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Mar 9, 2026 - World

A fire near Glasgow Central Station has disrupted rail services across Scotland

Mar 9, 2026 - World

Rising global oil prices triggered by the Iran war are increasing economic pressures across Africa, where most countries rely heavily on imported petroleum products

Mar 9, 2026 - World

In today’s newsletter: Across the Iranian diaspora, reactions to the escalating conflict reveal a complex mix of fear, grief and deep political ambivalenceGood morning. War has broken out in the Middle East. As the Iran war broadens and spills out into neighbouring countries, media agencies have rightly focused on trying to understand how the conflict came about, where bombs have fallen, and how many have died, while many states globally fear spikes in energy prices and wonder how the war will impact their economies.What can easily get lost are the voices of the people directly affected.Iran | Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as his successor.UK politics | Keir Starmer sought to repair fractured relations with Donald Trump over the war with Iran on Sunday, as a Labour backlash gathered pace over Tony Blair’s assertion the UK should have supported the US’s initial airstrikes on Iran.Energy | Great Britain has only two days of fossil gas stored after a decline in energy reserves, as more tankers carrying liquefied natural gas are diverted from their course to Europe towards Asia because of the Iran war. Meanwhile, global oil prices surged past the $100 (£74) a barrel mark for the first time since 2022.Health | More than 400 lives may have been saved as a result of Martha’s rule, which lets NHS patients request a review of their care. Thousands of patients were either moved to intensive care, received drugs they needed or benefited from other changes as a direct result of over 10,000 calls to helplines.AI | ChatGPT is driving a rise in reports of organised ritual abuse and “witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse” against children – which is historically under-reported in the UK – as survivors of “satanic” sexual violence use the AI tool for therapy. Continue reading...

Mar 9, 2026 - World

Japan started deploying its first batch of domestically-developed long-range missile, with their launchers arriving at a southwestern Japanese army camp Monday as the country accelerates its strike-back capability in response to rising challenges in th...

Mar 9, 2026 - World

This blog is now closedASX plunges $90bn amid spike in oil prices over Middle East crisisGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMan charged with murder after alleged stabbing in Sydney’s inner westA man was charged with murder after an alleged stabbing in Sydney’s inner west on Sunday.I think it’s important to work through this calmly, to understand the intelligence and the briefings that the government has to get to this juncture … If you’re going to send Australian personnel to a conflict, that is one of the most important decisions any government would make. And I think it’s better that there’s bipartisan support, and that’s why you want to be constructive with the government …The reality is, we believe in regime change. This was a tyrant that was oppressing the people of Iran. And I think what’s important here is that the people of Iran are empowered and given back their country through whatever mechanism that they should determine Continue reading...