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• The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on April 8 following weeks of intense conflict and retaliatory attacks. • The agreement aims to halt hostilities and initiate protracted negotiations between the two nations. • Key diplomatic priorities include reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and resolving long-standing disputes over Iran’s nuclear program.

• OpenAI reported that China launched a coordinated influence campaign designed to shape U.S. public attitudes regarding the development of AI data centers. • The campaign targeted a specific large-scale AI data center project in Utah, with a wave of misinformation emerging after the project's announcement in May. • These findings are expected to bolster claims from Republicans and pro-AI advocates that foreign entities are actively attempting to meddle in domestic AI infrastructure debates.

• Apple has announced that the new Siri AI experience will be delayed for users in the European Union upon the launch of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. • The company attributes this decision to regulatory challenges posed by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), citing specific concerns regarding user privacy and security risks. • This delay prevents EU customers from accessing the latest version of the digital voice assistant powered by Apple Intelligence at the same time as other global markets.

• Asian stock markets declined and oil prices rose following a series of military strikes launched between Iran and the United States. • In response to regional instability, Bank Indonesia held a surprise off-cycle meeting on Wednesday to increase interest rates and support the fragile rupiah. • Gold prices experienced a significant downturn, falling 2% to an 11-week low of $4,174.20.

• Nebius Group (NBIS) saw its stock price surge 5% following the launch of the NVIDIA Physical AI Living Lab. • The new facility is designed to support robotics startups by providing the infrastructure needed to develop and test physical AI applications. • This initiative signals Nebius's strategic focus on attracting AI and robotics startups across the UK and Europe to expand its ecosystem.

• Apple has failed to launch its new Siri AI tool within the European Union after failing to comply with regional interoperability regulations. • The European Commission confirmed that the company's inability to meet these specific regulatory standards blocked the tool's release. • This development highlights the ongoing tension between Big Tech and EU regulators over fair competition and open digital ecosystems.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps says it has targeted an airbase in Jordan hosting US forces, as well as Kuwait and Bahrain, in response to US strikes Trump launches strikes against Iran after downing of US army helicopterWelcome to our live coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.Iran says it has launched a missile attack at an airbase in Jordan hosting US forces, after also targeting Kuwait and Bahrain. The Revolutionary Guards said missiles have targeted the Muwaffaq Salti airbase, which is known to host US F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft.The US launched multiple waves of strikes on Iran in response to a military helicopter crash off the strait of Hormuz that Donald Trump said Iran had downed. The Associated Press reported that the Apache helicopter that crashed went down after colliding with an Iranian drone, but it was not clear whether the collision was intentional.US strikes were reported across Iran’s southern coast, on the strait of Hormuz. After more than three hours of military action, US central command (Centcom) said strikes were “completed”, adding that the US remained ready to defend against “unjustified Iranian aggression.”Soon after, Iran launched retaliatory attacks against the US, according to the countries state media, which said American bases in the region and the US fifth fleet in Bahrain were targeted with drones. Kuwait and Bahrain issued air raid alerts and reported that air defences were active in repelling attacks. Iran also claimed it had targeted a US base in Jordan with long range missiles.Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said no attack would go “unanswered”, soon after the US launched strikes on Iran. Posting an image of the strait of Hormuz with the label, “Forever Persian Gulf”, Araghchi says that “despite its defeats on the battlefield, the U.S. opted to test our determination.”Five hours before the airstrikes, Trump had posted on social media that the US “must” respond to the helicopter crash, from which two crew members were rescued in stable condition. Before his social media post, however, Trump appeared to downplay the crash, telling the Wall Street Journal in a phone interview that it “wasn’t a big deal” and that “the pilot is fine.”Iranian state media reported that no air military operations have taken place in the strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, according to Reuters.Lebanon’s health ministry said 11 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the southern city of Tyre on Tuesday. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) had reported the first strike taking place not long before Israel’s military issued an evacuation warning for the entire city and surrounding areas ahead of strikes there. Continue reading...