Including

• The United States is broadening national security restrictions beyond telecommunications infrastructure to encompass consumer technology products such as routers and drones. • This expansion reflects growing concerns about foreign influence and vulnerabilities in consumer-grade technology that could pose risks to national security infrastructure. • The move represents an escalation in regulatory oversight of the tech sector as the government seeks to protect critical systems and supply chains from potential threats.

• Major companies—Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, OpenAI, and xAI—signed a federal pledge to provide their own electricity for AI data centers, shielding U.S. consumers from grid overload. • The commitment responds to exploding energy needs from AI infrastructure, following Meta's Louisiana gas plant initiative and similar efforts nationwide. • Industry leaders aim to prevent rate hikes and blackouts while fueling the AI boom central to U.S. tech competitiveness.

Government, industry and opposition see growing public support for a new gas tax but the industry is fighting backGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe gas industry is mobilising in opposition to a potential new tax on the sector as political momentum builds – including among Labor MPs – for the government to use the May budget to prevent producers profiting from the Middle East war.The Australian Energy Producers (AEP) chief executive, Samantha McCulloch, claimed a new tax would punish the same Asian trading partners Australia was leaning on to supply more fuel amid the global energy crisis. Continue reading...

CMA also looks into Pasta Evangelists, funeral operator Dignity and review company Feefo in latest crackdownThe UK competition watchdog has launched investigations into five companies including Autotrader and Just Eat over concerns they have not done enough to tackle fake and misleading online reviews.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has previously investigated the tech companies Amazon and Google, said its latest crackdown includes the funeral services operator Dignity, the review company Feefo and the restaurant chain Pasta Evangelists. Continue reading...

• The US Pentagon is developing plans for a 'final blow' in the Iran war, involving ground troops and massive bombing, as reported by Axios citing two US officials and knowledgeable sources on March 27, 2026. • US Central Command confirmed an Israeli airstrike killed Iran's IRGC Navy commander, amid escalating naval tensions near the Strait of Hormuz. • The Wall Street Journal revealed considerations for deploying 10,000 additional US troops with armored vehicles to the Middle East, coordinating with existing Marines and the 82nd Airborne Division.

• U.S. hospitals face escalating financial pressures as expenses rise over twice as fast as prices, with specialty margins varying widely amid ongoing challenges. • Ophthalmology leads with 17.5% margins, followed by genetics at 12.8%, hematology at 12.2%, cancer at 10.6%, and pulmonology at 2.4%. • Dipping overall margins signal need for cost controls as systems grapple with climbing operational expenses.

• President Donald Trump named prominent tech figures like Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, AMD CEO Lisa Su, and investor Marc Andreessen to his President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) on March 25, 2026. • The council, co-chaired by AI/crypto advisor David Sacks and science/technology assistant Michael Kratsios, typically has 24 members but currently lists 13, including two women: Safra Catz and Lisa Su. • PCAST, established since 1990 and originating under FDR, provides advisory reports on topics like quantum computing, pandemics, and energy without regulatory power; the current iteration ends in ten months unless extended.

• Morningstar identifies three core stocks as overvalued on March 24, 2026, recommending investors scale back holdings. • Estee Lauder shares declined after reports of Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group exploring a takeover, while Puig shares rallied in Madrid. • The analysis urges taking profits amid high valuations, with Estee Lauder in turnaround mode showing minimal reaction to news.