News 03/03/26

Donald Trump says the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “if necessary, as soon as possible.”

The US-Israel conflict with Iran has almost completely halted shipping traffic through the strategic sea passage connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Asked about European allies, Trump said he has been happy with some but not with others. Turning to the UK, he added he is “not happy” and criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying: “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with.”

Police have launched a murder investigation after a man in his twenties died following a stabbing in Birmingham.

Armed officers were called to Bridge Road in Alum Rock shortly after noon on Tuesday. A nearby nursery was locked down as a precaution. West Midlands Police confirmed the man had died and a woman also suffered injuries described as non-life-threatening.

A grandmother has died from rabies months after being scratched by a stray dog on a beach in Morocco, an inquest has heard.

Yvonne Ford, 59, did not seek treatment as the scratch appeared minor and was only wiped with a wet wipe. Back in Britain, family members initially suspected mental health issues when she developed severe headaches, nausea, mobility problems and disorientation.

A man has been charged following a “disturbance” in Edinburgh in which two people needed hospital treatment.

Armed police locked down the Calder Gardens area after reports of a man with a bladed weapon at around 8:25am on Monday. A stand-off took place at the Cobbinshaw House tower block and ended shortly after 3:30pm.

Donald Trump has said the US Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible if necessary.

Posting on his Truth Social account, he made the comments after Iran closed the key shipping route overnight. Gas prices in the UK have soared to a three year high and oil prices reached a 13 month high following the closure. Iran has also vowed to attack any ship attempting to pass through the waterway.

One person has died after a collision involving a car and a train at a level crossing in Cambridgeshire.

British Transport Police said the individual was pronounced dead at the scene at Dimmocks Cote level crossing in Ely. Officers were called at 10.15am on Tuesday following reports of a crash at the crossing between Waterbeach and Ely. Police and paramedics attended, and a spokesperson said a person was sadly confirmed dead at the scene.

A 25 year old man is due in court accused of rape at a popular café which has since closed.

Henry Poole, of Uxbridge Road in Slough, will appear at Wycombe Magistrates Court on March 5 for a first hearing after being charged with two rape offences at the Air Raid Shelter Café in Frogmore. He is accused of penetration without consent or reasonable belief of consent on August 10 2024. The café has closed due to a lack of footfall.

Prosecutors in Norway have charged the son of Norway’s crown princess with reckless behaviour and breaching a restraining order, a month after he went on trial for rape and dozens of other alleged offences.

Marius Borg Høiby was arrested before his trial on suspicion of threats and violence against a woman in his Oslo flat. He now faces 40 charges and denies the most serious allegations.

The Israeli military says it struck several Hezbollah terrorists in Beirut a short while ago.

The Israel Defense Forces had earlier confirmed it resumed strikes on the Lebanese capital this morning, alongside targets in Iran. It says communication sites used by the militant group were among those hit and claims Hezbollah assets were operating under civilian cover at the locations targeted in the latest attacks.

Rapper Ghetts has been jailed for 12 years after killing a Nepalese student in a hit and run collision.

He has also been disqualified from driving for 17 years. The grime artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke Samuel, failed to stop after his BMW struck 20 year old Yubin Tamang last October. Clarke Samuel, 41, had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving in Ilford in northeast London.

Armed police have been deployed after a man was stabbed and a woman injured in Birmingham.

West Midlands Police say a 32 year old man has been arrested over the incident in the Alum Rock area. Firearms officers were among those called to Bridge Road shortly after noon. A nearby nursery was locked down after witnesses reported seeing a man stabbing another man in the street. The woman’s injuries are not believed to be life threatening or life changing.

A man received roadside treatment following a collision between a car and a telegraph pole in Wexham.

At around 1.50 pm on Sunday March the first, paramedics from South Central Ambulance Service, along with fire crews from Gerrards Cross, Slough and Theale, attended Rowley Lane. Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue says firefighters used hydraulic rescue equipment to release one injured man at the scene. He was treated on site.

The mother of Yubin Tamang has spoken of her extreme pain and unimaginable sense of loss after her son was killed.

The 20 year old, who came from Nepal to study in the UK, died in hospital two days after being struck by a black BMW. Justin Clarke Samuel pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving in Ilford last October and is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey.

Gas prices have surged again, rising 32 per cent to a level not seen in more than three years.

The price briefly reached 151 pence a therm, a level last recorded in February 2023. That increase comes on top of a 50 per cent rise yesterday, meaning prices have climbed 93 per cent over the course of this week alone. After the initial spike, there was some easing back to 148 pence a therm, the unit used to measure gas.

The Israeli military says its soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon.

Troops are positioned at several points near the border as part of what it describes as an enhanced forward defence posture. The military calls the move a tactical measure on the border and says it is not part of a wider ground operation inside Lebanon. It adds that the IDF is working to create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel.

Just after midnight in Washington DC, Donald Trump posted on his TruthSocial platform praising America’s medium and upper medium grade munitions stockpiles, which he said have never been higher or better.

The US president wrote that he had been told the country has a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. He added that wars can be fought forever, and very successfully, using just these supplies. He said the United States is stocked and ready to win big.

Rachel Reeves will tell MPs she has the right economic plan for the country and that working people are better off under Labour when she delivers her spring forecast in the Commons today.

The chancellor is expected to stress the need for stability in the public finances as the world becomes more uncertain, with the situation in the Middle East set to have a major impact on the global economy. Her statement is expected to last around 20 minutes.

Families whose children attended the nursery where paedophile Vincent Chan worked are due to meet the Education Secretary to demand changes to safeguarding.

Chan was jailed for 18 years last month after admitting 56 sexual offences in what has been described as every parent’s worst nightmare. Relatives of children at Bright Horizons nursery in West Hampstead say they will meet Bridget Phillipson on Tuesday to urge the government to ensure nurseries are closed to predators.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says he understands why some women still do not trust the force, five years after the murder of Sarah Everard.

Sir Mark Rowley said several ghastly cases of officers committing awful offences against women were bound to damage confidence. He said more women are reporting allegations, but rebuilding trust in London will take time. He added that everything possible is being done to stop people who pose a risk from joining or remaining in the organisation.