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The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken disciplinary action against fast bowler Naseem Shah for criticizing the presence of a politician at the start of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The tournament is being played behind closed doors due to the Middle East conflict and exorbitant fuel hikes in the region.Shah had commented on a tweet about the opening game by the PCB, questioning why Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz was treated like a 'queen' at the Gaddafi Stadium. He later claimed his account had been hacked and deleted the post.The PCB issued a show-cause notice to Shah for violating the terms of his central contract, media policy, and regulations. Shah is required to provide a response within a stipulated time, and the PCB will decide on further action.This incident is not the first time a Pakistani cricketer has faced disciplinary action for expressing their opinions. Last year, Aamer Jamal was fined $4,000 for displaying a slogan in favor of Imran Khan, Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister.Shah is scheduled to play for Rawalpindi Pindiz in Saturday's game against Peshawar Zalmi, led by former Pakistan all-formats captain Babar Azam.

The US-Israeli war against Iran shows no signs of abatement as it enters its second month, with regional tensions escalating through multiple fronts. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have confirmed their first attack on Israel since the conflict began, launching a ballistic missile that was intercepted by Israeli defense systems. The targeted strike aimed at Israeli military sites located in the south of the occupied West Bank, marking a significant expansion of the conflict beyond direct US-Israeli operations against Iran.In a separate development, Israel killed three journalists in a targeted strike on their vehicle in southern Lebanon. The incident highlights the growing dangers facing media personnel in the increasingly volatile region as the conflict continues to spread across multiple borders and involve various non-state actors.These developments underscore the complex and widening nature of the conflict, which has evolved beyond direct military confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran to include regional proxies and civilian targets.

French authorities have foiled a suspected terrorist attack targeting Bank of America's Paris headquarters after police detained one suspect who was allegedly attempting to ignite an explosive device outside the building.In a social media post on Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the swift intervention by police had 'thwarted a violent terrorist attack' in the French capital the previous night.The suspect was arrested at about 3:25am local time outside the bank's local headquarters in the city's 8th arrondissement as he tried to light a device consisting of a five-litre container filled with an unidentified liquid and an explosive charge made up of about 650 grams of powder.The National Terrorism Prosecution Office told the Reuters news agency the suspected offences included attempted destruction by fire or other dangerous means in connection with a 'terrorist plot', as well as the making, possession and transport of an incendiary or explosive device with intent to carry out dangerous damage.'Vigilance remains at a very high level,' said Nunez on X, thanking 'security and intelligence forces, who are fully mobilised under my authority' in what he called the 'current international context', seemingly with reference to the escalating situation in parts of the Middle East amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel, marking their first such attack since the US-Israel war on Iran began. The assault was announced by Brigadier-General Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, on their Al-Masirah satellite television. The attack targeted what Saree described as 'sensitive Israeli military sites' in southern Israel. The Israeli military reported intercepting one of the missiles. This development comes as Iran and Hezbollah continue to fire on Israel, with sirens sounding around Beer Sheba and near Israel's main nuclear research centre. Saree stated that the strikes 'will continue until the declared objectives are achieved, as stated in the previous statement by the armed forces, and until the aggression against all fronts of the resistance ceases'. This escalation follows a vague statement by Saree on Friday signaling the rebels' intention to join the conflict. The Houthis, who have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014, had previously stayed out of the US-Israel war. However, they have been involved in attacks on shipping vessels during the Israel-Hamas war, disrupting commercial transit in the Red Sea. Over 100 merchant vessels were attacked with missiles and drones, resulting in two ships sinking and four sailors killed between November 2023 and January 2025. Experts consider the Houthis' entry into the US-Israeli war on Iran as 'very significant'. Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of Media Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, noted that if the Houthis were to shut down the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal, it would impact two major international shipping waterways, alongside the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim reported from Ramallah that the opening of a new front in the war is likely to raise questions in Israel about 'the viability of the operations and the way the government is conducting its war'. She expects Israel to retaliate to this attack, as seen in previous instances when Yemen joined the battle.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, held crucial talks with senior US officials in Washington, DC, as tensions escalate in the Gulf region due to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.The meetings, which included US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary Scott Bessent, focused on strengthening the "close strategic cooperation" between Doha and Washington, particularly in defense partnerships given the current regional challenges.Both sides emphasized the importance of ensuring the sustainability of energy supplies and maintaining the flow of liquefied natural gas from Qatar to global markets, supporting global energy security.Vance praised Qatar's active role in promoting regional stability and enhancing global energy security, highlighting the robust strategic partnership between the two nations.The Gulf region has been under heightened tension since February 28, when the US-Israeli war on Iran began, resulting in over 3,000 deaths across the region, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.Iran has since launched drone and missile attacks on Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states, prompting regional leaders to urge Iran to cease these attacks to protect civilians.Earlier this month, Qatar reported that Iranian missile attacks on the Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country's main gas facility, caused "significant damage."The conflict has led to an unprecedented global energy crisis as Iran has effectively closed off the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes.On Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed also met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington, focusing on developing defense and security collaboration amid regional challenges.The Qatari Cabinet has condemned Iranian attacks on Qatar and its neighbors, calling for an immediate halt to these actions.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has issued a grave warning that Lebanon faces the threat of a humanitarian catastrophe as Israel continues its weeks-long bombardment and expands ground operations across the country.UNHCR's Lebanon representative Karolina Lindholm Billing reported that Israeli strikes and forced displacement orders have affected people throughout Lebanon, from the southern regions to the Bekaa Valley, Beirut, and northern areas. More than 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes since Israel's intensified attacks began in early March, according to UN figures."The situation remains extremely worrying and the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe ... is real," Lindholm Billing stated during a briefing in Geneva. She emphasized that Lebanon's overstretched shelter system is struggling to meet the growing needs of displaced families.The UN representative highlighted particularly concerning developments, including strikes on central Beirut's densely populated neighborhoods where many had sought refuge in collective shelters. "The families are ... living in constant fear, and the psychological toll, particularly on children, will last far beyond this current escalation," she added.Israel launched its intensified attacks against Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israeli territory following the February 28 assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israel war on Iran. The Israeli military has since conducted aerial and ground operations across Lebanon while issuing mass forced displacement orders for residents of southern areas and several Beirut suburbs.On Friday, the Israeli military announced air strikes on Beirut and issued new displacement orders for neighborhoods including Haret Hreik and Burj al-Barajneh. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has continued rocket attacks into northern Israel and confrontations with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.Rights groups have strongly condemned Israel's expanded operations, with Human Rights Watch warning that preventing Lebanese civilians from returning to their homes in the south may constitute the war crime of forced displacement. "Israel's tactics of mass expulsion in Lebanon raise serious risks of forced displacement," the organization stated. "Forced displacement and collective punishment are war crimes."International concerns have been further heightened by the Israeli military's destruction of civilian homes and several bridges connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country. "The destruction of key bridges in the south has cut off entire districts ... isolating over 150,000 people and severely limiting humanitarian access," Lindholm Billing explained.As the crisis deepens, Lebanon's government faces mounting challenges in responding to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, with evacuation orders now extending to areas previously considered safe, exacerbating panic among the civilian population.

Israel has confirmed that it has struck a uranium processing facility in the central Iranian city of Yazd, in an escalatory move that comes as regional diplomats have been attempting to broker an agreement to halt the joint US-Israeli war on Iran.The Israeli Air Force said it hit a plant used to extract raw materials essential to the uranium enrichment process, describing it as a 'unique facility' in Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the strike, but said there were no casualties or radiation leaks.A projectile also hit near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said. The attack caused 'no casualties, financial, or technical damage,' the organisation said.Friday marked day 28 of the conflict, and the assault by the Israeli army was part of a broad wave of attacks on sites across the country. The Khondab Heavy Water Complex in central Iran was hit, as well as two major steel plants: the Khuzestan Steel facility and the Mobarakeh Steel complex in Isfahan.Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran will 'exact heavy price' for Israeli attacks on several important infrastructure sites. 'Israel has hit 2 of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure,' said Araghchi in a post on X.Strikes also hit areas in and around Tehran, the city of Kashan and Ahwaz, while 18 people were killed in Qom. More than 1,900 people have been killed in US-Israeli attacks on Iran since the war began on February 28.Iranian officials said US-Israeli strikes have damaged at least 120 museums and historical sites across the country since hostilities began.Negar Mortazavi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, told Al Jazeera that even Iranians who had been critical of their own government increasingly view the war as an assault on the Iranian people rather than its leadership, saying the targeting of water, electricity, gas, cultural heritage, schools and hospitals was 'unacceptable.'Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would 'intensify' its campaign and expand the range of sites it targets, accusing Tehran of deliberately directing missiles at Israeli civilians.

The Houthis, allied with Iran, have stated they are prepared to intervene militarily if new alliances join the US and Israel against Iran or if the Red Sea is used for hostile operations. The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, made the announcement in a televised speech on Friday.Saree emphasized that their 'fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention' under these conditions. The warning heightens the risk of a broader regional conflict, especially considering the Houthis' capability to strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes in the Arabian Peninsula.The Houthis have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and much of the northwest since 2014. Following Israel's actions in Gaza, the Houthis have targeted vessels in the Red Sea and carried out drone and missile attacks on Israel, citing solidarity with Palestinians.In response to escalating tensions, Saree also called for an immediate halt to US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq. The Houthis have previously agreed to a truce with the US, which included a commitment to cease attacks on US shipping in the Red Sea.

The first signs of spring are emerging on Dartmoor, with the sun's warmth bringing life to the granite landscape. A young naturalist, Henry, ventures out onto the moor, binoculars in hand, to catch a glimpse of returning migrants. As he scans the valley, he's rewarded with the sight of a wheatear, one of the first birds to return to the UK after spending winter in sub-Saharan Africa. The wheatear's distinctive white rump, which gives it its name, is a striking feature. The name 'wheatear' originates from an old English phrase, literally translating to 'white arse'. For Henry, spotting this bird is a big milestone, signaling the arrival of spring. As he observes the wheatear, Henry notes its dashingly dressed appearance, with a soft slate grey back, warmer peach-colored chest and stomach, and of course, its notable white rump. The sighting fills him with excitement, as it's a sure sign that spring has finally arrived on Dartmoor.