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United Nations experts have issued a strong appeal to Israel, demanding the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, a Palestinian physician from Gaza. According to reports, Dr. Abu Safia has been subjected to severe torture and other forms of abuse while in Israeli detention.The UN special rapporteurs, Tlaleng Mofokeng and Ben Saul, expressed grave concern over Dr. Abu Safia's health condition, which they described as dire. They alleged that he has been systematically denied critical medical examination and treatment, and deprived of essential care, putting his life, health, and wellbeing at grave risk.Dr. Abu Safia, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was detained by Israeli forces in December 2024. His arrest and detention have been widely condemned, with Amnesty International describing it as a reflection of Israel's systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers and the decimation of the healthcare system in Gaza.The UN experts also highlighted the broader context of Israel's war on Gaza, which has resulted in over 930 attacks on the healthcare sector since October 2023, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. All 36 hospitals in the Strip have suffered damage, and only half are partially functional.The situation for Palestinian healthcare workers has been particularly dire, with at least 1,722 medical workers killed between October 2023 and October 2025, an average of more than two killed every day.The UN experts urged the international community, including countries with influence on Israel, to take action to ensure prevention, recourse, and justice. They emphasized that Israel must release Dr. Abu Safia and all healthcare workers, and ensure they have access to appropriate medical care.

Iran has assured that 'non-hostile' vessels can safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquified natural gas supplies. The assurance comes amid a significant collapse in maritime traffic through the strait, which has contributed to a major global energy crisis.In a statement released through its mission to the United Nations, Iran specified that ships would be allowed to transit the strait 'provided that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran and fully comply with the declared safety and security regulations.'The development follows a sharp decline in shipping traffic through the strait, with only about 5 vessels passing through daily, compared to an average of 120 daily transits before the US-Israel conflict began. This reduction has led to a surge in global energy prices, with Brent crude experiencing significant fluctuations.Iran's statement also mentioned that ships will be allowed to transit 'in coordination with the competent Iranian authorities.' The country has shared similar assurances with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body responsible for international shipping safety and security.The move comes as US President Donald Trump mentioned ongoing negotiations to end the conflict with Iran, despite Tehran's previous denials of talks. The situation remains complex, with global markets closely watching for any signs of resolution.

The UK government's recent announcement to make significant cuts to direct aid to Africa and the Middle East has been met with deep disappointment. This move is seen as a moral dereliction of duty, betraying the world's most marginalised, and a false economy that will bring greater instability to the world and make people less safe. The cut in aid to 0.3% of gross national income (GNI) from 2027 breaks Labour's 2024 manifesto pledge to restore development spending at the level of 0.7% of GNI “as soon as fiscal circumstances allow”. The UK is making the steepest proportion of aid cuts among G7 nations. As James Mattis, Donald Trump's defence secretary, once said: “If you don’t fund the state department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition ultimately.” This highlights the shortsightedness of cutting aid, which could lead to more conflict, famine, and persecution. The UK itself benefits materially from these investments. The recent inquiry by the all-party parliamentary group on global health and security on international health worker recruitment highlights the extent to which the NHS and wider economy rely on the skills, expertise, and partnerships rooted in the global south. The UK has saved £14bn in training costs through international recruitment and continues to depend on globally trained health professionals. Investment in global vaccination, disease surveillance, and research helps stop outbreaks before they spread internationally and place pressure on health systems. Preventing disease at source is one of the smartest investments we can make to protect patients in Britain. The situation in Somalia, on the edge of famine, underscores the importance of sustained investment in global development. Two consecutive failed rainy seasons have left 6.5 million people in crisis, more than double the number a year ago. The UK's humanitarian relief in Somalia is welcome, but the scrapping of nature funding and cuts to climate aid risk compromising its own strategy of preventing crisis before it takes hold.

The UK government has introduced a temporary ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, following a review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The ban, recommended by Philip Rycroft, a former senior civil servant, aims to allow regulators to catch up with the risks associated with crypto assets.Rycroft's review highlighted that crypto assets are used as a vehicle to channel in foreign money, posing a risk to the integrity of the political finance system. While a full ban is not deemed necessary, the moratorium will remain in place until parliament and the Electoral Commission are satisfied that new rules are effective.The Electoral Commission has warned parties that the same verification procedures for cash donations also apply to crypto donations, including checking the source of donations over £500 and reporting donations from a single source over £11,180. The commission has noted that cryptoassets present particular challenges and risks in meeting electoral law requirements.Concerns over crypto donations have been raised due to the potential for using 'mixers' to obscure the true source of a donation or AI tools to split donations, which could evade reporting thresholds. The joint committee on the national security strategy has called for a ban on crypto donations, citing the risk to the integrity of the political finance system.Only three parties have said they will accept crypto donations: Reform UK, the far-right Homeland Party, and the Other Party. Reform UK has received crypto donations, but they have not exceeded the £11,180 threshold. The party accepts crypto donations through a Polish payment platform called Radom, which claims to follow UK rules around verifying the identity of donors.

The traditional cold war diplomacy of brinkmanship, characterized by carefully balanced standoffs and rules-based international order, has given way to a world in freefall. This shift is exemplified by the ever-widening conflict in the Gulf where strategic objectives remain as unclear as the potential endpoint of hostilities.Approaching a month since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, the stated objectives of removing the country's nuclear threat and destroying its ballistic missile capability appear increasingly disconnected from the disproportionate impact on civilians and neighboring Gulf nations. Despite these consequences, the Iranian regime's willingness to escalate the conflict shows no signs of diminishing.The Guardian Weekly's coverage examines this critical juncture through multiple perspectives. Patrick Wintour recounts the pivotal week when global tensions reached a tipping point, while Richard Partington analyzes the long-term economic implications of a prolonged conflict, from oil price fluctuations to inflationary pressures and economic growth impacts. From South Lebanon, William Christou reports on healthcare professionals caught in the crossfire of Israeli airstrikes, highlighting the human cost of the escalating violence.Emma Graham-Harrison provides insight from Jerusalem, examining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy of attempting to rehabilitate his image through what he frames as destruction of an 'axis of evil.' Meanwhile, Simon Tisdall poses a critical question: when US President Donald Trump eventually seeks to halt the conflict, will any parties be willing to heed his calls for de-escalation?Beyond the primary geopolitical focus, this week's Guardian Weekly edition explores several significant developments across different sectors. The UK political landscape features an examination of the upcoming local elections, where voter sentiment appears increasingly focused on rejecting established parties rather than actively supporting alternatives. The scientific section explores innovative approaches to addressing snoring disorders through CPAP machines, while the culture section features an in-depth interview with Dave Grohl discussing Foo Fighters, personal challenges, and grief following the loss of bandmate Taylor Hawkins.In sports, the publication celebrates the remarkable achievement of British athletes Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter Bell, and Molly Caudery, who each secured gold medals at the world indoor athletics championships in Poland, showcasing British excellence in track and field events.

The UK government is set to trial social media curbs for teenagers in a major study aimed at understanding the impact of reduced social media use on young people's lives. Hundreds of UK teenagers will participate in the six-week pilot, which will test different restrictions on social media use, including bans, digital curfews, and time limits on popular apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.The trial, led by the UK government, will involve 300 teens across all four nations of the UK, with some participants having their social apps disabled, while others will have access blocked overnight or capped to one hour's use. The goal is to gather evidence on how different restrictions affect young people's day-to-day lives.Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasized the importance of testing different options in the real world, stating that the pilots will provide the evidence needed to take the next steps, informed by the experiences of families themselves.The pilot is part of a broader effort to address concerns about the mental health risks associated with unfettered internet access. Nearly 30,000 parents and children have responded to the government's digital wellbeing consultation, which closes on May 26. An independent study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, will also examine the impact of reducing social media use among adolescents.The study, involving about 4,000 students between the ages of 12 and 15 from 10 Bradford secondary schools, will investigate changes in anxiety and sleep quality, time spent with friends and family, wellbeing, body image, social comparison, school absences, and bullying.The UK government faces pressure to follow Australia's move to ban access to social media sites for under-16s, with France, Spain, and Indonesia also considering similar bans. The European parliament has passed a resolution on age restrictions, although it is not legally binding.Critics argue that the pilot is a half-measure that puts pressure on parents rather than holding big tech accountable for the harm caused by social media. Bereaved parents have written to parliamentarians, urging them to support a ban and expressing concern about the consultation process.

A newly expanded policy from the Trump administration could require travelers from five World Cup-qualified African countries to post a bond of up to $15,000 in order to enter the United States for the tournament.Visa bonds function as security deposits: a one-time payment that is meant to be refunded after a traveler exits the US under the terms of their visa. The amounts typically range between $5,000 and $15,000, and are required for passport holders from certain countries to enter the US legally under B-1 or B-2 visas, which are necessary for business travelers or tourists.The US State Department has mandated these bonds since launching a pilot program in late 2025, targeting many of the same countries affected by the Trump travel ban along with others – predominantly nations from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and parts of Asia. Last week, the state department announced an expansion of the program, with visitors from 50 countries now required to submit the deposits if requested by US consular officials.Among those 50 countries, five have qualified for the World Cup, all from Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia. Though refundable, the cost of the bonds alone is sufficient to make travel to the US prohibitively expensive for most fans from these nations, where average annual income levels are approximately $5,000 per year or less. Tunisia is scheduled to play one group-stage game in the US with the other two in Mexico. Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire will play twice in the US and once in Canada. Algeria and Cape Verde will compete in all three of their group-stage matches in Mexico.Even if affordable for some supporters, the multi-thousand dollar requirement adds another significant complication for fans from these countries, including exorbitant ticket prices for the games themselves, hotel rates far above average, plus additional visa processing delays and potential safety concerns created by the presence of federal immigration officers from ICE and other agencies in US cities.It remains unclear which entities, if any, will be exempt from the visa bonds. While Trump's travel bans contain exemptions for athletes and officials participating in major sporting events like the World Cup, the visa bonds program contains no such provision.The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to commence on June 11, with the final taking place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Football Association (FA) is standing firm in its decision to host the 2035 Women's World Cup final at Wembley Stadium, despite lobbying from Manchester United to have the event held at a rebuilt Old Trafford.Manchester United's chief executive of New Stadium Development, Collette Roche, publicly expressed the club's aspirations to host the 2035 final, but the FA remains committed to staging the showpiece occasion at Wembley.The FA had named Wembley as its preferred venue for the final when submitting its official bid for the tournament to Fifa last November, and this position will not change even if Manchester United succeeds in building a new 100,000-seat stadium before the finals.The ultimate decision on the venue for the final will be taken by Fifa, but it would be a huge surprise if they overruled the wishes of the governing body that is leading the bid. The FA is fronting a joint bid from the home nations to stage the Women's World Cup for the first time in what would be the biggest sporting event ever staged in the UK.The current Old Trafford is one of 22 proposed stadiums in the bid book – 16 in England, three in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland – but will be replaced by the new stadium if it is built on time. Manchester United are still in the process of securing funding for a project that could cost over £2bn, while the club also needs to purchase land from the haulage company Freightliner.

Israel has been accused of using white phosphorus in southern Lebanon, a move that has reignited concerns over the country's adherence to international laws of war. Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers have verified and geolocated images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions exploding over residential areas in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor.The use of white phosphorus, a chemical substance that ignites when exposed to oxygen and burns at up to 800C, is controversial when used over civilian areas due to its potential to ignite fires, cause serious burns, and emit toxic fumes. Military forces often use it as a smokescreen, but its use in populated areas raises significant ethical and legal questions.Over 800,000 Lebanese people have been displaced from the region following Israeli forces' orders to leave, and many more uses of white phosphorus may have gone undocumented. Researchers have documented nearly 250 uses of white phosphorus by Israeli forces between October 2023 and November 2024, with 39% of these uses occurring in residential areas.The environmental impact is also significant, with over 2,000 hectares of southern Lebanese countryside burned, including dense forests and agricultural lands. The use of white phosphorus can lead to long-term soil contamination, reducing microbial diversity and agricultural productivity.An Israeli military spokesperson has cautioned against making factual determinations based on visuals alone, while Israel's ambassador to the UN has stated that the country takes steps to minimize civilian casualties. However, allegations of war crimes and the use of prohibited weapons continue to mount, highlighting the need for further investigation and accountability.