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The recent meeting of foreign ministers from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey in Islamabad signals the emergence of a new four-nation bloc in the Middle East. This bloc aims to promote a ceasefire in the region and curb the dominance of Iran and Israel.The group's primary goal is to persuade all sides to stop the escalation and agree to a ceasefire. According to Yasmine Farouk, a Gulf specialist at the International Crisis Group, the group will meet more frequently to achieve this goal.The meeting in Islamabad made some progress, including an Iranian agreement to allow vessels operating under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The group will also act as a primary interlocutor with Iran, keeping indirect negotiating channels open between Tehran and the US.Turkey is seen as the most committed member of the group, with Hakan Fidan, Turkey's foreign minister, and İbrahim Kalın, the director of Turkish intelligence, urging Gulf states to consider the wider context of the war and the risks of encouraging an outcome in which Israel emerges stronger.The bloc's emergence is significant, as it brings together countries with different interests and perspectives on the conflict in the Middle East. The group's success will depend on its ability to navigate these complex relationships and promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The UK government is poised to fully nationalize British Steel within weeks, a significant move that would mark a major shift in the country's steel industry. British Steel, which employs 3,500 people at its Scunthorpe plant, has been under government control since last April, when the Chinese owner, Jingye, threatened to shut down the site. The steelmaker operates the last two remaining blast furnaces in the UK, crucial for producing steel from scratch. The government's decision to nationalize the company is driven by the need to maintain domestic steel production, which is considered vital for national security and economic growth. Ministers had offered Jingye £100m for British Steel earlier this month, but the offer was rejected. The Chinese company had initially demanded over £1bn. The government may now set Jingye a deadline to reach a deal or proceed with nationalization. The cost of keeping British Steel running has ballooned to £377m by the end of January, with projections suggesting it could exceed £1.5bn by 2028 if current trends continue. The National Audit Office has highlighted the need for a swift resolution to the ownership issue. Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, has expressed support for nationalization, stating it would provide vital certainty for the workforce, customers, and supply chain. The sector has seen significant interest from potential buyers, including Miami-based investor Michael Flacks. The UK government's move to protect the steel industry comes as part of broader efforts to counter cheap Chinese imports. Earlier in March, ministers announced plans to double tariffs on imported steel and reduce the amount of steel that can be bought from abroad.

Aarti Holla-Maini, a British lawyer with a background in the satellite business, is the director of the UN's Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa). She is responsible for alerting the UN secretary general if a large asteroid is on a possible collision course with Earth.On 27 December 2024, a robotic telescope in Chile spotted a distant rock, asteroid 2024 YR4, which was initially estimated to be the size of a small building. As the asteroid's impact probability increased, Holla-Maini's team drafted a letter to the UN secretary general, triggering the first global notification since the UN established a planetary defence collaboration in 2013.The asteroid's size and speed meant an impact could release energy comparable to hundreds of times the power of the Hiroshima bomb, potentially wiping out a city or region. The asteroid reached level three on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, indicating a threat to human civilization.Holla-Maini's team worked with the International Asteroid Warning Network and other experts to track the asteroid. Although its impact probability peaked at more than 3% in February 2025, it has since dropped to a negligible level. The asteroid scare served as a useful test for Unoosa's role in planetary defence.Unoosa plays a critical role in registering satellites launched into Earth's orbit and acts as an informal 'hotline' for potential satellite collisions. Holla-Maini's small team of 35 employees punches well above its weight, managing a massive remit as governments and businesses increasingly operate in space.

Amnesty International has raised concerns that the 2026 Fifa World Cup, set to take place across the US, Canada, and Mexico, may become a 'stage for repression' rather than a celebration of football and unity. The organization published a report titled 'Humanity Must Win,' calling on Fifa and the host countries to take immediate action to protect fans, players, and local communities.The report highlights that while Fifa has promised a tournament where everyone feels safe, included, and free to exercise their rights, the reality on the ground, especially in the US, tells a different story. Amnesty International describes the US as facing a 'human rights emergency' under the Donald Trump administration, marked by mass deportations, arbitrary arrests, and 'paramilitary-style' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.ICE has announced it will be a key part of the security apparatus for the World Cup, despite concerns over its actions, including the killing of two American citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis in January. Amnesty International also noted that none of the published US host city plans address how fans or local communities will be protected from ICE operations.The organization pointed out that fans from several countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti, Iran, and Senegal, face US travel bans, and LGBTQ+ fan groups from England and Europe have expressed concerns about attending matches in the US due to risks to transgender supporters. The report emphasizes that urgent efforts are needed to bridge the gap between Fifa's original promise of a safe and inclusive tournament and the current reality.Fifa stands to earn $11bn from the tournament cycle, but Amnesty's head of economic and social justice, Steve Cockburn, stressed that 'fans, communities, players, journalists, and workers cannot be made to pay the price' for the tournament's success. 'It is these people – not governments, sponsors, or Fifa – to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament.'

The Houthis are a militant group that emerged from a years-long civil war in Yemen as the country’s most powerful political force. Their strategic location at the entrance of the Red Sea allows them to disrupt international trade.The group, which has an estimated 20,000 fighters, represents the Zaidi branch of Shia Islam. The Houthis first began gaining mass support around the turn of the century from Shia Yemenis who were fed up with corruption and authoritarian leaders.In 2014, the Houthis captured the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and a year later overthrew the western-backed president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Hadi was forced to flee, but his allies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE launched a military campaign, also backed by the west, to drive out the Houthis.The ensuing civil war led to an estimated 377,000 deaths and displaced 4 million people by the end of 2021. The UN brokered a 2022 truce between the warring sides in Yemen that has largely held.As part of Iran’s “axis of resistance”, the Houthis began targeting international shipping in the Red Sea after the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, which triggered the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The Houthis’ campaign in the Red Sea – a major thoroughfare for world trade – brought chaos to global supply chains.The Houthis ceased their attacks after a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October 2025.While the US says Iran has armed, funded, and trained the Houthis, the group denies being an Iranian proxy but says they share a political affinity. On 28 March, the Houthis fired missiles at Israel, vowing to continue military operations until Israel “ceases its attacks and aggression”.

Documentary filmmaker Jude Chehab debuts with a complex and moving film that investigates her family's secrets and the secretive Muslim women's order al-Qubaysiat, operating in Lebanon and Syria. Chehab's mother, Hiba, and grandmother, Doria, were devoted followers, and Chehab herself was initiated into the group as a young girl.The film focuses on the emotional fallout of Hiba's expulsion from the group, which inspired feelings of solidarity and freedom but also demanded absolute submission to the leader, known as the Anisa or Teacher. Chehab's storytelling approach eschews sensationalism, instead highlighting the emotional turmoil endured by Hiba and her family.Hiba emerges as a complex figure, not simply a victim, but someone who has undergone a slow liberation. She now leads Muslim study groups, encouraging curiosity and understanding rather than blind faith. This internal emancipation is portrayed as a radical and empowering journey for a Muslim woman rediscovering her voice.The documentary, Q, is set to air on True Story from 3 April, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of faith, identity, and family secrets.

A significant generational divide has emerged among conservatives at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas, as the group's leaders plead for unity ahead of a challenging midterm election year for Republicans. The divide centers on the US war with Iran, with younger conservatives expressing disappointment and even 'betrayal' over Donald Trump's launch of strikes against Iran.Younger conservatives argue that Trump's actions run counter to his campaign pledges to oppose foreign entanglements. In contrast, older conservatives are looking past Trump's campaign criticism of military action, arguing that the war in Iran is a pragmatic act forced by threats to the US.The conference, usually a place of optimism, was marked by anxiety over the Iran war, with attendees debating the direction of the Maga movement. The absence of Trump, who is apparently consumed with the war in Iran, was also notable.Meanwhile, Iran has accused the US of plotting a ground assault while publicly seeking talks, as the war enters its second month. The conflict has killed thousands of people and caused significant disruptions to global energy supplies.In related news, US lawmakers are reacting to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for ground operations in Iran, with some expressing concerns about the objectives and execution of such operations.

On Palm Sunday, Christians in Lebanon gathered in churches to commemorate Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but the celebrations were overshadowed by the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The Maronite Catholic church near Dahiyeh in Beirut's southern suburbs was filled to capacity, despite being close to a largely deserted district due to Israeli evacuation orders and ongoing air strikes.In the coastal city of Tyre, church bells tolled and choral music filled the air as residents sought solace in preserving their sacred traditions amid the devastation. Worshippers prayed earnestly for peace, aware of Lebanon's history of sectarian tensions rooted in the 1975-1990 civil war between Christians and Muslims.Mahia Jamus, a 20-year-old university student in Beirut, expressed concern that no one is safe from the conflict's effects. "There's no bombing here right now, but no one is safe from this—not the Christians, not anyone," she said. "No one is spared from its effects."In Tyre, Roseth Katra, 41, emphasized the importance of preserving traditions despite the surrounding devastation. "Amid the wars, the tragedies, and the destruction happening around us, we remain on our land," she said. "Today is Palm Sunday, and we are celebrating."The conflict has resulted in at least 1,238 people killed and over 3,500 wounded in Israeli attacks since March 2, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Health. Israeli troops have launched a ground invasion advancing towards the Litani River, while Hezbollah has claimed dozens of operations against Israeli forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Jordan as part of his tour to strengthen defence ties in the Gulf region, amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Security is the top priority, and it is crucial that all partners make necessary efforts toward it, Zelenskyy emphasized.Zelenskyy's visit comes after Ukraine has agreed to cooperate on defence with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Kyiv's anti-drone experts have also been deployed to these countries as Iran targets infrastructure there using drones that Russia has also used during its war with Ukraine.The Ukrainian president has been seeking support from the Gulf states as the Russia-Ukraine war continues, with no end in sight. More than four years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion, Kyiv is struggling to cover its budget deficit and fund domestic weapons production.Ukraine has intensified retaliatory attacks on Russian infrastructure, including refineries, oil depots, and ports, arguing that they were justified targets to sever revenues funding Russia's offensive. A drone strike triggered a fire at Russia's Baltic port of Ust-Luga, which was hit for the second time in several days.According to the Russian regional governor, Alexander Drozdenko, damage was sustained at the port, the fire is now under control, and there were no casualties from the attack. He added that 36 drones were destroyed overnight in the region.