Monday, March 16, 2026

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

Sir Keir Starmer will announce that support will be offered to households struggling with spiralling bills as a result of conflict in the Middle East, this year's Oscars winners have been announced, and two people have died following an outbreak of "invasive" meningitis in Kent.

Top stories

1 | Starmer to pledge support for UK's poorest homes to help with soaring energy bills

Read more

2 | Iran insists it will fight for 'as long as it takes' after Trump says he's not ready for peace deal

Read more

3 | One Battle After Another wins Best Picture after hugely successful night at Oscars

Read more

4 | Two people including student die after outbreak of 'invasive' meningitis at UK university

Read more

5 | Woman charged with murdering baby girl after she fell from height

Read more

Editors' picks

'I'd never go back': Readers clash over reality of owning EV

I gave my EV back. 45p a mile on public chargers – without the pay-per-mile, five-hour drives become 15-hour nightmares (this happened on every long drive I did over two years). Put it like this – a two-litre petrol car cost me £70 to do a 600-mile trip. My EV cost me £200 using Gridserve, assuming you can find a charger within 40 miles of the motorway that works. Not to mention in winter, my 270-mile range cruising at 56mph dropped to 170 miles.

Share your opinion and read the full debate here.

WATCH 

'Black rain' falls in Iran in toxic smoke from bombed oil depots

STAT OF THE DAY

600,000

The number of women fewer who are predicted to have children today when compared to their grandparents' generation, according to a new paper.

Read more

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes. And this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President [Donald] Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory."

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi speaking to CBS News about the war with the US. 

Read more

Other stories you might like

Le Creuset's signature casserole dish has 47% off in Amazon's sale.

Use discount code: "BOOST" to save at London Sock Company.

Join the conversation and follow us

Download our apps:

Please do not reply directly to this email

You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Evening Headlines newsletter.

To unsubscribe from The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here.

This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345

Read our privacy policy and cookie policy