The RAF base in Cyprus was hit by a Shahed-like drone on Sunday with no casualties, as the MoD confirmed it was not launched from Iran.

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The MoD has provided a significant update in the wake of the drone strike on RAF Akrotiri.

The Cyprus-based RAF facility came under attack from a one-way assault drone on Sunday at 12.03am local time (10pm GMT). Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed no casualties occurred and damage to the installation was minimal.

He characterised the incident as illustrative of the “dangerous and indiscriminate attacks” perpetrated by Iran and its proxies.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has now clarified that the drone did not originate from Iran. In a statement posted on X at 5.03pm, it announced: “The Ministry of Defence can confirm that a Shahed-like drone which targeted RAF Akrotiri at midnight on 2nd March was not launched from Iran.”

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Senior Cypriot authorities stated on Monday that the assault was executed using an Iranian Shahed drone, most probably deployed by Iran-backed militant organisation Hezbollah from Lebanese territory.

Cypriot officials also indicated they believed the military base – rather than Cyprus as a whole – was the intended target. Iran and its allies have conducted missile and drone operations in response to US and Israeli strikes throughout the region.

US-Israeli military action has resulted in over 1,000 fatalities since Saturday, according to Iranian state media. The MoD also confirmed today that RAF Typhoon and F-35B jets have continued “defensive air operations”, supported by Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft, “in defence of British interests and allies”.

It added that over the past 24 hours the UK has resupplied air defence systems to British and allied bases in the Middle East, including UK-built air defence missiles.

The MoD also said Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters – armed with Martlet missiles capable of engaging aerial threats – are due to arrive in Cyprus in the coming days.

Two further unmanned drones heading towards the base were intercepted on Monday morning, Cypriot authorities said.

Following the drone incident, families of British service personnel were relocated from Akrotiri as a precautionary measure.

The UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice, urging British nationals to take “sensible precautions” due to “heightened risk of regional tensions”.

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‘Keeping a government of violent extremists in power in the name of ‘balance’ is unwise’

I am sure some Metro readers believe the weekend’s strikes on Iran were a bad idea and that the US should have let sleeping dogs lie.

In their opinion, the safest course was to leave an aggressive regime alone and hope for the best. Keeping a government of violent extremists in power in the name of ‘order’ or ‘balance’ is unwise.

Some fear the potential chaos following regime change. While these fears are understandable – given examples such as Libya and Iraq – if someone (Iran, in this instance) attempts to attack another (the US) and is injured while defending themselves from American reprisals, their subsequent medical issues are not America’s responsibility.

Proportional self-defence is recognised in England as legitimate. Responsibility begins with the act of aggression – and in this case lies with Iran.

Iran was moving towards nuclear capability aimed at Israel and, by extension, at the US and the wider Western alliance, including the UK.

When a hostile regime pursues such weapons while already suppressing and even murdering its own citizens and supporting terrorist violence abroad, waiting patiently can look less like caution and more like denial.

There was already violence before any strike. The regime had been killing unarmed protesters in large numbers.

Calling firm action ‘reckless’ while treating that reality merely as some kind of background noise suggests misplaced priorities. Ignoring a threat does not remove it. It simply leaves others to face the (lethal one way or another!) consequences. David Frencel, London

Reform are a ‘racist party’

As soon as the result of the Gorton and Denton by-election was announced, Reform UK started blaming their loss on ‘family voting’ (pressurising friends or family to vote for a certain candidate) in what Nigel Farage describes as ‘predominantly Muslim areas’. This is despite the fact that the local council saw no evidence of this.

It sort of suggests that Reform believe all Muslims vote the same way, think the same way, and force each other to conform to the same cultural values
and beliefs.

If Reform aren’t a racist party, then they’re certainly doing a very good impression of one. Mo, Bradford

Are reform pushing for an undemocratic voting system?

Unsurprisingly, after easily losing the vote in the Gorton and Denton by-election to the Green Party candidate, 34-year-old plumber Hannah Spencer, Reform and Farage are throwing all their toys out the pram because they don’t like the result of a democratic decision.

Reform have spent ages attacking ethnic groups, with the party’s candidate, Matt Goodwin, even blaming Muslims for his loss, and yet they are somehow surprised that minority voters would choose to vote against them.

And now, pulling from the same playbook as Donald Trump, Farage wants to change the voting system so UK residents from the Commonwealth can’t vote – hoping to ban people who have every right to vote, because they didn’t vote for him.

Rather than accept defeat with dignity, Reform are just keen to change the rules until they get the result they think they are owed. Matthew, Birmingham

Westminster leaks on decline?

Perhaps there won’t be so many leaks at Westminster with the new Gorton and Denton MP in situ. J Ambrose, via email

And asylum seeker applications too

I see that asylum seeker applications have dropped sharply from 175,457 in June 2023 to 64,426 last December and the processing backlog is down nearly 50 per cent on the year.

This must be a huge relief for all those concerned with the rise of immigration levels in recent years. If this trajectory continues it could deliver a serious blow to Reform’s election prospects. E Gilligan, Salford

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“I am that close to asking if this is a joke…It is a ridiculous application and it is refused,” the judge confirmed.

An east Belfast man accused of racially-motivated assaults on staff at a McDonald’s restaurant failed today in a legal bid for permission to attend public demonstrations.

Neil Pinkerton’s application to vary his bail conditions while facing allegations that he verbally abused victims before recorded footage appeared on TikTok was dismissed as “ridiculous”.

Instead, a judge reinstated a ban on the 37-year-old using social media platforms amid police claims that he remains involved in vigilante patrols and setting up anti-immigration accounts.

Pinkerton, of Clandeboye Street, is charged with common assault, attempted criminal damage, harassment, incitement to hatred and disorderly behaviour over incidents at Connswater Retail Park in the east of the city on September 6 last year.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard he allegedly threatened a delivery driver outside the restaurant, becoming racially abusive and demanding to know his reasons for being there.

The victim realised he was being filmed on a mobile phone and asked for the recording to stop, only for a second unknown man then joined in the tirade.

Fearing an imminent assault, the driver got into his car and locked the door for his own safety.

Pinkerton continued shouting and swearing while punching the vehicle’s bonnet, it was claimed.

Later that day, the complainant discovered videos of the incident had been posted on TikTok.

“It caused him further anxiety as he fears his identity, workplace and vehicle are now known,” a Crown lawyer said.

Pinkerton is also accused of confronting two door staff at McDonald’s after they stopped teenage girls from entering the premises due to an anti-social behaviour policy.

“He became aggressive, shouting at them, pointing in their faces and implying they are not allowed to speak to females from Northern Ireland,” the prosecutor added.

“The door staff viewed this as particularly aggressive and racially motivated.”

Police later seized two mobile phones in searches carried out at the defendant’s home.

With Pinkerton out on bail since last September, he applied to vary a condition which prohibited him being at any rallies.

Defence barrister Turlough Madden said: “He wishes to attend public demonstrations as his right in a democratic society.”

But District Judge Steven Keown described suggestions he should remove the condition as being ludicrous.

“I am that close to asking if this is a joke…It is a ridiculous application and it is refused,” he confirmed.

During the hearing police succeeded in having a previous ban on Pinkerton using social media put back in place.

An investigating officer claimed information obtained on January 30 this year suggests he has created and promoted new TikTok accounts and Facebook pages.

“These continue to promote anti-immigration sentiment, and Pinkerton and others continue to carry out vigilante patrols throughout east Belfast,” she alleged.

Mr Madden insisted the defendant had not breached any of his bail terms and urged the court not to grant the PSNI’s application.

However, Judge Keown ruled: “I disagree and I reinstate the (condition) not to access any social media platforms, based on the information police have.”

With the case adjourned until next month, Pinkerton was released on continuing bail.

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Work has been ongoing since 2023 after sewers beneath the road were damaged

A major road that has been closed on and off since 2023 may finally reopen this month. Residents have been left frustrated since Barton Road in Wisbech closed, after the road’s sewers were damaged due to a new care home being built.

Due to “complex repairs,” the road has been closed. However, Anglian Water has confirmed when it hopes to finally reopen the road. The water company says it hopes to have completed works by March 19, when the road will fully reopen.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “The work is to repair a sewer pipe under Barton Road. This has been a complex repair – something we foresaw from the beginning – because the pipe is more than five metres below ground in places, and the ground on Barton Road is soft, with naturally high groundwater levels which have been exacerbated by recent rainfall.

“We’ve been working hard with extra engineers and specialist teams, and we’re still planning to reopen the road on March 19. If anything changes, we’ll let local residents, the council and stakeholders know.”

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The 52-year-old was reportedly struck multiple times with a metal bar to the head while he was in the work shop at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Thursday.

An update on the condition of Ian Huntley has been released by police after the infamous child murderer was attacked in prison.

The 52-year-old was reportedly struck multiple times with a metal bar to the head while he was in the workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Thursday, February 26. Following the attack he was rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, where he remains in a serious condition.

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said on Wednesday: “There has been no change in the 52-year-old man’s condition overnight – he remains in hospital in a serious condition.”

His injuries were so severe that he will not return to Frankland jail in Durham. He instead will be moved to Ashworth Secure Hospital. A source told the Mirror: “The most likely destination for him if he gets out of hospital is Ashworth. His injuries are such that he is unlikely to Frankland, at least initially.”

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Triple murderer Anthony Russell has been named as the main suspect, however police and prison officials are yet to formally confirm this. He was so close to death after the assault that he had to travel by road rather than by air to hospital.

A paramedic and a doctor flew to Frankland in Durham and stabilised him at the scene. They placed him in an induced coma because of the severity of his injuries.

Huntley is serving a life sentence after being convicted of murdering 10-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire in August 2002. He was jailed in 2005 and is unable to seek parole until 2042.

“He was placed in an induced coma because he was so close to death,” a source said. “The team from the helicopter travelled with him but he could not be evacuated by air in case of any complications. He was transported by road because he was in a coma; this helps to keep him stable. The helicopter then travels to the hospital to collect the medics. Two armed officers are guarding Huntley around the clock at the hospital.”

One source told the Mirror: “Medical staff must be professional no matter who they are dealing with. With a high-profile prisoner like Huntley, the patient’s name is not released before arrival at the jail. Once the medical staff get there, they may recognise the patient but must put that to the back of their minds.”

The assault was his third during 24 years in prison. Huntley was scalded with boiling water at HMP Wakefield in 2005. He was moved to Frankland, where robber Damien Fowkes slashed him in 2010. The neck wound was seven inches (18 cm) long and required 21 stitches.

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Imagine the escalating conflict between the US, Israel and Iran unfolding in a world powered mostly by wind, solar and batteries rather than oil and gas.

In today’s fossil-fuelled economy, markets react to Iran’s attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Gulf and the threat to close the strait of Hormuz. Oil prices jump. Governments brace for inflation. Around a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes through the narrow corridor, linking the Gulf states to the wider world. When tensions rise there, energy markets react instantly.

But in a world where most energy is generated domestically from renewables, would the same threat trigger the same global shock? Would instability in the Gulf still lead to more expensive food and fuel across the world? Or would the economic aftershocks look very different?

To understand what’s at stake, we need to first look at how today’s energy system is structured.

A system built on chokepoints

For about a century, the global economy has depended on fossil fuels produced by a few producers in the Middle East. Chokepoints like the strait of Hormuz carry enormous strategic weight.

That is why the current conflict between the US, Israel and Iran reverberates so quickly through global markets. Even before any sustained disruption to supply, oil and gas prices have surged on the possibility that a major proportion of global flows could be blocked. Because oil underpins transport, agriculture and manufacturing, price spikes ripple rapidly through commodity exchanges, supply chains and into household budgets. Regional conflict can magnify into global economic turmoil within days.

Now run the same crisis in a renewable world

Return to our thought experiment. Now, imagine the same crisis unfolding in a world where energy systems were powered by renewables and electricity rather than oil and gas.

It is the same week. Same military escalation. The same rhetoric about closing the strait of Hormuz. But this time the global energy system has already largely been decarbonised.

In this alternative world, most electricity globally would be produced within national borders from wind, solar and other low-carbon sources. Road transport would be predominantly electric. Heating would rely on locally available renewable sources, such as heat pumps, domestic biomass, geothermal systems or green hydrogen. These are all tried and tested solutions. They are not a thing of the future, and yet today our global economy still gets roughly 80% of its primary energy from fossil fuels.

In the alternative scenario, what changes?

The immediate macroeconomic shock would be weaker. A disruption at the strait would still matter. Oil would still be traded in some sectors, but it wouldn’t be as central to everyday energy use. Prices would be lower because demand was falling. The automatic link between Gulf instability and global inflation would loosen.

Electricity generation would continue, largely insulated from disruption of gas supply. People with electric cars would be less directly affected by a petrol price spike. Household bills would remain unchanged as energy price rates stay stable. Governments would be less exposed to sudden demands to subsidise fuels and an inflationary shock.

Energy security would become less about controlling distant shipping lanes, and more about building a distributed and resilient domestic electricity grid, more storage capacity and diversified supply chains.

Maritime chokepoints to mineral supply chains

This does not mean energy geopolitics would disappear. It would mutate.

Renewable systems depend on critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and so-called rare earth elements, and involve advanced manufacturing supply chains to make solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. New chokepoints could emerge in mineral processing hubs or semiconductor plants. Already there is geopolitical competition over access to rare earths.

But there are important differences. Fossil fuel reserves are geographically concentrated, which is why global trade converges on a handful of maritime routes: Hormuz, Suez, Malacca (between the Indian and Pacific Oceans) and more. Markets for oil and gas are volatile.

Renewable resources such as sunlight and wind are more widely distributed. While mineral supply chains remain uneven, and still rely heavily on a handful of producers such as China for rare earths, the Democratic Republic of the Congo for cobalt and Indonesia for nickel, they do not converge on a single chokepoint. Price changes propagate through markets for technologies much more slowly. It is easier to built strategic reserves.

In our imagined Iran crisis, power would be more diffuse, with no single state able to threaten such disruption.

Minerals being more dispersed than oil and gas, and less concentrated in a few places, reduces the kind of centralisation and “resource capture” that has historically characterised the oil industry. Global standards on community consent, transparency and environmental protections are now much stronger in mineral supply chains than they ever were for fossil fuels.

This gives local actors more leverage in a renewable-powered world. Mineral-rich regions in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia would gain new some power – not simply as resource suppliers, but through mechanisms of community consent social licence to operate and they are better able to influence whether projects proceed.

This marks a shift from the petroleum age, where power has largely been concentrated between states and multinational oil companies operating at a distance from affected communities.

The geopolitical dividend of decarbonisation

Decarbonisation is often framed as a climate necessity. It will also lead to a redistribution of geopolitical power, probably towards greater stability.

In today’s fossil fuelled system, the strait of Hormuz sits at the heart of a global economic system that ties global economic stability to the uninterrupted flow of oil – and to the military power that guards it. The current crisis exposes the fragility of that arrangement.

Running this thought experiment does not suggest that renewable energy dissolves geopolitics. In a post-oil world, the strait would still matter and resource conflicts would not vanish. But it does suggest that our fossil energy system is fragile and conflict can reverberate quickly around the world.

British Transport Police (BTP) said they were called to “reports of a casualty on the tracks” on the line near Bolton Railway Station at around 3.45pm.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, who also attended the incident, the person was declared dead at the scene.

BTP said that the incident is “not being treated as suspicious” and they will prepare a file for the coroner.

Train services between Bolton and Preston were disrupted and replacement buses were put in place while emergency services worked on the scene.

A spokesperson for BTP said: “Officers were called to the line near Bolton Railway Station at 3:44pm today (4 March) to reports of a casualty on the tracks.

“Paramedics also attended, and sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Donald Trump’s offer of US-backed insurance and naval escorts for shipping travelling through the Strait of Hormuz has not prevented maritime premiums soaring as underwriters scramble to reassess the risks to oil, gas and cargo vessels.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to shipping following the US attack on Iran, on Tuesday the president wrote on Truth Social that the US would provide cover “at a very reasonable price… for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially energy, traveling through the Gulf”.

He also suggested that naval escorts could be used to provide safe passage for tankers in the Persian Gulf, the route to market for 20% of the world’s oil supply.

Markets latest: Oil producer says it won’t fulfil contracts

Experts at Lloyd’s of London, the world’s oldest insurance market, told Sky News that the president’s proposal was unclear, and that naval escorts could even increase the risk to shipping.

On Tuesday, the Joint War Committee (JWC) of the Lloyds Markets Association, which represents participants in the Lloyds market, expanded its “high-risk” area in the Middle East to cover the entire Persian Gulf.

Underwriters had already begun cancelling or repricing war-risk insurance for vessels in the region, but Neil Roberts, secretary of the JWC, told Sky News the market was working and that the American intervention was unnecessary.

“I don’t think the details of such a scheme have been given to anyone, so far as we know, and it will take time to work it out, and the appetite is unknown,” he said.

“Essentially our market is still writing risks and there isn’t a perception here that there’s a need for intervention at this time.”

Mr Roberts said that premiums would rise to reflect the heightened risk in the Gulf, amid reports suggesting 12-fold increases, and that US escorts could offer a target rather than act as a deterrent.

“There will be those who think it might increase the target, because the Iranians are targeting US military. It’s not known how capable they would be against the new drone and missile threats that we’re seeing. This is not the same as the 80s.”

“So yes, obviously people would like to see the detail, they’d like to it happen, and if you’re a tanker owner, you’d be on the one hand delighted that it’s been offered, on the other hand trying to understand whether it does increase the risk or not and do you want to accept it?”

He added: “What’s happened over the weekend has changed the risk profile for the area and it was necessary for underwriters to be able to reassess their position given the new risks. And for the Joint War Committee we’ve recently increased our listed areas by adding the US bases which are now targets that were previously not listed. That means we’ve got the opportunity as underwriters to reassess the voyages on an individual basis.”

A number of tankers have been attacked directly in the Gulf since the conflict began, along with oil, gas and cargo infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

With scores of vessels at anchor on either side of the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices have spiked, along with shipping costs.

Read more from Sky News:
Was Iran ‘days’ from atomic weapons?
US allies fear shortage of weapons
Is AI giving US lethal edge in Iran?

For now, the economic impact is largely contained to commodity markets, but a prolonged closure that ate into global oil reserves could lead to wider impacts and trade disruption.

Food and goods supplies coming into the Gulf states from Europe, Africa and Asia could also be disrupted.

The UAE government said earlier this week it has stockpiles that will last four to six months, but asked citizens to only buy what they need and avoid shopping sprees to “make sure there is enough for everyone”.

Episode one of a hit sci-fi show airing on Disney Plus is now available to stream for free on YouTube.

Fans have rejoiced at Marvel’s decision to put their latest TV offering on the streaming platform.

Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the eight-episode series has scored highly with an average of 91% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Now you can see what all the hype is about and watch the first instalment of Wonder Man without any paid subscription needed, thanks to season one, episode one being uploaded to the video sharing site.

This Marvel Television creation offers an insight into the entertainment industry, complete with superhero magic.

Abdul-Mateen II plays Simon Williams, an actor who is struggling to get his career off the ground. Suddenly his luck changes after he meets actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who is coming to the end of his acting career.

Through Slattery, Williams learns about legendary director Von Kovak who is remaking the film Wonder Man.

As both men strive for these life-changing roles, viewers get an insight into the entertainment industry and feel the intersection of personal and professional struggles.

All the while, Williams struggles to hide his superpowers and escape the scrutiny of Damage Control.

The full episode one has been available on YouTube for a day, and has already amassed 32,000 views.

@Kartikeyasingh8685 admitted she’d ‘already binged all episodes long ago’, while @HeyDarius appreciated it, writing: ‘Shoutout Marvel for this upload.’

But the show isn’t loved unanimously, on Reddit Sam_Strake said: ‘Personally I’m just really tired of Hollywood making shows and movies about how hard life is being in Hollywood lol.’

This said, the show has been hailed as the best sci-fi show of the year, making it onto Numéro Magazine’s list of top tier TV in 2026.

Others, like ZinQ on IMDb said they were ‘now officially in love with Wonder Man’ and said it was the ‘best thing on TV for a very long time.’

Wonder Man episode one is available to watch on YouTube, and the rest of the series can be streamed on Disney Plus.

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The US Ambassador to Israel allegedly sent a memo to embassy staff in Tel Aviv, joking that embassy members might have new children within nine months.

Staff at the embassy have been told to shelter in place due to the war with Iran, but were sent a bizarre memo by the Ambassador.

In the memo, staff were told that if ‘extended time with your spouse’ results in ‘the birth of your next child in about 9 months, I of course expect that you will want to name the little bugger after me!’

He added: ‘If it’s a girl, Michelle is a nice name too.’

One US official told the Washington Post that the memo was ‘awkward’ and ‘odd’.

The memo was sent after the US Embassy in Israel advised Americans in the country that they ‘cannot guarantee their safety’.

Shuttles are currently being offered to transport people to a border crossing with Egypt, but the Embassy added: ‘We cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle.

‘If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety.’

Israel has been launching airstrikes against Iranian missile launchers and a nuclear research site, as Iran struck back against Israel and others, targeting US embassies and disrupting energy supplies and travel.

The American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks.

Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, although most of the incoming fire has been intercepted.

Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began.

US embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon said they were closed to the public.

The US State Department said early on Wednesday it had authorised non-emergency government personnel and family members to evacuate Saudi Arabia should they choose to do so due to the war.

The department previously ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

US citizens were urged to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, although many were stranded because of airspace closures.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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