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In a forceful statement released on Monday, a panel of 13 United Nations experts demanded that Israel halt all attacks on displaced Palestinians sheltering in Gaza and cease the accelerating forced‑displacement campaign in the occupied West Bank. Israeli air strikes in March set fire to tents housing Gaza’s internally displaced people, causing numerous fatalities, the experts noted, describing the tactic as part of a broader strategy to make life untenable for Palestinians. “This cycle of displacement, terror, and targeted attacks serves an ultimate purpose: to make life unbearable for Palestinians and permanently force them from their land,” the panel declared, underscoring the systematic nature of the violence. The experts warned that the targeting of makeshift shelters violates international humanitarian law and amounts to a grave breach, given that the majority of Gaza’s population has already endured multiple forced transfers. Beyond the immediate danger of bombardment, civilians living in tents face severe health threats—including hunger, exposure to freezing temperatures, flooding, and a lack of basic services. Women and children, the panel stressed, bear a disproportionate share of deprivation. Turning to the West Bank, the panel condemned what it described as a “sharp escalation in forced displacement” driven by the Israeli army and “state‑backed settler terrorism.” Daily attacks have resulted in killings, injuries, and the widespread destruction of homes, farmland, and livelihoods. According to a 2025 report from the UN Human Rights Office, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced amid the expansion of illegal settlements, a figure the experts say illustrates a broader policy of ethnic cleansing across the occupied Palestinian territory. The panel urged Israel to end all forced‑displacement activities in the West Bank and to facilitate the safe return of those uprooted. It also called on the international community to uphold its legal obligations, launch independent investigations, and refrain from providing assistance that could enable the continuation of the occupation. The 13‑member panel includes UN special rapporteurs such as Francesca Albanese (occupied Palestinian territory), Paula Gaviria Betancur (rights of internally displaced persons), Michael Fakhri (right to food), and Reem Alsalem (violence against women and girls).

The situation in Lebanon remains volatile as Israeli strikes continue, prompting concerns of further escalation in the region. Despite these developments, efforts towards diplomacy are underway, with talks scheduled in an attempt to mitigate the conflict.The ongoing conflict between Lebanon and Israel has been a point of contention for years, with periods of relative calm often punctuated by outbreaks of violence. The current escalation is a stark reminder of the fragile peace in the region and the need for sustained diplomatic efforts.International observers are closely monitoring the situation, hoping that the scheduled talks will lead to a de-escalation of tensions and a return to stability for the people of Lebanon and the broader region.

High-level talks between the United States and Iran ended without an agreement in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday. The breakdown leaves a fragile two-week ceasefire as the only barrier between diplomacy and a return to war. Pakistan, which played a key role in bringing both sides to the negotiating table, remains committed to facilitating further dialogue.The talks, the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, stalled over differences surrounding Iran's nuclear program. The US insisted on a commitment from Iran that it would not seek a nuclear weapon, while Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused the US of 'maximalism' and shifting demands.Despite the setback, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, emphasized that Pakistan will continue to play a role in facilitating engagements and dialogue between the two nations. Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also expressed optimism about the potential for future talks.The immediate threat to the ceasefire comes from the evolving situation in the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon. Iran has warned that continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon could render negotiations meaningless, while the US has announced a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran controls and uses as a key negotiating lever.Analysts say Pakistan's role is crucial in preventing a prolonged conflict, but its economic fragility and limited leverage constrain its ability to impose outcomes. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, have been praised by both Trump and Iranian officials for their efforts to secure the ceasefire and host the talks in Islamabad.

An Israeli air attack targeted a group of men gathered outside a school in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, killing at least three people. The incident occurred as Israeli forces arrested at least 30 Palestinians in raids across several cities and towns in the occupied West Bank.Medics at Al-Aqsa Hospital reported the killings, with the bodies of the victims laid out in white shrouds outside the hospital's morgue. Relatives and friends gathered to bid farewell, with some kissing the victims' foreheads before holding special prayers.The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the airstrike. The killings took place as mediators met with leaders from the Palestinian group Hamas to bolster a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States, which began last October.The ceasefire has been marred by violence, with over 750 Palestinians killed since it took effect. Hamas fighters have killed four Israeli soldiers, and both sides have traded blame for violations.Israeli forces have also been accused of moving yellow concrete markers westwards in Gaza, which Palestinians say is an attempt to expand a depopulated zone. Israel denies this.In the West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office reported that two children and some freed detainees were among those arrested in the raids. The military operations included searches of homes and property damage.The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with over 72,000 Palestinians killed in Israel's war on Gaza, which began in October 2023. In the occupied West Bank, at least 1,133 Palestinians have been killed, 11,700 others wounded, and nearly 22,000 arrested.The International Court of Justice has declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have resulted in at least six fatalities, according to state media reports. The Israeli military claims to have surrounded the main town of Bint Jbeil, a strategic location in the conflict with Hezbollah.The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that one person was killed and nine others injured in an airstrike on the town of Bazouriyeh. Additionally, Israeli air strikes killed one person in Nabatiyeh El Faouqa and three others in Sir el Gharbiyeh and Choukine.The Israeli military also struck a centre of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Tyre, resulting in one injury that later died. Several Red Cross vehicles were damaged in the attack.The Israeli army announced it will have full operational control of Bint Jbeil within days, after claiming to have killed more than 100 Hezbollah fighters there over the past week. Hezbollah has been engaged in fierce fighting with Israeli forces in Bint Jbeil, a town that has been a symbolic and strategic flashpoint in confrontations between the two.Diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict are underway, with Israeli and Lebanese officials set to hold talks in Washington to end the war. Lebanon's culture minister, Ghassan Salame, emphasized the government's focus on securing an immediate halt to hostilities before any peace talks with Israel.Since Israel expanded its offensive in Lebanon on March 2, at least 2,055 people have been killed and over 6,550 others injured. The escalation in Bint Jbeil comes as Hezbollah continues to engage in clashes with Israeli forces, with the group reporting intense clashes on Sunday.

The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran has led to a sharp increase in crude prices, driving up fuel costs and placing strain on households worldwide. In the six weeks since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, oil prices have risen sharply, with the main international benchmark surging more than 8 percent to top $103 a barrel.However, the price of oil is more complicated than any one figure and depends on where you look. The oil trade can be broadly divided into two distinct markets: physical sales and contracts for future oil deliveries, known as futures.Since the start of the war and Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, prices in these markets have diverged substantially – reflecting what analysts say is a growing mismatch between perceptions of supply and the reality on the ground. Dated Brent hit an all-time high of more than $144 a barrel – about $35 above the price of Brent futures.The principal benchmark for spot prices is Dated Brent, a basket of four grades of oil produced in the North Sea and one produced in the US. It reflects the per-barrel price of oil scheduled for shipment in the next 10 to 30 days. On the other hand, Brent futures are financial derivatives that reflect the price of oil due to be loaded months or even years from now.The futures price is the price most commonly found in news reports and search engine results. However, the gap between spot and futures prices has widened well beyond what is typical since the conflict began, indicating that oil supplies are becoming increasingly scarce on the ground.Analysts say traders have been betting on a resolution to the crisis down the track, with the return of price stability depending on Iran easing its control over the strait and shipping companies gaining confidence that it is safe to transit. The global economy is still facing a daily shortfall of about 8 million barrels of oil, according to a recent estimate by market intelligence provider Kpler.

The U.S. military announced that, starting at 14:00 GMT on Monday, it will enforce a blockade of every Iranian port, a step taken after President Donald Trump ordered a naval closure of the Strait of Hormuz—the waterway through which roughly one‑fifth of global crude oil normally flows. The blockade comes on the heels of stalled peace negotiations in Islamabad, where talks between Washington and Tehran collapsed without an agreement despite a prior cease‑fire pledge. Trump’s escalation has already driven crude prices above $100 per barrel and unsettled Asian equity markets, with the Nikkei 225 down 0.84%, the Topix slipping 0.42% and South Korea’s Kospi falling 1.83%. Iran’s response is equally forceful. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any vessel entering the strait would be deemed a breach of the cease‑fire and dealt with “harshly and decisively,” insisting it has “full control” and threatening a “deadly vortex” for any misstep. Navy chief Shahram Irani dismissed Trump’s threat as “ridiculous and funny,” while state television said Iranian forces are closely monitoring U.S. movements. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lamented “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade” that undermined a near‑final Islamabad memorandum, quoting, “Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity.” Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pledged resistance and mocked U.S. gasoline prices, posting a map of Washington‑area pump prices and predicting nostalgia for $4‑$5 gas. U.S. Central Command clarified that the blockade will stop all vessels bound for or from Iran, while traffic to non‑Iranian ports will continue unhindered. Trump also warned that any ship that has paid an “illegal toll” to Iran will be intercepted on the high seas, and he publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV for urging an end to the conflict. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least five people, bringing the country’s overall death toll to 2,055. Hezbollah retaliated with a rocket barrage aimed at northern Israeli towns, citing violations of a cease‑fire. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that an Israeli tank rammed peace‑keeping vehicles twice in the south. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops on the Lebanese border, claiming that Hezbollah’s invasion threat has been neutralized, though he acknowledged that hostilities continue within the security zone. On the energy front, shipping through the Hormuz corridor has “immediately halted,” according to Lloyd’s List, with several vessels turning back after the blockade announcement, further tightening global oil supplies.

A 27-year-old woman, Sana, living in western Tehran with her roommate, Fatemeh, has survived two wars in the past year. The latest conflict began on February 28, when missiles hit Tehran at 9:40 am. Sana had already experienced the 12-day war in June 2025 and was determined not to leave the city again.As the war intensified, Sana and Fatemeh learned to anticipate strikes during certain windows: early morning, afternoon, and after 11 pm. They relied on supermarket deliveries and made frantic dashes to shops when necessary. The internet was often down, and they used virtual private networks (VPNs) to stay connected.On March 16, Sana experienced one of the worst nights of her life when a massive explosion occurred near Mehrabad airport. She and Fatemeh sprinted down the fire escape to the parking garage, fearing for their lives. The war had turned her daily life into a grim routine.Despite the challenges, Sana tried to maintain a sense of normalcy. She kept her job while many others were laid off, and she booked an appointment for a haircut and nails after the ceasefire was announced. These small acts helped her feel human again in the midst of chaos.

Leeds United delivered a seismic upset at Old Trafford, beating Manchester United 2‑0 and moving six points clear of Tottenham in the Premier League table. The victory marked United’s first league loss at the stadium since February 1981, ending a 45‑year unbeaten home run.Michael Carrick recorded his first home defeat as United’s interim manager. The team never found rhythm, a situation worsened when defender Lisandro Martínez was shown a red card in the 56th minute for yanking Dominic Calvert‑Lewin’s ponytail. Martínez now faces a three‑match ban, with United considering an appeal.Noah Okafor proved decisive, netting a brace. His first goal arrived five minutes after the red card when a Jayden Bogle cross was flicked on by Leny Yoro and finished by Okafor. The Swiss striker celebrated with a calm, hands‑folded pose as the crowd chanted “Yorkshire, Yorkshire”. He added a second, long‑range strike later in the half, sealing the win.Leeds dominated the early exchanges, creating several chances through wing‑back Gabriel Gudmundsson and forward Jayden Bogle. United’s response was limited to a consolation header from Casemiro, but they could not threaten Leeds’ lead.The result has major implications: Leeds now sit comfortably in the Champions League race, while United’s relegation worries intensify. A win against Wolves on Saturday could further distance Leeds from the drop zone, especially if Tottenham falters against Brighton.Post‑match, Leeds manager Daniel Farke and his players celebrated exuberantly, kneeling on the pitch and shouting “We are Leeds”. The three points are described as “vital” for the club’s season ambitions.