Good morning. The Middle East crisis is sending shockwaves through global energy markets this morning, with oil prices jumping 5% after Trump's primetime address threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard" in the coming weeks. While the president claimed the conflict is "nearing completion," his promise of sweeping new strikes has wrongfooted even seasoned energy traders and triggered widespread fuel rationing from Bangladesh to Zambia as supply chains buckle under the pressure.
On a brighter note, history was made overnight as Artemis II finally blasted off from Florida, sending four astronauts toward the Moon on humanity's first crewed lunar mission in half a century. After years of delays and technical setbacks, there was pure euphoria at Kennedy Space Center as the crew entered Earth's orbit, marking a pivotal moment in our return to deep space exploration. Meanwhile, closer to home, the ongoing doctors' strike looks set to proceed after the government withdrew its offer of 1,000 additional training posts, and BBC presenter Scott Mills was sacked following revelations that an alleged victim in a police investigation was under 16.