He also said he'd had the option of deploying HMS Dragon to the Mediterranean for weeks. Interviewed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the minister was asked by Sky's Europe correspondent Ali Bunkall if he could rule out Britain joining the conflict in an offensive capacity. He responded: "As circumstances in any conflict change, you've got to be willing to adapt the action you take." Iran war latest: First UK evacuation flight departsPolitics latest: PM to 'stand firm' by British values Mr Healey then listed defensive measures that were being taken, including the use of anti-drone helicopters, deploying HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean, and bringing in planners to co-ordinate an international response. Pressed on whether he would rule out British aircraft taking part in offensive operations over Iran, Mr Healey again demurred. "Everything that we have done is defensive, is legal, and is coordinated with other allies," he said. The minister's visit to the island comes after a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri on Monday, with two more UAVs intercepted en-route to the base later that day. During his visit, Mr Healey met with his Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas "to discuss how the UK is further reinforcing our air defences to support our shared security", a government spokesman said. Iran has been unleashing rocket and drone attacks across the Middle East after the US and Israel launched a joint-attack on the country on Saturday. In the aftermath of Monday's drone attack, the decision was made to deploy HMS Dragon, an air-defence warship, to the Mediterranean. But Sky News revealed on Wednesday that the ship was not ready to depart and would not sail until next week. Asked when the option of deploying HMS Dragon first crossed his desk, Mr Healey deflected. Read more:Kurdish fighters chomping at the bit to fight Iran regimeUK terror threat 'absolutely' under review after Iran strikes He said it was one of the options he'd had available when he made decisions weeks before the start of the conflict to strengthen British defences in the region. He added that the decision to deploy the warship had been taken because the government was "now in a position to judge better the nature of the Iranian response".

The star was detained by highway patrol officers at 9.28pm on Wednesday and released at 6.07am, according to Ventura County Sheriff's Office. Its online records give Spears' height as 5ft 5ins and her occupation as "celebrity". She has been scheduled to appear in court on 4 May. Various US media reports say she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in California. 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." Ventura County, where she was arrested, is an area to the north of Los Angeles that's home to many celebrities. The singer went through a high-profile court battle in 2021 to end the legal arrangement that had allowed her father to control her freedom and finances due to concerns over her mental health. Spears has been musically inactive for years and has not released an album for a decade. However, her hits such as Toxic and Baby One More Time remain popular and last month it was reported she had sold the rights to her work. Sources told TMZ the deal was in the ballpark of the $200m (£150m) deal signed by Justin Bieber when he sold his back catalogue. Such agreements allow a company to license the performer's music for use in adverts, films, TV and gaming.

Reportedly relayed to the Mail on Sunday while he was leader of the opposition in 1994, many will now wonder why Tony Blair did not rely on his own words when deciding whether to join the US in the invasion of Iraq nearly a decade later. The spectre of a second Gulf War hangs over all talk of UK foreign intervention, but it is felt most acutely on the Labour benches. When Sir Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that he had given permission for US warplanes to fly defensive missions into Iran from UK bases, he pointedly referred to events two decades ago saying, "we all remember the mistakes of Iraq". He now finds himself with the polar opposite problem to Tony Blair - an apparently fraying relationship with the US borne out of his decision to initially say no to facilitating attacks on Iran. Add into that, allies in the region sounding off about the apparent lack of a sufficient military response from the UK to help repel Iranian reprisals. The prime minister's first press conference since this war began was an attempt to answer these criticisms. On our military presence, he pointed to British fighter jets that had been deployed in the run-up to the conflict - and announced that more were on the way to the region. There was also a defence of the UK government's relatively critical tone towards the US-led operation. The decision not to join the strikes was "deliberate" and "I stand by it", Sir Keir said. At this point, it's worth playing a counterfactual mental exercise and asking how the last six days would have played out if the UK had allowed its bases to be initially used - even for defensive strikes - from the start of this conflict. I would hazard an almighty row within government and Labour about international law, the apparent imbalance in the 'special relationship' and, yes, probably a lot of discussion about Iraq too. In other words, for this prime minister, you can see the logic behind his critical approach. With the outcome of this conflict so uncertain, the jury must still also be out over the wisdom of striking a warmer tone and then potentially being forced to defend that decision if and when the war goes south. Read more from Sky News:Kirsti Noem sacked as US homeland security secretaryDefence secretary refuses to rule out Britain joining strikes on Iran All the more intriguing then are reports in the Spectator magazine that Sir Keir had actually been open to granting pre-emptive permission to the US but was essentially blocked from doing it by his cabinet. Asked about this in his briefing, he chose his words carefully: "No request from the US came in the specific terms we acceded until Saturday afternoon." It all - once again - leads us to questions about where power lies in this government and the prime minister's ability to stamp his will across Whitehall. But would an earlier acceptance of the use of UK air bases really led to a markedly different response from Donald Trump? Perhaps, as it often is in politics, this is - in part - a question of presentation. To return to Tony Blair, in a recent documentary, the former New Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw described his former boss's - at times valuable, at times dangerous - ability to lead people to "[draw] from what he was saying, what they wanted to hear". If Sir Keir Starmer was looking for lessons from his predecessor, perhaps this one could prove more useful when dealing with politicians both at home and abroad. Having the courage to say no, but the canniness to make people hear yes.

England conceded over 250 in a T20 international for the first time as India posted a massive 253-7 after being inserted at the toss, but Bethell's 45-ball hundred took Harry Brook's side to the cusp of a remarkable victory. Bethell shared in a superb 77-run partnership with Will Jacks (35 off 20) for the fifth wicket, leaving England needing a gettable 82 off the final six overs when the latter departed. Axar Patel, who had earlier taken a terrific, tumbling catch over his shoulder to dismiss Brook (7), also played his part in a stunning relayed effort on the boundary to do for Jacks. Scorecard: England vs India, T20 World CupMen's T20 World Cup 2026: Full fixtures and resultsStream T20 World Cup without a contract on NOW Sam Curran (18 off 14) couldn't clear the boundary as effectively, while the returning Jasprit Bumrah (1-33) was typically miserly, ensuring England's required rate steadily climbed - even with Bethell's hundred heroics at one end. Bethell went through to three figures as he hammered his seventh six, to go with eight fours, off the first ball of Hardik Pandya's penultimate over. But just three more runs were added from the next five balls - which included Curran's demise - to see 30 needed off the last, where Bethell was run out first ball. The game finally beyond England, Jofra Archer struck three sixes to get them closer to the initial target, but it's India who advance as they bid to successfully defend their title in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Samson stars again as India set T20 World Cup record Sanju Samson had earlier proven the mainstay of India's extraordinary total - a new T20 World Cup record - as he smashed seven sixes and eight boundaries in his 89 off 42 - but he should have been dismissed for just 15. Serving up a chipped chance to Brook at mid-on in the third over, the skipper somehow shelled the simple grab - and Samson made him and England pay. Abhishek Sharma (9) holed out to deep midwicket in Will Jacks' second over, but Ishan Kishan came in and blasted 39 off 18 as part of an explosive 97-run stand with Samson for the second wicket. The 100 came up for India in the ninth over as a 19-run Liam Dawson over was bettered by a 20-run hammering of Curran. England, desperate for an answer, finally found one as Adil Rashid (2-41) removed Kishan, but Samson found another more than useful foil in Shivam Dube (43 off 25). Samson would ultimately fall to Jacks (2-40) to start the 14th over, perishing unselfishly in pursuit of more boundaries as opposed to playing for a potential century. India's momentum was far from derailed with his departure, as Dube, Hardik (27 off 12) and Tilak Varma (21 off 7) continued to dish out the punishment to England's attack - Archer, in particular, getting the treatment as his four overs cost 61. Tasked with pulling off the second-highest T20I run chase of all time, there was at least a clarity afforded England's batters in the approach required - and Bethell certainly enjoyed himself. England were 38-2 when Brook (7) fell cheaply to start the fifth over, bringing Bethell to the crease. He swiftly struck his second ball for six, and hit three more to start Varun Chakravarthy's next over. Varun would bowl Buttler (25 off 17) two deliveries later but it would otherwise be a torrid night for the leg-spinner, as he conceded 64 from his four overs. A quickfire Tom Banton (17 off 5) cameo, as well as the more telling contributions from Bethell and Jacks, helped England soar past the 100 mark off the first ball of the ninth over, Bethell bringing up a 19-ball half century in the 11th. But the wicket of Jacks - to a fine bit of work on the boundary by Axar - ultimately proved decisive as Bethell didn't quite have enough support at the end to see England over the line. Brook on drop and 'unbelievable' Bethell England captain Harry Brook: "We gave it a red hot crack and unfortunately we were on the wrong side. "I will hold my hands up and say that I made a big mistake dropping Samson because catches win matches, it's that old famous phrase. "Unfortunately it just didn't go our way in the field tonight, but on another day it comes off. There was a little bit of poor execution here and there, so we probably didn't execute as well as we could have. "Bethell was unbelievable. I think he's going to earn some serious money in his career, and he will definitely have a long career with England. "He has shown the world how good he is tonight. That innings is an extremely big positive to take from this tournament." McCullum: I would love to stay as head coach England head coach Brendon McCullum: "At a hostile ground with total Indian support, the toughness the lads showed to take the game as close as we did, I am incredibly proud. "I think they have been incredibly led by Harry Brook, who has grown as a leader. Young players have grown as well, so should be proud." "I love the job. It's a great job. It doesn't come without its challenges of course but that is the nature of it. "I feel we have achieved some really cool things over the last couple of years but there is still so much to achieve across all formats. "I would love to carry on so we will see what unfolds. Right now, it's about getting home, seeing some fast horses and playing some shocking golf. "A bit of time to reflect. To let things land and objectively look at what is and isn't working. We will see what happens and I would love to help lead the team through to the next stage." Watch the T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 1pm, Sunday (1.30pm first ball). 2026 Men's T20 World Cup knockouts All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports Semi-finals Wednesday March 4 New Zealand beat South Africa by nine wickets (Kolkata) Thursday March 5 India beat England by seven runs (Mumbai) Final Sunday March 8 New Zealand vs India (Ahmedabad, 1.30pm)

Donald Trump put out a social media post announcing she was being replaced by a senator from Oklahoma. He said Ms Noem would be moving to a new job, special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, in about three weeks. Posting on Truth Social, his own social media network, Mr Trump praised her "numerous and spectacular results" in the role. But a White House official struck a very different tone when they spoke about her dismissal to NBC News, Sky's US partner network. They said her sacking was "a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures". Ms Noem becomes the first cabinet secretary to leave during the president's second term. She came under scrutiny after calling the actions of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota an "act of domestic terrorism" after she was shot dead by ICE agents. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents two weeks later. At hearings in Congress this week, Ms Noem faced stinging criticism from fellow Republicans - particularly over a £165m ($220m) ad campaign she appeared in that encouraged people in the US illegally to leave voluntarily. She insisted that Mr Trump was aware of the campaign in advance, but he contradicted her in an interview, saying he did not sign off on it. She faced further criticism over the pace of emergency funding approved through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as over the White House's response to disasters. Speaking to NBC News, a White House official named these among her failures, as well as "allegations of infidelity". Congressional hearings this week touched on these allegations when Ms Noem was asked if she had had "sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski" - Mr Trump's former campaign manager. She dismissed the question as "tabloid garbage". The White House official added: "Kristi's drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration's extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force." In his social media post, Mr Trump wrote: "I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026. "The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. "I thank Kristi for her service at 'Homeland.'" Ms Noem addressed a Department of Homeland Security event moments after Mr Trump's announcement but didn't mention her change of role. She spoke for more than 20 minutes, but read prepared remarks reinforcing the president's message from the State of the Union last month. Mr Mullin has to be confirmed in his post by the Senate, but he can serve as acting secretary as long as his nomination is formally pending. In a post on X, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president was grateful to Ms Noem "for helping usher in the most secure border in American history". She added: "President Trump's immigration agenda is keeping our borders secure and deporting illegal alien criminals from our country, and it will continue without interruption." Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the rival Democratic party in the House of Representatives, branded Ms Noem a "deeply unqualified, unhinged, out-of-control, pathological liar who repeatedly abused her power". He continued: "She was a complete and total disaster. We made clear weeks ago that Kristi Noem must be fired or she would face impeachment. Her well-deserved termination is long overdue, consistent with what we have demanded."

Yalda Hakim, who hosts international news show The World With Yalda Hakim, won presenter of the year, home news correspondent Mollie Malone was named emerging talent of the year, and 24 Hours In The Kill Zone by international news correspondent John Sparks won in the digital journalism category. It is the ninth year in a row Sky News has won the channel of the year award. Executive Chairman David Rhodes said: "We are so proud to continue the rich legacy of Sky News in live and breaking news for people across the UK and, especially at this time, around the world. "Sky News has changed so much since we first won this award, when we were a single TV channel. "Adding streaming and digital audiences, we've never left behind that commitment to eyewitness video that the judges have recognised, which makes it more meaningful for so many hardworking colleagues to receive this award." Yousra Elbagir: TV journalist of the year Elbagir has reported extensively on the war in Sudan over the last year, including an investigation into the "killing fields" where thousands have been targeted. "It is a crisis that has slipped from global attention even as the suffering worsens," she said. "The siege of my hometown, Khartoum, and the destruction of my family home brought the realities of this war painfully close - a reminder of what's at stake in the stories I share." 'A privilege to be on the ground' Hakim was unable to receive her award in person because she's reporting on the ground in the Middle East. She has also reported from Israel and Ukraine and has interviewed numerous world leaders in the past year. "During one of the most intense and consequential periods for global affairs it's a privilege to be on the ground, face to face with the people most impacted by conflict," she said. Among her interviews was one with Pakistan's defence minister who, when asked about funding and training terrorists, said his country had been "doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades". Malone has covered growing issues with safety in UK prisons including how drones are being used to transport contraband inside. She has also reported on criticism of the government's violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy. Sparks' digital journalism award follows his coverage after he joined Ukrainian troops in an area targeted by explosive-carrying drones. Like Hakim, his coverage of the war in the Middle East means he was not able to accept his award in person. Sky News also had nominations for deputy political editor Sam Coates in the political journalist of the year category; data and forensic correspondent Tom Cheshire was nominated for specialist journalist of the year, special correspondent Alex Crawford was also nominated in the television journalist of the year category. And Sky News' coverage of Syria: After Assad was also nominated in the news coverage - international category.

The British defence secretary, visiting the base at the time, was taken into "a windowless room" just before he was due to dial into a COBRA meeting. The warning system at the base is quite unsophisticated, unable to be specific like the Israeli equivalent, and so the alarms are sounded out of caution, not necessarily because something is incoming, but it did underline the threat to the island, so close to Lebanon and the Iranian proxy Hezbollah which is believed to be responsible for the attacks. One drone did get through the defences on Sunday. It flew undetected, low to the sea, and was described as "tiny". But it still managed to put a hole in a hangar normally used to house American U2 spy planes. It probably wasn't a lucky shot: the hangar, with two U2s parked outside, is clearly visible on Google maps. In my interview with John Healey I asked him when the option to deploy a Royal Navy destroyer first hit his desk. He suggested he'd had options for weeks. I pressed him to clarify it was his decision to delay then, and he didn't disagree. But afterwards, defence sources told me the Royal Navy only gave him the option on Tuesday. Either way, whether military planners or the defence secretary himself, the plan came too late for the Cypriot government and people on the island. The ship won't depart until next week. A French frigate, the Languedoc, has already arrived off Cyprus. Based in Toulon, it was already much closer of course, but notably able to leave port immediately. Read more from Sky News:Day Six of Iran warKurds chomping at the bit as they prepare for war Cyprus is being targeted because of the presence of British military, and they expect the UK to defend it accordingly. Britain did take some precautions before the war with Iran started. Six F35 jets were sent to complement eight Typhoons permanently stationed in Cyprus. Some of those F35s have been used to shoot down drones over Jordan in recent days. Ground based, short range air defences have also been deployed and Wildcat helicopters, which have a capability to detect drones, are due to arrive in Cyprus over the weekend. Senior military commanders argue that events have moved quickly, which they have, although the drumbeat to war was getting louder for weeks and Iran made no secret of its threat to attack widely across the region in response. Attacks on RAF Akrotiri, which houses US personnel and belongs to Britain, still historically one of Iran's main enemies, should not have come as a surprise. The British government originally denied the Americans access to use British bases for attacks on Iran because they didn't agree with the legal basis for the war. It has now reversed that decision based on the theory that American strikes on Iranian missile batteries are helping defend the region, and thereby British interests, from Iranian attacks. On those grounds, would Britain go further and join in with offensive attacks, I asked the defence secretary. Three times he refused to rule that out.

The back-to-back world champion came into the week seventh in the eight-team standings after a slow start to the campaign, and he had to recover from early struggles against Josh Rock to win 6-4 and avoid another early exit. Littler improved during a semi-final win over Gerwyn Price, where he fired three ton-plus finishes and closed out a 6-3 victory with a 'Big Fish' 170 checkout, then impressed against Clayton in an absorbing final. Premier League darts - night five as it happened ✅Latest Premier League Darts schedule and results 📅Got Sky? Watch on the Sky Sports app 📱Not got Sky? Get instant access with NOW 📺 The 19-year-old fired a 106.5 average in a contest that produced 11 maximums, with Littler delivering his second Big Fish of the night and coming agonisingly close to a nine-darter on his way to a much-needed victory. Littler becomes the fifth different nightly winner in the first five weeks of the Premier League season and jumps to third in the standings on nine points, as Clayton - who saw off Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries on his way to the final - extends his lead with a runner-up finish. How Littler denied Clayton a home win in Cardiff Clayton had already beaten two of the world's top three to reach the final at the Utilita Arena, where he recovered from Littler opening with a 13-dart break to capitalise on missed darts from the world No 1 and level on double 10. The Ferret took out an 86 finish on the bullseye but saw Littler respond with his second 170 checkout of the evening, with the pair continuing to exchange holds of throw in a high-scoring final. Littler lost the seventh leg despite firing eight perfect darts and missing double 15 for the second 'perfect leg' of the season, following on from Rock's in Belfast last week, as Clayton held throw with an 11-darter. The teenager bounced back to level on tops and then let out a huge roar in the ninth leg, where he recovered from finding the wrong treble to break throw with an 80 checkout, before holding throw in the next to take the nightly title. "The table looks good," Littler told Sky Sports. "It wasn't looking good in seventh. But it just goes to show, tonight I think I had to focus on myself. Tonight, I've done really well and I'm proud of myself. "I said in my pre-match interview, every week I felt good, but I've just not shown it. Even practising, I've been playing well. I'm just glad tonight I could take practice and bring it on to where that's what I've done." Van Gerwen and Humphries stay out of play-off spots Littler was outscored by Rock - who posted a 103.72 average - during their quarter-final encounter, where wayward finishing from the Northern Irishman helped last year's runner-up claim a 6-4 win. Van Gerwen slipped out of the top four after being thrashed 6-1 by Humphries, who sits in sixth place after struggling on the outer ring during his 6-4 loss against Clayton in the semi-finals. Van Veen's early exit to Clayton - who has now won all five of his quarter-final matches this season - leaves him five points off top spot, with the Dutchman slipping to fourth spot but alongside Price and Littler on nine points. Rock remains rock bottom on zero points after losing all five matches so far in his rookie season, with last week's winner Stephen Bunting dropping to seventh after being beaten by Price in a final-leg decider. "When Josh Rock gets something right, something else goes wrong," said Sky Sports Darts' Wayne Mardle. "Tonight was the first time he's scored like that. Unfortunately, he couldn't marry the finishing and scoring together. He will - it's just a matter of how long it takes." What's happening in Night Six? The Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham hosts next week's action, where Rock will have another opportunity to claim a first victory of the season when he faces Bunting in the opening match. Clayton takes on Van Gerwen and Humphries plays Van Veen, while Littler takes on Price in a repeat of their Cardiff semi-final. 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.