5 top UK news stories today (9 March 2026)

Here’s your UK news roundup for Monday (9 March 2026):

Starmer and Trump speak for first time since president’s Iran criticism

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have spoken for the first time since the US president angrily criticised the UK’s Iran response. No 10 released limited details of the call, saying the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and military cooperation between the UK and US. On Saturday, the president said the UK was considering sending aircraft carriers to the Middle East but dismissed the prospect, writing on social media “we don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!” – while labelling Britain “our once great ally”. Starmer has previously said the UK would not join offensive actions, but agreed to let the US use British bases for defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites. [BBC]

Middle East war could bring down ‘the economies of the world’

The war in the Middle East could “bring down the economies of the world” as oil prices could surge to $150 per barrel if Gulf energy exporters shut production, Qatar’s energy minister has warned. Saad al-Kaabi said that restarting the production of liquified natural gas (LNG) – after it shut down the largest plant in the world due to the war – would take “weeks to months”, while challenges facing the country risk being repeated across the Middle East. He said global competition for a smaller number of gas producers could trigger a price surge while further disruption from America and Israel’s war with Iran could hit oil production and exports. [CityAM]

Britain’s job market ‘floundering’

Britain’s jobs market is “floundering” amid weak hiring demand, with only limited signs of recovery, data has revealed. Companies remain cautious about hiring staff amid cost pressures and economic uncertainty, according to two reports released on Monday. They show the labour market continues to be in a fragile position. A monthly employment index from BDO, an accountancy and consultancy firm, is running at its weakest level in nearly 15 years. It has had its worst reading since March 2011, when the jobs market was still recovering from the financial crash. [Guardian]

UK Cancer death rates fall to a historic low

Cancer death rates in the UK have fallen to a historic new low, Cancer Research UK has announced. The charity, which analysed figures, said death rates had fallen by 11% in the past decade. That is a 29% drop on the peak in 1989, which was 355 per 100,000, it said. The data also showed ovarian cancer rates had fallen by 19% in the past decade, from 2012-2014 to 2022-2024, with stomach cancer dropping by 34% and lung cancer by 22%. [Sky News]