Helia Ebrahimi , Economics Correspondent

The release of Nazanin and Anoosheh comes against a background of a bigger diplomatic game being driven by world events. 

Rishi Sunak is under growing pressure to act in his Spring Statement, due in just two weeks.

The UK and US governments have announced new sanctions on Russian energy.

The conflict and the surging gas prices have pushed petrol prices here to another record high –  reaching 155p a litre for the first time.

The French authorities have seized a yacht belonging to the wealthy Russian Igor Sechin. 

As the fighting has intensified, oil and gas prices have surged again.

The UK has announced more sanctions on Russian banks and shipping – including a full asset freeze on the country’s development bank. The unprecedented global sanctions have sent the rouble crashing to a record low. 

A rise in the cap on domestic fuel bills is expected to push inflation all the way to 7.5% in April.  So the squeeze on living standards is set to get worse as the year goes on. 

The UK economy grew by 7.5 per cent during 2021, as the country recovered from the financial shock of the pandemic. That is the fastest rate of growth since World War Two.

Exclusive research for Channel 4 News, given by the campaign group Uplift, has revealed that BP’s north sea oil operations have paid zero tax for five years. 

A series of announcements are expected in the next few days, in a bid to clamp down on the increasingly vocal discontent from within Tory ranks, former ministers among them.

Another day and another Conservative turning on Boris Johnson saying enough is enough – yet the total who have done so publicly is still under 15

We spoke to Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and started by asking him if raising interest rates during a decline in living standards is a mistake.

It’s the worst squeeze on incomes since records began 30 years ago: a double whammy of soaring energy bills and rocketing inflation.

Tomorrow the new cap on energy prices is to be announced.