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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...

Battlefield outcomes are connected by the sharing of weapons and intelligence as well as the damage to the global economyThe Iran and Ukraine wars are becoming more intertwined with every passing week – to the point that some analysts argue the two conflicts are beginning to merge.Quite how each war will affect the trajectory of the other is hard to predict, but it is already clear that their interconnectedness is drawing more countries into both cauldrons, extending an arc of instability that straddles Europe and the Middle East. Continue reading...

• AI recruiting platform Mercor confirmed a cybersecurity incident from a supply chain attack on open-source project LiteLLM, with hacker group Lapsus$ claiming data access and theft. • The breach exposed Mercor's systems, highlighting vulnerabilities in AI supply chains used by startups for model integration. • This incident underscores rising risks for AI firms relying on third-party libraries, potentially impacting hiring trust and data security standards.

• Fiber AI, founded in November 2022, leads AI startups with 720 monthly searches and +4400% growth rate as of April 1, 2026. • The company's rapid rise highlights surging interest in AI solutions among US investors and developers. • It outpaces 1027 emerging AI firms, signaling robust market demand for innovative tools.

• Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on March 31 that it will target 18 major US technology and industrial companies in the West Asia region starting 8 PM Tehran time on April 1 (1630 GMT), in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on Iranian pharmaceutical facilities and leadership. • The hit list includes Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, Intel, IBM, Tesla, Nvidia, Boeing, HP, Cisco, Oracle, Dell, and others, accused of enabling high-tech warfare through AI, ICT, and satellite tracking for assassinations. • IRGC urged employees to immediately evacuate workplaces and residents within a one-kilometer radius to leave for safety, labeling the firms as 'terrorist companies' and promising destruction of their regional units.

• Finnish quantum hardware company IQM secured a €50 million financing facility from BlackRock-managed funds to fuel R&D and U.S. market expansion. • The funding supports IQM's preparations for a potential US stock market listing, enhancing its position in quantum computing technology. • This investment underscores growing Wall Street interest in quantum breakthroughs amid competition in advanced computing sectors.

Roofs torn off buildings in Exmouth, power lost and homes floodedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAuthorities were still working on Sunday to restore power to communities hit hard by Cyclone Narelle as a popular tourist town remained effectively cut off.After lashing coastal communities with 250km/h winds and dumping a year’s worth of rain in a day, the now-subtropical low again headed offshore after ripping through parts of Western Australia. Continue reading...

Allan Leighton predicts food prices will inevitably rise as group’s full-year profits dive by a third to £764mAsda’s executive chair has called on the government to “stand up and start doing stuff” to support farmers and ease the price of fuel as he warned that food prices would inevitably rise as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.Allan Leighton said farmers were under pressure but the supermarket had so far received “a trickle of requests not an avalanche” of cost price increases from its suppliers, as they were under pressure from higher fertiliser, energy and fuel costs. Continue reading...

• The Academy announced Thursday a 10-year agreement with AEG to move the Oscars ceremony from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood to the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, 9 miles away, beginning in 2029. • The move coincides with the telecast's transition from ABC to YouTube in 2029, marking a significant shift in both the ceremony's broadcast home and physical location. • The Dolby Theatre will host the final years of the ceremony on ABC, concluding with the 100th Academy Awards in 2028.

Dow closed 450 points down and S&P dipped 1.7% while Nasdaq fell 2.3% into correction territorySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxUS markets saw their biggest slump since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran on Thursday as Donald Trump said the conflict’s impact on oil prices had not been as bad as he expected.The Dow closed 450 points down, while the S&P 500 dipped 1.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 2.3%, plunging into correction territory, which happens when an index falls at least 10% below its most recent peak. Continue reading...

Terms of reference are to seek fullest disclosure of information and to produce a report by spring 2028UK politics live – latest updatesThe government has announced the formal start of the promised official inquiry into the violent policing at the Orgreave coking plant during the 1984-85 miners’ strike and the discredited prosecutions of 95 men that followed.Chaired by Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield, the inquiry was announced in July by the then home secretary, Yvette Cooper. The government has since worked on appointing an expert panel to consider the evidence. Continue reading...

Firm’s sales up 54% this month and Good Energy reports doubling of interest in solar after latest oil price shockSolar panel sales have risen sharply since the start of the Iran war, according to Octopus Energy, and households are opting for bigger arrays of roof panels.Sales were up 54% so far this month compared with the same period last month, the company said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Dozens of former Israeli military, police and spy chiefs describe situation as ‘organised Jewish terrorism’Middle East crisis – live updatesIsrael has not prosecuted its citizens for killing Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank since the start of this decade, , a Guardian analysis of legal data and public records show, creating impunity for a campaign of violence.Attacks have spurred former prime minister Ehud Olmert to call for an intervention by the international criminal court (ICC), to “save the Palestinians and us [Israelis]” from state-backed settler violence, carried out with the complicity and sometimes participation of the police and military. Continue reading...

• The Pentagon transitioned from pilot projects to long-term enterprise contracts with venture-backed defense tech firms, exemplified by deals with Anduril and Palantir totaling billions. • Anduril's contract covers AI-powered drones, autonomous systems, and counter-UAS hardware tied to live missions, setting new benchmarks for manufacturing and delivery. • Steven Simoni of Allen Control Systems called it a 'meaningful signal' that startups must prove operational reliability over prototypes.

Fuel retailers put on notice as watchdog promises to come down hard on those doing the wrong thingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe competition watchdog has received more than 500 reports of possible price-gouging at petrol stations since the breakout of war in Iran, with retailers on notice over cost increases for motorists within hours of the first US and Israeli-led strikes.Gina Cass-Gottlieb, the chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), told Guardian Australia she was receiving further information about fuel price increases moving faster than petrol price cycles in the first days of the war, promising to come down hard against retailers found to be doing the wrong thing. Continue reading...

Finding suggests as many as 155,000 deaths, likely occurring outside of hospitals, not recognized at Covid relatedThe Covid-19 pandemic’s early death toll was much higher than the official US count, according to a new study that spotlights dramatic disparities in the uncounted deaths.About 840,000 Covid-19 deaths were reported on death certificates in 2020 and 2021. But a group of researchers – using a form of artificial intelligence – estimate that as many as 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths likely occurred in that time outside of hospitals. That would mean about 16% of Covid-19 deaths went uncounted in those years. Continue reading...

Home secretary Yvette Cooper says this amounts to a third of those who were in region at outset of hostilitiesThe number of UK nationals flown back from the Middle East since the start of the conflict with Iran reached 100,000 on Tuesday, Britain’s foreign secretary has said.This is a third of the 300,000 who were in the region at the outset of hostilities, Yvette Cooper told parliament, many of whom were stuck when airspace was closed. The figure included tourists and Gulf residents who have temporary left. Continue reading...

• Virginia lawmakers passed a bill legalizing recreational cannabis sales for adults 21+ from January 1, 2027, authorizing up to 350 retail stores by 2028. • The framework prioritizes licenses for residents from disproportionately policed areas, veterans, and distressed farmers, with a 6% state tax plus local add-ons up to 3.5%. • This aligns Virginia with eastern states' tax models, potentially generating revenue while promoting equity in licensing.

• NCAA Men's Tournament bracket reveal airs March 15 at 6 p.m. CBS, following conference title games. • First Four games begin March 17-18; First Round March 19-20, culminating in Final Four April 4-6 at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium. • 11 automatic bids awarded March 14 via conference tournaments; at-large selections finalize field of 68.

Closure of strait of Hormuz puts pressure on region’s economies amid growing resentment about conflict started by US and IsraelMiddle East crisis – live updatesAn eerie quiet hangs over Ras Al Khaimah’s industrial port. Usually a thriving maritime hub of the United Arab Emirates, now ships stand docked and silent. Not far out along the hazy horizon, a backlog of hundreds of tankers have lined up in recent days, halted along a waterway flooded with danger.Any vessel heading past Ras Al Khaimah out to the Arabian Sea must traverse the world’s most treacherous strip of water for shipping today: the strait of Hormuz. Just over 20 nautical miles from Ras Al Khaimah, two oil tankers heading for the strait were attacked by Iranian missiles this week, one catching fire. Continue reading...

Amazon Web Services began deploying AI chips from Groq alongside its Trainium2 processors in US data centers on March 13, 2026, to diversify inference capabilities. The move supports over 100,000 Inferentia chips already in use, aiming to cut AI training costs by 50% for customers. This hybrid strategy enhances AWS competitiveness against Nvidia amid chip shortages, boosting scalability for enterprise AI workloads. Expansion to additional regions is slated for April 2026.

The Alzheimer’s field is being turned on its head as mounting evidence points to the disease beginning outside the brain many years before symptoms start. This may mean we have to totally rethink how we approach preventing and treating the condition

Cortical Labs is building two data centres that will house its neuron-filled chips. The technology is still in the very early stages of development