Iran war drives oil prices above $100 a barrel for first time since 2022
Posted on Monday March 09, 2026

Donald Trump insists surge in energy prices is ‘very small price to pay’ as Middle East conflict rattles global marketsMiddle East crisis - live updates Global oil prices surged past $100 (£74, AU$142) a barrel for the first time since 2022 as fallout from the US-Israel war with Iran continues to wipe 20m barrels of oil from the market each day.A weekend of escalating violence in the Middle East intensified concerns around a sustained supply crunch, propelling oil prices to their highest level in four years and triggering a deep stock market sell-off. Continue reading...

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Britain’s job market ‘floundering’ as companies remain cautious about hiring
Posted on Monday March 09, 2026

Data shows labour market is still in a fragile position due to economic uncertainty, with few signs of recoveryBritain’s jobs market is “floundering” amid weak hiring demand, with only limited signs of recovery, data has revealed.Companies remain cautious about hiring staff amid cost pressures and economic uncertainty, according to two reports released on Monday. They show the labour market continues to be in a fragile position. Continue reading...

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Great Britain has only two days of gas stored, while Iran war threatens to disrupt supplies
Posted on Sunday March 08, 2026

National Gas insists storage broadly in line with levels for time of year despite disruption for tankers carrying LNGGreat Britain has only two days of fossil gas stored after a decline in energy reserves, as more tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) are diverted from their course to Europe towards Asia because of the Iran war.Great Britain had 6,999 gigawatt hours (GWh) of fossil gas stored on Saturday, according to figures from National Gas, which owns and operates the gas national transmission system. This compares with 9,105 GWh a year earlier. Continue reading...

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ChatGPT driving rise in reports of ‘satanic’ organised ritual abuse, UK experts say
Posted on Sunday March 08, 2026

Exclusive: ‘Witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse’ offending typified by sexual abuse, violence and neglectChatGPT is driving a rise in reports of organised ritual abuse, UK experts have said, as survivors of “satanic” sexual violence use the AI tool for therapy.Police say organised ritual abuse and “witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse” (WSPRA) against children is under-reported in the UK. There is no modern-day charge that covers it specifically, but such offending is typified by sexual abuse, violence and neglect involving ritualistic elements – sometimes inspired by satanism, fascism or esoteric religious beliefs – to control victims. Continue reading...

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AI allows hackers to identify anonymous social media accounts, study finds
Posted on Sunday March 08, 2026

New research suggests tech behind AI platforms such as ChatGPT makes it easier to perform sophisticated privacy attacksAI has made it vastly easier for malicious hackers to identify anonymous social media accounts, a new study has warned.In most test scenarios, large language models (LLMs) – the technology behind platforms such as ChatGPT – successfully matched anonymous online users with their actual identities on other platforms, based on the information they posted. Continue reading...

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‘A wonderful journey’: Suryakumar Yadav revels in India’s T20 World Cup win
Posted on Sunday March 08, 2026

Team claim third successive men’s ICC trophy‘We want to continue and never stop,’ says captainIndia’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has set his sights on an extended period of white-ball dominance after the team secured a third successive ICC men’s trophy with a one-sided victory against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final.The country went more than a decade without winning a major trophy, but since 2024 they have banked two T20 World Cups and a Champions Trophy. “I’m very excited by the way things have gone since then,” Suryakumar said. Continue reading...

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Scotland showcase potential to chase Six Nations title and end pain against Ireland
Posted on Sunday March 08, 2026

Gregor Townsend knows how quickly hope can turn to despair but their performance against France could spur them on to greater heightsThe feeling that Scotland might just have the hang of this winning thing continues to build. Playing dazzling rugby every now and then has never been a problem. Meaningful wins? Harder to come by.Perhaps the most entertaining part of the extraordinary win against France – and there were, how to put this, quite a few of those – was watching the resolutely unmoved disposition of Gregor Townsend. As if it was no big deal. Seven tries and 50 points against the red‑hot favourites for the title. All in a day’s work. Continue reading...

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