News 31 March 2026

Etihad Orders 10 Boeing Jets, Raising Talk of Hard-to-Get 787 Slots

Stock Market Today: Live Updates 15.07.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 15, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 15, 2026, 10:09 PM EDT BHP's Iron Ore Unit Hit by Port Hedland Strike, $50 Million at Risk July 15, 2026, 10:01 PM EDT. About 200 workers at BHP’s iron ore division are on strike at the Port Hedland export terminal in Western Australia, marking the company’s first protected industrial action in more than 25 years. The stoppage runs from 2pm to 10pm AWST and comes after failed talks with unions and the Fair Work Commission. Workers are pushing for equal pay, more transparent promotions, and better workplace rules, saying
July 15, 2026
National Grid plc seals £3 billion Eastern Green Link 4 contracts ahead of RIIO-3 start
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National Grid plc seals £3 billion Eastern Green Link 4 contracts ahead of RIIO-3 start

National Grid plc and SP Energy Networks on Monday locked in £3 billion of major supply-chain deals for Eastern Green Link 4, a 2-gigawatt subsea cable project running between Scotland and England—one of five east coast links aimed at clearing grid congestion. Siemens Energy is tapped for the HVDC converter stations, while Prysmian will deliver the cable system. Timing is key here. Britain’s RIIO-3, the next five-year price-control cycle that determines how much network owners can earn, kicks off April 1. Earlier in the month, National Grid raised its investment target to at least £70 billion by March 2031, signed off on Ofgem’s RIIO-T3 transmission deal, and projected earnings-per-share growth between 13% and 15% for fiscal 2027. Chief Executive Zoë
March 31, 2026
Oracle Starts Thousands of Layoffs as $50 Billion AI Push Lifts Shares
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Oracle Starts Thousands of Layoffs as $50 Billion AI Push Lifts Shares

AUSTIN, Texas, March 31, 2026, 13:09 CDT Oracle started slashing jobs on Tuesday, telling certain staff via internal emails that their time at the company had ended as it looked to slash expenses and ramp up AI infrastructure spending. CNBC, quoting two sources familiar with the situation, reported thousands would be impacted. Oracle would not respond to requests for comment.
March 31, 2026
UK Diesel Hits £100 a Tank as Iran War Pushes Fuel Price Gap to 23-Year High
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UK Diesel Hits £100 a Tank as Iran War Pushes Fuel Price Gap to 23-Year High

Diesel at UK pumps climbed to an average of 182.77 pence per litre on Tuesday, sending the price for a standard 55-litre fill-up to £100.52—a level not seen since December 2022. Petrol, meanwhile, came in at 152.83 pence. “The diesel tank threshold has breached £100,” said Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, adding that petrol prices could “potentially stabilise” if oil prices quit rising. It’s not just about fuel. Worldpanel reported grocery inflation stuck at 4.3% for the four weeks ending March 22, pointing out that every extra point tacks on more than £50 to the average household’s yearly bill. Fraser McKevitt flagged that higher fuel prices are leaving shoppers increasingly uneasy.
March 31, 2026
Australia to Ban Debit and Credit Card Surcharges From October as RBA Cuts Fees
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Australia to Ban Debit and Credit Card Surcharges From October as RBA Cuts Fees

Starting Oct. 1, Australia will prohibit surcharges on debit and credit card payments handled through eftpos, Visa, and Mastercard, following a Reserve Bank of Australia ruling that labeled the current fee system as too murky and ineffective. According to the RBA, Australians fork out roughly A$1.6 billion in these charges every year; with the new rules, businesses are set to pocket about A$910 million in annual savings from the larger fee shakeup. Cost-of-living strains are front and center for both households and lawmakers right now, and cards make up roughly 75% of payments in Australia. About 16% of businesses continue to tack on surcharges, prompting the RBA and government to press for prices that include all charges upfront—no last-minute add-ons
March 31, 2026
SSE Plc files 90-MW Offaly wind farm plan as Ireland pushes for more renewable power

SSE Plc files 90-MW Offaly wind farm plan as Ireland pushes for more renewable power

SSE Plc, working alongside Irish partner BnM, has filed a planning application for the Lemanaghan Wind Farm—aiming for 90 megawatts of generating capacity—in County Offaly. The project blueprint features 15 turbines, targeting a site in north-west Offaly close to Ballycumber, Ferbane, and Pollagh, as the British utility steps further into Ireland’s onshore renewables space. Timing is key here. Ireland is targeting renewables for 80% of its electricity needs by 2030, and just this month the government reported hitting 8 gigawatts of installed renewable capacity. EirGrid, the grid operator, points out the network still isn’t robust or adaptable enough to handle that level of wind and solar.
March 31, 2026
Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Rebounds at Close, Still Suffers Worst Month Since 2022
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Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Rebounds at Close, Still Suffers Worst Month Since 2022

The S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.3% to finish at 8,481.80 on March’s final session. That late uptick wasn’t enough to offset the index’s sharpest monthly drop since June 2022, as surging oil—fueled by conflict—and renewed rate jitters kept investors on edge. The Reserve Bank of Australia isn’t hinting at easing anytime soon. March meeting minutes revealed that board members remained inclined toward further rate hikes, while flagging risks tied to a broader Middle East conflict. The bank cautioned that if oil prices hover close to $100 a barrel, headline inflation could jump to roughly 5% for the June quarter, up from 3.7% in February.
March 31, 2026
FTSE 100 Today: UK Stock Market Closes Higher, but March Is Worst Since 2020
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FTSE 100 Today: UK Stock Market Closes Higher, but March Is Worst Since 2020

London shares managed to climb on Tuesday, yet even a late push couldn’t keep Britain’s major indexes from logging their worst monthly performance since 2020. The FTSE 100 finished the session up 0.48% at 10,176.45, and the FTSE 250 gained 1.19% to close at 21,203.71. Still, the FTSE 100’s eight-month winning streak came to an end, and the FTSE 250’s three-month run was also snapped. The shock has hit both share prices and the rate outlook. Investors, according to Reuters, are now betting on two—maybe even three—Bank of England rate hikes of 0.25 percentage points each this year, a sharp pivot from the rate cuts they’d positioned for before the conflict. Official numbers show the UK economy barely grew at
March 31, 2026
RELX PLC ramps up share buyback as LexisNexis owner heads into April trading update (Reuters)
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RELX PLC ramps up share buyback as LexisNexis owner heads into April trading update (Reuters)

RELX repurchased 3.43 million shares from March 23 through March 27, kicking off the initial week of its latest 350 million pound buyback initiative, according to a company filing. The shares, bought at the reported prices, came to roughly 83.5 million pounds and will be held in treasury instead of being released immediately to the market. This is notable, with the LexisNexis parent only a few weeks into a pledged £2.25 billion buyback program slated for 2026—a hefty payout as shareholders weigh just how resilient growth will be in legal, risk, and science information, especially as AI tools roll out. RELX claims the very tech shaking up the industry can actually make its own offerings more valuable to customers.
March 31, 2026
London Stock Exchange Group taps Dell for private cloud as investors seek proof on AI strategy
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London Stock Exchange Group taps Dell for private cloud as investors seek proof on AI strategy

London Stock Exchange Group on Tuesday announced a multi-year deal with Dell Technologies aimed at rolling out a new private cloud platform for segments of its data and markets businesses, expanding its broader tech overhaul. LSEG said the platform is meant for business units not currently served by its public cloud setups. The reason this matters isn’t hard to spot. Just last month, Reuters said Elliott Management was pushing LSEG to clarify exactly what it’s getting out of its Microsoft tie-up—and to boost margins, too. Shareholders applauded the record buyback in February, but some made it clear: they want more than just cash returns.
March 31, 2026
British American Tobacco Deepens Charlotte’s Web Bet in $75 Million CBD Deal
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British American Tobacco Deepens Charlotte’s Web Bet in $75 Million CBD Deal

British American Tobacco p.l.c. plans to boost its stake in Charlotte’s Web, a U.S. hemp-derived CBD company, to around 40%. According to U.S. filings, BAT aims to convert a C$75.3 million convertible debenture—plus accrued interest—into equity, and kick in an extra $10 million in cash. If the deal goes through, that’s about 110 million Charlotte’s Web shares for BAT. The move deepens the group’s shift away from tobacco and nicotine, coming as BAT signals 2026 results will likely hit the low end of its medium-term range. Back in 2022, BAT called its investment in Charlotte’s Web just another piece of that pivot.
March 31, 2026
3i Group insiders buy £9.5 million of shares after Action selloff
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3i Group insiders buy £9.5 million of shares after Action selloff

3i Group reported new insider buying Tuesday: Head of Private Equity Peter Wirtz picked up 25,000 shares, following Chief Executive Simon Borrows and family trusts, who grabbed 350,147 shares just a day earlier. Together, the two filings represent roughly £9.5 million in stock snagged after last week’s selloff in the London-listed investment group. 3i’s shares plunged 17.6% on March 26, hitting their lowest point in over two years, after the company said its Dutch discount chain Action is targeting like-for-like sales growth of just 4% to 5% in 2026. The retailer also mapped out plans to launch its first U.S. store before the end of 2027 or in early 2028. Action’s CEO, Hajir Hajji, told investors the business is “strong
March 31, 2026
Rio Tinto plc Restarts Pilbara Ports After Cyclone Narelle, Keeps 2026 Iron Ore Forecast
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Rio Tinto plc Restarts Pilbara Ports After Cyclone Narelle, Keeps 2026 Iron Ore Forecast

Rio Tinto plc has resumed loading ships at three out of four Pilbara iron ore ports following Cyclone Narelle’s passage across Western Australia’s northwest. Despite damage sustained at Cape Lambert A, the miner left its annual export guidance unchanged. The latest update has calmed short-term nerves around supply from Rio’s main iron ore operations. Timing proved crucial here—iron ore delivered roughly 60% of Rio’s earnings last year. Any extended Pilbara shutdown would have dented volumes, pinched cash flow, and soured sentiment toward the London-listed miner.
March 31, 2026
BAE Systems plc Extends Buyback as Defence Orders Rise and Output Pressure Builds
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BAE Systems plc Extends Buyback as Defence Orders Rise and Output Pressure Builds

On Monday, BAE Systems reported it had bought back 505,128 more ordinary shares for cancellation, following purchases carried out from March 23 to March 27. That move brings the second tranche of its buyback programme up to 19,996,019 shares in total. Shares in BAE climbed roughly 2.7% in London Tuesday afternoon, outpacing the FTSE 100’s 0.85% gain. This filing draws attention as BAE continues returning cash to shareholders, even with defense orders gaining speed and governments ramping up pressure on suppliers to boost output. The latest buyback phase kicked off July 1, 2025, falling under a three-year program targeting up to 1.5 billion pounds, with 500 million pounds allocated for repurchases through June 2026. Buybacks shrink the share count, which
March 31, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group Shares Rise as FCA Trims UK Car Finance Redress Bill
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Lloyds Banking Group Shares Rise as FCA Trims UK Car Finance Redress Bill

Lloyds Banking Group on Tuesday said it’s reviewing the effects of Britain’s finalized motor finance compensation scheme, following the Financial Conduct Authority’s decision to cut the industry’s expected liability from what was proposed in last year’s consultation. Lloyds shares climbed in London after the announcement. The significance of the ruling lies in its connection to one of British finance's most expensive mis-selling scandals. At the heart of the case: undisclosed commissions and commercial relationships between lenders and car dealers, practices that could have driven up borrowing costs for customers. Lloyds has already earmarked £1.95 billion, but is sticking with its target of delivering a return on tangible equity above 16% by 2026, the group’s key profitability metric.
March 31, 2026
Rolls-Royce Starts First Large UK Battery Project in Scotland as Power Push Builds
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Rolls-Royce Starts First Large UK Battery Project in Scotland as Power Push Builds

London, March 31, 2026, 15:27. Rolls-Royce Holdings on Tuesday said it’s kicked off construction on a 43-megawatt battery storage site in Falkirk, Scotland. This marks the UK engineering firm's first major battery project at scale in the country, a step deeper into grid-related business. The facility, being developed for Voltaria Helios Energy Storage, is slated to provide 43 megawatts of output with 86 megawatt hours of capacity. Grid hookup is targeted for 2026, and commercial operations are set to follow in 2027.
March 31, 2026
Aviva plc makes £100 million UK rental homes bet with National Housing Bank
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Aviva plc makes £100 million UK rental homes bet with National Housing Bank

Aviva on Tuesday announced a £100 million investment with the National Housing Bank, part of Homes England, targeting family rental housing in urban areas that have seen limited investment. The deal is among the first to tap the new government housing finance vehicle. Initial projects kick off in Liverpool and Manchester. Timing is key here. Homes England confirmed the bank will launch Wednesday with up to £16 billion available through debt, equity, and guarantees, targeting the delivery of more than 500,000 homes and aiming to unlock over £53 billion in private capital over the next ten years. For Aviva, the agreement tightens its focus on long-term residential assets, just as ministers ramp up efforts to attract institutional funds to the
March 31, 2026
Compass Group Shares Rise Ahead of April 1 USD Switch on London Stock Exchange
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Compass Group Shares Rise Ahead of April 1 USD Switch on London Stock Exchange

Compass Group will shift the trading currency of its London-listed shares to U.S. dollars starting Wednesday, April 1, aiming to dampen FX swings in its share price, according to the FTSE 100 caterer. By midday Tuesday, shares had risen 0.8% to 2,097 pence. Compass will keep its listing in London, but from now on, screens will show its share price in dollars, not pounds. The company said switching reflects its U.S. dollar reporting and could dampen the impact of currency volatility on its shares. FTSE index status and its London Stock Exchange listing aren’t changing.
March 31, 2026
Blackstone Raises Record $6.3 Billion Life Sciences Fund to Back Pharma and Medtech Programs
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Blackstone Raises Record $6.3 Billion Life Sciences Fund to Back Pharma and Medtech Programs

Blackstone wrapped up its largest life sciences fund to date, closing at $6.3 billion. It’s calling the fund—the Blackstone Life Sciences VI—the largest private vehicle dedicated to the sector. According to the company, the capital will be deployed to fuel new pharma and medtech projects. Timing isn’t trivial here. On Tuesday, Biogen put $5.6 billion on the table for Apellis Pharmaceuticals, while Eli Lilly moved to scoop up Centessa in a deal that could reach $7.8 billion. Both are betting big on future drugs as patent cliffs get nearer. This trend is making room for specialist funds to step in and finance those costly, late-stage development phases before launch.
March 31, 2026
Iran War Jet Fuel Crisis Hits Summer Travel as Europe-Asia Airfares Surge
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Iran War Jet Fuel Crisis Hits Summer Travel as Europe-Asia Airfares Surge

Airlines in Europe and Asia moved quickly on Tuesday, raising fares and scaling back flights after Brussels flagged jet fuel as the most vulnerable part of the fuel market due to the Iran war. Korean Air said it would switch to emergency mode starting in April. The Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index hit $4.62 a gallon for March 30, with Brent crude hovering near $115.50, adding to the squeeze on carriers scrambling to rework summer routes. Timing is tight. Europe’s last shipments of jet-grade kerosene that cleared the Strait of Hormuz before the waterway closed are expected to land by April 10—right as the northern summer travel rush begins. Airlines and refiners are now hustling to line up alternative supplies.
March 31, 2026
Shell Plc warns Australia windfall LNG tax could hit investment as energy shock deepens
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Shell Plc warns Australia windfall LNG tax could hit investment as energy shock deepens

Sydney — March 31, 2026, 23:16 AEDT. Shell Plc fired a warning shot at Australia on Tuesday, saying a planned windfall tax targeting liquefied natural gas exporters could spook investors and undermine the country’s energy security—ratcheting up tensions with Canberra as prices run higher. After Iranian strikes knocked out Qatar’s production, Australia climbed to the world’s number two LNG spot, making the fate of any industry windfall even more pivotal.
March 31, 2026
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