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Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir has taken on an unexpected role as a peacemaker in the conflict between the US and Iran. His efforts have been widely praised, with US President Donald Trump describing them as 'fantastic'. Munir's involvement in the peace talks began after the US vice-president, JD Vance, left Islamabad following failed negotiations between the US and Iran. Despite this, Munir continued to engage with both sides, using his influence to push for a deal. Munir's phone calls played a crucial role in the frantic international efforts last week, resulting in a last-minute ceasefire agreement after Trump's threat that Iran's civilisation would 'die' if they did not agree to a deal. Trump is said to have directly leaned on Munir to use his influence and knowledge of the Iranians to help reach the off-ramp. Munir's ability to communicate with both the US and Iran has been key to his success. He has built strong relationships with leaders in Washington, Riyadh, and Tehran, and has been able to facilitate talks between the two nations. Munir's efforts have not only helped to reduce tensions between the US and Iran but have also elevated Pakistan's position as a credible diplomatic interlocutor. His role in the peace talks has been seen as a significant achievement for Pakistan, which has long sought to play a more prominent role in regional diplomacy. Analysts have noted that Munir's success is not solely due to his individual efforts, but also the result of a collective effort by the Pakistani government and military. However, his role in the peace talks has been widely acknowledged, and he is seen as a key player in maintaining peace in the Gulf and the Middle East. Munir's diplomatic activism has been driven by his strong relationships with leaders and countries, as well as his understanding of the importance of personality-driven diplomacy. His efforts have helped to build a global story for Pakistan, and have cemented his position as a major player in regional diplomacy.

For the first time, a detailed map identifies the UK’s most severe ammonia pollution hotspots in regions where intensive pig and poultry farms are most concentrated.The analysis, produced by Compassion in World Farming (CiWF) and the environmental group Sustain, shows the highest emission densities in Lincolnshire, Herefordshire and Norfolk. These counties host a large number of confined‑livestock units that drive dangerous levels of ammonia, a nitrogen‑based gas primarily released from animal manure.In the United Kingdom, agriculture accounts for 89% of national ammonia emissions. When released into the atmosphere, ammonia reacts with other pollutants to form fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a leading cause of premature death. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) estimated that PM2.5 exposure caused between 28,861 and 29,000 early deaths in 2010.The timing of the report is notable: the government is currently reviewing planning regulations that would make it easier to approve new intensive livestock facilities, despite growing concerns over air quality, water contamination and local opposition.Health professionals warn that ammonia‑derived PM2.5 fuels heart disease, stroke, asthma and chronic lung conditions. Dr Amir Khan, a GP and CiWF patron, said, “As a GP, I see first‑hand the toll that air pollution takes on people’s health – and ammonia from intensive farming is a major, yet often overlooked, part of that problem.”Beyond human health, excess nitrogen from ammonia deposition acidifies soils and pollutes rivers. Recent activism in Shropshire halted a proposed poultry megafarm of 230,000 chickens after campaigners argued the council failed to assess the full environmental impact.Rising numbers of industrial poultry units—known as IPUs—along the River Wye and River Severn valleys are identified as a key driver of river pollution. Chicken manure is especially rich in phosphates, which deplete oxygen in waterways and threaten aquatic life.Calculations for the map were based on permitted stocking numbers and average ammonia production factors for different livestock categories, including broiler chickens, indoor egg layers and pigs.Local residents are already feeling the impact. Michele Franks, who lives near a Lincolnshire poultry megafarm, described how shed clean‑outs force her to stay indoors, causing “chest tightness, eye irritation and breathing difficulties” that can last for days.CiWF and Sustain are calling for an end to the expansion of factory farming. Anthony Field, head of Compassion in World Farming UK, warned, “Factory farming sits at the heart of the UK’s ammonia crisis. By cramming large numbers of animals into confined spaces and relying heavily on fertilisers, these intensive systems release far more ammonia than the environment or our bodies can cope with.”

While holiday‑makers flocked to Lancashire’s coast for fresh sea air, residents of the former fishing port of Fleetwood were forced to endure a persistent, noxious odor emanating from the reopened Jameson Road landfill.The stench, identified as hydrogen sulphide – a toxic gas with a characteristic rotten‑egg smell – has been linked to the landfill’s re‑activation by recycling firm Transwaste in late 2023 after a five‑year closure.Local authorities report that the Environment Agency (EA) has received more than 20,000 complaints since the site reopened, including 6,000 complaints in the last six weeks alone. In the two‑year period ending January, the EA recorded 74 compliance breaches at the site, a third of which were classified as “significant”.Health impacts are mounting. Residents describe symptoms ranging from retching and vomiting to nosebleeds, headaches, itchy eyes and aggravated respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One resident, retired teacher Donna Davidson, reports that the smell has penetrated her home at night, describing it as “people are getting gassed in their beds”.Children are also affected; Dave McPartlin, headteacher of nearby Flakefleet Primary School, says pupils are refusing to play outside because the odor “lingers” even on sunny days. A family staying in an autism‑friendly caravan described their child’s severe nausea, calling the experience “hell”.Medical professionals are sounding the alarm. Dr. Barbara Kneale, a GP and occupational‑medicine consultant living a mile from the landfill, says the community feels “treated with contempt” by public agencies and is gathering detailed hydrogen sulphide readings to bolster a campaign for permanent closure.Local political pressure is intensifying. MP Lorraine Beavers used parliamentary privilege to label Transwaste “crooks” evading accountability, pledging to fight until the site is shut down. In response, Transwaste denied the allegations, insisting it complies with all regulations and attributing odour issues to the site’s re‑opening process.Wyre Borough Council, the landfill’s landlord, warned that legal action would only proceed if residents provide detailed diaries and allow council officers to witness the odour inside homes.Community activism has grown, with over 100 locals staging a slow march to the landfill, many using walking frames and face masks. Campaigners, including Davidson and Kneale, are also tracking the origins of waste trucks, which have been traced to locations as far as Dover, Dunfermline and Hull.The EA has pledged further enforcement, stating that “the community should not have to tolerate odours that affect their environment” and that it is pressing the operator to install permanent capping to prevent future emissions.As Fleetwood grapples with what residents call an “abomination”, the dispute highlights broader concerns about landfill management, air‑quality standards and the disproportionate impact on deprived communities with already high rates of respiratory illness.

President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that a U.S. attack on Iran could cause "a whole civilization to die tonight," a statement that sparked immediate backlash from climate icon Greta Thunberg. The Swedish activist, known for her outspoken stance on climate change and the Gaza crisis, described the president’s remarks as a normalization of genocide and urged the public to reject such rhetoric. In an Instagram video posted shortly before a cease‑fire was announced, Thunberg lamented the "muted" reaction to the threat, asking, "What the f*** is anyone even doing at this point?" She emphasized that the world has become accustomed to "total annihilation of entire peoples" and the "systematic destruction of the biosphere," urging viewers to demand an end to these narratives. Poll data reveal a stark generational split on the war. A Pew Research Center survey released Tuesday showed that while 67 % of Republicans aged 65+ believe the conflict will curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, only 25 % of Republicans aged 18‑29 share that view. When asked about the war’s impact on Iranians, just 7 % of older Republican voters said they would be worse off, compared with nearly 28 % of younger voters. Among Democrats, the age gap is less pronounced but still significant: 60 % of young Democratic respondents (18‑29) think the war will harm Iranians, versus 48 % of those over 65. Similar patterns emerge in other surveys. Emerson College found that 75 % of respondents under 50 fear a new world war within four years, compared with 54 % of those over 50. A Politico poll of self‑identified “MAGA Republicans” showed that only 49 % of those under 35 believe Trump has a concrete plan for the Iran conflict, versus 70 % of older supporters. These findings echo a broader historical trend: younger Americans, many of whom grew up in the shadow of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, display a more isolationist outlook. A December 2025 Pew poll indicated that only 39 % of 18‑29‑year‑olds consider active U.S. involvement in global affairs important, compared with 73 % of seniors. The generational divide also extends to attitudes toward Israel. The same Tuesday poll reported that 84 % of young Democrats and 57 % of young Republicans hold an unfavorable view of Israel, whereas older respondents are considerably less critical. Thunberg’s criticism of Trump aligns with her longstanding activism on Middle‑East issues. Last year she joined a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, only to be detained and deported by Israeli forces. Her latest condemnation underscores a growing sentiment among Gen Z that calls for accountability and an end to war‑like rhetoric. In summary, the controversy surrounding Trump’s Iran threat has amplified existing generational tensions in the United States, with younger citizens increasingly questioning the efficacy and morality of U.S. military interventions while demanding a shift away from language that normalizes mass violence.

Monica Barbaro, known for her Oscar-nominated portrayal of activist Joan Baez in James Mangold's A Complete Unknown, is now preparing for her stage debut in the National Theatre's revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Barbaro, 35, will play Madame de Tourvel, a role previously taken on by notable actresses such as Juliet Stevenson and Michelle Pfeiffer.During an interview, Barbaro joked about her accent, saying, "I feel like I'm imitating an American accent, but it really is mine." She switches to an English accent for rehearsals, where she is working on the play's 18th-century French aristocracy setting. "I feel it's best to use my own voice," she explained.Barbaro expressed apprehension about speaking aloud in a theater for a large audience, a significant departure from her previous work in film. "Speaking aloud in a theatre for this big of an audience is new for me," she said.Her preparation for A Complete Unknown was intense, involving months of studying Baez's voice and music, learning guitar, and wearing prosthetic teeth to capture the singer's distinctive look. "We filmed it only a year and a half ago, and it was put out within months," she reflected. "It was really intense. It took a long time for me to land afterwards and feel more like myself again."Barbaro also discussed her connection to Baez, citing their shared mixed identity (Barbaro is a quarter Mexican) and Baez's activism. "I'm just like: 'Then she marched with Martin Luther King, are we clear on that? Do people know that?' It was really nice to hear from a lot of people who watched the movie that they were intrigued to find out more about her."She met Baez in person last year and described the experience as "so trippy." "It was so strange to hear in person the voice I'd been obsessing over for so long. There's a worship quality to it; I felt in complete awe of her," Barbaro said.Regarding her Oscar nomination, Barbaro called it "totally surreal" but something she tried to process in advance. "It seemed embarrassing to want it, or celebrate it, and I needed to confront that it was something I'd love to have. Then, when it happened – unbridled joy. It was a big shift for an actor who went into the film fangirling over the rest of the cast and the director."Barbaro is currently rehearsing for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre, where she will work with director Marianne Elliott. The play explores themes of power, corruption, and manipulation among the aristocracy, resonating with modern issues such as the Epstein files. "It was about the corruption of a certain class who could operate with impunity, and fuck over anyone they wanted," she said.Barbaro reflected on the enduring power of the play, saying, "As a modern woman with autonomy and independence, the thing I fear most in the world is dying of heartbreak." She emphasized the relevance of the play's themes, particularly systemic abuse and corruption.

Ten Muslim civil rights groups have issued a joint letter condemning the arrest of Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian American community leader in Wisconsin, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a vocal Palestinian advocate, was reportedly pulled over by 10 federal agents while driving on March 30.The groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Legal Fund of America, expressed concern that Sarsour was being targeted due to his Palestinian and Muslim background. They noted that his detention reflects a troubling trend of targeting immigrant activists, scholars, and foreign students who have been critical of Israeli oppression.Sarsour, a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the US for 32 years, was transferred to a detention facility in Illinois, then to Indiana, leaving his family “scrambling to determine his whereabouts”. His wife and children are all US citizens.The groups have launched an online campaign for Sarsour’s legal defence, which has earned over $35,500 in donations as of Thursday afternoon.The arrest has been widely condemned by officials in Wisconsin, including local alderpersons JoCasta Zamarripa and Alex Bower, who called the situation a “nightmare”. State Senator Chris Larson also expressed concern, stating that the federal government has yet to offer any reasons publicly for Sarsour’s arrest.The Trump administration has taken a hardline approach to pro-Palestinian activism, with Trump pledging to crack down on protesters denouncing human rights abuses during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza if he were re-elected in 2024.

Rising fortunes among the ultra‑rich under the Trump administration have ignited a wave of tax‑reform campaigns across the United States. In California, volunteers like Karen Sanchez are gathering signatures for a one‑time 5% wealth tax targeting the state’s 200‑plus billionaires to offset federal cuts to hospitals, education and food‑assistance programs.At least ten states are exploring similar measures. Washington recently enacted its first income‑tax aimed at roughly 20,000 millionaire households, while Massachusetts and Minnesota already channel wealth‑tax proceeds into preschool, K‑12 meals and transportation infrastructure.On the federal front, Senators Bernie Sanders and Representative Ro Khanna have introduced the “Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act,” proposing an annual 5% levy on billionaire net worth. Khanna argues that the ultra‑wealthy fund private health insurers, defense contractors and political campaigns, creating a stark fairness gap.Data from Oxfam shows that in the twelve months after Trump’s re‑election, billionaire fortunes grew at a rate three times faster than the average annual growth of the previous five years. Meanwhile, the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant at $7.25 for fifteen years, underscoring the widening economic divide.A Data for Progress poll released last fall found that 70% of Americans believe the economic system favours corporations and the wealthy. “People are angry and want change,” says Amy Hanauer of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), noting that activists are leveraging every level of government to seek relief.The movement draws on a two‑decade history of class‑based activism, from the Occupy Wall Street protests to Senator Sanders’ 2016 campaign that foregrounded wealth‑tax proposals. Yet inequality has deepened: CEOs of the five largest U.S. firms now earn, on average, **$52 million** annually—over a thousand times the typical worker’s salary.Political spending by billionaires has also exploded. A recent New York Times analysis reveals that billionaire contributions rose from **0.3% of campaign funds in 2008** to **19% in 2024**, amounting to more than **$3 billion** from roughly 300 ultra‑rich donors, many of whom supported candidates opposing wealth taxes, including former President Donald Trump.The war in Iran has further inflamed resentment, with the United States spending **$11.3 billion** in the first week of bombardment—far exceeding the annual budgets of agencies such as the CDC, EPA and the National Cancer Institute.Local victories are feeding the momentum. New York City’s mayoral race saw Zohran Mamdani win on a platform that includes taxing the rich to fund affordable housing, groceries and transit. Councilmember Chi Ossé led a 1,500‑person march to the state capitol, urging Governor Kathy Hochul to permit a city‑level millionaire tax, a move that now has backing from some state Democrats.Beyond New York, states like Rhode Island, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois and New Mexico are debating various wealth‑tax mechanisms, including the popular “mansion tax” on high‑value home sales. Currently, **17 localities** have adopted such taxes, most passed between 2018 and 2023.California’s gubernatorial race has become a flashpoint. Billionaire‑backed candidates Matt Mahan and Tom Steyer are vying to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, with the tech elite—such as Sergey Brin and Joe Lonsdale—pouring money into campaigns opposing the billionaire tax. Of the 30 billionaires who have contributed to the race, **25 supported Mahan**, who has positioned himself as a staunch anti‑tax candidate.For Sanchez, the stakes are personal. The proposed tax seeks to replace **$100 billion** in federal health‑care funding cut by Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which threatens hospital closures and layoffs in the nation’s fourth‑largest economy. She aims to collect **875,000 signatures** by late June to secure the initiative on the November ballot.“It’s creating a network of groups all working toward a common good,” Sanchez says, reflecting a broader sentiment that collective action could finally translate the public’s demand for fiscal fairness into concrete policy.

Acclaimed filmmaker Danny Boyle is set to unleash a sprawling, one‑off pop‑culture spectacle at London’s Southbank Centre on 3 May 2026. Titled “You Are Here”, the event will weave together 75 years of British youth movements—from teddy boys and punk to rave and Brit‑pop—across the venue’s historic spaces. Marking the 75th anniversary of the Royal Festival Hall’s 1951 opening, the production anticipates 1,000 performers and more than 10,000 attendees. Boyle, who directed the iconic 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, describes the show as an antidote to the “hi‑tech curation” that dominates modern life, likening today’s media overload to “5,000 channels with everything on”. The immersive experience will unfold in five distinct beats, each spotlighting underground music scenes, sub‑cultural fashion, activism and spoken‑word performance. Poets, MCs and rappers will narrate stories that are then translated by choirs and dancers, creating a “kaleidoscopic narrative” that moves audiences from a high‑energy Northern Soul floor to a communal house‑party atmosphere. Boyle emphasizes that the event is deliberately free of celebrity headliners, allowing the chaos of the performance itself to become the focal point. He calls the Southbank a “gargantuan labyrinth of opportunity” and urges young people to seize the chance to experience culture beyond the “aquarium of indifference” offered by on‑demand streaming and food delivery services. Organisers stress that the show is not a traditional pageant or seated theatre; instead, the entire Southbank site becomes a living stage, inviting visitors of all ages to wander, engage, and reflect on Britain’s evolving identity. Tickets for “You Are Here” go on sale now at southbankcentre.co.uk. The event promises to be a landmark moment for London’s cultural calendar, blending history, music, fashion and activism into a single, chaotic celebration.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a 30-year-old human rights activist, has endured a year of solitary confinement in a Pakistani jail cell. Her unwavering commitment to the Baloch people's rights has only strengthened despite the isolation.Confined to a small, bare cell with limited access to books and exercise, Mahrang has found ways to cope. She spends her days studying politics and reading books that remind her of a world beyond her prison walls. Her resolve has been tested, but not broken.The physical toll of her imprisonment is evident. Mahrang suffers from severe back and joint pain, which has prevented her from exercising. In February, she was hospitalized and diagnosed with a slipped disc and radiculopathy. Yet, she continues to advocate for her people's rights.Mahrang's family has also been targeted for her activism. Her cousin, Salal Baloch, was forcibly disappeared, and her 19-year-old cousin, Saifullah Baloch, remains missing. Her brother faces strict monitoring and harassment from the counter-terrorism department.Despite these challenges, Mahrang remains committed to peaceful resistance. She believes that the state's violence and collective punishment will not deter her or the Baloch people from demanding their rights. The BYC has documented over 1,200 cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan in 2025 alone.Mahrang's story highlights the ongoing human rights crisis in Balochistan. Her courage and conviction serve as a beacon of hope for the Baloch people and human rights activists worldwide.