Regeneration firm Urban Splash will bring a bring a leisure, entertainment, food, drink and retail space to the site

Planning approval has been given to redevelop the former Cole Brothers department store in Sheffield city centre. The city council has waved through plans for the landmark 1960s building which closed in 2022.

Regeneration specialist Urban Splash was appointed by Sheffield City Council to transform the Grade II listed property, with designs coming from AHMM. Proposals include turning the lower and ground floors into leisure, entertainment, food and drink and retail space, while the upper floors will become flexible workspace.

A rooftop terrace will also accompany a restaurant and bar – accessible from the ground floor via the main lift – through repurposing of the building’s plant room. Urban Splash says the scheme will open up the property’s Barker’s Pool and Cambridge Street frontages to create outdoor dining areas, taking cues street seating on Division Street.

Sian Stanhope, development manager at Urban Splash said: “We are thrilled with this decision, which paves the way for bringing this much-loved building back into use for the people of Sheffield. We understand the significance of Cole Brothers, and at the heart of our proposal is a commitment to re-establishing it as a place for the city.

“Over the past year we have already introduced a range of successful meanwhile uses, hosting organisations and events including BBC Sounds, the Crossed Wires Festival, Jarvis Cocker and the FORM careers fair. Planning approval allows us to evolve that momentum into something permanent – creating new places to eat, shop and work, with lively ground floor uses and flexible workspace above to support Sheffield’s growing business community.”

Urban Splash says it is now speaking with businesses looking for space at the building.

Richard Lace, the company’s head of commercial lettings, added: “Planning approval means we can move forward with discussions with occupiers, engaging with likeminded organisations who want to be a part of bringing Cole Brothers back to life.”

Coun Ben Miskell, chair of Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “This is an important milestone in the ongoing regeneration of Sheffield city centre. The former Cole Brothers building holds a special place in the hearts of many residents, and we welcome plans that will sensitively restore and reinvigorate it for a new generation.”

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A joint amicus filing, a filing by parties with a strong interest in a case, also came from several groups, including the Chamber of Progress. The tech advocacy group, funded by and representing Google, Apple, Amazon, Nvidia and many other tech companies, said they shared concerns over the government punishing Anthropic for public speech.

We all know that crude oil and gasoline prices have jumped up as a result of the Iran war. And to me, it’s a small price to pay for a small bump up in energy costs in order to defeat the barbaric terrorist regime in Iran, and literally change the course of history. Yet economists are still trying to figure out what, if any, impact there will be on inflation and output.

I’ve seen recession scenarios, inflation scenarios, stagflation, you name it, it’s all out there. And I’ve seen lots of comparisons with the oil shock of the 1970s and the early 1990s. Maybe even the Russia shock of 2022. Let me counsel caution, though, in relying on these past episodes to forecast the future. For one thing, this oil shock looks to be very brief. To quote President Trump “the war will be over very soon, because there’s practically nothing left to target.”

When it’s all said and done, this war might last only four to five weeks, not enough duration to really have any significant impact on the economy. You might see a whiff of energy inflation in the March CPI number, but people are going to look through it. It won’t last. Actually, the exchange value of the dollar has gone up, not down. And unlike the 1970s, there’s no supply shock, because most of our oil is now produced in America and Canada. In fact, the most important thing to remember is how much more oil we produce today than we did way back then. “Drill, baby, drill.” Pure genius from Mr. Trump.

Oil production in the 1970s remained under 10 million barrels a day. Today it’s nearly 14 million. And we don’t have wage and price controls today, or long lines at the pump, because of Trumpian deregulation. So we don’t actually have supply shortages today, we don’t really need Middle Eastern oil, although we are subjected to world oil prices. Gasoline is up about 50 cents a gallon. Big deal. Yes, temporarily that will slightly cut into middle-class wallets and pocketbooks, but it’s also important to remember that as oil producers, the higher price actually benefits parts of the population. It’s not all one-sided lost consumer disposable income anymore.

Now here’s another point, interest rates have not changed significantly. In prior oil shocks, it seemed like rising inflation drove up interest rates, which in turn drove down the economy. The 10-year treasury has hovered just around 4 percent, slightly above. And the 30-year mortgage has stayed around 6 percent. So, we haven’t had a real oil supply shock. We haven’t had a real interest rate shock. And it is likely that energy prices will fall below prewar levels.

Therefore, Mr. Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill with tax cuts, deregulation, and “drill, baby, drill,” will continue to provide tailwinds for the economy once this war is over. And for investors, I say look through the temporary disruption.

Mr. Trump’s Operation Epic Fury is changing the course of the Middle East and the rest of the world toward freedom. And freedom in the Middle East and everywhere else will bring greater prosperity. So for investors, look through the war and see the enormous prosperity that lies on the other side.

Medical technology giant Stryker Corp. confirmed Wednesday that it is experiencing a severe global network disruption due to a cyberattack targeting its Microsoft environment, with reports linking the incident to an Iran-backed hacking group amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions.

The company, headquartered in Portage near Kalamazoo and a major player in surgical equipment, orthopedics, neurotechnology and patient care products, issued a statement on its website acknowledging the attack.

“Stryker is experiencing a global network disruption to our Microsoft environment as a result of a cyber attack,” the company said in an update posted March 11, 2026. “We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained. Our teams are working rapidly to understand the impact of the attack on our systems. Stryker has business continuity measures in place to continue to support our customers and partners. We are committed to transparency and will keep stakeholders informed as we know more.”

The disruption began early Wednesday, shortly after midnight Eastern time, affecting thousands of employees worldwide. Reports indicate that remote devices including laptops, cellphones and other Microsoft Windows-based systems connected to Stryker’s network were remotely wiped or rendered inoperable. Employees received urgent text messages alerting them to the outage, and some described login pages displaying the logo of Handala, a pro-Iranian hacktivist group.

Handala, also known as the Handala Hack Team, claimed responsibility for the attack on social media platforms including Telegram. In a lengthy manifesto, the group asserted it had delivered an “unprecedented blow” by erasing data from more than 200,000 servers, mobile devices and other systems across Stryker’s operations in 79 countries. The hackers framed the incident as retaliation for U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, specifically citing a “brutal attack on the Minab school” and ongoing cyber operations against the “Axis of Resistance.”

The Wall Street Journal first reported the suspected Iran link, noting that the attack marked a significant escalation in cyber operations tied to the ongoing conflict. Cybersecurity experts described the incident as a destructive “wiper” attack rather than traditional ransomware, focusing on data deletion and system disruption instead of extortion.

Stryker, which employs approximately 56,000 people globally and reported revenue exceeding $25 billion in 2025, emphasized that no evidence of ransomware or persistent malware had been found. The company stated it was collaborating with partners, including Microsoft, to restore systems and operations. Business continuity plans were activated to minimize impacts on customer support, though the full scope of operational disruptions remained unclear as of late Wednesday.

The attack comes against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions following U.S. and Israeli military actions in Iran that began in February 2026. Iran has vowed retaliation through various means, including proxy operations and cyberattacks. U.S. officials have long warned of Iranian capabilities in asymmetric warfare, including cyber intrusions targeting critical infrastructure and private sector entities.

While Stryker’s core medical devices and manufacturing appear unaffected — with no reports of direct impacts on patient care equipment like defibrillators, hospital beds or surgical tools — the outage disrupted internal communications, remote access and potentially supply chain coordination. Facilities in locations including Ireland, where Stryker has significant operations in Cork employing thousands, reported similar system shutdowns.

Stock in Stryker (NYSE: SYK) fell about 3.6% on Wednesday amid the news, reflecting investor concerns over potential recovery costs, reputational damage and broader supply chain implications in the health care sector.

This is not Stryker’s first brush with cybersecurity issues. The company has previously issued advisories on vulnerabilities affecting its products, including responses to the WannaCry ransomware campaign and KRACK wireless protocol flaws in certain beds. In 2024, Stryker disclosed a separate data breach involving unauthorized access to internal systems between May and June, notifying affected individuals and regulators. However, the current incident appears distinct, focused on corporate IT infrastructure rather than product-specific vulnerabilities or patient data.

Experts noted that wiper-style attacks, while disruptive, are less common in Western targets compared to espionage or ransomware. Handala has a history of claiming politically motivated operations, often aligned with Iranian interests, though attribution in cyber incidents remains challenging without forensic confirmation.

Federal authorities, including the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), have not publicly commented on the Stryker case as of March 12, 2026. However, the incident aligns with broader warnings about Iranian cyber threats to U.S. companies, particularly those in strategic sectors like health care.

Stryker serves more than 150 million patients annually through its portfolio of medical technologies. The company urged patience as restoration efforts continue and promised further updates. No changes to patient safety protocols or product availability have been announced.

The cyberattack underscores the vulnerability of global enterprises to state-sponsored or affiliated actors in an era of hybrid warfare. As investigations proceed, the incident may prompt renewed calls for enhanced cybersecurity defenses across the medical technology industry.

Michigan-based medical device company Stryker announced on Thursday it is experiencing a “global network disruption” to its Microsoft suite following a cyberattack that may have ties to a pro-Iranian group.

Fox News spoke to a Stryker employee based in Boise, Idaho, who confirmed the attack and said they were unable to access their network. 

The employee said they were advised to avoid connecting to any Stryker VPN networks or software on any device, and coworkers’ work phones were wiped Wednesday morning. 

FILE PHOTO – Cyber security IT engineer working on protecting network against cyberattack from hackers on internet.  (iStock / iStock)

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In a message to customers, Stryker confirmed it is experiencing a global network disruption to its Microsoft environment as a result of a cyberattack. 

“We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained,” Stryker wrote. “Our teams are working rapidly to understand the impact of the attack on our systems.”

A pro-Iranian hacktivist group later took to social media to claim responsibility for the cyberattack. 

The hackers, who alleged Stryker was a “Zionist-rooted corporation,” claimed 200,000 systems were affected and 50 terabytes of data were extracted.

It is unclear who is responsible for the cyberattack. (Reuters / Reuters Photos)

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Stryker has not yet confirmed the group’s involvement.

The same hacking group claimed to have breached New York City-based company Verifone, which provides technology for electronic payment transactions to 75% of the top retailers, according to the company’s website.

A spokesperson for Verifone told FOX Business the claims are false.

“Verifone closely monitors the security and integrity of its systems worldwide,” the spokesperson said. “We have observed recent allegations on March 11 from threat actors claiming an intrusion into our systems in Israel. Verifone has found no evidence of any incident related to this claim and has no service disruption to our clients.” 

Additional details about the cyberattack have not been released. (iStock / iStock)

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Stryker did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

Thailand’s Board of Investment believes the Middle East conflict is unlikely to significantly impact overall investment in Thailand. While some areas might experience specific effects, the broader investment landscape remains stable. The board remains optimistic about maintaining investor confidence and continuing to attract foreign investments despite regional geopolitical tensions.

The Bank of Thailand (BOI) has expressed confidence that the ongoing Middle East conflict is unlikely to significantly affect investment in Thailand. According to the BOI, Thailand’s economy is well-buffered due to its diverse investment portfolio and strong economic fundamentals, which offer resilience against external geopolitical tensions. The nation continues to attract investors due to its strategic location and robust infrastructure.

Thailand’s economic stability is further reinforced by its thriving industries, including tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture, which have consistently drawn international interest. The BOI emphasizes that these sectors provide a solid foundation for sustained growth, even amidst global uncertainties. Furthermore, ongoing government initiatives aimed at enhancing economic resilience bolster investor confidence in Thailand’s future prospects.

The BOI remains proactive in monitoring global situations, ready to implement strategies to mitigate any potential impacts on the economy. By maintaining open lines of communication with stakeholders, the BOI aims to reassure investors of Thailand’s commitment to maintaining a conducive investment environment. This reassured outlook positions Thailand as a reliable destination for investment, insulated from the immediate ripples of Middle Eastern geopolitical unrest.

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