Closes

IRGC reportedly fires on tanker as it tries to pass through strait after brief window when strait had reopened• Middle East crisis – live updatesIranian officials say they have reversed the reopening of the strait of Hormuz and reimposed restrictions on the vital shipping lane after the US said it would not end its blockade of Iranian ports.A UK maritime agency reported that Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) ships had fired at a tanker as it attempted to pass through the strait on Saturday. Continue reading...

• A dialysis unit in rural Nebraska closed after operating at a financial loss, leaving patients without local treatment access despite the state receiving $219 million in federal rural health transformation funding. • The closure highlights the challenges rural healthcare facilities face in maintaining operations even with substantial federal support aimed at rural health infrastructure. • The facility's closure upends the lives of dialysis patients who must now travel for treatment, raising questions about the effectiveness of federal rural health programs in sustaining critical services.

• Andreessen Horowitz has successfully closed a $15 billion fund dedicated to artificial intelligence startups, representing one of the largest venture capital commitments to the AI sector. • The fund targets investment opportunities across healthcare, enterprise software, and robotics sectors, focusing on companies leveraging generative AI technologies. • The massive capital commitment reflects continued investor confidence in AI-driven innovation despite broader market dynamics and demonstrates venture capital's long-term commitment to the generative AI space.

• Alcatraz, a physical security startup founded by a former Apple Face ID engineer, completed a $50 million Series B funding round on April 13, 2026. • The company focuses on privacy-first artificial intelligence solutions for the physical security sector, leveraging expertise from its founder's background in biometric technology. • The funding reflects growing investor confidence in AI-powered security solutions and privacy-preserving technology approaches.

• The S&P 500 fell 1.8% Thursday, driven by disappointing earnings from major technology companies that missed analyst expectations on revenue growth and profitability. • Mega-cap tech stocks including those from leading AI companies dropped 2.3% collectively, erasing early-week gains as forward guidance pointed to slowing demand for enterprise AI solutions. • The sell-off extended to semiconductor and cloud infrastructure stocks, with the Nasdaq Composite declining 2.1%, signaling growing investor concerns about the sustainability of recent valuations.

PM is in Saudi Arabia at start of an expected wider trip to Gulf allies, who may view him as more reliable than TrumpMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe UK has a “job” to help reopen the strait of Hormuz, Keir Starmer has said, as Iranian reports said the key shipping route was closed again just hours after a supposed ceasefire.The prime minister met UK and local personnel at an airbase in Taif, Saudi Arabia, at the start of what is expected to be a wider trip to Gulf allies, one billed as a mirror to his efforts to pull together a plan for how a ceasefire might operate in Ukraine. Continue reading...

• Blackstone closed a $10 billion opportunistic private credit fund on April 8, 2026, reaching its hard cap target despite ongoing capital outflows in the sector. • The fund's successful close highlights Blackstone's strength in private credit as investors remain cautious due to market volatility and higher interest rates. • This deal underscores the resilience of top alternative asset managers in attracting institutional capital amid broader private credit struggles.