UK inflation held at 3% before global energy price hit from Iran war

February annual rate in line with expectations, but Food and Drink Federation fears it is ‘calm before storm’

We’re letting big corporations gamble with our lives. Act now, or the food could run out

The fragility of the global food system fills me with dread – and the war with Iran has exposed just how close to collapse it is, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

UK offers to host international summit on reopening strait of Hormuz

Defence chiefs have been discussing how they might unblock the conduit for about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies

Royal Mail owner pushes back against criticisms that service has declined

Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský ‘deeply sorry’ for late letters but says Royal Mail is delivering a service ‘nobody else in Europe is doing’

UK politics: Reform UK suspends mayoral candidate after he described Jewish security group as ‘cosplayers’ – as it happened

Labour and Liberal Democrats welcome suspension of Chris Parry, the party’s Hampshire mayoral candidate, after derogatory remarks about Jewish group

Crispin Odey: I can’t remember telling female employee ‘I could attack you now’

Hedge fund tycoon faces questions in court over sexual harassment allegations that have left his career in tatters

Reeves slips into yoga voice to try to soothe fears over costs of Trump’s war

The chancellor was meant to set out her contingency plans but it was an announcement without any announcements in it

Delta suspends special service perk for Congress members amid DHS funding battle

Airline CEOs have urged Congress to restore funding to the TSA as lengthy security lines plague US airports

UK defence firms ‘bleeding cash’ as delayed spending plan leaves industry in ‘paralysis’

Industry groups say delay to defence investment plan (DIP) leaves UK lagging behind in global race for funding

Green energy boss backs more North Sea oil and gas production from existing sites

GB Energy’s Jürgen Maier says production could bring economic benefits and give supply chains ‘time to transition’ to renewables

Energy price shock and interest rate rises could cause ‘pronounced’ UK recession, economist warns – as it happened

Morgan Stanley warns that UK could fall into a recession at the turn of the year, if energy prices remain high and Bank of England hikes interest rates

What levers could Rachel Reeves pull to help with rising prices?

What the chancellor could do to counter the economic impacts of Iran war, from stopping price gouging to cancelling fuel duty rises

Rachel Reeves rules out universal support on energy bills

Chancellor says package offered by Liz Truss’s government was unaffordable and any future help will be targeted

TSA workers try to survive second shutdown and ICE influx: ‘We need to be paid’

Workers are ‘in the middle of chaos from political games’ as Senate Republicans try to negotiate with Democrats to reopen DHS

Seven charts that reveal how unprepared Australia was for the fuel crisis

Disruptions to Middle East oil shipments have rippled along the world’s longest supply chain through Asia – and there’s no knowing when the pressure will ease