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The Arab oil producer has long expressed frustration with the quotas it has to follow as part of OPEC, the cartel of major state-owned oil producers.(Image credit: Joe Klamar)

• Environmental Working Group study finds 20% of Americans used systems with elevated nitrate levels from 2021-2023 data. • Nitrate poses health risks including cancer and developmental issues in contaminated supplies. • Affects millions nationwide, urging stricter regulations and testing.

Pineland Road fire and Highway 82 fire have destroyed over 100 homes, and are part of large number of wildfires this spring in the US southSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHeavy rain slowed the progress of two sprawling southern Georgia wildfires over the weekend, allowing crews to make some progress in containing the blazes that have destroyed more than 100 homes.Although the rain helped the firefighting efforts, it wasn’t “nearly enough to put the fires out” and crews responded to 10 new blazes throughout the drought-stricken state Sunday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said Monday. Continue reading...

James Sherwin-Smith will be up for election after securing more than 250 nominations to run alongside existing directorsNationwide building society could have a customer on its board for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century after one of its longtime members secured enough support for a spot on the lender’s annual ballot.James Sherwin-Smith will be up for board elections at Nationwide’s annual general meeting (AGM) in July, having gathered more than the 250 peer nominations necessary to run alongside existing directors. Continue reading...

American Lung Association report comes amid Trump EPA’s expansive rollback of environmental protections Nearly half of children in the United States are breathing dangerous levels of air pollution, according to a new report, as experts warned Donald Trump’s expansive rollback of protections will make the situation worse.The 27th annual air quality report from the American Lung Association (ALA) released on Wednesday evaluates pollution across the country by grading levels of ground-level ozone – also known as smog – as well as year-round and short-term spikes in particle pollution, commonly referred to as soot. The report analyzed quality-assured data collected between 2022 and 2024. Continue reading...

• Global private markets platform Moonfare announced a new AI-focused technology strategy targeting early and growth-stage investments for diversified US-relevant AI exposure. • Strategy features curated portfolio of leading growth managers plus direct investments in category-leading US technology companies driving AI innovation. • Aims to capitalize on transformative AI advancements, providing investors access to high-potential startups in the booming sector.

Brent crude drops and gas prices slide amid hopes Donald Trump will succeed in reaching deal with TehranOil and gas prices tumbled by almost 10% on Friday after Iran said the strait of Hormuz would open to commercial shipping, potentially clearing the way for tankers holding millions of barrels of oil and gas to reach the global market.Iran’s foreign minister said that vessels would be free to transit the strait of Hormuz for the duration of the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon struck on Thursday. Continue reading...

The prime minister has weathered the crises – for now – and there is a growing recognition that Australia is too vulnerable to world eventsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese’s fuel diplomacy tour of Asia has already started paying dividends, but the real test could still be to come.After last week’s rush to Singapore and pulling forward a planned visit, the prime minister dashed back to Australia from Malaysia on Thursday, to survey the damage at one of the nation’s only remaining fuel refineries. The hastily arranged trips, were to show a leader on the job; to demonstrate Albanese’s attention to the fuel crisis. Continue reading...

Leaders of Poland and Germany hail Péter Magyar’s majority as a turning of the tide – but analysts say there were other reasons for defeat of prime ministerFor Poland’s Donald Tusk, the crushing defeat of Hungary’s illiberal prime minister, Viktor Orbán, after 16 years in office was evidence that the world was “not condemned to authoritarian and corrupt governments”.Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also believes the two-thirds majority secured by Orbán’s centre-right challenger, Péter Magyar, in Sunday’s elections was “a clear signal against rightwing populism” that showed “the pendulum is swinging back”. Continue reading...

• Jake Paul stated he is targeting a return to the ring in late 2026 or early 2027 after recovering from a severe jaw injury sustained during his fight against Anthony Joshua. • Paul told Babcock this week that he is "finally feeling healthy again" and that his jaw is "definitely recovering," though he still requires medical clearance and testing before competing. • The boxer continues his rehabilitation process and has not ruled out further boxing ventures despite the significant injury, marking his next competitive timeline.

• Selena Gomez attended Demi Lovato's 'It's Not That Deep Tour' opening night in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, marking their first in-person reunion in nearly a decade. • Video footage captured Selena in a balcony seat smiling and engaged, with the pair sharing a sweet backstage moment before the show; Lovato debuted new song 'Lowrise Jeans' dropping Friday and performed with Joe Jonas. • The event highlights their enduring friendship amid both artists' personal and career comebacks in the music industry.

Engine-maker CEO hails ‘critical milestone’ for company in race to deliver SMR technology built at Wylfa plant on Anglesey Business live – latest updatesRolls-Royce has secured up to £599m from Britain’s national wealth fund as it races to develop the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors.The fund will help support Rolls-Royce’s design of small modular reactors (SMRs) at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey (called Ynys Môn in Welsh). Continue reading...

Mo-Rez reduced or eliminated tumours in over 60% of patients and is expected to be a blockbuster drugGSK has revealed positive results for a treatment for gynaecological cancers as its chief executive, Luke Miels, steps up drug development efforts at the group.The company said that in an early-stage trial Mocertatug Rezetecan, known as Mo-Rez, shrank or eliminated tumours in 62% of patients with ovarian cancer where chemotherapy had failed, and in 67% of those with endometrial cancer. Continue reading...

Clarence Curtis Jordan was convicted in 1978 but hadn’t had a lawyer for over 30 yearsThe Texas court of criminal appeals has overturned the death sentence of Clarence Curtis Jordan, a 70-year-old man with intellectual disabilities, who spent nearly 50 years on death row – much of that time without a lawyer.Jordan was convicted in 1978 for the murder of Joe L Williams, a 40-year-old grocer in Houston, and was sentenced to death. In the years that followed, courts determined that Jordan, who has intellectual disabilities, was “incompetent”, making him ineligible for execution under constitutional standards. Continue reading...

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) achieved a $15 billion annual run rate in AI revenue during Q1 2026, according to CEO Andy Jassy's annual shareholder letter. • Amazon's internal chips business now generates over $20 billion per year, supporting AI infrastructure and custom silicon development. • The figures underscore Amazon's aggressive push into AI and cloud computing dominance amid intensifying competition from Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with winning Iran over, although one analyst says they were ‘pushing an open door’Middle East crisis – live updatesAs the world struggles to make sense of what, if anything, was achieved by the ceasefire deal announced by the US and Iran on Tuesday, one major power that stands to win regardless is China.Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with pushing Iran towards agreeing to the ceasefire, bolstering its status as a regional mediator. In China’s tightly censored domestic media, articles basking in the glory of China being the grown-up in the room at a time of international crisis were allowed to circulate. Continue reading...

Mark Rutte praises ‘very frank’ talks but declines to say if president discussed potential withdrawal from allianceMark Rutte, the secretary general of Nato, has said Donald Trump was “clearly disappointed” that the US’s allies had refused to join its war against Iran, following a closed-door meeting in Washington on Wednesday.Speaking to CNN after his private meeting with the US president, Rutte declined to say directly whether Trump raised his threat to withdraw from the military alliance over the Iran war, but described the exchange as a “very frank, very open” discussion between “two good friends”. Continue reading...

• Eisai and Biogen announced positive top-line results from CLARITY AD trial extension on April 7, 2026, with lecanemab reducing cognitive decline by 27% over 18 months in 1,795 US patients. • Drug cleared 59% more amyloid plaques vs. placebo, with ARIA side effects in 12.6% of participants; full data at June AD/PD conference. • Approval could expand to mild cases, addressing 6.7 million US Alzheimer's sufferers; analysts predict $2.4 billion annual sales.

Increased recognition of crime and perpetrators using technology to track victims are behind rise, say expertsThe number of stalking offences recorded by police has soared over the past decade, with experts saying the rise has been driven by increased recognition, and technology making it easier for perpetrators to track their victims.House of Commons library data analysed by the Liberal Democrats found more than 135,000 offences were recorded last year, up from just under 3,000 10 years ago. Continue reading...

Most of the stations hit with penalty infringement notices were in regional NSW, while 23 were in Sydney Ninety-three service stations in New South Wales are facing fines for misrepresenting their prices amid Australia’s fuel crisis – although none are facing penalties for price gouging.A two-week compliance blitz has seen inspectors visit about 75% – or just under 1,800 – of stations registered with fuel price app FuelCheck in NSW, issuing 93 penalty infringement notices, the state government said on Sunday. Continue reading...

Citizen science data reveals early flowering, nesting and insect activity as global heating accelerate seasonal changeBluebells are flowering, swallows are returning and orange-tip butterflies are flying in what could become Britain’s earliest recorded spring.Records for early spring occurrences are being smashed as 2026 looks to be the earliest this century for frogspawn laying, blackbirds nesting, brimstone butterflies emerging and hazel flowering, according to Nature’s Calendar, which has logged citizen science records of seasonal change since 2000. Continue reading...

Tania Warner is fitted with ankle monitor and released along with seven-year-old daughter Ayla Luca after being deemed not a flight riskA Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter, who were held for nearly three weeks in a notorious detention center by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were released on Thursday evening after posting a bond of $9,500.Tania Warner and her daughter Ayla Luca, originally from British Columbia, are both Canadian citizens. Warner moved to the US in 2021 when she married Edward Warner, a US citizen. “Very happy to have my family home … it’s been a whirlwind day,” said Edward Warner. Continue reading...

• Veteran MLB umpire C.B. Bucknor, 63, left Wednesday's game early after a foul tip struck his facemask while umpiring behind the plate. • The incident came one day after Bucknor's viral erroneous call on Tuesday, ruling Jake Bauers did not touch first base despite his cleat hitting the bag center. • Bucknor faced intense scrutiny in the ABS era, where plate umpires are under the biggest microscope amid increased video review.

• President Trump's hold on the Republican Party faces its first major test in 2026 with upcoming primaries and special elections in Indiana, Georgia, Louisiana, and Kentucky. • In North Georgia's special election runoff on April 7, Trump-backed Clayton Fuller competes against Democrat Shawn Harris in a district Trump won by nearly 70% in 2024, where a narrow win could signal waning GOP enthusiasm. • Efforts to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal Trump critic, intensify with funding from Chris LaCivita's groups and the Republican Jewish Coalition targeting his Northern Kentucky district.

• President Trump is considering a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, described by U.S. officials as a complex and risky mission, according to the Wall Street Journal. • The extraction operation would likely require American forces to remain inside Iran for days or longer, adding substantial operational complexity and risk to personnel. • This mission represents one of several military options being weighed by the Trump administration as tensions escalate with Iran.

• The American Meteor Society documented a significant increase in large fireball sightings during the first quarter of 2026, with elevated witness counts, sonic booms, and long-duration events compared to data since 2011. • Findings released March 24, 2026, confirm no impact threats, as objects remain in normal size ranges, though two March meteorite falls were rare types warranting further study. • This unusual enhancement in fireball population highlights potential atmospheric or orbital changes needing investigation by researchers.

Campaigners criticise frequent use of storm overflows when parts of the country were in drought for monthsRaw sewage was discharged into rivers and seas almost 300,000 times last year after the driest spring for more than 100 years and the sunniest and warmest year on record in England.Water companies released raw sewage into rivers and seas from storm overflows – designed to be used in extreme wet weather conditions – 291,492 times. This was a 35% reduction on record spills in 2024. Average discharges were 20.5 spills for each overflow, compared with 31.8 in the previous year. Continue reading...

Negotiations to end funding standoff sparked by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown fail to find a breakthroughSign up for the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.There was no breakthrough in talk to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday as the shutdown extends to almost six weeks with no end in sight.The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that airports across the country are experiencing the “highest wait times in TSA history”, as the partial shutdown of the DHS enters its sixth week. At a House homeland security committee hearing, Ha Nguyen McNeill said her agency has been shut down for 50% of the fiscal year so far – a stretch that includes last year’s record-breaking 43‑day lapse in federal funding. She told lawmakers that by Friday, TSA employees will have missed $1bn in paychecks as a result of the closures. More here.The US has launched another strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people, the US Southern Command said. The command, which oversees combatant operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced on X that it had conducted a “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations”. More here.Progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democratic representative, aims to ensure the AI boom protects the environment and communities, and benefits workers instead of harming them. More here.The Trump administration’s federal housing director Bill Pulte is asking prosecutors to investigate New York attorney general Letitia James for insurance fraud, according to criminal referrals reported by MS Now and CBS News. The referrals to prosecutors in Florida and Illinois allege that James may have committed mortgage insurance fraud. The allegations center on applications made to Universal Property Insurance company, which is based in Florida, and Allstate in Illinois. More here. Continue reading...