内容摘要：Tehran is yet to respond to the latest allegations from the BBC. The Iranian regime has previously been accused of conducting unlawful operations against journalists abroad.

Tehran is yet to respond to the latest allegations from the BBC. The Iranian regime has previously been accused of conducting unlawful operations against journalists abroad.

Last autumn, audience numbers were up 70% on the year before and a new strategy from local authorities is promising a hefty investment in its building.But the scene across Oxfordshire is not always as rosy, with funding and access to affordable arts spaces sometimes proving a sticking point.

The Covid pandemic was a tough time for arts venues.They had to deal with closures, adapting to virtual performances and keeping on top of costs.For places like Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon and the Kenton Theatre in Henley-on-Thames, this was made far harder by the high running costs of their old buildings.

"We had to pretty much shut down for over a year, and you've got to pay all the costs of running the building," said Greg Bensberg, chair of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust, which houses the Unicorn."We staggered on through there but Covid was really bad."

Lottie Pheasant, theatre manager at the Kenton, said the pandemic had nearly brought the venue to its knees.

"Two years ago, we were close to having to close," she said. "That year, we filed a nearly £190,000 loss.""Is it just and equitable to give them what they want? I don't think that's in the interest of the broader community or the state," Macpherson said.

Giving another example, Macpherson said that some of South Africa's inner cities were in a "disastrous" condition. After owners left, buildings were "over-run" and "hijacked" for illegal occupation. The cost to the state to rebuild them could exceed their value, and in such cases the courts could rule that an owner qualified for "nil compensation", he said."Nil is a form of compensation," Macpherson added, while ruling it out for farms.

Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero told South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaperHe added the owners of nearly 100 buildings could not be located.