Friday, March 13, 2026

World

Iran War Drives Oil Past $100 as Gulf Attacks Intensify

Oil has broken the $100-a-barrel barrier as Iranian strikes and ship attacks choke traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering fuel shortages and protests worldwide. The US-Israel military campaign is costing Washington more than $11.3 billion in its first six days alone, and the Pentagon has burned through what officials describe as 'years' worth of munitions — including Tomahawk missiles. Iran has struck a residential area in northern Israel while Israeli strikes have killed Iranian nuclear scientists and hit central Beirut, where nearly 700 people have died so far.

Economy

Fed Rate Cut Hopes Fade as Iran War Fuels Inflation

Surging petrol prices from the Strait of Hormuz crisis have traders pushing back their expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts all the way to next summer, delivering a direct blow to Trump's ambitions for cheaper borrowing. Separately, the US has launched new tariff investigations targeting the UK, EU, and Canada — fresh probes that could lead to additional levies after the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump's earlier tariffs. The Fed is also moving to loosen capital requirements for big US banks, a reversal of post-2008 safeguards that Wall Street has cheered.

Science

NASA Sets April 1 Launch for First Crewed Moon Mission Since 1972

NASA has confirmed it has fixed the technical problems that delayed Artemis II and is targeting a six-day launch window opening April 1 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will send astronauts on a lunar orbital flight — the first time humans have travelled to the vicinity of the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

Tech

Wiper Attack Shuts Down Medical Device Giant Stryker's Windows Network

A destructive wiper-malware attack has taken down Stryker's entire Microsoft Windows environment, and the major supplier of life-saving medical devices says it has no timeline for restoration. The incident raises urgent concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities in healthcare infrastructure, where network outages can have direct patient consequences.

World

Nepal's Ex-Rapper Wins Landslide Election With Near Two-Thirds Majority

Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party has swept Nepal's general election, on course to hold close to a two-thirds parliamentary majority — a remarkable result for a party founded just four years ago. The win marks a wholesale rejection of Nepal's established political parties and hands power to a former rapper turned Kathmandu mayor with an anti-corruption platform.