The Middle East conflict continues to escalate, raising oil prices, prompting warnings against energy protectionism, and creating a fiscal hit for the Eurozone while also highlighting Iran's 'resistance economy' and impacting global supply chains for helium and the outlook for natural gas reliance.

• Oil price rises past $115 as Iran conflict worsens — Financial Times -
• Israel blocks Catholic cardinal from Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday — Financial Times -
• FirstFT: Middle East war escalates as diplomacy proves fruitless — Financial Times -

• Avoid energy protectionism, UK chancellor will tell G7 allies — Financial Times -
• Opinion | Democrats Revive a Jimmy Carter Tax Mistake on ‘Windfall’ Profits — Wall Street Journal -
• US-Israeli war against Iran escalates as talks prove fruitless — Financial Times -
• Middle East war enters fifth week with no sign of negotiated truce — Financial Times -
• The Oil Shocks of the ’70s Changed the World. Will the Iran War Do the Same? — The New York Times Business -
• Iran war exposes split in Trump’s base at conservative activists’ conference — Financial Times -
• The Iran war will cement China’s superpower status — Financial Times -
• Iran’s aggression will bring Gulf countries closer to the US — Financial Times -
• Why the Iran War May Force Countries to Rely Less on Natural Gas — The New York Times Business -
• The last bridge left to ancient Tyre — Financial Times -
• Eurozone borrowing costs soar on fears of fiscal hit from Iran shock — Financial Times -
• Iran activates its ‘resistance economy’ to survive the war — Financial Times -
• Iran war chokes off helium supplies in threat to chipmakers and healthcare — Financial Times -
• German chemicals groups boost prices as Iran war adds to industry woes — Financial Times -
• Philippines ‘between rock and a hard place’ over surging energy prices — Financial Times -

The world of Artificial Intelligence sees OpenAI discontinue its Sora video-generation app, a new political group pushing Trump's AI agenda for midterms, **Eli Lilly investing $2bn in AI drug development, and discussions about social media regulation and AI's impact on income tax**.

• Opinion | Sayonara, Sora: OpenAI Says Fun Time Is Over — Wall Street Journal -
• New Political Group to Push Trump’s A.I. Agenda in Midterms — The New York Times Business -
• Chromebook Remorse: Tech Backlash at Schools Extends Beyond Phones — The New York Times Business -

• Eli Lilly to sign $2bn deal for AI drug development with Hong Kong biotech — Financial Times -
• Social media has been put on notice — Financial Times -
• OpenAI investor says AI requires an income tax overhaul — Financial Times -

Global business and finance are shaped by distressed-debt funds targeting private credit downturns, rising coffee costs, corporate headquarters relocations, mergers in the food industry, and national economic policies like Switzerland's wine import restrictions and Korea's inheritance tax reforms.

• Opinion | Side Quests Lead to Big Wins — Wall Street Journal -
• Distressed-debt funds target private credit downturn as ‘greatest opportunity’ since 2008 — Financial Times -
• Switzerland’s wine-making president pushes to restrict imports — Financial Times -

• Apollo looks beyond New York as it plans second headquarters — Financial Times -
• Why the Cost of Your Coffee Has Soared—and Isn’t Going Down Soon — Wall Street Journal -
• Could rising energy prices cure China’s deflationary funk? — Financial Times -
• Food Megamergers Hardly Ever Work. Could McCormick-Unilever Be Different? — Wall Street Journal -
• He Was Supposed to Break Up Kraft and Heinz. He Changed His Mind. — The New York Times Business -
• Check Your Target-Date Fund, Especially if You Plan to Retire Soon — The New York Times Business -
• Korea weighs inheritance tax based on book value, not market prices — Financial Times -
• Indian conglomerate Vedanta to split in five next month — Financial Times -

The UK's domestic landscape includes negotiations with the EU on youth mobility, funding pressures threatening construction education, scrutiny over Palantir's NHS contract, and risks of defense tech start-ups relocating due to funding delays.

• EU offers UK ‘emergency brake’ on numbers for new youth mobility scheme — Financial Times -
• The Reform UK youth wing driving the party’s reach on campus — Financial Times -
• Thousands of construction places at risk as English college funding pressures mount — Financial Times -

• Ministers explore triggering break clause in Palantir’s NHS contract — Financial Times -
• UK risks losing defence tech start-ups to relocation amid funding delays — Financial Times -

Updates in media, travel, and consumer affairs include Jonathan Greenberger's appointment as Politico's new editor, ongoing concerns about airport security line waits, a reconstruction of the Air Canada crash at LaGuardia, and a recall of 10 million grill brushes due to ingested bristles.

• Politico Names Jonathan Greenberger as New Editor — The New York Times Business -
• How Long Before Airport Security Lines Go Back to Normal? — Wall Street Journal -
• The Air Canada Crash: Before and After the Frantic Call to ‘Stop, Stop, Stop’ — The New York Times Business -

• Politico Picks an Insider as Its New Editor in Chief — Wall Street Journal -
• 10 Million Grill Brushes Recalled After Some People Ingested Loose Bristles — The New York Times Business -