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The Australian Greens are calling on the federal government to apply direct diplomatic and economic pressure on Israel to end its intensive air strikes on Lebanon, describing the conflict as a “disastrous, illegal, immoral war.” Party defence spokesperson David Shoebridge said Australia should join the growing list of nations demanding that southern Lebanon be part of the cease‑fire framework being negotiated between the United States and Iran. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have already signalled that Lebanon must be included in any cease‑fire agreement, but Shoebridge argued that mere statements are insufficient. He told ABC Radio that “Penny Wong saying she’s gravely concerned will not stop the illegal bombing or the plan to turn southern Lebanon into a new Gaza.” Lebanese authorities report that the war, which began in April, has already claimed the lives of more than 1,700 civilians, with over 300 deaths recorded in a single 24‑hour period following the announcement of a cease‑fire in the Iran conflict. To exert tangible pressure, Shoebridge proposed that Australia cancel more than $1 billion in Israeli arms contracts. He argued that such a move would not only address the moral outrage over the attacks but also deliver “real material pressure” on Israel to withdraw its forces. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warned Australians to avoid travel to Lebanon and is urging residents to leave while commercial flights remain available, citing a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, displacement crises, and the risk of sudden airspace closures. In a separate development, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott urged the government to deploy troops alongside U.S. forces, claiming Australia had “betrayed our values and long‑term national interest.” Abbott framed the conflict as part of a broader effort to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and protect freedom of navigation in the Hormuz Strait. His remarks were rebuffed by Health Minister Mark Butler, who emphasized that Australia’s current support is limited to defensive assistance for the United Arab Emirates and that there is no public appetite for offensive deployments in the Middle East. Energy Minister Chris Bowen reiterated that any cease‑fire must extend across the region, stating that “Lebanese people have the same rights as anyone else in the Middle East” and that Israel should honour the cease‑fire “in both letter and spirit.”

Netflix's vast library of content often includes films that were initially intended for theatrical release but end up being off-loaded to the streaming platform. The latest example is 'Thrash', a shark thriller that was previously known as 'Beneath the Storm' and 'Shiver'. Despite its promising premise, the film fails to deliver, with critics calling it a messily made, choppily edited and entirely misfiring cavalcade of bad decisions and dodgy accents.The film, directed by Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola, tells the story of a hurricane that destroys a town while also thrusting a pack of bull sharks into the streets and homes of those unlucky enough to still be there. However, the film's distracting sense of inauthenticity and lack of suspense make it a disappointing watch. The cast, including Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Djimon Hounsou, struggle to elevate the poorly written characters and lackluster dialogue.'Thrash' is now available on Netflix, but it's unlikely to be a hit with viewers. The film's cheap production values and lack of originality make it feel like a low-budget B-movie, rather than a film that was once intended for theatrical release. With Netflix spending around $18bn on content last year, it's surprising that they would accept a film of such poor quality.

The LA28 Olympics has opened ticket sales globally after a record-setting first week of local presales, underscoring strong early demand for the Games. The organisers reported that they sold more tickets in the first week than any previous Olympic Games had in their opening week.The initial phase of ticket sales was limited to residents of the Los Angeles and Oklahoma City areas, with hundreds of thousands of $28 tickets snapped up by local buyers. However, some buyers complained about high costs and fees, and a lack of ticket availability.“The success of the locals presale speaks for itself,” LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “We’re thrilled by the level of interest and enthusiasm in tickets to the Games.”The global sales launch, known as “Drop 1,” runs through April 19 for fans who were selected through a draw and assigned time slots. Tickets are available across Olympic events, including the opening and closing ceremonies.Organisers acknowledged that some fans experienced sticker shock after a marketing push around the $28 entry-level tickets, only to find many of the cheapest seats had already gone quickly or that some events were priced much higher.Allison Katz-Mayfield, LA28’s senior vice president for games delivery revenue, told the Reuters news agency that the outcome was not unexpected because the least expensive tickets were always likely to move fastest.“We really wanted to make sure that the locals had access to the most affordable tickets, and we saw that come to life through this presale,” she said, adding that more low-cost inventory would be released in future sales phases.LA28 said more than 1 million tickets priced at $28 will ultimately be made available to the public. Nearly half of all Olympic tickets are priced under $200, while more than three-quarters, including finals, are less than $400. Only about 5 percent of tickets cost more than $1,000, organisers said.The organising committee is under pressure to show it can deliver a fiscally responsible Games without burdening taxpayers, who could be on the hook for cost overruns. LA28 has said its more than $7bn operation will be funded principally through ticket sales, sponsorship and hospitality.

US President Donald Trump has announced that countries supplying Iran with military weapons will face immediate 50% tariffs on all goods sold to the United States, with no exemptions. This move comes hours after Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran.In a social media post, Trump stated that 'A Country supplying Military Weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed, on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, 50%, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions!'However, experts have raised questions about the legal authority behind Trump's announcement, as the Supreme Court struck down his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad global tariffs in February. The IEEPA has been used extensively for decades to back financial sanctions against Iran, Russia, and North Korea.Rachel Ziemba, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Al Jazeera that 'it's a lot more complicated to do that after IEEPA was struck down. There's no immediate policy lever and authorisation that is available for the US to do that. So they need either an act of Congress or need to adapt some other trade tool.'Trump did not specify which countries could face punitive tariffs, but China and Russia have helped Iran build military capacity to counter US and Israeli pressure. The US imports from Russia have fallen sharply since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the wave of financial sanctions imposed on Moscow.Josh Lipsky, vice president and chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council, said that 'this is a China-related threat, the way I read it. And China will read it that way.' However, he also noted that Trump was unlikely to follow through with new tariffs in the near term because that would derail his planned trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-May.

Mint, the new drama from Charlotte Regan, is a bold reimagining of the classic love story, Romeo and Juliet. This electrifying drama tells the tale of impossible love between two people from bitter crime rival families.The series stars Emma Laird as Shannon, the daughter of a Scottish crime family, and Benjamin Coyle-Larner, also known as Loyle Carner, as Arran, the prodigal son of a different crime family. Their eyes meet across a down-at-heel train station, and they are incompatible and irresistible to one another.Charlotte Regan drew inspiration from her own experiences and those of her cast and crew. The drama features a unique visual style, with sparse dialogue and a focus on visual storytelling. The show's use of Super 8 fragments and VHS-style footage adds to its distinctive aesthetic.The cast, including Laura Fraser and Lindsay Duncan, deliver powerful performances that bring depth and nuance to the story. Emma Laird praises Regan for keeping her acne in the show, saying it's a huge part of her character's authenticity.Mint is available on BBC iPlayer from Monday, April 20th, with the series airing on BBC One from 9 pm that night.

Matthew Macfadyen headlines the new Sky Atlantic series ‘The Miniature Wife’, playing scientist Les Littlejohn, a brilliant but ethically dubious researcher who accidentally shrinks his wife Lindy (Elizabeth Banks) to six inches tall. The premise promises a darkly comic exploration of marital power dynamics and modern misogyny. However, the show quickly abandons this fertile ground. Showrunners Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner opt for a frenetic, screwball tone that feels forced, leaving the underlying commentary underdeveloped. The central conceit – a miniature wife trapped in a dollhouse – is treated more as a visual gag than a vehicle for satire. The series is littered with side plots that never coalesce. A subplot about a misattributed short story attempts to touch on authorship and truth in the digital age, yet it remains a superficial gesture. Likewise, the ensemble cast—including Zoe Lister‑Jones as a lab overseer, O‑T Fagbenle as a lovelorn colleague, and Sian Clifford as Lindy’s agent—offers colorful moments but fails to achieve narrative momentum. Visually, the production delivers inventive set pieces: Lindy’s daring escapes from towering household objects and explosive laboratory experiments provide occasional laughs. Nevertheless, the novelty wears thin before the series’ nearly ten‑hour runtime concludes. The original short story by Manuel Gonzales required far more expansion than the show supplies, resulting in a stretched‑out narrative that would have benefited from a tighter format. In short, while Macfadyen’s performance is competent, it is largely wasted in a series that promises depth but delivers only scattered comedy. ‘The Miniature Wife’ may satisfy viewers seeking light‑hearted antics, but it falls short of the incisive satire its premise suggests. The series is available on Sky Atlantic, streaming on Now in the UK and on Stan in Australia.

A concerning trend is emerging in the UK, where four in 10 parents are struggling to afford essential items for their newborn babies. This is according to a recent survey conducted by the charity Barnardo's, which polled 2,000 parents with children under the age of five.The study found that 49% of parents felt their child had missed out on opportunities to learn or play due to the cost of living, while 44% reported that financial pressures had impacted their child's development, including speech, socializing, and physical play.In response to these findings, Barnardo's is advocating for the nationwide rollout of baby boxes, a scheme already implemented in Scotland. Since its launch in 2017, over 360,000 baby boxes have been distributed in Scotland, providing essential items such as clothes, books, and a changing mat.The charity's chief executive, Lynn Perry, emphasized the importance of such support, stating that it allows parents to focus on bonding with their baby rather than worrying about providing for them. Seven in 10 parents surveyed expressed support for making baby boxes universally available.The issue of poverty is a pressing concern in the UK, with an estimated 4 million children (27%) living in poverty. Despite the government's efforts to address this issue, including the scrapping of the two-child benefit policy, Barnardo's is calling for a greater focus on tackling poverty in the early years of life.

The UK's reliance on glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, has come under fire from campaigners who argue that its use has spiralled out of control. Glyphosate, known for its effectiveness in killing weeds, has been linked to various health risks, including cancer, and environmental damage.Originally pioneered by Scottish farmers in the 1980s to dry crops before harvest, the use of glyphosate has expanded globally. In the UK, over 2,200 tonnes of glyphosate were applied in 2024, with more than half used on wheat and other cereals. This represents a 10-fold increase in usage over the past three decades.Despite the World Health Organization classifying glyphosate as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' in 2015, its use has remained high. Bayer, the manufacturer, maintains that its herbicides do not cause cancer, but this stance is contested by many health and environmental organizations.Campaigners, including Nick Mole of Pesticide Action Network UK, are urging the government to phase out and ultimately ban glyphosate, citing its links to a range of cancers and other life-threatening diseases, as well as its impact on the environment. They argue that safer, more sustainable alternatives are available and should be adopted by farmers and local councils.However, some agricultural experts, like Helen Metcalfe of Rothamsted Research, suggest that glyphosate is used differently in the UK compared to the US, where genetically modified crops are involved. The shift towards 'regenerative' farming practices has contributed to the increased use of glyphosate, as it helps protect soil health and prevent erosion.The debate over glyphosate's safety and environmental impact continues, with the EU banning its use in pre-harvest desiccation in 2023 due to concerns about food accumulation. In the US, Bayer has offered $7.25bn to settle lawsuits alleging that Roundup, which contains glyphosate, can cause cancer. The UK government maintains that pesticide use is strictly regulated and only approved if it does not harm human or animal health or the environment.

Europe is undergoing a significant transformation in its relationship with the US, marked by a growing desire for independence and a shift away from Trump's aggressive policies. The recent crisis in the Middle East, where Trump's threat to annihilate Iranian civilisation was temporarily called off, has been a turning point in this journey. Initially, many European leaders had tacitly supported the US and Israeli attack on Iran, driven by a desire for a transatlantic detente and antipathy towards the Iranian regime. However, as the war escalated, Europe's stance began to shift, with countries like Italy, Poland, and France taking steps to distance themselves from Trump's policies. The cooling of European support for the war has taken various forms, including Italy denying US warplanes permission to use an airbase in Sicily, Poland refusing to send Patriot air defence systems to the Middle East, and France rejecting overflight rights and opposing a US-sponsored resolution at the UN security council. This shift in European policy is driven by a number of factors, including the realisation that the war has been a windfall for Russia, through higher oil prices and a depletion of air defence interceptors available to Ukraine. European leaders have also been reminded that the erosion of international law is bad news for the world, Europe included. As Europe finds its footing in distancing itself from Trump, it may also find its voice. Europe's diplomatic role in the Iranian nuclear file in the early 2000s grew out of its opposition to the Iraq war. Today, the same dynamic could unfold, with Europe promoting a permanent end of hostilities and a multilateral initiative in the region. The proposal by a group of European, Gulf, and Asian countries to contribute to ensuring safe passage through the strait of Hormuz was originally aimed at placating Trump. Europeans then backed a UN-led fertiliser corridor to prevent a food crisis in the global south. The UK is also leading a coalition of more than 40 countries seeking to reopen the strait once the US and Israel definitively end their offensive. If a sustainable reopening of Hormuz succeeds, it could eventually extend to a new nuclear agreement, a non-aggression pact between the US and Iran, and a similar one between Israel and Iran – including Lebanon. It could involve the release of Iranian funds frozen abroad to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by US and Israeli attacks, and the selective lifting of EU and US sanctions.