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The conflict between the US and Iran has taken a critical turn with mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey circulating proposals for an immediate ceasefire to both Washington and Tehran. The goal is to halt the five-week-old war and prevent further escalation, particularly in light of Donald Trump's threat to bomb Iran's power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened.The mediators are pushing for both sides to agree to suspend hostilities and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments. This temporary ceasefire would be followed by a period of detailed negotiations aimed at reaching a more comprehensive peace agreement.Iranian officials have indicated that they would not agree to open the Strait of Hormuz as part of a temporary ceasefire. Additionally, reports suggest that Iran is wary of entering into an agreement that could be violated by periodic attacks from the US and Israel.Trump's ultimatum has been met with strong resistance from Iran. The country's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, stated that peace negotiations are incompatible with ultimatums and threats of war crimes. Iran's central military command has warned of a 'much more devastating' retaliation should the US and Israel escalate their actions.Lawyers and experts have condemned the potential bombing of power plants and bridges as a likely war crime due to the disproportionate impact on civilians. The international community remains on high alert as the situation continues to deteriorate.Oil prices have fluctuated in response to the developments, with Brent crude futures initially falling by $1.92 to $107.11 a barrel on hopes of de-escalation before rising again. The conflict has already led to significant increases in oil prices, which were at $70 a barrel before the US and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February.The situation on the ground remains volatile, with Israel claiming responsibility for strikes on Iranian petrochemical facilities and Iran's Revolutionary Guards. There have been reports of casualties on both sides, including a missile strike in Haifa, northern Israel, and bombings in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Aisling Bea, 42, finally steps onto the solo stand‑up circuit with a 75‑minute show titled “Older Than Jesus.” The title, a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to the mid‑life milestone of outliving the biblical figure, hints at the personal reflections that anchor the performance. Although Bea is best known for TV hits and a stint on Taskmaster, this is her inaugural headline tour. The material draws heavily on her recent “accidental pregnancy” and the ensuing transition to motherhood, offering a candid look at the chaos and comedy of late‑stage parenthood. True to her reputation, Bea’s humor remains delightfully reckless. She riffs on childhood memories of crafting DIY Dairylea spreads with second‑hand “bodies of Christ,” reenacts a disastrous Take That movie wrap‑party, and even masquerades as a dad in her sister’s antenatal class. Each anecdote is delivered with a cartoonish egotism that celebrates her own absurdity. Physical comedy spikes the night: a deliberately over‑the‑top “slut drop” followed by a playlist curated for her own C‑section. These moments juxtapose the glamour‑obsessed persona she projects on Instagram with the far less polished reality of a new mother, underscoring the show’s central tension. In the closing segment, Bea pivots from pure silliness to a more earnest commentary, using pregnancy and parenthood as lenses to critique entrenched gender expectations. The moral—delivered with a sincere, if slightly unexpected, earnestness—offers a satisfying resolution to a set that otherwise revels in delightful immaturity. The premiere took place at De Montfort Hall in Leicester on 8 April, with the tour set to continue across the UK in the weeks ahead.

Progressive candidate Abdul El‑Sayed’s alliance with left‑wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has ignited a sharp rift within Michigan’s tightly contested three‑way Senate race, pitting establishment favorite Mallory McMorrow against a pro‑Israel coalition supporting Rep. Haley Stevens. McMorrow, backed by the Democratic establishment, the Anti‑Defamation League, the Trump administration, and prominent pro‑Israel figures, has condemned Piker as antisemitic and warned that his involvement could alienate voters still reeling from the recent Temple Israel synagogue attack. In contrast, El‑Sayed and Piker announced a joint rally last week, prompting McMorrow’s camp to label the partnership a political liability. Seven Arab American leaders interviewed by the Guardian argue that the attacks on El‑Sayed and Piker are both strategic missteps and moral blunders that repeat the mistakes that cost the Democrats in Michigan in 2024. Michigan houses the nation’s highest per‑capita Arab American population, anchored by a large Lebanese diaspora. The ongoing Israeli assault on southern Lebanon—displacing over 1 million civilians and destroying villages—has hit the community hard, with many families directly affected. "Arabs get the pressure and Israel gets compassion," said James Zogby of the Democratic National Committee, underscoring the perceived double standard. Arab American leaders contend that the Democratic focus on Israel while sidelining Lebanese and Muslim concerns could erode crucial voter support. Data from the 2024 election illustrate the risk: Kamala Harris lost Michigan by roughly 80,000 votes, with some analysts estimating that her pro‑Israel stance cost her an additional 100,000 votes. A Guardian analysis found a 22,000‑vote swing away from Democrats in the three cities with the largest Arab American and Muslim populations. National polling now shows a dramatic shift among Democratic voters: support for Israel’s war in Gaza has fallen to an all‑time low of 8%, while a majority favor an arms embargo on Israel. Piker, who commands a 3‑million‑strong Twitch audience, consistently voices sympathy for Palestinians and calls for an embargo, positioning himself as a bridge to younger, progressive voters. Despite the controversy, El‑Sayed maintains that winning requires dialogue with all constituencies, even those outside the progressive bubble, noting his recent appearance on Fox News. He warned that every dollar spent on what he calls an "illegal, unjustified war in Iran" diverts resources from schools, healthcare, and infrastructure in Michigan. As the 2028 election cycle looms, Arab American leaders caution that the Democratic Party’s handling of the Israel‑Palestine issue in this swing state could have lasting repercussions, potentially reshaping the party’s fortunes in the Midwest.

President Donald Trump issued a stark warning on Sunday, giving Tehran until Tuesday night to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face U.S. strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges. The message, posted on his Truth Social platform, was laced with profanity and a deadline of 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad‑Bagher Ghalibaf, responded on social media, accusing the United States of “reckless moves” that would set the entire region ablaze and turn it into “living hell.” The latest escalation follows the rescue of a second U.S. crew member from a downed F‑15E fighter that crashed in southwestern Iran, an operation that saw American special forces and Iranian troops racing against each other in mountainous terrain. Trump has repeatedly shifted the deadline for Iran, extending it at least twice. In his expletive‑laden post he warned, “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” Financial markets reacted instantly: the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 1.86 % to over $112 per barrel, while Brent crude climbed above $110. The surge underscores how geopolitical flashpoints can quickly translate into higher energy costs for consumers worldwide. Trump also hinted at a possible diplomatic breakthrough, telling Fox News there was a “good chance” of an agreement on Monday. Yet he added, “If they don’t make a deal and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil.” Legal scholars warned that targeting civilian infrastructure would breach the Geneva Conventions. Yale professor of international law Oona A. Hathaway noted that the president offered no justification to reclassify power plants, bridges, or steel factories as legitimate military targets, and that any such attacks would likely constitute war crimes. Iranian authorities estimate that the ongoing U.S.–Israeli campaign has damaged roughly 81,000 civilian sites, including 61,000 homes, 19,000 commercial facilities, 275 medical centres, and nearly 500 schools. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the coalition has destroyed about 70 % of Iran’s steel production capacity, citing its alleged use in missile manufacturing. In retaliation, Iran has intensified attacks on Gulf shipping and infrastructure. Over the weekend Iranian drones struck a petrochemical complex in Bahrain, igniting thick black smoke, and hit multiple Kuwait Petroleum facilities, causing fires and “significant material losses” at power and desalination plants. The most dramatic recent strike was the demolition of Iran’s unfinished 136‑metre B1 suspension bridge, a $400 million project meant to link Tehran and Karaj. The attack killed 13 people and injured 95, prompting the bridge’s engineer to lament the loss of a symbol of national pride. Trump posted a video of the bridge’s destruction, framing it as a response to Iran’s alleged unwillingness to negotiate. He later told Axios that the U.S. had been “close to an agreement” but that Iran’s demand to meet “in five days” was a pretext for the attack. Domestic criticism was swift. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer denounced the president’s rhetoric as “unhinged” and warned that such threats could alienate allies and amount to war crimes. International law experts reiterated that civilian objects—such as power plants, bridges, and hospitals—are protected under the Geneva Conventions. Any deliberate targeting of these assets for bargaining leverage would violate the conventions and could trigger legal accountability for the United States and any cooperating parties.

Elvira Notari—Italy’s first and most prolific female filmmaker—crafted a vivid portrait of early‑20th‑century Naples through melodramas such as È piccerella (1922). The film opens with bustling pilgrimage scenes at the Candelora festival, juxtaposing flamboyant revelry with stark images of poverty, a visual strategy that challenged the sanitized narratives favored by the fascist regime.According to film scholar Giuliana Bruno, Notari’s work was driven by a desire to document reality, exposing class tensions and gendered oppression that Mussolini’s censors deemed unacceptable. A 1928 censorship law explicitly banned Neapolitan films featuring “stallholders, beggars, urchins, dirty alleyways,” effectively silencing Notari’s authentic street‑level storytelling.Despite directing around 60 feature films—many hand‑coloured—alongside her husband Nicola at Dora Film, only three titles (A Santanotte, È piccerella, Fantasia ‘e surdato) and fragments survive today, a loss directly attributable to fascist suppression and the prohibitive cost of sound‑film conversion.The newly released documentary Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence, produced by Antonella Di Nocera and directed by Valerio Ciriaci, reconstructs Notari’s fragmented career by collaborating with contemporary “artisans”—photographers, visual artists, novelists, and musicians who reinterpret her silent‑film aesthetics. Ciriaci notes that the absence of personal archives made the film’s investigative approach essential, turning Notari’s silence into a creative catalyst.Critics emphasize Notari’s lasting influence on Italian‑American auteurs such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Elements of her chaotic street festivals anticipate the wedding scenes in *The Godfather* and *Goodfellas*, while her raw urban tableaux echo the gritty New York sequences of *Taxi Driver*.Beyond cinematic technique, scholars like Cristina Jandelli argue that Notari’s intertitles reveal a pronounced class consciousness and a critique of women’s marginalisation in early 20th‑century Italy. Her use of Neapolitan dialect and unvarnished depictions of squalor directly opposed the regime’s propaganda‑driven vision of a unified, pristine Italy.After Dora Film collapsed in 1930, Notari retired to Cava de’ Tirreni and died in 1946, largely forgotten until recent scholarly revival. The documentary positions her as a “symbol of the right to memories,” underscoring the ongoing relevance of silenced female voices in cultural history.*Elvira Notari: Beyond Silence* will premiere at New York’s Film Forum on 6 April 2026 and tour the United Kingdom throughout April and May, offering audiences a chance to reconnect with a pioneering filmmaker whose work was once erased by fascism.

The Guardian’s weekly podcast roundup highlights a varied selection of new audio series, offering listeners everything from light‑hearted celebrity banter to hard‑hitting investigative journalism.Funny You Ask – In a delightfully candid moment, Mindy Kaling exclaims, “Oh, this is a quizshow?!” upon hearing Ike Barinholtz’s latest podcast, which blends trivia with rambling conversation about topics as eclectic as Chevy Chase and New Jersey Italian cuisine. The show positions itself as a breezy, low‑stakes alternative to the crowded celebrity‑interview market.Assume Nothing: What Happened to Mary Glasgow? – Host Nathan Edgar revisits the 1991 tragedy at Stradreagh mental hospital, where nursing assistant Mary Glasgow died after a patient altercation. Through interviews with Glasgow’s daughter Emma, the series treats the case as both a detective narrative and a memorial, probing whether the incident was an isolated mishap or a symptom of systemic failures.Single Ladies in Your Area – Comedians Amy Gledhill and Harriet Kemsley continue their third series, a witty exploration of 30‑something singledom. Recent guests have included Jameela Jamil and Catherine Bohart, who discuss topics ranging from “mean flirting” to the quirks of a “lesbian louche life.”The Overturn – Partnering with the Future Justice Project charity, Marnie Duke examines potential wrongful convictions, notably the case of former sub‑postmaster Robin Garbutt, imprisoned for his wife’s murder. The series asks whether the broader Post Office scandal could cast doubt on the prosecution’s narrative.Amityvilleville – Host Alex Goldman (of Hyperfixed and Reply All) teams up with Vice writer Caroline Thompson to watch all 91 films inspired by the Amityville haunting, beginning with the 1979 classic The Amityville Horror. Their commentary blends humor with genuine enthusiasm for the genre’s most bizarre entries.

Australia’s recent fuel squeeze is reshaping the second‑hand car market, with used electric vehicles (EVs) now commanding higher prices while traditional petrol and diesel models face steep discounts.MotorMetrics’ live inventory data shows that dealers have lifted prices on a range of EVs, most notably a more than 6% increase for the Tesla Model Y during the final two weeks of March. Similar upward pressure is evident for the Model 3, MG4 and Polestar 2, indicating dealer confidence that new stock will settle at these elevated levels.At the same time, the supply of used EVs is tightening, creating a classic demand‑supply imbalance that fuels price growth.Conversely, the same data reveal that many used diesel and petrol vehicles have been slashed by as much as 20%, reflecting a rapid shift in consumer preference toward electric power as fuel costs climb.Rental platform Turo reports a 70% jump in bookings for EVs and hybrids compared with the same period last year. Managing director Rob Chan describes the surge as a “unique wave of consumer interest” reminiscent only of the post‑pandemic “revenge travel” boom.Australia’s EV fleet is expanding steadily; the Electric Vehicle Council estimates that over 454,000 battery‑electric and plug‑in hybrid vehicles were on the road at the end of 2025, giving EVs roughly 13% of new car purchases. Analysts expect this share to rise further as more models enter the market and charging infrastructure improves.Economist Peter Esho warns that while oil shocks are not new, this one “could very well be one of the last”, as the current price environment makes EVs a financially sensible alternative for many drivers.Petrol prices rose almost daily throughout March across major cities, only easing after a government fuel‑excise cut. In parallel, Commonwealth Bank data shows a 161% increase in weekly loan volume for new battery‑electric vehicles in March versus February, underscoring growing consumer financing for EVs.Individual stories echo the broader trend. Sydney motorist Har Rai Singh, who rented several EVs through Turo to test long‑distance capability, says he now sees little reason to stick with a combustion engine, noting that “people are waiting for petrol pumps and paying over $100 to fill a tank – it doesn’t make sense any more to hold on to a combustion engine.”

Romanian director Radu Jude is known for his wildly improvised and low-budget filmmaking style, often incorporating elements of TV ads, AI-generated content, and amateur dramatics into his movies. His latest film, 'Dracula', continues this trend, presenting a satirical take on Romania's dark past and the country's most reliable export: the legend of Dracula. The film is a meta-cinematic experiment, featuring a smug and supercilious film-maker, Adonis Tanta, who introduces the audience to his cheapo film about Dracula, created on his iPad using unbearable AI. The story is interspersed with set-piece mini-films-within-a-film on Dracula-adjacent themes, including a communist-era tale of a truck driver who falls in love with a local woman. Jude's film is a scathing critique of Romania's persistent strains of fascism, antisemitism, clerical arrogance, exploitative service economy, and stakeholder capitalism. Specifically, it relates to a proposal for a Dracula theme park in the late 1990s, in which thousands of Romanian citizens invested money that they would never see again. While the film may test the audience's patience at times, it features moments of startling insanity and is a testament to Jude's innovative filmmaking style. As the reviewer notes, 'one day, I predict, Jude will make a biopic of political vampirism about the most pressing Romanian subject of all: Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu.' 'Dracula' is set to premiere at the ICA in London on April 10.

Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, warned on Sunday that his country’s participation in the 2026 World Cup remains doubtful unless FIFA agrees to shift Iran’s group‑stage fixtures from the United States to Mexico. The Iranian Football Federation (IFF) formally asked the global governing body to relocate the matches, but, according to Donyamali, it has yet to receive a definitive response. “If our request is accepted, Iran’s participation will be certain,” Donyamali told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, underscoring the link between venue security and the team’s willingness to travel. The request comes amid heightened tensions after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran on February 28, sparking a broader regional conflict. Tehran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli sites, U.S. bases in the Middle East, and Gulf infrastructure. Iran, the first Asian nation to qualify for the tournament, is slated to play all three group matches on the U.S. West Coast – Los Angeles on June 16, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 22, and Seattle on June 26. Former President Donald Trump recently said Iran was “welcome” in the United States but added that he doubted the venue was “appropriate for their own life and safety.” In response, the Iranian team posted on social media that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.” Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj echoed the sentiment, stating, “When Trump explicitly says he cannot guarantee our security, we will not travel to America.” Taj confirmed ongoing negotiations with FIFA to move the games to Mexico. FIFA, however, rejected the relocation request, reaffirming that the schedule announced last year will stand. President Gianni Infantino told IFF Vice President Mehdi Mohammad Nabi that “the matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.” Despite the diplomatic deadlock, Donyamali affirmed that Iran’s players continue training and will be ready for the tournament, provided that adequate security guarantees are secured from the host nations. “Under these circumstances, the possibility of Iran playing in the United States is very low; if the necessary security assurances are given, our government will make the final decision,” Donyamali said, adding that former President Trump’s remarks were “morally and ethically unbalanced.” The World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Mexico, with the opening matches in the United States and Canada following on June 12. The final is set for July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.