When the show began in 2021, creator Mike White was happy to remind everyone that greed is the root of all evil. This is no time for him to get bored and move on

When the first season of The White Lotus arrived, it took a while to notice how dazzlingly political it was. The director, Mike White, has since congratulated himself about that little hook at the start: before we know anything, we know that someone is going to die. He has said that he wishes he had started all his shows that way . It is so simple yet so effective. You meander into it thinking it is a whodunnit, with a side order of who-did-it-get-done-to? Then there are some beautiful beaches, and there is some astronomical wealth. By necessity, there are some characters who are not wealthy, since who else is going to fetch the drinks?

It is not until around the seventh minute that it becomes obvious how catastrophically unhappy all the characters are, how horrible they are to one another, how disappointing and thin their existences. It had started off looking like wealth porn – the term affixed, post- Big Little Lies in 2017, to any show that was mainly about rich-people-problems and their gigantic kitchens. (In the US, with their peculiar coyness around saying “wealth” like it was a bad thing, they always called it “lifestyle porn”.)

With its Iranian melodies, instrumentation and backing singers, Sheeran’s joyful new single is a reminder of how culture transcends borders

The Farsi word “azizam” – meaning my dear or my darling in English – may not have the same level of global resonance as habibi or ma chérie, but to us Persians it’s a daily refrain. We use it with our family, partners, friends; my cat probably thinks it’s her middle name by now. So it felt huge when Ed Sheeran announced that the lead single from his new album would be called just that: Azizam .

The track, inspired by the Iranian heritage of Stockholm-based producer Ilya Salmanzadeh, has divided critics, with a Telegraph review calling it “a slice of pure pop froth that couldn’t be any more generic and upbeat if it was written by an AI programme”. But these reproaches are missing a whole other dimension: that the song has triggered a huge emotional response from millions of Iranians around the world. “Hearing a beloved artist embrace our language with such care? We feel it. And we’re here for it,” said one popular comment on Sheeran’s Instagram.

• Goalkeeper says he takes his time to help teammates
• ‘I have to let my guys breathe. They need me to do that’

André Onana has shrugged off criticism from Manchester United fans over his slow distribution by stating he takes that approach to assist his teammates.

The goalkeeper has been the subject of supporter discontent for sometimes lingering over the ball rather than executing a quick pass but said: “It doesn’t affect me because the decision I make is to help the team. Sometimes I will make the right decision, sometimes I will make the wrong decision. When I feel my players need to rest I have to take my time; when I feel we need to speed up the game I will do it.”

Charity crowdfunding initial sum to build £750,000 facility on Bodmin Moor to study overlooked but biodiverse natural habitat

Europe’s first research station for the study of Atlantic temperate rainforest is set to be built beside an ancient wood in Cornwall.

The Thousand Year Trust charity is crowdfunding an initial amount to build the £750,000 facility, which will enable students and academics to study this historically overlooked but biodiverse natural habitat.

Asylum seekers detained at Manston in Kent say they were kept in unsanitary tents during infectious disease outbreak

At least 250 people who were detained at Manston asylum centre during a period when it was dangerously overcrowded and grappling with outbreaks of infectious diseases are suing the government for unlawful detention and other breaches of their rights.

They include a woman who had a miscarriage, a child whose age was recorded as five years older than he was, classifying him as an adult, and a teenager who was a victim of torture and trafficking.

• ‘I had a blast on the boat and at the Southend game’⁠
• Club invite Evan Johnston to Solihull home fixture

Accidentally boarding a boat packed with beer-swilling football fans would be some people’s idea of hell.

But Evan Johnston, a 21-year-old student from Arizona, said he “had a blast” after inadvertently joining a boat trip chartered by 150 Southend United supporters before their National League game at Sutton United on Saturday.

Relatives of Agnes Wanjiru say 13-year fight for justice has taken ‘heavy toll’ after meeting with John Healey

The family of a Kenyan woman who was allegedly killed by British soldiers have said their 13-year fight for justice has taken a “heavy toll”, and that they have been offered “too many empty promises” after a meeting with the defence secretary.

Agnes Wanjiru was 21 when she disappeared in March 2012. She was last seen in the company of British soldiers in a bar in a hotel in Nanyuki, a town in eastern Kenya where the British army has a military base, BATUK.

Speaking after his best actor victory, Lithgow said Donald Trump’s administration ‘has done some shocking, destructive things’ especially its takeover of the Kennedy Center

The actor John Lithgow has described Donald Trump’s second presidency as “a pure disaster” for the arts in the US. Lithgow, speaking after his best actor victory at the Olivier awards in London on Sunday, singled out Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center , Washington DC’s national institution for the performing arts. “Our administration has done some shocking, destructive things,” he said, “but the one that grieves me most is taking over the Kennedy Center.”

The US president is now chair of the prestigious cultural complex (which was founded as a government-funded, bipartisan venue) and has installed new board members and a new interim leader, loyalist Ric Grenell. The board had been in the process of selecting a successor to outgoing leader Deborah Rutter, who in January announced her intention to step down after 11 years.

This week: what happens to products after we review them; spring gardening gear; and anti-ageing essentials (including sunscreen)

At the Filter, we test a LOT of products. We’ve put everything from mattresses to treadmills through their paces to try to help you make better-informed shopping decisions. However, that means our expert testers can accumulate a lot of products. After all, you can’t find the best air fryer without taking a few for a spin. So, with sustainability – as well as journalistic independence, unswayed by promises of freebies – in mind, we’ve always promised to return samples to the manufacturer after testing or, where that’s not possible, donate them to good causes.

That’s where I come in. As the Filter’s researcher, it’s my job to not only help find and source products but also rehome them when they’re finished with. I’ve been tasked with getting everything, from blenders to electric toothbrushes and even food , from writers’ homes across the country to charities that can benefit from them the most.

Anti-ageing products that actually work: Sali Hughes on the 30 best serums, creams and treatments

Jess Cartner-Morley’s April style essentials: from sexy spring sweaters to the loafers that won the high street

The best walking pads and under-desk treadmills, tried and tested to turn your work day into a workout

‘Cute, but doesn’t taste too good’: the best (and worst) Easter chocolate treats, tested