UK economy fails to grow in January

uk-economy-flat-january

The United Kingdom’s economy showed no growth in January, preliminary Office for National Statistics figures published on March 13, 2026 indicate. The flat reading followed 0.1% monthly growth in December and comes after a weak 0.1% expansion in the fourth quarter of 2025. The services sector, the largest part of the economy, recorded zero growth … Read more

Horoscope for Friday, March 13, 2026 — Christopher Renstrom

horoscope-friday-march-13-2026

Lead Christopher Renstrom’s Friday horoscope for March 13, 2026, offers short, practical guidance for each sign—and an announcement: beginning Sunday, SFGATE will publish Renstrom’s horoscope every day. The column for this date urges Aries to release what limits them, Taurus to enjoy an unexpectedly successful tactic, and Pisces to trust an intuitive course. The pieces … Read more

Asia-Pacific markets tumble as investors brace for a prolonged war in Middle East

asia-pacific-markets-middle-east-war

Asian and Pacific equity markets opened lower on Friday after oil surged on renewed fears that a protracted Middle East conflict could choke energy flows. The selloff followed sharp comments from Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and warnings from the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy about potential wider disruptions. Brent crude … Read more

US to Ease Russian Oil Sanctions as Middle East War Sends Energy Prices Higher

us-ease-russian-oil-sanctions

Lead: The United States has signalled it will relax certain sanctions on Russian oil this week as global energy prices spike amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Financial Times reporting indicates the move aims to relieve near-term supply pressures while remaining framed as targeted and temporary. The decision follows a sharp uptick in oil market … Read more

I Love Boosters Review: Boots Riley’s Hyperpop Deconstruction of Capitalism

i-love-boosters-riley-capitalism

Lead: Boots Riley opened the 40th SXSW festival in Austin with I Love Boosters, a surreal, hyperpop-tinged film that satirizes contemporary capitalism. The story follows three young women—Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige)—who steal designer goods across the Bay Area and spark a wider revolt after clashing with fashion magnate Christie … Read more

China slams U.S. trade investigation as it approves a 5-year economic plan

china-five-year-plan-trade

Lead: China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday denounced a new U.S. trade investigation into alleged manufacturing overcapacity, calling it a political pretext, as China’s legislature approved a Five-Year Plan focused on technological self-reliance and advanced manufacturing. The U.S. probe — announced Wednesday by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and covering China, Mexico, the European Union and … Read more

‘I Love Boosters’ Review: Keke Palmer in Boots Riley’s Out-There Riff

i-love-boosters-keke-palmer

Lead Boots Riley returns with I Love Boosters, which premiered at SXSW, delivering a high-energy, surreal satire of fashion consumerism led by Keke Palmer. The film reunites Riley’s appetite for broad social critique after his 2018 debut Sorry to Bother You and trades straightforward coherence for gleeful excess. It follows a trio of shoplifters in … Read more

Day 14: Economic fallout and escalating strikes in the US–Israel–Iran conflict

day-14-us-israel-iran

Lead On the 14th day of the widening confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran, economic and security shocks are mounting across the region and beyond. Markets pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel, while Tehran’s new supreme leader signaled the Strait of Hormuz could remain closed as leverage. Fighting and counterstrikes continued overnight, … Read more

Florida Legislature passes citizen verification for voters, restricts IDs accepted at the polls

florida-citizen-verification-voter-id

Lead On March 12, 2026, the Florida Legislature approved House Bill 991, requiring citizenship verification for all registered voters and narrowing which photo IDs are accepted at polling places. The Republican-backed measure cleared the Senate 27-12 and the House 77-28 and moves to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration. Sponsors said the law closes gaps they … Read more

NFL free agency fallout: Maxx Crosby, Shedeur Sanders, Kyler Murray among winners, losers – USA Today

nfl-free-agency-winners-losers-1

Lead: The NFL free agency period opened on March 11, 2026, and a flurry of signings, trades and one high-profile non-trade have reconfigured several rosters ahead of the 2026 season. The most disruptive moment was the arranged but ultimately unconsummated Maxx Crosby deal between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens, a sequence that produced … Read more

2026 NFL Draft: PFF unveils eye-opening 3-round mock draft as free agency wave continues – On3

2026-nfl-pff-mock-draft

Lead Pro Football Focus revised a three-round mock for the 2026 NFL Draft the same week the league opened the new year and free agency formally began on Wednesday, a period that has already seen a dozen teams spend hundreds of millions to reshape rosters. The updated mock factors heavy early free-agent movement and was … Read more

Temple Israel Attack Near Detroit: Suspect Identified and Dead

temple-israel-detroit-attack

Federal and local authorities say a single attacker drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Mich., on Thursday, March 12, 2026, then exchanged gunfire with security before dying at the scene. Officials identified the suspect as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon who entered the United States … Read more