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As the northern hemisphere welcomes spring, the constellation of Boötes, the herdsman, is rising to prominence in the eastern sky after dusk. This celestial display is a treat for stargazers, with the constellation's brightest star, Arcturus, shining brightly.A chart showing the view looking east from London at 21:00 BST on 6 April illustrates the optimal viewing conditions. By this time, the darkness is complete, and Arcturus, the fourth-brightest star in the night sky, is easily visible.To locate Boötes, start with the familiar shape of the Plough and follow the curve of its handle downwards in an arc until you reach the orange glow of Arcturus. This method makes it easy to find the constellation in the night sky.Boötes is one of the original 48 constellations defined by Ptolemy in the second century. However, its origins date back thousands of years to ancient Babylon, where it was associated with the god Enlil. In Greek tradition, Boötes is often identified as a herdsman or ploughman, with various mythic tales surrounding his role as a protector of rural life.During this time of year in the northern hemisphere, Boötes rises during twilight and becomes well-placed for observation by late evening. Conversely, from the southern hemisphere, Boötes appears low in the northern sky.

Thousands of independent UK businesses are preparing for heating‑oil expenses to more than double after the Iran war sent Europe’s fuel markets to fresh record highs.Roughly 7% of all small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) heat their premises with oil, and in many rural locations the figure climbs to about 17%, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which represents around 200,000 firms and sole traders.With many rural firms off the gas grid, they depend on heating oil—a kerosene derivative linked to jet‑fuel prices. Prices have surged dramatically: a supplier charged 54.9p per litre in January and demanded 129p per litre by late March, a rise of 116%. One hotel and restaurant owner in North Yorkshire, Anthony Jenkins, reported that his annual oil bill, normally around £3,000, is now unaffordable.Jenkins said he has cut fuel usage by half and is asking guests to lower radiator settings rather than open windows. He also hopes to shift to solar‑heated water as daylight hours increase.The FSB has urged the UK competition watchdog to extend its probe of the heating‑oil market to include SMEs, noting that the same shock has lifted North‑west European jet fuel to $1,900 per tonne and diesel to $1,600 per tonne, according to Argus.Trade bodies warn that the volatility creates a fertile environment for rogue energy brokers who may push small firms into unfavorable long‑term contracts. Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the FSB, stressed the need for stricter broker regulations, noting that many SMEs lack the bargaining power of larger corporations.Small businesses also miss out on the government’s household energy‑price cap and other consumer protections, despite their energy usage resembling that of households. McKenzie added that the market’s rapid evolution leaves many firms “nervous and vulnerable”.Proposals to tighten broker oversight, including tighter scrutiny by Ofgem, are pending new legislation. An Ofgem spokesperson said the regulator has reminded suppliers and brokers to “treat customers fairly, prioritize transparent pricing and good consumer outcomes”, acknowledging the “concerning volatility” caused by the Middle‑East conflict.

Romanian director Radu Jude is known for his wildly improvised and low-budget filmmaking style, often incorporating elements of TV ads, AI-generated content, and amateur dramatics into his movies. His latest film, 'Dracula', continues this trend, presenting a satirical take on Romania's dark past and the country's most reliable export: the legend of Dracula. The film is a meta-cinematic experiment, featuring a smug and supercilious film-maker, Adonis Tanta, who introduces the audience to his cheapo film about Dracula, created on his iPad using unbearable AI. The story is interspersed with set-piece mini-films-within-a-film on Dracula-adjacent themes, including a communist-era tale of a truck driver who falls in love with a local woman. Jude's film is a scathing critique of Romania's persistent strains of fascism, antisemitism, clerical arrogance, exploitative service economy, and stakeholder capitalism. Specifically, it relates to a proposal for a Dracula theme park in the late 1990s, in which thousands of Romanian citizens invested money that they would never see again. While the film may test the audience's patience at times, it features moments of startling insanity and is a testament to Jude's innovative filmmaking style. As the reviewer notes, 'one day, I predict, Jude will make a biopic of political vampirism about the most pressing Romanian subject of all: Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu.' 'Dracula' is set to premiere at the ICA in London on April 10.

Iran is experiencing the longest nationwide internet blackout ever recorded, according to the global monitoring group NetBlocks. Since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28, connectivity has hovered at about 1% of pre‑war levels, effectively cutting the country off from the global web. The blackout follows a prior 20‑day shutdown in January, which coincided with deadly nationwide protests. Combined, these measures mean that Iranian civilians have spent close to two‑thirds of 2026 in digital darkness, relying only on a slow, state‑controlled intranet for basic services and state‑run news. NetBlocks highlighted that while regions such as Myanmar, Sudan, Kashmir and Tigray have endured longer intermittent outages, no other war has forced an entire nation offline to this extent. The monitor added that Iran is the first country to lose previously functional internet connectivity by reverting to a national network. Economic analysts warned that the January shutdown already caused the economy to lose tens of millions of dollars each day in direct damages, with far‑reaching indirect effects. Companies reported that many online businesses could not survive more than three weeks without connectivity, leading to a wave of layoffs and reduced pay raises. One affected worker, Kamran, a product designer in Karaj, said he was dismissed after the latest wave of cuts. He now relies on a local skill‑matching group, but fears competition from thousands of similarly displaced workers. A senior data analyst from a Tehran firm disclosed that the firm is offering lower-than‑expected raises and shifting to three‑month contracts, creating uncertainty about future employment. Compounding the digital crisis, the war has targeted Iran’s steel factories, petrochemical plants and other civilian infrastructure, aggravating pre‑existing problems of high inflation and unemployment. Only a limited segment of the population can access the global internet—either because they are whitelisted by the state or because they pay steep fees for proxy connections that often disappear after a few hours. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that internet access is being granted only to those who can “get the voice out,” such as officials, state‑affiliated entities and news agencies. Citizens on the ground describe a grim reality: frequent power outages, uncertainty about water supplies, and an inability to use services like Google Search or AI tools, even as they watch live feeds from space missions that remain inaccessible. In response to the prolonged shutdown, authorities have begun rolling out a tiered system dubbed “Internet Pro.” Business groups have received a “guide to connect to international internet,” urging them to contact a state‑run messaging app, Bale, for registration. Parallel efforts by a major telecom carrier offer one‑year data packages at prices higher than normal plans, while existing providers have not refunded customers for services they cannot deliver. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, which campaigned on unblocking Iran’s internet, has offered no official explanation for the shutdown, leaving both the battered digital sector and the broader economy facing an uncertain future.

Thousands of Muqtada al‑Sadr’s followers took to the streets of Baghdad and several other Iraqi cities on Saturday, staging one of the largest anti‑war rallies in recent memory. Demonstrators brandished Iraqi flags while chanting slogans such as “No, no to Israel” and “No, no to America,” signaling broad opposition to the escalating conflict. Iraq, already caught in a web of regional hostilities, has endured attacks aimed at both U.S. interests and pro‑Iranian groups within its borders. The protests underscore the country’s growing frustration at being drawn into a war it did not initiate. In the heart of Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, crowds—including women—filled the avenues, their voices amplified by a palpable sense of urgency. “What America and Israel are doing is not a conventional military operation but a senseless war,” declared Dhirgham Samir, a 40‑year‑old participant, speaking to AFP. Samir added that the demonstration represented a broader rejection of “aggression, arrogance and injustice” worldwide, emphasizing that civilians are the primary victims of this conflict. Since the war began, thousands of casualties have been reported across the region, a grim statistic that fuels public anger. Al‑Sadr himself called for peaceful rallies aimed at condemning what he described as “Zionist‑American aggression” and urging a return to regional stability. His appeal resonated with many, reflecting his deep-rooted influence among Iraq’s Shia majority. Protesters gathered beneath Baghdad’s Freedom Monument, a symbol of the nation’s independence, to denounce perceived foreign meddling. Muslim leader Ali al‑Fartousi told AFP, “Humanity must speak out against these forces; the world must unite against Zionist‑American arrogance.” Al‑Sadr commands a loyal base numbering in the millions and has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to mobilise large crowds. Though he has opposed various Iraqi governments over the years, his network extends into ministries and state institutions, amplifying the political weight of today’s demonstrations.

Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque, a significant Islamic site and Palestinian national symbol, has become a focal point of Israeli-Palestinian tensions. The mosque, located in the occupied West Bank, has been subject to increased restrictions and control by Israeli authorities. Stricter measures have been imposed on Palestinians attempting to access the mosque, including the closure of gates, checkpoints, and searches. These actions have made it difficult for Palestinians to reach the site, with some residents reporting that the journey has become significantly longer and more complicated. The Israeli government claims that these measures are necessary for security reasons, citing the presence of Israeli settlers in the area. However, Palestinians argue that these restrictions are part of a systematic effort to reduce their access to the mosque and erode their rights. The situation at the Ibrahimi Mosque is seen as a microcosm of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Observers note that Israel's actions in Hebron may be a prelude to further annexation of the West Bank, with increased settlement activity and restrictions on Palestinian movement. Palestinian residents have faced significant challenges, including demolition orders, arrests, and settler attacks. The area surrounding the mosque has become increasingly militarized, with thousands of Israeli soldiers and settlers present. The international community has expressed concern over Israel's actions, with many viewing them as illegitimate and dangerous to the existing status quo. The situation remains a critical point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with significant implications for the future of the region.

The deployment of reflective mirrors on satellites and the launch of thousands more satellites into low Earth orbit could have significant consequences for human health and ecosystems. Leading sleep and circadian rhythm researchers have raised concerns about the potential disruption to natural night-time light environments.The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering plans by Reflect Orbital to illuminate parts of the Earth at night using reflective satellites, as well as applications from SpaceX that could dramatically expand satellite numbers in low Earth orbit.2,500 researchers from over 30 countries have expressed concerns that altering the light-dark cycle could disrupt biological clocks that regulate sleep and hormone secretion in humans and animals, migration in nocturnal species, seasonal cycles in plants, and the rhythms of marine phytoplankton.Prof Charalambos Kyriacou, president of the European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS), emphasized that "plants need the night" and that eliminating it could have global implications for food security.Reflect Orbital aims to use satellites equipped with large reflective mirrors to redirect sunlight onto areas roughly 5km to 6km wide "on demand", with brightness adjustable "from full moon to full noon".Meanwhile, SpaceX has proposed launching up to 1m satellites to create a giant solar-powered computing network in orbit designed to run artificial-intelligence workloads.Ruskin Hartley, chief executive of DarkSky International, noted that scientific studies have already shown that the existing number of satellites in orbit has increased diffuse night sky brightness by roughly 10%.Experts warn that if current trends in satellite launches and debris generation continue, night sky brightness could increase substantially over the coming decade, approaching the threshold astronomers have set for preserving naturally dark skies.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has condemned a drone strike that hit Al Jabalain Hospital in Sudan’s White Nile State, killing 10 people, among them seven medical staff members. The attack, which struck an operating theatre and a maternity ward, occurred during a children’s immunisation campaign, heightening the humanitarian outcry.MSF’s Sudan emergencies chief, Esperanza Santos, said the assault was “unacceptable” and noted that several of the deceased had previously worked with the organisation. She added that the strike represents a grave violation of medical neutrality.While the perpetrators have not been officially confirmed, MSF’s statement attributes the strike to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a claim echoed by Sudanese officials. On Friday, Khalid Aleisir, Sudan’s minister of culture, information, antiquities and tourism, called for the RSF to be designated a terrorist organisation and for its members to face prosecution.The incident follows a series of attacks on Sudan’s health infrastructure since the war erupted in April 2023. In a separate incident the same day, a medical supply depot in Rabak, the capital of White Nile State, was also hit. According to the World Health Organization, more than 200 attacks have targeted health facilities since the conflict began, underscoring a systematic pattern of violence against civilians.Local rights group Emergency Lawyers highlighted that recurring drone strikes across South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and the Darfur regions have displaced thousands, further straining an already fragile health system. The Sudan Doctors Network described the Al Jabalain strike as a “deliberate assault on health facilities and unarmed civilians,” warning that such actions exacerbate the nation’s deteriorating medical capacity.International observers note that the targeting of hospitals not only violates international humanitarian law but also hampers efforts to control disease outbreaks and provide essential care to vulnerable populations. The growing body of evidence may prompt renewed calls for accountability and stronger protective measures for health workers in conflict zones.

As Easter celebrations unfold in the UK, religious and political leaders are highlighting the urgent need for peace in the Middle East, a region plagued by conflict and violence. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, in her first Easter sermon, called for an end to the violence and destruction in the region, emphasizing the importance of “peace, justice, and freedom.”The conflict in the Middle East, which began at the end of February, has entered its sixth week, resulting in thousands of deaths and significant disruptions to global shipping routes, including an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This has led to soaring fuel prices and concerns about the impact on the global economy.In her Easter message, Mullally prayed that all people in the region receive the peace, justice, and freedom they long for, stating, “This week, our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. Today, as we shout with joy that Christ is risen, let us pray and call with renewed urgency for an end to the violence and destruction in the Middle East and the Gulf.”Prime Minister Keir Starmer also addressed the conflict in his Easter message, noting that it is causing “real anxiety” for people. He described Easter as a celebration of hope, new life, and renewal, and highlighted the important role of churches and Christian communities in supporting families and neighbors.Starmer emphasized the need for unity and community in the face of challenges, stating, “Our country is at its best when we choose community over division, kindness over indifference, and service over self-interest.”