Powerful symbolism of Prince William near the Nato frontline
Welcome to the ITV News digest bringing you the best of our original journalism, insight and analysis from across the nation, regions and the world.
Hello, I’m Chris Ship, ITV News’ Royal Editor. The fact that a new tour of duty in Estonia is about to begin for another British Army regiment, is considered, in military terms at least, fairly routine.
The fact that the future King will be close to the Russian border today at a time of heightened world tensions - is not.
Prince William is south and east of the capital Tallinn on Friday visiting the 900 British military personnel who are based near the town of Tapa.
This is Nato’s eastern flank where the British, along with a handful of French infantry, shore up defences against, what Estonians consider to be, a constant threat from their neighbour, Russia.
Estonians value their independence. They spent 50 years under forced occupation by the former Soviet Union.
Members of the Royal Family don’t do politics of course and never talk about government spending.
But it’s against this wider diplomatic backdrop that the Prince of Wales will drop in to see British and Nato troops- about 125 miles from Russian territory.
Officially, he’s here for the handover as Colonel in Chief of The Mercian Regiment who are settling into the start of a six-month tour of duty in this corner of the Baltics.
But consider the symbolism: the heir to the British throne in military fatigues surrounded by tanks and Nato military personnel.
This trip might have been planned a long time ago, but these are powerful images to be seen by Britain’s allies and its opponents.
Don’t forget to keep across the latest from the Royal Family on our weekly Talking Royals podcast.
Hundreds killed by NHS mental health patients
Hundreds of NHS mental health patients in England have killed people in recent years, ITV News has learned.
At least 392 patients treated by mental health services in England committed, or were suspected of, murder or manslaughter between 2018 and 2023.
Watch Health Correspondent Rebecca Barry’s exclusive report on ITVX - and see the reaction of the father of a Nottingham attack victim here.
Chancellor to squeeze spending following growth collapse
The story of next week’s spring statement will be simple, writes ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston: there will be lower economic growth in 2025, and probably in 2026 too; and as a consequence, there will be less money available for public services for the spending review period 2026-2030.
The Office for Budget Responsibility back in October was forecasting growth this year of 2%. On Wednesday, the OBR’s 2% will become circa 1%, says Peston and “I assume the following year’s 1.8% will also be revised down.”
This is the backdrop to this week’s welfare crackdown - which has worried a number of Labour backbenchers.
A week on from the launch episode, you’ve been filling the Talking Politics inbox with your questions from Tom Bradby, Robert Peston and Anushka Asthana.
This week, the team ask whether Donald Trump could really break rules and run for a third term as US president, if Kemi Badenoch could ever be prime minister and also open up on which former British leaders were the hardest to interview.
Watch the Talking Politics Q&A on ITVX. Keep and keep across the latest from Westminster through our Talking Politics podcast and get the view from Stateside on our Talking Politics USA podcast.
Exclusive: Imane Khelif - ‘Trump does not intimidate me’
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics amid a bitter gender eligibility row.
Talking to ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott, she said she was "deeply affected mentally" by a "campaign" of criticism in Paris, which left her mother in Algeria needing hospital care.
You can watch Steve’s exclusive interview on ITVX here.
Lioness star Steph Houghton on impact of footballer husband's MND
"It's hard and I'm not going to lie, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I have the best days because I don't." For former England captain Steph Houghton meeting her husband-to-be was love at first sight.
Just four months after marrying ex-Liverpool star Stephen Darby their world was rocked when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Houghton met ITV News North of England reporter Amy Welch to talk about the future - see her emotional report on ITVX.
Exclusive: Sidemen invite us behind the scenes of the new series
The Rundown, ITV News' news service for teens, has been given exclusive access to season two of the Sidemen's reality series Inside, which is now streaming on Netflix.
Tobi Brown (TBJZL) sat down with Dan Ajose to discuss what this move from YouTube means for the group.
Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel or get a look behind the scenes on TikTok.
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The hidden life of a triple killer
Nicholas Prosper, 19, illegally bought a shotgun and ammunition the day before shooting dead his mother, brother and sister at their home in Luton.
He’d planned to kill at least 30 primary school children but was stopped before he could carry plan out. This week, he was jailed for a minimum of 49 years.
ITV News Anglia delved into the background of the man who wanted to become the world’s most notorious killer, including:
‘We shouldn’t have to fight’
It took Suzzanne Thompson almost 40 years to be able to talk about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of a family friend.
In 2019, that man was jailed for 11 years. Now Suzzanne has learned her attacker could be living just two streets away in the North Yorkshire village upon his release on licence this summer.
“Why should it be that survivors have to feel they have to move house, to sell their homes to feel safe?” she told ITV News Tyne Tees’ Katie Cole.
What’s coming up…
Sunday March 23: Fifth anniversary of the first Covid lockdown, ordered by then prime minister Boris Johnson in a TV address to the nation
Tuesday March 25: Isle of Man legislative council to take possible final vote on assisted dying Bill
Wednesday March 26: Chancellor Rachel Reeves to deliver her Spring Statement, updating MPs on growth forecasts and spending plans
Thursday March 27: Nominations announced for the Bafta Television Awards
And finally… Mum diagnosed with cancer gives birth to twins
“Someone was looking over us that day.” Mum-to-be Lucy Miles’ routine ultrasound revealed more than just news she was expecting twins - it also revealed a 14cm cyst.
She chose her twins above her own health and at 34 weeks, Lucy, from Staffordshire, had her babies by Caesarian section. Doctors removed the cyst at the same time.
Two years on, Lucy has been back to reunite with the sonographer who saved her life - and ITV News Central was there to film it.