The UK, France and Spain are among the nations sending warships, jets and troops to the region to bolster their defences and protect their allies, while states across the Middle East, as well as Cyprus, Turkey and Azerbaijan, have been affected by Iranian drones and missiles. The US is also not restricting its strikes against the Islamic regime to any geographical boundary, with an American submarine sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka. Follow live updates on the Iran war Warnings about World War Three have long been voiced ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. That was because of fears the conflict could spill over into neighbouring NATO states in Europe, drawing the nuclear-armed alliance into direct confrontation with Moscow, which also has a large arsenal of nuclear weapons. This risk remains. But the world has just become even more combustible because of the US president's decision, along with Israel, to attack Iran with a ferocity of firepower that exceeded the opening days of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since the fighting began on 28 February, the US military says it has struck more than 3,000 targets. Israeli warplanes have also conducted hundreds of sorties. The onslaught claimed the life of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, in the opening salvo. In response, Iranian forces have fired multiple waves of missiles and drones against US forces in the region and Israel, but also against Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and even Oman, despite Muscat having played an important role in negotiating between Tehran and Washington in the past. The Iranian president on Saturday issued an apology to his neighbours, and said there would be no more strikes against them, provided that no attacks targeting his country originate from US forces on their respective territories. However, Iranian munitions have continued to hit Gulf states, though perhaps not at the same intensity. The US military has said it has already seriously degraded Iran's ability to attack, with Mr Trump warning of even more devastating strikes to come Yet the Iranian side is vowing to keep fighting rather than heed American demands to surrender. Pete Hegseth, who describes himself as the US secretary of war, has said the American operation could last eight weeks - an indication of the sheer number of targets the US must have amassed. Mr Trump has vowed to destroy all Iranian missile and naval capabilities, and to prevent the country from ever having a nuclear weapons programme. However, the longer the attacks continue, the greater the risk of miscalculation that could ignite an even wider war. Read more:Revealed: What Trump told Iraqi Kurdish leadersBattle-hardened fighters ready to put boots on ground The battle lines in the Middle East already have crossovers with Russia's war in Europe, though they have not really reached Asia, with China so far giving a muted response. Moscow has for years received weapons from Tehran, while Kyiv is backed by a coalition of allies, including the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Canada. The US is also an important source of munitions for Ukraine. Now reports are emerging of Russian forces providing intelligence to Iran that could help Tehran target American warships, troops and bases in the Gulf. At the same time, the US has asked Ukrainian soldiers for support in countering Iranian drones. These alliances and allegiances underline the complexity of the chaos - and just how dangerous a moment this is.

During the ceremony, as Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award on stage, a racial slur was shouted out by Tourette's campaigner John Davidson, who was there to celebrate a film about his life. The BBC failed to cut the slur from its broadcast of the 22 February event, and viewers could see the offending moment for more than 12 hours before the programme was taken down from BBC iPlayer. In a letter to Dame Caroline Dinenage, chairwoman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Mr Davie said the BBC made a "genuine mistake" in allowing the racial slur to be broadcast. He said: "I want to assure you that the BBC profoundly regrets the events around the broadcast of the BAFTAs on Sunday 22 February. "The BBC has apologised for the serious mistake that was made, in allowing a racial slur to be broadcast and then remain on iPlayer overnight and into Monday morning. "We understand the hurt and shock that the mistake caused. I'd like to make clear: although the racial slur was symptomatic of a disability and an involuntary tic, it should never have been broadcast. "It was a genuine mistake, and we take full responsibility for our error." It came as a message to BBC employees, seen by Sky News, reveals "frustration" within the corporation about the way the fall out from the controversy had been handled. The email from BBC chief content officer, Kate Philips sent on Friday afternoon says an investigation into the BAFTAs broadcast is ongoing and acknowledges the "upset and hurt" caused. Ms Philips also tells BBC staff: I've really appreciated your honesty as you've detailed the impact this has had. "I know there is frustration that my first email didn't give more detail, but I thought it was more important to reach out to you all at that point, than wait until I had a further update." Mr Davie who announced his resignation in November - said that there were two incidents where a racial slur was shouted during the ceremony. Regarding the incident where Jordan and Lindo were on stage, he said: "Although this is the subject of ongoing review, our initial evidence gathering has found that no one in the on-site broadcast truck heard this when they were watching the live feed. "Because no one in the broadcast truck was aware it was on the live feed, there was therefore no editorial decision made to leave the language in." The BAFTAs programme was edited down from the three-hour live show filmed two hours earlier that evening, and went out on BBC1 at 7pm. Read more from Sky News:Four arrested in UK on suspicion of spying for IranBAFTAs host addresses 'trauma triggering' broadcast Both Lindo and Jordan appeared to pause after the insult was heard, then continued their presentation. Davidson, who was attending the ceremony as the inspiration behind the film I Swear, which dramatises his life, said he is "deeply mortified" his involuntary tics caused him to blurt out the offensive language. The backlash to the incident overshadowed the film's success at the ceremony, with relative newcomer Robert Aramayo, who plays Davidson, taking home the best actor award over the likes of Oscar favourite Timothee Chalamet and Hollywood royalty Leonardo DiCaprio.

Kemi Badenoch said there was a need to reduce the capability of Iran to attack British bases, adding that the UK is currently just "catching arrows". Defence Secretary John Healey said her comments "insults the men and women of our Armed Forces" and that she should apologise. On Saturday, the leader of the Opposition said she was "not going to apologise" for criticising the government's refusal to order the RAF to target Iranian missile launchers, rather than intercepting rockets and drones once they're in the air. While she didn't directly refer to her "hanging around" remark, she hit out at Mr Healey, saying she would never criticise British troops or service personnel. Speaking at the Conservative Party's spring conference in Harrogate, Ms Badenoch said: "I think that it is a disgrace that rather than get a grip and get HMS Dragon out of Portsmouth, our defence secretary is busy criticising me and trying to make it look like I'm criticising our troops. I would never do that." Ms Badenoch originally said on Friday that there needed to be an effort to stop missiles from being launched, instead of just focusing on shooting them down. "You can't always wait for people to attack you. Sometimes you have to make sure that you get there first to stop their ability to hurt your citizens," she said. "They're not doing enough...What they're doing is catching arrows," she told BBC Breakfast. "It's not working. We need to actually make sure our bases aren't being hit." Pressed on whether she supported firing on Iranian missile bases, she said she did, adding: "What else are our jets doing, just hanging around there? "They need to be able to see who is attacking us and stop them from firing at British soldiers or even British people in hotels." Read more from Sky News:Water companies using bailiffs to collect debtsSeven dead in Russian strikes in Ukraine On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, said RAF jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests. He stressed that F35 and Typhoon jets were currently only shooting down missiles and drones fired by Iran at allies in the region. The UK has already given the US permission to use British bases to carry out defensive strikes against Iran's missile facilities. The controversy comes as Ms Badenoch launches her most scathing attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to date, calling him a "political hostage, held at the behest of a load of half-rate left-wing MPs". In a speech at the Conservative spring conference in Harrogate today, the Tory leader will accuse the prime minister of "sitting on the fence" while the rest of the world rearms. Kemi Badenoch claims Labour is "nothing like the patriotic party of yesteryear" and is "playing student politics" over the Iran war.

The trip, which is a crucial part of preparations for this summer's Women's T20 World Cup, was due to take place in Abu Dhabi, but due to the ongoing political situation in the Middle East, it had to be relocated to South Africa from March 10-27. There are eight players on the tour yet to make an England appearance, with Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Jodi Grewcock, Grace Potts, Grace Scrivens, Alexa Stonehouse, Davina Perrin, Rhianna Southby and Ellie Threlkeld all getting their chance to impress the England selectors. England out to 'capture nation' at Women's T20 World CupEngland to face Scotland and Ireland at T20 World CupNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with NOWChoose the Sky Sports push notifications you want The teams have been named after Jan Brittin and Rachael Heyhoe Flint, two legends of English cricket who both lifted a World Cup trophy on home soil. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will lead Team Brittin, coached by Jon JJ Lewis, and vice-captain Charlie Dean has taken charge of Team Heyhoe Flint, coached by Luke Williams. Head Coach Charlotte Edwards will work across both squads. Edwards said: "This is a big opportunity for every player involved to put their hand up and demonstrate that they're an invaluable part of our World Cup plans. "It's the same chance for every player, whether they're new to the team or they've played 100 games. We want to use this series as a chance to stretch ourselves and put ourselves under pressure in competitive match situations. "We've had two training camps this year, in Oman and Stellenbosch, which focused on skills. Adding a more competitive element is our next step and I'm really pleased with how the group is coming along ahead of a massive summer." Team Heyhoe Flint (Coach: Luke Williams)Em Arlott (Warwickshire)Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze)Tilly Corteen-Coleman (Surrey)Charlie Dean (Somerset, captain)Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire)Mahika Gaur (Lancashire)Dani Gibson (Somerset)Jodi Grewcock (Essex)Amy Jones (The Blaze)Heather Knight (Somerset)Emma Lamb (Lancashire)Grace Potts (Lancashire)Grace Scrivens (Essex)Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey/Warwickshire)Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Surrey) Team Brittin (Coach: Jon JJ Lewis)Lauren Bell (Hampshire)Maia Bouchier (Hampshire)Alice Capsey (Surrey)Sophia Dunkley (Surrey)Lauren Filer (Durham)Freya Kemp (Hampshire)Charis Pavely (Warwickshire)Davina Perrin (Warwickshire)Paige Scholfield (Surrey)Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze, captain)Linsey Smith (Hampshire)Rhianna Southby (Hampshire)Ellie Threlkeld (Lancashire)Mady Villiers (Durham)Issy Wong (Warwickshire) The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup gets under way on June 12 as England face Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, with the final taking place at Lord's on July 5. Watch every single game live on Sky Sports or stream contract-free.

Donald Trump had barely left the tarmac at Dover Air Base, a president in mournful respect for America's fallen, when his attention turned to the UK prime minister. Trump is clearly bruised by an old ally turning its back in his hour of need. This is, after all, a president who maintains America's alliances on America's terms, who questions why international law should come between old friends. Iran war latest: follow live On Iran, the legality of conflict remains a point of contention. That matters to a warrior president in a fight to justify conflict in Iran and, possibly, elsewhere (Trump can't stop talking about change in Cuba). Polls show a majority of Americans against the military intervention, and the country is facing the threat of gas prices going up. Trump needs political capital and, as such, could well use the validation of allies. Starmer hasn't been alone in standing firm against Trump on Iran, but the president has picked the special relationship for special treatment. The UK prime minister has invested heavily in building a rapport with Trump, styling himself as the bridge-builder across the Atlantic. Read more:Analysis: Donald Trump's war with Iran is going globalWhat is the strategy behind US and Israel's strikes? It's also hardly surprising when the US president picks him as the point man on points of conflict. And yet, it had been a day of dignity at Dover Air Base in Delaware. In this conflict, from this White House, dignity isn't a given. Dover Air Force Base was the setting for Saturday's "dignified transfer" of the six American soldiers killed in combat. The president cut a figure of mournful respect as he stood in honour of the six US soldiers killed in combat, the solemn duty of a commander-in-chief. It was an image in contrast to the picture presented by his administration during a week of hostilities. Take a look at the social media content posted in recent days by White House staffers. They've posted short films portraying the attack on Iraq as a video game. Footage of destruction is intercut with "point-of-view" video in which you, the viewer, are holding the weapon. You can almost hear the sniggering and high-fiving of a production team playing it for likes. It's jingoism and triumphalism for the modern age, and, in conflict, maybe there's a place for both. In the context, it's also tone deaf and tasteless. This military campaign has claimed hundreds of lives of various nationalities across a wide area, and Trump is warning there will "likely" be more US casualties. Currently, the Americans face questions over possible involvement in the bombing of a girl's school that killed more than 160 youngsters - something Trump claimed was "done by Iran" during a gaggle on Air Force One. The reminders are everywhere of the horrors of war and its enduring trauma. This is a military action with so many uncertainties surrounding its rationale and its objectives. To spin it as entertainment on social media is to diminish the impact on all concerned. It is jarring, as is the hyperbole passing as commentary by the administration's political players. The dignified transfer of US troops threw a focus back onto the absolute certainty of war, reinforced through time - its tragedy and its loss, laid bare. There are no likes in that.

The 44-year-old star spent the night in the cells after being detained by officers on Wednesday evening, a California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesperson confirmed. She has been scheduled to appear in court on 4 May. Meanwhile, her Instagram account, on which she frequently shares short videos of herself dancing in her living room, appears to have been deactivated. Searching for the account, which had more than 42m followers, now brings up the message "Sorry, this page isn't available". The singer "showed signs of impairment and submitted to a series of field sobriety tests" after being pulled over, police said. The spokesperson said: "At approximately 8.48pm, a black BMW 430i was reported to the CHP's Ventura Communications Centre for driving erratically at a high rate of speed on southbound US-101 near the Borchard Road exit in Newbury Park." Spears, who police said was alone in the car, was later arrested for "driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol" and taken to Ventura County Main Jail, north west of Los Angeles. Ventura County Sheriff's Office online records give Spears' height as 5ft 5ins and her occupation as "celebrity". Chemical test results are pending and the investigation is ongoing, police said. She was released from jail at around 6am local time. Her representative said, after the news emerged, that her arrest was "completely inexcusable" and the incident "can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney's life". In a statement, they said: "This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable. "Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney's life. "Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time. "Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well-being." In 2007, Spears avoided a criminal hit-and-run trial by paying for damages after photographers pictured Spears steering her car into another vehicle as she tried to park in a California car park and walking away after assessing the damage to her own car. In 2021, she went through a high-profile court battle to end the 13-year conservatorship that had allowed her father to control her freedom and finances due to concerns over her mental health. While Spears has not released new music for several years, in February, she sold part of her rights to her back catalogue to music publisher Primary Wave. While the exact fee is unknown, Sources told TMZ the deal was of similar value to the $200m (£150m) deal signed by Justin Bieber when he sold his back catalogue. In 2024, Spears said she would "never return to the music industry" and shut down speculation that a new album was on the way.

While there are often briefings out of cabinet and Parliamentary Labour Party meetings, revealing details of top-secret talks held by the NSC "should be a red line", the former deputy Labour leader said. Her comments on Sky's Electoral Dysfunction podcast come after intimate details of NSC deliberations held just preceding and following the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran were revealed by The Spectator. Iran war latest - follow live The magazine reported that at a meeting last Friday, Sir Keir Starmer wanted to allow the US to use British bases for political reasons, but was blocked by four cabinet ministers, led by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. The prime minister then agreed to it for defensive purposes on Sunday after the US made a formal request the previous day. Although Sir Keir has said there was not a "specific decision to be made" on the Friday, the government has not denied the story, so this appears to be the first leak of top-secret NSC deliberations since 2019. 👉 Listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈 Speaking to our political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harman hit out at the leaker or leakers, saying national security discussions need to be held in private. She said: "The prime minister has got to be able to go to his NSC and discuss issues with colleagues - that's how government functions." 'Red line' has been crossed Details of cabinet meetings and weekly meetings of Labour MPs often leak, and although Harman "disapproves" of that, "it's not the end of the world". "But there should be a real red line against briefing out of National Security Council," she continued. "It's particularly worrying because it seems the briefing is not criticising the decision. They're supporting the decision, but they're just saying it wasn't Keir Starmer's original decision - he was just overridden by other members of the cabinet. "So I think it's utterly dysfunctional and destructive, and I thoroughly disapprove of it. I'm really dismayed about it. "Any prime minister needs to be able to discuss with the cabinet colleagues in the NSC and actually not be undermined." Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying the NSC should be "a sacrosanct space where the most top-level security people" are "able to discuss things and make decisions in the national interest". Read more from Sky News:Trump sacks Kristi NoemUK diesel hits 16-month high Leaks from the NSC are rare, and the last time conversations appeared in the media was in 2019, when contents of two meetings were published in newspapers. In September that year, details of an NSC meeting about bringing back the British children of Islamic State fighters in camps in northern Syria were published by the Mail On Sunday. Before that, in April, details of an NSC meeting about whether Chinese firm Huawei should be involved in the UK's 5G network were published in The Daily Telegraph. Then prime minister Theresa May launched an internal leak inquiry, which led to the firing of the then defence secretary, Sir Gavin Williamson, although he denied being responsible. Downing Street has not said if Sir Keir has launched an inquiry after the leak of last week's NSC meetings.

The UK Open was the first major final Humphries reached in his career back in 2021 but he could not make it into Finals day once this time around due to some poor doubling by himself and some strong doubling for his opponent. Noppert continues his chase for a second UK Open win after his 2022 victory and his first big-stage victory over the world No 2 will only boost his confidence. UK Open 2026: As it happened!UK Open 2026 schedule and resultsLatest Premier League Darts schedule and results 📅Got Sky? Watch on the Sky Sports app 📱Not got Sky? Get instant access with NOW 📺 Noppert took a narrow 3-2 lead early on but from there, Humphries' doubling cost him and gave 'The Freeze' ample opportunity to pull away and go 7-3 ahead. The struggles Humphries was facing on the outer ring were laid bare and his frustration was clear for all to see as the former world champion hit just three out of 19 doubles after 10 legs with opportunities to win seven of them. It looked all but done as Humphries strayed on a tops, tops finish and Noppert broke the throw to move 9-4 ahead. However, Humphries found his scoring and brought the score to 9-6. Despite the threat of a fightback, Noppert wrapped things up on D8 in the next leg. "I have lifted it once, why not twice?" Noppert reflected after his epic showing. He now has to take on Littler who continued the defence of his title with a strong 10-4 victory over Gary Anderson in the last 16. Up until this contest, Anderson had been the best player in the competition, while Littler is without doubt the best player on planet darts. With that in mind, a cracker of a contest was expected but instead it turned into Littler's most convincing display of the tournament so far. Although Anderson started well in the first leg, it was all Littler from then as he found a different level with a 117 checkout and 11-dart leg to break the throw on the way to romping into a 4-1 lead. After losing five legs on the spin, Anderson managed to stop the rot but still went into the final break with a 7-3 deficit. The 'Flying Scotsman' upped his level with comprehensive holds of throw but it was too little, too late as Littler just kept his over 100 average and sealed the win with a 78 checkout in just the second meeting between two juggernauts. Wade surges past MVG as Price produces stunning comeback Wade put in an astonishing showing with an over 105 average in a 10-3 demolition of Michael van Gerwen. There appeared to be nothing to separate the two darting stalwarts prior to play and it became clear why in the first session, a break apiece plus two holds for Wade giving him a narrow 3-2 advantage. However, the second session was all about 'The Machine' as his 106 average saw him reach new heights while taking four legs on the spin with an 11-dart break of throw plus a 124 break on the bull. Van Gerwen hit back with a break of his own but Wade did not slow down, and another 11-dart break had him 7-3 up even with the Dutchman averaging over 102 himself. It was clear MVG could not believe the levels he was seeing from Wade but the Englishman lived up to his nickname as he just kept on going in sensational fashion, picking up the three legs he needed in double quick time as he continues his chase to win this tournament for a fifth time. He will now face Rob Cross who dispatched Daryl Gurney in a 10-6 showing. Meanwhile, Gerwyn Price battled from 9-4 down against Keane Barry to reel off six legs in a row to set up a quarter-final against Welsh compatriot Jonny Clayton who came through a 10-7 win over Martin Lukeman. Barry looked in control against the 'Iceman' but then a run of incredible legs including two 12-darters and two 15-darters helped Price take it to a decider, clinching the almighty comeback on 40 with a 14-darter. To complete the quarter-final lineup, Josh Rock set up a clash with Krzysztof Ratajski thanks to a tough 10-7 victory over Stephen Bunting. There was not much separating Bunting and Rock, the pair breaking each other throughout. However, the Northern Irishman went into the driving seat when he moved 6-4 ahead with a lovely 107 checkout. Rock kept his cool and in the pivotal moment found another break of throw with some power scoring in the 14th leg to move 8-6 ahead, a hold then break in the 17th was enough to power him into the quarters 2026 Ladbrokes UK Open: Quarter-finals:Krzysztof Ratajski vs Josh RockJames Wade vs Rob CrossLuke Littler vs Danny NoppertJonny Clayton vs Gerwyn Price Who will win this year's Premier League Darts? Watch Night Six live on Thursday March 12 from 7pm on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports+. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.