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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the annexation of southern Lebanon, stating that the region's bombardment "needs to end with a different reality entirely", including a "change of Israel's borders".In a radio interview, Smotrich suggested that the new Israeli border should be the Litani River, a critical waterway in southern Lebanon. This comes as Israel continues its military operations in the area, targeting residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.The United Nations has warned that Israeli attacks may amount to war crimes, with over 1,039 people killed, including 118 children, and 2,876 wounded in Lebanon since early March. The conflict has also led to the displacement of over 1.2 million people, with many fleeing under threat of attack.The Israeli military has issued forced displacement orders for southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, prompting hundreds of thousands to flee. The World Health Organization has recorded at least 64 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in 51 deaths and 91 injuries.

US President Donald Trump has ordered a pause in attacks on Iran's power infrastructure for five days. The move comes after Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran to reopen the critical shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz or risk US attacks on its power plants.Iran's Response to US Ultimatum: Iran threatened to attack power plants in Israel and the Gulf if its own power plants were targeted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that it would hit power plants in Israel as well as any supplying electricity to military bases hosting US troops and assets in the region.Potential Targets: Iran could target Israeli power plants, including Orot Rabin north of Tel Aviv, with a capacity of around 3,900 megawatts, and Rutenberg in Ashkelon, with a capacity of around 2,250 megawatts. Iran also mentioned that it would target financial entities that finance US military assets, including US Treasury bonds.Energy Infrastructure: Iran's attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf have already had significant impacts. Qatar's state-run energy firm, QatarEnergy, halted LNG production following Iranian attacks on its operational facilities, causing an estimated $20bn in lost annual revenue. Saudi Arabia also shut down operations at the Ras Tanura plant, its biggest domestic oil refinery.Financial and Corporate Entities: Iran could target large US companies with Israeli links, including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle. Iranian officials also mentioned that they would target US Treasury bonds and entities that finance US military assets.Other Critical Infrastructure: Iran's foreign minister accused the US of striking a desalination plant on Qeshm Island off the coast of Iran, cutting off the water supply to 30 villages. Bahrain also reported that an Iranian drone caused material damage to one of its desalination plants.

Palantir, one of the world's biggest tech companies, has been accused of launching an intimidation campaign against a small Swiss magazine, Republik, after it published an investigative report on the company's activities in Switzerland.The report, which was a collaboration between Republik and the independent Swiss research collective WAV, alleged that Palantir had persistently courted Switzerland but had been rejected. The investigation found that Palantir had pitched itself to Switzerland's chancellor during the Covid-19 pandemic to help with data tracking, approached the Swiss army, and met Switzerland's then finance minister, Ueli Maurer.Palantir was not happy with the report and filed a lawsuit in a Swiss commercial court demanding that Republik print a detailed rebuttal. The company claims that the report paints a false and misleading narrative about Palantir and sets back important discourse on European software modernisation.The journalists behind the report say they had interviewed company executives and sent a full list of questions before publication, but that Palantir demanded they print a detailed rebuttal that went beyond the scope of their investigation. The lawsuit has sparked concerns about Palantir's tactics and the impact on journalism, with the European Federation of Journalists claiming that the legal action is an attempt at intimidation aimed at discouraging critical analysis of Palantir's activities."It does feel like an intimidation campaign," says Marguerite Meyer, a journalist who works with WAV. "However, we adhered to all journalistic standards, and had a thorough factcheck done. They are suing for an absurd list of changes."The investigation, which was published in December, gave an account of Palantir's years-long efforts to try to sell itself to the Swiss government. The journalists found that despite Palantir's efforts, no government contracts had been reported."We tried to find out, is there any kind of government agency that uses this software? I mean, they are in Switzerland, eventually some government official maybe thought they could use this Palantir," says Balz Oertli, who is also with WAV.The lawsuit has raised questions about Palantir's influence and the limits of journalistic scrutiny. Swiss law allows the subjects of a story to request a right of reply, but this has caveats: the right of reply has to be concise and stick to the facts of the story."This lawsuit for a right of reply is not about whether Republik was technically inaccurate or not. It is only about whether Palantir is allowed to place its view of the facts alongside that of Republik and whether Republik must publish it," says Dominique Strebel, an expert in media law and the editor-in-chief of Beobachter, another Swiss magazine.

The world is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of global instability and insecurity, with multiple conflicts erupting in regions such as the Middle East, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Lebanon. In response, the UK has increased its defence spending at the fastest pace since the end of the Cold War. This increase is being funded partly through a reduction in overseas aid spending over the next three years, a decision also made by several allied countries. Despite this, the Labour government emphasizes that its commitment to international development remains strong, viewing it as a fundamental part of its moral purpose and national interest. The reduction in aid does not signify a withdrawal from global responsibilities, but rather a strategic shift in prioritizing spending. The government plans to focus on areas with the greatest needs, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected countries such as Sudan, Palestine, Ukraine, and now Lebanon. Support for these regions is crucial for preventing humanitarian crises and promoting global stability. The new approach to development will prioritize: Innovative development strategies that deliver more impactful results Partnerships over paternalism, working closely with countries to build their own capacities Conflict prevention and resolution, particularly through education in conflict zones Climate and nature action to mitigate the effects of extreme weather Unlocking new sources of finance to drive growth and economic development The UK aims to lead reforms in international development, modernizing multilateral institutions and increasing investment in critical areas such as women's health and the BBC World Service. The government asserts that its values have not changed, and it remains committed to justice and global stability, even in the face of new security challenges.