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Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 16:35 17 Mar 2026
 
- What have countries said about Trump's request for help with the Strait of Hormuz?
[3 hours old]: US allies have either pushed back or remained cautious on Trump's request to send ships to the crucial oil route.

. Train Delay Repay rule changes to make claims easier
[16 hours old]: There will also be additional checks on railcards during a trial to crack down on fraud.

. Iran hits key UAE oil port and Dubai airport
[28 hours old]: The port of Fujairah plays a crucial role in helping keep global supplies moving when the Strait of Hormuz is blocked.

. Trump urges UK and other nations to send warships to Strait of Hormuz
[68 hours old]: The US president says he hopes China, France, Japan and South Korea will also send ships to defend the key oil shipping route.

. The real impact of roadworks on the country - and why they're set to get worse
[1575 hours old]: There is a fine balance between the benefits of improved infrastructure, versus the cost of disruption. Does the country have it right?

. Why the railways often seem to be in such chaos over Christmas
[2056 hours old]: Parts of Britain’s rail network will close for engineering work over the festive period - but is that the right time to do it?

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and in other news ...

* Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, urging Trump to 'reverse course'
[0 hours old]: National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent says Trump "started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby".

* Focus must remain on Ukraine despite Iran war, PM says
[0 hours old]: Starmer says Russia cannot benefit from the conflict in the Middle East, as he meets the Ukrainian leader in No 10.

* Mayors to gain more spending power under Reeves tax plans
[1 hours old]: The Chancellor has set out the government's plan for economic growth, which also includes closer ties to the EU.

- Prince William joins Greg James on Comic Relief tandem bike ride
[2 hours old]: The Radio 1 Breakfast host was joined by a special guest on the latest leg of his charity challenge.

- 'Many people fooled' by AI wedding pics, says Zendaya
[2 hours old]: The star has spoken about the viral images that appeared to show her marrying partner Tom Holland.

* Dates confirmed for new driving test booking rules
[0 hours old]: Only learners will be able to book a car driving test under new rules to make the system fairer.

- Typical new mortgage costs soar £788 a year in two weeks
[5 hours old]: Lenders have hiked rates on new deals and withdrawn products as war creates uncertainty in the markets.

- MI5 to pay compensation to woman abused by neo-Nazi agent
[4 hours old]: It comes after a BBC investigation four years ago showed the agent used his security service role to abuse his partner.

* Gerry Adams says he never held role or rank in the IRA
[0 hours old]: Three men are seeking a ruling that Adams is personally liable for injuries they received in explosions.

- Easter holidaymakers switching from Dubai to Spain as flights fill up
[3 hours old]: It comes after the war in Iran caused mass disruption to flights across the Middle East and UAE.

* Father of teen who died of meningitis says family are 'beyond devastated'
[0 hours old]: Health officials confirm that cases in the Canterbury area increased from 13 to 15.

- What causes meningitis and what are the symptoms?
[2 hours old]: Two people have died following an outbreak of meningitis, including one student at the University of Kent.

- Watch: Parents of teen who died in 2025 call for more government support
[3 hours old]: Helen and Lee Draper lost their daughter Megan to meningitis in October 2025.

- I watched my dad stab my mum to death - but then had to move back in with him
[10 hours old]: Gemma Ahern was three when her dad killed her mum - and at six she had to live with him again.

- Inside the state school at the top of English rugby union
[10 hours old]: In a sport often dominated by private schools, Northampton School for Boys are one win away from securing a league and cup double.

- Chris Mason: Why Starmer thinks he's called it right on war despite Trump barbs
[14 hours old]: The BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason considers the US president's recent jabs at the UK prime minister.

- Scotland is about to vote on assisted dying. How would it work?
[6 hours old]: The Scottish Parliament will soon decide whether to allow terminally-ill adults to end their lives.

- Len Deighton obituary: How a cookery cartoonist became a master spy writer
[6 hours old]: Best-selling spy author whose workaday secret agents were a world away from the glamour of James Bond.

- Are football Ultras a menace or a force for good?
[10 hours old]: Smoke bombs, pyrotechnics, balaclavas and punch-ups - welcome to the world of the football Ultras.

- Why did only two Iranian football players stay in Australia?
[11 hours old]: After Australia gave humanitarian visas to seven team members, only two decided to stay - the BBC's Katy Watson explains what happened.

* Israel says it killed Iranian security chief Ali Larijani in air strike
[1 hours old]: The deaths of Larijani and the head of the paramilitary Basij force have not been confirmed by Iranian authorities.



- Trump 'not happy' with UK response to Iran conflict
[8 hours old]: It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was working with allies on a plan to protect the Strait of Hormuz.

- Bereavement author found guilty of fatally poisoning her husband
[15 hours old]: A jury found that Kouri Richins killed her husband in March 2022 by poisoning him with a fentanyl-laced drink.

- Pakistan air strike kills at least 100 at Kabul drug rehab centre
[4 hours old]: Some of the bodies were injured beyond recognition, forensic laboratory sources told the BBC.

* Beach rape 'cynical, predatory, callous', court told
[0 hours old]: Three men, who are asylum seekers, deny raping a woman on Brighton beach.

* Water supply cut in Moldova after oil spill blamed on Russian strike in Ukraine
[0 hours old]: Moldova has imposed a 15-day state of alert in the Dniester river basin as a precaution.

- US west coast prepares for 'dangerous' heatwave in early spring
[3 hours old]: Severe weather is plaguing the US from coast to coast, bringing a mix of extreme heat and bitter cold.

- Hampstead ponds trans access legal appeal allowed
[4 hours old]: Currently trans people are able to use the facilities at the ponds for the gender they identify with.

* Chile's president begins building border barrier less than week into term
[0 hours old]: José Antonio Kast visited the ditch - a few feet wide and deep - on Monday, calling it a "milestone".

- The Global Story: How does war affect a child’s brain?
[6 hours old]: Veteran war reporter Fergal Keane on PTSD among children in conflicts worldwide.

- Chelsea's cheating - was a fine too lenient?
[3 hours old]: Sports editor Dan Roan analyses whether Chelsea's record fine for a raft of Premier League rule breaches was lenient.

- Fifa appears to rule out moving Iran's matches to Mexico
[2 hours old]: Fifa appears to rule out moving Iran's matches at this summer's World Cup to Mexico from the United States.

* Nonsense to say Spurs players don't care - Van de Ven
[0 hours old]: Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven says it is "the biggest nonsense" to suggest the club's players do not care about the team's current plight.

- BBC not planning to use Johnson in 2026 coverage
[3 hours old]: The BBC does not plan to use four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson in its athletics coverage this year.

- Wales captain Ramsey left out for World Cup play-offs
[6 hours old]: Captain Aaron Ramsey is left out of the Wales squad for this month's World Cup play-offs, casting further doubt over his future.

- Trump seeks to delay meeting with Xi in China
[6 hours old]: The escalating war in Iran has overshadowed many of the US' foreign policy objectives

- Another former sub postmaster dies awaiting payout
[6 hours old]: Tributes are paid to Parmod Kalia who ran a branch in Orpington, who has died aged 67.

- More than 200 jobs at risk at carmaker Bentley
[3 hours old]: The news comes as financial results for 2025 show a seventh consecutive year of profitability.

- Car park firm NCP collapses with nearly 700 jobs at risk
[8 hours old]: The car park operator says demand for parking has not recovered to pre-Covid levels, as its administrators look to sell the business.

- Electricity costs set to rise in Alderney
[5 hours old]: Electricity costs will rise in Alderney to help ensure the long-term stability of the energy supply.

- Free energy packs 'to reduce bills by up to £800'
[5 hours old]: Citizens Advice is offering the packs and advice to residents in Beverley, Bridlington and Goole.

- Sinn Féin shirking responsibilities on oil bills, says Lyons
[5 hours old]: The communities minister was giving his reaction to the £17m support package announced by the UK government.

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and in other older news ...

. Scammed out of £17k, one woman flew across UK to confront suspect
[16 hours old]: Rhonda Montgomery was scammed out of £17,000 by fraudsters pretending to work for Revolut.

. BBC News app
[7706 hours old]: Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests

. Can Starmer Keep Saying No To Trump?
[19 hours old]: Trump "not happy" with the UK as Starmer says it won't be drawn into wider Iran war.

. Is it possible to build a plastic-free home?
[16 hours old]: Using plastic in construction is cheap and easy, but some are trying to radically cut back its use.

. AI firm Anthropic seeks weapons expert to stop users from 'misuse'
[16 hours old]: The artificial intelligence firm says it wants to prevent "catastrophic misuse" of its systems.

. Teens sue Musk's xAI over Grok's pornographic images of them
[19 hours old]: Musk's AI chatbot has created millions of fake sexualised images, experts say.

. Starmer announces £53m support to help with heating oil costs
[19 hours old]: The money will be for "vulnerable" households who have faced a sharp rise in energy bills since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

. Bank of America settles over Epstein claims
[23 hours old]: The lawsuit had accused the bank of facilitating Epstein's sex trafficking.

. Alcohol-free beer and pet grooming used to measure inflation
[28 hours old]: Houmous and motorhomes are also added to the basket of goods and services used to chart the rising cost of living.

. Companies offered £3,000 to hire jobless under-24s
[27 hours old]: It comes as ministers grapple with spiralling unemployment rates among young people.

. Steelworks costing £1.3m a day to run
[34 hours old]: The government spent £377m to keep British Steel's Scunthorpe site operating, according to a report.

. Banknotes, beavers and a very British backlash
[63 hours old]: Politicians are furious Churchill will be replaced on banknotes. The RSPCA wants rats and pigeons to feature.

. Starmer speaks to Trump about importance of reopening Strait of Hormuz
[44 hours old]: The leaders discussed the need to "end the disruption to global shipping", No 10 says.

. We will intervene on energy bills if necessary, says Miliband
[53 hours old]: Oil and gas prices have surged due to the US-Israel war in Iran, with fears over the cost of living.

. How the Iran war may affect your money and bills
[26 hours old]: The conflict in the Middle East could raise the cost of petrol, household energy bills and even food.

. 'Gruesome' war bets fuel calls for crackdown on prediction markets
[64 hours old]: Predictions markets have hosted millions of dollars of bets related to the war in Iran.

. She spent 16 hours on Instagram in a day. It's up to a jury to decide if Meta is to blame
[88 hours old]: A landmark lawsuit will set the stage for thousands of people who say social media platforms are intentionally addictive.

. We're not profiteering on fuel. But my staff still face abuse
[90 hours old]: Independent retailer Goran Raven says the higher oil price is "horrific" for him as well as his customers.

. Judge says 'no evidence' to justify Federal Reserve probe
[91 hours old]: Jeanine Pirro said she would appeal the ruling, which blocks the subpoenas she issued to the central bank.

. Ukraine's urgent fight on the financial frontline
[40 hours old]: The war-torn country is battling to secure crucial funding from the IMF and EU, as well as putting up taxes.

. Can plastic-eating fungi help clean up nappy waste?
[112 hours old]: Cost and convenience have made disposable nappies dominant - can start-ups compete?

. Why has Trump eased sanctions on Russian oil - and will it help Putin?
[96 hours old]: The US said easing sanctions on Russian oil would provide only a limited financial boost to Putin.

. Dharshini David: Economy on shaky ground even before Iran war
[101 hours old]: The government's hopes that 2026 would be the year when growth picks up are at risk of being scuppered.

. A small US grocer is calling out the lower prices at big chains
[136 hours old]: It is 'impossible for us to compete', says the boss of a New York grocery store.

. Can Ukraine's war-torn wheatfields be cleansed?
[106 hours old]: Researchers take 8,000 soil samples from battlefields to see if it is safe to grow crops.

. The Aldi-style disruptors who could be about to shake up the vets market
[149 hours old]: As pet owners complain of rising prices, independent practices want to take on the big chains.

. GPS jamming: The invisible battle in the Middle East
[184 hours old]: GPS jamming has made navigation hazardous in the Gulf, spurring efforts to develop alternatives.

. Spain's migrants welcome amnesty: 'It will help us in every way'
[208 hours old]: Madrid cites humanitarian and economic reasons to give undocumented workers legal status.

. Can snacks help you sleep?
[280 hours old]: Chocolates, bars, gummies and drinks promise to help you sleep, but is the science behind them sound?

. We have more privacy controls yet less privacy than ever
[304 hours old]: Has online privacy become "a luxury not a right" for us all in 2026?

. Know when to fold them: the tech inspired by origami
[347 hours old]: Origami techniques can add strength to structures without adding bulk.

. Deepfake attack: 'Many people could have been cheated'
[370 hours old]: The boss of the Bombay Stock Exchange was recently targeted in what is a growing global problem.

. Why you can't get a signal at festivals and sports matches
[448 hours old]: Connecting up music and sports events to the internet is a massive undertaking.

. The family-owned soda firm that still uses returnable glass bottles
[472 hours old]: Soft drinks company Twig's Beverage has a loyal following for its old-fashioned approach.

. Budget 2025: What's the best and worst that could happen for Labour?
[2593 hours old]: Three days in, after a tax U-turn and partial climbdown on workers' rights, Laura Kuenssberg looks at what impact Budget week might have.

. Has Britain's budget watchdog become too all-powerful?
[2704 hours old]: Ahead of this week's Budget, some have accused the Office for Budget Responsibility of being a "straitjacket on growth"

. The curious case of why Poundland is struggling during a cost-of-living crisis
[2792 hours old]: Why - in an age where so many of us are feeling the financial pinch - are some budget shops on UK high streets having such a tough time?

. Why both partners need to be across a couple's money
[96 hours old]: Martin Lewis explains why both partners in a relationship need to know what financial products they hold.

. Why animals will replace historical figures on bank notes
[118 hours old]: British wildlife will replace historical figures on the next series of Bank of England banknote

. The Inquiry
[128 hours old]: How Poland’s economy became one of Europe’s fastest-growing success stories