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When asked before Arsenal’s win over Everton how the upcoming international break might affect his squad, Mikel Arteta stressed the club’s “good communication” with national team coaches and promised to make “the right decisions” after assessing each player’s condition. That cautious optimism was quickly shattered. Following the Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City, a cascade of withdrawals began. William Saliba pulled out of France’s squad with a left‑ankle injury, and Jurriën Timber missed the Netherlands call‑up due to a lingering groin problem. Within 24 hours, Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil) and Leandro Trossard (Belgium) also withdrew, while Eberechi Eze was forced out of England duty because of a calf strain that kept him out of the cup final. Captain Martin Ødegaard, still recovering from a previous ankle‑ligament injury sustained on international duty, did not feature in the final and subsequently withdrew from Norway’s squad. Arsenal’s injury list continued to grow on Friday when Noni Maduke (England) and Piero Hincapié (Ecuador) limped out of their respective friendlies. Both are doubtful for the FA Cup clash with Southampton at St Mary’s, though the club hopes they may return sooner. Mid‑week, Martín Zubimendi became the eleventh Arsenal player to pull out of an international roster, citing pain in his left knee. The Spain midfielder has logged more Premier League minutes than any Arsenal player this season, edging out Declan Rice and Jurriën Timber. Despite the setbacks, Viktor Gyökeres showed full commitment to Sweden, scoring a hat‑trick in the play‑off against Ukraine and later netting the decisive goal against Poland. By contrast, Riccardo Calafiori returns to London after Italy’s 120‑minute defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a match that highlighted Italy’s ongoing World Cup qualification woes. Arteta’s dilemma mirrors the challenges faced by Sir Alex Ferguson in the early 2000s, when the Manchester United legend famously limited his players’ international minutes. The modern Arsenal squad, arguably one of the deepest in Premier League history, now faces a delicate balancing act: preserving player fitness while competing on three fronts – the league, the FA Cup, and the Champions League quarter‑final against Sporting Lisbon next week in Portugal. With the club already having contested over 50 matches this season and potentially adding another 15 if they reach both cup finals, the psychological impact of another major‑trophy loss could be significant. Arteta will need his remaining fit players to step up and deliver, or risk seeing the season’s ambitions slip away.

The usual visual language of hospital dramas relies on sterile whites and bright fluorescents. ‘What I’m Here For’ discards that palette entirely, immersing the audience in a world of black costumes and shadow‑filled set pieces.This daring aesthetic is the result of a collaboration between Vanishing Point of Glasgow and Teater Katapult from Aarhus, Denmark. Designer Mai Katsume outfits nurses, doctors and patients in deep black, arranging them in stark rows that dominate an ominously dark stage.At the centre stands Lærke Schjærff Engelbrecht as Flora, a nurse forced onto an extra weekend shift because of chronic short‑staffing. Even the flickering strip lights beneath her feet are cloaked in darkness, a visual choice amplified by Simon Wilkinson’s austere lighting design that drains the scene of any residual warmth, turning a hectic night ward into a gothic horror tableau.Written by Josephine Eusebius and performed in a blend of Danish and English, the script follows a familiar premise—too many patients, too few staff—but pushes it to a psychological extreme. Flora cheerfully repeats the hospital‑as‑hotel mantra while confronting impossible choices, such as whether to prioritize a pleasant woman with a brain tumour in room 22 or a demanding lady with a heart condition in room 33.The tension is heightened by Mark Melville’s pulse‑driven soundtrack, a low‑frequency thrum that underscores Flora’s isolation. As in many of director Matthew Lenton’s productions, the protagonist is both integral to and alienated from the medical team, a duality made palpable by her physical separation from the other actors and their disembodied commentary.Throughout the performance, Flora remains downstage, engaging in dream‑like exchanges with colleagues whose looming presence becomes as oppressive as the life‑and‑death decisions she must make. The staging forces the audience to feel the weight of each moral dilemma, turning routine triage into an almost tactile nightmare.‘What I’m Here For’ runs at the Tron in Glasgow until 4 April and will tour to other venues until 18 April.

Iranian government supporters have taken to the streets to celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 referendum that solidified the Islamic Republic's hold on power. The celebrations come as the United States and Israel continue their attacks on the country.President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi joined pro-establishment rallies in Tehran, marking Islamic Republic Day with 98.2 percent of the popular vote in favor of the Islamic Republic in 1979.The US and Israel targeted Iran's top steel manufacturing companies, threatening thousands of jobs and exacerbating economic hardship under harsh US sanctions. Other attacks hit civilian nuclear sites, a university, and military installations.The Iranian state remains defiant, with authorities saying their defenses are prepared for potential US military action. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, head of the Iranian army's research center, warned of 'heavy casualties' in response to any aggression.Iranians face an unprecedented near-total internet shutdown lasting over a month, creating a black market for VPN access and raising concerns about the future.The authorities have issued calls to action for people to participate in group marches while waving flags, with religious singers and eulogists performing religious songs drawing on Shia Islam's influence.

Washington, D.C. – In a historic session, the United States Supreme Court examined the Trump administration’s bid to curtail the long‑standing practice of granting citizenship to anyone born on American soil. The hearing drew a sizable crowd of civil‑rights and immigration advocates who decried the proposal as unconstitutional. Lawyers representing the administration argued that the 14th Amendment has been misread for over a century and that citizenship should be limited to children of parents who are legally domiciled in the United States. They contended that the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” permits the exclusion of infants born to undocumented or temporary‑status parents. Opposing counsel from the ACLU and other groups countered that the amendment’s language, reinforced by the 1898 United States v. Wong Kim Ark decision and the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, unequivocally guarantees citizenship regardless of parental status. “The rule was enshrined in the 14th Amendment to keep it out of reach of any official who might try to destroy it,” ACLU attorney Cecillia Wang said. The proceedings were underscored by President Donald Trump’s unprecedented presence in the courtroom, making him the first sitting president to attend Supreme Court oral arguments. Trump left the hearing abruptly, later posting on Truth Social that the United States is “the only country in the world stupid enough to allow ‘birthright’ citizenship.” Protesters such as 21‑year‑old Luis Villaguzman of LULAC expressed personal stakes, noting that the policy would strip benefits from pregnant immigrant mothers and jeopardize their children’s future. “This hits close to home,” he said. Justices probed the administration’s claims, with Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson asking, “Who is domiciled?” while Justice Samuel Alito highlighted the repeated references to “domicile” in the Wong Kim Ark opinion. Justice Brett Kavanaugh questioned why Congress had not clarified the citizenship scope in the 1952 statute, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett warned of the logistical chaos the order could create. Legal scholars warned that the executive order could affect roughly 255,000 infants annually, according to a joint analysis by the Migration Policy Institute and Penn State’s Population Research Institute, potentially creating a “self‑perpetuating, multigenerational underclass.” Outside the court, immigration advocates emphasized the broader implications: the measure could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of children, many of Latino heritage, and compound the administration’s aggressive deportation agenda. The Court has not set a date for a final ruling, but the hearing offered a glimpse into the judicial scrutiny the case will face as the nation watches a potential reshaping of a core constitutional right.

Iran has strongly denied US President Donald Trump's claim that the Iranian president has requested a ceasefire amid the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel. A senior Iranian official stated that there has been no such request, contradicting Trump's post on social media.According to Al Jazeera's Ali Hashem, reporting from Tehran, the Iranian government is refuting Trump's claim, stating that they have not asked for any ceasefire. This development occurs as the US and Israel continue their military actions against Iran, leading to soaring global energy prices and widespread opposition among the US public.Trump's claim came just hours before he was scheduled to deliver a speech in Washington, DC, which the White House described as an 'important update on Iran'. In his social media post, Trump mentioned that his administration would consider the purported ceasefire request once the Strait of Hormuz is 'open, free, and clear'. He also threatened to continue 'blasting Iran into oblivion' until this condition is met.The ongoing conflict has raised serious concerns about a global economic downturn, particularly due to the critical nature of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquified natural gas supplies transit. Experts, such as Mohamad Elmasry from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, have expressed concerns over Trump's aggressive rhetoric and its implications for civilian infrastructure in Iran.Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher, reporting from the White House, suggested that Trump is unlikely to announce an immediate end to the war during his address. Instead, sources indicate that he may state the conflict will continue for a couple of weeks, acknowledging the financial strain on the public but framing it as a short-term pain.

Iran's aggressive actions have led to a series of incidents across the Gulf region. Kuwait's international airport was hit by drones from Iran, causing a large fire at its fuel tanks. The airport's spokesman, Abdullah al-Rajhi, confirmed that the attacks were 'brazen' and resulted in material damage but no human injuries.In Bahrain, a fire broke out at an undisclosed company facility due to Iranian aggression, with civil defence crews working to extinguish the blaze. The incident has heightened concerns about the stability of the region.The United Arab Emirates also reported a fatality, with shrapnel from a drone interception killing a Bangladeshi national on a farm in Fujairah city. Authorities are investigating the incident.These attacks are part of a broader conflict between Iran and a US-Israeli coalition. Iran has claimed to target US assets, but Gulf nations assert that Tehran's actions have targeted civilian infrastructure.The economic impact of the conflict is significant, with a UN report estimating that the Arab world's GDP could decline by 3.7 to 6 percent, equivalent to a contraction of $120bn to $194bn, after just one month of war.Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been complicated by contradictory statements from US President Donald Trump about the potential for a quick exit. Iran has dismissed a US ceasefire proposal as 'maximalist' and 'unreasonable', demanding compensation for damages and a permanent end to hostilities.

President Donald Trump told allies that Tehran does not need to negotiate a settlement for the hostilities to cease, estimating the conflict could be over in two to three weeks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, dismissed any hope of talks, stating that Tehran has zero trust in Washington.US‑Israeli air raids persist across Iran, hitting key industrial and civilian targets such as steel factories in Isfahan and Farokhshahr, pharmaceutical facilities, port infrastructure, meteorological stations and a residential complex. Iranian state media and the Red Crescent reported explosions in cities including Ahvaz, Shiraz, Isfahan, Karaj, Kermanshah and Bandar Abbas.An Iranian official said the Tofigh Daru pharmaceutical raw‑material plant in Tehran was struck, crippling its research and development wing and delivering a "blow to the national medical supply chain." In Bandar Abbas, the Shahid Haqqani passenger pier was bombed, though officials claimed no casualties.A desalination plant on Qeshm Island, crucial for water supply in the Strait of Hormuz, was knocked out of service by the strikes.Analyst Trita Parsi warned that the war is unlikely to end swiftly and that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, noting that it will not be easy for President Trump to simply walk away from the conflict.Casualties have surpassed 2,000 Iranians, with numerous civilian sites—including hospitals, schools, universities and pharmaceutical factories—targeted, raising concerns of potential war‑crime violations.On the diplomatic front, Spain, France and Italy have begun curbing U.S. military operations by closing airspace, denying base access and limiting logistical support. Meanwhile, China and Pakistan have tabled a five‑point cease‑fire proposal that calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.Regional leaders are also active: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have convened to discuss the Iran war, while Argentina, under President Javier Milei, officially labeled Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a “terrorist” organization.Pope Francis (Leo XIV) appealed directly to President Trump, urging an end to the violence and expressing hope that the U.S. leader is moving toward a resolution.In the Gulf, Iranian drones have repeatedly struck Kuwait’s airport, forcing the closure of its airspace since late February; Saudi Arabia has stepped in to provide transport for affected passengers. Bahrain sounded air‑raid sirens, and Saudi forces reported intercepting two additional drones.A merchant vessel north of Doha suffered damage from an "unknown projectile," though the crew remained unharmed and no environmental harm was recorded.U.S. officials remain divided: while Trump predicts a rapid end, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the United States is "negotiating with bombs" and that the coming days are decisive. The war’s uncertainty has pushed oil prices higher, prompting U.S. Senator Chris Coons to warn that American families face rising grocery, utility and mortgage costs.Israel continues to face coordinated attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, with missile and drone incursions reported across northern and central regions. Despite these threats, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Iran’s regional allies no longer pose an "existential threat," yet Israel plans to maintain its offensive, including operations in Lebanon.In Lebanon, Israeli ground advances and heavy bombardments have resulted in over 1,200 deaths and displaced roughly 1.2 million people since early March. Iraqi militia Kata’ib Sayyid al‑Shuhada warned that any U.S. ground incursion into Iran via Kuwait could trigger an all‑out war.

Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, has failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cup finals for the first time. They were reduced to 10 men in the first half of normal time after Alessandro Bastoni saw red for a professional foul. Despite taking the lead through Moise Kean's fine finish, Italy couldn't hold on and were eventually beaten in the shootout.Bosnia and Herzegovina secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout win. Esmir Bajraktarevic hit the winning spot kick in Zenica, sending the home crowd into delirium. This will be Bosnia's second World Cup appearance, and their first since 2014.In another qualifying playoff, Czechia also secured their place in the 2026 World Cup by beating Denmark in a shootout following a 2-2 draw after extra time. Michal Sadilek's penalty was the decisive blow, sending Czechia to their first World Cup since 2006.

Tiger Woods, the renowned golfer, has entered a not guilty plea in his DUI case in Florida. This development comes after a sheriff's report detailed his impaired state and the presence of opioid pills at the scene of the crash.According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office report, Woods's eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils were dilated, and he exhibited slow and lethargic movements. Two white pills identified as hydrocodone, an opioid used for pain treatment, were found in his pocket.Woods attributed his condition to prescription medication taken earlier that morning. He informed deputies that he had been distracted by his phone and radio before the accident, which involved his Land Rover clipping a truck.The golfing legend, 50, with a history of injuries including a severe leg injury from a 2021 car crash, showed signs of impairment during a field sobriety test. He refused a urine test but agreed to a breathalyzer test, which showed no alcohol.Woods faces charges of driving under the influence, property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test. His arraignment is scheduled for April 23.