At least 21 killed in Lebanon yesterday, health ministry says
About 21 people were killed and 70 were injured in Lebanon yesterday, according to the country’s health ministry.
That brings the total number of people dead to 1,268 in Lebanon since the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
So far 3,750 people have been injured in Lebanon die to Israeli strikes.
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 19:20
Watch: Starmer insists UK ‘won’t be dragged into Iran war’ as military operations ramped upStarmer insists UK ‘won’t be dragged into Iran war’ as military operations ramped up
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 19:00
No disruption to jet fuel supply for UK airlines
UK airlines are not experiencing disruption to their supply of jet fuel, according to an industry association.
An Airlines UK spokesperson said: “UK airlines are currently not seeing disruption to jet fuel supply and continue to engage with fuel suppliers and Government to monitor the situation.”
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 18:50
Pete Hegseth takes swipe at ‘big bad Royal Navy’ in latest insult to allies over Iran war
Pete Hegseth takes swipe at ‘big bad Royal Navy’ in latest insult to allies
Pete Hegseth took a swipe at the “big bad Royal Navy” in the Trump administration’s latest insult to the US’s allies, as he called for Britain and other nations to join the effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping traffic. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference on Tuesday (31 March), the US defense secretary said: “There are countries around the world who ought be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well. “Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well.” It comes after Donald Trump likened UK aircraft carriers to “toys”, telling Sir Keir Starmer “not to bother” sending vessels to the Gulf.
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 18:40
In Pictures: Fire rises from the site of an Israeli strike
A ball of fire rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted a building adjacent to the highway that leads to Beirut’s international airport on March 31, 2026. (Reuters)
(AFP/Getty)
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 18:29
Price of petrol increased by 13% in March
The average pump price of a litre of unleaded petrol in the UK stood at 148.8p on Monday, up 4.6p week on week and a jump of 16.6p, or 13 per cent, since March 2, according to new figures published by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero.
This is the highest price for unleaded petrol since May 2024.
The average price of a litre of diesel stood at 176.5p on Monday, up 9.6p week on week and an increase of 34.4p, or 24 per cent, since March 2.
It is the highest price for diesel since December 2022.
The average price of unleaded petrol in the UK has climbed to its highest level since May 2024 (Simon Belcher/Alamy)
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 18:20
France ‘surprised’ by Trump’s criticism on banning US military flights
France has said it is “surprised” by US President Donald Trump’s comments singling out Paris for not authorising planes headed to Israel fly over its territory.
The country has not changed its position from the start of the war with Iran, Reuters reported.
“We are surprised by this tweet. France has not changed its position since day one (of the conflict) and we confirm this decision,” President Emmanuel Macron’s office said.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that France had been “very unhelpful” and that the United States would “remember”.
The French military said on March 5 that France would not authorise the use of French bases by American planes if they took part in attacks on Iran, but would allow it on a “temporary basis” if they were in support of the defence of French allies in the region.
(Truth Social / @realDonaldTrump)
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 18:10
Recap: Trump slams Britain and France in scathing online tirade
Donald Trump has told allies that the US “won’t be there to help you anymore” in a scathing attack suggesting he may abandon the war in Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The US president wrote on Truth Social that countries like the UK, “which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran”, would have to learn to “fight for yourself” and “go get your own oil!”
“I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” he wrote.
He also said France had been “very unhelpful” and that “the U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!! President DJT”
Trump criticó duramente al Reino Unido por no apoyarlo en el tema del estrecho de Ormuz. (Truth Social / Donald Trump)
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 18:04
This ‘US Invasion’ video in the Middle East is fake
This ‘US Invasion’ video in the Middle East is fake | Debunked
This viral video claiming to show US military deployment to the Middle East is completely fake. It’s not troops preparing for a ground invasion of Iran – instead, it is AI-generated footage. The clip has been shared as “proof” that thousands of troops are preparing for a ground invasion. While the US has repositioned assets, officials deny any decision on ground forces. Analysis flagged the video as synthetic, and its creator labeled it a “realistic simulation.” Experts at Ressemble AI identified synthetic audio artifacts, inconsistent facial and gear details, and repeating background patterns – common flaws in AI video generation – showing how such misinformation spreads rapidly during geopolitical tensions today.
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 18:00
‘We have to prepare and think’ about long-term displacement, Lebanese social affairs minister says
Lebanon is preparing for the possibility that hundreds of thousands displaced by Israeli strikes and evacuation orders will not return home in the long term, Lebanese social affairs minister Haneen Sayed said.
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said the military would destroy all homes along Lebanon’s border with Israel and bar 600,000 residents who fled southern Lebanon from returning to their villages.
More than one million people have fled their homes and another 1,200 have been killed in Israeli strikes since March 2, when Lebanese armed group Hezbollah pulled Lebanon into the regional conflict by firing into Israel.
“Long-term displacement is something we are concerned about, of course. We hope it does not happen, but as a government, we have to prepare and think about it,” Sayed told Reuters.
The Lebanese government is considering options, including cash-for-rent programs and “physical places where people might go”, but is not planning to construct camps at this stage, she said.
Rebecca Whittaker31 March 2026 17:40