The likes of Glastonbury may be busier than ever but smaller, independent festivals are struggling to make ends meet.

More than 100 UK festivals are at risk of disappearing in 2024, according to research by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). Among them are "familiar and longstanding names" on the festival scene, said Music Week.

Why are organisers struggling?
The "triple whammy" of Covid, Brexit and inflation has left the industry in a perilous state, said The Guardian. Supply chain problems are perhaps the biggest issue. Many organisers who were forced to sell equipment during the pandemic have had to take out loans to buy it back. Amid concerns about "bad debts", suppliers are increasingly insisting that organisers pay 100% of the cost upfront.

Why is it getting harder for artists?
Rising costs mean performers are also being "priced out" of festivals, said the BBC. Comics at the Edinburgh Fringe have complained that hefty accommodation costs and venue fees are preventing emerging talent from participating.

Some artists are taking "extreme measures" to fund their shows, said The Guardian, from selling photos on OnlyFans to participating in medical trials. Others are simply turning down gigs. In a post on X, Mercury-nominated singer Nadine Shah said she opted not to play at Glastonbury this year because "playing live is super expensive". If "you can justify the costs (like being on telly and having a wider reach) then sometimes you take the hit", she wrote, but "otherwise no, we've all bills to pay".

Is anything being done about it?
The AIF is lobbying the government for a temporary VAT cut on festival tickets from 20% to 5% for the next three years, said Music Week. There's also been "pushback" on artist fees, with the Secret Garden Party festival dropping a headliner in order to support emerging talent.

Oscar Matthews, co-founder of Barn on the Farm, told NME that without "urgent help and investment", only big festivals will weather the storm, while smaller festivals will postpone dates or be cancelled entirely. 

A fishy-sounding beauty treatment is being touted as a new and natural alternative to Botox: salmon sperm facials.

The practice of "using the reproductive goo of a fish" for anti-ageing has been popular for years in South Korea, said Salon. But it is now gaining attention in the West too, boosted by endorsements by celebrities including Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian.

'Fountain of youth'
The alleged tissue-regenerating properties of salmon sperm facials is credited to salmon polydeoxyribonucleotides, or "PDRN", a substance derived from DNA, said USA Today. The "genital area contains a high amount of DNA", so targeting the testicles is both "cost effective" and efficient. And beauty experts, "along with an abundance of research", have indicated that the extracted sperm could "restore skin elasticity, repair moisture barriers and reduce inflammation".

With these characteristics, salmon testicle DNA may be "akin to a sort of 'fountain of youth'", said Bustle, and is likely to join the long list of beauty products being promoted to a largely female audience for supposed anti-ageing benefits.

'Wrinkle-defying tweakment'
The salmon PDRN is directly injected into the face via small needles, a process that "lies between getting injected with filler and just getting a facial", said Salon. The sperm-based treatment isn't cheap, costing from around £300 per facial. Nor is it a "one-and-done thing", said GlowDay. Customers have to commit to a course of "three or more treatments" if they hope to "maintain the results".

Although a correlation has been observed between PDRN and cell behaviour associated with improved skin appearance, there is "very little research" on the real-world use of salmon sperm in skincare, said People. Anyone considering the facials is advised to consult their "own dermatologist or aesthetician at length" before undergoing any treatment.

From creamy eclairs to colourful macarons, French sweet treats are a coupe above the rest. And while every corner of Paris boasts a wonderful pâtisserie, these are among the best of the best.

Boulangerie Utopie
Locals and tourists alike flock to to sample the "exotic flavours" on offer at this tiny bakery in the 11th arrondissement, said Condé Nast Traveller. Try the roulé sésame – an "unexpected creamy-savoury concoction" made with activated charcoal and black sesame seeds. boulangerieutopie.com

La Pâtisserie du Meurice par Cédric Grolet
Avoid the "maddening" queues at Cédric Grolet's dedicated patisserie at Opéra and instead try his tranquil "jewel box of a shop" at Le Meurice hotel, said Condé Nast Traveller. The culinary master (named the World's Best Pastry Chef at just 32) is known for his "exquisite" sculpted fruits, which look just like the real thing. dorchestercollection.com

Tapisserie
Bertrand Grébaut and Théophile Pourriat – the duo behind the Michelin-starred Septime – take a "no-nonsense approach to sweet treats" at Tapisserie, said Time Out. You can't go wrong with the fontainebleau (a traditional dessert made with sheep's cheese). tapisserie-patisserie.fr

Arnaud Larher
This is a wonderful spot for "revisiting the classics", said Time Out. Among the highlights at the renowned pastry chef's shop are the "decadent" baba au rhum and "cloud-like" mille-feuille. arnaudlarher.com

Bontemps 
At this charming spot in the Marais, the "nostalgic sablé" (a crumbly shortbread-style biscuit) is "elevated to new heights", said Eater. Choose from bite-size nibbles to heftier sablés with tasty fillings such as lemon curd and candied chestnut. bontemps.paris

Why this disabled Briton won't be watching the Paralympics
James Moore in The Independent
Channel 4 has made a "noble attempt" to portray disabled athletes as talented human beings, writes James Moore, instead of turning the Paralympics into "one big pity party". The "real problem" for Britons like myself who have a disability is that the government seems intent on "pressing ahead" with the Tories' "full-on assault on disabled people". Those of us who aren't Paralympians "fear for the future", so "I can't in good conscience watch the Games this year".

Populism has plenty of false promises to solve Britain's problems. Labour will need to expose them
John Harris in The Guardian
Keir Starmer wants voters to reject the "snake-oil charm of populism", writes John Harris, and it is "telling" that the term "working class" is "suddenly back" in Labour's vocabulary. But "trying to close down" the populists by "leaning into their agenda" threatens to "give them even more political space". Instead, "sooner or later their nasty and impossibilist arguments will surely have to be tackled head-on". Whether Starmer will be able to expose their lies is "another question".

Hand of God rests easier on this England
Tomiwa Owolade in The Times
Even as society becomes more secular, says Tomiwa Owolade, "football is one of the few areas in British public life where expressions of religious faith are common". This is partly thanks to players from Black English communities, who tend to be "more religious than their white counterparts". Even players who are not religious often have "superstitious rituals" – unsurprising, in a game "where so much can rest on the single kick of a ball".