Northern Ireland leads surge in fuel prices since start of Iran war
Posted on Friday April 03, 2026

Petrol has risen 19% and diesel 35%, while in England the north has had the sharpest increases

Fuel 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 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.

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Young people ‘more likely to leave for health reasons when in low-paid, insecure jobs’
Posted on Friday April 03, 2026

Research for TUC analyses link between job quality and economic inactivity, as UK youth unemployment rises

Young people in the UK are more likely to leave their job for health reasons and become economically inactive when they work in insecure, low-paid sectors, a study has found.

Research carried out for the Trades Union Congress by the consultancy Timewise charts a connection between the jobs young people are most likely to do – in hospitality, retail and care, for example – and the proportion of people leaving because of ill health.

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Several vessels, including French container ship, pass through strait of Hormuz
Posted on Friday April 03, 2026

Reports say CMA CGM vessel and three tankers linked to Oman have exited the Gulf despite the ongoing blockade

Several ships have now passed through the strait of Hormuz, according to reports, as shipping companies and international leaders scramble to get vital cargo through the waterway.

A container ship owned by the French shipping company CMA CGM had sailed out of the Gulf, the Financial Times reported, citing the tracking data analyst MarineTraffic.

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‘Food security timebomb’: a visual guide to the Gulf fertiliser blockade
Posted on Friday April 03, 2026

UN says record numbers of people could face acute hunger if conflict continues

The world has become well versed in the importance of the strait of Hormuz to the world’s energy flows, but attention is increasingly turning to its vital role in another market – the fertiliser on which harvests depend.

A third of the global trade in raw materials for fertiliser passes through the maritime choke point, which is also the route for 20% of shipments of natural gas, which is required to make it.

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Goodbye mrbrightside416: Google allows users to alter quirky Gmail addresses
Posted on Thursday April 02, 2026

Those in US given chance to have more professional usernames without losing access to account

Did your McLovin!1976!@gmail.com email address seem funny at the time but less so now you are applying for dozens of jobs?

Google has said it is giving US users a chance to appear more professional by letting them change their Google account username – whatever appears before @gmail.com in an email address – without losing access to their account.

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UK social media users less active on tech platforms due to rise of video apps
Posted on Wednesday April 01, 2026

Ofcom research shows people also concerned old posts could affect personal or professional life

Social media users in the UK are becoming less active on tech platforms due to the rise of video apps and fears that posts could come back to haunt them, according to the communications watchdog.

Ofcom said just under half of adult social media users (49%) now post, share or comment compared with 61% in 2024. The proportion exploring new websites has also fallen, from 70% to 56%.

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Coventry City v Derby County: Championship – live
Posted on Friday April 03, 2026

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⚽️ Middlesbrough 1-2 Millwall | And you can email Scott

If tonight’s game is even half as good as the reverse fixture, played back in August at Pride Park, we’ll be in for a treat. Here’s what happened, as reported on this very website by that omnipresent scribe, Mr PA Media.

Coventry staged a stunning comeback to beat Derby 5-3 at Pride Park. The visitors, coached by the former Derby manager Frank Lampard, scored three times in the space of eight minutes for a remarkable victory.

The teams traded goals in the first half with Derby twice coming from behind to go in level at the break before their captain, Ebou Adams, put them in front. But after Brandon Thomas-Asante equalised, Ephron Mason-Clark and Victor Torp settled a pulsating match.

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‘I still have a lot left’: Rory McIlroy on his Masters defence and staying motivated
Posted on Friday April 03, 2026

Northern Irishman bristles at suggestions he has peaked as he returns to Augusta with the same intensity as always

It was an opening which depicted more than a decade of toil. “I’d like to start this press conference with a question,” said Rory McIlroy. “What are we all going to talk about next year?”

The wait was over. McIlroy had not only won the Masters, not only ended an 11-year wait for a fifth major, and not only become the sixth man in history to complete a grand slam. The ticking of all three boxes at once and in extraordinary circumstances was why the scenes at Augusta National in 2025 are unlikely to be matched as the 90th Masters staging approaches.

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