Tuesday, March 31, 2026

World

US-Israeli strikes hit Iran as ceasefire talks stall

US and Israeli forces have struck Iranian cities including Isfahan — home to 2.3 million people — while Iran continues retaliatory attacks on Gulf nations, hitting a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai port and killing three UN peacekeepers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says war objectives will be met "within weeks" and that destroying Iran's missile capacity is non-negotiable, even as Iran's foreign ministry calls US ceasefire terms "excessive and unrealistic." Oil has jumped above $115 a barrel on the escalating conflict.

MarketIran x Israel/US conflict ends by May 15?42%

World

Israel's Knesset passes death penalty law for Palestinians

Israel's parliament has passed a law enabling the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis, a measure championed by far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The Palestinian Authority has called it a war crime that violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, and rights groups worldwide have denounced it as discriminatory. The bill passed the Knesset on Monday.

Politics

Ukraine offers to scale back Russian energy strikes

President Zelenskyy says he is open to reducing Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil and energy infrastructure if Moscow reciprocates with equivalent restraint. Satellite images verified by BBC have confirmed major fires at three Russian oil export facilities near the Baltic Sea following recent Ukrainian strikes. The conditional offer comes on day 1,496 of the war.

MarketRussia x Ukraine ceasefire by end of 2026?30%

Tech

California defies Trump with new AI regulations

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order requiring California to develop AI safety standards within four months, directly contradicting the Trump administration's push to keep AI largely unregulated. The order applies to AI companies seeking state contracts, giving California — home to most of the world's leading AI firms — significant leverage to shape industry behavior. It sets up a direct federal-state clash over who governs the most consequential technology of the decade.

Health

Vaping likely causes lung and oral cancer, researchers find

A major review of evidence led by UNSW Sydney has concluded that vaping is likely to cause lung and oral cancer, finding that cells and tissues in the mouth and lungs are measurably altered by e-cigarette inhalation. Researchers are urging regulators to act immediately rather than wait decades for the kind of ironclad proof that took generations to establish for tobacco. The findings draw on animal studies, human case reports, and laboratory data.