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First Post
11 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
As US considers attacking Iran from Diego Garcia, will UK need to inform Mauritius in advance?
As the United Kingdom has ceded the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, analysts are divided on whether the terms of the treaty would require the UK to inform Mauritius in advance about any military action from the Diego Garcia base, which is on one of these islands. read more The photograph shows military aircraft stationed at the joint US-UK base at the Diego Garcia island in the Chagos Islands archipelago. (Photo: AFP) As UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is discussing options about joining US military against in Iran, there are concerns that any UK operation may be compromised by the recent Chagos Islands deal. Last month, the United Kingdom signed a deal with Mauritius to transfer the sovereignty of Chagos Islands. Under the terms of the deal, the UK has leased the Diego Garcia island, for 99 years. The island houses a military base that the UK shares with the United States. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There are concerns among analysts that the UK may be required to inform Mauritius in advance about any military mission launched from the Diego Garcia base. If this would be the case, any mission involving ships or planes at the base would be compromised. The Diego Garcia base, formally called the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, has housed submarines, ships, fighter planes, and bombers. B-2 bombers, which were stationed at the base in March, are one of the types of aircraft that the United States may use to strike Iran's underground nuclear sites. Will UK need to inform Mauritius about any operation? While analysts say that the terms of the deal are ambiguous, sources in the UK government have said that there is no scope of advance information. The Chagos Islands deal has said that the UK would need to 'expeditiously inform Mauritius of any armed attack on a third state directly emanating from the base on Diego Garcia'. The Daily Telegraph has reported officials as saying that any information to Mauritius would be given after the operation has concluded, not before launching it. However, not everyone agrees with this. Some have stressed that the terms in the treaty's text released by Starmer's government are ambiguous. Philippe Sands, an international lawyer who previously acted for Mauritius against the UK, has told the parliament that there were 'presumably different interpretations' of the treaty's text and there was a chance of Mauritius interpreting it as being notified before the attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Irrespective of such concerns, Starmer's government would not notify Mauritius before any attack from Diego Garcia, according to i newspaper. The report further said that Mauritius does not hold any veto about military activities conducted from Diego Garcia.
Sky News AU
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
NSW Premier Chris Minns staffers facing potential arrests after skipping major inquiry into Dural explosives
Three of New South Wales Premier Chris Minns staffers could potentially be arrested after they failed to show up to a major inquiry into a 'fabricated terrorist plot' on the outskirts of Sydney. On Friday, five NSW government staffers, including three senior staff members of the Premier, snubbed a hearing of an inquiry looking into an incident in January when explosives were found in a caravan in Dural. Chair of the inquiry Rod Roberts expressed disappointment when the five staffers, who had been summoned to attend, failed to appear. 'The committee will now consider further action in relation to these witnesses,' Mr Roberts said on Friday, according to The Daily Telegraph. 'The committee seeks to question ministerial staff about who was present at the briefings held by the NSW Police, what was discussed and what records were kept', Mr Roberts said regarding the Dural caravan incident, the masthead reported. According to the NSW Parliamentary Evidence Act, any person who is not a member of the Legislative Council or Assembly can be summoned to attend and provide evidence at parliamentary hearings. Failure to attend without reasonable excuse can result in a certificate being sent to a judge of the Supreme Court, who has the power to then issue a warrant for the person's arrest. Mr Minns previously confirmed he is refusing to appear at the Dural caravan inquiry himself, citing time constraints and his lack of availability to attend such hearings. The Premier claimed the inquiry is a 'giant conspiracy' when he spoke to 2GB Sydney radio host Ben Fordham on Tuesday morning. 'It rests on the premise that the Dural caravan case was not a threat to the community... that we knew about the circumstances relating to the case from the very beginning, which is not true,' Mr Minns told the radio host. 'And lastly, that we used that circumstance to push through vilification laws to prevent antisemitism or try and confront antisemitism in the community. It's a giant conspiracy.' The inquiry comes months after a caravan with explosives, which was initially feared to trigger a mass casualty event, was discovered in Sydney's northwest on January 19. Australian Federal Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett told media in January that investigators 'almost immediately' realised the explosives were part of a 'fabricated terrorist plot'. 'I can reveal the caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit,' the Deputy Commissioner said. Public Service Association (PSA) general secretary Stewart Little has chimed in on the hearing snub controversy, blasting the NSW upper house over the investigation. "Our members shouldn't be pawns in parliamentary parlour games with upper house MPs posturing to get media coverage," Mr Little said in a statement on Thursday. "If upper house MPs want to know the facts they need to concentrate on getting the Premier to appear before them, or the relevant Ministers.' Mr Little criticised the move to summon the staffers to the inquiry, calling it 'the pits'. '... Drag in ministers or the senior departmental heads by all means, but junior public servants and parliamentary staffers have no bearing or consequence or meaning on the political process,' the general secretary said.
Sky News AU
21 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Australian Federal Police send shocking email to Sydney parents about accused predator lurking among after-school care staff
The Australian Federal Police and NSW Police have sent an alarming email to thousands of Sydney parents to inform them a sexual predator, who was charged last year with more than a dozen offences, lurked among after-school care staff. More than 1000 families were contacted, 2GB host Ben Fordham revealed on Thursday. The man was charged in October 2024 and cannot be named due to strict court orders to prevent his former workplaces from being revealed and to protect the identity of victims. The AFP contacted the parents via email on Tuesday and confirmed the correspondence in a carefully worded statement on Thursday, providing specific details on the situation, alleging only a 'very small number of children' were victimised by the man. 'The letter provides instructions on how to contact a local hotline if parents or carers have concerns about their child,' the statement read. The identity, age, gender and charges laid against the offender were omitted from the email, but it is understood he was a male worker. The Daily Telegraph reported the man was charged with aggravated use of a child under 14 years old for the production of child abuse material, and possession of child abuse material, among other offences. According to the outlet, the parents contacted by email had children who attended a school-based out-of-school-hours (OOSH) centre on Sydney's upper north shore. 'I am writing to let you know that the Australian Federal Police, with the assistance of the NSW Police Force are investigating an allegation of inappropriate conduct towards children by a former employee of (the centre),' the letter read. 'Records indicate this person worked at (the centre) at the time that your child attended. 'Based on information currently to hand, Police believe it is highly unlikely the alleged behaviour of the employee directly involved your child (or children) however, we are writing to ensure you are informed of these allegations so you can continue to support your child (or children).' A father whose daughters, aged 8 and 10, attend the school's OOSH centre told The Daily Telegraph the principal of the school had only been contacted one day before parents were told. He said the principal was not told about the full contents of the email and was not informed of the nature of the offences. The father also said the school and its staff were not interviewed by police. 'The thing that really upset me in the email (from police) is that they said it was 'highly unlikely' my kids are involved, but ... how do you know if no-one's asked them?' he said. 'I think it's crazy that everyone's been told to keep quiet … Keeping it from (parents) is not the right way to go about this.' contacted the AFP who declined to provide any further information.
The Herald Scotland
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Lammy to meet Iranian foreign minister as Trump steps back from military action
In a statement read by his press secretary on Thursday, Mr Trump said there was still 'a substantial chance of negotiations' and said he would make a decision on deploying US forces 'within the next two weeks'. US President Donald Trump (left) and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada (PA) Mr Trump had previously said he 'may' join Israeli strikes against Iran and its nuclear programme, but added: 'I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Friday's meeting with the so-called E3 countries follows Mr Lammy's visit to Washington, where he met US secretary of state Marco Rubio in the White House on Thursday evening to discuss 'how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict'. The Foreign Secretary said: 'The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.' Adding that a 'window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution', Mr Lammy said: 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one.' Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had urged the US to step back from military action, saying there was a 'real risk of escalation'. It remains unclear whether the UK would join any military action, although there has been speculation that US involvement could require using the British-controlled base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands. The B-2 stealth bombers based there are capable of carrying specialised 'bunker buster' bombs which could be used against Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordo. Attorney General Lord Hermer is reported to have raised legal concerns about any British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies, which could limit the extent of any support for the US if Mr Trump decides to act militarily. Meanwhile, two Labour backbenchers pushed for a 'fresh, tough approach' to Tehran. Jon Pearce and Mike Tapp, chairman and vice-chairman respectively of Labour Friends of Israel, said the UK urgently needed 'a multifaceted diplomatic, economic and national security plan to guard against the Iranian threat and force the regime to change course'. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the pair called for tighter sanctions on Iran, the proscription of the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps and a 'comprehensive diplomatic solution' that 'eliminates once and for all' Iran's nuclear threat.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Kohli retirement biggest loss for India: Boycott
Former England batter Geoffrey Boycott believes that more than Rohit Sharma's retirement, Virat Kohli's absence is a devastating blow to India ahead of the starting five-match Test series in Leeds, saying that the right-handed batter was their key player. Both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket in May, leaving India with a big void to fill in the longer format at opening and number four positions respectively. Kohli, 36, scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests and was at fourth place in India's all-time list of run-scorers in the longer format. 'The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hurts the chances of India beating England. Kohli is the biggest loss as he has been their best batsman and talisman in all three formats. With so much international cricket played by India, and so little rest, it takes its toll and the mind becomes fatigued. 'It does not matter how much talent or experience you have, if you are not mentally fresh and up for the challenge then it becomes draining. Rohit was a superb batsman. At his best, a beautiful stroke player, but he won't be missed as much as Kohli because his Test record was good rather than exceptional. In the last couple of years his batting was a little inconsistent, which was not surprising in his late 30s. 'Rohit was never a natural athlete like Kohli and he knows that opening the innings in England can be pretty tough because the new ball moves around more. You really have to be up for the challenge to have any chance of success. I just think that over time the wear and tear of opening the innings and being captain in all three formats wore him down,' wrote Boycott in his column for The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday. England come into the all-important series against India on the back of defeating Zimbabwe in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge last month. Boycott has urged the Ben Stokes-led side to temper their Bazball style of batting to beat India, as well as use some common sense. 'England should beat India if they temper Bazball and use some common sense. At times their cricket has been thrilling and super enjoyable but also reckless batting has lost them Test matches. 'Their only thought should be winning because it is no use telling us how good you are when the last three World Test Championship finals have been played in our country but England have not qualified for any of them. They should be embarrassed. Their aim should be to make the next WTC final. 'The new cycle starts now and somebody needs to get through to the England players that being a winner is better than being known as an entertainer. If you can win and entertain, that is a bonus. At the moment England are like a one-trick-pony.
