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Tiger Woods, the renowned golfer, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) after his Land Rover was involved in a rollover crash on a residential road in Florida. According to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, Woods was traveling at high speeds when his vehicle clipped a truck, causing it to roll onto its side.Following the crash, Woods showed signs of impairment and was described as lethargic by the sheriff. Although a Breathalyser test showed no signs of alcohol, Woods refused a urine test, leading to his arrest. He was booked at the county jail and released on bail eight hours later, the minimum allowed under state law.This incident marks the second time Woods has been arrested for a DUI, with the previous instance occurring in 2017 when he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving in that case. Additionally, this is Woods' fourth car crash, with the most recent one occurring in February 2021, resulting in multiple leg and ankle injuries.Woods has been working his way back to golf after undergoing multiple back surgeries and recently rupturing his Achilles tendon. His participation in the upcoming Masters tournament, which starts on April 9, remains uncertain. Woods was also set to unveil a golf course project in Augusta, Georgia, on April 5.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, held crucial talks with senior US officials in Washington, DC, as tensions escalate in the Gulf region due to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.The meetings, which included US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary Scott Bessent, focused on strengthening the "close strategic cooperation" between Doha and Washington, particularly in defense partnerships given the current regional challenges.Both sides emphasized the importance of ensuring the sustainability of energy supplies and maintaining the flow of liquefied natural gas from Qatar to global markets, supporting global energy security.Vance praised Qatar's active role in promoting regional stability and enhancing global energy security, highlighting the robust strategic partnership between the two nations.The Gulf region has been under heightened tension since February 28, when the US-Israeli war on Iran began, resulting in over 3,000 deaths across the region, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.Iran has since launched drone and missile attacks on Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states, prompting regional leaders to urge Iran to cease these attacks to protect civilians.Earlier this month, Qatar reported that Iranian missile attacks on the Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country's main gas facility, caused "significant damage."The conflict has led to an unprecedented global energy crisis as Iran has effectively closed off the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes.On Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed also met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington, focusing on developing defense and security collaboration amid regional challenges.The Qatari Cabinet has condemned Iranian attacks on Qatar and its neighbors, calling for an immediate halt to these actions.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil exports, has seen its traffic plunge by over 95 percent since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran. This disruption has led to a significant increase in pressure on oil and gas markets, with 20 percent of the world's oil and gas typically passing through the strait.To mitigate the impact of the strait's closure, countries in the Middle East are turning to alternative routes for energy exports. Three major pipelines in the region are being explored as potential solutions:Saudi Arabia's East-West PipelineThe East-West Pipeline, also known as the Petroline, is operated by Saudi oil giant Aramco. With a capacity of 7 million barrels per day (bpd), the pipeline runs from the Abqaiq oil processing centre to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea. However, it currently only has the capacity to supply 5 million bpd for exports.UAE's Abu Dhabi Crude Oil PipelineThe Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, also called the ADCOP or Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, has a capacity of 1.5 million bpd. Oil exports from Fujairah have risen in the past month, averaging 1.62 million bpd in March compared to 1.17 million bpd in February.Iraq-Turkiye Crude Oil PipelineThe Iraq-Turkiye Crude Oil Pipeline, also called the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Pipeline, has a capacity of 1.6 million bpd but currently only carries around 200,000 bpd. Iraq is among the top five global producers of oil and the second largest within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).Can these pipelines replace the Strait of Hormuz?While these pipelines can take on some of the capacity of Hormuz, their combined capacity is only around 9 million bpd, compared to 20 million bpd for the strait. Additionally, these pipelines are land-based and vulnerable to attacks and damage in the ongoing conflict.

House Republicans have shot down a bill passed by the Senate that would have resumed funding for federal agencies tasked with airport screenings, exacerbating a standoff that has resulted in chaos at airports as workers go without pay.In the early hours of Friday morning, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that would finance most agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the US Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).However, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed he would not bring the Senate-passed bill to the floor for a vote, slamming it as a “joke”. Johnson suggested that the House could advance its own bill fully funding all DHS agencies for two months.President Donald Trump signed an executive memo directing DHS to work with the White House budget director to find a way to pay TSA employees, who have gone without pay since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February.“America’s air travel system has reached its breaking point. This is an unprecedented emergency situation,” Trump wrote in the memo, blaming the impasse on Democrats.Democratic lawmakers have slammed Republicans for rejecting bills that would ensure that TSA employees are paid while continuing to withhold additional funds from immigration enforcement.

Islamabad has re‑emerged as a pivotal conduit between Washington and Tehran, delivering a U.S. 15‑point cease‑fire proposal on March 25, 2026, as the US‑Israeli campaign against Iran enters its second month. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Pakistan is transmitting the proposal, with Turkey and Egypt offering additional diplomatic backing. Chief US negotiator Steve Witkoff later verified Pakistan’s role as a messenger, and President Donald Trump announced a 10‑day pause on planned strikes against Iranian power plants, citing a request from Tehran. Iran has denied direct talks, yet the pause marks the second deferment of Trump’s original threat, underscoring Pakistan’s function as a key diplomatic facilitator in a high‑stakes conflict. The pattern is not new. In August 1969, President Nixon tasked Pakistan’s military ruler Yahya Khan with opening a channel to Beijing. Two years later, a secret flight carried U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger from Islamabad to China, paving the way for Nixon’s historic 1972 visit and the eventual U.S. recognition of the People’s Republic of China. Analysts note that Pakistan’s unique position—maintaining working ties with both Washington and Beijing—made it the only trusted intermediary capable of handling such a sensitive mission, a view echoed by former ambassador Masood Khan. Beyond the Cold‑War episode, Pakistan has repeatedly leveraged its geography and Muslim‑world connections. It served as the primary conduit for U.S., Saudi and Chinese support to the Afghan mujahideen in the 1980s, helped broker the 1988 Geneva Accords that ended the Soviet occupation, and hosted the 2015 Murree talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. During the 2020 Doha Agreement, Pakistani pressure on the Taliban was cited by U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad as instrumental, though the rapid U.S. withdrawal and subsequent Taliban takeover left Pakistan’s long‑term interests ambiguous. Efforts to mediate Saudi‑Iran tensions have been less fruitful. In 2016, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s shuttle diplomacy failed to produce a formal agreement, and a 2019 outreach by Prime Minister Imran Khan, prompted by President Trump, yielded no concrete outcome. When China facilitated the 2023 Saudi‑Iran rapprochement, Pakistan’s foreign office claimed it had laid the groundwork, but analysts still view the result as a Chinese‑led success. Pakistan’s brief 2005 overture to Israel, led by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, similarly collapsed under domestic opposition, illustrating the limits of its diplomatic reach when internal politics intervene. Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury—the US‑Israeli air campaign that began in late February 2026 and resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—Pakistan’s leadership has intensified back‑channel activity. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has held multiple calls with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, while Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke directly with President Trump. Both officials have also visited Saudi Arabia, where Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact in September 2025. Former ambassador Naghmana Hashmi observes that Pakistan’s diplomatic narrative is often eclipsed by conflict, yet a “quieter, more consistent thread” persists: the state’s effort to turn its strategic location and Muslim‑world ties into a lever for peace. Whether the current cease‑fire talks will yield a durable settlement remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that Pakistan enjoys a rare blend of trust from Washington, Tehran and Gulf capitals—a leverage few regional actors possess.

Russia has officially designated Pavel Talankin, the main protagonist of the Oscar-winning documentary 'Mr Nobody Against Putin', as a 'foreign agent'. This move comes after Talankin, a teacher and videographer, spent two years documenting pro-war propaganda at a school in the Chelyabinsk region of west-central Russia.Talankin, in collaboration with US director David Borenstein, won the Best Documentary award at the Academy Awards earlier this month. The documentary features footage Talankin smuggled out of Russia in 2024, showcasing how students were exposed to pro-war messaging.A Russian court recently banned the documentary from several streaming platforms, citing that it promoted 'negative attitudes' about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities have sought to suppress opposition to the war and rally support among citizens.As a 'foreign agent', Talankin is subject to stringent bureaucratic requirements and income restrictions in Russia. He is also obligated to label his social media posts and publications with the 'foreign agent' designation.In his Oscar acceptance speech on March 15, 2026, Talankin urged an end to global conflicts, stating, 'Stop all of these wars now'. The documentary has sparked controversy, with some Russians opposing Putin and the war criticizing Talankin for filming colleagues and children without consent.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has issued a grave warning that Lebanon faces the threat of a humanitarian catastrophe as Israel continues its weeks-long bombardment and expands ground operations across the country.UNHCR's Lebanon representative Karolina Lindholm Billing reported that Israeli strikes and forced displacement orders have affected people throughout Lebanon, from the southern regions to the Bekaa Valley, Beirut, and northern areas. More than 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes since Israel's intensified attacks began in early March, according to UN figures."The situation remains extremely worrying and the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe ... is real," Lindholm Billing stated during a briefing in Geneva. She emphasized that Lebanon's overstretched shelter system is struggling to meet the growing needs of displaced families.The UN representative highlighted particularly concerning developments, including strikes on central Beirut's densely populated neighborhoods where many had sought refuge in collective shelters. "The families are ... living in constant fear, and the psychological toll, particularly on children, will last far beyond this current escalation," she added.Israel launched its intensified attacks against Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israeli territory following the February 28 assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israel war on Iran. The Israeli military has since conducted aerial and ground operations across Lebanon while issuing mass forced displacement orders for residents of southern areas and several Beirut suburbs.On Friday, the Israeli military announced air strikes on Beirut and issued new displacement orders for neighborhoods including Haret Hreik and Burj al-Barajneh. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has continued rocket attacks into northern Israel and confrontations with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.Rights groups have strongly condemned Israel's expanded operations, with Human Rights Watch warning that preventing Lebanese civilians from returning to their homes in the south may constitute the war crime of forced displacement. "Israel's tactics of mass expulsion in Lebanon raise serious risks of forced displacement," the organization stated. "Forced displacement and collective punishment are war crimes."International concerns have been further heightened by the Israeli military's destruction of civilian homes and several bridges connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country. "The destruction of key bridges in the south has cut off entire districts ... isolating over 150,000 people and severely limiting humanitarian access," Lindholm Billing explained.As the crisis deepens, Lebanon's government faces mounting challenges in responding to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, with evacuation orders now extending to areas previously considered safe, exacerbating panic among the civilian population.

Israel has confirmed that it has struck a uranium processing facility in the central Iranian city of Yazd, in an escalatory move that comes as regional diplomats have been attempting to broker an agreement to halt the joint US-Israeli war on Iran.The Israeli Air Force said it hit a plant used to extract raw materials essential to the uranium enrichment process, describing it as a 'unique facility' in Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the strike, but said there were no casualties or radiation leaks.A projectile also hit near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said. The attack caused 'no casualties, financial, or technical damage,' the organisation said.Friday marked day 28 of the conflict, and the assault by the Israeli army was part of a broad wave of attacks on sites across the country. The Khondab Heavy Water Complex in central Iran was hit, as well as two major steel plants: the Khuzestan Steel facility and the Mobarakeh Steel complex in Isfahan.Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran will 'exact heavy price' for Israeli attacks on several important infrastructure sites. 'Israel has hit 2 of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure,' said Araghchi in a post on X.Strikes also hit areas in and around Tehran, the city of Kashan and Ahwaz, while 18 people were killed in Qom. More than 1,900 people have been killed in US-Israeli attacks on Iran since the war began on February 28.Iranian officials said US-Israeli strikes have damaged at least 120 museums and historical sites across the country since hostilities began.Negar Mortazavi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, told Al Jazeera that even Iranians who had been critical of their own government increasingly view the war as an assault on the Iranian people rather than its leadership, saying the targeting of water, electricity, gas, cultural heritage, schools and hospitals was 'unacceptable.'Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would 'intensify' its campaign and expand the range of sites it targets, accusing Tehran of deliberately directing missiles at Israeli civilians.

Tiger Woods, the renowned golf legend, was involved in a rollover crash on Jupiter Island in Florida on March 27, 2026. The incident occurred just after 2 pm local time when Woods was driving on a two-lane road. According to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck but swerved to avoid a collision, clipping the back end of the truck's trailer. This caused his Land Rover to roll onto its driver's side. Fortunately, neither Woods nor the person in the other vehicle sustained significant injuries. Woods managed to crawl out of the passenger side of his vehicle. Investigators found Woods to be showing signs of impairment at the scene. He underwent a breathalyser test, which came out negative, but refused to take a urine test. As a result, Woods was charged with driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, both of which are misdemeanours. This incident marks at least the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash. In 2017, he was arrested on a DUI charge in South Florida after police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car, which was parked awkwardly with damage to the driver's side. Woods attributed the incident to a bad mix of painkillers and later pleaded guilty to reckless driving. In February 2021, his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at high speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries, with doctors even considering amputation. Despite these challenges, Woods has continued to be involved in golf. He won his fifth Masters and 15th major in 2019 and has 82 wins on the PGA Tour, tied for the all-time record with Sam Snead. Woods, 50, has been working his way back to golf after undergoing a seventh back surgery in September 2025. He recently participated in his indoor TGL golf league and has been deeply involved in PGA Tour affairs as chairman of the Future Competition Committee. Woods is also facing a decision on whether to become the US Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland. The PGA of America is expecting a decision soon, as the previous captaincy offer was declined until June.