Petrol has risen 19% and diesel 35%, and in England the north has had the sharpest increasesFuel prices have risen faster in Northern Ireland than in any other UK region since the beginning of the Iran war.Analysis of official data shows that petrol has jumped by 19% in Northern Ireland since the end of February, and diesel is now 35% more expensive. The rises are among the largest in Europe. Continue reading...
Cargo of tofu was spilled in highway accident near town of Jerome and left to ripen and rot in the open for weeksA staggering 40,000lbs of extra-firm tofu was spilled in an accident near a small town in Missouri and left in the open for weeks, creating a smell that local officials called “unforgettable”.The cleanup – dubbed the “Great Battle of the Jerome Tofu Monster” – began near the town of Jerome, in south-western Missouri, on 1 March, when a tractor-trailer vehicle with a cargo of tofu crashed off a local highway and plunged into a ravine. Continue reading...
Vice-president received about 53% of votes at Conservative Political Action Conference held in Texas this yearOne of the biggest conservative gatherings in the US ran a poll showing vice-president JD Vance is the top choice this year to be the next Republican presidential candidate.The poll from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), released on Saturday, was taken during this year’s gathering. About 53% of the more than 1,600 attendees who voted in the poll chose Vance, Reuters reports. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, came in second with 35%. Continue reading...
Actor outside Kennedy Center urges Americans to ‘stand tall against authoritarianism’ and resist free-speech threatsThe actor Jane Fonda joined journalists, musicians and writers outside Washington’s John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in urging US citizens to “break your silence” and “stand tall against authoritarianism”.At a damp but defiant rally hosted by Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment on Friday, around a hundred invited guests gathered to hear speakers and singers rail against book bans, political censorship and other threats to free speech under Donald Trump. Continue reading...
Other winners include Raye for video of the year, Central Cee for best hip-hop act and Ezra Collective in jazz categoryBritish golden girl Olivia Dean was the biggest winner at the 2026 Mobo awards, scooping best female act, album of the year and song of the year for the No 1 hit Man I Need.Other big winners at the ceremony honouring the best of black music included Raye, whose song Where Is My Husband won video of the year; Central Cee, who was awarded best hip-hop act, and Ezra Collective in the jazz category.Best male act – Jim LegxacyBest female act – Olivia DeanAlbum of the year – Olivia Dean, The Art of LovingSong of the year – Olivia Dean, Man I NeedBest newcomer – DC3Video of the year – Raye , Where Is My Husband! (directed by The Reids)Best R&B/soul act – FloBest alternative music act – Nova TwinsBest grime act – ChipBest hip-hop act – Central CeeBest drill act – Twin SBest international act – Ayra StarrBest media personality – Niko OmilanaBest performance in a TV show/film – Stephen Graham, AdolescenceBest African music act – WizkidBest Caribbean music act – Vybz KartelBest jazz act – Ezra CollectiveBest electronic/dance act – SherelleBest gospel act – DC3Best producer – P2JMobo global songwriter award – Pharrell WilliamsMobo lifetime achievement award – Slick Rick Continue reading...
Woman pleads not guilty to firing shots at Rihanna’s home while the singer and her family were thereA woman from Florida pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the attempted murder of Rihanna.Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, of Orlando, also pleaded not guilty through her attorney to more than a dozen other felony counts in Los Angeles superior court. Continue reading...
Former MP appears at Westminster magistrates court to admit four drugs charges stemming from raid on his homeThe former MP Crispin Blunt has pleaded guilty at Westminster magistrates court to four charges of possession of drugs including cannabis and crystal meth.The 65-year-old former justice minister appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court on Wednesday to admit four drugs charges, which stem from a raid on his home in Horley, Surrey, on October 25 2023. Continue reading...
British investigators are circumspect, but experts and security officials say incident has hallmarks of Iranian intelligenceMiddle East crisis – live updatesFrom Golders Green, where four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were set alight in the early hours of Monday, a tangled trail likely leads across two continents to Tehran.British investigators are circumspect. Speaking at an event on Monday evening, Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan police, described a “very relevant and rolling threat” from Iran to the UK and specifically to Jewish targets but warned it was still “too early” to attribute the attack in north London to Tehran. Continue reading...
• The S&P 500 dropped approximately 1%, Nasdaq slid 2.3%, and the Dow remained slightly higher on Wednesday as technology led a broad risk-off move triggered by renewed AI disruption fears and weak corporate guidance.
• AMD plunged nearly 17% on disappointing outlook, dragging the semiconductor complex lower with Broadcom falling 7%, Micron dropping 11%, Lam Research down 10%, and Applied Materials declining 9%.
• Software stocks extended recent declines as investors reassessed competitive risks following new AI product releases, raising concerns that automation could erode pricing power and margins across enterprise, legal, and financial software sectors.
Michael Smith, 52, charged after flooding platforms with thousands of AI songs and boosting them with botsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to defrauding music streaming platforms and his fellow musicians out of millions in royalties by flooding the services with thousands of AI-generated songs – and using automated “bots” to artificially boost the number of listens into the billions.As part of a deal with federal prosecutors in New York’s southern district, 52-year-old Michael Smith pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Continue reading...
• Minnesota Timberwolves beat Phoenix Suns 116-104 on March 18, led by Julius Randle's 32 points and Bones Hyland's 22 off the bench amid Anthony Edwards' knee inflammation absence.
• Rudy Gobert grabbed 19 rebounds while Devin Booker scored 34 for the Suns; Timberwolves improved to 7-4 without their All-Star guard, who will miss 1-2 weeks.
• The win keeps Minnesota competitive in the tight Western Conference race, 1.5 games behind third-place Lakers.
Musician, AKA Michael Tyler, faces up to 20 years after entering plea in state court outside Baton Rouge, LouisianaThe US rapper Mystikal on Tuesday pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in connection with a case that led to his arrest in 2022.Mystikal – whose given name is Michael Tyler – faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a state courthouse outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to reports from local news outlets WBRZ and WAFB. Continue reading...
• The North American family medicine services market, valued at $187 billion in 2025, is projected to reach $241 billion by 2030, growing at a 5% CAGR.
• Growth drivers include expanding health insurance, rising chronic disease prevalence, demand for preventive and primary care, telehealth adoption, and integrated U.S.-Canada systems.
• Preventive care segment expected to expand by $80 billion, chronic disease management by $43 billion, acute care by $16 billion, and others by $8 billion from 2025-2030.
A vehicle crashed into a synagogue housing an Early Childhood Learning Center with 140 students on March 13, 2026, bursting into flames but causing no injuries to those inside. The FBI confirmed it is leading the probe as a targeted act of violence, stating, "I can confirm that we are leading the investigation right now as a targeted act of violence." No group has claimed responsibility, heightening concerns over domestic terror amid rising antisemitic incidents. Authorities are examining security footage and vehicle origins to identify the perpetrator.
A vehicle crashed into a synagogue on March 13, 2026, bursting into flames but leaving all 140 students at the Early Childhood Learning Center unharmed. The FBI confirmed it is leading the investigation as a targeted act of violence, with no injuries reported among attendees. This incident follows heightened US terror alerts linked to Iran-related attacks, raising domestic security concerns amid political tensions. Authorities are examining potential ties to broader threats as midterm elections approach.