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Fuel prices in Northern Ireland have experienced the sharpest increase in the UK since the beginning of the Iran war. Petrol prices have jumped by 19% and diesel by 35% since the end of February. A 50-litre tank now costs an average of £75 for petrol and £91 for diesel, up from £63 for petrol and £67 for diesel on 28 February.Northern Ireland previously had some of the lowest fuel prices in the UK due to tighter competition and links to Ireland. However, the gap with other regions has narrowed, with prices remaining the lowest in the UK. Across the UK, fuel prices continue to rise as the Middle East conflict shows no sign of de-escalation. Petrol prices have jumped by 16% and diesel by 30% since the start of the war.Analysis of Eurostat and UK government data reveals that only seven other European countries have recorded larger increases in petrol prices than Northern Ireland. The pattern is similar for diesel, with prices jumping by up to 44% in Estonia. In the UK, the north has seen the sharpest increase in petrol prices among English regions, with drivers paying an average of 154p a litre, up 17% from 132p a litre on the day the war broke out.Price increases in rural areas are similar to urban areas, but data shows that at least 100 stations in mostly rural parts of England and Scotland are charging between 180p and 210p a litre for petrol. The average petrol price for 10 major retailers has risen sharply, with Shell petrol stations charging an average of 158p a litre for standard unleaded petrol.Simon Williams, head of policy at the motoring services company RAC, said: “Drivers hitting the roads this Easter weekend will be faced with some truly eye-watering fuel prices.” Separate official data analysed by RAC showed that petrol prices have gone up nearly 22p a litre – or 16% – to an average of 154.45p since the beginning of the war.

Timeforshowcasing delivered a stunning victory in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on Friday, defying odds that drifted to 25‑1. Trainer‑owner Charlie Johnston, who also collected a share of the prize money, said the win could fast‑track the filly into Classic company at either Newmarket or the Curragh next month.The Listed mile race featured a strong field of colts and geldings, but the filly settled comfortably before accelerating at the furlong pole and holding off a late surge from Padraig Dawn by a neck.“All day I’ve been thinking, ‘what do people know that I don’t?’ because this filly worked last Thursday and I thought she was in phenomenal order,” Johnston explained. “She started at 6‑1, drifted to 10‑1, then 16‑1 and finally won at 25‑1. I backed her twice – I couldn’t believe how much she drifted.”Timeforshowcasing now has entries for both the English and Irish 1,000 Guineas. Johnston added, “She won’t be out of place in a Guineas, albeit she’d have a bit to find. If the big guns clash at Newmarket, the Irish Guineas might be an option – she won with a bit of dig in the ground at Goodwood last year.”The article also referenced the rapid rise of American Affair, who moved from a Scottish Sprint Cup win to the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot within three months, underscoring the potential for a similar breakthrough. Meanwhile, Jer Batt (3.42) emerges as a strong contender at around 6‑1, having been a close runner‑up to American Affair a year earlier and now carrying a 7‑lb lower mark after a winter wind operation.Other notable horses highlighted for upcoming meetings include Strength Of Spirit (Musselburgh 1.25), freshly gelded and poised for further progress, and the lightly‑raced Midnight Gun (Musselburgh 1.55), who remains fairly weighted on the pick of his best form from last season.Additional betting tips note that Al Qareem (Musselburgh 2.30) is a warm favourite for a 13th career win, while We’re Red And Blue (Haydock 2.12) offers a good chance to confirm recent improvement, and Walden (Haydock 2.46) appears overpriced despite a strong Ascot performance earlier in the year.

Alan Cumming’s latest theatrical venture – The High Life: The Musical, Still Living It! – bursts onto the stage as a gleeful, pantomime‑style extension of the cult 1994 TV sitcom. Co‑written by series creator Johnny McKnight alongside Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson, the production is deliberately overloaded with jokes, ranging from references to Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor to a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to Sheena Easton. The show’s panto DNA runs deep. Audiences are addressed directly, invited to sing along, and treated to an underwater neon‑tube dance. The set, a whimsical take on a Brigadoon‑style hotel, features tartan wallpaper designed by Colin Richmond, a life‑size dog, and multiple costume changes that heighten the spectacle. Returning to the stage, Cumming reprises the role of flight attendant Sebastian Flight, while Masson appears as his counterpart Steve McCracken. They are joined by a “legacy cast” that includes Siobhan Redmond as the exacting supervisor Shona Spurtle and Patrick Ryecart delivering a delightfully unhinged performance as Captain Hilary Duff. Supporting them are high‑energy performers Rachael Kendall Brown, Louise McCarthy and Kyle Gardiner, who navigate Masson’s clever, rhyming songs that swing from Broadway flair to Eurovision sparkle. Beyond the slapstick plot – a cartoonish battle over the fictional airline Air Scotia and a detour to the “Lower Largo Triangle” – the musical hints at deeper questions about ageing, national identity and the need for cultural renewal, echoing themes raised in earlier Scottish adaptations. Directed by Andrew Panton, the production is a joint effort between Dundee Rep and the National Theatre of Scotland. It runs at Dundee Rep until 4 April before embarking on a UK tour that concludes on 23 May. In the end, the show is less a philosophical treatise and more a big, joyous laugh‑fest that celebrates the spirit of pantomime.

The world of Major League Baseball has witnessed a significant transformation in pitching, with velocity and accuracy reaching unprecedented levels. This arms race is largely attributed to advances in pitching analytics, often developed by individuals without a traditional baseball background.Rob Friedman, known as PitchingNinja online, has authored a new book titled 'Unhittable: How Technology, Mavericks and Innovators Engineered Baseball's New Era of Pitching Dominance.' The book explores how technology and data analysis have revolutionized the art of pitching.In the past, pitchers like Bob Feller were renowned for their speed, but today's pitchers routinely exceed triple digits on the radar gun. Friedman notes that technology brings out the best in everybody, allowing pitchers to refine their skills and achieve remarkable results.The use of heat maps, slow-motion cameras, and AI has become commonplace in analyzing pitching performance. These tools help quantify not just velocity but also accuracy, enabling pitchers to deliver the ball to the plate with precision.Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, last year's National League Cy Young winner, and Nolan McLean of the New York Mets are examples of pitchers benefiting from analytics. Friedman praises McLean's exceptional skills, describing his stuff as 'absolutely nasty.'The debate surrounding pitcher-friendly conditions continues, with some arguing that the game has become too favorable to pitchers. Friedman counters that pitchers are on offense, and their performance is a reaction to the hitter's actions.Injuries to pitchers are on the rise, and while there is no consensus on the cause, Friedman suggests that excessive velocity may contribute to the problem. He cites Trevor Bauer as an example of a pitcher who successfully adopted analytics and training methods to enhance his performance.The intersection of analytics and tradition remains a contentious issue, with some players and coaches skeptical of data-driven approaches. Friedman advocates for a bridge between both sides, emphasizing that analytics provide valuable information to inform pitching decisions.

Richard Walker, executive chair of the Iceland supermarket chain and Labour’s appointed cost‑of‑living tsar, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the government should extend the 5‑pence fuel duty cut beyond its September expiry to cushion households from soaring petrol prices. The call comes as the Strait of Hormuz—a vital conduit for roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil—remains blockaded after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February. The disruption has triggered a sharp rise in global oil prices, intensifying pressure on the UK economy. Under current policy, UK fuel duty is frozen until September, when a review is scheduled. By contrast, Australia recently announced a 14‑pence‑per‑litre cut to its fuel tax, highlighting the disparity with the UK’s modest 5‑pence reduction. Walker emphasized on air: “Given where we are, we need to be thinking about extending or enlarging the existing cut.” He noted that the original 5‑pence reduction was introduced by the Conservative government in March 2022. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had pledged in her November budget to keep the cut in place until August, followed by a gradual increase over five years. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signalled that the planned September rise will remain “under review” in light of the ongoing conflict. Data from the RAC shows that, since the war began, the average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts has jumped 30 % to 185.2 pence, while petrol has risen 16 % to 154.5 pence per litre. Opposition parties are also weighing in: the Conservatives propose scrapping VAT on energy bills for several years, Reform UK calls for a VAT cut on fuel, and the Liberal Democrats advocate a 10‑pence fuel duty reduction.

Marks & Spencer has formally urged the UK government and London’s mayor to intensify efforts against retail crime, describing the problem as “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive” following a noticeable surge in shoplifting and violent incidents at its stores.Chief executive Stuart Machin addressed a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, while retail director Thinus Keeve wrote to Mayor Sadiq Khan, both demanding additional police resources to target repeat offenders and crime hotspots.Keeve detailed recent attacks on the M&S website, noting that “in the past week alone we have had gangs forcing open locked cabinets, stripping shelves, two men emptying steak displays, a large group ransacking a store and assaulting a security guard, a colleague head‑butted while trying to defuse a situation, and another hospitalised after ammonia was thrown in their face.”He warned that the situation is “worse in London, but it is happening across the country, and it is becoming routine, because it seems there are no consequences.”Police responded to reports of antisocial behaviour in Clapham, south London, where “several hundred young people” gathered after coordinating via TikTok and Snapchat. About 100 officers were deployed, fires were lit on Clapham Common and fireworks set off, and six teenage girls were arrested for incidents “fuelled by online trends”. Five people, including four officers, were assaulted.Mayor Khan condemned the Clapham events as “utterly unacceptable”, pledging that “the culprits will face the full force of the law” and that police are working with social‑media platforms to curb viral content that encourages theft and violence.According to Keeve, the UK recorded roughly 5.5 million shoplifting incidents last year, not counting the “vast number that go unreported”. He added that “every day, more than 1,600 retail workers face violence or abuse,” characterising the trend as systemic and worsening.External affairs head Adam Hawksbee told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the rise in retail crime is affecting staff morale, with employees “worried about coming into work and nervous about the journey home.”Office for National Statistics data show that shoplifting offences in England and Wales rose to 519,381 in the year to September 2025, a 5% increase from the previous year’s 492,660, and remain just below the record 530,439 offences recorded in the year to March 2025.Keeve concluded that “without a government seriously cracking down on crime and a mayor that prioritises effective policing we are powerless. We need a stronger, faster and more consistent police response, using tools that already exist to target repeat offenders and crime hotspots, and far greater transparency on crime so the true scale and impact is understood.”

In other chess news, England's 11-year-old prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has dramatically risen to No. 1 in Britain in the official Fide ratings for April and has broken into the world's top 100 women for the first time, ranked as world No. 72 with a rating of 2366.

A plush toy designed by eight-year-old Lucas Ye from California has become an unlikely participant in NASA's Artemis II mission, the agency's first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. The toy, named Rise, serves as a zero-gravity indicator and was included in the mission after Lucas won a global competition.Rise is a smiley-faced plush toy wearing a baseball cap with a star-spangled visor and a crown resembling Earth's surface. Lucas's design was chosen from over 2,600 entrants in a competition presided over by NASA and Freelancer, a crowdsourcing company.The Artemis II mission, which launched on Wednesday, aims to send astronauts farther from Earth than any humans in history. The crew will travel over 250,000 miles into space and back over a period of 10 days. If successful, the mission will pave the way for future lunar exploration, including the 2028 scheduled mission to place humans back on the moon.Rise's journey is not without precedent; similar zero-gravity indicator objects have been part of space missions in the past. Lucas's achievement is a significant milestone for the young space enthusiast, who aspires to work at NASA or become an astrophysicist.The Artemis II mission also marks a historic moment for diversity in space exploration, with a woman, Christina Koch, and a person of color, Victor Glover, flying between Earth's orbit and the moon for the first time.

The Guardian’s investigation has revealed that the company responsible for the unauthorised partial felling of a 500‑year‑old oak in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, was Ground Control, a maintenance business that reports a turnover of £190 million. The tree was cut down in September 2025 on behalf of Mitchells & Butler Retail (MBR), the owner of the Toby Carvery restaurant chain. MBR initially defended the action, claiming its contractor warned that the oak was diseased and posed a safety risk. However, a coalition of experts – including a Forest Commission investigator and ancient‑tree specialist Russell Miller – found the tree to be healthy with no imminent danger. Miller described the alleged “hazard” as an old, semi‑occluded wound that did not justify felling the entire tree. According to Dr. Ed Pyne of the Woodland Trust, the delay in identifying the contractor highlights a broader lack of transparency: "What evidence exists that the tree was dangerous? What qualifications did the operatives have?" He added that the justification for the removal remains unsubstantiated. Ground Control’s own documentation shows the work was assigned to its grounds‑maintenance team rather than its specialist arborists, a detail that fuels further criticism of MBR’s decision‑making process. Sources close to the firm say an internal review was conducted by a contracts manager, not a tree expert. Enfield Council, which owns the park, has launched legal action to evict Toby Carvery after MBR refused to apologise or offer compensation. The council also referred the incident to the police, but officers declined to investigate, deeming it a civil matter. Complicating the dispute, MBR is majority‑owned by investment group Enic, which holds strong financial ties to Tottenham Hotspur. The football club plans to develop a women’s training academy on 17 hectares adjacent to the park, a proposal opposed by the local campaign group Guardians of Whitewebbs. The group has secured a judicial review of the planning permission, set for June. In a statement last April, MBR asserted that its “specialist arboriculture contractors” deemed the split and dead wood a serious health‑and‑safety risk. A Toby Carvery spokesperson declined further comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings. The revelation of Ground Control’s involvement adds a new layer to the controversy, raising questions about corporate responsibility, environmental stewardship, and the adequacy of legal protections for historic trees in urban green spaces.