That is not as straightforward as it might sound, as one former No 10 official described it. “There’s no good, clear correlation between wealth and energy bills.” An elderly person might live alone with a tiny income, in a draughty, big old family home that costs a fortune to heat, while a big family with a middle-sized income might live in a modern, well-insulated flat.

Police and paramedics were called to Whessoe Road, near the North Road Industrial Estate, on around 10.55pm on Friday (March 13).

The incident – which involved a Honda CRF motorcycle carrying two people – left one of the riders with serious injuries.

They were taken to hospital for treatment, whether they remain today.

No other vehicles were involved.

Durham Police said the other rider is believed to have made off from the scene and officers are keen to trace them as they may have also suffered serious injuries and require medical treatment.

If you are this person, or know who they are, you are asked to call police on 101, quoting incident number 547 of March 13, go to a police station, or email to sciu@durham.police.uk

Donald Trump has said his forces carried out a bombing raid on Iran’s “crown jewel” Kharg, a small island in the north of the Persian Gulf, on Friday.

The five-mile-long coral island – twice the size of London’s Heathrow Airport – is in the north of the Persian Gulf, 16 miles (26km) from Iran’s coast and roughly 300 miles (483km) north of the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which 20% of global oil flows, that Tehran has shut down.

President Trump said US forces “obliterated” military targets on Kharg Island, but significantly said he chose not to “wipe out” the island’s oil infrastructure. He threatened that this could change if Iran interfered with the safe passage of ships through the strait.

Iran latest – follow live updates

Tehran warned of a new level of retaliation if the oil infrastructure on Kharg was damaged, vowing on Saturday that Iranian forces would destroy the oil and gas infrastructure of companies cooperating with the US in the region if its sites were targeted, according to Iranian state media.

But why is the island so important?

Why was no oil infrastructure hit?

Kharg is the export terminal for 90% of Iran’s oil shipments and has the capacity to load around seven million barrels a day.

The island can handle as many as 10 supertankers at the same time, as its waters are deep enough to enable the docking of tankers that are too large to approach mainland Iran’s shallow coastal waters.

Before the war, the island handled most of Iran’s roughly 1.7 million barrels of crude exports per day, with the majority of it going to China.

Iranian oil accounts for 11.6% ​of China’s seaborne imports so far in 2026, according to tanker tracker Kpler. “Therefore, if [Mr Trump] was to take that out, he might risk the ire of China,” Sky News’ military analyst Sean Bell said.

Hitting Kharg’s oil infrastructure would also likely lead to oil prices surging even further, after they hit a four-year high on Friday.

Oil exports continuing despite war

In the week before the war broke out, Kharg shipped a record of 3.79 million barrels per day, and operations on the island have continued despite the conflict.

About 13.7 million barrels of oil have been exported from the island since the US-Israeli strikes were launched on 28 February, at a rate of 1.1 million to 1.5 million barrels per day, according to maritime intelligence company TankerTrackers.com and Kpler data.

Multiple tankers were still loading there on Wednesday, according to satellite pictures from Tanker Trackers.

Kharg has storage tanks in the south, along with housing for thousands of workers. It has a storage capacity of roughly 30 million barrels, and held about 18 million barrels of crude as of early March, ⁠according to ​a JP Morgan report citing Kpler data.

Advertisement

Share

Trump posts footage of strikes after Kharg Island attack

Advertisement

Critical to funding of Iranian government

The island has long been seen as a key vulnerability that would provoke a severe response by Tehran if attacked.

Kharg is critical to funding Iran’s government and military, and if Iran were to lose control of the island, it would be difficult for the country to function, according to Petras Katinas, an energy researcher at the Royal United Services Institute.

Mr Katinas said a takeover would give the US leverage over negotiations with Iran because the island is “the main node” of its economy.

While there has been speculation that the US could be tempted to seize Kharg Island, experts say that would almost certainly require troops on the ground, making it extremely risky.

One Iranian politician has reportedly already threatened US troops with capture if they attempt to seize its crucial oil hub.

JP Morgan’s global commodity research team stressed the wider economic implications of a direct strike on the island, warning before the US struck military targets on Kharg that strikes would “immediately halt the bulk of Iran’s crude exports, likely triggering severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure”.

“You take out ​Kharg infrastructure, then you take two million [barrels per day] out of the market for good – not until the Straits get fixed,” added Dan Pickering, chief investment officer for Pickering Energy Partners.

Advertisement

Share

Is the attack on Kharg Island significant?

Advertisement

Damage to the island

Iranian state media reported that no oil infrastructure was damaged in the US strikes, adding that air defences, a naval base, airport control tower, and a helicopter hangar were targeted.

The US “successfully struck” more than 90 military targets, including naval mine storage facilities and missile storage bunkers, the US Central Command said.

The 55 crude oil storage tanks, which can hold more than 34 million barrels, are “most likely unscathed”, Tanker Trackers said.

Share

Advertisement

Former Royal Navy chief on Kharg Island’s importance

“Although the island has some offshore oil production, the bulk of the oil actually derives from the mainland via multiple pipelines,” the tracking service said.

“The island first began exporting oil during the summer of 1960 and was built to [accommodate] 7 million barrels per day in exports, to reflect the potential in oil production. Iran hit 6.6 [million barrels per day] in production back in 1976.”

Read more:
Trump’s post reveals much about island strike
US Navy to escort oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz

The maritime intelligence company added that satellite imagery from Saturday showed two new tankers began loading 2.7 million barrels of crude oil there.

Activities on the island, including exports and imports, are “proceeding normally” after the strikes, the deputy governor of Bushehr, a port city close to Kharg, said, adding that no military personnel, oil company employees or island residents were killed.

Was the island targeted before?

Despite being viewed as a critical vulnerability, the island has rarely been directly targeted.

The last time was during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, but it did not stop crude oil exports from Kharg.

“When Saddam Hussein raided the island numerous times 40 years ago and destroyed a number of storage tanks, Kharg Island was still able to export over 1.5 million barrels per day,” Tanker Trackers said in a post on X.

The scene on Manchester Road in Over Hulton has seen a small area of woodland which backs onto an open field closed off, with police tape stopping the public access and a police community support officer (PCSO) also guarding the scene.

At around 1.30pm, Greater Manchester Police confirmed that a man had died following a ‘concern for welfare incident’.

Read more: Man found dead in Bolton as police close woodland – live updates

At it height, the police scene included at least four cars, a crime scene investigation van, a police helicopter, and an air ambulance, according to witnesses.

Forensics officers wearing full body suits could be seen entering the woodland with equipment.

The scene remains in place as of 1.45pm.

The pattern is this: Ferrari’s strong starts and superior cornering speed puts them in the mix in the early laps, and the new hybrid engine with their “boost” and “overtake” modes leads to switching of positions for a while.

But the longer the race goes on, the more Mercedes’ inherent advantage pays off.

Hamilton said: “Definitely feeling thirsty on power when we’re behind them. It’s really, really hard to keep up and you could tell they just have more grunt, they’re just pulling for longer.

“That’s why I died this morning [in the sprint]. I was just trying to make it up through the corners, but it just wasn’t making any difference, so just killing my tyres.”

Hamilton praised Antonelli’s new record as “an amazing achievement” and predicted that it was “going to take a while for someone to ever get close to that one”.

Seven-time champion Hamilton appears rejuvenated by the new 2026 cars, and seems back to something close to his previous form before the ground-effect cars of the past four years, with which he was never comfortable.

And Russell is still wary of the Ferraris’ potential to disrupt.

“It has been great opening few laps for the last two races. We know Ferrari are quick off the line and we’ve got them in P3 and P4, which is the first time of the season, and Lewis was obviously great at the beginning of the race this morning, so I am sure it’s not going to be straightforward.”

He says he has been enjoying the scraps with Ferrari.

“With the overtake mode, the driver behind can use the boost button up to I think 330km/h, where the guy in the front can only use it to 290km/h,” Russell said.

“It seems to work quite well. It isn’t DRS, but it works in a similar pattern for the speed delta.

“It’s been quite interesting, quite fun, and I think even some diehards maybe aren’t disliking it as much as they did maybe a week ago. We just still need to give it a chance.”

The McLarens qualified fifth and sixth, Oscar Piastri ahead of world champion Lando Norris. Can they mix it with the Ferraris?

Norris said: “We have a better power unit than the Ferrari. Our advantage is that we just have more straight-line speed.

“But they’re still a car that drives around the corners quicker than even a Mercedes. So, to keep up with them in the corners and then try to get them in the straight is difficult.

“So, between Mercedes and them they have different places they’re strong.

“But we’ll see. I mean they have better tyre management, they have more grip. And therefore it’s much easier for the car if the tyre is that way.

“We have to push like hell in the corners to keep up and then we can obviously catch up in the straight. That’s kind of the wrong end of the stick you want to be on in a race situation at times.

“But never say never. If we can improve on some things from this morning, then we’re certainly not out of the picture of racing them.”

The Environment Agency (EA) provided updates to the flood risk affecting riverside properties in the centre of York today.

It said the areas most affected are King’s Staith in York and riverside areas from Lendal Bridge to Millennium Bridge.

King’s and Queen’s Staith under water this afternoon (March 14) (Image: Kevin Glenton)

This afternoon, parts of South Esplanade were under water, and closer to the Ouse Bridge, King’s Staith was also covered in river water, along with Queen’s Staith on the opposite bank.

Parts of Tower Gardens close to the river were flooded and St. George’s Field Car Park was open.

Tower Gardens were under water in parts close to the River Ouse this afternoon (March 14) (Image: Kevin Glenton)

At the Viking Recorder in North Street Gardens at 1.15pm, the River Ouse levels were 2.93 metres and falling, above the top of the normal range of 1.9 metres.

The EA says flooding is possible above three metres and the levels are predicted to fall back to normal levels till tomorrow morning.

The highest recorded level here was 5.40 metres in November 2000.

A flood warning means flooding is expected and residents are urged to follow official advice.

At the Foss Barrier close to the confluence of the two principal rivers in York, the level at 1.30pm was 7.83 metres and steady, above the top of the normal range of 7.9 metres.

The highest level recorded here was 10.2 metres on November 4, 2000.

All areas are being assessed by the Environment Agency throughout the day, it said.

In the first extracts of Tom Bower’s forthcoming book, Betrayal: Power, Deceit And The Fight For The Future Of The Royal Family, it is claimed the Prince and Princess of Wales also considered Meghan “a threat” as tensions escalated prior to the Sussexes’ decision to quit Britain for the United States.

His family have asked for privacy during this ‘incredibly difficult time’

Tributes are pouring in for Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell who died after a ‘long and courageous’ battle with his health. His family said that the rock star was in intensive care after a ‘complex major operation’.

The 64-year-old, who was born in Pontypridd, Wales, was best known for being Motorhead’s guitarist from 1984 until they broke up in 2015. The band are known for hits Ace of Spades, Overkill, and Born to Raise Hell.

In a statement posted on Facebook, his children shared he died on Friday evening, adding: “His legacy, music and the memories he created with so many will live on forever.”

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

The full statement reads: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Philip Anthony Campbell, who passed away peacefully last night following a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex major operation.

“Phil was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as ‘Bampi.’ He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely. His legacy, music and the memories he created with so many will live on forever.

“We kindly ask that our family’s privacy is respected during this incredibly difficult time.”

Fellow band member Lemmy died in 2015 after a battle with prostate cancer. Phil recently toured with his own band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, featuring his three sons.

The music legend started playing guitar when he was 10 years old, inspired and influenced by guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. By the age of 13 he was playing semi-professionally in gigs around south Wales and first met Lemmy after a Hawkwind gid when he asked the singer for his autograph.

When Motorhead held auditions for a new guitarist in 1984, he went along was was hired along with Michael Burston.

The band called it a day after Lemmy’s death saying: “We will not be doing any more tours or anything. And there will not be any more records. But the fire survives, and Lemmy lives on in the hearts of everyone.”

In April 2020, Campbell opened up about how hard it was to see Lemmy struggle towards the end of his life saying that Lemmy “wasn’t quite himself” and that he had been “ageing a little bit more” on Motörhead’s final tour. He also admitted that the end of Motörhead was not easy to adjust to at first.