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Global stock markets swung wildly on Monday as investors reacted to US President Donald Trump's decision to postpone military strikes on Iranian power plants. The move led to a relief rally in European markets, with the French Cac 40, Spanish Ibex, and German Dax all rising by 0.8%, 1%, and 1.2% respectively.The FTSE 100 share index, which had fallen by almost 1.5% in early trading, reversed course to gain 0.4% before paring back to close down 0.2%. US markets were up more than 1% in early afternoon trading on Wall Street.Oil prices, which had been rising after Trump threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure, dropped sharply. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 10% to $101 a barrel. The UK month-ahead gas prices fell 6% to 142p a therm.Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that the US and Iran had “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days regarding “a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East”. He said he had instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of ongoing meetings and discussions.The global economy has been bracing for much higher oil prices due to disruption in the strait of Hormuz, with Goldman Sachs forecasting Brent crude will average $85 a barrel this year, up from previous expectations of $77 a barrel. Brent hit $119.50 a barrel earlier this month, the highest since the war began.

Viktor Gyökeres has articulated the hurt and defiance within the Arsenal dressing room following their 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City and promised to use it as fuel in the club's pursuit of other trophies this season.Arsenal produced their worst performance of the season in the final, with nearly every player falling below their standard – with the possible exception of William Saliba. The period from the beginning of the second half until Nico O'Reilly scored his second goal in the 64th minute proved particularly difficult, as City established complete dominance, leaving Arsenal pinned back and struggling to mount any meaningful attack.The recovery mission has already begun, with some at the club hoping the international break will provide a timely change of environment and focus. For Gyökeres, there is also the matter of Thursday's World Cup playoff with Sweden against Ukraine in Valencia. If his country advances, they will face Poland or Albania next Tuesday for a place at the finals.Despite the setback, Arsenal remains nine points clear of City at the top of the Premier League, albeit having played one game more, and has progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face Sporting. Their next domestic challenge comes in the FA Cup quarter-final at Southampton on the following Saturday."Of course, we don't feel great right now but it's not like we have a game in three days," Gyökeres said. "For sure, we will go again and be even more motivated for those games."The turning point at Wembley came when Arsenal's backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga – who Mikel Arteta started ahead of first-choice David Raya – dropped a cross to allow O'Reilly to score his first goal, although City had already established firm control of possession."We created some chances at the beginning of the game and then I think it was maybe 10 minutes from the break where they got the momentum," Gyökeres reflected. "I think they had the ball … maybe they didn't create so many dangerous chances but they had the ball a long time and it looked the same in the second half."Normally, when it's two top teams it can be like that [with the first goal being crucial]. In the moment of the game where they scored … yeah, it was difficult to get going afterwards."

The Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC ended in a 2-1 victory for the visiting team, but the match was overshadowed by reports of racist abuse directed at Sunderland's Lutsharel Geertruida by home fans.The incident occurred early in the second half, prompting referee Anthony Taylor to temporarily halt play in accordance with the Premier League's on-field anti-discrimination protocol. Granit Xhaka, Sunderland's captain, informed Taylor of the alleged abuse, which led to a discussion with both managers and the player involved.The Premier League has launched a full investigation into the incident, with Northumbria Police making one arrest during pre-match skirmishes between rival fans. Newcastle United has condemned the abuse and vowed to work with authorities to identify and hold accountable those responsible.In a statement, Newcastle United said: "We are aware of a report of racism made by a visiting player against someone in the crowd during our Premier League match against Sunderland. Our stance is clear – we do not tolerate discrimination of any form. We will work with the authorities to fully investigate and will ensure any individuals are identified and held accountable."Sunderland AFC also released a statement, expressing their support for Geertruida and condemning the racist abuse: "Sunderland AFC is aware of the reported incident of racist abuse directed at Lutsharel Geertruida during today's fixture at St. James' Park. We stand with Lutsharel, who has our complete backing, and we commend him for displaying bravery and leadership by reporting this incident to the match officials."The incident has highlighted the ongoing issue of racism in football and the need for clubs and authorities to take a strong stance against such behavior.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo has apologized for his recent comments downplaying the seriousness of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and asthma. In an appearance on the Bring the Juice podcast, Skattebo called CTE an 'excuse' and claimed that asthma is 'fake', suggesting that people should 'just breathe air'. After receiving widespread backlash for his comments, Skattebo offered a retraction on social media, stating that his remarks were a 'tasteless joke' and that he never intended to downplay the seriousness of head injuries or asthma. He sincerely apologized to anyone who was offended by his remarks and assured that he will be more mindful and respectful going forward. CTE is a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma, which can cause mood swings, depression, suicidal thoughts, and memory loss. A 2017 study found CTE in 110 of 111 former football players. The condition can only be diagnosed after death, and the NFL finally acknowledged a link between football and CTE in 2016. Asthma affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and can lead to death in extreme cases. Skattebo's mother, Becky Skattebo, replied to her son's post, saying she was asthmatic and that his comments were made in jest. Skattebo was a popular figure with Giants fans in his rookie season in 2025 due to his physical running style, scoring seven touchdowns and running for 410 yards before an ankle injury ended his season.

Huw Marc Bennett's third album, Heol Las (Blue Street), takes traditional tunes from Glamorgan and submerges them in languid arrangements, touched by global influences and woozy doses of surf rock and sitar. The album thrums with a fitting beauty and energy, as it drifts from the industrial valleys to the Gower peninsula.The album features synthesiser-driven tracks such as Cân Gwasael (Wassail Song) and Yr Abaty (The Abbey), which sound like lost library-music theme tunes for spooky children's TV dramas. Other tracks, such as Y Fedwen (The Birch), are like sparkling radio-friendly nuggets of lost Sain Records psychedelia.Bennett's album also explores themes of Welsh heritage and identity, with Angela Christofilou adding lyrics inspired by Bennett's nieces being the first generation in his family to experience Welsh-medium education. The album is a revitalising and revelatory blend of Wales's past and future.Other notable albums out this month include Joshua Burnside's It's Not Going to Be Okay, Akkajee's Pölynkerääjä (The Dust Collector), and the Weaving's Dlúth & Inneach (Warp & Weft).

The ongoing conflict involving Iran has created a severe energy shockwave across Asian nations, prompting governments to implement extraordinary measures to cope with the economic fallout. Fuel rations have been introduced in several countries as energy supplies become increasingly constrained and volatile.In response to the economic pressure, governments have begun distributing cash handouts to citizens and businesses to mitigate the impact of rising energy costs. These emergency interventions highlight the far-reaching economic consequences of the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.Asian markets, heavily dependent on energy imports from the region, are experiencing significant price volatility and supply chain disruptions. The situation has forced policymakers to balance immediate economic relief with long-term energy security strategies.

Researchers at Cortical Labs in Melbourne have created a 'biological computer' using living human tissue, which can play the 1993 shooter game Doom. The team used 10ml of blood from CEO Hon Weng Chong to harvest 100 white blood cells, which were then reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These cells were used to create a dish of 200,000 neurons that can interface with a computer system.The brain cells were taught to play Doom by encoding game state information, passing it through a neural network, and converting it into signals the neurons can understand. The neurons then fire an output, which the system decodes and converts back into actions in the game. This process is similar to how humans operate, with information going into the retina, being converted into electrical signals, processed in the brain, and resulting in an output.While the achievement has sparked concerns about sentience and consciousness, Chong believes the brain cells are not conscious, stating, 'At first it didn’t know how to move, aim or shoot. Then it would shoot two enemies and stop. So it’s definitely learning.' The next step could be integrating this technology with Neuralink, a brain-machine interface developed by Elon Musk.The application of biological computing lies not in gaming, but in medicine, such as disease modeling for conditions like epilepsy. This technology could allow for personalized drug testing and tailored treatments. Meanwhile, Eon Systems in San Francisco has created a virtual insect brain that can behave like a real fly, challenging the assumption that intelligence must be acquired.Biological systems like these could eventually power robots, drones, and other machines that need to navigate complex environments. As Chong notes, 'Abstract reasoning, mathematics and language are relatively recent in evolutionary terms... but motor control and probabilistic decision-making are things we’ve inherited through millions of years of evolution.' While we're far from uploading human consciousness into the internet, this technology marks a significant step in the development of biological computing.

The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran has significant implications for the UK economy, with the potential to plunge the country into a severe energy crisis. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for oil, is now rendered unsafe due to Iranian drones and mines, threatening to disrupt global fuel supplies. Historically, the UK has faced similar challenges, such as during the Suez crisis 70 years ago, when petrol rationing was introduced. Former BP executive Nick Butler warns that if the crisis persists, the UK could be just weeks away from needing to ration fuel, with critical users like emergency services being prioritized. The economic consequences of such a crisis are far-reaching. A sustained energy crisis could push up average British household energy bills by £500, according to the Resolution Foundation thinktank. This would further exacerbate the cost of living crisis, which has already seen inflationary shocks and a backlash against incumbents. The UK government faces difficult decisions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has already taken steps to help 1.7 million households reliant on oil for heating and hot water, whose bills have doubled. However, her warning that financial help will be targeted at lower earners suggests that harder decisions lie ahead. In the long term, the UK must consider investing in net zero initiatives to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Modelling by the government's expert Climate Change Committee suggests that if Britain sticks to its net zero path, even a substantial oil shock would raise energy bills by only 4% by 2040. However, implementing such policies in the midst of a crisis is a challenging task.