PARIS (AP) — We’ve long had your back, now it’s our turn. That is how the famously transactional U.S. President Donald Trump is framing his demands that allies help him with the Iran war. He wants to call in IOUs for decades of U.S. security guarantees.

The string of refusals indicates his stock of European goodwill is low. He has put allies through the wringer since returning to the White House, bullying them over tariffs, Greenland and other issues, and disparaging the sacrifices their soldiers made alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Now he’s demanding — not just requesting — that they send warships to help the U.S. unblock the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes — essentially mop up behind the conflagration that he and Israel ignited in the Middle East.

The reply has been a “global raspberry.”

That’s how a veteran French defense analyst, François Heisbourg, described allied responses.

No close ally has come forward with immediate help. Britain is flat-out refusing to be drawn into the war. France says the fighting would have to die down first. Others are non-committal. China, which is not an ally but was also asked to help, is ignoring Trump’s call.

“This is not Europe’s war. We didn’t start the war. We were not consulted,” European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday.

Trump’s frustration with the ‘Rolls-Royce of allies’

Trump has singled out the refusal from the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer cultivated ties with Trump and reached an early trade deal with the administration, but is now among allies who refuse to join a regional war with no clear endgame.

The U.K. “was sort of considered the Rolls-Royce of allies,” Trump said Monday, adding that he’d asked for British minesweeping ships.

“I was not happy with the U.K,” Trump said. “They should be involved enthusiastically. We’ve been protecting these countries for years.”

Starmer said Britain “will not be drawn into the wider war” and that British troops require the backing of international law and “a proper thought-through plan” — suggesting those were not in place.

He initially refused to let U.S. bombers attack Iran from British bases before accepting their use for strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe, said allies are “looking at the United States in a way that they never have before. And this is bad for the United States.”

Having previously appeased Trump, some European leaders are “starting to realize that there’s no benefit or value in using flattery,” he said.

European leaders say it’s not their war

Going to war without consulting allies was in keeping with Trump’s America-first outlook.

“My attitude is: We don’t need anybody. We’re the strongest nation in the world,” he said Monday.

But failing to get an international mandate, as the U.S. did before intervening in the 1990 Gulf War, is boomeranging.

“It is not our war; we did not start it,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. “We want diplomatic solutions and a swift end to the conflict. Sending more warships to the region will certainly not contribute to that.”

French President Emmanuel Macron envisions possible naval escorts in the Strait of Hormuz — but only once fighting has died down.

“France didn’t choose this war. We’re not taking part,” he said.

After bruising tariff battles with Trump last year, the first months of 2026 have further strained alliances. Trump’s renewed pressure for U.S. control of Greenland, including a tariff threat against eight European nations, and his false assertion that allied troops avoided front-line fighting in the Afghanistan War, upset partners in the NATO military alliance.

“Allies, or at least the Europeans, aren’t willing to be at the beck and call of a demand from Donald Trump,” said Sylvie Bermann, a French former ambassador to China, the U.K. and Russia.

“And even in asking for a helping hand, he is doing so in a brutal manner, saying: ‘You’re useless, we’re the strongest, we don’t need you, but come,’” she said.

A dangerous mission

Retired naval officers say that unblocking the Strait of Hormuz with military escorts while the war rages and without Iran’s consent would be dangerous.

France, which has rushed its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, is working with other countries to prepare such a mission once the air war has subsided. French military spokesman Col. Guillaume Vernet said any escorting would be conditional on talks with Iran, and Macron has publicized two calls in eight days with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

That has won points with Trump.

“On a scale of zero to 10, I’d say he’s been an eight,” Trump said Monday. “Not perfect, but it’s France. We don’t expect perfect.”

But he’s fuming at other allies.

“We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said Tuesday.

Trump has leverage, including in Ukraine

Allies in Europe and Asia need oil, gas and other products from the Middle East to flow again. That gives Trump some leverage.

Allies also know from experience that resisting Trump carries risks of retaliation.

“It really could be anything. Are the Europeans prepared for that?” asked Ed Arnold, a former British army officer and now a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank.

European allies need Trump’s continued blessing for U.S. weaponry, intelligence, and other support for Ukraine, as well as financial pressure on Russia. The U.S. has started to chip away at some sanctions on Moscow by temporarily allowing shipments of Russian oil to ease shortages stemming from the Iran war. Allies also want him to reengage in talks to end the war.

“That was what kept European leaders quiet for a lot of last year in the face of the rhetoric and actions,” said Amanda Sloat, a former U.S. national security adviser who now teaches at Spain’s IE University.

“It is also the thing that is making them a little bit nervous now.”

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Burrows reported from London. Associated Press journalists Jill Lawless in London, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Geir Moulson and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed.

Management at the Thomas Egerton, in the village of Egerton, north of Bolton, have submitted a retrospective planning application for  the structure, in the rear beer garden.

It seeks to retain timber wall cladding installed last year under an existing canopy at the Blackburn Road pub restaurant.

The cladding, enclosed the walls of an outdoor area which the management said ‘has long formed part of the pub’s established beer garden’.

A planning statement in support of retaining the structure has been published on Bolton council’s planning portal by 8planning.

It said the cladding works were carried out without prior planning approval, ‘as the landlord was unaware permission was required’.

The statement added: “An enforcement notice is currently in effect on the site, prompting this retrospective application to regularise the development and seek permission to retain the cladding.

“This statement sets out the justification for granting retrospective consent, demonstrating that the proposal causes no harm to amenity or heritage and aligns with local and national planning policies.”

The statement said the timber cladding was added by the landlord to enclose and warm an outdoor seating area.

Previously, a portion of the beer garden was covered by a permanent roofed canopy which was open-sided.

Last year timber cladding was installed on the interior walls under the canopy, enclosing the space to create a weather-protected alcove.

The statement added: “The covered area provides a comfortable, dog-friendly environment for patrons to eat and drink outdoors as dogs are not allowed inside the main pub, thereby helping the pub retain and attract customers.

“In doing so, the proposal supports the ongoing viability of the pub as a valuable community asset, as public houses perform a vital function in local communities .

“The Thomas Egerton is a popular social hub for the area. “No change of use has occurred – the space remains in use as a seating and drinking are as it always has, but is now simply made more usable year-round.”

Planners in Bolton will consider the application in the coming weeks.

Ross Martin, a former helm of the Atlantic lifeboat and current launch authority at RNLI Porthcawl lifeboat station, will visit towns and villages across the North East from March 19 to 21 as part of research into the tragedy.

The SS Samtampa, an American liberty ship travelling from Middlesbrough to Newport, ran aground at Sker Point, Wales, during hurricane-force gales on April 23, 1947.

Ross Martin, former RNLI lifeboat helm and Launch Authority at Porthcawl, will visit the North East in mid-March. (Image: RNLI/Stephen Jones)

All 39 crew members, many from the North East, perished along with eight crew from the RNLI Mumbles lifeboat who attempted a rescue.

Mr Martin said: “I’ve been interested in the history of the Porthcawl RNLI lifeboat station and shipwrecks in my local area for over thirty years.

“This is bolstered by a family connection to the Samtampa disaster.

“My great uncle Stan Rowe was with the Coastguard when the incident occurred in 1947.

“He tried to fire a line out to the Samtampa while she was in distress, but the awful conditions were against all efforts.

“It was a terrible blow to the local community.

“We couldn’t quite comprehend the sheer loss of life after the second World War had not long ended.”

Relatives of those lost in the Samtampa shipping disaster can speak with Ross Martin at Whitby and other lifeboat stations in North Yorkshire. (Image: RNLI/Nicholas Leach)

Mr Martin also serves as coordinator for the Remember 47 group, which aims to honour those lost in the disaster.

He is now appealing to relatives of the Samtampa crew, particularly those from areas such as Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Thornaby, Redcar, Staithes, Skelton-in-Cleveland, and Whitby, to come forward and share their memories.

Twelve crew members from the North East were buried in a Porthcawl cemetery following the tragedy.

Mr Martin said: “On behalf of the Remember 47 group, I’ll be visiting several venues throughout the North East.

“Next year witnesses the 80thanniversary of the Samtampa disaster and this could be the last chance in living memory for everyone to gather and remember those lost at sea during this horrendous incident.

“I am incredibly keen to connect with relatives of the Samtampa crew lost at sea in 1947.

“I encourage anyone who can recall any of these men to meet me at one of the venues I’ll be visiting.

“I would love to hear your story, look at photographs and hear how we can remember your loved one.”

The SS Samtampa broke into three sections after running aground, and the RNLI lifeboat was found capsized on rocks 450 yards from the wreck.

The Remember 47 group strive to preserve the memory of those lost in the Samtampa incident.

Mr Martin’s visit is part of ongoing efforts to gather first-hand accounts and preserve family stories ahead of the 80th anniversary in 2027.

Family members and anyone with information or memories of the Samtampa crew are encouraged to reach out and take part in the commemoration.

​A group of Independent and Green Party councillors have issued an official ‘call-in’ of NYC’s in-principal approval of the purchase of Resolution House in Scarborough from Anglo American at a meeting on Tuesday, March 17.

​The call-in means that the decision will be scrutinised by the authority’s oversight and scrutiny committee which independently monitors decisions made by the executive.

​The decision will see staff moved from Scarborough Town Hall and Malton’s Ryedale House to the building at the A64, which was marketed with a guide price of £4.5 million.

​Council officers said the price agreed with Anglo American was “substantially lower” than the guide price, which has not been made public, but which the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands is less than £2m.

​The call-in, signed by 10 councillors, states: “Given that the acquisition would commit the council to a significant capital decision and appears to rely on assumptions about wider estate changes that are not yet fully worked through, it is appropriate that the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee review whether sufficient information was available to support the Executive’s decision at this stage.”

​Speaking at a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council on Wednesday, February 18, Cllr Rich Maw said: “There are serious concerns about the move of council activity out of the town centre to the A64 at a time when footfall is declining.

​“Removing staff and democratic activity risks further weakening the economy and local democratic accountability.

“Moving out of town could well make it harder for residents to participate in and observe democratic processes.

“Why were Scarborough councillors and the town council kept in the dark, and will NYC commit to consulting with them before a deal is finalised?”

​The leader of the council, Cllr Carl Les, said: “I agree that the town hall is the civic centre of the town and there is no intention to change that. The Area Committee decides where to meet, and I decide where the executive meets.

​“As I’ve said before, there is no intention to relocate the customer services from the centre, and there was no intention to keep people in the dark, but property deals are often fast-moving. We’ve had good discussions with the town council, and it and other bodies will be involved in the future of the town hall.

“What’s clear to me is that we must provide better conditions than the shameful working conditions that staff are currently in.”

​Similar concerns were raised at the meeting by Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, who said the announcement of the plan to buy Resolution House was not the first time elected members found out about the council’s decisions on social media.

​Speaking at the full meeting, she said: “Is it acceptable for elected members to find out about important decisions, including about the use of second homes tax money in their ward or about the Resolution House plans, on social media?

​“The lack of information has prevented councillors from carrying out proper scrutiny and has prevented us from doing the job the public expects us to do.”

​Cllr Carl Les said that “in principle, I completely agree on the second homes funding announcement, we got it wrong, I’m sorry, and the officers are sorry”, and added that he stood by the policy.

​The Corporate and Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee is set to discuss the call-in at a meeting on Thursday, March 26.

The call-in was backed by councillors Rich Maw, Janet Jefferson, Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, Sam Cross, Kevin Foster, Arnold Warneken, Andy Brown, Mike Schofield, and Paul Haslam.

The shop owner said receiving the letter made his morning

A Welsh shop owner was left stunned after receiving cash and an apology for a theft that happened outside his shop years ago. Exotica Foods in Swansea received a letter from an anonymous sender who confessed to stealing a sign from the shop on a night out 15 years ago.

In the letter, they confessed that they and another student took a temporary PVC banner hanging outside the shop on St Helen’s Road after a night of drinking. The former student had a guilty conscious over the theft which happened over a decade earlier and sent the apology as well as five £20 notes.

The note reads: “Some 15 years ago as a student, following a night of drinking, I and another came across a temporary PVC banner hanging from your shop. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here

“For some reason we thought it would be funny to bring this home with us.“As an older man, I now see that what seemed funny to us at the time likely caused your shop some inconvenience.“I would like to offer my apology and hope you will accept this compensation.”The envelope also contained five £20 notes, totalling £100. The apology was signed simply: “A former foolish student.”The well-known international food store shared the note on social media after it was delivered to the shop.

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Shop owner Imran Ashraf joked about the long-delayed confession. “This has made my morning – thank you to whoever you are,” he wrote.His message attracted dozens of comments from locals praising the gesture.Many said it showed that “it’s never too late to do the right thing.”One commenter wrote: “Better late than never – well done!”Another added: “We’ve all done stupid things when we were younger. Fair play to him for making it right.”And one joked: “That must have been one hell of a guilt trip.”

Why should I wait until September to cut my hedges?

What if I want to cut them sooner?

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The man also assaulted his ex-partner on other occassions

A man who attacked his partner, including barging her off a bike, has been jailed. Robert Payne, 39, was walking with his ex-partner near St Barnabas Church in Mill Road, Cambridge on August 21 last year when he slapped her after an argument.

The next day, the pair were cycling along Trumpington Road when Payne deliberately knocked the woman off her bike, causing her to fly over the handlebars and left her with facial injuries.

Their relationship ended on August 27 after another argument. However, Payne turned up at her home in Trumpington that evening and tried to get in by smashing her bedroom window.

Cambridgeshire Police arrested Payne that night. During his arrest, he also kicked an officer in the torso.

Payne, of Alice Bell Close, Cambridge appeared at Peterborough Magistrates Court, acting as a crown court, on Monday (March 16). He was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to two counts of common assault by beating and assault of a constable in the execution of their duty.

Payne also pleaded guilty to criminal damage, which was ordered to lie on a file. DC Jack Sillince, who investigated, said: “Payne’s attacks on his former partner would have been absolutely terrifying for her. Hopefully, some time in jail will allow him to reflect on his actions and ensure there’s no repeat in future.”

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Police are seeking unredacted files on Andrew and Mandelson from the US

A top police chief has told how the UK is looking into an alleged “wide spectrum of sexual allegations” linked to Jeffrey Epstein after he went to the US and is seeking unredacted files involving Andrew and Mandelson.

Officers are reviewing “a whole range of suggested sexual allegations” to determine whether any “merit a criminal investigation”, Sir Mark Rowley has said.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner confirmed he is requesting unredacted files from the US’ Department of Justice, which he warns could prove crucial if a case is to go against the ex-cabinet minister and the disgraced former Duke of York, reports The Mirror.

The news comes just weeks after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Peter Mandelson’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and as an image resurfaced showing the pair relaxing with the late convicted paedophile. Both men have denied wrongdoing.

Now, UK detectives believe key evidence remains locked inside millions of files held by US agencies investigating Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Speaking on US TV, Rowley said: “Of course, there’s a big body of that evidence … in the United States in all those files and at some stage we’re going to need the unredacted evidence. We need the original copy, and where it came from, and that’s going to be necessary if we get to the stage of court cases.”

The Met is in contact with the Department of Justice, despite repeated claims from US officials that there is nothing further to investigate stateside. But British detectives are taking a very different view.

Emails released earlier this year appear to show both Mountbatten Windsor and Mandelson shared sensitive information with Epstein during their time in high office. Investigators are now combing through the material to determine whether those exchanges crossed the line into criminality.

One message cited by Rowley suggests Mandelson discussed the timing of a financial bailout with Epstein during the European sovereign debt crisis – a revelation now under intense scrutiny. “It looks like it was shared with Epstein, so we’re looking at that as to whether that’s a criminal offence, and then colleagues in Thames Valley are looking at other documents that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor potentially shared,” he said.

Mandelson was arrested after investigators examined communications linked to his time as business secretary and trade envoy, with officers probing whether confidential government information was improperly disclosed. Mountbatten Windsor’s arrest followed a similar line of inquiry focusing on documents and contacts linked to Epstein.

Detectives are also assessing what Sir Mark described as “a whole range of suggested sexual allegations” to decide whether any merit a fresh criminal probe.

Before her death last year, Epstein’s ‘teen sex slave’ Virginia Giuffre alleged she was trafficked by the American paedophile to sleep with the former Duke of York when she was 17. The royal has repeatedly denied her claims.

Sir Mark told ABC News that previous interviews with Giuffre did not provide evidence that could be pursued in the UK. “With Virginia Guiffre, we did four of those interviews with her … and those interviews didn’t give us any evidence or any allegations of sexual offending or trafficking that we could investigate in the UK,” he said. “That’s why that investigation didn’t go forward.”

However, the decision to revisit aspects of the case marks a significant shift. He added: “Those investigations all go wherever the evidence takes them, quite comfortable with investigating sort of famous or powerful people. I think it’s really important for policing to do that, that sense of operating without fear or favour. The law applies equally to everyone, and those cases will go, say, wherever the evidence leads us to.”

The Met’s renewed push comes amid a concentrated drive on sexual and domestic abuse, with officers adopting more aggressive tactics to target dangerous offenders. “We’ve developed tactics to be much more proactive and target the most dangerous men who pose a threat to women and children, just like we do terrorists and organised crime. So, a combination of factors has seen the rates steadily coming down,” Sir Mark said.

“We’re making big progress and most of all, at the centre of all this that matters to me and matters to policing, is trust in the police’s building in London.”

Epstein died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was later convicted of sex trafficking offences and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

How’s your faith in football holding up, then? Perhaps you like celebrating goals. Well, in the era of VAR, it can feel like the authorities are actively seeking to take that away. You might assume that rules should apply equally. Not if you’re Cristiano Ronaldo, the biggest star at the upcoming World Cup, who has seen a two-game ban overturned without precedent that will allow him to start Portugal’s opening games. One of the hosts of that World Cup has been bombing one of the participating teams. And the president of that host country does not think they should play their games there “for their own life and safety”. So, fair enough, the country being bombed does not want to play its games in the country bombing them. But ask Fifa what they think and a spokesperson will point you to the sanctity of its match schedule; nothing to see here. And then there’s just what happened in the Premier League with Chelsea.

There is a brilliant drama/horror currently being shown on the BBC called The Capture, which essentially deals in how footage of live events can be easily manipulated by powerful figures to create an alternate reality. Perhaps you remember the Sunday evening of 18 January, where the Africa Cup of Nations final descended into pure chaos when Senegal stormed off the pitch in protest of hosts Morocco being awarded a controversial late penalty and returned to the changing room for 17 minutes. Maybe you saw Brahim Diaz fluff the resulting penalty by attempting a Panenka, then Pape Sarr score a sensational goal to win the match for Senegal in extra-time, followed by the post-match scenes of yet more chaos. You remember Sadio Mane, having urged his team-mates to return in an admirable display of leadership, lifting a second Afcon trophy and Morocco’s deep, haunting anguish at what they had lost, right?

Well, the records now show that Morocco won 3-0, actually. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) Appeal Board ruled on Tuesday night, two months after the event, that Senegal had forfeited the final when they walked off in protest. And, hey, rules are rules, and according to Article 82 and 84 of Caf’s regulations, it should have been declared immediately that Senegal eliminated themselves from the tournament when they left the field of play, with Morocco announced as the champions. But that also ignores the environment and atmosphere the Afcon final was played under, with questionable refereeing decisions in some of Morocco’s matches an established theme before kick-off. Senegal were already incensed by being denied a late winner at the other end.

Were Senegal’s actions after Morocco were given a penalty right? No, and it is correct to say they could have made a dangerous precedent by abandoning the pitch in protest. “We witnessed unacceptable scenes on the field and in the stands – we strongly condemn the behaviour of some ‘supporters’ as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members,” Fifa president Gianni Infantino said afterwards. “It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right.” If Caf, who initially vowed that “appropriate action” would be taken, had a decision to make, Fifa had let them know which one they would be pushing for.

But Senegal did return to the pitch, they won – that happened. When Caf’s decision was announced, some of Senegal’s players took to social media to post pictures of their trophy celebrations from January, holding their gold medals that will soon have to be returned up to the camera as if proof of its existence. “This is not AI, this is real,” said the centre-back Moussa Niakhate, alongside a picture of him celebrating with the Afcon trophy. Senegal will be appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Switzerland and Abdoulaye Seydou Sow, the Secretary General of Senegalese Football Federation, said the “truth and law” is on Senegal’s side. “This is a travesty; this decision is based on absolutely nothing. It has no legal foundation,” Sow claimed. “From what we saw this morning when the hearing began, we already had serious doubts clearly, the judge did not come to rule on the case, he came to carry out orders.”

And this will rumble on – perhaps to paraphrase the iconic Mitchell and Webb football sketch: “It will never be finally decided who has won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations”. But by overturning the result of an entire tournament two months later, that is what the Caf Appeal Board has opened up, a chasm for doubt and post-truth. We have enough of that in the real world. In football, this is another farcical moment, in an increasingly fragile time.