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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.

BBC Two’s three‑part series ‘Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy’ attempts to map the arc of the King of Pop from a Midwestern child prodigy to a global phenomenon whose legacy is still contested. Released ahead of the family‑approved biopic Michael, the documentary does not promise fresh revelations; instead, it seeks to place the singer’s meteoric fame, legal controversies and post‑mortem financial empire within a single narrative. The first episode, titled Fame, foregrounds Jackson’s musical genius while also exposing the fraught dynamics of his family life. Interviews with siblings and childhood acquaintances depict a household where “six bunk beds in one room” were the norm, and where fear of their father, Joe Jackson, loomed large. La Toyia Jackson’s recollection that “Michael had a fear of my father – we all did” underscores the pressure that shaped his early years. In The Reckoning, the series shifts to the period of criminal investigations and media scrutiny. Former spiritual adviser Rabbi Shmuley Boteach describes the tragedy as a man who, despite unparalleled attention, remained “utterly lonely.” Prosecutor Ron Zonen argues that the sheer scale of the Jackson enterprise eclipsed the pursuit of justice, noting the obviousness of the abuse allegations in his view. The episode also revisits the 2003 Martin Bashir documentary, which Boteach recalls as a “shock” that contributed to the star’s eventual downfall. The final installment, The Resurrection, examines the attempts to revive Jackson’s career, his sudden death, and the ripple effects of the 2019 Leaving Neverland documentary. The review notes that the allegations have reshaped public perception to the point where many, including the reviewer, find it difficult to engage with his music. The series concludes that the ongoing legal battles—seven alleged victims are currently suing the estate—represent “the most extraordinary effort to uncancel someone in history.” While the documentary assembles an extensive roster of interviewees—family members, former managers, record executives, and even Donald Trump—it occasionally suffers from an overly broad brushstroke that blurs moral clarity. The reviewer acknowledges the valiant effort to strike a middle ground but questions whether such balance is sufficient for a story marked by “wild extremes.” Overall, the series provides a comprehensive, if not groundbreaking, overview of Jackson’s complex narrative, serving as a timely companion piece to the upcoming biopic and a reminder that the conversation around his legacy remains far from settled. Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy is currently streaming on iPlayer.

British novelist Gwendoline Riley has been recognized with a $175,000 Windham-Campbell prize, one of eight writers to receive the prestigious award. Riley is celebrated for her short novels that delve into complex relationships, family tensions, and the inner lives of women. Her notable works include First Love, which was shortlisted for the Women’s prize for fiction, and My Phantoms.Riley expressed her gratitude, stating, “This is very hard for me to take in. I am more grateful than I can say. This unimagined vote of confidence will not go wasted on me.” Her work has been praised for recasting ordinary lives into something remarkable and new. Clare Clark noted in a review of her latest novel, The Palm House, that Riley is “the laureate of disconnection, her bone-dry humour edged with the vertiginous lurch of despair.”The Windham-Campbell prizes, which award $1.4 million annually, aim to support writers by providing financial security, allowing them to focus on their work without financial pressures. Michael Kelleher, director of the Windham-Campbell prizes, emphasized that the arts face significant challenges, and this grant offers writers “the time, space and creative freedom to think, write and nurture their talent.”Other recipients of the prize include S Shakthidharan, an Australian playwright known for his multigenerational epic Counting and Cracking; Adam Ehrlich Sachs, an American writer recognized for his exploration of the history of knowledge; and Lucy Sante, a Belgian-born American writer celebrated for her memoir I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition.

Israel's conflict with Iran has ended in a strategic failure for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the war achieving none of its main goals and damaging Israel's global standing.Despite years of threats and diplomatic pressure, Israel's war with Iran has resulted in a fragile and vague ceasefire, with Iran's regime still intact and its military assets significant.The US intelligence community had deemed Israeli predictions of regime change and revolution in Iran as 'farcical', and Netanyahu's assessment that the war would be short-lived proved woefully wide of the mark.Netanyahu's insistence on continuing attacks in southern Lebanon appears hubristic, and Israel's actions have been criticized by opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid and Yair Golan, who have called the ceasefire a 'strategic failure'.The reality is that Netanyahu gambled everything on his war and failed to secure the fall of the Iranian regime, the seizure of Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, or meaningful state degradation.Instead, Israel's global standing has been damaged, and its role in pushing the US to war in Iran has been assailed by both progressives and the far right in America.The domestic fallout for Netanyahu in an election year in Israel will be significant, with many Israelis likely to question his ability to deliver on his promises of security and victory.

Copenhagen returns to the London stage under Michael Longhurst’s direction at Hampstead Theatre, a timing the reviewer calls “terrifyingly timely.” The three‑hander dramatizes the 1941 encounter between Danish physicist Niels Bohr (played by Richard Schiff) and German scientist Werner Heisenberg (Damien Molony), set against the looming threat of Hitler’s nuclear ambitions. The production draws unsettling parallels to contemporary politics, invoking Donald Trump’s recent threats toward Iran as a modern echo of the era’s extremist rhetoric. This resonance, the reviewer notes, amplifies the play’s relevance alongside the theatre’s downstairs offering, ROI (Return on Investment), which also interrogates the morality of scientific discovery. Visually, Joanna Scotcher’s set is a striking, non‑realist circle surrounded by water—a subtle nod to the “heavy water” used in Nazi nuclear research and a poignant reminder of the personal tragedy that befell one of Bohr’s sons. The second half’s dense scientific dialogue is rendered accessible, though the reviewer argues it sometimes falls short of fully unpacking the deeper metaphors embedded in the science. Performance-wise, the age gap between Bohr and Heisenberg (Bohr being sixteen years senior) hampers the on‑stage chemistry. Schiff’s portrayal of the seasoned Bohr occasionally stumbles over lines, while Molony’s Heisenberg comes across as a brooding, almost adolescent figure. In contrast, Alex Kingston’s turn as Bohr’s wife and editor, Margrethe, provides the emotional core, shouldering much of the play’s affective weight. Thematically, the drama wrestles with the question of whether scientists bear a moral duty beyond their research. Heisenberg’s famed uncertainty principle is employed as a metaphor for the psychological ambiguity surrounding their historic meeting. Yet the script conspicuously omits any direct reference to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, focusing instead on the fear of a Nazi atomic weapon and sidestepping the United States’ own nuclear legacy. While the production boasts compelling aesthetics and a thought‑provoking premise, the reviewer finds moments of sluggish pacing and a missed opportunity to confront the irony of overlooking the U.S. bombings, especially as contemporary concerns about American military assertiveness rise. The show runs at Hampstead Theatre, London until 2 May.

The fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel faced a serious crisis on Wednesday as both sides presented conflicting accounts of the agreement. The development raised concerns about the potential collapse of the truce.Israel escalated its military operations in Lebanon, launching its heaviest attack yet on over 100 targets, resulting in at least 254 fatalities. This move directly contradicts the claims of Iran and Pakistan, who brokered the 11th-hour truce and asserted that the ceasefire included Lebanon.In response, Iran halted the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, citing an alleged Israeli breach of the ceasefire. The Fars news agency reported that oil prices had dropped sharply below $100 a barrel following the truce announcement, leading to a global stock market surge.The White House disputed Iran's claims about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling the reports 'false' and stating that US President Donald Trump expected it to reopen 'immediately, quickly and safely.' The US signaled its continued adherence to the ceasefire, even as it threatened to unravel.Iran and the US have different interpretations of the agreement. Trump conveyed a version suggesting a 15-point proposal from the US, which included no enrichment of uranium and the destruction of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile. In contrast, Iran's 10-point plan, which Trump initially referred to as a 'workable basis for negotiation,' included the right to enrich uranium and the full lifting of sanctions.The US and Iran are set to engage in talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, this weekend, with a US negotiating team led by Vice-President JD Vance. The talks aim to cement the ceasefire into a more durable peace agreement, but significant gaps remain to be bridged.The situation in the Gulf remains fragile, with the US and Israel claiming to have destroyed Iran's industrial base and significant military assets. Iran, on the other hand, portrays the truce as a victory, with senior politician Ali Akbar Velayati stating that 'America was forced to accept a ceasefire.'

Donald Trump's decision to accept a two-week ceasefire in Iran has created a stir within his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, with some supporters expressing mixed reactions to the development. While some have defended the president's decision, others have accused him of betrayal and capitulation.The ceasefire, which was agreed upon after more than a month of war, has been hailed as a victory by both the US and Iran. However, critics argue that the agreement has failed to achieve its objectives, with Iran's regime still intact and its nuclear facilities persisting. The strait of Hormuz remains closed, and fighting continues in Lebanon.Dinesh D'Souza, a right-wing commentator, defended Trump on social media, stating that the president had outsmarted his critics and proved himself to be the adult in the room. Similarly, Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, expressed confidence in Trump's decision-making, citing his real, actionable intelligence.However, not all supporters are convinced. Matthew Feinberg, a self-described 'MAGA Jew', expressed disappointment, stating that the ceasefire allows the IRGC to regroup and rearm. Laura Loomer, an activist and Islamophobe, also criticized the outcome, saying that the negotiation didn't yield any significant benefits for the US.The Pew Research survey found that, among Republicans, there had been an 18-point decline in confidence in Trump's policymaking about Iran since 2024. Despite this, Republicans aged 65 and older remain overwhelmingly confident in Trump's ability to make good decisions on Iran.

Footage captured on the streets of Tehran shows small groups of citizens gathering around Enghelab Square – a historic rally point for pro‑regime supporters – some waving Iranian flags, others draped over their backs. The atmosphere is far from uniform; debates and arguments erupted shortly after the ceasefire announcement, reflecting a spectrum of emotions from shock to tentative hope.The video, posted by Majid Nouri – son of former prison official Hamid Nouri – includes his running commentary. He notes that the discussions began around 3 a.m. and continued into the morning, with participants expressing both anger and disbelief. "In no way do we trust America," Nouri declared, echoing a sentiment he says is shared by virtually every Iranian.Pro‑government demonstrators were heard chanting "Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!" and burning U.S. and Israeli flags, according to the Associated Press. The chants persisted despite attempts by organizers to calm the crowd, underscoring the depth of anti‑Western feeling among hardliners.While the ceasefire halted active hostilities, the war has already claimed at least 1,900 lives in Iran. With internet services largely blacked out, gauging the broader public mood is challenging, but pockets of Tehran reported subdued celebrations in the early hours of Wednesday.Local resident Ali, a 31‑year‑old, summed up the prevailing uncertainty: "Most people here don’t trust the US and still don’t know exactly what is going to happen, so they are unsure whether they should be happy or worried." He warned that the ceasefire’s two‑week duration offers no guarantee of lasting peace.Business owners are beginning to test the waters. Hamid, a 43‑year‑old shopkeeper whose grocery and cleaning‑supplies store closed after the February bombings, said, "Today feels like there is no war," and he has reopened his shop, hoping to recover lost income for his family.Iranian officials are framing the pause as a diplomatic victory. Former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati posted on X that the conflict has reshaped the global power balance, positioning Iran within a new multipolar order. President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the ceasefire as the fruit of the blood of Iran’s “great martyred leader” and the collective will of the people.Strategically, the ceasefire highlights Tehran’s ability to disrupt the vital Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil shipments. Analysts note that this leverage could bolster Iran’s negotiating stance, even as former U.S. President Donald Trump previously warned that a full‑scale clash would threaten "a whole civilisation." As sunrise illuminated the capital, daily life resumed with shops reopening and traffic returning to the streets, yet the prevailing mood remains a blend of exhaustion, cautious optimism, and lingering mistrust of the United States.

Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian told investors that customers should expect higher airfares as oil prices climb in response to the ongoing US‑Israel conflict with Iran. The carrier has already absorbed an additional $330 million in fuel costs and anticipates a further $2 billion increase in fuel expenses for the current quarter. Despite the cost pressure, Delta forecasts a 10% rise in revenue, citing robust passenger demand that it describes as a "healthy" travel environment. Bastian noted that the surge in demand is especially strong among affluent travelers who continue to purchase premium‑class seats. Other U.S. airlines have begun raising baggage fees, attributing the move to volatile fuel markets. Bastian suggested that such fee hikes could become a permanent feature of airline pricing, adding that "at this level of fuel pricing, it’s hard to call anything temporary." Oil markets showed a brief reprieve after Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under a two‑week cease‑fire agreement with the United States. Brent crude fell from roughly $110 per barrel to just under $95 per barrel, yet prices remain about $20 per barrel above pre‑conflict levels. U.S. carriers have felt the ripple effects of the conflict. Since the start of the year, American Airlines shares have slipped about 25% and United Airlines about 13%. United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, warned that fares could climb as much as 20% if fuel costs stay elevated, even as airlines strive to keep demand strong. Delta’s stock, which surged 17% last year, has been flat so far in 2026, reflecting both consumer resilience and the headwinds from the conflict. The shares did gain 6% in early trading on Wednesday. To mitigate fuel consumption, Delta plans to trim capacity on lower‑load midweek and overnight routes, mirroring a similar capacity‑reduction announcement from United earlier in the month. Bastian also highlighted that Delta has benefited from a "K‑shaped" economic recovery, where wealthier consumers continue to spend on travel while lower‑income households curb discretionary spending. "Our customers at the top of the K are still investing in travel," he told CNBC, emphasizing that premium travel remains a priority for this segment.