USA - Sometimes the long-term economic consequences of major geopolitical events are easier to foresee than their more immediate ones. A case in point is the Iran war; it’s anyone’s guess how this is going to pan out over the weeks and months ahead. The deadline for some kind of negotiated settlement has been deferred again, and the ceasefire extended, apparently indefinitely. Stock markets assume the war is already essentially over, with a Pakistan-brokered peace deal only a matter of time. But nobody really knows, and for the moment, Donald Trump continues to strengthen his military presence in the region in a manner that would suggest imminent, renewed conflict. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, cutting off vital global supplies of oil, gas, fertiliser, jet fuel and much else besides. The longer this continues, the more damage it does to the world economy and the greater the chances of a nasty correction in stock markets.

UK - Do good, honest people ever shoplift? The unlikely figure of Archie Norman, the former Conservative MP and now chairman of Marks and Spencer, seems to think so. To be fair to Mr Norman, he is not making a general excuse for theft, but rather arguing that the aggravations of self-service checkouts not working properly may on occasion drive even the most morally upstanding individual to pinch a punnet of strawberries. This is not a matter for the state to intervene on. What very much is a matter of public concern is the general rise in shoplifting. When brazen theft is all too often seen as having no consequence for the offender, delinquent behaviour is normalised. If there is a rise in usually honest people taking self-service to a new level, is this not the real culprit?

USA - The US is burning through missiles built for a war with China, raising concerns about the feasibility of the Pentagon’s contingency plans to defend Taiwan. Since the start of the Iran war on February 28, it has fired 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles that had been designated for a potential conflict with China, leaving about 1,000 in America’s stockpile, according to a report. So far during Operation Epic Fury, the US military has also fired more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles – almost 10 times the number the Pentagon buys each year – and 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles, which each cost $4 million (about £3 million). Officials said this would leave inventories at a worrying low level. William Yang, a senior analyst on north-east Asia at the International Crisis Group think tank, told The Telegraph that dwindling US stockpiles would be “met with unease in key Asian capitals”, especially Taipei, Tokyo, Manila, and Seoul. He said: “These countries have long been relying on US-led deterrence to counter China’s increasingly frequent and assertive military activities."

USA - When a bomb goes off, most people run away from the blast, but two kinds run towards it: paramedics and journalists. Thus, when a shooter charged the White House press gala, hundreds of hacks couldn’t believe their luck to be present at the third attempt to kill Donald Trump, whipped out their phones and reported LIVE from beneath the table. Has the shocking become normal? Not quite. A sobering vignette: Erika Kirk was filmed walking away in floods of tears, saying “I just want to go home”. Last year, her husband Charlie was murdered at a university debate.

USA - President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Dinner after a shooter opened fire. DC's biggest night of the year was plunged into chaos after shots rang out in the lobby of the Washington Hilton at around 8.15 pm. The President and First Lady were immediately taken to safety, followed by members of the cabinet who were hauled over barriers by the Secret Service. The president has since confirmed that a Secret Service agent wearing a protective vest was shot, but is in 'great shape.' It was not immediately clear what happened. A law enforcement official confirmed there was a shooter but no further details were immediately available.

GERMANY - Defense News reported: “Defense leaders presented the finished documents to lawmakers this week, offering unclassified outlines for public consumption at an April 22 press conference in Berlin. ‘Rarely has a military strategy been as necessary as in this historical phase’, he told reporters. The documents, which the ministry describes as classified ‘living documents’ subject to ongoing revision, will serve as the strategic foundation for the Bundeswehr for the next 20 years.”

UK - British centers will start selling “lunch-hour abortions.” kill your baby and go back to work. The Government has announced plans to financially incentivize abortion clinics to provide ‘lunch-hour’ or ‘same-day’ abortions. The changes were announced last week as part of the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England. Under the current NHS Payment Scheme, abortion clinics are typically paid separately for each part of the abortion pathway – the consultation, scan, and procedure. This encourages abortion providers not to rush the process in one day and also gives women more time to consider their decision before the actual abortion procedure happens. Under the Government’s new approach, abortion clinics will now be paid a bundled payment for providing all stages of the process – and the Government has made it clear they are doing this to financially incentivize clinics to provide abortion “consultations, scans and procedures on the same day”. In what was described as a “cattle market culture”, staff felt “encouraged” to ensure women went through with abortions. Staff described this as a “very target-driven culture”.

USA - The case of yet another top NASA nuclear engineer turning up dead in a fiery crash has hit the headlines, adding to the dark and mysterious pattern of experts tied to advanced propulsion and space secrets apparently being targeted. Joshua LeBlanc, 29, a team lead on NASA’s most cutting-edge nuclear thermal propulsion projects, was found charred beyond recognition inside his burned Tesla after vanishing from his Huntsville, Alabama home. His family immediately feared abduction. He left his phone and wallet behind — an act they called completely uncharacteristic. Tesla Sentry Mode data later showed the vehicle sat motionless at Huntsville International Airport for four hours the morning of July 22, 2025. The car was discovered that afternoon after colliding with a guardrail, slamming into trees, and erupting in flames. Authorities confirmed his identity days later through forensic examination.

CHINA - According to a report from Newsweek, Chinese researchers working in critical military and technological fields have suffered a series of untimely deaths, raising parallels to similar cases under investigation in the United States. At least nine prominent scientists in sensitive areas such as military AI, hypersonics, and space defense have died in circumstances often described as accidents or left unexplained, prompting speculation about a possible “silent scientist war.” One case that has drawn particular scrutiny involves Feng Yanghe, a 38-year-old professor at China’s National University of Defense Technology and a leading figure in artificial intelligence for defense applications. These incidents mirror US concerns over 11 cases of missing or deceased scientists in comparable fields, which Washington is actively probing. No definitive links or evidence of targeted campaigns have been established, but the pattern has fueled debate among analysts about potential efforts to disrupt technological progress in a fiercely competitive global landscape.

UK - Scientists have warned that the world could be on track for a so-called 'super El Niño', which could push global temperatures to record highs. El Niño years form part of a natural cycle known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and are marked by sustained warm temperatures across the Pacific Ocean. Where this ocean surface warming exceeds 2C (3.6F), the event is often referred to as a 'super El Niño', although scientists themselves don't use the term. Now, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warns that the return of strong or super El Niño conditions is likely as early as May or June. Current measurements show that sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific are rising faster than at any other time this century. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation is a natural climate pattern which cycles between a hot El Niño and a cool La Niña phase every two to seven years. During the El Niño part of the cycle, warm waters that build up in the Pacific spread out and raise the Earth's average surface temperature. This heat ends up escaping into the atmosphere, raising the planet's temperature for months.

USA - An alarm has erupted after 15 powerful agricultural spray drones were stolen in a suspected coordinated heist in New Jersey last month. A report from The High Side claimed the FBI is investigating the theft amid fears the machines could be used to disperse dangerous materials. Agricultural drones are built for precision and designed to disperse large amounts of liquid over targeted areas using programmed GPS routes. That same capability has troubled counterterrorism officials since the post-9/11 years, when fears centered on crop-duster planes flown by a lone pilot. Experts told The Hide Side that there could be 'ridiculously bad' consequences and 'a potential nightmare scenario' if terrorists get their hands on the machines. Steve Lazarus, a retired FBI agent, told The High Side: 'The bureau is freaked out for a good reason. These aren't hobby drones with cameras. They're industrial sprayers designed to carry and disperse significant amounts of liquid quickly and with precision.'

USA - Farmers across the Great Plains are confronting an intense drought that threatens winter wheat harvests and is pushing cattle producers toward costly feed purchases, prompting some to abandon plans to expand their herds. The dryness is expected to persist through spring after weeks of scant rainfall and a late-winter heat spell that fueled massive pasture fires across the nation's breadbasket. Drought now covers nearly 90% of Nebraska and Oklahoma, with more than half of Nebraska in "extreme" drought. Such conditions have historically driven cattle producers to sell off animals and forced farmers to drill new irrigation wells as rivers run dry.

UK - We now have a cohort of young adults who, having never had the opportunity to learn that work pays, have given up on even looking for a job. Many, it seems, have convinced themselves that they are either not capable of working or that being employed is simply too much trouble. Research suggests that more than a quarter of Britain’s young Neets (those not in education, employment, or training) are economically inactive because of health issues, most notably mental illness and neurodivergence.

USA - An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the US position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands, a US official told Reuters. The policy options are detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies' perceived reluctance or refusal to grant the United States access, basing and overflight right, known as ABO, for the Iran war, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro responded to the reports, saying that "we [Spain] do not work off of emails, we work from official documents and positions."

POLAND - Polish PM warns EU must be 'real alliance'. Tusk spoke on the occasion of an informal EU summit in Cyprus where EU leaders will also discuss the war in the Middle East and energy measures in response and the Union's next long-term budget. Europe's "biggest, most important question" is whether the United States is ready to be a loyal NATO partner in case of a Russian attack, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the Financial Times. He also called for the European Union to become a "real alliance" in protecting the continent, reflecting growing worries about US President Donald Trump's unpredictable policies and threats towards his European partners. "My obsession now and my mission is to reintegrate Europe. It means common defense... a common effort to protect our eastern borders."