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During an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher pressed members to outline concrete measures for safeguarding Lebanese civilians as Israel intensifies its ground offensive and aerial bombardment.Fletcher highlighted the stark parallel between Israel’s stated objectives in Lebanon and the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza, asking the council how it intends to prevent a repeat of the humanitarian catastrophe witnessed there.Since the escalation on 2 March, more than 1.1 million people have been forced from their homes across Lebanon, a displacement surge linked to Israel’s retaliatory strikes after Hezbollah fired missiles into northern Israel.In a video address, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that, once the current operation concludes, the Israeli army will establish a security zone extending to the Litani River and maintain control over the area, effectively creating a new occupied territory.Israeli forces have pushed deeper into the south this week, claiming the moves are necessary to shield northern Israeli communities from missile attacks. Human‑rights organisations have condemned the expansion, warning that targeting civilian infrastructure and preventing residents from returning would exacerbate the crisis.The heightened conflict has also claimed the lives of three UN peacekeepers. Two Indonesian soldiers were killed on Monday when an unexplained explosion destroyed their vehicle near the village of Bani Haiyyan, while a third Indonesian peacekeeper died the previous day after a projectile detonated at a UNIFIL post near Aadshit al‑Qusayr.UN Under‑Secretary‑General for Peace Operations Jean‑Pierre Lacroix said early investigations suggest a roadside blast was responsible for the Monday deaths, emphasizing that such incidents must not occur and that peacekeepers should never be targeted.A spokesperson for Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres condemned the attacks, stating they breach international law and could constitute war crimes. The statement called for accountability and urged all parties to uphold their legal obligations to protect UN personnel and property at all times.

Ukrainian unmanned aircraft have targeted the Russian Baltic port of Ust‑Luga for the fifth time within a ten‑day span, intensifying Kyiv's campaign against Russia's oil‑export infrastructure. Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko reported that three individuals, two of them children, received medical care after the latest overnight raid, and several structures sustained damage. He added that regional air‑raid alerts have since been lifted, though details on port damage remain scarce. Located on the southeastern coast of the Gulf of Finland, Ust‑Luga comprises an extensive network of oil‑processing plants and export terminals. The facility moved 32.9 million metric tonnes of oil products in the previous year and typically handles around 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The series of strikes on March 22, 25, 27, 29 and 31 forced temporary suspensions of export operations. According to market‑based calculations, the cumulative effect of drone attacks, a contested pipeline strike and the seizure of tankers has halted roughly 40 % of Russia's oil export capacity. The disruption has contributed to a surge in global oil prices, with Brent crude climbing above $116 a barrel – its highest level in nearly two weeks amid escalating conflicts involving the United States, Israel and Iran. While Kyiv continues to press its aerial campaign, the European Union dispatched senior diplomats, including top envoy Kaja Kallas, to the Ukrainian capital. Their visit, timed with the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre, underscored EU commitment to holding Russia accountable for alleged war crimes. Kallas posted on X, describing Bucha as a symbol of Russian brutality, and affirmed that the EU will not allow such atrocities to go unpunished. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed the message, urging international partners to keep their focus on Ukraine despite the widening war in the Middle East. Financially, the EU’s planned €90 billion loan for Ukraine has been stalled by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who objects to Russia's oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline and is also impeding Ukraine's EU accession talks. In parallel, Kyiv announced that its air‑defence forces intercepted 267 of 289 Russian drones launched overnight, while Russian officials claimed control of the village of Mala Korchakivka in the Sumy region. The convergence of intensified drone attacks on Russian oil assets, soaring energy prices, and high‑level EU diplomatic activity highlights the expanding geopolitical ripple effects of the Ukraine conflict across Europe and the broader Middle‑East theater.

Qesser Zuhrah, a young pro-Palestine activist from the UK, has been arrested again just weeks after being released on bail. The 21-year-old was taken from her home in Watford, near London, on Monday morning by masked police officers.According to footage shared on social media, Zuhrah was handcuffed and placed into a car destined for prison. Her supporters claim she was arrested due to an Instagram story she posted, which allegedly encouraged people to take 'direct action'.Hertfordshire Police confirmed that a 21-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of intentionally encouraging a crime and the encouragement of terrorism. However, they did not disclose her identity.Zuhrah is part of a group known as the 'Filton 24', who are alleged to have raided an Elbit Systems UK factory in Filton, near Bristol, on August 6, 2024. The group, Palestine Action, aims to counter Israeli war crimes and British complicity in them by targeting weapons manufacturers.Zuhrah had previously spent 15 months on remand without a conviction before being released in February. During her time in prison, she went on a hunger strike for almost 50 days to protest against the UK's ban on Palestine Action and the conditions in jail, which she described as inhumane.Her supporters argue that her arrest is part of a continuation of active repression targeting pro-Palestine activists in the UK. They also claim that the use of terrorism legislation to police social media posts relating to activism overreaches these powers, raising concerns about freedom of expression and the criminalization of political dissent.

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has passed a controversial bill that will instruct military courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in acts of 'terror'. The law, which enters into effect within 30 days, was approved by 62 lawmakers, with 48 voting against it and one abstention.The new law targets only West Bank Palestinians, who are not Israeli citizens, and instructs military courts to impose the draconian sentence for lethal attacks on Israelis. Amichai Cohen, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute's Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, noted that 'Jews will not be indicted under this law'.The Palestinian Authority called the bill 'a war crime against the Palestinian people', saying that it breached the Fourth Geneva Convention. Rights group B'Tselem pointed out that the conviction rate for Palestinians tried in military courts is about 96 percent, with many convictions based on 'confessions' obtained through pressure and torture during interrogations.The law has been condemned by international critics, including the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and Amnesty International, which said it would make the death penalty 'another discriminatory tool in Israel's system of apartheid'. The Association of Civil Rights in Israel has filed a petition with Israel's Supreme Court to challenge the law, describing it as 'discriminatory by design' and 'enacted without legal authority'.

The city council of Milpitas, a suburb north of San Jose, California, has approved a program to provide free doorbell cameras to residents. The initiative aims to enhance public safety and help police collect video evidence. The program will offer one camera per household on a first-come, first-served basis.City councilmember Evelyn Chua emphasized that public safety is her top priority, and this door camera initiative is about strengthening crime prevention at home. The program is intended to build a stronger connection between the community and law enforcement to help deter crime and protect neighborhoods.Milpitas police plan to share a link for residents to voluntarily upload doorbell footage and organize community events where residents can sign up to participate in the program. The police department will not have access to any residential footage unless it is shared with them.The program has raised concerns about surveillance, with some critics arguing that doorbell cameras, especially Amazon's Ring, help law enforcement surveil neighborhoods. However, the police department has stated that all video received through the program is 100% voluntarily shared by residents.While Milpitas city council members have said the program aims to improve public safety, the city plans to distribute cameras that provide similar or equal capabilities to Ring cameras, but without the need for subscription services.

Israel has announced plans to occupy swathes of southern Lebanon, aiming to expand its buffer zone and prevent the return of approximately 600,000 residents. The move has raised concerns of long-term forced displacement and potential war crimes.Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will control the area up to the Litani River, about 19 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border, and destroy homes along the border. This approach has drawn criticism from Human Rights Watch, which warns that such actions could amount to forced displacement and wanton destruction, both considered war crimes.The conflict escalated after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on March 2, prompting an Israeli military campaign in Lebanon. The immediate goal is to push Hezbollah back from the border to prevent rocket fire into northern Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to expand the buffer zone, though specifics remain unclear.The situation on the ground is dire, with over 1,268 people killed in Lebanon by Israeli actions, according to Lebanon's ministry of health. Additionally, 10 Israeli soldiers have been killed by Hezbollah, and two civilians in northern Israel have been killed by Hezbollah rocket fire. The conflict has also resulted in over 1 million displaced people, with many lacking official state shelters.The international community has condemned the violence, with the UN undersecretary-general for peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, calling the attacks on peacekeepers “unacceptable incidents” that must stop. The EU and the UN Security Council have also responded, with the latter holding an emergency session at France's request.

The Israeli Knesset approved a bill on Monday that makes the death penalty the standard sentence for Palestinians found guilty of terrorism‑related murders in the occupied West Bank, while excluding Jewish extremists from the same punishment. Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, warned that the law is "patently inconsistent" with Israel’s obligations under international law and could constitute a war crime when applied to residents of the occupied territories. Türk stressed that the proposal raises “serious concerns about due‑process violations” and is “deeply discriminatory,” urging the Israeli government to repeal it without delay. He added that its selective application would amount to “an especially egregious breach of international law.” European officials have joined the criticism. An EU spokesperson described the bill as “a clear step backwards” and highlighted its discriminatory nature. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the measure “asymmetric” and likened it to a move toward apartheid, while Germany’s foreign ministry said it could not endorse a law that “rejects the fundamental principle of opposing the death penalty.” The legislation stipulates that anyone sentenced to death will be held in a separate facility, barred from family visits, and allowed legal counsel only via video link. Executions are to be carried out within 90 days of sentencing, with hanging identified as the method of execution. The bill also removes the requirement for a prosecutor’s request and permits a simple majority vote in military courts to impose the death sentence. Israel has applied capital punishment only twice since its establishment, most recently in 1962 when Adolf Eichmann was executed. The bill’s strongest political backer, National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir, has publicly displayed a noose‑shaped lapel pin, symbolising the proposed executions. Human‑rights organisations have warned that the law entrenches a two‑tiered justice system. Adam Coogle of Human Rights Watch said the measure “entrenches discrimination and a two‑tiered system of justice, both hallmarks of apartheid,” while Oxfam’s Shaista Aziz warned that it “effectively ensures that the death penalty will apply only to Palestinians, even as the occupation sees a surge in violence against them.” Within Israel, the bill faces legal opposition. Several human‑rights groups and three Knesset members have filed petitions with the Supreme Court, arguing that the law creates parallel legal tracks that target Palestinians and should be struck down on constitutional grounds.

The UK government is faced with a critical decision on whether to adopt a new law that would require online pornography providers to verify the consent of participants in their content. This move is aimed at curbing the rampant abuse and exploitation prevalent in the industry. The need for such a law has become increasingly evident following several high-profile cases, including a New York Times investigation into Pornhub, which found that the platform hosted videos featuring underaged and sex-trafficked subjects. Similarly, the trial of Dominique Pelicot exposed the horrific abuse of a woman who was raped while unconscious, with the perpetrator sharing videos of the assault online. The proposed legislation, championed by Conservative peer Gabby Bertin, would compel digital pornography businesses to verify the identities of all those featured and confirm that their consent has been obtained. This measure has garnered support from senior Labour figures and influential peers, including Beeban Kidron and Helena Kennedy. The UK's online safety act, introduced last year, brought in age verification for sites hosting user-generated content and gave the regulator, Ofcom, powers to fine or block businesses. However, concerns about consent in relation to professionally produced pornography remain. The Labour MP Diana Johnson was the first to propose consent verification and a new right for performers to withdraw it. The government now faces a choice: accept the bill as amended and make the UK a pioneer in online pornography regulation, or strip the new clause out. The outcome is far from guaranteed, but the pressure from Bertin and her allies has already led ministers to agree to outlaw strangulation imagery and scenes purporting to show incest. Campaigners argue that the regulation is crucial in tackling online misogyny and the soaring rate of child sexual abuse in the UK. The National Crime Agency has blamed online image-sharing and chatrooms for the increase in child sexual abuse, with livestreams featuring children available for as little as £20. The proposed law would also address the issue of deepfake pornographic images, which were outlawed last year thanks to the courage of survivors and a group of women in parliament. As the bill returns to the Commons, the government should throw its weight behind a new, stronger model of consent, ensuring that those who agree to be filmed having sex have the right to withdraw permission for others to watch.

The Drama, directed by Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, is a jeu d'esprit of outrage, a psychological meltdown that is more astutely articulated than in many another more solemnly intended film.The film centers around Charlie, played by Robert Pattinson, a young British art historian based in the US, and Emma, played by Zendaya, a beautiful and charming young woman who is deaf in one ear. Their whirlwind romance leads to a wedding, but their relationship is put to the test when Emma reveals a dark secret from her past: at 14, she planned a high school shooting but was thwarted when another shooting occurred at a local mall, killing a friend.The film's tone is a delicate balance of satire and thriller, leaving viewers questioning whether it's a black-comedic absurdity or a serious commentary on the darker aspects of human nature. The film's ingenuity lies in its generic ambiguity, making it difficult to categorize as solely a romantic comedy or a thriller.The Drama has sparked controversy and debate, with some critics praising its bold and insouciantly offensive approach, while others have expressed discomfort with its handling of sensitive topics like gun violence and mental health.Despite some critics arguing that the film slightly falls down in its portrayal of the aftermath of Emma's non-crime, it offers a thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche and the complexities of relationships.The Drama is set to release in Australia on April 2, and in the UK and US on April 3.