​ China is trying to play peacemaker in the Iran war – will it work?. 16 minutes ago. Laura BickerChina correspondent. Getty Images. As the war in the Middle East enters its second month, choking the world’s energy supply and sending oil prices soaring, China is trying to step in as a peacemaker.. It comes as President Donald Trump says US military action in Iran could end in “two to three weeks”, but there is no clear sense yet of how that will happen or what comes after.. China joins Pakistan, which has emerged as an unlikely mediator in the US-Israel war against Iran. Officials in Beijing and Islamabad have presented a five-point plan with the aim of bringing about a ceasefire and re-opening the vital Strait of Hormuz.. Pakistan, which has been a US ally in the past, seems to have won over Trump to mediate this conflict.. Beijing, however, is entering the fray as a rival to Washington, and ahead of a crucial trade talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump next month.. China’s backing on this is “very important,” says Zhu Yongbiao, a Middle East expert and director of the Centre for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University.. “Morally, politically and diplomatically, China is providing comprehensive support with the hope that Pakistan can play a more distinctive role.”. It is also a turnaround for Beijing, whose official response to the war has so far been quite muted. So why is China stepping in now?. Getty Images. The peace plan was drafted after Pakistan’s foreign minister flew to Beijing to ask for Chinese support for the country’s efforts to negotiate an end to this conflict.. His efforts appear to have worked. China’s Foreign Ministry said the two were making “new efforts towards advocating for peace.” The joint statement agreed that dialogue and diplomacy were “the only viable option to resolve conflicts”, and it called for waterways, including the blockaded strait, to be protected.. It’s not just about oil, although that will be a concern. China, the biggest importer of crude oil in the world, has enough stockpiled to get it through the next few months.. Beijing will likely have decided to play the role of peacemaker because the war in Iran jeopardises something Xi covets: stability. China needs a stable global economy as it is heavily reliant on selling goods around the world as it tries to revive an ailing domestic economy.. “If the rest of the world begins to slow down economically because of an energy shock, that’s going to be tough for China’s factories and exporters,” says Matt Pottinger, Chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracy’s China Program.. “That’s why I think when I see China’s foreign minister just this week advising Iran that we need to find a way to end this war, I think there’s some sincerity there. I think that Beijing is a little bit worried about where this could lead if it turns into a real energy shock that is protracted.”. There are already fears that China’s industrial heartland, which serves as the fact  

​ Megan Thee Stallion taken to hospital during Moulin Rouge performance. 4 hours ago. Harry Sekulich. Getty Images. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion had to be taken to hospital mid-way through her performance of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, in New York on Tuesday night, her representative has confirmed.. “Megan started feeling very ill and was promptly transported to a local hospital, where her symptoms are currently being evaluated,” the spokesperson told US media outlets.. “We will share additional updates as more information becomes available.”. The musician, 31, is performing as Zidler – the show’s eccentric master of ceremonies – marking her highly anticipated Broadway debut.. Her hair stylist, Kellon Deryck, wrote on X: “Everyone say a prayer for Megan, we are all at the hospital.”. Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, is scheduled to play Zidler until 17 May, the Moulin Rouge website says. Ahead of her premiere, she expressed excitement for briefly substituting concerts with theatre performances.. ‘HOTTIES IM ON BROADWAY!!” she wrote on social media after her first performance on 24 March, referencing her fanbase, called the “hotties”.. Megan Thee Stallion is best-known for hits including Savage, WAP and Body.. In 2021, she won three Grammy awards for Best Rap Song, Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance. The following year she was nominated for Album of the Year.. Harold Zidler was first played by Danny Burstein in the original Broadway cast of Moulin Rouge, and won a coveted Tony award in 2020 for it. More recently, celebrity drag artist Bob the Drag Queen played Zidler in the musical for eight weeks earlier this year.. The BBC has contacted Megan Thee Stallion’s team for comment.. United States  

​ ‘My six-year-old has nosebleeds’: Chiang Mai air pollution sparks health fears. 6 hours ago. Kelly Ngand. Paweena Ninbut,BBC Thai, Chiang Mai. BBC/Wasawat Lukharang. Tirayut Wongsantisuk and his wife moved to Chiang Mai in the 2010s, drawn by the hilly region’s cool air and lush greenery.. But worsening air quality in the Thai city, especially during this time of the year, have prompted them to consider relocating for the sake of their children.. Two of their daughters have experienced frequent nosebleeds. “I’ve been thinking, maybe we really should move during this time… because if something bad happens to our child, we’ll feel terrible forever,” Tirayut , 41, told the BBC.. Smoke from raging fires have choked parts of northern Thailand this past week, with Chiang Mai ranking among the world’s most polluted cities, according to monitoring group IQAir.. A thick blanket of haze hovered over the horizon when BBC Thai visited Tirayut and other families in Chiang Mai, covering what once were mountainous views. There was a persistent burning smell in the air.. Satellite data showed a record number of 4,750 hotspots across Thailand on Tuesday, mostly in forested areas.. As of Wednesday morning, Chiang Mai’s PM2.5 level, which refers to the concentration of tiny, hazardous particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres, was classified as “very unhealthy”.. The months of November to March mark peak fire season in the region as farmers burn off fields before new seeds are sown. In addition to these are wildfires that break out naturally because of dry conditions in forests and farmlands.. BBC/Wasawat Lukharang. Photographs on local media show mountains engulfed by flames, with some residents likening the blazes to “volcanoes erupting”, according to local news outlet Khaosod.. Earlier this week, authorities ordered the closure of parks with high fire risk and warned that anyone found entering those areas to start fires would be arrested immediately.. In Thailand, those convicted of illegal forest burning face up to 20 years in prison and a 2m baht ($61,100; £46,200) fine.. Exposure to haze can cause various health issues, from itchy eyes and nose bleeds to heart attacks.. Tirayut says his oldest daughter, six, “had nosebleeds, a rash, and an allergic reaction in her eyes, to the point where her eyelids were swollen”.. Benjamas Jaiparkan has sent her children to the neighbouring Phayao province, where the air quality is better, to temporarily live with relatives. But the 35-year-old is thinking of leaving Chiang Mai permanently.. Benjamas, a public school teacher, is especially worried about her four-year-old son, who started getting nosebleeds last year.. “I feel so sorry for him because I don’t know how much more his lungs can take,” she said.. Over the years, activists and residents in Thailand have filed lawsuits to demand government action against pollution.. In July 2023, about 1,700 people in Chiang Mai brought a case against former Prime Minister Prayut  

​ Billion-plus people, three million officials, 33 questions – India begins huge census. 6 hours ago. Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent. AFP via Getty Images. Does your house have a concrete roof or a thatched one?. What is your main cereal? Do you have internet access – or just a basic mobile phone? And how many married couples live under your roof?. These are among the 33 questions that more than a billion Indians will be asked as the country launches the world’s largest census on Wednesday, marking the first population count in more than 15 years.. The two-phase exercise, billed as the world’s most ambitious of its kind, will see more than three million officials spend a year counting every person in India.. India’s 16th census – the eighth since independence in 1947 – will also include caste data and is seen as crucial for policy, welfare delivery and political representation in the world’s most populous country.. With more than 1.4 billion people, India overtook China in 2023, according to the United Nations Population Fund.. Yet, falling fertility and a median age of 28 mean it remains one of the world’s youngest countries, with nearly 70% of its population of working age.. The last census was held in 2011, with the 2021 round delayed by the pandemic and later pushed back further due to administrative and electoral scheduling – the first time the decennial exercise missed its schedule.. Why a nation of 1.45 billion wants more children. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic?. The exercise will span 36 states and federally-administered territories, more than 7,000 sub-districts, over 9,700 towns and nearly 640,000 villages, with fieldwork carried out by enumerators and supervisors – typically schoolteachers, government staff and local officials.. For the first time, the census will be conducted digitally, with enumerators using mobile apps to collect and upload data.. Authorities have introduced self-enumeration, letting residents submit details online via a 16-language portal that generates a unique ID for verification by census workers.. There will be two phases of ⁠physical door-to-door surveys.. The first phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census, will gather information on housing conditions, amenities and household assets.. The second phase – population enumeration – is scheduled for February 2027 and will collect detailed data on demographics, education, migration and fertility.. It will also include caste enumeration, a politically sensitive issue that has long been debated.. AFP via Getty Images. The initial rollout will begin in selected regions, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Mizoram and Odisha.. In these areas, self-enumeration will run from 1 to 15 April, followed by a house listing and housing survey between 16 April and 15 May.. From its origins as a rudimentary headcount under colonial rule, India’s census questionnaire has steadily expanded in scope, mirroring the state’s  

​ Image source, Getty Images. ByMichael Short. BBC Sport senior journalist. 1 April 2026, 00:12 BST. Updated 9 hours ago. Tiger Woods says he is “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health” following an arrest after a car crash.. The 50-year-old was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after clipping a truck and rolling his car in Florida on Friday.. He was also charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.. The 15-times major champion submitted a written plea of not guilty via his lawyers on Tuesday.. That came after a police report earlier on Tuesday detailed his behaviour after the crash.. It said Woods had two hydrocodone pills in his pocket – an opioid used to treat severe pain – and that officers observed him acting “lethargic and slow” while “sweating profusely” with “extremely dilated” pupils.. Speaking about the incident for the first time, Woods wrote on X: “I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today.. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my wellbeing and work toward lasting recovery.”. Woods submits not guilty plea after car crash. 11 hours ago. Woods bailed after arrest following crash. 4 days ago. Will crash shake golf from its dependency on Woods?. 1 day ago. Prior to the crash, Woods had not ruled out playing in next month’s Masters – though he has not competed at a major since missing the cut at The Open in July 2024.. “I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally,” his statement added.. “I appreciate your understanding and support and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”. Regardless of whether Woods was to play at the Masters, he was expected to be in attendance on the Sunday for the unveiling of The Patch – a revamped public golf course he has worked on with the Augusta National club. He was also expected to attend Rory McIlroy’s champion’s dinner on the Tuesday night.. “Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament fully support Tiger Woods as he focuses on his wellbeing,” said Masters chairman Fred Ridley.. “Although Tiger will not be joining us in person next week, his presence will be felt here in Augusta.”. ‘A legend of our sport but a person above all else’. The PGA Tour also issued its first comment on Woods following the golfer’s statement.. “Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course,” it said.. “But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and wellbeing. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step.”. The golf body’s chief executive, Brian Rolapp, added: “Tiger Woods is one of the most influential figures the sports world has ever known.. “Over the last year, I have come to deeply apprecia