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Trial is culmination of a years-long feud between Musk and Altman that has become increasingly viciousThe trial pitting Elon Musk against Sam Altman and OpenAI began in earnest on Tuesday with opening arguments, as lawyers for the two tech moguls seek to convince a California jury of their client’s version of the AI company’s history. The trial is set to feature testimony from both billionaires, as well as some of the most powerful executives in the tech industry.Musk argues that Altman, OpenAI and its president Greg Brockman broke a foundational agreement to better humanity when the non-profit pivoted towards a for-profit structure. Musk, who left OpenAI in 2018 after co-founding it with Altman and Brockman three years earlier, also alleges that his co-founders unjustly enriched themselves as the company raised billions of dollars and grew into the AI behemoth it is today. Continue reading...

Claims system launches months after supreme court ruled Trump had no legal authority to impose tariffsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Trump administration began on Monday accepting applications from businesses seeking refunds for more than $166bn in tariffs, months after the supreme court ruled that the president had no legal authority to impose them.The administration launched on Monday the digital claims system, named Cape, which they said in court filings could handle about 63% of affected import filings, with the remainder to follow. Continue reading...

Wilson denies allegations made by Charlotte MacInnes, who she claims told her about uncomfortable situation with producerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRebel Wilson has been accused in court of hiring a private investigator and having false information published online in order to paint another actor as a “money grabbing opportunist” who withdrew a sexual harassment allegation for financial gain.But lawyers for Wilson insist that the harassment complaint was only withdrawn when Charlotte MacInnes – the star of her film, The Deb – decided to support the woman who had allegedly harassed her. Continue reading...

• Director Denis Villeneuve confirmed production on "Dune: Part Three" has officially begun, with filming taking place in Morocco and Jordan through October 2026. • Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Oscar Isaac are set to return, with newcomers Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler joining the expanded cast for the concluding installment. • Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have greenlit a 2027 release date, with Villeneuve stating this final chapter will "definitively conclude Frank Herbert's epic saga."

Hezbollah says it will not abide by agreements that result from the Lebanon-Israel talks in the US; Trump claims Iran wants to make a dealUS starts naval blockade of Iranian ports after deadline passesThe Lebanese militant group Hezbollah will not abide by any agreements that may result from direct Lebanon-Israel talks in the US, negotiations it firmly opposes, a senior Hezbollah official has said.Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah’s political council, spoke on the eve of talks expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US.Trump said the blockade would be on all Iranian ports along the strait from Monday onward. About 20% of the global oil and gas supply moved through this waterway before the war. Seafarers as well as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received advisories indicating Trump’s blockade would apply to all ship traffic, regardless of the vessel’s flag.Trump claimed that Iran wanted to reach a deal. He insisted the US would not agree to any deal that would permit Iran to have a nuclear weapon. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world,” he said at a last-minute press conference at the White House on Monday.After receiving a McDonald’s delivery at the beginning of the presser, Trump invoked bellicose language in discussing Iran. “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we’re going to get the dust back. We’ll get it back, either we’ll get it back from them, or we’ll take it,” he said. At one point, when questioned about some sort of prior ultimatum regarding Iran, Trump said: “I don’t want to comment on that but it won’t be pleasant.”Talks are expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US. It will be the first time in decades that envoys from Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, will meet face-to-face in direct talks. Lebanese officials are looking to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.There were reports indicating that US officials were continuing talks with Tehran. One official told CNN: “There is continued engagement between the US and Iran and forward motion on trying to get an agreement.” Meanwhile, some administration officials were having internal talks about how a second sit-down with Iranian officials might look, should the opportunity arise, CNN reported.Trump blasted Pope Leo XIV on social media in response to the pontiff’s call for an end to the war. The president claimed the pope was trying to appease the “radical left”. The pope said he had “no intention to debate” Trump over Iran but would continue to advocate for peace. US vice-president JD Vance urged the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality”. Continue reading...

• Fresh tensions have surfaced just as formal ceasefire negotiations between US and Iranian representatives commence in Pakistan, threatening to derail diplomatic efforts. • The timing of new military incidents and heightened rhetoric suggests both sides remain committed to military posturing even as they engage in peace talks, a pattern common in complex regional conflicts. • Diplomatic observers note that success will require both delegations to compartmentalize military operations from negotiation processes, a significant challenge given recent escalations including the downing of a US fighter jet.

The health secretary and the BMA trade accusations over who bears responsibility for the collapse of talksGood morning. Resident doctors in English hospitals started a six-day strike at 7am this morning. Many of them will continue to work, but there will be enough of them joining the strike to have a significant impact on the care hospitals can deliver. It is the 15th resident doctors (who used to be known as junior doctors) have been on stage since they launched a campaign in 2023 to get their pay back to the equivalent level it used to be before austerity kicked in after the financial crash.This morning Wes Streeting, the health secretary, deployed a new statistic in his PR battle against the BMA, the doctors’ union organised the strikes. He confirmed a figure highlighted in the Daily Mail’s splash saying strikes by resident doctors have now cost the country £3bn.We think that strikes cost £50m a day. And so that is, an accurate reflection of the cost of these strikes.What is true is that in order to deliver a full pay restoration back to 2008 levels, using the RPI account of inflation, it would cost in the order of £3bn a year.Let’s then assume that other NHS staff would understandably demand the same. Then that cost would be more like £30bn a year. That is more than the entire cost of the Ministry of Justice’s entire budget for running the criminal justice system. Continue reading...

• India's Reserve Bank of India began its 3-day monetary policy meeting on April 7th, with the decision scheduled for announcement on April 8th, affecting regional market sentiment. • A CNBC TV18 poll indicates market consensus expects no change to repo rates in the upcoming policy decision, suggesting the RBI will maintain its current monetary stance. • The policy meeting comes amid mixed signals from Indian corporate earnings, with HDFC Bank reporting business growth above expectations while Kotak Mahindra Bank fell short.

US president makes baseless claims about fraud in blue states and says JD Vance will lead clampdown as ‘fraud czar’Donald Trump announced a fresh crackdown on “fraud” in Democratic states and tapped JD Vance to lead the charge. Officials swiftly announced a string of arrests in California.In a Truth Social post on Friday, the US president announced that his vice-president is now “in charge of ‘fraud’ in the United States”, claiming the problem is “massive and pervasive” and that Vance’s new role as “fraud czar” will be “a major factor in how great the future of our country will be”. Continue reading...

British Medical Association blame government for longest proposed walkout so far, with leaders warning strike action could cost NHS estimated £300mResident doctors in England will strike for six days after Easter after rejecting what they said was the health secretary Wes Streeting’s final offer to end the long-running pay and jobs dispute.The British Medical Association blamed the government for its decision to undertake its longest stoppage so far, from 7am on Tuesday 7 April to 6.59 on Monday 13 April. Continue reading...

PM Sanae Takaichi says about 80m barrels of stockpiled oil to be provided to refiners – equivalent to 45 days of domestic demand • Middle East crisis – live updatesJapan will begin the biggest-ever release of oil from its strategic reserves this week, the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has said, as the country braces for possible shortages caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.The government last week approved the release of 15 days’ worth of private-sector reserves, amid concern that the conflict in the Middle East will continue to hinder the flow of tanker traffic along the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

• The 2026 March Madness men's tournament Sweet 16 begins Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27, with games at four regional sites: Houston (South), San Jose (West), Chicago (Midwest), and Washington D.C. (East). • The Elite Eight follows Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, setting up the Final Four in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 4 and 6, with the championship game on Monday, April 6. • The tournament features 16 teams advancing from the first and second rounds, competing for the right to advance through regionals to the national semifinals and title game.

More than 30 people face charges after collision between two trains that killed 57 people in February 2023A long-awaited trial has begun into Greece’s worst train tragedy, which killed 57 people in 2023, leaving the entire country in shock.Thirty-six people face charges and more than 350 witnesses are due to be heard at the trial that opened in the central city of Larissa, near where a freight train and a passenger train collided on 28 February 2023. Continue reading...

Britain authorises use of military bases to strike Iranian missile launchers that target shipping in strait of HormuzPresident Trump branded the UK and other Nato allies “cowards” on Friday amid growing anger among cabinet ministers that his war in Iran could jeopardise Britain’s fragile finances. Senior members of the government are in despair about the potential effects on the economy, with experts warning of higher energy prices and mortgage and borrowing costs. They have already begun contingency planning in case the conflict is protracted – lowering speed limits to minimise fuel consumption is among the measures that could be considered by transport officials.With conflict continuing to escalate, the UK confirmed it was now authorising the use of British military bases to strike Iranian missile launchers that are targeting commercial ships in the strait. Continue reading...

Late-night hosts panned Trump’s joke about the 1941 attack, addressed new unredacted Epstein emails and talked popular puppy namesWith The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on hiatus until at least 27 March, late-night hosts on Thursday discussed Donald Trump’s snafu while meeting Japan’s prime minister, his caginess over Iran, and new findings in the Epstein investigations. Continue reading...

On a staff call, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss emphasized that the cuts do not stem from poor employee performanceSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxCBS News is laying off employees on Friday as part of a strategic restructuring announced in a memo to staffers from its editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, and president, Tom Cibrowski. Employees will be informed by the end of the day if their job has been affected, the two executives said in the memo.“We recognize that this is a difficult time for those who will be leaving CBS News,” they wrote. “Because these aren’t just names on a list. They are talented, committed colleagues who have been critical to our success. We’ll treat them all with care and respect.” Continue reading...

Moon orbit program, preceding planned landing in 2028, has been delayed due to fuel leaks and clogged helium linesFor the second time this year, Nasa moved its moon rocket from the hangar out toward the launchpad on Friday in hopes of sending four astronauts on a lunar fly-around next month.If the latest repairs work and everything else goes Nasa’s way, the Space Launch System could blast off as early as 1 April from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The Artemis II crew went into quarantine this week in Houston in preparation for blastoff. Continue reading...

• The 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament entered its first round on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, with games hosted across multiple venues including Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, and Portland. • First-round matchups are scheduled for March 19 and 21 in Oklahoma City and Portland, while March 20 and 22 games take place in Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, and St. Louis, with teams competing for advancement to the second round. • The tournament follows Selection Sunday on March 15, with the First Four play-in games held on March 17-18, setting the stage for the 68-team competition.

Independent committee to investigate safety standards and whether building practices contributed to worst residential fires in decadesHow the Hong Kong fire unfolded – visual guidePublic hearings in Hong Kong begin on Thursday into a devastating fire that ripped through a housing complex last year, killing 168 people.A judge-led independent committee will investigate whether fire safety standards were inadequate, if construction practices contributed to the fire, and if there were failures on the part of government officers or contractors. Continue reading...

A memorial will be built on the site, with final plans to be revealed in May and completion scheduled for fall 2027Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDemolition of Pulse, the LGBTQ+-friendly nightclub in Florida where 49 people were killed in 2016, began on Wednesday, bringing a symbolic end to an almost decade-long wrangle over the future of the building that some residents and its former owners wanted to be preserved as a memorial for the victims.A new $12m permanent memorial will be built on the site, with final plans expected to be revealed in May, and its completion scheduled for fall 2027. Continue reading...

• The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament First Four games kicked off on March 17, 2026, at the University of Dayton Arena with Maryland-Baltimore County facing Howard at 6:40 p.m. ET on truTV/HBO Max. • The evening featured multiple First Four matchups including Texas vs. North Carolina State at 9:15 p.m. ET, with broadcasts featuring prominent analysts including Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale. • Coverage of the tournament's opening night included comprehensive studio programming on multiple networks, with NCAA Tip-Off at 6 p.m. and extended bracket analysis continuing into the late night hours.

Jess Wilson’s party has made a splash on social media but will they work together in the state election race?Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJess Wilson doing bombs into a swimming pool. Brad Battin in a muscle shirt curling 20kg, tattoos on show. John Pesutto throwing a discus, clad in blue jeans. Matthew Guy running, clutching a pink baton.The current Victorian Liberal leader and three of her predecessors feature in a social media video to mark what would have been the opening ceremony of the regional Commonwealth Games on Tuesday – if the state government hadn’t cancelled them. Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve opened a two-day monetary policy meeting this week with a rate decision expected Wednesday, as officials evaluate the impact of surging oil prices and Middle East conflict on inflation trajectories. • Uncertainty around geopolitical fallout is deepening divisions within the central bank over the interest rate path forward; officials are widely expected to leave rates unchanged on Wednesday despite elevated crude prices. • Rising oil and gasoline prices are weighing on earnings estimates and consumer spending forecasts, creating additional complexity for Fed policymakers balancing inflation and growth concerns.

• UAE's Fujairah oil port sustained damage during escalating Iran war operations as the conflict enters its third week, with regional oil infrastructure becoming a focal point of military action. • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arashi denied claims that Iran seeks a ceasefire or negotiations, stating "We are ready to defend ourselves for as long as it takes" and rejecting US overtures for talks. • The damage to critical Gulf oil infrastructure underscores the war's impact on global energy markets and regional stability, with implications for worldwide crude supplies.

Six-day state tour includes visits to Canberra, Melbourne and Hobart and aims to deepen trade tiesDanish royals Frederik and Mary have kicked off their first trip to Australia since taking the throne in the nation’s red centre.The six-day state tour, which includes visits to Canberra, Melbourne and Hobart, aims to deepen trade ties between Queen Mary’s adopted and home countries. Continue reading...