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Courtney Lawes, the 37‑year‑old former England captain, is slated to return to the English Premiership after completing two seasons with French club Brive. His departure will be announced at the close of the 2025‑26 season.Lawes, who retired from international rugby following the 2023 Rugby World Cup, moved to France after helping Northampton Saints clinch the 2023‑24 Premiership title. During his 17‑year tenure at Saints, he secured two Premiership championships and two European Challenge Cup trophies.While the specific English club he will join remains undisclosed, the move would render him eligible once again for England selection. Brive’s management expressed support for his decision, noting the club’s appreciation for his contributions.Brive president Thierry Blandinières praised Lawes, stating: “We are very proud to say that Courtney Lawes will have been a Brive player for two seasons. He arrived here with humility and ambition and has shown the full extent of his talent since his first day in Brive.” The club added that Lawes is “one of the legends of world rugby and one of the best back‑row forwards of his generation.”Lawes’ international résumé includes 105 caps, three Six Nations titles, and participation in four Rugby World Cups. He was part of the England side that finished runner‑up in 2019 and secured third place in 2023.Reflecting on his time in Corrèze, Lawes said: “I’m having an experience in Brive that I’ll never forget, both on and off the pitch. I’m going to give it my all until the end of the season to finish this adventure with CAB in the best possible way. My family and I have been very warmly welcomed in Corrèze and we will always have Brive at heart.”

Oman and Iran convened deputy foreign minister‑level talks on Saturday to discuss measures that could guarantee the smooth passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from the Omani Foreign Ministry.The meeting, described as an "undersecretary‑level" dialogue, was attended by specialists from both ministries, underscoring the technical nature of the discussions.Officials said the parties examined possible options to ensure safe transit amid the volatile regional environment, with a series of proposals now slated for further study.Tracking data from the shipping journal Lloyd’s List showed that, on Sunday, three Omani vessels – two large oil supertankers and an LNG carrier – navigated the strait outside Iran’s "approved corridor" near Larak Island, sailing unusually close to the Omani coast.Earlier in the week, an Iranian official announced a draft protocol with Oman aimed at monitoring traffic through the strait, which carries roughly one‑fifth of global oil supplies and has been heavily restricted as retaliation for the ongoing US‑Israeli war on Iran.Since the conflict erupted on February 28, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has permitted limited transits for vessels from Pakistan, France and Turkey, while an estimated about 3,000 ships remain stranded in the region.The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy chokepoint; any disruption fuels market volatility and compels oil‑importing nations to scramble for alternative supplies.U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media over the weekend, warning that he would unleash “all Hell” if the waterway is not reopened by Monday, highlighting the geopolitical pressure surrounding the passage.Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, held separate calls with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and regional counterparts, including Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, to explore de‑escalation proposals.Professor Amin Saikal, an emeritus scholar at the Australian National University, cautioned that an expansion of the war would be “hell for the whole region” and stressed the urgent need for a negotiated settlement, though he noted that diplomatic avenues appear increasingly narrow.

Occupied East Jerusalem – While Holy Week traditionally fills the Old City’s Christian Quarter with pilgrims and worshippers, the streets are now eerily quiet and storefronts remain shuttered.Palestinian shopkeeper Boulos, a man in his mid‑30s who asked to remain anonymous, still drags himself to his modest stall a few times a week, selling religious garments behind a half‑closed door to avoid Israeli orders that mandate closure of businesses in the quarter amid the ongoing US‑Israel conflict with Iran.After six years of pandemic‑related setbacks and successive wars, his business had only begun to recover when the October Gaza ceasefire was followed by a new wave of restrictions. “Before the war with Iran, we barely made enough to survive,” he said. “Now there is no income at all.”His only customer that day was an Ethiopian Christian woman buying a kilo of prayer candles for 35 shekels (about $11.20). “What can 35 shekels do for me?” Boulos lamented, underscoring the stark economic squeeze.Unlike many West Jerusalem shops, which have been allowed to stay open because of nearby bomb shelters, the Old City lacks such protection, leaving Palestinian businesses in the Christian Quarter effectively forced to shut. The area, heavily dependent on tourism, shows the least sign of life.Brother Daoud Kassabry, principal of the College des Frères school, described the scene as “the saddest Jerusalem I have ever seen.” Classes have been suspended for over a month, and the community feels the weight of an unprecedentedly difficult period.For the first time in centuries, Israeli police barred Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and other senior clergy from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday Mass. The Latin Patriarchate called the incident “unprecedented in centuries.”At a press conference, Cardinal Pizzaballa emphasized that while “all celebrations” have been cancelled for security reasons, “no one, not even the Pope, can cancel the liturgy of Easter.”Following the incident, leaders from Italy, France and the United States condemned the police action. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later defended the measure as a safety precaution, citing the absence of bomb shelters near the holy site, despite the cardinal’s residence being only metres away.Netanyahu’s justification raises questions about the long‑standing “status‑quo” arrangement that places custodianship of Christian and Muslim holy sites under the heads of their respective religious institutions and Jordan’s Waqf. Palestinian Christians interpret the rhetoric as evidence of an increasingly hostile environment under Israeli control.Bishop Emeritus Munib Younan recounted being spat on by Jewish yeshiva students in the Old City without any legal consequences. He now prefers to attend services in Bethlehem or a small church outside Jerusalem, where he feels “no one is pointing a gun at you.”“They want to show the world that this country is only meant for them – not Christians, not Muslims,” Younan said, reflecting a sentiment shared by many locals.Netanyahu later announced that religious ceremonies at the Holy Sepulchre would be permitted during Holy Week, but only for clergy, keeping the general public out. Observers noted the inconsistency, pointing out that Muslim worshippers have been barred from the Al‑Aqsa compound since late February, including during Ramadan, with only minimal international rebuke.The cumulative restrictions have crippled the already dwindling Palestinian Christian community, which now makes up less than 2 % of the population in Israel and the occupied territories. Traditional events such as the Way of the Cross procession and Holy Fire Saturday have been cancelled, eroding communal cohesion.Father Faris Abedrabbo of the Annunciation Latin Parish linked the current hardships to the Passion narrative, urging congregants to view their suffering through the lens of “steadfastness” – an active, spiritual resistance rather than passive endurance.Economic despair is prompting a new wave of emigration. Bishop Younan reported that many young Christians ask for help obtaining visas to the United States, Canada or Australia, fearing there is “no future” in Jerusalem. Boulos, the shopkeeper, admits he has considered leaving, noting that “they try to make us lose hope and abandon this land.”Despite the bleak outlook, Boulos continues to visit his shop, saying, “I come here to prove to myself that I still have hope, even if it feels endless.”

Xavier Giannoli's latest film, 'Rays and Shadows,' has ignited a firestorm of controversy in France with its portrayal of Jean Luchaire, a French journalist and press baron who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. The film, told from the perspective of Luchaire's daughter Corinne, a former actress known as 'the new Garbo,' delves into the moral compromises and betrayals of occupied France.The film's depiction of Luchaire as a disillusioned spendthrift rather than a diehard ideologue has sparked criticism from left-leaning critics, who argue that it relativizes the actions of those who willingly served the Nazi killing machine. Historian Laurent Joly also questions the film's portrayal of Luchaire, suggesting that his path to collaboration was driven by amorality and venality rather than pacifism.Despite the controversy, the film has drawn over 300,000 spectators in its opening week in France, sparking important discussions about the Vichy period and the complexities of human behavior during times of war. Giannoli's goal was to strike a balance between fascination and indignation, and to explore the traps that a human being can fall into when faced with difficult choices.

Bordeaux Bégles thrashed Leicester 64-14 in a one-sided Champions Cup match, highlighting the significant gap between French and English club rugby. Salesi Rayasi scored a hat-trick as Bordeaux's potent attack proved too much for the depleted Leicester side.The French team's victory was never in doubt, even when Leicester was at full strength. However, the visitors were severely weakened by missing several first-choice forwards, including Ollie Chessum and Nicky Smith. This allowed Bordeaux to assert their dominance, scoring nine tries in a commanding performance.The hosts' attack was led by Cameron Woki and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who provided crucial assists and scored tries. Maxime Lucu also contributed with a penalty and a try. The team's depth and skill were on full display as they ran in try after try, leaving Leicester struggling to keep up.The win reaffirms Bordeaux's status as continental champions and sets up a quarter-final clash with domestic rivals Toulouse next weekend. This match promises to be a thrilling encounter between two of France's top teams.The result also highlights the financial disparity between French and English club rugby. A recent TV deal in France is worth over £120m annually, allowing top teams to attract and retain top talent. This investment is reflected in the quality of play and the gap between the two ecosystems.For Leicester, the defeat was a disappointing display, especially considering their next league game is against Newcastle Red Bulls, currently bottom of the table. The team's coach, Andrew Brace, will need to regroup and refocus his team for their upcoming challenges.

As the 2026 local and regional elections draw nearer, the spectre of Trussonomics looms large over the British political landscape. From the Conservatives to the Greens, parties are unveiling extravagant fiscal promises that they claim can be funded by cuts elsewhere or additional borrowing, while insisting the broader economy will remain unharmed. Critics warn that any adverse effects will inevitably be shifted onto people and businesses outside the parties' core constituencies, effectively socialising the risk. Only Keir Starmer and his Labour cabinet appear to resist the pressure to re‑engineer the economy without acknowledging inevitable spill‑overs or extra costs. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss famously pledged £45 bn of tax cuts, financed through extra borrowing and so‑called welfare “efficiencies”. The plan was pitched as a catalyst for an entrepreneurial surge that would lift the UK out of a prolonged period of low productivity. Heading into May’s local polls, the Conservatives are touting a new “big‑spending” agenda after recent welfare cuts, highlighted by a headline pledge to shrink the welfare bill by £23 bn. Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride declared that the “culture of ‘something for nothing’ must end, now”. Green Party leader Zack Polanski has softened some of his party’s more radical proposals, yet the manifesto remains vague. Earlier drafts featured a litany of “free lunches”, signalling an ambition to raise taxes by **more than £170 bn a year** by the end of the next parliament. Key components of the Green plan include a £90 bn annual carbon tax and a matching increase in day‑to‑day public spending, alongside a proposed £90 bn boost to the capital‑spending budget (raising it from £160 bn to £250 bn per year). Reform UK has embraced Trussonomics with gusto, promising to raise the income‑tax threshold from £12,570 to £20,000 – a move that would cost the exchequer **over £40 bn each year**. Underlying many of these pledges is a belief that the UK can reverse a century of economic decline with a “magician’s wand”, ignoring potential repercussions for financial markets, trading partners, and a rapidly disintegrating global order. While the article briefly references the United States and France, the French electorate’s recent rejection of similarly flamboyant policies in local elections serves as a cautionary tale: voters in key cities like Paris and Marseille opted for centrist candidates over the radical platforms of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and Jean‑Luc Mélenchon’s LFI. The broader context is a decade marked by two major wars, a quantum technological shift, and accelerating climate change – none of which offer quick‑fix solutions. Labour’s economic strategy, championed by Rachel Reeves, hinges on an early‑parliament spending surge intended to generate growth before the next general election. However, the damage inflicted by the previous government is still being reassessed, with the public‑finance gap now appearing larger than the £22 bn initially highlighted by Reeves. Labour still holds considerable funds earmarked for investment, but bureaucratic inertia in Whitehall hampers swift action, and Starmer bears responsibility for this paralysis. Demonstrating tangible returns on public spending – with HS2 currently the sole benchmark – could justify future tax increases on higher earners, provided the money is not wasted. In an uncertain world, the article argues that rational, evidence‑based governance is preferable to “outlandish initiatives” that create a multitude of losers. Ultimately, the piece concludes that Truss’s experiment was a disaster not merely because of the misguided belief that tax cuts can drive sustainable growth in a mature economy, but because it relied on an imagined “escape hatch” to propel the UK to a higher economic plane.

When the sanctioned Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin docked at Matanzas and off‑loaded roughly 700,000 barrels of crude, observers were left questioning why Washington had temporarily lifted its oil embargo on the island.Just weeks earlier, President Donald Trump had taken to social media to declare an end to any oil or cash flowing to Cuba. Yet, in a stark reversal, he later told reporters he had no objection to oil shipments reaching the country, allowing the Russian vessel to pass.Adding to the intrigue, Cuban authorities announced the release of 2,010 prisoners as a “humanitarian gesture” for Holy Week. Analysts quickly linked the pardons to the tanker’s arrival, interpreting both moves as evidence of ongoing, albeit secret, talks between Washington and Havana.The U.S. oil blockade has already pushed Cuba’s fragile economy to the brink: tourism has all but vanished after airlines from Canada, Russia, China and France withdrew, with Iberia set to exit by the end of May. Most petrol stations are shuttered and blackouts have become a daily reality.Population estimates now sit at 9.5 million, down from a pre‑crisis peak after a two‑million‑person exodus over the past five years. Citizens describe a systemic collapse of health, education and transport services.With official channels silent, Cubans are piecing together fragmented leaks—largely from the U.S. side—to gauge the direction of the negotiations.The dialogue pits Trump’s hard‑line rhetoric, which vows to “take” the island, against Cuba’s insistence that its political system is non‑negotiable.One diplomat suggested the tanker’s arrival could be a tactical humanitarian showcase, but also noted it might serve as a confidence‑building measure. The simultaneous prisoner release leans toward the latter interpretation.Professor William LeoGrande of American University observed that such reciprocal gestures often precede substantive diplomatic progress.Meanwhile, another Russian‑flagged tanker, the Sea Horse, carrying about 200,000 barrels, was sighted moving toward Venezuela, hinting at a coordinated “carrot” strategy aimed at both Havana and Caracas.Although oil alone is unlikely to compel the Cuban regime to relinquish power, the recent events suggest a more transactional pathway may be emerging.Since 2021, Cuba has nurtured a private sector of over 10,000 small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises (Mipymes), spawning a new class of affluent Cubans often tied to the regime and the army’s economic arm, Gaesa.Negotiations appear to be led by Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, a grandson of former President Raúl Castro and son of the late Gaesa chief Luis Rodríguez López‑Calleja.In a recent CNN interview, Fidel Castro’s grandson Sandro Castro, a 33‑year‑old influencer and businessman, argued that the majority of Cubans now favor a capitalist model over communism.His open criticism of President Miguel Díaz‑Canel—calling his performance “unsatisfactory”—would normally trigger state security action, yet appears tolerated, suggesting the U.S. may be leveraging Díaz‑Canel’s vulnerability in the talks.Analysts speculate a possible outcome where Cuba’s economy opens to foreign investment while senior Castros retain political influence, aligning with Trump’s expressed desire for a “friendly” transition reminiscent of recent moves in Venezuela.One senior diplomat in Havana noted that the United States might permit existing private businesses to continue operating, provided they also open markets to U.S. interests.The prospect of any Castro family member retaining authority is likely to provoke fierce opposition from hard‑line Cuban‑American groups, epitomized by figures like Marco Rubio, who have long advocated for the Castros’ removal.Perhaps the greatest concern remains the roughly 40 % of Cubans who are not part of the private sector and rely on state support; many are elderly and now face the very real threat of starvation.

The Panama Papers, a massive leak of 11.5 million documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, exposed a vast network of offshore shell companies used by global elites to evade taxes and scrutiny. The leak, which involved over 350 journalists from 80 countries, revealed that hundreds of people, including over 140 politicians, were linked to offshore entities.The scandal led to significant consequences, including the resignation of Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson and the disqualification of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office. Mossack Fonseca ultimately shut down in 2018 following the leak.Governments worldwide have recovered around $2 billion in taxes, penalties, and levies since 2016, with countries like the UK, Sweden, and France each recovering between $200-250 million. However, the amount of unaccounted funds remains significantly higher.The leak has also driven regulatory changes, including the Corporate Transparency Act in the US, which requires disclosure of beneficial owners of offshore entities. The United Nations is considering a Convention on Taxation to address global tax challenges.Despite progress, gaps remain in the global tax system, allowing individuals and companies to exploit loopholes and avoid taxes. Experts stress the need for a multilateral tax convention to address tax competition and treaty shopping.

Burkina Faso's military leader, Ibrahim Traore, has made a striking statement, urging citizens to 'forget about democracy'. This declaration comes just three months after his government dissolved all political parties in the West African nation.In a lengthy interview on state television, Traore referenced Libya as an example where outsiders attempted to impose democracy but failed. He claimed that democracy 'kills' and equates it with slavery.Traore's government has been distancing itself from initial promises to restore democratic governance. He seized power in September 2022, following a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of President Roch Marc Kabore.The military government had promised to combat al-Qaeda and ISIL-linked armed groups but the country continues to face repeated attacks, with hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced.Traore initially promised elections in 2024 but later reneged, stating they would only be held when all parts of Burkina Faso are safe for voting.In January, Traore's government scrapped over 100 political parties and seized their assets. Parliament and political activity were previously suspended, and the Independent National Electoral Commission was dissolved in July 2025.Analysts have raised concerns about the government's targeting of institutions, including the media and judiciary. Journalists, political opposition leaders, and prosecutors critical of the military government have been forcibly conscripted and sent to the front lines.Burkina Faso, along with neighboring military governments in Niger and Mali, exited the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc to form their own Alliance of Sahel States (AES) last January.The country has turned to Russian paramilitary fighters after evicting former colonial power, France, which had deployed some 5,000 soldiers to help fight armed groups in the Sahel region.Violence in Burkina Faso has continued to escalate, with fatalities tripling in the three years since Traore took power, reaching 17,775 by last May. Most of those killed were civilians, many by government forces and allied militias.