Number of meningitis cases investigated in Kent rises to 20

• US Central Command announced military strikes on Iranian missile sites located near the Strait of Hormuz using bunker buster weapons. • The strikes target Iran's military infrastructure and represent an escalation in the three-week conflict between the US and Iran. • The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global shipping route through which approximately 13 million barrels of oil pass daily.

• Iranian rescue workers are conducting daily recovery operations amid a relentless barrage of US and Israeli air strikes across Tehran, with local authorities reporting over 1,300 deaths. • Rescue team members report working 2 to 10 call-outs per day since the war began, risking secondary explosions while extracting bodies—including children—from rubble. • The Iranian Red Crescent Society workers face severe psychological trauma and show no signs of respite as strikes continue with no prospect of de-escalation.

• US President Donald Trump attacked NATO allies on March 17, accusing them of making a "very foolish mistake" by refusing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Iran. • French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Trump's calls for NATO involvement, saying France would "never" participate until the situation stabilized, with most other US allies similarly declining. • Trump framed the rebuff as a test of NATO's reliability, questioning whether the alliance would support the United States when needed.

• Brent crude oil prices rose 3.2% to USD 103.42 per barrel, while US oil prices increased 2.9% to USD 96.21 per barrel due to Strait of Hormuz tensions and reduced vessel movement. • The Trump administration plans to ease sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector by issuing permits for foreign companies, aiming to boost crude production and counter soaring prices. • Global oil markets remain volatile as the Strait of Hormuz, through which 13 million barrels pass daily, faces ongoing disruptions from the Iran conflict.

Governments in countries heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil introduce measures to shield public from soaring costsMiddle East crisis – live updatesIn Thailand, news anchors ditched their jackets on air as the government called on the public to reduce their use of air conditioning to save energy. In the Philippines, many government workers are now operating on a four-day week. In Vietnam, officials have urged employers to allow staff to work from home.Across south-east Asia, governments are scrambling to find ways to conserve energy and shield the public from soaring costs as war in the Middle East causes what the International Energy Agency has described as the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. Continue reading...

German food delivery firm’s share price has plummeted by 93% since 2021 boom during Covid lockdownsHelloFresh has reported a sharp decline in sales as the struggling food delivery company battles falling demand after the pandemic-era meal kit boom.The German company was forced to make 900 UK job cuts last year with the closure of a delivery site in Nuneaton, and the demand for meal kits tumbled as revenue fell by more than 11% during 2025. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester mayor says Rayner’s criticism of planned immigration changes, which she called ‘un-British’, echoed ‘moral questions’Andy Burnham has backed stark criticism of the direction of Keir Starmer’s government by Angela Rayner after she said the very survival of the Labour party was at stake.Rayner, the former deputy prime minister and an influential backbencher, used a speech on Tuesday night to warn that the prime minister “cannot go through the motions” in the face of declining support. Continue reading...

Thomas Corbett-Dillon, who claims to have advised Boris Johnson, says immigrants could ‘turn’ on white populationGB News is facing a backlash after a commentator on one of its shows suggested there is “a genocide happening” against white people in England and that immigrants could “turn” on the white population.Ofcom, the media regulator, has received a series of complaints about the comments by Thomas Corbett-Dillon. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester mayor says the party ‘would always do well to listen to what Angela has got to say’Good morning. Keir Starmer has been handling the Iran war reasonably well, according to the consensus view at Westminster, and certainly better than Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, who have been in contortions over whether they do or do not support Donald Trump. But this has not altered the fundamental, big-picture assessment of British politics, which is that he is deeply unpopular with voters and that Labour can’t win the next election if he remains in charge. This may be a flawed analysis – consensus views often are – but it is what many Labour MPs think, which is why a question mark hovers over Starmer’s leadership.And that is why Angela Rayner’s speech last night, at a private meeting with the soft-left Mainstream group, are so significant. She did not explicitly call for new leadership, but she did convey that message implicity – and more bluntly than in any of her other interventions since she resigned as deputy PM in September last year.It is down to us to rebuild this nation and this party – the question is are we up for this fight? I know we in this room are.As a party, and as a movement, we cannot hide, we cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline. There’s no safe ground and we’re running out of time.We cannot talk about earning a settlement if we keep moving the goalposts. Because moving the goalposts undermines our sense of fair play. It’s un-British.Let us be a country that has sustainable economic migration rules, but one that upholds the British values we want all who live here to respect. Not special treatment. But the stability and a fair pathway forward after the sacrifices many have made to build a lawful life in the UK.We’ve got to, all of us, haven’t we, work together to pull together a plan that turns the country around …I understand the frustration people feel. We heard that at the by-election, and of course, Angela is reflecting some of that.I think where I would agree, and I think everybody across government would agree, is sharing an impatience with the pace of change, and that applies to every single one of us.And I get the sense, I haven’t read the full context of Angela’s remarks, but I get the sense that that frustration is actually what is running through her remarks. It absolutely runs through every government minister as well. Continue reading...

Researchers say their prototype is a big step towards fully functioning batteries with rapid charging timesAustralian scientists have developed what they say is the world’s first proof-of-concept quantum battery.Quantum batteries, first proposed as a theoretical concept in 2013, use the principles of quantum mechanics to store energy, and have the potential to be more efficient than conventional batteries. Continue reading...

Other delivery and transport companies such as Uber, DoorDash and Australia Post are weighing whether to charge moreFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRideshare giant DiDi has raised its prices to cover soaring petrol costs, becoming one of the first major companies after the airlines to charge Australian consumers more as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.Uber, DoorDash and Australia Post were among the delivery and transport companies weighing whether to add charges, as small businesses hike fees. Continue reading...