Articles about Risk

Merlin could disappear in worst-case scenario, with British isles facing ecological ‘point of no return’The merlin, Britain’s smallest bird of prey, is one of more than 200 species that will become extinct in the UK if action is not taken to curb emissions and unsustainable land use, a study has claimed.According to the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), there is a 20-year window in which decisions on climate and land use will determine the fate of dozens of Britain’s native species. Continue reading...

• A new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln highlights how farmers' risk attitudes significantly influence crop insurance decisions and financial results. • Led by Associate Professor Cory Walters, the research analyzes behavioral factors in agricultural economics, published March 31, 2026. • Findings underscore the need for tailored insurance products to match diverse risk profiles, potentially improving farm resilience amid climate variability.

Human rights group says US is facing an ‘emergency’ICE director said agency will play ‘key part’ at tournamentAmnesty International has warned that the World Cup, spread across three North American countries, risks becoming a “stage for repression”. The human rights organisation published a report on Monday – “Humanity Must Win” – calling on Fifa and the host countries, the US, Canada and Mexico, to take urgent action to protect fans, players and other communities.Fifa has promised a tournament where everyone “feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights”. But Amnesty said that pledge sat in “stark contrast” to conditions in all three host nations, especially the US, which hosts three-quarters of the 104 matches. Continue reading...

Figures shows 42% of callers to Refuge identify former partner as abuser, but only 12% of adults recognise this possibilityThe risk posed to women by ex-partners in cases of abuse is underestimated by large swathes of the British public, according to the charity Refuge.Data from the charity’s helpline found that 42% of people who call Refuge for help identify a former partner as their abuser, a statistic which underlines how common it is for an ex to be a cause of harm after a relationship has ended. Continue reading...

More than half of roles could be hit and young shop workers in particular could lose out, trade body warnsMore than half of retail jobs could be affected by reform to guaranteed working hours, making it harder for shops to employ people – particularly young workers – in part-time roles, the industry’s lobby group has warned.From April, the Employment Rights Act will introduce new protections for workers on sick pay, sexual harassment, parental leave and trade union recognition. Continue reading...

War continues to escalate with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis confirming a second wave of attacks on Israel since they joined the war on SaturdayRead the full reportHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East as the war enters its second month.The war only continues to escalate as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis confirmed a second wave of attacks on Israel since joining the conflict on Saturday. They have vowed to continue strikes in the coming days, posing a threat not just to worsening regional security but also global trade.In a televised speech, Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the Iran-backed group had launched a “barrage of cruise missiles and drones” in a second attack on Israel, targeting key military sites. He vowed the Houthis would continue military operations in the coming days until Israel “ceases its attacks and aggression”.The entry of the Houthis, poses a direct threat to the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, a second major choke point in the supply chain of energy supplies and other trade in and out of the Middle East. With Iran’s near total closure of the strait of Hormuz, a shutdown of the Bab al-Mandab, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, would amplify the already grave impact of the war on the global economy, and could also reignite a Saudi-Yemen conflict.The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran – potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the strait of Hormuz – though President Donald Trump has not yet approved any deployment, the Washington Post is reporting. Any ground operation would stop short of a full-scale invasion, instead involving raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the Post said, citing unnamed officials.Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has told one of the US’s biggest annual gatherings of conservatives that he is ready to lead a new Iranian government and would call on the country’s citizens to rise up when the “right moment arrives”, AP reports. Pahlavi is the son of the shah, a monarch deposed in 1979 when the Islamic theocracy came to power.Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to target US universities in the Middle East after saying US-Israeli strikes had deliberately targeted two Iranian universities. “If the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation... it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time,” said the statement published by Iranian media.Pakistan has said it would host a meeting of Middle Eastern powers on Monday in an effort to find a regional approach to ending the conflict. But the talks, which bring together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, did not appear to include any of the warring parties, casting further doubt on persistent US claims of diplomatic progress.Israeli attacks killed three journalists in a targeted strike on their car in southern Lebanon, which the Lebanese president condemned as a “blatant war crime”. The strike killed Ali Shoeib, from Hezbollah-owned al-Manar TV, Fatima Ftouni and her brother and cameraman Mohammed Ftouni from pro-Hezbollah outlet al-Mayadeen.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organisation, called for an end to attacks on medical staff after nine paramedics were ​killed in southern Lebanon on Saturday.The Israeli military bombarded Tehran with a “wide-scale wave of strikes”, damaging residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and research and educational buildings. The IDF also said it had hit Iran’s headquarters for naval weaponry.Iran has allowed 20 oil tankers from Pakistan to pass through the strait of Hormuz. Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, said two ships would cross per day. The country has been playing a key mediatory role in the conflict. Continue reading...

• A new American College of Cardiology study of over 6,800 U.S. adults shows consuming more than nine daily servings of ultra-processed foods raises heart attack, stroke, or death risk by 67% compared to one serving. • Each additional serving increases risk by over 5% overall and more than 6% among Black Americans, with findings presented at the ACC Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans on March 28-30. • Dr. Michele Arthurs of Kaiser Permanente advises checking labels and strategies like pre-eating healthy meals or pairing chips with oranges to cut intake.

• The U.S. economy faces 'real risk' of recession following four weeks of war in Iran, with major indexes like S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq down sharply and energy stocks up 25%. • Inflation pressures have driven 30-year fixed mortgage rates to 6.5%, up 0.5 points, while businesses cannot expect Federal Reserve rate cuts soon. • Stock portfolios and retirement accounts have suffered ugly losses, compounded by higher gas prices and persistent high interest rates.

• The U.S. government has designated Anthropic's Claude AI model as a potential supply-chain risk amid evaluations for military applications. • This follows Department of Defense introductions of new guardrail policies for military AI use, with xAI’s Grok also entering classified systems. • The move highlights growing scrutiny on AI models' security and reliability for national defense.

Researchers believe behavioral gap, which may hold true across species, is probably product of less fear of harassment in cities Anyone who has lived long enough in a city can tell you – with time, you just stop noticing strange new things. A unicycling bagpiper. A person changing clothes on the subway. Murals that transform streets into tart.Coyotes in cities seem to be bolder as well and less afraid of new experiences. That’s according to a new study that researchers conducted at more than a dozen sites across the US, comparing urban and rural coyotes’ reaction to new stimuli. Continue reading...

• US S&P 500 futures hovered near flat Friday morning as investors balanced elevated borrowing costs, sticky inflation and Middle East tensions pushing energy prices. • 10-year Treasury yield held at 4.41%, pressuring credit cards and business loans, while 30-year mortgage rates reached 6.38%, making home buying costlier. • Spain's inflation at 3.3% underscores persistent living costs; interest-rate sensitive sectors like banks, real estate and small caps face tighter credit conditions.

• U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled in favor of AI firm Anthropic, temporarily blocking the Pentagon from branding it a supply chain risk after failed defense contract talks. • The ruling also halts President Trump's directive for federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's Claude AI, following a hearing on March 24 in San Francisco federal court. • Judge Lin criticized the measures as punitive rather than protective, noting the government could simply cease using Claude without broader actions.

• A new study from Project Viva shows that replacing 30 minutes of daily sitting time with exercise significantly lowers type 2 diabetes risk in teens aged around 13. • Researchers analyzed data from over 800 adolescents in Eastern Massachusetts who wore movement trackers and kept sleep logs for up to 10 days. • Results exceeded expectations, highlighting small lifestyle changes' strong protective effects against future diabetes in youth.

• A measles outbreak in Washtenaw County, southeast Michigan, now includes 7 cases under investigation involving unvaccinated children and adults, with potential exposure at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital's ER on March 21. • The latest case concerns a young child treated in Ypsilanti, raising concerns that ER visitors may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. • All confirmed and suspected cases are among unvaccinated individuals, highlighting ongoing vaccination gaps amid the outbreak's growth reported on March 25.

• An NIH-funded mouse study shows chronic colitis induces long-lasting epigenetic changes in gut stem cells, boosting AP-1 transcription factor activity and tumor growth potential. • Researchers analyzed over 52,000 cells, finding damage memories persist more than 100 days after inflammation ends, heritable across new cells. • The findings from Broad Institute scientists explain how sustained inflammation elevates colorectal cancer risk through dynamic epigenome alterations.

• Anthropic filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court on March 24, 2026, urging a judge to block the Pentagon's designation of the AI firm as a supply-chain risk. • The company described the label as 'unprecedented and stigmatizing,' amid a feud with the Trump administration over potential AI use in warfare. • A hearing occurred on Tuesday before Judge Lin, with Anthropic also filing a separate case in Washington, D.C. federal appeals court.

Fintech company’s profits leap to £1.7bn as it gears up for US push after getting UK banking licence this month Business live – latest updatesThe UK banking app Revolut has said it could face a backlash over its support for energy-intensive sectors such as crypto and AI, as it posted a 57% increase in annual profits.The fintech, which can now launch as a fully fledged UK bank after a five-year wait for regulatory approval, warned in its 2025 results that such activities posed a “reputational risk”. Continue reading...

• Rising yields across US and international bond markets reflect growing inflation expectations stemming from the energy shock caused by the Iran-US conflict, with 10-year gilts rising 14 basis points. • Market participants are increasingly betting on a Federal Reserve rate hike later this year as inflation anchoring concerns mount amid geopolitical disruptions to energy supplies. • The bond market deterioration follows Friday's significant equity selloff and signals potential monetary policy tightening ahead, with the Fed focused on ensuring inflation expectations remain anchored despite external supply shocks.

CEO of asset manager says only a few firms and investors may reap rewards from growth in the technologyThe boom in artificial intelligence risks widening inequality, with only a handful of companies and investors likely to reap its financial rewards, the BlackRock chief executive, Larry Fink, has warned.The boss of the $14tn (£10.4tn) asset manager used his annual letter to investors on Monday to highlight potential hazards around the exponential growth in AI, which has attracted rapid investment and become “central to strategic competition” between global powers such as the US and China. Continue reading...

• All major central banks adopted hawkish stances last week as energy market disruptions reignited inflation concerns, prompting global reassessment of monetary policy outlooks and eliminating prior rate-cut expectations. • U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut bets over the next 12 months have been priced out entirely, while most other advanced economies have begun pricing in additional rate hikes; the December Monetary Policy Report that implied a 25 basis point rate cut to 3.75% by Q4 2026 is now obsolete. • The combination of persistent energy price shocks and hardening central bank stances creates a "brutal combo for risk assets," with the dollar index remaining anchored in the 96.00-100.00 range as USD risks remain skewed to the upside during periods of financial market stress.

• The House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing last week assessing national security threats from PRC-linked AI, robotics, and autonomous sensing technologies entering US markets. • Witnesses highlighted companies like DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics, urging investments in US alternatives to protect critical infrastructure and supply chains. • Subcommittee Chair emphasized: 'Invest in trusted American alternatives, strengthen cybersecurity practices, and prevent federal funds from supporting platforms that put American data at risk.'

• 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.

• JPMorgan revised its 2026 S&P 500 year-end price target down to 7,200 from 7,500, citing rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions as key headwinds to earnings. • The bank warned the index could slide to as low as 6,000 in the near term if current pressures intensify, with 6,000 to 6,200 identified as potential support levels if recession risks escalate. • The S&P 500 closed Friday at 6,506.48, down 1.51%, marking its fourth consecutive weekly loss and lowest level in six months amid AI monetization doubts and Fed rate-cut expectations reversing.

• AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton warns Big Tech prioritizes quick profits and narrow research goals like image recognition over long-term superintelligence implications. • Hinton advocates AI safety measures like video/image provenance to combat deepfakes, noting each AI risk requires distinct solutions amid cybersecurity concerns. • He proposes modeling superintelligent AI as protective 'mothers' to humans as 'babies,' urging regulation beyond current industry practices.

The insects covered its largest area since 2018, despite threats from habitat loss, climate crisis and pesticidesThe population of monarch butterflies in Mexico increased 64% this winter, compared with the same period in 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for an insect considered at risk of extinction.The figures, released this week by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico, showed that the area occupied by monarchs expanded to 2.93 hectares (7.24 acres) of forest from 1.79 hectares (4.42 acres) the previous winter, the largest coverage since 2018. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration designated AI company Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk' and ordered federal agencies to stop using its technology, prompting Anthropic to file a lawsuit against the government. • Major tech firms including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI have backed Anthropic through amicus briefs and legal support, warning that blacklisting an American company harms U.S. innovation and competitiveness against China. • The conflict stems from late February tensions when Trump publicly criticized Anthropic, leading to contract cancellations and raising concerns about uncertainty throughout the broader technology industry.

About a quarter of prison places are unsafe, Ministry of Justice admitsThe government has reneged on a pledge to make all prison cells fire-safe or take them out of use by the end of next year, meaning tens of thousands of prisoners in England and Wales will remain at risk.The Ministry of Justice has admitted it has known for almost two decades that about a quarter of prison places are unsafe, putting the people housed in affected cells at risk. Continue reading...

• State officials are warning that spring break 2026 travel season could facilitate the spread of measles across the United States as travelers move between regions with varying vaccination rates. • Health authorities are concerned about potential measles transmission during the high-travel period, with implications for public health preparedness and disease surveillance. • The warning underscores ongoing challenges in maintaining herd immunity and controlling vaccine-preventable diseases during major travel seasons.