Author: Editor-In-Chief

Mercedes and Ferrari also showed strong pace in Melbourne, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri setting the fastest time in Friday’s two practice sessions for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Driving at his home circuit, Piastri finished second practice two tenths clear of Kimi Antonelli, with Italian Mercedes teammate George Russell a further three tenths behind in third place. The timesheets showed Ferrari’s turnaround from the opening session, as Charles Leclerc took a one-two lead from teammate Lewis Hamilton, with the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Izak Hajjar finishing behind him. Leclerc had a nearly half-second lead in the first practice,…

Storage tanks are seen at Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery, which processes domestic and imported crude oil, in Carson, California, March 11, 2022.Binguan | Reuters What you need to know todayOil prices soared above $80 a barrel on Thursday as the Iran war entered its seventh day and continued to disrupt global fuel supplies. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that his country is “not asking for a ceasefire” with the United States and Israel, while President Donald Trump said his administration would shift its focus to Cuba after the U.S. military operation in Iran ends.In addition to the…

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 14: Representative Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) speaks alongside Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) during a press conference on border security outside the U.S. Capitol on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesRep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, said Thursday he will not seek re-election after House Republican leaders called for him to withdraw his candidacy over an alleged affair with a former staffer who later committed suicide.”After deep reflection and with the support of my beloved family, I have decided not to seek re-election, serving the remainder…

This photo, from a page on the Marinetraffic website, shows commercial vessel traffic at the end of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast on March 4, 2026.Julian De Rosa | AFP | Getty ImagesThe United States on Thursday gave New Delhi a 30-day exemption from buying oil from Moscow, after imposing 25% “penalty” tariffs on India on purchases of Russian oil (rescinded last month) as the Iran war disrupts global supplies.West Texas Intermediate crude oil soared 8.51%, or $6.35, to close at $81.01 per barrel Thursday, its biggest single-day gain since May 2020. Brent crude, the global benchmark,…

NEW DELHI, India — Wearing a blue navy uniform and sleek sunglasses, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of the country’s sea warriors in late October.He cited the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean, the large amount of trade and oil that passes through it. “The Indian Navy is the guardian of the Indian Ocean,” he said, to loud and proud chants of “Long live Mother India” from the audience.Less than five months later, India emerged as a “guardian” unable to protect its own guests.On Wednesday, the Iranian warship Iris Dena was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine just…

The Iranian bomber arrived within minutes of attacking the largest US military base in the Middle East and was shot down by a Qatari plane in its first air combat mission, two people briefed on the operation told CNN. On Monday morning, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards dispatched two Soviet-era Su-24 tactical bombers toward Al-Udeid Air Base, where 10,000 U.S. military personnel are normally stationed, and Ras Laffan, an important natural gas processing facility and the bedrock of Qatar’s economy. One of the officials said the Iranian jet was “two minutes” away from its target. Another source told CNN that a plane…

Brendon McCullum said he would “like to continue” as England’s head coach, but added that “tough conversations” were needed after a difficult winter with the Test team.McCullum praised England’s toughness and white-ball captain Harry Brook’s “mental fortitude” despite Thursday’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India. Although they were chasing a massive 254 points for victory, they were caught up by just 7 points. But reflecting on the entire winter, including the 4-1 drubbing by Australia in The Ashes, McCullum suggested there was a need to discuss the team’s style of play going forward. McCullum told Sky Sports: “I think…

Dario Amodei said Thursday that Anthropic plans to challenge in court the Pentagon’s decision to designate AI companies as supply chain risks, a designation he called “legally unsound.” The statement came hours after the Pentagon formally designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk after weeks of controversy over how much control the military should have over its AI systems. Supply chain risk designations could prohibit companies from working with the Department of Defense or its contractors. Amodei drew a clear line that Anthropic’s AI would not be used for mass surveillance of Americans or for fully autonomous weapons, but believed…

Damac Heights real estate development (right) at Dubai Marina in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday, February 20, 2026.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe United Arab Emirates is considering cutting off Iran’s access to billions of dollars held in the Gulf state, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The move could cripple Tehran’s access to foreign currency and global trade networks at a time when the country’s economy is deteriorating and the military conflict with the United States and Israel has put it under further pressure. Citing people familiar with the talks, the newspaper reported that Emirati authorities have warned…

Top Shot – Currency dealers monitor exchange rates in the foreign exchange dealing room of Hana Bank’s main branch in Seoul, February 2, 2026. South Korea’s benchmark index Kospi fell more than 5% on February 2, in line with the broader Asian market decline, as renewed concerns about the rise in AI-powered tech stocks raised concerns about a bubble in the sector. (Photo by Jung Young Jae/AFP via Getty Images)Jung Young Jae | AFP | Getty ImagesSouth Korea’s stock market has been volatile in recent days, highlighting how the world’s best-performing stock market last year is turning into one of…