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Once-hyped, celebrity-backed company snapped up by American Exchange Group for fraction of former valueBusiness live – latest updatesAllbirds, the San Francisco sustainable trainer brand once valued at more than $4bn, is being sold for just $39m after global demand for its wool-based footwear failed to materialise.American Exchange Group, the owner of a string of brands including the fashion label Ed Hardy and the accessories maker Born, is snapping up the struggling company once touted as the future of footwear. Continue reading...

McCartney and her husband faced objections including fears over threat to local otters and ‘hideous’ designThe fashion designer Stella McCartney has been granted permission to build a £5m home on a spectacular Highland peninsula after a three year planning battle over the threat to local otters and the “hideous” modernist design.McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, a creative director at Adidas, want to build the split level property with a turf roof and natural stone walls on the rocky outcrop overlooking Loch Ailort, west of Fort William, 30 metres above sea level. Continue reading...

No other injuries were reported after the attack at a small Bulverde campus, where classes were cancelledA 15-year-old student shot a teacher at a Texas high school and then fatally shot himself on Monday, according to authorities, who were still investigating what led to the early morning attack.No other injuries were reported at Hill Country college preparatory high school in Bulverde, a small but growing city near San Antonio.Guardian staff contributed Continue reading...

• U.S. stocks edged higher on March 30, 2026, with the S&P 500 rising 0.2% in afternoon trading after its worst week since the war with Iran began. • The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 257 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 also advanced amid ongoing market volatility. • Oil prices continued climbing due to uncertainty over the timeline of the U.S.-Iran war, contributing to swinging trading sessions on Wall Street.

Washington-based fund says rising energy and food costs will hit economies worldwide and could leave lasting scarsThe International Monetary Fund has warned that “all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide” should the conflict in the Middle East continue to throttle the amount of oil, gas and fertiliser making its way out of the Gulf.In a stark message that countries on all continents will be affected, the Washington-based organisation said a rise in energy and food costs would harm economic growth this year and could leave lasting scars on the global economy. Continue reading...

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average confirmed correction status on March 28, 2026, falling over 10% from its February 10 record close to 45,166.64. • Twenty-four of 30 Dow components closed negative on Friday, with Nasdaq down 2.2% to 20,948.36 and S&P 500 off 1.7% to 6,368.85. • Geopolitical tensions, surging oil, and inflation fears drove the risk-off sentiment, with sectors like Consumer Discretionary down 3.1%.

• Alcoa shares surged 11-12% and Century Aluminum 13.6% as aluminum prices reached near four-year highs due to Middle East infrastructure strikes. • Iranian missile strikes hit critical metal industry infrastructure, disrupting supply and driving the commodity rally amid the widening conflict. • The gains in metal stocks contribute to broader market recovery, underscoring sector sensitivity to geopolitical supply shocks.