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The US and Iran have been engaged in secretive backchannel talks, mediated by countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, and Oman, in an effort to prevent further escalation of the conflict in the region. The talks, which were denied by Iran initially, may lead to a resolution, but the path forward remains uncertain.According to reports, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have been in communication, with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry tweeting that conversations were underway on Sunday, 24 hours before Donald Trump's deadline to start attacking Iran's energy infrastructure.The talks have been chaotic, with multiple mediators jostling for the title of peacemaker in chief. Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, spoke with Trump on Sunday, while Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday.Iran's Foreign Ministry initially denied any talks had taken place, saying: “There is no negotiation whatsoever between Tehran and Washington.” However, the ministry later opened up, with spokesperson Esmail Baghaei saying that messages had been exchanged through friendly countries, indicating America's request for negotiations to end the war.The talks may yield a complete and total resolution in the war, according to Trump, who announced that he was holding off from attacking Iran's energy infrastructure due to the “very good and productive conversations” that had been held with Iran.A 15-point deal has been proposed, including joint control of the strait of Hormuz, no nuclear bombs, and no enrichment of uranium. However, Iran's willingness to agree to abandon its right to enrich uranium remains a major sticking point.If talks fail, Trump warned: “We'll just keep bombing our little hearts out.”

UK MPs have called on the government to halt a contract with Palantir, a US-based spy-tech company, after it was revealed that the firm will gain access to a vast trove of highly sensitive UK financial regulation data. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the watchdog overseeing thousands of financial bodies, has hired Palantir to apply its AI systems to two years' worth of internal intelligence data to help tackle financial crime. However, the Liberal Democrats and Green party have raised concerns over Palantir's ties to Donald Trump and the potential risks to national and economic security. The Liberal Democrats have called for a government investigation into the contract, citing concerns that it could be "a huge error of judgment". Palantir, founded by Peter Thiel, a billionaire supporter of Trump, has built up over £500m in contracts in the UK, including with the NHS, police, and Ministry of Defence. The company supports the US and Israeli militaries and the ICE immigration crackdown. Insiders at the FCA have questioned whether there are sufficient safeguards in place to prevent the data from being exploited. There are concerns about the potential for data about sensitive FCA investigations into high-profile figures to be accessed during Palantir's work. The FCA has insisted that Palantir will be a "data processor", not a "data controller", meaning it can only act on instruction from the regulator. The FCA will retain exclusive control over the encryption keys for the most sensitive files, and the data will be hosted and stored solely in the UK. Despite these assurances, MPs have expressed concerns over the risks associated with the contract. Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrats' Treasury spokesperson, called for an investigation into the FCA's Palantir contract, citing concerns over Palantir's ties to Trump. The Green party MP Siân Berry has called for the government to "step in immediately and protect our national and economic security by blocking this contract award". Palantir has denied claims that it may "use customer data for our own purposes", stating that this is "something that we have no business interest in, and that we are legally and contractually prevented from doing".

US President Donald Trump has claimed he is having 'productive' conversations with Iran, leading to a five-day pause in US strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. However, Tehran denies these talks exist, casting doubt on the situation.If real, these talks would be a welcome de-escalatory step, but they also indicate that Trump's threat of war risked severe consequences that could damage more than just the intended target.Meanwhile, Israel is advancing measures in the West Bank that shift its occupation to annexation. The Israeli cabinet approved land registration in roughly half of the West Bank, which could lead to large-scale dispossession of Palestinians. This move is illegal under international law, according to the Israeli liberal advocacy organization Peace Now.Settlers have been reported to have imposed a reign of terror in the West Bank, with Israeli forces seemingly turning a blind eye. The Guardian reported coordinated settler attacks across Palestinian villages, including arson and violent assaults.The article suggests that Israel's moves may be driven by a desire to consolidate territorial control while US support is still available. With many Americans questioning the cost of the alliance, Israel may be trying to lock in favorable outcomes before the situation changes.

The US conflict in Iran, with its wide-reaching consequences for the Middle East and global economy, is being portrayed by the Trump administration in a strikingly detached and simplistic manner. The war is being likened to a video game, a spectator sport, and a social media event, complete with memes and AI-generated content.A week into the conflict, the White House uploaded a series of social media clips featuring montages of popular movies like Top Gun, Braveheart, and Breaking Bad, with captions like 'Justice the American way.' Another clip, titled Touchdown, showed NFL players tackling each other, culminating in an explosion labeled 'unclassified.' Even SpongeBob SquarePants made an appearance, asking, 'Wanna see me do it again?' followed by an explosion.A senior White House official described their approach as 'grinding away on banger memes, dude,' highlighting an 'entertainment factor' in their strategy. This approach reflects Donald Trump's and his MAGA base's tendency to view politics as a competition, where scoring, winning, and humiliating the opponent are paramount. The conflict is thus framed not in terms of death, destruction, or economic fallout but as a game of scoring points.The use of AI in the conflict has been unprecedented, with Adm Brad Cooper, Centcom commander for Operation Epic Fury, noting that AI played a crucial role in the over 5,500 strikes on Iran. AI tools can accelerate processes that used to take hours or days into mere seconds, streamlining the 'kill chain' and reducing human involvement in target selection.This detachment is further exacerbated by the remote nature of the conflict and the current information ecosystem, where events are flattened into social media feeds, making it difficult to discern reality from fiction. The glut of information, including fake footage and AI-generated content, has dulled our sensitivity to the true stakes of the conflict.The article concludes with a call to retain empathy and humanity in the face of political leaders who benefit from dehumanizing conflict and platform owners who profit from it. The challenge is to understand the human cost of the war and exercise pressure on those responsible for the suffering.

The Trump administration has announced it will pay French energy major TotalEnergies $1 billion to kill plans to construct wind farms off the US east coast. This decision comes as a fuel crisis triggered by the war in Iran drives up global fossil fuel prices.The deal is the latest blow to the US offshore wind industry, which has faced repeated disruptions to multi-billion-dollar projects under Donald Trump. Trump has expressed his dislike for wind turbines, citing their ugliness, cost, and inefficiency, and his administration has moved to increase domestic fossil fuel production.In the deal, TotalEnergies will give up two offshore leases it had purchased off New York and North Carolina. The US Department of the Interior will reimburse the company $928 million it paid for the leases under Joe Biden. TotalEnergies has pledged not to develop any new offshore wind projects in the country and will invest nearly $1 billion this year in the development of four trains at the Rio Grande LNG plant in Texas, and the development of upstream conventional oil in the US Gulf and shale gas production.Critics of the deal, including climate advocates and environmental groups, argue that it will deepen the country's dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets and undermine efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources. They also point out that offshore wind projects can provide reliable and affordable power to the grid. The decision has been met with criticism from groups such as Oceantic Network, Evergreen Action, and Sierra Club, who argue that it will leave American consumers struggling to pay their electricity bills and undermine efforts to address climate change.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated that the government is considering providing support for household bills next winter, as the energy price shock triggered by the Iran conflict shows no signs of abating. Speaking to the Commons liaison committee, Starmer emphasized the need to examine 'every lever that's available' to help households cope with the cost of living impact. The government is reportedly discussing contingency plans at an emergency Cobra meeting, which will be attended by the governor of the Bank of England. Starmer suggested that any support would likely be targeted at the poorest households, rather than a universal bailout, which he acknowledged would be expensive. Ministers are also exploring means-testing support when the next energy price cap comes to an end in June, as well as in the autumn when energy consumption and bills are higher. 'We're looking at in the first instance what happens when the current price cap ends, which is the end of June,' Starmer said. The prime minister warned that despite US President Donald Trump's decision to postpone airstrikes on Iran's power plants, the energy crisis could continue for months to come. 'All of our focus and energy has to be in the swift de-escalation, but we've got to plan on the basis that it could go on for some time,' he said. In addition to support for household bills, the government is considering giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) 'further teeth' to prevent companies from exploiting the crisis through price gouging or profiteering.

Global stock markets swung wildly on Monday as investors reacted to US President Donald Trump's decision to postpone military strikes on Iranian power plants. The move led to a relief rally in European markets, with the French Cac 40, Spanish Ibex, and German Dax all rising by 0.8%, 1%, and 1.2% respectively.The FTSE 100 share index, which had fallen by almost 1.5% in early trading, reversed course to gain 0.4% before paring back to close down 0.2%. US markets were up more than 1% in early afternoon trading on Wall Street.Oil prices, which had been rising after Trump threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure, dropped sharply. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 10% to $101 a barrel. The UK month-ahead gas prices fell 6% to 142p a therm.Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that the US and Iran had “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days regarding “a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East”. He said he had instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of ongoing meetings and discussions.The global economy has been bracing for much higher oil prices due to disruption in the strait of Hormuz, with Goldman Sachs forecasting Brent crude will average $85 a barrel this year, up from previous expectations of $77 a barrel. Brent hit $119.50 a barrel earlier this month, the highest since the war began.

Richard Kind, a versatile actor known for his roles in films like 'Inside Out' and TV shows such as 'Only Murders in the Building', is set to take the stage in London's West End in Mel Brooks' musical 'The Producers'. Kind will play the role of Max Bialystock, a charismatic and cunning Broadway producer, at the Garrick theatre from March 23 to May 9.Kind, who has a reputation for his dynamic performances, describes his interpretation of Max as a 'big bear' who 'lumber' across the stage, drawing inspiration from Zero Mostel, who originated the role in the 1967 film. He contrasts his approach with that of Nathan Lane, who played the role on Broadway, saying, 'Nathan glides. I'm a big bear. I lumber.'The actor, who has had a long and varied career in both comedy and drama, notes that theatre offers him a chance to take on more challenging roles. 'I'm at the point where I can say 'no' to a stage role unless it's challenging,' he explains. Kind's extensive experience includes work with Second City, the Chicago improvisational troupe, and roles in sitcoms like 'Spin City' alongside Michael J Fox.Kind also opens up about his friendship with George Clooney, a close pal who has been publicly criticized by Donald Trump. Kind expresses his protectiveness towards Clooney and his disdain for Trump, showcasing his strong opinions and 'ugly' language when discussing the former president.With his characteristic wit and candor, Kind reflects on his career, stating, 'I'm all over the place! Nobody works more than me.' His performance in 'The Producers' promises to be a highlight of London's theatre scene this season.

The recent pronouncement by a judge in Afghanistan, stating 'a few beatings won't kill you,' when rejecting a woman's divorce request from her abusive husband, highlights the dire situation for women under Taliban rule. This barbaric stance is not isolated but part of a broader global pushback against women's rights.The Heritage Foundation, architect of Project 2025, has published a report advocating for a deeply patriarchal model that encourages women to have more babies earlier in life and discourages further education and careers. This vision aligns with Donald Trump's second term agenda and has sparked concern among women's rights advocates.The proposed UN merger of UN Women and UNFPA has caused alarm among feminist groups. They warn that this consolidation will lead to reduced funding for gender equality programs and give countries like the US, which are hostile to women's rights, more influence over global structures supporting gender equality.UN Secretary General António Guterres noted that the world remains male-dominated, and there are well-funded efforts to maintain this status quo. The UN's next moves will be closely watched, as they have significant implications for women's rights globally.