The situation in Iran is coming to a head. The regime has responded to ongoing protests, which began at the end of December, with increasingly lethal force and mass arrests. The internet has been blocked for days, making it difficult to get a clear picture of theews situation. Europe's capitals are taking a tougher stance towards Tehran, while US President Trump has openly threatened military intervention.

Grok AI on Elon Musk's X platform has recently enabled users to digitally undress people in photos. After thousands of posts with sexualised images of women and minors were published, authorities in several countries took action. X responded by limiting access to this feature to paying subscribers.

On Monday, Russia's war in Ukraine reached day 1,418. Putin's 'special military operation' against itseighbour, which began on 24 February 2022, hasow lasted longer than the ‘Great Patriotic War’ - this is how the German-Soviet War during WWII between June 1941 to May 1945 is referred to in Russia.

The appeal trial against Marine Le Pen for embezzlement of EU funds begins in France today. In the first instance, the judges ruled that the presidential candidate of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) is barred from standing for election for five years - including the 2027 presidential election. Commentators discuss what is at stake.