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JP Morgan's proposed 279,000 sq metre tower in Canary Wharf, which would serve as its European headquarters, is contingent on the UK government offering a business rates discount of up to 100% over a period of years. This potential sweetener could amount to hundreds of millions of pounds, as the site is estimated to generate up to £1.6bn in rates over 25 years.The development, which would house 12,000 JP Morgan staff, is part of a £3bn investment in London. The bank's CEO, Jamie Dimon, cited the UK government's priority on economic growth as a critical factor in the decision. However, documents from the local Tower Hamlets council reveal that JP Morgan is unlikely to progress with the project without clarity on the business rates incentive.The proposed discount has sparked controversy, as it would benefit a large corporation while potentially disadvantaging small businesses like pubs and restaurants that were recently hit with increased business rates in the budget. One proposal considers creating an enterprise zone around JP Morgan's development to enable time-limited business rates discounts.The negotiation highlights the significant influence of large corporations in securing favorable deals. Despite the potential economic benefits, including 7,800 construction-related jobs and an estimated £10bn contribution to the UK economy over six years, the deal raises questions about fairness and the cost to taxpayers.

Aarti Holla-Maini, a British lawyer with a background in the satellite business, is the director of the UN's Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa). She is responsible for alerting the UN secretary general if a large asteroid is on a possible collision course with Earth.On 27 December 2024, a robotic telescope in Chile spotted a distant rock, asteroid 2024 YR4, which was initially estimated to be the size of a small building. As the asteroid's impact probability increased, Holla-Maini's team drafted a letter to the UN secretary general, triggering the first global notification since the UN established a planetary defence collaboration in 2013.The asteroid's size and speed meant an impact could release energy comparable to hundreds of times the power of the Hiroshima bomb, potentially wiping out a city or region. The asteroid reached level three on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, indicating a threat to human civilization.Holla-Maini's team worked with the International Asteroid Warning Network and other experts to track the asteroid. Although its impact probability peaked at more than 3% in February 2025, it has since dropped to a negligible level. The asteroid scare served as a useful test for Unoosa's role in planetary defence.Unoosa plays a critical role in registering satellites launched into Earth's orbit and acts as an informal 'hotline' for potential satellite collisions. Holla-Maini's small team of 35 employees punches well above its weight, managing a massive remit as governments and businesses increasingly operate in space.

Los Angeles is saying goodbye to a piece of its history as Taix, a cherished French restaurant in the Echo Park neighborhood, closes its doors for good. The restaurant, which has been a staple of the community for 64 years, will be torn down to make way for a large-scale luxury apartment development. The impending closure has sparked an end-of-an-era frenzy, with lines down the street, packed tables, and loyal fans pinching menus and other memorabilia for their personal collection. Taix, pronounced 'Tex,' has been a de facto museum of a long-gone era of fine dining, offering classic dishes like french onion soup, mussels, and a decadent hamburger. While the restaurant will reopen on the ground floor of the new apartment complex, customers are skeptical that it will retain its historic charm. The current space, a 15,000 sq ft building, is simply too expensive to maintain, with repairs estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Taix family had been using personal savings to cover payroll, but the developer, Holland Partner Group, offered a lifeline with a dollar-a-year rent for the last seven years. The loss of Taix is significant for the Echo Park community, which has been impacted by gentrification. The restaurant has been a hub for creatives, hosting events like 'Gay Guy Night,' and its closure leaves a void in the neighborhood. As one customer noted, 'It’s just gonna be one of those condo buildings, giant, modern condo complexes.' Despite the closure, the legacy of Taix lives on through the memories of its customers, who recall the restaurant's role as a launching pad for nights out, a soft landing spot at the end of one, and a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. As one regular put it, 'People are the thing that animates the space. Without people, it’s just a building.'

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed strong support for curbing addictive social media features that target children, stating that the government 'will have to act' to regulate these features. In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Starmer emphasized that these features 'shouldn’t be permitted' and that the government is committed to taking action.The government's education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, also weighed in on the issue, stating that social media platforms are 'designed to keep you there' and that the government will closely examine how to tackle addictive features. The comments come amid a growing debate about the impact of social media on children's mental health and wellbeing.The UK government's consultation on social media regulation has garnered significant attention, with nearly 30,000 parents and children responding to the digital wellbeing consultation. The government is considering a range of options, including a ban on social media for under-16s, which has already been enacted in Australia.The move comes after a US court ruling found Meta and Google liable for a woman's childhood social media addiction, awarding $6m in damages. The companies plan to appeal the decision. The UK government's consultation will also examine the use of addictive algorithms and algorithmically driven content on social media platforms.As part of the consultation, hundreds of UK teenagers will trial social media bans, digital curfews, and time limits on apps as part of a government pilot. The government aims to introduce significant changes to regulate social media and protect children online.

Ukraine has announced a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, described by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a mutually beneficial arrangement. The deal, which lays the groundwork for future contracts and technological cooperation, was made ahead of a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Zelenskyy stated that the agreement will facilitate technological cooperation and investment between the two nations. Saudi Arabia has not officially confirmed the pact.The partnership comes at a time when Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, are under attack by Iran. Since the US and Israel began their military campaign against Tehran on February 28, Riyadh has intercepted hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. On Friday, the Saudi defence ministry reported that at least six missiles were intercepted.Ukraine, which has long battled Russian drones, is well-positioned to assist Gulf countries in countering Iranian attacks. Kyiv has become a major producer of cheap but efficient interceptor drones to counter Moscow's waves of drone attacks. In one of Russia's largest wartime aerial attacks on Ukraine, it launched 948 drones within 24 hours, killing two people.“This winter alone, Russia launched over 19,000 drones into Ukraine, just to give some perspective on how much experience they do have in shooting down drones,” said Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from Kyiv. Ukraine has deployed 201 anti-drone experts to the Middle East to assist in the defence against Iranian attacks.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to resume, bringing with it a mix of lucrative opportunities and controversy. England's Jos Buttler is among those looking to make an impact, having struggled with form at the recent T20 World Cup. Buttler, who plays for Gujarat Titans, is England's most successful export to the IPL, with seven hundreds in 121 games for three different teams.Buttler's teammate Kevin Pietersen has shared his own experiences of playing in the IPL, revealing that the league saved his career by allowing him to build lasting relationships. Pietersen, who played 36 IPL matches, expressed his joy at the riches enjoyed by modern players, saying, "If you got paid $50m tomorrow to go and play cricket in Saudi Arabia, I'd be so happy for you."The IPL has also been marred by controversy, including political tensions between India and Pakistan. The tournament's impact extends beyond the field, with 12 England players set to participate. However, the event is also overshadowed by the tragic crowd crush at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last June, which resulted in 11 deaths.In related news, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has been sold for £1.33 billion to a consortium featuring private equity group Blackstone. The team will begin the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, with Buttler and his teammates aiming to make a strong impression.

A devastating bus accident occurred in central Bangladesh on Wednesday, resulting in at least 24 fatalities. The bus, which was carrying 40 passengers, lost control while approaching a ferry at Daulatdia in Rajbari district, about 100km from Dhaka.The bus sank nearly 9 metres into the river, making rescue efforts challenging. Rescuers recovered 22 bodies from inside the submerged bus, including five children, 11 women, and six men. Two more women died later after being rescued.Search and rescue efforts were led by four fire service units and 10 divers, supported by the army, police, coastguard, and local authorities. Officials fear that more passengers may still be missing.The accident highlights the poor road safety record in Bangladesh, where hundreds of people die each year in road and ferry accidents. The World Health Organization estimates that over 31,500 traffic-related deaths occur annually, translating to more than 85 deaths per day in the country of 170 million people.Deadly crashes are relatively common in Bangladesh due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles, and reckless driving. The country's Road Safety Foundation reported over 200 deaths during the recent Eid holidays, including a train-bus collision that killed 12 people.

The Dual Threat: Coruna and DarkSwordSecurity researchers have identified two distinct but equally dangerous hacking toolkits, Coruna and DarkSword, that have leaked onto the open web. These advanced exploit kits, capable of breaking into iPhones and iPads, were originally developed for high-level government surveillance but are now available for anyone to download.Coruna: Targets iOS 13 through 17.2.1. Linked to Trenchant, a unit within U.S. defense contractor L3Harris, and previously used in Operation Triangulation against Russian targets.DarkSword: Targets iOS 18.4 and 18.7. Leaked on GitHub, making it "plug-and-play" for cybercriminals.The Scale of VulnerabilityThe scale of this exposure is staggering. According to Apple's statistics, nearly one-in-three iPhone and iPad users are still not running the latest software. With over 2.5 billion active devices globally, this implies hundreds of millions of users are susceptible to these attacks.DarkSword is particularly concerning because it targets newer devices running iOS 18.4 and 18.7. Researchers have already tested the leaked code, successfully hacking their own devices to demonstrate the ease of use.From State-Sponsored Espionage to Public ExploitationThis leak marks a dangerous shift in the cybersecurity landscape. Historically, sophisticated tools like Coruna were the domain of state-sponsored actors targeting specific regions, such as the Uyghurs in China or activists in Hong Kong.However, the release of DarkSword represents a move toward indiscriminate cybercrime. The tool is written in web languages like HTML and JavaScript, allowing attackers to launch attacks simply by hosting a malicious website. Victims in China, Malaysia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine have already been targeted.The Future of Zero-Day WeaponizationThe leak of these tools mirrors the infamous 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack, which was fueled by leaked NSA exploits. Once powerful zero-day vulnerabilities are released into the wild, they are nearly impossible to fully contain.Experts recommend immediate action: users must update to iOS 18.7.6 or iOS 26.3.1. For high-risk individuals, enabling Lockdown Mode remains the most effective defense, as there is currently no public evidence of hackers bypassing its protections.

Walking into Scisters Salon & Apothecary in southern California reveals what's immediately absent: no wall of plastic bottles, no chemical tang, and minimal waste. The salon's shelves feature large refill containers of shampoo and conditioner, houseplants adorn the space, and hair clippings are composted. The only trash can is a small basket mostly collecting clients' personal items, creating an environment that co-owner Melissa Parker notes clients immediately comment on: 'It smells good in here.' That never happens in a conventional salon.Opened 15 years ago by Parker and Easton Bajsec in La Mesa near San Diego, Scisters has evolved into one of the region's most prominent low-waste salons, diverting up to 99% of its refuse from landfills. Their business transformation addresses a significant industry problem: the beauty sector generates substantial waste, with North American salons sending an estimated 63,000lbs of hair to landfills daily, plus hundreds of tons of used foil and leftover hair dyes.The turning point came when Bajsec watched a documentary about the zero-waste movement while Parker developed health problems linked to prolonged exposure to salon chemicals. Studies have found that hairdressers' exposure to harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, ammonia and sulfates puts them at higher risk of asthma, skin conditions, reproductive illnesses and cancer. Rather than leave the industry, they transformed their business.They eliminated perms due to formaldehyde exposure and moved away from big-name products despite green marketing claims. When existing alternatives didn't meet their standards for performance, ingredient transparency and waste reduction, they created their own line. Element, launched in 2019, is made in a California lab and sold in refillable glass and aluminum containers, featuring recognizable ingredients like organic aloe, wheat protein and castor oil.The salon's waste reduction strategies extend beyond product packaging. They implemented hair composting, foil recycling, and replaced waxing with sugaring—a compostable hair-removal technique. They switched to LED lighting, installed water-efficient showerheads, and use washable cloths instead of paper towels. Though they still offer hair bleaching (which releases ammonia), they mitigate risks with industrial air filtration and air-purifying plants.Bajsec acknowledges that 100% zero waste is impossible due to regulatory constraints on reusable gloves and plastic pump tops. The salon ships its minimal plastic waste to Green Circle Salons for specialized processing, paying $200 per box. Despite this cost, Parker notes the overall approach has been financially beneficial: 'Overall, it's actually less expensive. We're not outsourcing to other beauty brands. We're mindful about systems.'Their commitment to sustainability proved critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. When mandatory closures threatened their survival, they pivoted to refill sales, meeting clients in the parking lot. This refill model kept revenue flowing, allowing them to pay full rent while many neighboring tenants struggled. 'Going green has been the greatest thing we've done for our business financially,' Parker says. 'We accidentally created a point of differentiation.'Denise Baden, a professor of sustainable business at the University of Southampton, confirms that eco-friendly practices often reduce costs. 'It's a misunderstanding that to be eco-friendly, you have to spend more money. In fact, usually, it's the reverse,' she notes, adding that hairdressers are uniquely positioned to influence their communities.Now, Parker and Bajsec are helping other salons adopt similar practices through speaking engagements and an online guide. 'We get calls from other salons all the time,' Bajsec says. 'It's not sustainable if we're the only ones doing it.'