 624 tons of e‑waste. Tech analyst Paolo Pescatore described the decision as "understandable from a security and support perspective," noting that the hardware of these older models was not designed for today's data‑intensive services. In summary, Amazon's phase‑out underscores the tension between extending product lifespans and keeping pace with rapid technological advancement, while raising environmental questions about the fate of legacy devices.

A 47‑year‑old woman who had endured three life‑threatening autoimmune diseases for more than a decade is now living a near‑normal life after an experimental CAR‑T cell therapy reset her immune system at University Hospital Erlangen in Germany.Before the procedure she had exhausted nine different treatments with no lasting benefit, relying on daily blood transfusions and continuous anticoagulation to manage her illnesses.Within weeks of the infusion, doctors observed rapid improvement in all three conditions—a world‑first outcome. She has remained in treatment‑free remission for 14 months and has largely returned to everyday activities.Prof Fabian Müller, who led the team, called the speed and depth of the response “remarkable” and said the therapy “significantly improved her quality of life.” He emphasized that clinical trials are required to determine how durable the effect is and whether it can help other autoimmune patients.The patient suffered from three distinct disorders: autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA), where rogue immune cells destroy red blood cells; immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), which depletes platelets and raises bleeding risk; and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which promotes dangerous blood clots. All three stem from malfunctioning B‑cells.With no conventional options left, doctors turned to CAR‑T therapy, a technique that has revolutionised treatment for certain cancers. They harvested her white‑blood cells, isolated the T‑cells, engineered them to recognise the CD19 protein on B‑cells, and reinfused the modified cells.The engineered T‑cells swiftly eliminated the pathogenic B‑cells. She received her last blood transfusion a week after treatment and was able to perform routine tasks within two weeks. Follow‑up tests showed a reconstituted, healthy B‑cell population, suggesting an immune reset. The findings were published in the journal Med.She still exhibits a mildly low white‑cell count and slightly elevated liver enzymes, which researchers attribute to the cumulative impact of prior therapies rather than the CAR‑T product.Rheumatology expert Prof Ben Parker of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust described the case as encouraging, noting that “the prolonged response off normal therapy suggests there has been an immune reset.” However, he warned that case reports alone cannot confirm efficacy and highlighted ongoing trials for lupus, myositis, multiple sclerosis, systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, and other autoimmune conditions.

British Airways announced that, when it resumes operations in July, its Middle East timetable will be significantly scaled back, with a portion of the freed‑up fleet redirected to launch additional direct services to India and Kenya. The carrier has suspended all flights to the region following the outbreak of the Iran‑related war. It plans to restart flights to Riyadh in mid‑May and to reopen routes to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv on 1 July. However, the airline will reduce Dubai flights from three to one per day and cut the frequency to Doha, Tel Aviv and Riyadh from two daily services to a single flight each. In a permanent move, BA will drop Jeddah as a destination from 24 April. Service to Bahrain and Amman will remain on hold until 25 October, while flights to Larnaca, Cyprus are slated to return on 22 May. Speaking on the adjustments, BA said, “Given the ongoing situation in the Middle East, we have revised our schedule to give customers clearer options. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in direct contact with affected passengers to provide alternatives.” Since the conflict began, the airline has facilitated the repatriation of thousands of travelers, operated humanitarian relief flights, and increased capacity on key long‑haul sectors. Looking ahead, BA will deploy larger aircraft on its Delhi route from 1 June and similarly upscale the Hyderabad service. The summer schedule will also see additional daily flights to Bengaluru and Nairobi through late October. Further expansion includes new flights to Delhi and Mumbai, a development first reported by the Financial Times, underscoring BA’s strategy to offset reduced Middle East capacity with growth in high‑demand Asian and African markets.

The UK government has pledged £380 million to accelerate the build‑out of a new battery factory in Somerset that will supply Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) with cells for its forthcoming electric Range Rover and Jaguar models. The plant, operated by Tata’s battery subsidiary Agratas, was highlighted during a site visit by Business Secretary Peter Kyle, who emphasized the grant’s role in safeguarding jobs and driving economic growth. When fully operational, the gigafactory is projected to employ 4,200 workers and deliver up to 40 GWh of battery capacity annually—enough for hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles. It will become the UK’s second high‑volume battery facility after the Chinese‑owned AESC plant in Sunderland. Construction remains in its early stages, with only a steel frame erected so far. Although the original timetable targeted production start‑up in 2026, delays have pushed the expected commencement to the end of 2027. Agratas has reduced the footprint of the first building but claims the change reflects more efficient process design rather than a cut‑back in output. JLR, the nation’s largest automotive employer, had planned to launch its electric Range Rover in 2025, but the debut has slipped to 2026 and the vehicle is still not on sale. The postponement follows a broader trend of EV manufacturers worldwide scaling back or postponing battery projects after over‑optimistic forecasts of rapid consumer migration from petrol. Recent spikes in petrol prices—spurred by geopolitical tensions linked to Donald Trump’s war in Iran—could make electric cars more appealing, potentially justifying the sizeable capital commitments required for a transition to EV production. Until the Somerset facility becomes operational, JLR will continue to source batteries from AESC. That arrangement was confirmed last year by investment bank Société Générale, though references to JLR have since been removed from public statements. In addition to the battery grant, Tata previously secured a £500 million pledge to modernise its Welsh steelworks with electric arc furnaces, underscoring the government’s broader push for greener industrial capacity. Peter Kyle said the investment, alongside other automotive research initiatives announced on the same day, would “boost economic growth, secure jobs and put more money in people’s pockets.” He added that the UK’s “modern industrial strategy” provides the stability needed for long‑term planning. Earl Wiggins, Agratas’s vice‑president for UK manufacturing, welcomed the funding, noting it will enable the company to “deliver net‑zero goals and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in battery manufacturing.” He projected that over 2,200 staff would be on‑site within the next year, with further growth thereafter.