I’m having some problems posting – yesterday it was images, today it’s tags. There might be a slightly affected service until it’s resolved.
ed: Suspect that it’s a misconfigured network with a big and stupid caching company involved that most definitely shouldn’t be.
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The UK will deploy more troops and air defense systems to the Middle East to help the allies against Iranian attacks, the country’s defense secretary said Tuesday, Anadolu reports.
On a trip to the Gulf nations, John Healey said extra air defense teams and systems would be deployed to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait, along with an extension of the use of Typhoon jets in Qatar, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
It noted that as part of the UK’s action in the “collective defense of allies,” without getting drawn into the wider war, the Healey is visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain.
“Defence Secretary John Healey MP held detailed discussions on the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, and further UK-Gulf cooperation on regional security as the war enters its second month,” said the statement.
During his visit to the UK Armed Forces at the Dukhan base in Qatar, Healey confirmed that the UK has extended the deployment of UK Typhoon jets to Qatar.
“My message to Gulf partners is: Britain’s best will help you defend your skies,” said the defense secretary.
In Saudi Arabia, he also confirmed to his Saudi counterpart Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud his decision to deploy Sky Sabre there.
READ: UK prepares mine-clearing vessel for possible Strait of Hormuz deployment
The statement noted that the UK’s Lightweight Multirole Launcher is now in Bahrain, as the defense secretary also announced earlier Tuesday, supported by a team of UK experts who will help integrate the short-range air defense system into Bahraini defenses.
Healey has been visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain as the government announced the deployment of further systems, and associated teams, for each of the three nations, as well as for Kuwait.
Separately, the Defense Ministry said in its daily update that Britain’s Royal Air Force jets operating in a high-threat area successfully downed multiple Iranian drones overnight.
The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched an air offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
READ: Spanish defense minister says US, Israel cannot dictate global order
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/far-right-more-menacing-ever-britain-together-we-can-take-it
Counter protesters, organised by Stand Up To Racism, in West Parliament Square, Edinburgh, ahead of an anti-immigration protest outside Holyrood in Edinburgh ,March 21, 2026THIS weekend’s Together march promises to be the largest anti-racist demonstration in generations.
It is needed as a confident assertion that we have an anti-racist majority in Britain and we will not allow the far right to turn communities against each other.
We have seen that anti-racist majority in action. In the summer of 2024 a wave of racist riots swept British towns. Neighbourhoods were trashed, hotels housing refugees targeted.
The community response was swift and magnificent, both the collective clean-up efforts in affected towns and the huge mobilisations, from Newcastle in the north to Brighton in the south, warning that the racists would not pass. The riots fizzled out.
But the far right has advanced since then. Donald Trump’s re-election that winter in the United States has emboldened it globally, as liberal governments cringe before a leader of the “free world” who peddles racist conspiracy theories, openly supports ethnic cleansing and unleashes state terror on immigrants, black people and entire communities like Minneapolis.
The US right is not just an inspiration for the Tommy Robinsons and Nigel Farages.
It supports them politically. The White House National Security Strategy commits to promote “the influence of patriotic parties” to “help Europe correct its current trajectory.” Last summer US Vice-President JD Vance used a “holiday” in England to meet a suite of far-right politicians and “influencers.”
It supports them financially. Reform UK is awash with foreign cash and tech tycoon Elon Musk paid Robinson’s legal fees last October.
Rolling in money, the far right is well placed to exploit the grievances felt by millions of people who — rightly — see Westminster politics as an insiders’ game where corrupt politicians dance to the tune of big business and ordinary people’s living standards and public services decline year on year.
…
Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/far-right-more-menacing-ever-britain-together-we-can-take-it
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The Pentagon is preparing military options for a “final blow” in the Iran war, involving the use of ground forces and massive bombing, according to a report by Axios, citing two US officials and two sources with knowledge of the matter, Anadolu reports.
According to the report, a “dramatic military escalation” is expected if there is no progress in talks between Tehran and Washington.
The sources said that options such as invading the strategically important islands of Kharg, Larak, Abu Musa, and others, along with a blockade of ships carrying Iranian oil east of the Strait of Hormuz, are on the table.
The report stated that some US officials believe that a “show of overwhelming force” to end the conflicts would give the US greater leverage in negotiations.
READ: Trump says NATO has done ‘absolutely nothing’ on Iran
A source familiar with the negotiation efforts said that Turkiye, Pakistan, and Egypt are continuing their attempts to organize talks between the parties.
The source noted that Iran has rejected the US’ initial demands but has not completely withdrawn from the negotiations.
Despite the sources’ statement, US President Donald Trump has reportedly not reached a decision yet on any of these scenarios.
Any potential ground operations are seen as “hypothetical” by White House officials.
READ: Trump prefers peace but ready to ‘unleash hell’ in Iran: White House
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