England’s kick-heavy tactics backfired
England World Cup winner Matt Dawson says England’s kick-first approach played a key role in their historic first defeat to Italy, and argues they must loosen up and play with greater freedom in their next match against France.
UK opens a booking portal for charter flights for Britons in Dubai
The UK has opened an online booking portal for charter flights for British nationals in Dubai, after thousands of flights across the Middle East were cancelled over the past week.
Marin Alsop Conducts Rachmaninoff and Schumann in Marian Anderson Hall, March 20–22
During Women’s History Month, the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform in Marian Anderson Hall from March 20 to 22 under Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop, featuring music by Rachmaninoff and Schumann. Alsop, known for mentoring and supporting women in music, will lead the program.
RFU continues to back Steve Borthwick despite a poor run of defeats
The Rugby Football Union is maintaining its support for England coach Steve Borthwick despite a hugely disappointing sequence of losses. RFU chief Bill Sweeney said Borthwick will be questioned about the team’s wretched Six Nations campaign once the tournament ends.
Police Investigate Possible Explosion Outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo
Norwegian police are investigating a possible explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. Justice and Public Security Minister Astri Aas-Hansen called the incident unacceptable and said it is being treated with the utmost seriousness.
Midday News Bulletin for March 8, 2026
A midday roundup of the latest developments from across Europe and around the world, covering breaking news and key updates in business, politics, entertainment, culture, and travel.
AI agents are helping cybercriminals and state-backed hackers automate routine attack tasks
Microsoft’s global threat intelligence lead Sherrod DeGrippo says AI agents are enabling cybercriminals and nation-state actors to offload routine “janitorial” work involved in planning and executing cyberattacks, making operations faster and easier. She notes that North Korea is among the groups taking advantage of these capabilities.
Spoofing an Emergency Vehicle Traffic Signal Preemption System
Spoofing an emergency traffic preemption signal is technically possible. By obtaining and reverse-engineering Tomar Strobecom hardware, a researcher found that some systems encode data by skipping or precisely timing infrared pulses. Using an Arduino Nano and an IR LED, they were able to trigger Strobecom preemption and transmit a vehicle ID, though the system proved timing-sensitive and may require valid IDs to actually change lights.
Senator says U.S. strikes on Iran could affect China and Russia
Sen. Kevin Cramer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said U.S. military operations alongside Israel against Iran could ripple beyond the Middle East. In a Sunday radio interview, he argued the strikes send a message to major adversaries, including China and Russia, and could influence broader geopolitical calculations.
Property tycoon says he will buy closing churches in England to keep them as churches
Property investor Samuel Leeds says he wants to buy churches across England that are shutting down to prevent them being converted into homes, businesses, or other uses, arguing that buildings built as churches should remain churches. Posting on X, he said profit is not the priority, and later said he had made a £225,000 cash offer for Darelston Methodist Church in Wednesbury. The pledge comes amid widespread church closures and political debate over the repurposing of church buildings, alongside polling suggesting rising belief and church attendance in recent years.