Millions of people across the UK are facing increasing food insecurity, a charity has warned, as fears grow that the ongoing Middle East crisis could drive up supermarket prices even further.
The Food Foundation revealed that 12 per cent of UK households, encompassing 6.3 million adults, experienced food insecurity in January. This marks an increase from 11 per cent recorded in June of last year.
Alarmingly, 15 per cent of households, including 2.2 million children, were also affected during the same month.
The charity defines food insecurity as individuals or household members having smaller or skipped meals, experiencing hunger without eating, or going without food for an entire day over the past month due to inability to afford or access it.
Data from YouGov, independently analysed for The Food Foundation, indicated that food insecurity levels had peaked during the height of the cost-of-living crisis in 2022 before slowly declining. However, the latest figures suggest a concerning reversal, with rates now climbing once more.
Fears are growing that the Iran war could have an impact on food prices in the UK (AFP/Getty)
Adding to these worries, the charity cautioned that a prolonged conflict in Iran could significantly impact food prices and exacerbate insecurity. This is attributed to potential rises in energy costs and a restricted supply of fertiliser.
The Food Foundation’s ‘Basic Basket Tracker’ highlights the existing strain, showing that the cost of a typical shopping basket has surged by 33 per cent since April 2022.
In response, the charity has joined calls for a ‘Good Food Bill’, advocating for a domestic food supply that is both nutritious and more resilient to sudden price shocks.
Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation, stated: “Many are asking whether the conflict in Iran will push up food prices. The honest answer is: it will, if it is prolonged.
“But that question misses the bigger point. The real issue is that the UK food system has become dangerously exposed to shocks far beyond our borders.
“What we need now is a Good Food Bill that sets out a long-term framework for building resilience in the UK food system — one that holds successive governments to account and protects citizens and farmers alike.”
Professor Tim Lang, emeritus professor of food policy at City St George’s, University of London, echoed these sentiments, saying: “If getting prepared to feed the public well in times of shock was taken seriously, we’d have to redesign the food system to make that happen.
“Placing a duty on authorities to be able to feed all the public well in crises means civil food resilience becomes real. We cannot just trust to luck or big retailers to feed us in crises.
“Food resilience is a common good. Such a duty would mean food is taken as seriously as the energy system. If we can plan to keep the lights on, why not plan to keep people fed?”
“[It] is not exactly normal behaviour by a state to continuously have a programme of assassinations.”
Marwan Bishara, senior political analyst at Al Jazeera, says that Israel’s assassination of Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, is calculated to prolong the war and bring about regime change.
Chilean Environment Ministry suspends 43 measures touching on issues such as pollution, emissions and national parks.
Published On 17 Mar 202617 Mar 2026
The new Chilean government has announced the suspension of 43 rules to safeguard the environment, as part of a pivot towards more conservative policies under newly inaugurated President Jose Antonio Kast.
The Ministry of Environment said on Tuesday that it had withdrawn the decrees, which were still under review by the Comptroller General’s Office.
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Many were introduced in the final days of former President Gabriel Boric’s term in office. Kast was sworn in on March 11.
The suspension affects rules touching on issues such as power plant emissions, smelting plant pollution and the creation of new national parks.
“I understand there is concern,” Kast said. “But I would invite you to look at what the public needs: growth, environmental protection, but above all, jobs. And this is in line with that.”
He indicated that reducing the unemployment rate was part of his motivation for paring back the environmental policies.
“We want to create the best possible public policy regarding full employment, always respecting the environment,” he said.
The Environment Ministry has also downplayed the downstream effects of repealing the rules, issuing a statement that it is “standard practice” for new administrations to update policies.
“Our purpose is that each administrative act issued by the Ministry of the Environment meets the highest standards of legal quality, safeguards the wellbeing of people, and effectively protects the country’s natural heritage,” the ministry said.
The far-right Kast has promised that his tenure will mark a stark departure from the policies of Boric, his leftist predecessor.
In the 2025 Chilean election, Kast campaigned on a platform that championed deregulation as a means of boosting economic growth and foreign investment.
He also promised to rein in immigration and crime in the country, two top voter concerns, according to polls.
So far, Kast has taken steps to cut government spending by about $3bn during 2026, in addition to the $800m cuts outlined by Boric for the year.
His administration has also begun to beef up security along its northern border with Peru and Bolivia, an area commonly associated with irregular migration.
Kast visited a site on Monday where heavy machinery had been employed to dig new trenches as a barrier to keep undocumented immigrants out of the country.
His “border shield” plan mirrors the approach of other right-wing leaders, such as US President Donald Trump, who have made regional security a priority.
“We have taken clear and concrete decisions to close our border to illegal immigration, drug trafficking and organised crime,” said Kast. “We want to implement this without any delay.”
Turnbull says Trump ‘lashing out’ at Australia and other allies
Malcolm Turnbull said Donald Trump was “lashing out” and had been left “furious” that the US’s allies, including Australia, weren’t assisting with the war in the Middle East.
The former prime minister spoke to RN Breakfast this morning:
It really just underlines … the importance of Australia being more independent, exercising our own sovereignty and recognising that the course we have been undertaking, really since the Morrison government, of becoming more and more dependent on the United States, is absolutely the wrong course, because we are making ourselves more dependent on the US at a time when the US is less dependable.
Turnbull added that Trump’s remarks show he “doesn’t respect” his allies.
This is a guy that does not respect smaller countries. He believes might is right, he makes no bones about that. He believes he should be able to do and get whatever he wants.
Turnbull and Trump, seen in 2018. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock
Key events
Richard Scolyer shares ‘disappointing’ news of brain cancer progression, but it’s ‘not the end of the road’
Amanda Meade
Former Australian of the year Richard Scolyer shared an update on his health last night after revealing last year that his brain cancer had returned.
Scolyer wrote on Instagram that he had had another scan of his brain, and it hadn’t been the “best day ever”:
There seems to be further progression of my brain tumour (glioblastoma) affecting brain functioning (as me and a few close friends can feel/see).
Whilst it is a bit disappointing, in the big picture it’s not the end of the road and I’ve got more to do! I love and enjoy challenges. I certainly haven’t stopped yet.
Hopefully I can share more special times with family and friends, and continue to advocate for cancer patients.
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Jordyn Beazley
Youth crime falls in NSW, new data shows
Youth offending in NSW has fallen over the past two years in New South Wales, according to new data, with court actions falling by almost 14%.
The new data released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar) found significant reductions in the two years to December 2025 in the Far West and Orana region (down by 31%), Illawarra (down by 34.8%) and New England and North West region (down 18.2%).
It found that overall, across the state the number of court proceedings initiated by police towards young people remained stable over the two years, suggesting youth crime has remained stable across NSW.
For adults, Bocsar found that a record number of domestic violence allegations progressed to court in 2025, making up a quarter of all adult court proceedings in the state.
It found that the increase came as domestic violence incidents remained stable:
The rise in domestic violence legal actions does not appear to reflect increased prevalence, but rather increased police enforcement and proactive detection.
In 2025 NSW Police recorded a record number of domestic violence-related intimidation stalking and harassment offences (25,393), along with breaches of Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (26,063). The offence of coercive control remains much less common but continues to grow, with 326 offences recorded in 2025.
Luca Ittimani
Canberra to get its first rental ebikes from April as Lime moves in
Canberra will be the latest Australian city to bring in rental ebikes, with top provider Lime also selected to operate hire e-scooters.
Lime’s new three-year permit to operate ebikes and e-scooters, starting on 16 April, was announced on Monday.
The ACT government today revealed Lime would have to offer a combined total of at least 1,500 bikes and scooters, up to a maximum of 3,500 devices.
Extra devices could be offered during periods of high demand, a government spokesperson said.
A man sits by Lime bikes at Circular Quay in Sydney. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
Canberra has never had a large-scale shared ebike scheme before. The city has been home to more than 1,000 hire e-scooters since mid-2020, operated by Beam, which exited in 2024, and Neuron, which is leaving to be replaced by Lime.
Neuron Mobility’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Jayden Bryant, said the scooters had enabled millions of trips over the last five years, adding:
We wish every success with its future e-scooter/e-bike programs and hope to have the opportunity to return to Canberra in the future.
Will Peters, head of Lime’s Asia-Pacific operations, said the company was “thrilled to bring Lime to Canberra”. The company has attracted booming numbers of customers, expanding in Sydney and looking for opportunities around the country as it battles growing safety concerns around ebikes.
You can read more here:
Kyle Sandilands sacked and top-rating radio show cancelled as host vows to fight to return to air
Guardian Australia’s Amanda Meade has a full report into the Kyle Sandilands contract saga, and his abrupt fall from grace.
You can read more about that here:
National cabinet to meet on Thursday over fuel supply crisis
Tom McIlroy
National cabinet will meet tomorrow as federal and state governments struggle with fuel supply questions amid the ongoing Middle East war.
Anthony Albanese will hold a virtual meeting from Tasmania with state premiers and chief ministers. The prime minister made the announcement during a speech to the Australian Automotive Dealer Association.
Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
Albanese said the meeting would work “to ensure that coordination, that’s occurring right across our country, maximises the benefit for business, for farmers, for our communities”.
The federal government is under increasing pressure on the question of fuel supplies as strikes in the strait of Hormuz slow some deliveries around the world and panic buying in Australia makes petrol hard to get in some communities.
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said on Tuesday that all expected deliveries of fuel were arriving as planned and that fuel retailers had told the government there was no concern about supply into next month.
The transport minister, Catherine King, will hold a fuel security roundtable with key stakeholders from the transport industry today.
Penry Buckley
NSW police release CCTV of three sought for questioning over alleged kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather
The NSW police have released CCTV footage of three further men sought for questioning in relation to the alleged kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian last month.
Two men, Daniel Stevens, 24, and Gerard Andrews, 29 have been charged with murder and taking or detaining in company with intent to ransom, occasioning actual bodily harm. Police allege the 85-year-old was kidnapped from his North Ryde home last month in a case of mistaken identity. His remains were found at a golf club on 24 February.
In footage released today as part of a public appeal for more information, another three men are pictured walking towards what police allege was the kidnappers’ stronghold in north-western Sydney on the night Baghsarian went missing, 13 February. In CCTV from the following day, a blue Hyundai sedan with a missing hubcap on its left side is seen arriving at and leaving the Dural address just after 12pm.
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, told ABC Radio Sydney this morning:
We believe these males may be involved. It’s important that we identify who they are and either rule them in or eliminate them from our inquiries. I think we’ve indicated we’re going to be incredibly thorough with this investigation. The CCTV also indicates a blue coloured Hyundai sedan which is missing a hubcap on the left hand side. That vehicle was seen to go out to a house that we believe Mr Baghsarian was held captive during his ordeal.
NSW police have released CCTV footage of three men sought over the alleged kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian. Composite: NSW police
Luca Ittimani
Australian households fear double whammy of rate hikes and higher petrol prices will lead to recession
Surging interest rates and petrol prices have stripped more than $1bn a month from Australian household budgets as economists warn of recession risks.
Consumers are preparing for rates to surpass their recent highs after the Reserve Bank delivered back-to-back hikes ahead of an inflation spike driven by the US war on Iran.
Dougal Warby was among the thousands of Australians who bought their first homes when the RBA was expected to cut its target interest rate from 4.1% to 3.1% or lower by today.
Dougal Warby. Photograph: supplied
On Tuesday, as he approached the one-year anniversary of buying his Brisbane apartment, rates rebounded back to 4.1%, adding more than $200 to his monthly repayments.
“We’ve seen two drops, two raises, which pretty much brings us back to square one,” he said. “Unsettled is the word.”
Read more here:
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian Greens will today call on the state government to make public transport free next month to provide immediate relief from cost of living pressures and shift people away from cars as petrol prices soar.
The party’s state leader, Ellen Sandell, says the short term measure should be introduced next month while the government works on longer term cost of living relief. A parliamentary budget office commissioned by the party found that making public transport free for a month would cost the government approximately $79.4m but could save a commuter household up to $500 from their family budget for that month.
She said Victoria had among the most expensive public transport in the country, while other states such as Western Australia and Queensland had lowered their fares.
Sandell said:
Petrol prices are surging and people across Victoria are feeling the pain. Making public transport free for the next month is something the state government could do right now to immediately help people with cost-of-living pressures.
Andrew Hastie, the shadow minister for industry, said Donald Trump’s criticism of Australia was a “petulant” remark.
Hastie spoke to RN this morning, where he was asked about the US president’s statement that the country did not need or “desire” assistance from Australia, Japan, South Korea or Nato allies during the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East. He said:
Look, I thought it was a petulant post from a president under immense pressure. … Relationships that are longstanding, you show respect and I don’t think it was a respectful post at all.
We’ve got a proud history, and I just don’t think that’s how you treat allies. I think it’s a reflection on his character more than us.
Andrew Hastie. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Greens senator says party ‘pleased’ Labor open to CGT reform
Greens senator Nick McKim is railing against the capital gains tax discount this morning.
McKim said the Greens were “pleased” that the government is considering options for reform, saying the discount remained the “most unfair tax break on the books”, skewing housing towards investors.
He told RN:
It blows overwhelmingly to wealthier older Australians and it is time for change. This is a historic opportunity for government and we hope they take it.
The evidence is overwhelming that the capital gains tax has not only skewed the mix of the housing stock in Australia away from owner-occupiers, which means that renters trying to buy their first home just can’t get in to the market. But it’s also contributed to rising house prices, which is again taking the Australian dream of owning your own home further and further away from more and more.
Nick McKim. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
Turnbull says Trump ‘lashing out’ at Australia and other allies
Malcolm Turnbull said Donald Trump was “lashing out” and had been left “furious” that the US’s allies, including Australia, weren’t assisting with the war in the Middle East.
The former prime minister spoke to RN Breakfast this morning:
It really just underlines … the importance of Australia being more independent, exercising our own sovereignty and recognising that the course we have been undertaking, really since the Morrison government, of becoming more and more dependent on the United States, is absolutely the wrong course, because we are making ourselves more dependent on the US at a time when the US is less dependable.
Turnbull added that Trump’s remarks show he “doesn’t respect” his allies.
This is a guy that does not respect smaller countries. He believes might is right, he makes no bones about that. He believes he should be able to do and get whatever he wants.
Turnbull and Trump, seen in 2018. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock
LIMA, Peru — Peru’s prime minister resigned Tuesday ahead of a mandatory vote in the nation’s Congress, where she needed a majority of legislators to confirm her recent appointment.
Denisse Miralles was appointed as prime minister in late February, after Interim President José Jerí was removed from his post following corruption allegations and replaced by congressman Jose María Balcázar.
In Peru, prime ministers coordinate the implementation of government policies, but they are not elected into office and do not lead the executive branch, which is headed by the president.
Miralles, the former economy minister under Jerí, did not say why she resigned. However, she informed journalists that she was uncertain she could secure the congressional majority required for her confirmation on Wednesday.
The Fiscal Council, an independent body monitoring public finances, noted recently that the ministry under Miralles allowed 26 laws from Congress to pass without challenge, resulting in significantly higher government spending.
Peru is set to hold presidential elections on April 12, in which more than two dozen candidates will participate.
If no candidate gets more than 50% of the votes, there will be a runoff in June between the top two contenders.
Peru has seen eight presidents in the past decade, with several heads of state removed by Congress after corruption allegations. Despite the revolving door of presidents, Peru’s economy has been stable over the past decade, with governments sticking to orthodox economic policies that include modest fiscal spending, while international companies have been encouraged to invest in areas like mining and infrastructure.
MUNICH — Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has indicated he’ll likely avoid having to field 16-year-old goalkeeper Leonard Prescott in the Champions League against Atalanta after backup Jonas Urbig returned to training Tuesday amid an injury crisis in the position.
Urbig, normally Bayern’s second choice in goal, sustained from concussion after colliding with an opponent when Bayern won the first leg 6-1 last week. Fellow goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich have injuries too ahead of the second leg Wednesday.
Kompany said it will be a “purely medical decision” whether Urbig is fit to play, and “if everything is fine tomorrow morning and it’s going like it is currently is, then Urbig will be in goal as normal. And if not, then we need to use another solution and we’ll do that as well.”
Kompany then confirmed that the “solution” would be New York-born 16-year-old Prescott, who usually plays for the club’s under-19 squad.
Prescott was on the bench for the team’s Bundesliga game Saturday when third-choice Ulreich tore an adductor muscle. A 19-year-old reserve player, Jannis Bärtl, has also been considered an option.
Bayern said Urbig trained with the team Tuesday and Neuer did a partial session as part of his recovery from a recurring calf injury. It’s “obviously satisfying that Manu is back and Jonas can train just as normal,” Kompany said.
Bayern has also been dealing with injuries to left back Alphonso Davies and forward Jamal Musiala after last week’s win at Atalanta.
Bayern enter the game on the back of a 1-1 league draw with Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, where Nicolas Jackson and Luis Díaz were both sent off. And Kompany insists he does not want his side to “give any less” in Wednesday’s second leg with Atalaanta despite a dominant 6-1 advantage
“It’s my role in this situation to lead by example, but we have to show it on the pitch too,” Kompany said.
“I can give you reasons why this is important for us, 75,000 people are coming to the game to support the team — that’s a crucial foundation in terms of willingness to work hard and run.
“I want us to enjoy ourselves, but there’s no reason for us to give any less. We are Bayern Munich. We’ve worked very hard to build this momentum. I also thought the game in Leverkusen was very positive for us – we need to build on that tomorrow and against Union Berlin.
“We can’t afford to go into a game too casually, we don’t want that. But my greatest confidence comes from having seen the pre-season games against Lyon, Salzburg, and Tottenham. We don’t do friendlies.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report
Nigeria suicide bombings killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100 others in Maiduguri, officials said Tuesday, as a Christian nonprofit leader warned the violence highlights ongoing religious persecution.
The Associated Press reported that one of the deadliest attacks on Maiduguri in recent history involved explosions in crowded areas on Monday night, including a major market in the capital of Borno state and the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Borno police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said in a statement that the wounded “sustained varying degrees of injuries,” blaming the attacks on suspected suicide bombers.
President Bola Tinubu, who departed Nigeria on Tuesday for a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, offered condolences to the victims and instructed security chiefs to “take charge of the situation” in Maiduguri.
A general view of an armored police vehicle at a market in Maiduguri on March 17, 2026, a day after blasts in the city. Coordinated blasts by suspected suicide bombers tore through a busy market and other areas in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 others, in one of the worst recent attacks on the capital of Borno state. Three blasts detonated on the evening of March 16, 2026, just after people in the Muslim-majority city broke their Ramadan fasts, striking a main market, the entrance of Maiduguri’s largest teaching hospital and a post office. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
“The Monday attacks were desperate acts of the evil-minded terrorist groups,” Tinubu said. “Our gallant military and civilian task forces will curtail and put them down.”
While no group has claimed responsibility, the AP reported suspicion has fallen on the Boko Haram jihadi group, which launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 to enforce its radical interpretation of Shariah law.
Since launching its insurgency, Boko Haram has grown stronger, with thousands of fighters and multiple factions, some aligned with the Islamic State group.
Funeral for Boko Haram victims in Yobe, Nigeria(Stringer/Reuters)
The explosions on Monday night began at about 7:30 p.m. at the entrance of the teaching hospital. A few minutes later, a second and third blast followed at the Monday Market and a nearby post office hub, both about 2.5 miles from the hospital.
“I was coming to the hospital to check (in on) a patient when I saw two men struggling with the security men at the gate,” Jonah said. “Before I could process what was going on I heard the deafening blast and I passed out.”
Nigerian soldiers drive around in pick-ups during training at a military base in Borno state, Nigeria, on July 5, 2025. (Joris Bolomey/AFP via Getty Images)
Brad Brandon, CEO and founder of Across Nigeria, said the attack was personal. His organization is committed to transforming Nigeria and the surrounding regions by sharing the love of God through Jesus Christ, according to the group’s website.
“As the CEO and founder of Across Nigeria, these recent attacks in Maiduguri are personal and a stark reminder that the devastating violence continues in northern Nigeria,” he said in a statement. “This is the result of radical Islamic groups that are allowed to operate unchecked. The only question is, how many more must be killed, before the world wakes up to the genocide that slaughters thousands of Christians every year.”
“We condemn these violent acts and the perpetrators who commit them,” he added. “We also call on the U.S. Government to intervene and the media to embrace their role in bringing light to the hidden things of darkness.”
While Maiduguri has been at the center of deadly violence in Nigeria, it has experienced relative peace in recent years, even as extremists batter the countryside.
Monday’s attack took place less than 24 hours after the Nigerian military repelled attacks by militants outside Maiduguri.
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