\u201cBeyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn\u2019t do a big sale. I just said, \u2018Hey\u2019, you know, I didn\u2019t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
He added that the US has been there for countries that needed its support, including Ukraine, even though it \u201cwasn\u2019t our problem\u201d.<\/p>\n
Taking aim at the UK, he said: \u201cYou don\u2019t even have a navy. You\u2019re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.54 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Starmer says summit with EU later this year will lead to ‘more ambitious’ plans for cooperation Keir Starmer said he will push for a closer relationship with the EU at a summit coming up later this year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to be more ambitious, closer economic cooperation, closer security cooperation, a partnership that recognises our shared values, our shared interest and our shared future,\u201d he said in a press conference in Downing Street.<\/p>\n When asked by a reporter whether a closer relationship with the EU is an acknowledgment that the relationship with the US is changing, Starmer responded:<\/p>\n double quotation markFirstly, Nato is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen. And it has kept us safe for many decades. And we are fully committed to Nato.<\/p>\n Secondly, that, whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I\u2019m going to act in the British national interest in all the decisions that I make.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s why I\u2019ve been absolutely clear that this is not our war, and we\u2019re not going to get dragged into it.<\/p>\n But I\u2019m equally clear that, when it comes to defence and security and our economic future, we have to have closer ties with Europe.<\/p>\n His remarks followed a Telegraph interview with Donald Trump<\/a>, in which the US president said he was considering pulling the US out of Nato, and suggested the UK does not have a proper navy.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump’s frustration with Nato over its refusal to back his Iran war is clear – snap analysis Trump\u2019s latest comments come as he increasingly hardens his language against European allies, blaming them for difficulties in his Iran<\/a> operation.<\/p>\n In last days, he specifically targeted European allies, calling them \u201ccowards\u201d and telling them to \u201cbuild up some delayed courage\u201d and take control over the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n He and his senior officials also criticised a number of specific countries, particularly Spain, which has been most vocally critical of the US-Israeli war <\/a>against Iran, and France.<\/p>\n The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, warned last night about the sharply escalating frustration with Nato<\/a>, as he told Fox News: \u201cWe are going to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while is still serving that purpose or has now become a one-way street, where America is simply in a position to help Europe but when we need the help of our allies, they deny us basing rights and overflight.\u201d<\/p>\n Italy is the latest country to risk the US administration\u2019s anger, after it has denied the use of an airbase in Sicily to US military planes carrying weapons<\/a> for the war in Iran after the US did not follow the required authorisation procedure.<\/p>\n For more on the impact of the war in Europe, follow our Europe live blog here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.34 EDT<\/p>\n Keir Starmer is giving an update on the Iran<\/a> war at a press conference in Downing Street, where he sought to reassure the British public that the government is working on a plan to help with the cost of living.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to stand up for the British national interest, and we continue to do what we must to guide our country calmly through this storm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n You can follow the live updates on our UK politics blog here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Telegraph interview follows remarks by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that the US may need to reconsider its relationship with Nato once the war against Iran is over.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to reexamine the value of Nato and that alliance for our country,\u201d Rubio said in an interview with Fox News last night.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Nato is just about us defending Europe if they\u2019re attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that\u2019s not a very good arrangement. That\u2019s a hard one to stay engaged in.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said he was \u201cglad\u201d Rubio made the comments.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n When asked by the Telegraph whether Keir Starmer should spend more on defence, Trump said: \u201cI\u2019m not going to tell him what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n \u201cAll Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump says he is considering pulling out of Nato – report<\/p>\n Donald Trump said he is considering pulling the US out of Nato, as he again likened the alliance to a \u201cpaper tiger\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, I would say [it\u2019s] beyond reconsideration,\u201d he said in an interview with the Telegraph.<\/p>\n \u201cI was never swayed by Nato. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n The US president has been levelling insults at allies in recent weeks for not helping to reopen the strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively shut down by Iran<\/a> as the Middle East war rages on.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn\u2019t do a big sale. I just said, \u2018Hey\u2019, you know, I didn\u2019t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n He added that the US has been there for countries that needed its support, including Ukraine, even though it \u201cwasn\u2019t our problem\u201d.<\/p>\n Taking aim at the UK, he said: \u201cYou don\u2019t even have a navy. You\u2019re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.54 EDT<\/p>\n Governments across Asia are ramping up their use of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, as they try to cover huge energy shortfalls triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n The move has triggered warnings from climate experts who point to coal\u2019s devastating environmental impact, and say the energy crisis should be a wake up call for governments to invest in renewables, which can offer a more stable supply that is not exposed to price shocks.<\/p>\n Across the region, from Bangladesh to South Korea, governments are trying to compensate for a drop off in imported energy, much of which comes from the Middle East.<\/p>\n South Korea said it will delay the shutdown of coal-fired power plants and has lifted caps on electricity from coal, while in Thailand, the government<\/a> has increased output at the country\u2019s largest coal-fired plant. The Philippines, which has declared a \u201cnational energy emergency\u201d<\/a> as a result of the war, also plans to boost operations of its coal-fired power plants.<\/p>\n In South Asia, India, which relies on coal for nearly 75% of its power generation, has asked its coal plants to run at maximum capacity and avoid planned outages, while Bangladesh increased coal-fired power generation \u200band coal-fired power imports in March.<\/p>\n Read the full report here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Albanese says months ahead ‘may not be easy’ as he urges Australians to save fuel<\/p>\n Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has warned the months ahead \u201cmay not be easy\u201d because of the oil crisis caused by the Middle East war.<\/p>\n \u201cThe months ahead may not be easy. I want to be upfront about that. No government can promise to eliminate the pressures that this war is causing,\u201d he said in a rare national address.<\/p>\n \u201cI can promise we will do everything we can to protect Australia from the worst of it.\u201d<\/p>\n He urged Australians not to panic buy fuel and to trade cars for public transport where possible.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re hitting the road, don\u2019t take more fuel than you need \u2014 just fill up like you normally would. Think of others in your community, in the bush and in critical industries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese in a pre-recorded address to the nation. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.36 EDT<\/p>\n The National Bank of Kuwait said it is closing its headquarters for two days as the Gulf nation continues to face Iranian attacks.<\/p>\n The bank\u2019s headquarters in the capital Kuwait City and a branch in Subhan, which is close to the airport, were closed \u201cdue to current developments and in the interest of everyone\u2019s safety and business continuity\u201d, it said in a statement.<\/p>\n It follows reports of an Iranian drone attack at Kuwait airport which struck fuel tanks at the site, triggering a large fire.<\/p>\n Smoke rises after an Iranian drone attack struck fuel tanks at Kuwait international airport. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n The Israeli military said a strike in central Iran killed what it described as a senior engineering officer of Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force.<\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Mahdi Vafaei, chief of engineering in the IRGC Quds Force\u2019s Lebanon Corps, was killed in the strike yesterday in Mahallat.<\/p>\n The IDF claimed Vafaei \u201cadvanced underground projects across Lebanon and Syria\u201d for two decades, including \u201cdozens of underground projects in Lebanon that were used to store advanced weaponry\u201d.<\/p>\n There was no immediate comment from Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n An 11-year-old girl is in critical condition and a 13-year-old boy was seriously injured after a missile attack in Bnei Brak in central Israel<\/a> this morning, according to Israeli media.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s Magen David Adom emergency medical service said 14 people have been wounded in the attack.<\/p>\n Residents and first responders at the scene of an attack in Bnei Brak in central Israel. Photograph: Marco Longari\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Qatar\u2019s defence ministry has also confirmed the missile attack on the oil tanker, saying the 21 crew members were evacuated from the vessel with no injuries.<\/p>\n In a statement this morning, the ministry said Qatar was targeted by three cruise missiles from Iran<\/a>. The Qatari armed forces intercepted two missiles, while the third struck an oil tanker leased to QatarEnergy.<\/p>\n \u201cProcedures were taken and coordination with the relevant authorities to evacuate the oil tanker, which has a crew of (21) persons, without any human casualties,\u201d the ministry said in a post on X.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n QatarEnergy, the world\u2019s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), confirmed one of its tankers was hit in a missile strike this morning.<\/p>\n \u201cNone of the crew members on board were injured, and there is no impact on the environment as a result of this incident,\u201d the state-owned company said in a statement.<\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Andrew_Sparrow,_R.png\")
Andrew Sparrow<\/p>\n![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\n![\"Rebecca](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Rebecca_Ratcliffe,_L.png\")
Rebecca Ratcliffe<\/p>\n