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The deadly conflict in Iran has precipitated what the International Energy Agency describes as the worst oil crisis in history, creating a complex situation for global clean energy efforts. While climate advocates are calling for accelerated transition away from fossil fuels, the war simultaneously presents both opportunities and significant challenges for renewable energy development.US-Israeli strikes on Iran have critically disrupted supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime channel through which 20% of global oil flows. The conflict has also seen direct attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure by all parties involved, creating additional market shocks and uncertainty.Interestingly, reduced reliance on oil and gas is proving beneficial for some regions navigating the ongoing fuel crisis. As Jan Rosenow, a professor of energy at Oxford University, explains: Electricity generated from wind and solar is largely insulated from fossil fuel price volatility – once built, the fuel is free.Countries with substantial renewable energy investments are demonstrating greater resilience. Spain and Portugal have witnessed electricity prices decline in recent weeks, while Pakistan has experienced a surge in rooftop solar installations over the past five years, helping the nation weather oil and gas market disruptions.The electric vehicle revolution is also providing some economies with protection against gasoline price increases. In China, more than 50% of all new cars sold are electric, while in Nepal, that figure reaches an impressive 70%.However, the war is creating near-term challenges that could impede clean energy growth. The conflict has disrupted transport routes for metals essential in solar panel construction, particularly aluminum. The Middle East accounts for approximately 9% of global aluminum production, and regional producers have begun scaling back operations amid the hostilities.Furthermore, the inflationary pressures stemming from the conflict pose significant hurdles for renewable energy projects, which require substantial upfront investment for construction, equipment, and installation.Paradoxically, the war and resulting energy shocks have provided a short-term boon for fossil fuels, including coal. Many Asian countries heavily reliant on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) are burning more coal to meet energy demand as LNG supplies through the Strait of Hormuz become constrained.The conflict has also incentivized increased oil and gas drilling and exploration, as countries scramble to replace disrupted LNG supplies and higher prices make previously unviable projects economically viable. US company Venture Global recently announced a new five-year contract to supply LNG, while Canadian energy company TC Energy indicated that Iran war disruptions are increasing the likelihood of expanding a massive LNG export facility.The Trump administration has further incentivized oil expansion, recently announcing plans to pay a French company $1 billion to abandon offshore wind farm projects in favor of fossil fuel initiatives.Experts propose various policy responses to encourage the green transition during this crisis. Rosenow advocates for tax reform to reduce the disproportionate burden on electricity compared to gas. Professor Gregor Semieniuk suggests imposing windfall taxes on oil and gas companies during the war, while Lauren Pagel of Earthworks calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and making polluters pay for their environmental impact.Despite the current challenges, Kingsmill Bond, a strategist for the energy thinktank Ember, maintains that this crisis could ultimately accelerate the clean energy transition: This is the first oil shock in history where oil faces a superior alternative. Solar, wind and EV are cheaper, local, faster to deploy, and huge.

Google has issued a warning that quantum computers could potentially break most existing encryption systems by 2029, posing a significant threat to current cryptographic standards. The tech giant is urging banks, governments, and technology providers to prepare for this emerging threat.In a blog post, Google stated that the encryption currently used to keep information confidential and secure could easily be broken by a large-scale quantum computer in the coming years. The company, owned by Alphabet, emphasized the need for post-quantum cryptography migration to protect sensitive data.While quantum computers are still a nascent technology, Google, Microsoft, and universities across the UK and the US are actively building systems that harness the physics of quantum mechanics to perform extremely sophisticated mathematical calculations. However, constructing a powerful quantum computer with hundreds of thousands or even millions of stable qubits remains a significant technological challenge.Leonie Mueck, formerly the chief product officer of Riverlane, a Cambridge-based quantum startup, noted that Google's statement does not necessarily mean a working quantum computer capable of breaking encryption will definitely exist by 2029. Most timelines for a cryptographically relevant quantum computer range from the 2030s to the 2050s.Despite this, governments and organizations are already preparing for the eventuality that data stored to today's encryption standards would be exposed when the technology sufficiently advances. The UK's cybersecurity agency, the National Cyber Security Centre, has urged organizations to guard their systems against quantum hackers by 2035.Google's timeline suggests that engineering teams across the technology industry should consider measures to protect sensitive data by migrating to more advanced encryption systems now. Certain kinds of attacks predicated on the future availability of quantum decryption – “store now, decrypt later” – may currently be being deployed across the field.

The Co-op Group has announced that its chief executive, Shirine Khoury-Haq, will step down this weekend after a challenging year that included a cyber-attack and recent claims of a “toxic” culture at the business.Khoury-Haq will depart on 29 March, and Kate Allum, a board member and former boss of the dairy group First Milk, will step in as interim boss while a permanent replacement is sought.The company, which owns more than 800 funeral parlours and an insurance and legal advisory business, as well as operating more than 2,000 convenience stores, reported an underlying loss of £125m. This is a significant drop from a £45m profit the year before, largely due to a £107m profits hit from the damaging IT hack.Khoury-Haq denied that her resignation was linked to the allegations of a toxic culture, stating that her decision to leave was a personal one. She expressed her desire to “go and do something else”.Sales at Co-op fell 2.3% to £11bn in the year to 3 January, following the mutual’s shops being left with gaps on shelves after the cyber-attack, which knocked £285m off sales.The group cited a “contracting convenience market” and “layered cost headwinds” of about £150m during the year, due to increases in employers’ national insurance, pay and packaging taxes.Khoury-Haq’s departure comes a month after reports of concerns about the culture at the top of the group. In February, the Co-op defended the behaviour of its bosses after reports said senior managers had complained of a “toxic” environment at the retailer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning about a health crisis unfolding in real time across the Middle East, emphasizing the urgent need for a complete cessation of hostilities to mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe.Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the WHO's regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, stressed that hospitals and healthcare facilities must be treated as safe havens to protect patients and healthcare workers. The region, encompassing 22 countries and territories including Iran, Gulf states, Gaza, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, is facing severe disruptions in healthcare services due to the ongoing conflicts.The violence has resulted in significant loss of life and displacement, with over 1,000 people killed in Lebanon, 1,500 in Iran, and 16 in Israel, alongside reports of numerous deaths in the West Bank and Gulf Arab states. Moreover, 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran and over 1 million in Lebanon within a month, exacerbating the crisis.Balkhy expressed deep concern about the long-term impacts on maternal mortality, mental health, and the plight of orphaned children left without education. The WHO has verified dozens of attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon, Iran, and Israel since the conflict began, including a recent attack on a hospital in Sudan that killed at least 70 people.The organization is also preparing for potential attacks on nuclear sites and water desalination plants, which could have catastrophic health repercussions. Balkhy urged for a significant de-escalation or a permanent pause in hostilities to prevent further humanitarian disaster.

The conflict in Sudan continues to intensify, with two drone strikes resulting in the deaths of at least 28 civilians. The strikes occurred in separate locations, with one hitting a market in Saraf Omra, North Darfur state, killing 22 people, including an infant, and injuring 17 others. Another strike targeted a truck carrying civilians on a highway in North Kordofan, approximately 500 miles east of Darfur, killing six people and wounding 10. The RSF was blamed for the attack, although it is unclear which side launched the drone. Sudan's civil war, which began on April 15, 2023, has led to over 11.6 million people being displaced out of a population of about 51 million. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands to potentially over 400,000 deaths. The situation has been described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with large areas of the country at risk of famine. The UN has reported a significant increase in civilian deaths from drone strikes this year, particularly in the Kordofan region. Between January 1 and March 15, over 500 people were killed by drones. A recent drone strike on a hospital in East Darfur killed 64 people and wounded 89, according to the World Health Organization.

Sir Paul Marshall, the co-owner of GB News and a self-described 'committed' Christian, has been criticized by a group of 100 church leaders over the TV channel's attacks on climate science and action. The leaders, including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, argue that Marshall's statements on climate change are misleading and that his hedge fund's £1.8bn investments in fossil fuels present a conflict of interest.Marshall has stated that the UK has been infected by 'climate derangement syndrome' and that efforts to cut planet-heating emissions are 'impoverishing people.' In response, the church leaders emphasized that 100% of global heating since 1950 has been caused by human emissions and activities, according to the world's climate scientists. They also noted that decarbonization is a huge growth opportunity that will save trillions of dollars in the long term.The leaders, in an open letter, urged Marshall to be transparent about any personal conflicts of interest and to declare his financial interests in fossil fuels. They cited research that found GB News broadcast 953 attacks on climate science and climate action in the period immediately before and after the 2024 general election.Marshall responded that 'the Gospel entreats us to look after the vulnerable' but argued that pursuing an 'ideological' net zero policy was 'a path of unilateral economic disarmament and self-harm.' He also stated that he was not involved in the editorial decisions of GB News, which has lost £131m since its launch in 2021.The Christian leaders' criticism of Marshall and GB News highlights the ongoing debate over climate change and the role of media outlets in shaping public discourse on the issue. As more than 100 countries have net zero policies and the UK's net zero economy grew by 10% in 2024, the pressure on media outlets to provide accurate and responsible reporting on climate issues continues to grow.

US President Donald Trump has reiterated claims that negotiations are underway with Iran, contradicting Tehran's assertion that such claims are 'fake news'. This development comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran.In a recent escalation of hostilities, at least 12 people were killed and 28 wounded in an airstrike targeting southern Tehran. The incident is part of a series of US and Israeli attacks on Iranian territory.The situation underscores the fragile state of US-Iran relations, with both sides engaging in a war of words and actions. Trump's claims of ongoing talks with Iran have not been substantiated, adding to the uncertainty and heightened tensions in the region.

A drone attack has targeted Kuwait airport, resulting in a fire at a fuel tank. The incident occurred on March 25, 2026, at 05:06:12 GMT. Details about the attack, including the perpetrators and any casualties, are still under investigation. The attack on Kuwait airport underscores the increasing threat of drone technology being used for malicious purposes. Airports and critical infrastructure worldwide are enhancing their security measures to counter such threats. The Kuwaiti authorities have not released an official statement on the incident. Airport operations have been impacted, with potential delays and cancellations expected.

The United States Department of State has approved a significant arms deal worth $16.5 billion to Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan. This move comes as tensions between the US and Iran continue to intensify. The deal includes $8.4 billion worth of arms to the United Arab Emirates, which will be used to purchase drones, missiles, radar systems, and F-16 aircraft. Additionally, the US has approved roughly $8 billion for air and missile defense radar systems to Kuwait. Jordan will receive an additional $70.5 million to cover aircraft and munition support. The State Department stated that the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major defense partner. The UAE is considered a force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. This arms deal comes amid ever-increasing tensions between the US and Iran. The administration of US President Donald Trump joined Israel in attacking Iran on February 28, prompting fears of a protracted regional conflict. The war has also caused energy prices around the world to surge. Iran has largely choked off tanker shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas travels. Gas prices in the United States have jumped from $3.10 per gallon ($0.82 per litre) on average this time last month to $3.88 ($1.02 per litre) on Thursday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). The principal contractors in Thursday’s proposed sales will include RTX Corporation, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Despite the deals, all three companies’ stocks are trending downward on Wall Street. The Pentagon is seeking more money to fund the war, with the US Department of Defense seeking an additional $200 billion, according to The Associated Press. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged that he was seeking a significant spending boost from Congress.