Tuesday, March 17, 2026

World

US-Iran War Enters Third Week With Rising Casualties

At least 200 US troops have been wounded and 13 killed since the start of Operation Epic Fury, as the US-Israeli war on Iran stretches into its third week with no resolution in sight. Trump has scolded European allies for refusing to join a naval coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the UK, Germany, and Italy have all declined — leaving Trump claiming unnamed nations are stepping up. The Hormuz closure is now squeezing energy supplies across South Asia, with Sri Lanka moving to a four-day working week to conserve fuel.

Economy

Iran War Sends US Diesel Prices Near Five Dollars

The Strait of Hormuz crisis has driven US diesel prices to nearly $5 a gallon — up $1.34 from last month — threatening to raise the cost of transporting goods and planting crops across the country. The International Energy Agency is considering releasing more emergency oil reserves as markets show no sign of stabilising. In a notable wrinkle, the White House is quietly tolerating Iranian oil exports to avoid making the supply crunch even worse.

World

Pakistan Airstrike Kills Hundreds at Kabul Hospital

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, with the death toll ranging from 200 to 400 depending on the source — making it one of the deadliest single strikes in the country in years. Pakistan denies targeting any civilian site, claiming its strikes hit military installations in eastern Afghanistan. The attack marks a sharp escalation in a cross-border conflict that only began last month.

Health

Cuba Plunged Into Island-Wide Blackout Amid Oil Crisis

Cuba's entire national electricity grid has collapsed, leaving all 11 million residents without power after the island stopped receiving oil shipments in early January under a US energy blockade. The blackout is the worst since the blockade began and follows a series of prolonged outages that sparked violent protests last weekend. Meanwhile, Trump separately mused about the US "taking Cuba in some form" — without providing details.

Health

Judge Blocks RFK Jr. Vaccine Policy Overhaul

A federal district court judge has temporarily blocked Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s rollback of childhood vaccine recommendations and his restructuring of the key advisory committee that sets them. The ruling undoes changes Kennedy made at the CDC since taking over as health secretary, and comes as anti-vaccine activists push to maintain momentum before midterm elections. The administration had removed immunizations for several diseases from the recommended schedule for children.