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US President Donald Trump has ordered a pause in attacks on Iran's power infrastructure for five days. The move comes after Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran to reopen the critical shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz or risk US attacks on its power plants.Iran's Response to US Ultimatum: Iran threatened to attack power plants in Israel and the Gulf if its own power plants were targeted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that it would hit power plants in Israel as well as any supplying electricity to military bases hosting US troops and assets in the region.Potential Targets: Iran could target Israeli power plants, including Orot Rabin north of Tel Aviv, with a capacity of around 3,900 megawatts, and Rutenberg in Ashkelon, with a capacity of around 2,250 megawatts. Iran also mentioned that it would target financial entities that finance US military assets, including US Treasury bonds.Energy Infrastructure: Iran's attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf have already had significant impacts. Qatar's state-run energy firm, QatarEnergy, halted LNG production following Iranian attacks on its operational facilities, causing an estimated $20bn in lost annual revenue. Saudi Arabia also shut down operations at the Ras Tanura plant, its biggest domestic oil refinery.Financial and Corporate Entities: Iran could target large US companies with Israeli links, including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle. Iranian officials also mentioned that they would target US Treasury bonds and entities that finance US military assets.Other Critical Infrastructure: Iran's foreign minister accused the US of striking a desalination plant on Qeshm Island off the coast of Iran, cutting off the water supply to 30 villages. Bahrain also reported that an Iranian drone caused material damage to one of its desalination plants.

As regional security dynamics shift with Iran launching missile and drone attacks on Gulf neighbors, the head of Qatar’s General Authority of Customs has moved to quell concerns regarding potential supply chain bottlenecks. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal stated unequivocally that there are no indicators suggesting shortages or disturbances to trade flows within the State of Qatar.The assurance comes as Qatar’s armed forces intercepted recent attacks, highlighting the volatile security environment. However, Al Jamal emphasized that Qatar’s economic stability is underpinned by a robust defense strategy that extends beyond military interception to include diversified import sources, efficient logistics infrastructure, and sufficient strategic stocks of essential goods.A cornerstone of this resilience is the modernization of customs procedures. The implementation of the Al Nadeeb platform, an electronic single-window system, has streamlined import and export transactions. By integrating the electronic TIR system in May 2025, authorities can now exchange data in advance and conduct risk analyses, significantly reducing release times and enhancing transparency for businesses.Qatar’s logistical network is designed for redundancy, offering multiple avenues for trade movement. Hamad Port serves as a critical maritime hub, while Hamad International Airport provides essential air freight capacity. On the land front, the Abu Samra border crossing with Saudi Arabia has been upgraded with advanced scanning and security systems, ensuring that road transport remains a viable and efficient alternative for moving goods across the region.Furthermore, coordination with the Gulf Customs Union has yielded practical benefits, including the recognition of freight forwarder guarantees and simplified customs codes. These measures, combined with a comprehensive emergency framework involving multiple ministries, ensure that Qatar’s markets remain stable and that the flow of goods continues uninterrupted despite external pressures.

The military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran has entered its 24th day, bringing the region to a precarious juncture. As US President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches its expiration at 23:44 GMT on Monday, Tehran has issued stern warnings regarding the potential targeting of its electricity grid. In response, Iran has vowed to strike the energy and water systems of its Gulf neighbors, raising fears of a broader regional energy crisis.The conflict is already having tangible repercussions on the global economy. Financial markets are reacting sharply to the escalating tensions, with stocks in China and Hong Kong on track for their worst performance in nearly a year. The uncertainty has fueled stagflation fears, prompting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to convene an emergency meeting to address the mounting economic fallout.In Iran, the situation remains volatile. The Israeli military has conducted a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran, resulting in powerful explosions reported in the central, southern, and eastern parts of the capital. Verified footage shows massive columns of fire and smoke rising over Karaj following an air attack. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has retaliated by threatening attacks on power plants in Israel and those supplying electricity to US bases, while also targeting a turbine engine production site in Qom used for drone components.The conflict has also spilled over into Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that two ballistic missiles were launched toward Riyadh, with one intercepted and the other falling in an uninhabited area. The UAE reported debris injuries in the al-Shawamekh area, while Bahrain confirmed attacks on the US Fifth Fleet. In Qatar, seven people were killed in a helicopter crash, and Kuwait has formally protested airspace violations to the International Civil Aviation Organization.The human toll continues to rise. In Israel, alerts were triggered across Jerusalem and central Israel following explosions, with the casualty toll from attacks on Dimona and Arad climbing to at least 180 injured. In Lebanon, authorities report that at least 1,029 people have been killed since March 2, with over 100 of the victims being children. In Iraq, at least 60 people have been killed, primarily among pro-Iran Popular Mobilisation Forces.

Israel and the United States have launched a new wave of attacks against Iran, escalating the conflict in the region. The Israeli military confirmed that it carried out a second round of strikes, hours after initiating a wide-scale wave of attacks on infrastructure targets in Tehran. Al Jazeera Arabic's correspondent in Tehran reported that the size and volume of the explosions in the Iranian capital were unprecedented, especially on the eastern side of the city. Iranian air defense systems were activated in response to US-Israeli drones hovering over the city. According to Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, the war is escalating, with US and Israeli forces hitting not only military installations but also hospitals, schools, and over 5,000 residential units. He warned that the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous, especially for the people of Iran. Iran's Fars news agency reported that a strike on a residential building in Khorramabad killed one child and wounded several people, while at least six people were killed in strikes on homes in Tabriz city. The Iranian Red Crescent Society stated that over 80,000 civilian building units have been hit, with some fully demolished. The US military targeted a turbine engine production site in Qom province, used for drone and aircraft components linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Meanwhile, Iranian missile strikes continued overnight in Israel, with falling shrapnel reported across several locations. Iran's Foreign Ministry denied any dialogue with the US, claiming that President Trump's comments aimed to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement military plans. The IRGC warned that if the US targets Iran's power plants, it will hit power plants in areas supplying electricity to US bases and American interests. The conflict has resulted in over 1,500 deaths in Iran and 15 deaths in Israel. The situation has also unsettled oil markets, with prices fluctuating as Asian trading opened. The head of the International Energy Agency warned that the situation in the Middle East is very severe and worse than the two energy crises of the 1970s combined.

The Gaza conflict continues to escalate, with devastating consequences for civilians. Since October, 677 Palestinians have been killed and 1,800 injured in Israeli strikes across the territory. The attacks have averaged about 10 per day over the past five months, leaving a trail of destruction and despair.Abed Elrahman Hamdouna, a 31-year-old father of two and volunteer ambulance driver, was killed in a reported drone strike west of Gaza City. His death is a stark reminder of the ongoing risks faced by healthcare workers in the conflict zone. Hamdouna's family had been worried about him the most during the war, given his role in helping injured people.The Israeli military's actions in Gaza have been widely criticized, with UN experts accusing Israel of 'medicide' and deliberately targeting healthcare workers and facilities. The destruction of Gaza's healthcare system has had a catastrophic impact on the population, with over 1,500 healthcare workers killed in the war.The conflict has also had a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of those affected. Hamza Nabhan, a medical student, described the despair and hopelessness that has become a daily reality for many in Gaza. 'I think about how to wake up, charge my phone, fill my water container. I don’t think about tomorrow.'The international community has expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with Amnesty International accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. The organization has called for an end to the violence and for those responsible to be held accountable.

In El Salvador, the Oriente Salvaje surf spot, known for its world-class breaks, Las Flores and Punta Mango, is facing significant threats from climate change. The local economy, heavily reliant on surf tourism, sputters to a halt due to intense tropical storms causing flooding and disrupting transport routes.To mitigate these risks, Rodrigo Barraza, a local surfer, teamed up with Save the Waves, an international surfing nonprofit organization. They took out a parametric insurance policy for Oriente Salvaje, which can be used to support recovery from climate change impacts. This policy is triggered when damaging conditions cross a predetermined threshold, such as wind speed or rainfall level.The project aims to provide rapid support for the local community, which includes hotels, restaurants, surf shops, fishers, and drone experts. A survey of 50 local businesses showed that, on average, 70% of their income was dependent on surf tourism. Several informal operators, such as surf photographers, guides, and boat drivers, are especially vulnerable to changeable weather.The payout will be triggered once weather conditions reach an extreme associated with observable income loss. It will be distributed to anywhere between a few hundred and several thousand beneficiaries in the region. The size of the payout is still being determined, as well as which insurer it will be, but Save the Waves hopes to have a pilot running by June.The pioneering program has not been hurdle-free. Angelo Picardo, Save the Waves' local coordinator, says: "El Salvador is a developing country and we don't have an insurance culture – people don't even have health insurance – so there's a lot of work you have to do on the ground to bring people on board."Another challenge has been funding the premiums without burdening local businesses. Save the Waves is in talks with the Salvadorian government, which since 2019 has been channelling millions from loans into a nationwide surf tourism initiative.This type of insurance is bound to spread as more communities and ecosystems experience weather extremes. However, Swenja Surminski, an international expert on innovative insurance for ecosystems, warns that "parametric solutions must be combined with broader resilience and adaptation 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.