Friday, March 20, 2026

Good morning and welcome to your daily news briefing from The Independent.

Attacks on energy facilities have threatened to drag the US-Israeli war with Iran into a new phase, the government's "stay at home" messaging may have cost thousands of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a Reform MP has been criticised for a joke about wearing a "tartan burqa" during the party's launch of its Scottish election campaign.

Top stories

1 | Iran oil attacks trigger 35% gas price spike – and warning of interest rate rises

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2 | British military experts sent to US to plan reopening of Strait of Hormuz

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3 | 'Stay at home' messaging may have cost lives, Covid inquiry finds

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4 | Reform MP condemned for making 'tartan burqa' joke

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5 | Social media 'not safe for teenagers', new report warns

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Editors' picks

'Disloyal' Rayner or 'weak' Starmer? Readers on who should lead Labour

I'm a Labour voter, but this is indicative of why they can never be trusted to run the country. Instead of backing Starmer in his decisions and consolidating their newly won power, the backbenchers – and some of the frontbenchers – are constantly undermining his authority and playing into the hands of the opposition and the predominantly Tory press. Angela Rayner needs to concentrate on her own constituency. Ashton-under-Lyne is a mess, considering its MP was once deputy leader of the Labour party.

Share your opinion and read the full debate here.

WATCH 

Snowmobiler is plucked from floating ice flow after getting lost

STAT OF THE DAY

3.75%

Interest rates have been held at 3.75 per cent but the Bank of England has signalled it was ready to raise borrowing costs should war in the Middle East keep energy prices elevated

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?"

President Donald Trump makes uncomfortable joke before Japanese PM when pressed on lack of warning over Iran attack

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