Republicans introduce bill to fund Iran war amid fight over DHS shutdown

• China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi engaged in direct communications with Iranian officials regarding the Middle East situation, signaling Beijing's involvement in diplomatic efforts surrounding the US-Iran conflict and ceasefire negotiations. • The Chinese diplomatic move reflects broader international efforts to stabilize the region, with multiple nations—including Pakistan, Qatar, and Gulf states—positioning themselves as potential mediators or supporters of de-escalation amid escalating military operations. • International organizations and nations are preparing for prolonged Middle East tensions, with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi requesting the International Energy Agency consider additional coordinated global oil reserve releases if tensions persist beyond mid-April.

• The Pentagon is planning to deploy a brigade combat team from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to support operations against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 25. • The troop deployment occurs simultaneously with diplomatic efforts, as the Trump administration seeks a one-month ceasefire and explores negotiations with Iranian intermediaries including special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance. • The military buildup underscores the dual-track approach: escalation preparations alongside peace negotiations, even as Israel continues wide-scale military strikes on Iranian targets including government infrastructure.

• Iran's military dismissed US diplomatic overtures and launched intensified attacks on Israel and Gulf targets on March 25, with one Iranian drone striking Kuwait International Airport and igniting a fuel tank fire, while multiple drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. • Iran maintained its control over the Strait of Hormuz and allowed safe passage only to vessels not involved in "aggression," while continuing daily missile and drone attacks against Israel that Israeli forces said they intercepted with missile defense systems. • Despite the military escalation, Iranian officials remained concerned about Israeli airstrikes that have reportedly killed senior Iranian officials, and Pakistan offered to mediate between the US and Iran as international parties sought de-escalation.

• The Trump administration submitted a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran on March 25, with details including dismantling of Iranian nuclear capabilities and Iran's commitment never to pursue nuclear weapons, according to Israeli media reports. • President Trump stated the US is in contact with "the right" Iranian interlocutors and that Iran wants to make a deal "so badly," while approximately 290 US service members have been wounded since Operation Epic Fury began against Iran. • The diplomatic initiative has sparked market optimism, with oil prices falling more than 3% and Asian shares gaining on de-escalation hopes, though Iran's military dismissed Washington as not being in a position to negotiate.

Three men from Derry charged with murder of journalist, who was hit by bullet while observing 2019 riotingThree men accused of the murder of the Belfast journalist Lyra McKee have been linked to the scene by clothing and physical features, a court has heard.The New IRA claimed responsibility for the death of McKee, 29, who died after being hit by a bullet as she stood close to police vehicles while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry on 18 April 2019. Continue reading...

Independent Office for Police Conduct examining how Hertfordshire police treated three women’s allegationsThe police watchdog is investigating a force’s handling of sexual abuse allegations against social media influencer and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was investigating Hertfordshire constabulary’s response to reports made by three women after their case was closed in 2019 following a four-year investigation. Continue reading...

Ofcom says decision is ‘real win for children and families’ but some users raise concerns over privacyMillions of Apple iPhone customers in the UK will now have to confirm they are 18 or older to use all available services, including by showing a credit card or by scanning an ID.The move, believed to be a first for a European market, comes amid pressure on tech companies from the government to do more to protect children online. Continue reading...

Explosions lit up Tehran skyline as Israel launched new airstrikes but by morning joggers were in the parkMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe days after Nowruz, the Persian New Year, are usually a bustling time in Tehran, with spring arriving, trees blossoming, businesses reopening after the holidays, and people returning to work and school.This year, however, Iranians are trying to maintain a semblance of ordinary life against the constant backdrop of explosions, airstrikes – and a conflict many fear may drag on for weeks or months. Continue reading...

Research suggests hunter-gatherers were feeding dogs and giving them ritual burials as early as the last ice ageThey are humankind’s best friend, and now ancient DNA analysis has revealed that the enduring bond between dogs and humans dates back more than 15,000 years.The groundbreaking research, published in the journal Nature, pushes back the oldest genetic evidence for domestic dogs by 5,000 years, revealing that hunter-gatherers were feeding the animals and giving them ritual burials long before the emergence of agriculture. Continue reading...

Today show co-host appeared in pretaped interview as her mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing for seven weeksSavannah Guthrie, the co-host of NBC’s Today show, has described her family’s ordeal as “agony” in her first interview since her mother’s disappearance more than seven weeks ago.“Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable,” Guthrie said through tears in a preview of the pretaped interview with her co-host, Hoda Kotb, which previewed on Wednesday. Continue reading...

US, top carbon emitter in history, has ‘a lot of responsibility’ for causing ‘substantial’ harm globally, scientist saysThe US has caused an eye-watering $10tn in global damages to the world over the past three decades through its vast planet-heating emissions, with a quarter of this economic pain inflicted upon itself, new research has found.By being the largest carbon emitter in history, the US has caused greater harm to worldwide economic growth than any other country, ahead of China, now the world’s largest emitter that is responsible for $9tn in GDP damage since 1990, according to the findings of the paper. Continue reading...