MIDDLE EAST LIVE 25 March: All eyes on Strait of Hormuz; war is ‘out of control’, UN chief warns

It’s day 26 of war in the Middle East. The UN chief says with the conflict now totally out of control, diplomacy must prevail. Ongoing strikes in Israel and Iran have included intensifying Israeli attacks against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, while some US troops are heading to the region, the Pentagon has confirmed. Meanwhile, Iran has told the UN maritime agency that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to “non-hostile” ships not associated with the US and Israel. UN News app users can follow coverage here.

Read complete article

~	What the historic snow drought means for water, wildfires and the future of the West

~	Female politicians can be punished at the polls for not smiling – but men aren’t

~	Importing queen bees won’t solve Canada’s beekeeping problems

~	Climate change is altering Saharan dust – and Europe is downwind

~	Why emotional resilience should be at the heart of climate change education

~	Why do some people eat soil? From a prisoner’s lifeline to a modern tasting menu, the history of geophagy

~	Lady Gaga says she took lithium after a ‘psychotic break’ – here’s what the science says about this drug

~	Soaring gas prices and disrupted supply chains will ripple out to increase costs in every store and sector of the economy

~	Council of Europe Adopts New Social Rights Declaration

~	Celluloid: the story of the plastic that made Hollywood