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Donald Trump announced over the weekend that he wants to "take the oil in Iran" by seizing control of Kharg Island, the strategic outpost through which roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow. Experts say the remark underscores a blatant disregard for international law and exemplifies what they term “fossil‑fuel imperialism.” Patrick Bigger, co‑director of the Transition Security Project, described the approach as a "might‑makes‑right" logic that is both "abhorrent and spectacularly miscalculated." Trump is slated to give an update on the Iran‑U.S. conflict on Wednesday. He previously claimed the war could end within weeks, a statement that sent the stock market soaring on expectations of de‑escalation. Iran, however, has insisted it needs guarantees against future attacks before halting its counter‑offensive. The fighting continues, highlighted by an Iranian strike on a fully loaded crude tanker in Dubai and threats to "blow up and completely obliterate" Iran’s energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened promptly. Kharg Island, a five‑mile strip that handles the bulk of Iran’s oil shipments, along with its power plants and oil wells, has been singled out by Trump. He told the Financial Times that U.S. forces should take over the island and the oil stored there. "My favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran," Trump said, adding that critics in the United States are "stupid people." Amir Handjani, an energy lawyer at the Quincy Institute, warned that the statement "completely discredited" the war’s stated objectives and revealed a classic play for natural resources. Handjani noted that Trump’s desire to seize Iranian oil is not new; he voiced similar ambitions in a 1988 interview while promoting The Art of the Deal, saying he would "do a number on Kharg Island" if elected. The former president has also floated comparable ideas for Iraq, Syria and Venezuela, suggesting the United States could appropriate their oil to offset war costs or bolster strategic reserves. Handjani emphasized that international law provides no framework for waging war to capture sovereign nations' natural resources. From a military perspective, taking Kharg Island would be extremely challenging. Iranian missile defenses have rendered regional U.S. bases inoperable, meaning any assault would likely require a parachute insertion of Marines into heavy fire, with the risk of massive Iranian retaliation. Handjani warned that such retaliation could target oil export terminals across the Persian Gulf, potentially driving crude prices to $200‑$300 per barrel and destabilising the global economy. The conflict has already caused the largest-ever disruption to global energy supplies, killing thousands and sparking sharp fuel‑price shocks. While consumers bear the brunt, major fossil‑fuel companies are enjoying windfall profits. Bigger noted that higher oil prices benefit oil majors and are being used as a pretext to expand U.S. drilling, further entrenching reliance on carbon‑intensive fuels. According to Bigger, Trump’s rhetoric reveals a belief that "fossil fuels are a linchpin of his domestic industrial strategy," and that controlling oil equates to controlling global power. He argues that this mindset threatens the international order and hampers the transition to cleaner energy.

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has once again opened its doors to the world of video games, hosting an event that showcased independent games and immersive experiences. This was part of its long-running Friday Late series, a collaboration with the London Games Festival that explored the link between play and performance.Visitors to the museum were treated to a variety of experiences, including the opportunity to play the Bafta-winning comedy game Thank Goodness You’re Here! on a giant screen beneath a 13th-century spiral staircase. Others could engage with Sex With Friends, a physics-based puzzle game that had spectators in stitches.The event also featured live-coding electronic music and a range of interactive installations. One highlight was Robot Karaoke, a performance project by comedian and writer Jamie Brew that used an algorithm to generate new lyrics to classic pop songs.Curators emphasized the importance of showcasing video games in a museum context, highlighting their cultural significance and encouraging visitors to engage with them in new and innovative ways. The event was part of a broader effort to bring games and play back into the museum, following a successful exhibition in 2018.The London Games Festival will bring similar experiences to venues throughout the city in April, and there are similar events taking place around the world, including the Overkill festival in the Netherlands and A MAZE in Berlin.

America faces an unprecedented concentration of wealth: the richest 1% now control more assets than the bottom 93% of households, and a single individual, Elon Musk, with a net worth of $805 billion, holds more wealth than the lower‑half of the population combined.Recent tax policies have amplified this gap. In the year following the largest tax cut in U.S. history, 938 billionaires added $1.5 trillion to their fortunes, while President Trump and his family saw a modest increase of $4 billion. Four Wall Street giants—BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity and State Street—own stakes in more than 95 % of publicly traded companies, cementing corporate dominance across the economy.Political influence mirrors financial power: by the 2026 midterms, just 50 billionaires had poured over $433 million into campaign activities, shaping policy to protect their interests.Meanwhile, the average American worker is earning roughly $20 per week less than in 1973 after inflation adjustment, despite decades of productivity gains. The Rand Corporation estimates that $79 trillion has shifted from the bottom 90 % to the top 1 % over the past half‑century.Economic hardship is widespread: 60 % of households live paycheck to paycheck, nearly half of older workers lack retirement savings, and over 20 % of seniors survive on less than $15,000 annually. Health‑care insecurity affects 85 million Americans, with more than 500,000 filing for bankruptcy each year due to medical debt.At the heart of the problem is a tax code engineered by the affluent. Billionaires now pay lower effective rates than typical workers. For example, Musk’s tax rate sits below 3.3 % compared with an 8.4 % rate for a truck driver; Jeff Bezos paid under 1 % versus 8.7 % for a firefighter; Michael Bloomberg’s rate was 1.3 % against 13.3 % for a registered nurse; and Warren Buffett’s rate was a mere 0.1 % while a schoolteacher paid nearly 10 %.Corporate tax avoidance compounds the issue. After a $900 billion corporate tax break, major firms such as Tesla, SpaceX, Palantir, Ticketmaster and the parent of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC reported zero federal income tax despite generating over $17 billion in profit.Public sentiment is shifting. In California, voters favor a billionaire tax by a two‑to‑one margin, and in New York City, 62 % back a 2 % surtax on the ultra‑wealthy. Nationwide, more than six in ten Americans believe the wealthy and large corporations pay too little.In response, Senator Sanders introduced legislation to impose a 5 % wealth tax on the 938 billionaires whose combined net worth exceeds $8.2 trillion. Over a decade, the measure would generate roughly $4.4 trillion.The first‑year rollout would deliver a $3,000 direct payment to every household earning $150,000 or less—equating to $12,000 for a typical family of four. Additional provisions include constructing 7 million affordable housing units, expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing, providing universal childcare, raising the minimum teacher salary to $60,000, and guaranteeing Medicaid‑funded home health care for seniors and people with disabilities.Crucially, the plan would reverse recent health‑care cuts that stripped coverage from 15 million Americans, ensuring no additional loss of insurance.Even if the tax were applied retroactively, the impact on the ultra‑rich would be modest relative to their fortunes: Elon Musk would owe an extra $42 billion, Mark Zuckerberg an additional $11 billion, and Jeff Bezos another $11 billion—figures that would barely dent their net worths.As Justice Louis Brandeis warned in 1933, “We must make our choice. We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.” Senator Sanders argues the choice is clear: a democratic economy that serves the many, not a plutocratic system that serves the 1 %.The wealthiest Americans must begin contributing their fair share.

OverviewSalesforce introduced an AI‑heavy makeover for Slack at a San Francisco event on 2026-03-31. The update adds 30 new features that expand the functionality of the platform’s AI agent, Slackbot, positioning Slack as a broader business‑process tool rather than just a messaging app.Key AI FeaturesReusable AI‑skills: Users can define custom tasks that Slackbot can execute across multiple contexts, reducing manual effort. Example: a “create a budget” skill pulls data from channels and connected apps, then auto‑schedules a planning meeting.MCP (Model Context Protocol) client: Slackbot now connects to external services, notably Agentforce—Salesforce’s AI agent platform launched in 2024—to route work and query enterprise agents without human intervention.Meeting transcription & summarization: Slackbot can generate real‑time transcripts and concise action‑item summaries, helping participants catch up if they miss parts of a discussion.Desktop‑activity monitoring: The bot can analyze a user’s deals, conversations, calendar, and habits to suggest follow‑ups or draft communications, with privacy controls managed by the user.Strategic ImpactThe enhancements aim to embed AI into daily workflows, making Slack an indispensable hub for enterprise tasks. By turning Slackbot into a multi‑modal assistant, Salesforce seeks to increase user stickiness and drive higher subscription value.Financial ImplicationsCEO Marc Benioff highlighted that the five‑year period since acquiring Slack has delivered “two and a half times revenue growth.” In concrete terms, a 2.5× increase means revenue is now 150% higher than the pre‑acquisition baseline (e.g., if Slack generated $1 B annually at acquisition, it now contributes roughly $2.5 B). Benioff also noted that about 1 million businesses are currently running on Slack, underscoring the platform’s scale and the revenue upside from deeper AI integration.

Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank organized public demonstrations to voice opposition to Israel's newly introduced death penalty law. The protests, which unfolded in several towns and refugee camps, reflected deep‑seated concerns over the legislation's implications for human rights and regional stability. Organizers emphasized that the law, seen by many as a punitive response to security incidents, could exacerbate existing grievances and further strain relations between Israeli authorities and the Palestinian population. Participants carried placards and chanted slogans demanding the repeal of the measure and calling for broader legal reforms. While the scale of the demonstrations varied, the core message remained consistent: a call for the international community and local leadership to reconsider the use of capital punishment in a context already marked by prolonged conflict. Observers noted that the protests could influence diplomatic dialogues and potentially impact future policy decisions regarding security and justice in the region.

On 30 December 2023, Brooklyn‑based musician Wendy Eisenberg emerged from an all‑night rave in Bushwick feeling physically ill and mentally rattled. A spontaneous, anxiety‑driven walk that lasted the entire day became the catalyst for what Eisenberg later described as a personal “exorcism”.During the trek, an old friend suggested Eisenberg pick up a guitar, prompting the artist to return home and begin writing the material that would become their self‑titled album. Eisenberg recalled the intensity of Cat Power’s rapid‑fire creation of Moon Pix, noting that many of the new songs were drafted in a similar dream‑state over the following three to four months.Since the debut Time Machine, Eisenberg has built a reputation as a multi‑instrumentalist who oscillates between confessional folk and avant‑garde improvisation. Collaborator Bill Orcutt praised their guitar work as “musical MSG”, capable of elevating any ensemble. Yet the forthcoming record deliberately steps back from experimental excess, drawing instead on the playful melodies and graceful harmonies of 70s folk‑rock while retaining the ambition of earlier projects.The album’s orchestration, co‑produced with partner Mari Rubio (aka More Eaze), emphasizes beauty through complexity. Eisenberg explains that the “harmonic vocabulary reflects a newfound sense of comfort and happiness”, aiming for an “earned, adult sound of happiness” that mirrors the messy process of self‑acceptance.At the heart of the record lies a deeply personal narrative. A breakup that shattered Eisenberg’s sense of identity forced them to confront both heartbreak and the pressure to conform to “straight” norms. The experience sparked a decisive embrace of their queer, non‑binary, lesbian identity, a transformation Eisenberg describes as a “revelatory moment”.Music has long served as Eisenberg’s refuge; their father’s lullabies and an early fascination with Joni Mitchell, Gram Parsons, and the Everly Brothers laid the groundwork for a lifelong devotion to songcraft. After years of intensive study at the New England Conservatory and experimental collaborations, Eisenberg’s new work channels those influences into a more accessible, yet still richly textured, sound.Beyond the music, the album’s backstory includes an unexpected romance sparked by the British quiz show Only Connect. After meeting Rubio in August 2023, the pair bonded over the show on Valentine’s Day, leading to their first kiss and, months later, cohabitation. Eisenberg credits this partnership with providing the emotional stability needed to complete the album.Critics have already hailed the record as “one of the best things you will hear this year”, noting its blend of 70s singer‑songwriter sensibility with modern lyrical honesty. Tracks such as “Meaning Business” confront PTSD and past trauma, while others explore the joy of self‑realization.The album will be released on Joyful Noise on 3 April 2024, offering listeners a window into Eisenberg’s journey from “exorcism” to artistic renewal, and solidifying their place as a compelling voice in contemporary indie folk.

Penguin Random House has taken legal action against OpenAI, claiming that its ChatGPT chatbot infringed on the copyright of a popular German children's book series, Coconut the Little Dragon, by generating text and images virtually indistinguishable from the original work.The lawsuit, filed with a Munich court against OpenAI's Ireland-based European subsidiary, asserts that ChatGPT's responses to prompts were 'clear evidence' that the large-language model had unlawfully 'memorised' the work of Ingo Siegner, the author and illustrator of the Coconut series.Penguin Random House argues that ChatGPT's ability to generate a story, cover, and blurb for a children's book featuring Coconut the Dragon on Mars demonstrates that OpenAI's technology has unlawfully stored and reproduced Siegner's work.This lawsuit could set a precedent for other publishers in the industry, as it challenges the use of AI models that can mimic and reproduce copyrighted material. Carina Mathern, a Penguin Random House publisher, emphasized that the company is committed to protecting intellectual property while remaining open to the opportunities offered by AI.In response, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that the company is reviewing the allegations and respects creators and content owners, while also engaging in productive conversations with many publishers worldwide.This legal action follows a previous ruling by a Munich court in November 2025, which found that ChatGPT had violated German copyright laws by using hits from top-selling musicians to train its language models.

Ben Jennings offers a visual commentary on the recent overhaul of bin collection services in England. Published on 31 March 2026 in the Guardian's Opinion cartoon series, the illustration captures public concerns about how the new schedule may affect recycling rates and household waste handling.The cartoon, titled "Ben Jennings on changes to bin collections in England – cartoon," depicts a typical street scene where altered collection times create confusion among residents. By emphasizing the everyday impact of policy shifts, Jennings underscores the tension between local government decisions and the practical realities of recycling and waste management.While the piece contains no accompanying editorial text, its visual satire serves as a reminder that changes to public services can have ripple effects on environmental goals and community routines. The illustration, credited to Ben Jennings/The Guardian, invites readers to reflect on the balance between efficiency and sustainability in municipal waste policies.

After clinching the 2026 Asian Cup in Australia, 35‑year‑old defender Saki Kumagai was asked to rank the trophy among the many she has collected over a 17‑year career. She smiled, shook her head and said, “I never compare my titles… this team is from a different generation, so winning this tournament means a lot.” Kumagai is the sole remaining player who lifted the Women’s World Cup in 2011 – the first and only Asian nation to do so. At 21, she scored the decisive penalty in the shoot‑out against the United States, a victory that came just months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. Today, the squad she captains features teenagers who were toddlers when she made history: forward Maika Hamano was seven, centre‑back Toko Koga five, and top scorer Riko Ueki twelve when Kumagai’s winning penalty was replayed on TV. Kumagai admits she offers little direct advice, but she leads by example, saying, “I try to pass the baton to the next generation to show them how to perform in these moments.” The transition is no accident. In 2005 the Japanese Football Association unveiled a 50‑year vision aimed at expanding participation, climbing FIFA rankings and eventually hosting – and winning – a World Cup. Halfway through that plan, Japan now sits fifth in the FIFA women’s rankings, having added an Olympic silver medal (2021), a second World Cup final (2015), and three Asian Cup titles (2014, 2018, 2026) to its résumé. While the men’s game has progressed more slowly, the women’s side has surged ahead, bolstered by the launch of Asia’s first full‑time professional women’s league in 2021. This structural backbone has produced a squad “propelled by young stars,” as Kumagai notes. Currently playing for the London City Lionesses after spells at Olympique Lyonnais, Bayern Munich and Roma, Kumagai sees herself as a bridge between eras. She hopes her experience will help Japan reclaim the sport’s summit. “We have a lot of good young players,” she says. “They have confidence, they’re gaining experience in Europe, and as an experienced player I want to create a supportive environment for them.”