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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that he will ask US mediators to convey his proposal for an Easter ceasefire to Russia. This offer aims to suspend attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities during the Easter holidays.Zelenskyy made this statement on the sidelines of an event marking the fourth anniversary of Ukraine's Bucha massacre. He plans to discuss this proposal with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in online talks scheduled for Wednesday.“I will definitely convey this proposal to the United States,” Zelenskyy said. “We are ready for a ceasefire for the Easter holidays … We are ready for any compromises, except compromises involving our dignity and sovereignty.”Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded coolly to Zelenskyy's previous mention of an energy truce, stating that they hadn't seen any clearly formulated initiatives for an Easter truce from Zelenskyy.Zelenskyy's offer comes after he mentioned that some of Ukraine's allies had sent signals about potentially scaling back long-range strikes on Russia's oil sector due to surging global energy prices.Ukraine has escalated its attacks on Russian energy to prevent Russia from benefiting from high oil prices and easing sanctions. In return, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to reciprocate if Russia stops attacking the Ukrainian energy system.The US, Russia, and Ukraine have held three rounds of high-level trilateral talks this year, but progress has been stalled, particularly on the issue of territory in eastern Ukraine. Russia insists that Ukraine cede control of the Donbas region, which Zelenskyy has refused to consider.Zelenskyy also mentioned that Russia has told the US it could conquer the remainder of the Donbas region in two months, but Kyiv believes it can continue defending its "fortress belt" of industrial towns and cities in the Donbas for years.

Beirut, Lebanon – On 24 March, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi announced that Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, was declared persona non grata and ordered to depart by 29 March. Two days after the deadline, the envoy remained in Beirut, refusing to leave. The episode unfolds against a broader conflict that has already claimed more than 1,000 lives and displaced over 1.2 million people within a single month of Israeli military action in Lebanon. It also highlights a deepening schism in Lebanese politics between supporters of the pro‑Iranian Shia militia Hezbollah and those demanding its disarmament. Imad Salamey, a political scientist at the Lebanese American University, told Al Jazeera that the ambassador’s defiance is a symptom of a larger contest over legitimacy and authority. IRGC’s Strategic Role Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) helped forge Hezbollah in 1982 as a response to Israel’s invasion. Over the decades, Tehran’s billions of dollars in funding elevated Hezbollah to Lebanon’s most powerful political and military force. Hezbollah’s popularity peaked in 2000 after driving Israeli forces from south Lebanon, but subsequent engagements—including the 2006 war, the 2008 Beirut street battles, the Syrian civil war, and the 2019 domestic protests—have eroded its broader support. When Hezbollah entered open conflict with Israel on 8 October 2023, it enjoyed limited backing beyond the Shia community. By the November 2024 cease‑fire, the group was at a low point, with Israel having killed more than 4,000 Lebanese, including leader Hassan Nasrallah and much of Hezbollah’s command. International pressure then mounted for Hezbollah’s disarmament, prompting Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun to prioritize the issue. According to several analysts, the IRGC exploited the cease‑fire lull to dispatch officials to Lebanon, restructuring Hezbollah’s command and possibly ordering its re‑entry into the war on 2 March—just days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated. Prime Minister Salam has publicly claimed the IRGC is “managing the military operation in Lebanon” and even accused Tehran of launching an attack on Cyprus. Ambassador Refuses to Exit In response to the perceived IRGC influence, Raggi’s declaration stripped Sheibani of diplomatic immunity. Dania Arayssi, senior analyst at the New Lines Institute, described the move as a “landmark decision” given Iran’s entrenched role in Lebanese politics. Iran’s Foreign Ministry, however, maintains that Sheibani will not depart, and Hezbollah has openly pledged to protect him, warning that any government attempt to disarm the militia will be met with “punishment.” Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri—longtime Hezbollah ally—initially backed the government’s ban on Hezbollah’s military activity after the March re‑entry, illustrating the fluidity of alliances within Lebanon’s power‑sharing system. State Authority Tested Hezbollah’s renewed campaign, which includes dozens of cross‑border attacks and direct engagements with Israeli forces on Lebanese soil, is reshaping the political calculus. The militia’s revived confidence challenges the Lebanese government’s ability to enforce disarmament. While the ambassador remains protected inside the Iranian diplomatic compound—effectively beyond the reach of Lebanese law—critics argue that Tehran’s refusal to honor the expulsion order undermines the state’s authority, already weakened by months of war. Salamey summed up the dilemma: “The state is asserting its authority on paper, but internal divisions and competing claims of legitimacy constrain its practical power, testing the limits of Lebanon’s fragile power‑sharing arrangement.”

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released a stark assessment on Tuesday, projecting that a four‑week US‑Israel conflict with Iran could slash Arab regional GDP by 3.7 % to 6 %. In monetary terms, the loss translates to a contraction of $120 billion to $194 billion, marking one of the deepest economic shocks in recent Middle‑East history. UNDP’s regional director, Abdallah Al Dardari, warned that the downturn would likely eliminate 3.7 million jobs and drive around four million additional people below the poverty line. He described the situation as exposing the “fragility of the Arab economy.” The analysis is based on a scenario of a “short but intense conflict lasting for four weeks.” Should hostilities extend beyond that window, the economic fallout could be even more severe, especially as Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure tighten oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Amid tightening supplies, Brent crude futures surged 4.7 % to over $118 per barrel. The report highlighted that disruptions to “strategic maritime corridors” generate “knock‑on effects on inflation, trade flows, and global supply chains,” threatening the livelihoods of interconnected economies across the region. Poverty spikes are expected to be most pronounced in the Levant and in “fragile” states such as Sudan and Yemen, where baseline vulnerability is already high and economic shocks translate quickly into welfare losses. Lebanon faces a compounded crisis after Hezbollah’s retaliatory strikes against Israel, following the US‑Israeli killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February. Ongoing air strikes, evacuation orders, and widespread destruction of residential areas, transport networks, and public services have triggered large‑scale displacement. Al Dardari concluded with a plea: “We hope the fighting will stop tomorrow, as every day of delay has negative repercussions on the global economy.”

Islamabad – Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to Beijing, reaffirming the “all‑weather strategic cooperative partnership” between the two nations, according to the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The visit follows a high‑profile quadrilateral meeting in Islamabad that brought together foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, all aiming to coax the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table amid a war that has already spiked global energy prices.Despite a recent hairline shoulder fracture, Dar pressed on with the trip, signalling the urgency of Pakistan’s diplomatic push. In a March 27 call, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised Islamabad’s “untiring efforts to cool down the situation,” a sentiment echoed by spokesperson Mao Ning, who said China is ready to “enhance communication… for a cease‑fire and peace in the region.”Analysts argue the mission is less about collecting praise and more about testing whether Beijing will move from rhetoric to concrete action in the US‑Iran mediation. The central question: can China become an active partner rather than a silent observer?Former Wilson Center fellow Baqir Sajjad Syed explains that Dar will brief Chinese leaders on the recent Islamabad quadrilateral and seek to turn five draft principles – immediate ceasefire, resumption of talks, civilian protection, maritime security, and UN Charter compliance – into a binding framework.Pakistani scholars view the outreach as classic intermediary behaviour: Pakistan leverages China’s permanent‑member status to stay relevant, while China, unlike the United States, mainly engages with Gulf states and Tehran.Iran specialist Vali Nasr suggested Tehran may be looking for a Chinese “guarantor” for any US‑Iran deal, a premise disputed by professor Ishtiaq Ahmad, who calls the expectation “analytically weak” given China’s reluctance to back a declining regime.The strategic stakes are stark. The Strait of Hormuz moves roughly 20 % of global oil. Kpler data show China imported about 1.38 million barrels per day of Iranian crude in 2025 – roughly 12 % of its total oil imports. The IEA estimates 15 million barrels per day passed through the strait in 2025, with China and India accounting for 44 % of that flow.China‑Iran trade hit about $41.2 billion in 2025, and a 2021 25‑year strategic cooperation pact promised up to $400 billion in Chinese investment for discounted Iranian oil, much of which remains unrealised due to U.S. sanctions.Syed describes China’s motivations as “clear and self‑interested”: protecting energy security, safeguarding Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, and bolstering its image as a global peace broker. A prolonged war would hurt China’s economy through higher oil prices and disrupted trade routes.While Beijing is unlikely to deploy military forces, it may employ diplomatic tools – public endorsements, joint statements, and economic levers – to push for a cease‑fire. Its pragmatic stance means it will weigh the benefits of deeper involvement against the risk of being drawn into a conflict.The diplomatic backdrop includes a postponed Trump visit to Beijing and a slated summit for mid‑May, as well as a future Xi‑to‑U.S. trip, which observers say could signal a broader alignment between the two great powers.Meanwhile, the United States continues to amass forces in the Gulf, with thousands of Marines and Army troops positioned for possible ground operations, underscoring the volatility that Pakistan and China are trying to mitigate.In sum, Dar’s Beijing mission tests whether China will remain a passive supporter or become an active broker in a war that threatens global energy markets and regional stability.

Israeli and U.S. forces launched a series of air strikes on Tuesday that struck Tofigh Daru Research and Engineering Company, one of Tehran’s largest producers of anaesthetics and anti‑cancer medicines. The state‑run firm, owned by the Social Security Investment Company, saw its drug‑production line damaged, according to an official post on X. In the north‑western city of Zanjan, a separate strike hit the Husseiniya Azam, a Shia congregation hall adjacent to a mosque. Iranian Red Crescent teams rescued two people from the rubble; one of the victims died and several others were injured. Further attacks were reported in the western province of Kermanshah, where a civilian contracting company in Qasr‑e Shirin – a border town with Iraq – was hit. One person was killed and eight injured, the Mehr news agency said. Heavy bombing was also confirmed in Isfahan, a strategic hub for Iran’s defence industry and home to key nuclear facilities such as Natanz. Local officials indicated that the strikes may have targeted “military sites,” though the exact locations and damage assessments remain unclear. Iranian officials condemned the operations. Former foreign minister Javad Zarif denounced the targeting of the pharmaceutical plant as a deliberate attack on a medical facility, calling the aggressors “desperate” and accusing them of “diabolical delusions.” Governor‑level security official Akbar Salehi echoed these concerns, noting that the strikes appeared aimed at military installations without specifying which ones. The broader conflict has already claimed 1,937 Iranian lives since the joint U.S.–Israeli campaign began on 28 February, while 20 Israelis have been killed. Recent Israeli interceptions using the Iron Dome and David’s Sling systems have limited damage on Israeli soil, but impact sites were reported in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva. Amid the escalating violence, diplomatic channels remain active. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera that communications between Washington and Tehran continue, primarily through intermediaries, and that the U.S. aims to achieve its war objectives “in weeks, not months.” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth added that negotiations to end the conflict are “very real, ongoing and gaining strength.” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed a retaliatory strike, saying it hit an Israeli container ship in the Gulf with a ballistic missile and that Iranian drones targeted a group of U.S. Marines near a UAE military base. Public sentiment in Iran has turned sharply hostile, with pro‑state demonstrations erupting in Tehran as citizens protest the continued air raids. The atmosphere, described by Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi as a “cloud of mistrust,” reflects growing frustration over diplomatic dead‑ends and the relentless cycle of attacks.

A series of intense attacks have been launched by the United States and Israel on the Iranian city of Isfahan, leading to a significant column of fire in the area. The incident has heightened tensions in the already volatile region.The attacks, which occurred on March 31, 2026, have been widely reported, with sources indicating a substantial military response from the US and Israel. However, details of the attacks and any resulting damage or casualties remain unclear.The city of Isfahan, known for its historical significance and military installations, has been a key location in Iran's military and nuclear programs. This latest development escalates the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has been marked by periods of heightened tension and sporadic violence.

On 30 December 2023, Brooklyn‑based musician Wendy Eisenberg emerged from an all‑night rave in Bushwick feeling physically ill and mentally rattled. A spontaneous, anxiety‑driven walk that lasted the entire day became the catalyst for what Eisenberg later described as a personal “exorcism”.During the trek, an old friend suggested Eisenberg pick up a guitar, prompting the artist to return home and begin writing the material that would become their self‑titled album. Eisenberg recalled the intensity of Cat Power’s rapid‑fire creation of Moon Pix, noting that many of the new songs were drafted in a similar dream‑state over the following three to four months.Since the debut Time Machine, Eisenberg has built a reputation as a multi‑instrumentalist who oscillates between confessional folk and avant‑garde improvisation. Collaborator Bill Orcutt praised their guitar work as “musical MSG”, capable of elevating any ensemble. Yet the forthcoming record deliberately steps back from experimental excess, drawing instead on the playful melodies and graceful harmonies of 70s folk‑rock while retaining the ambition of earlier projects.The album’s orchestration, co‑produced with partner Mari Rubio (aka More Eaze), emphasizes beauty through complexity. Eisenberg explains that the “harmonic vocabulary reflects a newfound sense of comfort and happiness”, aiming for an “earned, adult sound of happiness” that mirrors the messy process of self‑acceptance.At the heart of the record lies a deeply personal narrative. A breakup that shattered Eisenberg’s sense of identity forced them to confront both heartbreak and the pressure to conform to “straight” norms. The experience sparked a decisive embrace of their queer, non‑binary, lesbian identity, a transformation Eisenberg describes as a “revelatory moment”.Music has long served as Eisenberg’s refuge; their father’s lullabies and an early fascination with Joni Mitchell, Gram Parsons, and the Everly Brothers laid the groundwork for a lifelong devotion to songcraft. After years of intensive study at the New England Conservatory and experimental collaborations, Eisenberg’s new work channels those influences into a more accessible, yet still richly textured, sound.Beyond the music, the album’s backstory includes an unexpected romance sparked by the British quiz show Only Connect. After meeting Rubio in August 2023, the pair bonded over the show on Valentine’s Day, leading to their first kiss and, months later, cohabitation. Eisenberg credits this partnership with providing the emotional stability needed to complete the album.Critics have already hailed the record as “one of the best things you will hear this year”, noting its blend of 70s singer‑songwriter sensibility with modern lyrical honesty. Tracks such as “Meaning Business” confront PTSD and past trauma, while others explore the joy of self‑realization.The album will be released on Joyful Noise on 3 April 2024, offering listeners a window into Eisenberg’s journey from “exorcism” to artistic renewal, and solidifying their place as a compelling voice in contemporary indie folk.

A recent study published in Nature Communications by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) has sounded the alarm on the precarious state of Britain's native species. The merlin, Britain's smallest bird of prey, is among more than 200 species that could become extinct in the UK if immediate action is not taken to address climate change and unsustainable land use. The study, led by senior ecologist Dr. Rob Cooke, indicates that the next 20 years will be decisive in determining the fate of dozens of native species. By 2050, the British Isles, already one of the most nature-depleted regions in the world, may reach an ecological "point of no return." The researchers modeled six future scenarios with varying levels of greenhouse gas emissions and land management practices. The worst-case scenario, which involves environmentally damaging agricultural and urban intensification and 4C of global heating above pre-industrial levels, could lead to the extinction of 196 plant species, 31 bird species, and seven butterfly species in Britain. This represents losses at more than three times the historical extinction rate. In such a scenario, many areas of the country could lose up to 20% of their existing local species. The merlin, mountain ringlet and large heath butterflies, as well as plants like burnt orchid, grass-of-Parnassus, and Alpine gentian, are among those at risk of being lost. However, the study also offers a glimmer of hope. If society adopts more sustainable climate and land use policies, 69 fewer species could become extinct compared to the worst-case scenario. This underscores the critical importance of immediate action to curb emissions and adopt sustainable practices to protect Britain's biodiversity.

On a surprisingly quiet evening at Wembley, England’s 1-0 defeat to Japan unfolded in a half‑hour that was more ceremonial than competitive. The opening thirty minutes were fluffy and formless, offering little in the way of decisive play but plenty of clues about the team’s underlying issues.For manager Thomas Tuchel, the concession of the opening goal will likely linger in post‑match analysis sessions. The loss adds another chapter to what critics describe as the “never‑ending story of England footballdom,” where each friendly serves as a diagnostic test rather than a showcase of progress.Injuries and omissions forced Tuchel to field a makeshift side featuring Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo. The line‑up lacked traditional power runners and aerial threats, resembling a “false nine” formation that felt experimental but ultimately failed to generate a clear tactical identity.Japan’s solitary goal came after Palmer lost possession in an attacking area, leaving a void that England’s midfield could not fill. The Japanese attack exploited the space, threading a pass through the centre of England’s formation and scoring with ease. The goal underscored England’s lack of pressure and positional awareness in the defensive third.Despite the disappointment, the match offered a glimpse of individual talent. Harry Maguire and Dan Burn were deployed on set‑pieces, and Jude Bellingham remained an unused asset, highlighting the depth of options available for the upcoming World Cup.Atmospherically, the match resembled a village fête more than a high‑stakes international fixture. Pre‑match entertainment featured a medley of music, fireworks and quirky performances, creating a backdrop that contrasted sharply with the on‑field performance.Analysts noted that England’s approach felt like an attempt to dress up “borrowed tactical clothes” rather than a coherent game plan. The lack of a defined structure left the side vulnerable to Japan’s disciplined, technically sound play.Looking ahead, Tuchel now faces the task of reconciling his experimental selections with the need for a pragmatic, battle‑ready squad. The friendly serves as a reminder that, while England possesses individual brilliance, the team must resolve its tactical ambiguities if it hopes to contend seriously for the 2026 World Cup.