“We are therefore seeking clarity, not least from the UK Government, that no aircraft passing through Scottish Government-owned airports are part of offensive operations against Iran.”

The Scottish Government has asked the UK Government if any military aircraft used in operations in Iran had stopovers in the country. Speaking in the chamber on Tuesday External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson confirmed the Government is seeking clarity that no aircrafts passing through Scotland have been involved in US-Israeli offensive operations in the Middle East.

He said that some Scottish airports are regularly used as an “important stopover point” for air forces. He said: “Glasgow Prestwick Airport and some Highlands and Islands airport limited airports are an important stopover point for many air forces including the UK’s Royal Air Force and other Nato partners such as the United States, and have been for many years.

“This is in line with UK law, international aviation standards and long-standing agreements between allied nations. Prestwick is a civilian facility, and there are, of course, a plethora of military bases available to the United States and the Middle East.

“We have no information on whether any aircraft that passed recently through Scotland or whatever nation were involved in operations against Iran. That said, we believe it is essential that all nations abide by the international rules-based system. The events in Iran over the last few days, do not suggest to us that the United States and Israel have done this.

“It is also the case that the UK Prime Minister has said that UK military bases must not be used in US or Israeli offensive operations against Iran. The same must apply to non-military bases. We are therefore seeking clarity, not least from the UK Government, that no aircraft passing through Scottish Government-owned airports are part of offensive operations against Iran.”

On Monday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended his decision not to allow the US access to UK bases for its initial strikes – a position which has since been reversed following pressure from Washington and states in the Gulf. US President Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” with the initial decision, but Sir Keir told the Commons on Monday he had a “duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest”.

Speaking to the Press Association on Monday, John Swinney voiced his concern over the intervention, but stopped short of saying he considered it illegal.

“I’m deeply concerned by the events in the Middle East over the weekend and I bear no warmth towards the Iranian regime,” he said. “I think it is an oppressive and a repugnant regime, but when I look at the events of the last few days, it becomes ever more clear to me that the United States and Israeli action, the original action, is not compatible with the international rules-based system.

“As a consequence of that, the United Kingdom now finds itself getting dragged into this conflict – an illustration of how quickly these events can escalate from their original foundations – and that’s deeply concerning.”

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said the Conservative Party supports the US decision to launch attacks in Iran. Speaking to the Press Association on Tuesday, he said: “The Conservative Party backs the United States. They are our strongest and most reliable ally. We will support them, and that’s something that we should see happening.

“I think what we need to see happening in the Middle East is a favourable outcome for the people of Iran and long-term security and stability in the region.”

The UK Government has declined to comment.

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“Something I’ve often struggled with, in the middle of a tour, is feeling like I’m not sure what I’m giving, not sure what I’m adding to the world,” he said. “People are giving me so much, which I deeply appreciate. But what am I contributing? At times I felt quite existential about that.”

He was behaving in a threatening manner and using abusive language

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A PE teacher at a top grammar school has been sentenced after he flew into a drunken rage during a flight.

A court has heard how Peter Shepherd was behaving threating manner and using abusive behaviour on board an EasyJet flight.

Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, heard that once the case against Peter Shepherd has concluded, his position will be referred to the Board of Governors at Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

“What is the position with his job, is that in jeopardy?” District Judge Nigel Broderick enquired, BelfastLive reports.

Defence counsel Peter Sands confirmed that while the 49-year-old “continues to work while being supported, they have told him that they will assess the situation once the case has concluded.”

At an earlier hearing, Shepherd, from Whinfield in Larne, had entered guilty pleas to four charges arising from an incident on an EasyJet flight from Hurghada in Egypt on April 20 last year.

The 49-year-old admitted assaulting the female cabin crew manager, using disorderly behaviour, being drunk on an aircraft and behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.

Opening the facts of the case today, a prosecuting lawyer told the court how police were called to Belfast International Airport in the early hours of April 20 following reports of an assault on board the flight.

Officers spoke to the victim who reported that Shepherd had been “acting in a disruptive manner” towards crew members. His behaviour was such that at one point during the flight, a passenger approached her and asked if they “would like for him to be restrained.”

Describing how Shepherd was behaving in a threatening manner and using abusive language, the prosecutor said the assault had been a physical assault, rather than an apprehension.

The court heard that when the cabin manager was speaking to Shepherd about his behaviour, he initially walked away but when he came back at her, he “pressed his forehead into the right side of her face.”

Throughout the assault, Shepherd had been “shouting abuse at her.”

During police interviews, Shepherd “denied the allegations” but admitted he had consumed “a couple of drinks before boarding” and that whilst mid air, he had been drinking from his hip flask.

Lodging a plea in mitigation, Mr Sands, instructed by Reid Black Solicitors, emphasised the PE teacher had admitted his guilt and has “expressed shame, regret and remorse.”

“Clearly, it was very poor behaviour,” the barrister conceded, adding that as “someone who isn’t keen on flying, to put it mildly” Shepherd had consumed more alcohol than he usually would.

Having heard that the defendant’s children were on the flight too, Judge Broderick commented that his behaviour “isn’t a very good example” for them, “not to mention the other passengers.”

“It is a source of embarrassment and shame,” Mr Sands told him.

The judge said he had made the point before that he treated such behaviour on a plane in a serious manner because, “it is a confined space.”

“It’s not like a boat or a train where other passengers can get up and walk away,” he told the court.

As regards the appropriate disposal, Mr Sands confirmed there was “no reason” why Shepherd could not engage in community service.

Judge Broderick told Shepherd it was clear that having admitted his guilt, he had “expressed appropriate remorse, regret and shame.”

He said while he was aware the case “may have an impact on your employment, that is a matter for the school.”

Emphasising that the cabin crew, and particularly the manager, “in no way deserved” to be subjected to such verbal and physical abuse, he imposed a 120-hour community service order “as an alternative to imprisonment.”

In addition to the CSO, Shepherd was also fined a total of £500 and ordered to pay £500 compensation to the lady he assaulted.

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The 24-year-old was sadly found deceased following several search operations after her disappearance

Friends and the local community are rallying around the family of a young mum-of-two who was found dead last month, a week after she went missing.

Caitlin Green from Gilford was sadly found deceased on February 7, following several search operations in Co Armagh after her disappearance in late January.

The 24-year-old was last seen in the Derry Road/Lord Lurgan Park area after leaving a friend’s home nearby at around 12.30pm on Saturday, January 31. Following Caitlin’s disappearance, extensive police searches took place with detectives also reviewing all available CCTV.

READ MORE: ‘I carry you with me always’: Heartbroken mum pays tribute to son who died in London balcony fallREAD MORE: Tributes paid to ‘skilful footballer’ and chef who died in A5 road crash

She left behind a heartbroken family including her two young children, two-year-old Cadáin and 13-month-old Clíodhna; parents Stephanie and Barry; siblings Jason, Lela, Patrick and Lily-Rose and granny Siobhan.

Caitlin was laid to rest following Requiem Mass in St Patrick & St Colman’s Church, Laurencetown, where mourners heard that the young mum had once been commended for her bravery in saving the life of another.

Now a local fundraising page has been set up by family friend Nicola Cully to support Caitlin’s loved ones following her tragic passing.

Nicola told Belfast Live: “Our community has been left devastated by the tragic loss of Caitlin, known lovingly as Caity, a much-loved daughter and mother. She has left behind two beautiful young children who will now grow up without their mummy, and a heartbroken mother, who is not only grieving the unimaginable loss of her daughter but now also carrying the responsibility of supporting her grandchildren.

“As they try to come to terms with their devastating loss, they are also facing the financial pressures that come with laying a loved one to rest and supporting her children in the weeks and months ahead. There are still so many unanswered questions surrounding Caitlin’s passing, and the pain of that uncertainty makes this loss even harder for her family and friends.”

Nicola added: “We are raising funds to help ease some of the financial burden during this incredibly difficult time — to support funeral costs and ensure Caitlin is given the peaceful resting place she deserves, without her family having the added worry of financial strain.

“The GoFundMe page has been created by friends and members of the community who simply want to help ease some of that burden. This is about coming together to support a grieving family and ensuring Caitlin’s children are surrounded by care and security.

“The local community has already shown great compassion, and we hope anyone who is in a position to help will consider supporting the fundraiser or sharing it. Every donation, no matter how small, will go directly towards funeral costs and providing stability for Caitlin’s children during this incredibly difficult time.

“Let’s come together as a community to show love and support to a family facing the unimaginable.”

You can donate to the fundraiser here.

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The owners of the building have pleaded guility in court for failing to make repairs to the historic building

Court action has been taken out against the owner of a building that is falling apart. The former Franks Butchers in Market Place, Wisbech has been left to fall into disrepair.

The Whitfield Group, the building’s owners, has been prosecuted by Fenland District Council for failing to make improvements to the building within two months. At Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on February 17, the Whitfield Group pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the order, which was issued in March last year.

The owners had done some work on the site. Councillor Dee Laws, portfolio holder for planning, said: “We hope this action sends a message to all owners of heritage buildings in Fenland that we won’t stand by and watch them degrade.

“And that now the owners of this building will do the right thing and take the action we’ve ordered to preserve this important building’s future.” The owners now must comply with the order.

The council will work with the owners to agree a reasonable, as soon as possible, deadline for the works to be achieved. While in court, the owners were ordered to pay £810 for not complying with the order. If they fail to meet the next deadline, they could face further prosecution and a daily fine of up to £500.

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LONDON (AP) — Keir Starmer has never had a bad word to say in public about Donald Trump.

That is not being reciprocated now as the American president lambasts the British prime minister over his reluctance to join the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said Tuesday at the White House, blasting Britain’s reluctance to let U.S. warplanes use its bases.

The dispute is roiling a relationship that Starmer worked hard to forge, and further straining trans-Atlantic ties frayed by Trump’s “America first” foreign policy and transactional approach to international relations.

Even after the British base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by an Iran-made drone over the weekend, Starmer said that the United Kingdom “will not join offensive action.” He said Tuesday that a Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Dragon, and Wildcat helicopters with counter-drone capabilities were being sent to the region as part of “defensive operations.” British forces have also shot down drones in Jordanian and Iraqi airspace, the government said.

Starmer has offered a rare, though implicit, rebuke of the U.S. president, saying Monday that the U.K. government doesn’t believe in “regime change from the skies.”

“Any U.K. actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan,” Starmer told lawmakers in the House of Commons on Monday.

“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest,” Starmer added.

The Financial Times called it Starmer’s “Love Actually moment” — a reference to the 2003 movie scene in which a British prime minister played by Hugh Grant stands up to a bullying U.S. president played by Billy Bob Thornton.

Friction between the two leaders has been building for months. Trump’s threat to take over Greenland was denounced by Starmer and other European leaders earlier this year. Recently, Trump has condemned Britain’s agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius, despite his administration earlier backing the deal.

Peter Ricketts, a former head of the U.K. Foreign Office, told The Observer newspaper that under Trump, “the Americans have effectively given up on any effort to be consistent with international law.”

That is a red line for the law-abiding Starmer, a barrister and former chief prosecutor for England and Wales.

The spat is a setback for Starmer’s efforts to woo Trump since the president’s return to office in 2025. The British government rolled out the red carpet to the president for a state visit as the guest of King Charles III, and Starmer consistently has praised Trump’s efforts — so far unsuccessful — to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Iran war has also divided European leaders, who fall along a spectrum from condemnation to support.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that he unreservedly approves of Trump’s decision to attack Iran and kill its supreme leader, and called the war crucial for Europe’s security.

The U.K., France and Germany jointly said that they weren’t involved in the strikes, but were prepared to enable “necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the strikes as “unjustifiable” and “dangerous.”

Polling suggests many Britons are skeptical of the U.S. justification for war. But politicians to the right of Starmer’s Labour Party slammed the prime minister for not joining the offensive. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said that her party “stands behind America taking this necessary action against state-sponsored terror.”

Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty denied the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship” was on the ropes.

“Our relationship with the United States is strong,” he said Tuesday in the House of Commons. “It has endured, it continues to endure, and it will endure into the future on both the economic and the security fronts.”

Yvonne Ford was scratched by a dog while on holiday

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It was too late to save a grandmother’s life as she was diagnosed with rabies months after being grazed by a dog in Morocco, an inquest has heard.

Sheffield Coroner’s Court heard today (March 3) how Yvonne Ford, from Yorkshire, suffered several seemingly unexplainable symptoms for months.

The 59-year-old grandmother had gone to hospitals in Barnsley and Wakefield several times, reporting an insect bite above her ankle.

Her family say the Barnsley woman had been bitten by a stray dog in Morocco when she got up from a sunbed and startled it. They thought little of the scratch it left behind, simply wiping it with a wet wipe.

It wasn’t until she was referred to a mental health team at Barnsley Hospital last June that she was diagnosed with rabies, reports Yorkshire Live.

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Yvonne, who leaves behind two children and four grandchildren, died at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, assistant coroner Marilyn Whittle explained to the jury of nine women and three men.

A rabies expert said doctors at Barnsley Hospital “were on the right track” as they struggled to find a diagnosis for Yvonne’s rare symptoms.

The inquest heard how Yvonne was admitted to Barnsley Hospital on June 2 after several medical appointments in March and April. She was suffering from “severe headaches” and a range of other symptoms, including poor mobility, struggling to drink, hallucinations, anxiety, disorientation and severe agitation.

Doctors at Barnsley Hospital were unable to provide a diagnosis, the jury was told. Junior doctor Dr Awan said: “In view of her current symptoms, we were still trying to find the organic cause. At the moment when we asked about travel history, it was made known that there were some insect bites above the ankle. We were investigating some kind of tick bite encephalitis.

“We were still trying to find if it was neurological or if there was any other cause. There was unexplained anxiety. For the nausea, we weren’t too sure. For the dehydration, there was no working diagnosis. Essentially, there was no working diagnosis at this point.”

On June 6, she was referred to the mental health liaison unit at Barnsley Hospital. Psychiatrist Dr Alex Burns reviewed Yvonne and admitted he had concerns about an infectious disease causing her hallucinations, agitation and anxiety.

Dr Burns said: “I had asked about travel, and I had asked about insect bites. It was very unclear what the diagnosis was. I wanted to think a bit more outside the box and think about rare conditions, including travel-related ones.” Yvonne’s husband informed Dr Burns they had travelled to Morocco in February. He told Dr Burns Yvonne was bitten by a dog on a beach after she startled it by getting up from a sunbed.

Dr Burns added: “I didn’t know all of the symptoms of rabies at that point, but after I spoke to Yvonne’s husband, I did speak to the medical team in the office, and that was to discuss what I had found out so far. At that point, because my knowledge of rabies was limited, I did look into it more regarding the symptoms, and it became clear that all of Yvonne’s symptoms could be explained by that diagnosis at that point.”

Yvonne’s daughter, Robyn Thomson, told Dr Burns: “We see you as a turning point into mum’s care, and we thank you for that.”

Rabies expert Dr Katharine Cartwright, consultant physician at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, defended the medical treatment Yvonne received. “This was a rare presentation of something rare. This was incredibly rare,” she said.

“A rabies diagnosis is so unusual, so out of everyone’s experience, I think it’s not unreasonable for it not to have been considered within a few days. Half of the American rabies diagnoses were made post-mortem. The fact we got a diagnosis of rabies before Yvonne died is good.”

Dr Cartwright explained that there had only been 26 recorded rabies cases in the UK since 1946. Once bitten or scratched, rabies has a near-100 per cent fatality rate, she said, adding: “Once the symptoms start, death within a couple of weeks is the norm. That means the virus has started to replicate in the brain, and it’s not salvageable from that point.”

Dr Cartwright said there was “no way to say when the virus reached her spinal cord”, after which there was no medical treatment. She said the cause of death was 1a rabies encephalitis.

Reviewed by Simon Lewis

Side sleepers often complain that pillows are too thin to support their necks. The answer would seem to be a thicker, firmer pillow – and that’s what we have here, in spades.

Panda’s hybrid pillow is five or six inches thick, which is just right for me but may be too much for smaller people or those with narrow shoulders, since there’s not much give in it. Being firm, it doesn’t lend itself well to sitting up in bed and reading, when you want to be able to fold your pillow.

The reason it won’t easily fold is a cell of charcoal-infused bamboo foam at its core, which wicks away moisture and heat and neutralises odours. It’s full of holes to improve breathability and to keep those holes open it needs to be fairly stiff.

I actually like the uncompromising firmness. I also like the sheer width: it covers a lot of space, which means you can change positions a lot and always find a cool spot to lay on. If you’ve never tried bamboo, it is beautifully soft: a bit like cashmere but less fluffy and with a soothing effect. You don’t need a pillowcase (not many will be big enough anyway): you just remove the cover and machine-wash it.

I sleep brilliantly on the Panda Hybrid, but it might be a good idea to try one out in-store to check it’s not too thick for you.

In the same range:

Panda’s standard memory foam pillow, which is a little thinner with more give, may be a better bet.

Key specifications

• Fill type: Charcoal-infused bamboo memory foam and bamboo and recycled polyester microfibre
• Firmness level: Firm
• Sizes available: Standard

In the annual State of the Union address in late February, the US president, Donald Trump, declared: “This is the golden age of America.” In a lengthy and wide-ranging address, the president told his fellow Americans that the nation was “bigger, better, richer and stronger” than ever before.

The US economy, and specifically the cost of living, was the key issue with voters in the 2024 presidential election. Exit polls from key states showed that, among voters who said the economy was the most important issue for them, 90% voted for Trump.

However, results from a more recent poll suggest voters are not happy with his economic agenda. Among the more than 2,500 adults surveyed, 57% said they disapprove of the way the president is managing the economy, 65% disapprove of the way he is handling inflation and 64% disapprove of how he is handing tariffs.

With mid-term elections coming in November, the economy is likely to continue to be a key factor with US voters. So are the president’s bold claims supported by the data?

On the president’s claim that inflation is “plummeting”, he can indeed claim success. At the start of his second term in January 2025, inflation was 3%. By January 2026, this had dropped to 2.4% and is now closing in on the 2% target set by the Federal Reserve, the US’s central bank. The rate of increase in prices is slowing and this should ease cost-of-living pressures for US consumers.

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Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve risk fuelling US inflation and ending dollar dominance

What about the claim that the US economy is “roaring like never before”? In 2025, the economy grew at 2.2%, lower than the 2.8% growth during President Joe Biden’s last year in office but above the average growth of around 2% achieved over the last few decades.

So while “roaring” might be an exaggeration, given there was a 43-day government shutdown in the last quarter of 2025 the US economy is achieving impressive growth. The International Monetary Fund expects the US to grow at the fastest rate among the world’s most advanced economies again in 2026.

Trump is often keen to cite the US stock market as an indicator of how well the country’s economy is performing. In his address he said the stock market had set “53 all-time record highs” since his election.

This is true, and in early February the Dow Jones index crossed the historic milestone of 50,000 points. Overall, the US stock market gained 19% in the period from January 2025 until February 2026. However, analysis shows that when compared to stock market returns from other advanced economies, the US ranks 21st out of 23 countries with only New Zealand and Denmark indices doing worse.

Campaigning in 2024, Trump had pledged to slash energy prices by 50%. In his address, he claimed that reductions in energy prices that were like “another big tax cut” for US consumers.

However, in the 12 months to January 2026, electricity prices rose by 6.3%, more than double the rate of inflation. Natural gas prices rose by 9.8% during the same period. Energy-hungry data centres to feed the AI boom are a key driver of US energy prices and this trend looks set to continue in the short term at least.

Job creation has historically been a key metric with US voters. On this issue the president told his audience there were more Americans working “than ever before”. With around 164 million Americans in work, this statement is true. The US is experiencing population growth, and so it is not surprising that the number of people in employment is rising.

However, the US unemployment rate was 4.3% in January 2026, a slight increase on the 4% rate in January 2025. The US added an average of 49,000 jobs per month in 2025, down from an estimated gain of 168,000 a month the year before.

Economic challenges remain

Tariffs have been the cornerstone of Trump’s second-term economic policy agenda. He even claimed they helped drive US stock market prices to historic highs, although there is little evidence to support this.

There was only a brief mention in his State of the Union speech regarding the US Supreme Court decision ruling against his liberation day tariffs, describing it as “unfortunate”.

The US government is now facing more than 2,000 lawsuits from companies looking to reclaim US$175 billion (£131 billion) in tariffs they have paid since last April. Experts agree that the situation is a mess and the uncertainty around how or whether tariffs will be applied going forward will only deepen this.

It is not surprising that tariffs are unpopular with US consumers. Research from the New York Federal Reserve found that nearly 90% of the economic burden of tariffs fell on US firms and consumers. The Tax Foundation, aou non-partisan thinktank, estimates that tariffs amounted to an average tax increase of US$1,000 per US household in 2025. The US bombing of Iran could drive up oil prices and this may fuel inflation in the coming months.

There are also rising concerns among the president’s Maga base about the potential effect of AI on jobs and energy prices. Polling for the Financial Times found about 60% of Trump voters were concerned about AI’s rapid development and almost 80% believed the technology needed more regulation.

US taxpayers are due to start receiving some of the US$4.8 trillion in tax cuts promised by the president’s One Big Beautiful Act passed in 2025. But with the midterms looming, it remains to be seen how much credit the president will get for this.

This recipe comes from Dee Retalli, co-founder of at Fortitude Bakehouse in London, where fermentation plays a key role in the intense flavour of the cakes. It’s optional here, but do try it if you have time. You might think apple and tarragon are an odd pairing, but it really works. The cake keeps well in an airtight container for a week.

Requires cooling and chilling time, and optional fermentation time