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Israeli forces launched a series of coordinated strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing dozens and wounding hundreds, just hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israeli war on Iran. The attacks, which targeted areas in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon, were the largest coordinated strike by Israel since it began a new military operation in Lebanon on March 2. The Israeli military carried out a surprise strike on hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists at command centers across Lebanon, according to Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz. The strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, with over 100 Hezbollah command centers and military sites hit. Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health reported that dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded in the attacks. The Lebanese Red Cross said 100 of its ambulances were responding to the attacks, with teams working to transport the injured to hospitals. Hospitals were overcrowded, and health officials warned of a dire situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier stated that the US-Iran truce excluded Lebanon, a country Israel has invaded in a new campaign against the armed group Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks, saying Israel was killing 'defenceless civilians' and showing disregard for international law. The violence has resulted in over 1,530 people killed in Lebanon since March 2, including women and children, and over 1.2 million people displaced. The situation remains volatile, with Hezbollah warning of a response from Iran and its allies if Israel does not adhere to a ceasefire.

Assam, India – Under the sweltering April sun, Akram Ali stood amid the rubble of his four‑room house, a home he had built over 45 years ago. The demolition, part of a government‑led bulldozing operation on March 14, turned his residence into a pile of debris.Bulldozers descended on Islampur, a Muslim‑majority neighbourhood on the outskirts of Guwahati, and for four hours razed homes across 177 hectares (437 acres). The sweep rendered 400 families homeless, including Ali, who now lives in a tarpaulin shanty a few kilometres from his former home.Ali, a daily‑wage worker, told Al Jazeera that despite identifying as Goriya – “son of the soil” – his house was destroyed. The Goriyas are an Assamese‑speaking Muslim community traditionally settled in the tea‑belt region. In 2022, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officially recognised the Goriya, along with four other Muslim sub‑groups, as “Indigenous” to Assam.While this designation has afforded the Indigenous Muslims a degree of cultural safety, it has not shielded them from the state’s aggressive land‑clearance drives. Ali questioned the distinction, asking, “Weren’t our homes demolished because we are Muslims?”Muslims make up more than a third of Assam’s 31 million residents, according to the 2011 census. Of these, roughly 6.3 million are Bengali‑speaking “miyas,” often labelled “outsiders,” while about 4 million belong to Indigenous groups like the Goriya.The BJP, led nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been courting the Indigenous Muslim vote ahead of the April 2026 state elections, where it seeks a third consecutive term after governing since 2016. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has spearheaded the party’s crackdown on “miyas” since 2021, claims the government will “never target” Indigenous Muslims.Political analyst Bonojit Hussain explains that the BJP’s outreach serves two purposes: softening its communal image and capturing decisive vote blocks in constituencies where Indigenous Muslims and Hindus together decide the outcome. In seats such as Nalbari, where Indigenous Muslims account for over 25 % of the electorate, and Barkhetri, with roughly 80,000 Muslim voters, the community’s support can swing the result.Upper Assam, a region with a strong Assamese‑speaking identity, is especially critical. Journalist Firoz Khan notes that Indigenous Muslims influence the outcome in seven or eight of the 39 seats there, prompting the BJP to temper its overtly anti‑Muslim rhetoric in the area.Despite the party’s overtures, many Indigenous Muslims remain skeptical. Moinul Islam, spokesperson for the rights group Sadou Asom Goria Jatiya Parishad, warned that the BJP’s broader anti‑Muslim policies—evictions, voter‑list objections, and alleged deportations—are unlikely to win their votes.Earlier in 2025, similar demolition drives displaced hundreds of Goriya families in Lakhimpur and Golaghat districts, and a systematic campaign to challenge Muslim names on electoral rolls further strained relations.BJP spokesman Kishore Upadhyay dismissed the allegations as “malicious, biased and politically motivated,” but Indigenous groups argue the pattern signals an attempt to erase their cultural legacy.Recent actions by the state government reinforce this perception. Chief Minister Sarma renamed the only medical college in Barpeta—previously bearing the name of Goriya freedom fighter Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed—arguing that institutions should reflect their geographic location. Critics view the move as symbolic of a broader effort to marginalise Muslim contributions to Assam’s history.In December 2025, Sarma also proposed dropping the hyphen in “Sankar‑Azan,” a name that celebrated the syncretic legacy of 15th‑century polymath Srimanta Sankardev and 17th‑century Sufi saint Azan Peer. Communist Party member Isfaqur Rahman warned that such revisions reflect a “slow erasure of Assamese Muslim heritage.”For Ali, the demolition has hardened his political stance. “After being evicted, the chief minister called us illegal immigrants and broke our backs by destroying our homes,” he said. “We are the new miyas.”

Djibouti, a country with a population of less than a million people and no significant natural resources, has become a crucial hub for foreign military bases. The nation's strategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea, a vital maritime chokepoint through which roughly 12 percent of global maritime trade passes daily, has made it an attractive location for global powers.The country's President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, has leveraged Djibouti's strategic importance to advance his own aims, welcoming bases from the US, China, France, Japan, and Italy. These countries pay significant fees for the privilege of hosting their bases, with the US paying $65 million annually, France $30 million, China $20 million, and Italy and Japan over $3 million each.The Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a narrow corridor barely 30 kilometers wide, is a critical passage for global trade and communication cables. The region's instability, particularly with the US and Israel at war with Iran, has heightened Djibouti's importance. Federico Donelli, author of 'Power Competition in the Red Sea,' notes that Djibouti sits at the center of many global interests, including trade, shipping, and fiber optic connectivity.Djibouti's base-for-cash model is part of a broader development strategy, including significant infrastructure investment from Chinese firms and a new railway linking landlocked Ethiopia to the coast. However, the country's economic benefits have not trickled down to its citizens, with official unemployment near 40 percent and over one in five people living in extreme poverty.The opposition leader, Daher Ahmed Farah, has criticized Guelleh's rule, stating that the country's strategic position and hosting of military bases have not benefited the Djiboutian people. The US embassy has warned Americans to avoid areas near Camp Lemonnier, citing threats against US interests, while Finance Minister Ilyas Dawaleh has expressed concerns about the Iran war risks pushing Djibouti into deeper economic uncertainty.

The United States government has reaffirmed its position that it plans to deport Salvadoran immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, despite arguments that doing so would be vindictive.On Tuesday, lawyers for the administration of President Donald Trump told US federal judge Paula Xinis that it remains committed to Liberia as a destination.Abrego Garcia, however, has said that, if he must be deported, he would prefer to be sent to Costa Rica, and the government there has indicated it would accept him.But the Trump administration’s insistence on sending Abrego Garcia to Africa has raised questions about its motive.Critics have accused the US government of seeking retribution against Abrego Garcia, whose case has spurred scrutiny over the legality of Trump’s mass deportation campaign.The case began with a high-profile mistake. In March 2025, less than three months into Trump’s second term, Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported to his native El Salvador, in violation of a 2019 protection order that found he could face gang violence if returned to the country.The Trump administration, at the time, described Abrego Garcia’s removal as an “administrative error”.Still, it initially refused to seek his return, arguing that Abrego Garcia was a gang member and that, once abroad, he was subject to El Salvador’s leadership. Abrego Garcia, though, had no criminal record at the time of his deportation.Abrego Garcia was imprisoned, first at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT) and later in a second prison in Santa Ana, El Salvador.Meanwhile, lawyers in the US had turned to US courts to reverse his deportation.In early April 2025, Judge Xinis ruled that the US government had to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the country, and later that month, the US Supreme Court upheld her ruling in a unanimous decision.But it was only in June 2025 that Abrego Garcia was brought back to the US. In announcing Abrego Garcia’s return, the Trump administration revealed it would be filing criminal charges against him for human smuggling.He pleaded not guilty, but was forced to remain in jail. The Trump administration had deemed him a flight risk, and his own lawyers feared that stepping out of his jail cell would land him in immigration detention instead.When a court ordered his release in August, this is exactly what happened: Immigration agents took him back into custody within days.Authorities at the time said they would deport him to Uganda. Later, they changed the proposed destination to Liberia.Abrego Garcia was ultimately freed from immigration detention in December, but he continues to fight both his criminal charges and his deportation proceedings.At Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Xinis questioned why the Trump administration would not consider deporting Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica instead of Liberia.She pointed out that the country had recently inked an agreement to accept 25 removals from the US per week.In response, Ernesto Molina, the director of the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, suggested that Abrego Garcia could “remove himself” to Costa Rica.But Xinis called the proposal a “fantasy” and noted that he cannot leave as long as the Justice Department is prosecuting him on criminal charges. He is legally required to attend his criminal hearings.After the tense exchange, Xinis set another hearing on the matter for April 28.

The play's creator, Gregory Burke, was inspired by the tragic events at Camp Dogwood in Iraq and the story of three soldiers from the Black Watch regiment who were killed by an IED. Vicky Featherstone, founding artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, commissioned Burke to write the play.The production was a collaboration between Burke, director John Tiffany, and movement director Steven Hoggett. The set, designed by Laura Hopkins, featured a pool table that transformed into a tank, symbolizing the transition from a pub to a war zone.The play's success was not limited to its initial run. It went on to tour for seven years, performing in numerous countries, including the United States. The play's impact was profound, with audience members often moved to tears and applause.Black Watch also had a significant impact on the careers of its cast members, including Emun Elliott and Brian Ferguson. The play's influence extended beyond the theatre world, with its themes and messages resonating with audiences worldwide.

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.

The chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Brant Dunshea, announced that the sport is prepared to consider more direct‑action protests as it confronts the government’s proposal to introduce affordability checks for punters. Last September’s one‑day strike, which forced the cancellation of four meetings, proved decisive: it helped the government abandon a planned increase in betting tax from 15% to 21%, a rise the BHA estimated would have cost the industry £330 million. Following the “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign, the BHA is now urging the government to rethink the affordability checks that could require up to 120,000 regular gamblers to provide personal documentation, according to the Betting and Gaming Council. Independent modelling by EY suggests that as many as 44,000 bettors might migrate to black‑market operators, eroding the industry’s betting turnover by tens of millions of pounds. Betting turnover has already fallen by £2 billion since 2021. The Gambling Commission is slated to decide on the checks next month, while more than 400 racing figures – including trainers and MPs – have signed an open letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanding intervention. “Our campaign will continue, and direct action is part of our broader strategy, though we will not discuss specifics publicly,” Dunshea said. He highlighted the power of collective action, noting that the industry’s cultural and economic significance was recognised in the government’s recent budget announcement. Recent pilot schemes, involving three credit‑reference agencies, produced inconsistent outcomes for the same individuals, raising concerns that the checks could push more punters toward illegal markets. Data from Yield Sec shows that the share of the UK gambling market held by black‑market operators surged from 0.43% in 2020 to 9% last year, with £379 million wagered on unlicensed platforms that do not contribute to the exchequer. Dunshea stressed that any affordability measure must be truly frictionless. “Consumers are price‑sensitive and protective of their personal data; any intervention that feels invasive will drive them elsewhere,” he warned. Amid the upcoming Grand National at Aintree, Dunshea expressed surprise at recent comments from the RSPCA regarding horse deaths at Cheltenham, reaffirming the BHA’s commitment to a collaborative relationship with the animal‑welfare charity. He noted that over the past 25 years, the industry has invested £60 million in equine welfare, reducing fatality rates to 0.22% of runners, and emphasized that the BHA will continue to work constructively with the RSPCA despite recent tensions.

Atlético Madrid pulled off a remarkable 2-0 victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou, dealing a significant blow to the home team's Champions League aspirations. The match's turning point came just before halftime when Barcelona's Pau Cubarsí received a red card for tripping Giuliano Simeone, and Julián Alvarez curled in a spectacular free-kick from the resulting spot, giving Atlético a crucial lead.The visitors doubled their advantage in the second half through Alexander Sørloth's header, which was set up by a beautifully worked move initiated by Antoine Griezmann. Despite being a man down, Barcelona pressed hard for a goal but were thwarted by Atlético's defense and the impressive form of goalkeeper Juan Musso.This win puts Atlético in a strong position ahead of the second leg at the Metropolitano, where they will look to secure a spot in the Champions League semifinals. For Barcelona, the defeat leaves them with a difficult task to overturn the deficit in six days' time.

Emma Sing, a 25‑year‑old Rugby World Cup winner and multiple Six Nations grand‑slam champion, says she is aiming to secure the England full‑back jersey for the upcoming Women’s Six Nations. Despite her impressive résumé – three Premiership Women’s Rugby titles with Gloucester‑Hartpury, 13 England caps since 2022 and three appearances at the 2025 World Cup – Sing insists there is no personal rivalry with fellow full‑back Ellie Kildunne, the Harlequins star who finished second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards after her breakout World Cup performances. "The media love to pit us against each other, but in camp we lift each other up," Sing explained. "She is incredibly fast and agile, while I bring a more physical presence – I’m roughly 10 kg heavier – and I add reliable goal‑kicking to the mix." Sing’s background is equally diverse: she holds a degree in bio‑veterinary science from Hartpury University and grew up on a Devon farm, a heritage she jokes gives her "farm strength" on the field. Statistically, Sing has been a prolific scorer. Over the past two league campaigns she topped the points table, primarily through accurate place‑kicking, and currently sits as the second‑highest points scorer in the season, trailing only Zoe Harrison. Her consistency earned her four player‑of‑the‑match awards, even after a recent knee injury sidelined her for a few games. Coach John Mitchell acknowledges the competition at full‑back but hints at a broader role for Sing. "We may explore her in the midfield," he said, noting her strong ball‑carrying and defensive fend. The prospect gains urgency after regular No 12 Tatyana Heard was ruled out with a foot injury. Former England captain Katy Daley‑McLean echoed the sentiment, observing that Sing’s traditional full‑back skill set – solid defence and dependable kicking – offers a different dynamic to Kildunne’s "X‑factor" flair. As the tournament approaches, Sing remains focused on translating her club form – highlighted by Gloucester‑Hartpury’s 22‑17 victory over Saracens in March – into more England starts. "I’m training hard and leaving the selection to Mitch; whichever style suits the game will win the shirt," she affirmed.