\u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ll do any hedging for the next three months,\u201d Ryanair group chief executive Michael O\u2019Leary said. \u201cWe would always vary a little bit if we thought there\u2019s a short-term [jump] \u2013 clearly nobody\u2019s doing any hedging now with these kind of rates.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can read more here. <\/a><\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 11 minutes ago<\/p>\n ECB\u2019s commitment to 2 per cent inflation remains \u2018unconditional\u2019, says Lagarde<\/p>\n The European Central Bank will act decisively and swiftly if the current surge in energy costs risks a broader bout of inflation, though for now it\u2019s still assessing the shock caused by the Iran war, according to President Christine Lagarde.<\/p>\n While the situation is different from 2022, when Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine ultimately sent consumer-price growth into double digits, there are \u201creasons for vigilance,\u201d Lagarde said Wednesday in a speech.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will not act before we have sufficient information on the size and persistence of the shock and its propagation,\u201d she told the ECB Watchers Conference in Frankfurt. \u201cBut we will not be paralyzed by hesitation: our commitment to delivering 2 per cent inflation over the medium term is unconditional.\u201d<\/p>\n Soaring energy costs brought on by the conflict in the Middle East are stoking fears of another inflation spike like the one four years ago. Bundesbank chief Joachim Nagel and others have signaled borrowing costs may need to be lifted as soon as April if the price outlook sours further.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are prepared, if appropriate, to make changes to our policy at any meeting,\u201d Lagarde said.<\/p>\n Speaking directly after Lagarde, Chief Economist Philip Lane reiterated the ECB\u2019s determination to be agile in responding to reactions by businesses and consumers to the Iran war.<\/p>\n \u201cWe mean it when we say we\u2019re data-dependent,\u201d he said, adding that \u201clots of data\u201d will be arriving in the coming weeks and months. \u201cApril, June \u2014 ongoing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Oil falls and stock rise on prospects of peace<\/p>\n The price of oil has dipped and Asian stock markets moved higher after reports that Donald Trump has sent a 15-point framework for peace to Iran, amid hopes of a ceasefire in the Middle East.<\/p>\n Oil prices had fallen by 4 per cent in the early hours of Wednesday, with brent crude futures sinking below $100 a barrel and even moving as low as $97.57 as trading was influenced by the prospect of an end to the conflict easing the squeeze on oil supply.<\/p>\n Stock markets in Asia also moved higher in morning trading. Japan\u2019s Nikkei rose by 2.9 per cent, while the S&P BSE Sensex in India was almost 2 per cent higher and Hong Kong\u2019s Hang Seng was just under 1 per cent up.<\/p>\n European markets also rose in early trading. The FTSE 100 in London was up by almost 1 per cent, while Germany\u2019s Dax was trading 1.8 per cent higher and France\u2019s Cac 40 climbed by 1.5 per cent<\/p>\n However, oil prices later started to climb again amid mixed signals about the status of negotiations between the US and Iran, after Tehran denied that any talks had taken place since the start of the bombing campaign.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, located at its southern border, has all but halted global shipments of oil and gas through the key shipping channel, sparking what the International Energy Agency has called the largest ever disruption to oil supply.<\/p>\n Strikes continue across #Lebanon<\/a>, including overnight airstrikes in Beirut, following further mass displacement orders.<\/p>\n To date, over 1 million people \u2013 including nearly 370,000 children \u2013 have been forced to flee.<\/p>\n Humanitarians continue to respond, but needs keep rising. pic.twitter.com\/Q11txqeCaa<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ronan McGreevy – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Two men arrested over London ambulance attack <\/p>\n Two men have arrested in connection with the Golders Green ambulance arson attack in London. <\/p>\n The men \u2013 aged 47 and aged 45 \u2013 were arrested this morning at addresses in north west London and central London areas respectively.<\/p>\n They were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and both men have been taken to a London police station where they currently remain in police custody.<\/p>\n CCTV footage show a group of three men burning four ambulances belonging to the Jewish charity Hatzola at 1.35am on Monday morning. <\/p>\n The Metropolitan Police in London is treating the incident as an antisemitic attack and it is being investigated by the counter-terrorism police. <\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n Baltic states suspect stray Ukraine drones entered their territory<\/p>\n The authorities in Estonia and Latvia believe drones that entered their airspace from Russia were actually from Ukraine. <\/p>\n Several drones entered Estonian and Latvian airspace from Russia on Wednesday morning. <\/p>\n A drone that entered from Russia hit the smokestack of the Auvere power plant in Estonia.<\/p>\n Latvia also reported that a drone entered its airspace, crashed and may have exploded near the border with Russia. <\/p>\n Latvian prime minister Evika Silina said in a post on X that according to preliminary information the drone may have been Ukrainian.<\/p>\n The Estonian government will convene an emergency session on Wednesday morning. <\/p>\n The incidents occurred amid a Ukrainian attack early on Wednesday on Russia\u2019s Ust-Luga port which is very close to the border with Estonia. <\/p>\n The incursions follow a separate crash of a drone in Lithuania on Monday, which the authorities in Vilnius identified as coming from Ukraine, raising questions over air defence capabilities of the Baltic states despite years of investments in their security – Bloomberg <\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n Taiwan fears China as the world fixates on Iran conflict<\/p>\n Taiwan fears China will exploit the distraction of the United States by its war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of \u200cUS weapons the island would use to repel any invasion.<\/p>\n One of the world\u2019s biggest potential flashpoints, democratically governed Taiwan faces growing military pressure from China, which views the island as its own territory, around which Beijing held its latest war games in December.<\/p>\n Taiwan officials say Beijing\u2019s resumption, \u200bsince March 14 and 15, of large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual drop-off, show China wants to take advantage of U.S. forces redeploying from East Asia to bolster the war effort.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a moment for China to exercise influence,\u201d said a senior Taiwan security official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat China is trying to create is a sense that when the US shifts forces away and Indo-Pacific strength is redirected to the Middle East, tension and instability should be manufactured.\u201d<\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n IDF continues to strike at Iran despite US talks of peace<\/p>\n The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) says it has struck two key sites used to develop long-range naval cruise missiles in the Iranian capital Tehran.<\/p>\n The IDF says in a post on Telegram that the \u201csignificant strikes\u201d had caused extensive damage to the sites in recent days and that the missiles had been capable of \u201crapidly destroying targets at sea and on land\u201d.<\/p>\n It \u201crepresent another step in deepening the damage done to the regime\u2019s military production infrastructure,\u201d the IDF added. <\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n The Philippines declare national emergency <\/p>\n The Philippines has become the first country in the world to formally declare a national energy emergency as the conflict in the Middle East threatens fuel supplies and the country\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n There is an \u201cimminent danger of a critically low energy supply,\u201d Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in an executive order. <\/p>\n \u201cUrgent measures are necessary\u201d to ensure the stability of energy supplies, continuity of economic activity and the delivery of essential services, he said.<\/p>\n Marcos, at a televised briefing on Wednesday, said he issued the order as a \u201cprecautionary tool\u201d to give his government more options to address the energy emergency. <\/p>\n He also said he\u2019s confident the nation has a steady flow of oil beyond the current stockpile of around 45 days, and that fertilizer supply is also sufficient until the next planting season.<\/p>\n The last time the Philippines declared a state of national emergency was during the Covid pandemic in 2020, when the country implemented one of the world\u2019s strictest lockdowns.<\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n Fears grow over access to fertiliser <\/p>\n Governments are rushing to secure supplies of critical crop nutrients ahead of spring planting, as the Middle East war chokes off the flow of commodities and amplifies fears of a global food crisis.<\/p>\n Fertilisers exemplify the tight link between energy and food prices, underpinning harvests worldwide. The Middle East is a vital supplier, rich in both mineral reserves and the gas needed to produce nutrients for staples like corn, wheat and rice. <\/p>\n With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut, shipments have ground to a halt as Iran, the US and Israel continue to exchange strikes on energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n In turn, prices of urea \u2014 the most widely used nitrogen fertiliser \u2014 have surged, with phosphate supplies also at risk. Much of global stock is tied to the Persian Gulf, and panic is spreading across major agricultural economies.<\/p>\n Top exporters China and Russia are curbing some crop nutrient sales, while the US is loosening shipping restrictions to facilitate domestic flows. India, the largest urea buyer, is scrambling for supply and weighing a tender. <\/p>\n Greece and France have expanded financial support for farmers, and in Africa, Ghana has rolled out a free fertiliser program.<\/p>\n \u201cFarmers should not bear the burden of any crisis,\u201d Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday in Parliament, where he addressed the Middle East conflict and announced efforts to shore up fertiliser reserves. \u201cThe government stands with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Rising fertiliser prices could push food costs higher, just as inflation in agricultural goods had started to ease after years of shocks \u2014 from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine and extreme weather. <\/p>\n At the same time, countries are moving to shield farmers already hit by weak crop prices, high input costs and US President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs.<\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n Oil prices fall again and then rise <\/p>\n The price of oil has continued its rollercoaster ride as traders try to ascertain whether or not an end is in sight to the war. <\/p>\n Brent crude dipped below $100 a barrel again on Wednesday morning having been close to $110 a barrel the day before. <\/p>\n Brent fell by 7 per cent in early morning trading before settling at 4.5 per cent lower on Wednesday. <\/p>\n Mixed messages from the White House have played havoc with markets around the world. <\/p>\n While President Donald Trump has suggested the end of the war is in sight, he has also ordered the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy about 2,000 soldiers to the region. <\/p>\n The Iranians show no sign of giving up their chokehold in the Strait of Hormuz. <\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n Israel and Iran exchanged airstrikes <\/p>\n Israel and Iran exchanged air strikes on Wednesday, as Iran again rejected Donald Trump\u2019s claim the United States was in negotiations to end to the war.<\/p>\n The Israeli Defense Forces said in \u2060a Telegram post it had launched a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran. The semi-official Iranian SNN News Agency said the strikes hit a residential area in the city, \u200cwith \u200crescuers searching \u200bthe rubble.<\/p>\n Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said they had repelled fresh drone attacks, without stating where they originated. Drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire but no casualties, Kuwait\u2019s Civil Aviation Authority said.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards said it had launched a new wave of attacks against locations in \u2060Israel including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona, as well as US bases in Kuwait, \u200bJordan and Bahrain, Iranian state media reported. – Reuters<\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n Iran says US is negotiating with itself<\/p>\n The United States is negotiating with \u200citself, an Iranian military spokesman said according to state \u200bmedia on Wednesday, a day after Donald Trump said Tehran wanted to make \u200ba deal to end the war in \u2060the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cHas the level \u200bof your inner struggle reached the \u2060stage of you negotiating \u2060with \u200byourself?\u201d Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the unified command of Iran\u2019s armed forces, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, taunted the US leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople like us can never get along \u200cwith people like \u2060you.\u201d<\/p>\n Zolfaqari said US investments and prewar energy prices would not return \u200cas long as Washington does not accept \u200bthat regional stability is guaranteed \u200bby Iranian armed forces. <\/p>\n Earlier, Iran told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organisation that \u201cnon-hostile vessels\u201d may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they co-ordinate with Iranian authorities.<\/p>\n The effective closure of the waterway, where 20 per cent of the world\u2019s oil and gas normally transits, has created the worst energy supply shock in history, sent fuel prices soaring, and disrupted global aviation.- Reuters<\/p>\n Ronan McGreevy – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n US offers 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran<\/p>\n Welcome to our continuing coverage of the US-Israeli conflict <\/a>with Iran and its wider implications.<\/p>\n The Trump<\/a> administration has offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran<\/a>, according to a person briefed on the contours of the proposal. <\/p>\n Early details of the proposal emerged, even as the US<\/a> military is preparing to call up at least 1,000 more troops <\/a>to supplement some 50,000 troops already in the region.<\/p>\n The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan<\/a>, who have offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, it\u2019s understood. <\/p>\n The Pentagon is also in the process of deploying a pair of Marine expeditionary units that will add about 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/VC52SIHIIX3YGHHIHBXIWJYAME.jpg\")
Workers from an electricity distribution company conduct repairs on power lines in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of national energy emergency amid surging fuel prices in the country, impacted by the Middle East conflict. <\/p>\n![\"Rocket](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/XA5UMU5TADSSUNQNNJMV3NYDYQ.jpg\")
Rocket trails in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on Wednesday. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6MRB3WEJ2LILHH7LKRZYOCD4LU.jpg\")
A fragment of a missile that landed in an orchard near the Palestinian village of Hares in the West Bank, on Tuesday. Photograph: The New York Times <\/p>\n