MIDDLE EAST - US fighter jets tracked as heading towards the Middle East could be laying the groundwork for a major bombing campaign. The uptick in warplanes travelling to the Gulf is likely to be used to clear the way for heavy bombers to strike at the heart of Iran’s regime, experts have said. Large numbers of American combat aircraft and support planes such as air-to-air refuellers have been seen moving eastwards this week. With the combination of the approaching USS Gerald R Ford strike group and the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which is already positioned in the Arabian Sea, analysts predict that Donald Trump is preparing a sustained military campaign against Iran. One source in the US administration said there was now a 90 per cent chance of war in the coming weeks. An Israeli former intelligence chief said he believed the strike would take place within days.

UK - The United Kingdom has blocked the United States from using RAF bases to launch a strike on Iran, prompting anger from President Donald Trump. The disagreement over the use of the British military sites is behind Trump's withdrawal of his support for Sir Keir Starmer’s deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a report has claimed. It comes as the White House is drawing up a detailed military plan for an attack on Iran involving the use of both Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, the site of America’s fleet of heavy bombers in Europe. Defence officials reportedly briefed Trump that the US will be ready to begin a war by Saturday, following a formidable build-up of American aircraft and ships in recent days. The UK has not yet granted permission to the US to use the military sites in the event that Trump orders an attack on Tehran, because of concerns that the strike would be a breach of international law, according to a report in the Times.

USA - President Trump is said to be considering a “fully fledged war” with Iran, having assembled a US armada in the Middle East. The USS Gerald R Ford, the largest warship ever built, is due to arrive in the Gulf in the coming days, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class carrier which shot down an Iranian drone last month. Trump appears to have been reviewing battle plans on Wednesday afternoon when he withdrew his support for Sir Keir Starmer’s deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In a post on Truth Social he identified Diego Garcia, the US military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and RAF Fairford, the airbase in Gloucestershire, as possible locations from which to attack Iran. “It may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime,” he wrote.

USA - World’s biggest manufacturers write off billions as they retreat from an EV boom that never was. “I think the customer has spoken. That’s the punchline,” said Jim Farley, the chief executive of Ford. The American boss was speaking last week as his company unveiled a $5 billion (£3.7 billion) annual loss, barely two months after it had booked a shock $19.5 billion write-down. The cause? An aggressive bet on electric vehicles (EVs) that backfired spectacularly.

USA - Two massacres in a week – in Tumbler Ridge and Rhode Island – have escalated concerns over links between gender identity and mass violence. “We know the children who identify as ‘trans’ are among the most vulnerable groups – some are highly disturbed. And yet we’re not investigating this, we’re told to simply ‘affirm’ them. Davies-Arai says she is concerned about what so-called “gender affirming care” is doing to the physical and mental health of these young people. Studies have found that there is a higher rate of suicide among trans people compared to the population at large.

UK - Former duke held for hours on suspicion of misconduct, becoming first royal taken into custody in modern times. He left the police station under the cover of darkness. Slumped in the back seat of a car, wild-eyed and exhausted, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor looked like a man with the full weight of the past and the future on his shoulders. A man born in a palace as Prince Andrew spent his 66th birthday at a police station on Thursday, becoming the first member of the Royal family in modern history to be arrested. By nightfall, after nearly 12 hours in custody, he was released under caution with more questions to come. The magnitude of his fall from grace seemed etched on his face. Emails, released as part of the Epstein files, appeared to show him sharing confidential information while he worked as a British trade envoy, representing the late Queen and country overseas.

IRAN - Iran’s supreme leader threatened US military power, rejected limits on Iran’s missile program, and criticized Washington after US aircraft carriers were sent to the region. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened the US military, saying that the "strongest military force may be struck so hard that it cannot get up again," in a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday. In reacting to the US sending aircraft carriers to the region, he wrote, "Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea."

USA - President Trump announced this afternoon the start of his “MASSIVE Trade Deal with Japan”, which he says will see over half a trillion dollars in investments, and that’s just the beginning. Here’s what he says: "Japan is now officially, and financially, moving forward with the FIRST set of Investments under its $550 BILLION Dollar Commitment to invest in the United States of America — part of our Historic Trade Deal to REVITALIZE the American Industrial Base, create HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of GREAT American Jobs, and strengthen our National and Economic Security like never before."

VATICAN - The Vatican will not participate in United States President Donald Trump's Gaza Board of Peace initiative, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's top diplomatic official, said on Tuesday, while adding that efforts to handle crises should be managed by the United Nations. Pope Leo, the first US pope and a critic of some of Trump's policies, was invited to join the board in January. Under Trump's Gaza plan that led to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October, the board was meant to supervise Gaza's temporary governance. Trump thereafter said the board, with him as chair, would be expanded to tackle global conflicts. The board will hold its first meeting in Washington on Thursday to discuss Gaza's reconstruction. Italy and the European Union have said their representatives plan to attend as observers, as they have not joined the board.

UK - When you arrive at work this morning, or go shopping, don’t be surprised if you’re met with a cheery “Ramadan Mubarak!”. Don’t be puzzled, either, by someone wishing you, on February 17, “Happy New Year!”. It’s all part of the latest diversity craze – once prevalent only in the state sector, but now just as big in the corporate world. According to HR gurus, this is the way to make Muslim employees, clients and shoppers starting Ramadan, their fasting season, and Chinese and others from Asia, marking their new year, feel people are being friendly. Or to use HR jargon, feel they are in a “supportive environment”.