Martin Lewis has urged bill-payers to get off the Energy Price Cap tarifs ‘urgently’ as fixed deals are being taken off the market.

From energy bills to pensions, here’s what experts say could be affected.

1. Gas and oil prices are rising

The conflict threatens supply routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, used by tankers carrying roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and seaborne gas. QatarEnergy has also halted some liquefied natural gas production after attacks on facilities.

David Aikman, director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, warns:
“If it persists, it will raise household bills and business costs in the months ahead, putting renewed upward pressure on inflation.”

2. UK energy bills could increase

Although the UK imports energy from multiple regions, disruption in the Middle East could push gas and electricity prices higher, feeding through to heating and power costs.

Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, notes: “Europe is much less reliant on gas from Russia and the Middle East… markets could absorb a few weeks of disruption to Qatari LNG flow.”

Important: If you can get off the Energy Price Cap right now, you should & urgently!

– The wholesale gas rate is spiking due to the Iran conflict, and it is a prime driver or UK elec prices. If that’s sustained (big if), it will likely push the Price Cap rate up from July
– Some…

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— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) March 3, 2026

3. Petrol and diesel could get pricier

Drivers may see gradual pump price increases. AA president Edmund King says prices will “inevitably increase” in the coming weeks, though wholesale rises take time to appear at pumps. RAC policy head Simon Williams adds:
“The oil price would have to rise significantly and stay that way for some time to have a dramatic effect.”

4. Shop prices could rise

Simon Geale, EVP at Proxima, explains: “Even though the UK doesn’t source much food from the Gulf, global supply chains are energy intensive. Fuel and fertiliser costs will push up prices for bread, pasta, cereals, potatoes, and animal feed. Food inflation could rise from 3.5–4% to around 4.5–5%.”

Rerouting shipments during disruptions has previously increased transport costs by 30–60%, which flows through to consumers.

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5. Interest rates and mortgages may be affected

Sanjay Raja, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, explains:
“Should energy prices stick at current levels, rate cuts would slow. A March rate cut could be in doubt, leaving inflation expectations stickier.”
Lenders may also reassess risk appetites due to wider economic uncertainty.

6. Pension funds could fluctuate

Maike Currie, VP of personal finance at PensionBee, reassures: “Pensions are long-term investments spanning decades… diversified funds limit the impact of shocks to one market.”

7. Investor portfolios could face volatility

Joe Wiggins, investment research director at St James’s Place, says global events can trigger short-term market swings. He advises investors to ensure their portfolios remain diversified and aligned with long-term goals.

Mark Williams is a unique snooker player in many ways and must be the only professional who suffers with this very specific phobia.

The three-time world champion is still going strong at 50 years old, ranked number four in the world ahead of his 51st birthday this month.

The Welshman became the oldest ever winner of a ranking event this season when he won the Xi’an Grand Prix, beating Shaun Murphy in the final in October, having reached the World Championship final in May last year.

He is achieving remarkable things on the snooker table and suffers from a remarkable phobia off it.

The Welsh Potting Machine is far more comfortable around the snooker table than the kitchen table as he cannot stand being near teabags.

Williams revealed his fear to BBC presenter Catrin Heledd during coverage of the Welsh Open last week and she exposed it to the world.

‘I can’t believe you said it live on air,’ said Williams. I’m in trouble now.’

Stephen Hendry, the former rival and long-time friend of the Welsh great, has confirmed that Williams is not messing about.

Known for his sense of humour, Williams is not always being serious, but Hendry says he is being entirely genuine when it comes to his hatred of teabags.

‘Yeah, I have threatened him when we go and have a game of golf, I’ll have a couple in the bag when he’s ready to putt,’ Hendry said on WST’s Snooker Club podcast.

‘He said if I do it: “Be prepared, because I will punch you.”

‘It’s so weird and he’s deadly serious about it. Honestly he says: “If you ever do that, I will come for you. You can’t do that.”

‘It’s the strangest thing ever. He doesn’t drink tea or coffee or any hot drinks. I don’t know where it’s come from.

‘I will do it one time, though. I will do it. Because the amount of things he does to me that I tell him not to do, the list is long.’

Williams lost out to eventual champion Barry Hawkins in the last 16 of the Welsh Open and now has a couple of weeks off before his next action.

The Welsh great next plays at the World Open in Yushan on March 17, then he goes on to the Tour Championship in Manchester, the final stop on the road to Sheffield for the World Championship.

After making his Crucible debut in 1997, Williams will be making his 28th appearance at the famous venue in 2026.

MORE: Barry Hawkins rejects ‘too nice’ tag after downing ‘hungover’ Jack Lisowski

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MORE: Mark Williams eyeing first Welsh triumph for 27 years despite ‘going blind’

​North Yorkshire Council officers, residents, and councillors disagreed over a proposed harbour strategy for Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey at a meeting of the coastal area committee on Monday (March 2).

​​Scarborough Harbour, Whitby Harbour, and Filey Coble Landing are the focus of North Yorkshire Council’s harbours strategy that aims to set out how they will develop from now until 2036.

​At the meeting, residents suggested that the almost 30-page policy was “nothing but a desktop study” while officers defended the scheme and highlighted that it was a draft, and members of the public could contribute as part of the ongoing consultation.

​Councillors also raised concerns about plans for the development of Scarborough’s West Pier and pressed the authority to commit to a boat lift on the ageing pier.

​Chris Bourne, the head of harbours and coastal infrastructure, said the boat lift was dependent on the delivery of the West Pier redevelopment scheme, as a boat lift “cannot travel between the gap in the current buildings”.

​He added that some funding had been secured for the boat lift, including from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, and costings have been completed for structural improvements.

​It was also suggested that North Yorkshire Council could apply for money from the Government’s new Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund (FCGF), which will invest £360 million into fishing and seafood businesses and coastal communities across the UK.

​Speaking at the meeting, local businessman James Corrigan said: “I would like to understand the proposed measures for accommodating the crew transfer vessels (CTV) and dozens of guard vessels in connection with the servicing and maintenance of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, to which our port is the closest located.”

​Mr Bourne, head of harbours and coastal infrastructure, replied that “there are a number of proposals in relation to CTV and guard vessels in the draft strategy that are included in the strategic action plans”.

​He said: “These include improving bridge depth, extending the West Pier, and exploring the provision of a bridge.

​“The draft harbour strategy has been available as a public document since January 8, and the website enables any member of the public to download the strategy and provide feedback and comments on the strategy through the website.”

​Cllr Neil Swannick, who represents Whitby Streonshalh, questioned the level of consultation carried out on the strategy to date.

“It says in the report that more members have been part of developing the strategy, but I’d like to put on the public record that I have played no part in this, apart from when [officers] brought earlier drafts for this committee,” he told the meeting.

​Officers said that “a mistake has been made in the past” in relation to the absence of councillors from certain harbour users’ groups and that “this will be corrected”.

​​The draft strategy and the public consultation, which is open until March 22, can be accessed on the council’s website here: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/your-council/consultations-and-engagement/current-consultations/draft-harbours-strategy-consultation.

​The purpose of the strategy is to provide a “working framework to ensure harbour users, local communities and key stakeholders know what they can expect regarding development of the harbours over the next 10 years, and to generate a partnership approach to the development of the harbour”.

​​The harbours in Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey have faced a period of decline due to structural issues, a lack of investment and strategy, environmental challenges, and the decline of the fishing industry, the council said.

​

​The strategy’s aim is to “fulfil the potential of Scarborough and Whitby Harbours and Filey Coble Landing, by providing safe, and sustainable facilities, which celebrate their rich maritime heritage and embrace innovation and economic growth”.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has been less ruthless among the forwards.

England’s line-out wobbled badly against the Irish, however, and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, another to be withdrawn before the interval, pays the price with Jamie George coming back into the starting line-up.

Alex Coles partners Maro Itoje in the second row, while Henry Pollock returns to the bench with Guy Pepper returning to partner Tom Curry and Ben Earl in the back row.

Lock Ollie Chessum drops to the bench.

England have sacrificed many of the faces and combinations that fuelled a year-long 12-match winning run, but Borthwick will hope that loss of continuity will be more than compensated for by the energy, form and enthusiasm brought by his new picks.

Atkinson and Murley were among a clutch of players who returned to their clubs last weekend to prove their fitness and form.

After dispatching Wales comfortably in the opening round, England’s performances have taken a sharp downward turn, with losses to Scotland and Ireland by 11 and 21 points respectively.

They have never lost to Italy in 32 previous meetings, but the Azzurri’s performances have been in stark contrast to their opponents.

Italy beat Scotland in their opener and pushed Ireland and France hard in defeat. While they have lost mercurial full-back Ange Capuozzo to injury, centre Ignacio Brex has returned to the set-up after missing the past two games for personal reasons.

Throughout his political career, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has steered his country along two pillars of foreign policy: an ironclad partnership with the United States and a relentless diplomatic and covert battle against the rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Now, with Israel and the U.S. in a joint war against Iran’s leadership, those two strategic paths risk clashing with each other. By enlisting the U.S. in what he views as Israel’s existential battle against Iran, Netanyahu is taking a gamble that could open up the relationship to the strain of a war with far-reaching consequences.

To be sure, persuading U.S. President Donald Trump to join the war was a coup for Netanyahu and highlights the strong ties between the two leaders. If they are successful, they could quickly realize their shared goal of toppling the Iranian government and spare the region a protracted conflict.

But if the war drags on, the two allies’ ties could again be tested.

“A large part of the American public will view it as the Israeli tail wagging the American dog and that it is dragging the United States to a war in the Middle East that isn’t theirs,” said Ofer Shelah, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based think tank. The drop in public support that might unleash “will be very harmful for Israel in the medium and long term,” he said.

But, he added, in a nod to the Israeli leader’s political ambitions: “Netanyahu is not interested in the medium and long term.”

US public opinion has been evolving

For Netanyahu, successfully persuading Trump to strike Iran together is the apex of decades of proximity between the Israeli leader and Washington. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, speaks flawless English after having spent part of his youth in the U.S. and has always portrayed himself as Israel’s bridge to America.

Although he boasts about his tight relationships with multiple American presidents and members of Congress, Netanyahu over the past two years has seen support for Israel among the American public drop. According to Gallup polling, American sympathies in the Middle East have shifted dramatically toward the Palestinians.

That shift in sentiment has been driven in large part by Democrats. But some Republicans, and even Trump’s own backers, have been more outspoken against the diplomatic and financial support the U.S. has continued to grant Israel throughout the past two and a half years, when it has been embroiled in a war on multiple fronts sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The devastating images from the war in Gaza deepened Israel’s international isolation.

With a new war against Iran — the second in less than a year — Netanyahu is tackling an enemy that he and many Israelis view as an existential threat, citing its support for anti-Israeli militias across the region, its ballistic missile arsenal, and its nuclear program. He has led the crusade against Iran on the world stage for much of his career.

Netanyahu said Sunday in a statement that the U.S. involvement “allows us to do what I have been hoping to do for 40 years — to deliver a crushing blow to the terror regime.” Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

The conflict could spiral

Days into the war, Israel and the U.S. military appear to be working hand in glove to strike targets — from the initial attack that killed top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to assaults that allowed the forces free rein in Iranian skies.

But the conflict has already set off aftershocks that could reverberate in the American heartland. At least six U.S. troops have been killed. Travel was disrupted across the region, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded. Oil prices surged, raising the prospect of costlier gasoline for U.S. drivers as well as increased prices for other goods at a time when people have been stung by a rising cost of living.

Questions remain about the direction and aim of the war. It’s unclear whether the air power will be enough to topple Iran’s leadership, who or what should replace that leadership, and what role Israel or the U.S. will have in either. Every day presents new potential land mines.

“Many people will blame Israel if things go badly wrong,” wrote Nadav Eyal, a commentator with the Israeli Yediot Ahronoth daily newspaper. “Israel cannot afford to lose the American public’s support under any circumstances. That is more important than striking any individual military facility.”

Still, Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations over two decades, said that Netanyahu has little to lose from the war.

With elections scheduled for the fall, Netanyahu can use the war in Iran to divert attention away from the failures of the Oct. 7 attacks, the worst in Israel’s history. Instead, Netanyahu can set himself up as a brave wartime leader who fulfilled a pledge he has made much of his life to confront Iran.

He can say he did so with support from the American president, who Miller said can pull the brakes on the war whenever he pleases.

“If Trump feels as if it’s going south, he’ll find a way to de-escalate,” he said, “and his good friend Benjamin Netanyahu will follow.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is set to testify Tuesday in the Senate, her first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis galvanized widespread opposition to how the Trump administration was executing its mass deportation agenda.

Noem’s appearance in front of the Judiciary Committee also comes on the heels of a weekend shooting at a bar in Texas that is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, leading to concerns that the escalating conflict in Iran could have repercussions for security in the U.S.

Her department’s immigration tactics triggered a clash in Congress over its routine funding, which remains unresolved, although a spending bill passed last year granted it a significant infusion of cash for the Republican administration’s mass deportation policy.

Noem last appeared in Congress in December. But since then, President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda and its enforcement by Noem’s department have met fierce resistance in Minnesota, culminating in the deaths of two protesters, both U.S. citizens, at the hands of federal immigration officers.

In what was initially billed as an effort to root out fraud in Minnesota, Homeland Security eventually sent hundreds of officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection to the state. They were met by protesters who organized marches, patrolled neighborhoods for ICE activity with whistles and ferried food to immigrants too afraid to leave their homes.

Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer on Jan. 7, setting off intense protests by Minnesota politicians and residents pushing for Homeland Security to end its operation in the state. Then on Jan. 24, Customs and Border Protection officers opened fire on another Minnesota resident, Alex Pretti, who had been filming enforcement operations.

Those deaths led to cries for accountability and transparency. Noem, whose initial comments portrayed both Good and Pretti as the aggressors, has come under withering criticism by Democrats and even some Republicans, who have called for her to resign.

After public outrage over the deaths, Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to take control of operations on the ground there. Homan has since announced a drawdown of the ICE and CBP officers who had been sent to Minnesota to carry out what had been dubbed Operation Metro Surge, although he’s been adamant that the president’s mass deportation agenda will continue.

Noem is expected to undergo fierce questioning from Democrats who say officers under her control have abused their power, used excessive force and violated people’s constitutional rights in carrying the Trump administration’s agenda.

“Secretary Noem is the public face for an abominable anti-immigrant crusade. Her agents continue to wreak havoc on our cities and act with unspeakable cruelty against children, immigrant families, and American citizens,” said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the committee, in a statement ahead of the hearing.

The Homeland Security Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Homeland Security has often blamed conflicts on the ground in places like Minneapolis and Chicago where it’s carrying out immigration enforcement activities as the fault of Democratic politicians who they say encourage people to oppose officers as they try to make arrests.

Noem is also slated to appear Wednesday in front of a House committee.

Put 150g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 30g good-quality cocoa powder, 150g soft light-brown sugar, 2 tsp instant espresso powder, 175g room-temperature butter, 3 lightly beaten large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 50g melted and cooled dark chocolate into a mixer or a food processor with a pinch of salt (or use an electric hand whisk – just make sure the bowl is big enough otherwise the ingredients will fly everywhere when you start to beat them). Beat or whizz everything together until combined. The mixture should drop softly off a spoon. If it’s too stiff, add 2 tbsp milk.

Lance Corporal Joe Spencer died after a fatal gunshot to the head at the Tain Air Weapons Range.

A “misfire” by a sniper rifle could have caused the death of a tragic soldier who died after a fatal gunshot to the head while waiting to go on a firing range in the Highlands, an inquest has heard.

Lance Corporal Joe Spencer, 24, from Hampshire, was killed on November 1, 2016 when an L115A3 sniper rifle fired a round while he was taking shelter from the rain at the Tain Air Weapons Range.

Colour Sergeant Gordon Smart, of 2 Scots The Royal Regiment of Scotland, told the Winchester inquest that he was a safety supervisor on the day of the horror incident.

He said L/Cpl Spencer was sheltering from the rain in an Iso shipping container with colleagues as they waited to go back on to the firing range.

Sgt Smart explained that he heard shouts of “man down” and ran to the shelter where he found L/Cpl Spencer’s body lying on the floor with a rifle underneath him.

He said one of the soldiers, Christopher Leveridge, told him it was his “fault” because he had bumped into him.

He said: “Everyone came out of the Iso, one of the students came out saying ‘That was my fault’, sounds harsh but I kind of grabbed him and he said ‘I bumped into him and then it went off’.

“He was really white, shaking, just shock, I told him it wasn’t his fault.”

Sgt Smart said that he had “speculated” to police at the time that a rifle could discharge a round when knocked if a round had “misfired” earlier.

He explained that a “misfire” meant that the firing pin had not struck the round properly, leaving the round in the chamber, and said that if the rifle was knocked in these circumstances a round could be fired without the trigger being pulled.

He said that a “misfire” where a round had not been discharged had happened “six or seven times” on the range but the round was then ejected from the chamber by the soldier before carrying on with the exercise.

Sgt Smart added that any misfired round should have been ejected from the chamber by a soldier coming off the range as they should carry out an “unload drill” twice to ensure no bullets remained in the rifle.

Sheriff Gary Aitken ruled in a fatal accident inquiry released in December 2024 that the incident was partly due to L/Cpl Spencer’s “utterly inexplicable failure” to unload his rifle properly following a live fire exercise.

The sheriff added that his death could have been avoided if he had not been “holding his rifle vertically in close proximity to his body during the undemanded discharge”.

Sheriff Aitken also pointed to failures in the way the training course had been delivered, saying that if the “correct words of command to carry out the unload drill” had been given, the incident could have been avoided.

The inquest, being heard by a jury of five women and six men, continues.

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Talking to kids about sensitive subjects like war can be difficult but it’s worth doing so if they are at risk of hearing about it elsewhere

As tensions in the Middle East intensify, so too do concerns about the situation. The US and Israel have conducted airstrikes in Iran, and the conflict is spreading into neighbouring nations, with missiles launched at a British airbase in Cyprus.

For those caught up in the violence and attacks, it’s unimaginable – and for those watching from a distance, the feelings of fear and helplessness can be overpowering. For children, who have a more limited understanding of what’s happening, this can be even more frightening.

Hearing terms like ‘bombing’ and ‘World War Three’ without fully grasping what’s occurring is concerning for everyone, and it doesn’t pass our little ones by. An expert has offered her input on the situation and how to speak about it with youngsters.

Hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and mentor, Tania Taylor said: “Children are like sponges; they’re absorbing everything. Whether it’s on the news, someone talking to the shop checkout lady, parents chatting in the playground, or a TikTok video, much of what they are hearing, especially once at school, is out of your control.

“And sometimes, external factors (for example, Kevin in the playground telling everyone that World War Three is starting and we’re all going to die) can provoke more of a fear response.” Even very young children may be more conscious of what war is than we might realise.

Tania says: “Many children have been exposed to adults or older siblings playing war-type computer games or watching YouTube influencers play such games on their own or a friend’s mobile phone or tablet. So, terms such as ‘bombing’ might not be as unfamiliar to our children as we might think.”

So, it’s worth contemplating your choice of words around younger children. But what’s the best way to explain the current situation to the children in your life? And how can you alleviate any worries whilst also handling your own?

How to approach the subject

As parents and carers, we might feel our role is to provide them with all the information and keep them up to date. However, this method can occasionally leave youngsters feeling overwhelmed, Tania explains.

She says: “Children tend to be really good at spontaneous questioning. If they want to know something, they’ll ask.”

But if they do enquire, or you believe they require some explanation or comfort, it’s crucial to consider how you’re feeling first.

Tania advises: “First of all, you need to consider your own state of mind in relation to what is going on and how much information you would personally like to give your child.

“This is important as even if you are led by your child’s questioning, you begin with at least some self-awareness of how you are feeling and where you want to go with it.

“If you are particularly anxious about it all, it may be that you choose to wait until a time when you’re feeling less anxious to talk about it. Or perhaps having a discussion with another important adult in your child’s life, who can talk to your child instead, like a teacher or grandparent.”

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Tania proposes that you might want to begin with a general question, such as ‘have you learned about wars at school?’, and then pay attention to your child’s answer.

She added: “What you’re doing here is enabling your child an opportunity to talk about something which they may not realise they can talk about.

“If your child isn’t interested, they’ll tell you so, and there’s no need to push the conversation. If they go on to hear something at school, they’ll know you know about it, and be more likely to approach you with any questions.”

It’s always wise to let children know that if they have any queries, they can come to you.

What can parents do and say to explain but not frighten?

Discussing the distance between the UK and ongoing events can be useful, Tania suggests.

She explains: “As much as we don’t want to normalise war, it is something that has been happening at varying points across the globe for the whole of your child’s life. Knowing this can help to reassure your child that the chance they will be directly impacted is quite minimal.

“Although they may want to talk to you about the people who are directly impacted. Keep language age-appropriate and be led by your child.

“Taking action, such as getting in touch with a charity organisation that may accept shoebox-type gifts, is a really good way of showing your child that although this is happening far away, there are still small actions we can take to give our support.”

Active listening

Tania also recommends a technique called ‘active listening’, which parents can use if their child is interested and wants to know more.

She says: “What you are doing here is paying full attention to your child throughout the entire conversation, disregarding distractions, and concentrating solely on listening to your child’s words.

“Listen to their queries, and don’t provide more information than they’re asking for. We humans have a tendency to overshare, which isn’t necessarily beneficial in this situation.”

And if you’re unsure of all the answers to their questions, don’t hesitate to admit that you don’t know.

Tania further advises: “Perhaps you can spend time searching for information together, or maybe you feel more at ease saying you’ll find out and inform them later.”