Three Royal Navy crew members killed in Devon helicopter crash
Three members of the Royal Navy have died in a helicopter crash in Devon, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The crash took place during a training exercise with a Merlin helicopter shortly before 4am on Wednesday morning. An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.
The head of the Navy, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, said in a statement: "I am deeply saddened to share the news that three crewmembers onboard a Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter have died after it crashed in the early hours of this morning near Sourton, Devon.
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Military helicopter crashes in Devon
Caption: The crash scene of the Royal Navy helicopter in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon, June 3, 2026. // A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in an "ongoing" investigation. The helicopter, which the Ministry of Defence confirmed belonged to the Royal Navy, crashed just before 4am this morning in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon.Emergency services are still at the scene - which a local reporter described as "devastating". Photos from the scene of the smash show the wreckage of the downed chopper lying in a field. It remains unclear if anyone was injured when the navy helicopter crashed.
Military helicopters often train in the area around north Dartmoor - as the area lies between the Royal Navy's air bases at Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall.Photo released 03/06/2026
Photo released 03/06/2026 Photographer: Tom Wren / SWNSProvider: Tom Wren / SWNSSource: Tom Wren / SWNS Three people have died after a Royal Navy helicopter crashed into a field near an A-road in Devon, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed (MoD).
Investigation ongoing
The accident occured at 4am on Wednesday near Sourton Down, close to Okehampton.
- The MoD confirmed three serviceman died during the exercise.
- The A386 was closed between A30 at Sourton Down and the A3079 Fowley Cross in Okehampton.
- The cause of the crash is unknown and an investigation remains ongoing.
- The site is around 27 miles north of HMNB Devonport, in Plymouth.
- Defence Secretary John Healey said he was "devastated by the loss of three service personnel".
PM pays tribute to families after helicopter crash
This will be a deeply worrying time for the families and more information will be set out as soon as possible."
Prime minister, sir keir starmer
Caption: Mountain Rescue team near to crash scene of the Royal Navy helicopter in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon, June 3, 2026. // A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in an "ongoing" investigation.The helicopter, which the Ministry of Defence confirmed belonged to the Royal Navy, crashed just before 4am this morning in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon. Emergency services are still at the scene - which a local reporter described as "devastating". Photos from the scene of the smash show the wreckage of the downed chopper lying in a field.
It remains unclear if anyone was injured when the navy helicopter crashed. Military helicopters often train in the area around north Dartmoor - as the area lies between the Royal Navy's air bases at Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall.
Photo released 03/06/2026 Photographer: Tom Wren / SWNSProvider: Tom Wren / SWNSSource: Tom Wren / SWNS
WORLD
US launches new strikes on Iran
The US military said it launched "self-defence" strikes on Iran overnight while shooting down ballistic missiles and drones targeting ships and surrounding Gulf countries.
What happened?
The US strikes targeted Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command (Centcom) said.
Centcom said Iran fired two missiles at Kuwait and three at Bahrain, all of which broke apart or were intercepted. Iran said it had retaliated by attacking US bases and helicopters in a "regional country" using missiles and drones.
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The latest on ceasefire talks
Donald Trump has suggested he will abide by a court ruling that halted his 'slush fund' (Photo: Al Drago/Getty)Ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran stalled over the weekend but Donald Trump this week told his critics to "sit back and relax".
Trump has since said that Iran has agreed to not have a nuclear weapon.
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MEDIA
Why the BBC wants TV to go online-only
Adam Sherwin
Arts and Media Correspondent The shift to online TV viewing is accelerating, with the number of UK homes without broadband predicted to fall to just 220,000 by 2034.
What the BBC wants
The BBC wants ministers to set a date to switch-off digital TV signals which are being used by fewer viewers in the streaming era (Getty)New figures reveal a faster-than-expected take-up of internet-only TV, strengthening the case for switching off Freeview broadcasts during the next decade.
UK broadcasters are asking the Government to set a date to switch off Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) signals, or Freeview, by the mid-2030s.
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What the figures show
The latest figures from independent analysts, 3 Reasons, shows the number of UK homes without broadband fell by 30 per cent between 2023 and 2025, and is now 1.2 million.
- The fall in broadband-free homes outpaced the 10 per cent previously predicted for the time period.
- Such an updated forecast will be used as further evidence by the BBC and other broadcasters that switch-off is achievable within a decade.
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What could go wrong?
Campaigners warn a switch-off would force the elderly, disabled people and those on low incomes to take on expensive high-speed broadband contracts just to watch TV, which is currently free-to-air.
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POLICING
Violent protests erupt over Henry Nowak's death
Caption: Undated handout file photo originally issued on 07/12/25 by Hampshire Police of Henry Nowak. Sikh man Vickrum Digwa has been jailed at Southampton Crown Court for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Digwa stabbed Henry to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife five times in the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 2025.Issue date: Monday June 01, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Hampshire Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption.
Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.Photographer: Hampshire PoliceProvider: Hampshire Police/PA WireSource: pa Two people have been arrested after protesters clashed with police near the site where 18-year-old student Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed.
Why are people protesting?
The clashes with police follow scrutiny over how officers dealt with the stabbing, which included handcuffing Nowak as he lay dying last December. Bodycam footage showed him telling police "I've been stabbed" and an officer replied "I don't think you have mate".
Nowak was arrested after Vickrum Digwa falsely claimed he had racially abused him. Digwa was jailed for life.
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Arrests made after protest
Police and crime minister, Sarah Jones, confirmed two people had been detained following the clashes. Eleven officers were also injured on Tuesday night.
Caption: TOPSHOT - Protestors demonstrate with police officers near Portswood Police Station in Southampton, southern England, on June 2, 2026, during a protest held in reaction to the Police's handling of the detention of victim Henry Nowak, following the conviction of his murderer Vickrum Digwa. Body camera footage of dying student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed by British police after being stabbed by Sikh man Vickrum Digwa, and falsely accused of racially abusing his murderer sparked outrage Tuesday. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JUSTIN TALLISProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors
Caption: Screen grab taken from PA Video of police and protestors clashing in Southampton during a protest following the death of Henry Nowak. Vickrum Digwa was jailed at Southampton Crown Court for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Digwa stabbed Henry to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife five times in the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 2025.Picture date: Tuesday June 2, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jamie Lashmar/PA WirePhotographer: Jamie LashmarProvider: Jamie Lashmar/PA WireSource: PA
How the far right is weaponising the protests
Police are monitoring the British far right over concerns that the protests will spark rioting. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been accused of "whipping up" anger and division after he said that the murder "must be a turning point" because "white lives matter too". Several far-right groups and figures have used the case to repeat the allegations, denied by police leaders, that "two-tier policing" discriminates in favour of ethnic minorities, and claim a "white genocide" is taking place.
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What Lebanon's Beaufort Castle is - and why Israel captured it
Israel announced the seizure of the medieval fortress yesterday, in the latest sign of its continued ceasefire breaches in the country.
Caption: An Israeli flag and a flag of the Golani Brigade fly on Beaufort Castle, as seen from Marjayoun, southern Lebanon, June 1, 2026. REUTERS/StringerPhotographer: StringerProvider: REUTERSSource: REUTERSDefence minister announces capture
Caption: Members of Israeli troops at the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle in Nabatieh Governorate, southern Lebanon, in this screengrab from a handout video released on May 31, 2026. Israeli troops seized the Beaufort Castle and a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, the military said, despite a ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago.Israeli Military/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. OVERLAY FROM SOURCE.Photographer: ISRAELI MILITARYProvider: via REUTERSSource: Handout
- Israel Katz said the Israeli flag was flying over the castle yesterday.
- The fort in southern Lebanon represents a strategic gain.
- Israeli Defence Forces have carried out strikes in the surrounding area.
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What is Beaufort Castle?
Known as Qalaat al-Shaqif in Arabic, the castle was built by French crusaders in the 12th century. It is near Nabatieh and its position is 700m (2,300ft) above sea level and affords whoever controls it a view over southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Caption: Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on May 31, 2026.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took over the medieval castle of Beaufort on May 31, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JALAA MAREYProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors
Caption: TOPSHOT - This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel shows an Israeli tank taking position amid destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on May 31, 2026. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took over the medieval castle of Beaufort on May 31, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JALAA MAREYProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors
It has changed hands several times over the centuries, with Palestinian fighters using it as a base before Israel captured it in 1982.
Israel then occupied it until withdrawing from southern Lebanon in 2000.
What is Israel doing in Lebanon?
Despite agreeing to a ceasefire on 16 April, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon with the aim of destroying the armed group Hezbollah, which mainly operates in the south of the country. Beirut has been struck on two occasions and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered further strikes on the capital today.
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a memorial service held for Ran Gvili, an off-duty police officer who was killed fighting militants that had infiltrated Israel during the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, and the last hostage recovered from Gaza, in Meitar, Israel, January 28, 2026.REUTERS/Amir Cohen TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File PhotoPhotographer: Amir CohenProvider: REUTERSSource: REUTERS
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@theipaperFlames engulfed a warehouse in Khan Younis after it was hit by an Israeli strike on Thursday night, as civil defence workers struggled to put out the fire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he had directed Israel's military to take more of Gaza, initially by seizing 70% of the Palestinian territory, where the population is already penned into a tiny strip of land along the coast. Israel effectively controls an estimated 64% of the tiny coastal Strip, bombarded to ruins by Israel's two-year military assault that followed the 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
? original sound - The i Paper - The i Paper[1][2]Rugby league legend John Kear dies 'suddenly' - what we know
The star passed away just a day after he could be heard commentating live on the Challenge Cup Final.
Caption: File photo dated 18/05/19 of John Kear. Former England, Wales and two-time Challenge Cup winning coach John Kear has died at the age of 71, the Rugby Football League has announced.Issue date: Monday June 1, 2026. PA Photo.
Photo credit should read: Richard Sellers/PA Wire Photographer: Richard SellersProvider: Richard Sellers/PA WireSource: PA
Legendary coach dies on way home
Kear, 71, a former England, Wales and two-time Challenge Cup-winning coach, died yesterday afternoon as he travelled home from presenting on the match at Wembley. He had retired from coaching in 2025 after a long career including 700 matches and coaching for three World Cups teams.
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A closer look at the detail
He began his career with a decade playing for his local team Castleford, before winning the Challenge Cup twice as a coach. A shock victory with Sheffield Eagles in 1998 was followed by Hull in 2005, having led England to the semi-finals of the 2000 World Cup.
Caption: File photo dated 16/09/06 of John Kear. Former England, Wales and two-time Challenge Cup winning coach John Kear has died at the age of 71, the Rugby Football League has announced.Issue date: Monday June 1, 2026. PA Photo.
Photo credit should read: Nigel Roddis/PA Wire Photographer: Nigel RoddisProvider: Nigel Roddis/PA WireSource: PA
Caption: File photo dated 28/08/05 of John Kear.Former England, Wales and two-time Challenge Cup winning coach John Kear has died at the age of 71, the Rugby Football League has announced.
Issue date: Monday June 1, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: David Jones/PA Wire
Photographer: David JonesProvider: David Jones/PA WireSource: PA The chair of the RFL said today: "It was always a pleasure to see John, at Wakefield Trinity games most recently, as he was full of energy and enthusiasm for the game he clearly loved and had given him so much, in the same way he had given back."
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@theipaperNew York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked Eid al-Adha celebrations in the Bronx on wearing a custom thobe fashioned from Arsenal's 2025-26 away kit, a nod to his support for the newly-crowned Premier League champions. Arsenal claimed their first league title in 22 years this season and face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final in Munich on Saturday, with Mamdani's public show of support coming just days before the club's biggest match in decades. mamdani arsenal COYG
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All eyes in this country will be on Harry Kane, England's top goalscorer and captain. After a stunning season for Bayern Munich, this is likely his last chance to lead England to glory.
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Caption: Vinicius Junior left winger of Real Madrid and Brazil celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Sevilla FC and Real Madrid CF at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on May 17, 2026 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Photographer: NurPhotoProvider: NurPhoto via Getty ImagesSource: NurPhotoCopyright: Jose Breton/NurPhotoVinicius Junior
A veteran attacker returning to the World Cup after his last appearance in 2002.
Kylian Mbappe
The striker has scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup appearances for France.
Caption: LANDOVER, MD - MARCH 29: France forward Kylian Mbappe (10) smiles after a shot on goal late in the game during the France versus Colombia Road to '26 international soccer friendly on March 29, 2026 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Photographer: Icon SportswireProvider: Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesSource: Icon SportswireCopyright: ?Icon Sportswire All Rights Reserved
Caption: OSLO, NORWAY - MARCH 31: Erling Haaland of Norway reacts during the international friendly match between Norway and Switzerland at Ullevaal Stadion on March 31, 2026 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)Photographer: Stuart FranklinProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images EuropeCopyright: 2026 Getty ImagesErling Haaland
A top scorer for club sides, the striker will finally represent Norway.
England's ones that got away
After representing England at U21 level, the ruthless attacker Jamal Musiala is now playing for Germany.
Jamal Musiala scored his second goal of Euro 2024 in Germany's win over Hungary (Photo: Getty)
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"I know this will come as a huge shock to all in our Naval community, and my deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and loved ones impacted by this tragedy.
"I would like to thank Devon and Cornwall Police and the search and rescue teams who responded to the incident this morning. An investigation is under way and further updates will be provided in due course." Defence Secretary John Healey said he was "devastated by the loss of three service personnel overnight."
"They served with excellence and will be much missed. All our thoughts are with their families, friends and those they served with at this incredibly sad time," he said. "I thank the emergency services for their response." The MoD confirmed that the families of the Service personnel have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released."
"Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families and friends at this sad time," the statement added. The Mk4 is one of two types of Merlin helicopter currently used by the Royal Navy. It has several modifications to allow it to be used by the Royal Marines, including a fast roping beam to allow for rapid exit from the main cabin door.
It comes just hours after the Government confirmed the death of another soldier during a training exercise in Iraq. Lance Corporal James Stewart Freeman, 29, died on Sunday. Details of the incident have not yet been disclosed.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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