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Beijing seeks to decipher effect of Iran war on US midterms and best way to apply pressure when Trump meets XiThe White House said on Wednesday that China had agreed to postpone Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, as war in the Middle East rages on, complicating the US president’s position at home and abroad.China has not yet commented on the delay to the highly anticipated trip, in which Trump and the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will meet in person for the first time since October. Trump previously said he hoped to delay the trip, originally scheduled to run from 31 March to 2 April, for “five or six weeks”. Continue reading...

• Nvidia announced at GTC 2026 that it has locked in $1 trillion in orders for its Blackwell and Vera Rubin chips through 2027, far exceeding annual revenue and signaling massive AI infrastructure investment across the industry. • Major hyperscalers including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have significantly ramped up investments in AI data centers and infrastructure, competing to build massive language models and prepare for exponential growth in AI workloads. • Blackwell chips have already begun shipping while Vera Rubin is positioned to deliver major boosts to AI training and inference performance, addressing the current AI infrastructure race among tech giants.

• U.S. stocks ended higher on March 17, with the Dow Jones up 0.1% to 46,993.26, S&P 500 up 0.25% to 6,716.09, and Nasdaq up 0.47% to 22,479.53. • Energy sector led gains at 1.02% amid oil surge tied to Middle East tensions, while health care lagged down 0.92%. • Investors await Federal Reserve policy guidance from its latest meeting, boosting market sentiment despite volatility.

Specialist lender’s shares plunge after short seller claims it will have to raise provision for compensation Business live – latest updatesThe banking group Close Brothers is to cut about 600 jobs and roll out the use of AI “at pace” after posting further losses in the face of a mounting compensation bill for the motor finance scandal.The specialist lender said the cuts – nearly a quarter of its 2,600-strong workforce – would be made over the next 18 months across its teams in the UK and Ireland. Continue reading...

President revealed details of Neal Dunn’s health prompting Mike Johnson, the House speaker, to say it ‘wasn’t public’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump on Monday publicly revealed details about a Republican congressman’s “terminal” diagnosis that could have left him “dead by June”, prompting Mike Johnson, speaker of the House, to say: “That wasn’t public.”Trump touched on Neal Dunn’s health during a meandering press conference at the White House held alongside leaders of the Kennedy Center and other top Republicans, in which he also discussed topics including the performing arts venue’s upcoming renovation, his chief of staff Susie Wiles’s breast cancer diagnosis and the war with Iran. Continue reading...

Trustees approve Trump’s $257m ‘revitalization project’ to remake DC arts institution that president has taken overSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Kennedy Center board of trustees unanimously voted on Monday in favor of a controversial plan to temporarily shutter the arts institution for renovations, rubber-stamping a $257m project initiated by Donald Trump to remake the arts institution in line with other grand plans for Washington DC.In a statement, the center said it had voted for “a comprehensive revitalization project” lasting two years that would follow an Independence Day celebration in July with “a grand re-opening to follow”. Continue reading...

The American propelled ahead of frontrunner Michael Kimani Kamau by a fraction of a secondSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxIn the final moments of the Los Angeles marathon last weekend, the announcers were already narrating frontrunner Michael Kimani Kamau’s finish when Nathan Martin suddenly propelled forward, shocking newscasters and spectators.The 36-year-old Martin prevailed in a single stride, stepping across the finish line an almost imperceptible fraction of a second before Kamau and becoming the first Black American to win the contest. He had challenged himself in the final miles of the race to keep putting his all into it, despite physical exhaustion, and finished the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds. Continue reading...

The S&P 500 closed Friday at 6,632.19, down 0.61% for the day and marking its lowest level of 2026 so far, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 119.38 points. This weekly slide reflects broader concerns over escalating Middle East tensions impacting energy supply chains. Energy stocks like Exxon Mobil and Chevron surged over 20% year-to-date, offsetting losses in airlines such as American Airlines down 31%, highlighting sector divergence. Markets face heightened volatility next week depending on oil prices and geopolitical developments.

This International Women's Day, we should prioritise groundbreaking research into women's health, such as strengthening the reproductive system's natural defences, says Anita Zaidi

Teenagers are being bombarded with highly targeted commercial content on TikTok, despite an EU law that prohibits profiling minors for advertising

Early results may be released from Friday after first election since gen z protests forced Nepal’s then-PM to quitNearly six months after a wave of unprecedented gen Z-led protests forced Nepal’s then prime minister to quit, people have voted in a general election that is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between the entrenched old guard and a powerful youth movement.“The voting process has been concluded peacefully and enthusiastically,” said the chief election commissioner, Ram Prasad Bhandari. It appeared the turnout was only about 60%, according to initial estimates, the lowest in more than two decades. Continue reading...

US equities experienced choppy trading during the week ending March 13, 2026, driven by Iran conflict headlines and oil price swings above $100 per barrel, with the S&P 500 closing just 4.4% below its January all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.66% for the week, 4.53% in March, and 2.51% year-to-date, while the Nasdaq declined 0.32% weekly but 3.89% year-to-date. This resilience amid elevated volatility underscores market concerns over prolonged geopolitical tensions impacting energy prices and growth. Investors anticipate continued headline-driven swings until tensions ease.