Thursday, March 12, 2026

World

Oil hits $100 as Iran-US war throttles Gulf shipping

Iran has dramatically escalated attacks on Gulf infrastructure, striking commercial ships, Dubai's airport, and oil facilities from Bahrain to Oman, effectively shutting the Strait of Hormuz for nearly two weeks. The US and its allies released a record 400 million barrels from strategic reserves, but it hasn't moved markets — crude still hit $100 a barrel and US petrol has surpassed $3.50 a gallon. Iran has set three conditions for peace: recognition of its rights, war reparations, and guarantees against future aggression.

World

Pentagon probe finds US missile killed 165 at Iranian school

A US military assessment has concluded that a Tomahawk cruise missile was responsible for destroying a girls' elementary school in Iran, killing at least 165 people — a finding Trump publicly denied knowledge of when pressed. The strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School has become the war's sharpest flashpoint over civilian casualties, and Iran-linked hackers retaliated by seizing 50 terabytes of data from medical giant Stryker.

Economy

Trump launches new trade probes after tariffs struck down

The Trump administration has opened sweeping new trade investigations into the EU, China, India, and other manufacturing nations, weeks after the Supreme Court invalidated its previous tariff regime as an unlawful emergency declaration. The probes are a legal workaround designed to rebuild hundreds of billions in lost tariff revenue, with fresh levies expected to follow once the investigations conclude.

Politics

Starmer ignored Epstein warnings before Mandelson appointment

Newly released documents show Keir Starmer overruled officials who flagged a "reputational risk" and handed him a dossier on Peter Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him US ambassador — a role Mandelson has since been sacked from. The files also reveal a top Starmer aide described the appointment as "weirdly rushed," and that Mandelson sought a £547,000 severance payout after his dismissal.

Politics

China passes law demoting minority languages in schools

China's National People's Congress has approved a new "ethnic unity" law requiring schools to use Mandarin as the default language of instruction, at the expense of Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian, and other minority tongues. The legislation, passed at the close of the annual two-sessions gathering, cements a years-long campaign to standardise Han Chinese culture across ethnically diverse regions.