Hundreds of people are protesting near a UK military base that is being used by the United States Air Force (USAF) to launch operations against Iran.
Up to 200 people have gathered at RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire near the Wiltshire border, for the demonstration organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
The base has been used to deploy US bombers since the Middle East conflict began on 28 February. Gloucestershire Police warned residents to expect disruption throughout Saturday.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the government has granted the US permission to use British bases for specific and limited defensive operations.
There has been increased action at RAF Fairford since the US, alongside Israel, began operations against Iran.
The CND is calling for an end to the war in Iran, and for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to stop US President Donald Trump's use of British bases.
The protest started at about 12:00 BST from Fairford High Street, with campaigners then walking to RAF Fairford.
Iranian-born Matzi Ansari, 40, lives is London but is worried about her family in Tehran, adding she cannot sleep.
She said: "Currently they're okay but... they're not sure what's happening to them tomorrow.
"They're under massive stress. They don't have a normal life, they can't go to work and school.
"[It's] a very horrible situation currently."
Lindsey German, from Stop the War Coalition, said lots of people are frightened the conflict could start a nuclear war.
"We're saying to the British government they shouldn't allow the US to use these air bases," the 74-year-old from London said.
"There's a lot of feeling about it. People are very frightened about it."
Gloucestershire Highways said about a dozen roads will be closed between 11:00 and 17:00.
Residents have previously told the BBC the noise of the aircraft is so loud it sometimes makes their houses shake.
A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said: "While we will enable lawful peaceful protest, we must also balance peoples' rights of freedom of expression and assembly with those of the wider public to go about their personal and professional life without disruption.
"As a result, we will not hesitate in taking action against anyone who commits any unlawful act."
An MoD spokesperson said that requests to use UK military bases from foreign partners are "considered on a case-by-case basis, with all operational support to allies assessed against legal requirements".
"For operational security reasons, we do not comment on foreign nations' military operations," they added.
Darls247: If my eyes no decieve me And na true be the things my ears dey hear Politicians and soldiers make meeting Our country dem wan repair Dem dey make like say Dem no know Say na dem a spoil our country so As dem dey dabaru am dey go Na so my people dey follow oh, oh I sorry sorry o, I sorry for Nigeria I sorry sorry o, I sorry for Africa Sorry sorry o Sorry sorry o Sorry sorry o Sorry sorry o
Ships seized by Iranians 'armed to the teeth' along Strait of Hormuz have been taken toward port: report
The two container ships seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz have been taken toward the port of Bandar Abbas along the key waterway, a report said Thursday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed on Wednesday that the vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, were operating without proper authorization and had tampered with navigation systems, accusations that could not be independently verified.
"Some 20 Iranians armed to the teeth stormed the ship. Sailors are under Iranians' control, their movements on the ship are limited, but the Iranians are treating them well," a relative of a captive onboard one of the ships told Reuters on Thursday in relation to one of the seizures.
The news outlet cited sources as saying that both ships — which are managed by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) — were taken toward Bandar Abbas, with a combined 40 crew onboard.
"The ship is anchored nine nautical miles from the Iranian coast. Negotiations between MSC and Iran are ongoing, our sailors are fine," Filip Radulovic, Montenegro's minister of maritime affairs, was quoted by Reuters as telling state television there.
Before their seizure on Wednesday, the ships reported coming under fire near the strait, underscoring the increasingly volatile conditions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
The situation is unfolding after U.S. forces recently seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman as it was approaching Iranian waters Sunday.
All the groups that shed innocent blood. Whether they be bokoharam, lakurawa, ISWAP, Eastern Security Network.,Ritual killers, one chance gang.touch and follow....
The Nigerian Army’s troops have dismantled a camp belonging to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, in Imo State.
It recovered what are suspected to be the remains of two soldiers abducted and killed by the group in 2022.
The operation was carried out on Thursday along the Ubaha Orsu axis of Orsu Local Government Area.
The army said in a statement on Saturday that troops of 82 Division advanced on a suspected IPOB/ESN hideout when they came under attack.
Acting on intelligence information, the operation, conducted on 24 April 2026 along the Ubaha Orsu axis of Orsu Local Government Area, was part of a deliberate clearance and search mission aimed at dismantling IPOB/ESN hideout within the region and locating the remains of two personnel of the Nigerian Army, Master Warrant Officer Linus Musa Audu and Private Gloria Mathew, who were brutally abducted and murdered by IPOB/ESN terrorists in May 2022 while en route for their traditional wedding.
Acting on credible intelligence, troops advanced towards a suspected IPOB/ESN hideout when they came under heavy attack by armed criminals.
“Demonstrating resilience, the troops decisively engaged the terrorists, successfully repelling multiple ambushes and forcing the criminals to flee in disarray.
The encounter further exposed the desperation and criminal nature of the group, which continues to target innocent citizens and security personnel alike,” the statement read.
The army said that following the clearance of the camp, troops searched the area and discovered shallow graves which they excavated, recovering suspected human remains.
The army said the remains were believed to be those of Audu and Mathew.
It added that efforts were ongoing to liaise with the families of the deceased.
“Following the successful clearance of the camp, troops conducted a thorough search of the area and made a grim but important discovery shallow graves suspected to contain the remains of the slain personnel. The graves were carefully excavated and suspected remains were recovered.
“The recovered remains have since been secured for detailed forensic analysis, including DNA testing, to conclusively establish their identities. Efforts are also ongoing to liaise with the families of the fallen personnel to ensure proper identification and facilitate befitting burial arrangements in honour of their sacrifice,” the Army said.
It added that the operation “not only underscores the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to ensuring justice for fallen heroes but also highlights the continued degradation of IPOB/ESN criminal networks and infrastructure across the South East.”
“The discovery of shallow graves within their camp further exposes the group’s heinous atrocities and disregard for human life,” the statement added.
The army assured the public that operations would continue “until all criminal elements are neutralised and lasting peace is restored across the region.”
It[b] also urged law-abiding citizens to remain vigilant and support security agencies with timely and credible information.[/b]
Jimmy Kimmel hosted a mock White House Correspondents' Dinner on Jimmy Kimmel Live, delivering scathing quips about Donald Trump, Melania Trump, JD Vance, Stephen Miller, and more.
Kimmel held an "alternative" event because the actual ceremony is being hosted by mentalist Oz Pearlman instead of a comedian.
The late-night host called Trump "a trembling drama queen who's scared of comedy."
Jimmy Kimmel is making sure that Donald Trump and his administration get a proper roasting ahead of the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend.
The late-night comedian, who previously hosted the event in 2012, delivered his own scathing "alternative" ceremony on Thursday's episode ofJimmy Kimmel Live, during which he lambasted Trump, Melania Trump, JD Vance, Stephen Miller, and more
Prior to the segment, Kimmel explained that this year’s dinner is breaking tradition by having mentalist Oz Pearlman perform at the event in place of a comedian. “At the Correspondents’ Dinner, typically, someone funny shows up and roasts the luminaries and the president and everyone,” he said, “but our president is a delicate snowflake with the thinnest fat skin of any human being ever, and that means there’s gonna be no comedian this year.
He continued, “So I thought why not take a page from the Kid Rock alternative halftime show and do some of the jokes a comedian might do if our president wasn’t a trembling drama queen who’s scared of comedy.”
The footage then cut to Kimmel standing behind a podium and delivering his cutting quips to an audience full of photoshopped politicians and celebrities alike. “Welcome to the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” he began. “Look at you, all dressed up in formal wear, dresses, tuxedos. I haven’t seen this much black since every page of the TRUMP-EPSTEIN Files.”
Kimmel then turned his attention toward Trump. “I’m happy you decided to stay, Mr. President,” he said, “And don’t worry if we bruise your ego, it will only make your hands look less disgusting.”
He also poked fun at the controversy surrounding Trump and his AI-generated Jesus photo. “By the way, in the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor in the — I mean, I’m sorry. Do we have a Jesus in the house?” Kimmel asked. “I always confuse them, too.”
The host went on to praise Trump for how much he accomplished during his second term. “He passed new incentives for oil and gas. He put the brakes on solar and wind,” he said. “That will be your legacy, sir: breaking wind and passing gas
Kimmel then went after Melania, whom he described as having “a glow like an expectant widow.” He also gave a special shout out to her Amazon documentary, quipping, “I want to congratulate you, Madam First Lady, on your huge accomplishment: the world’s first motionless picture.”
When it came to Vice President Vance, Kimmel joked that his wife Usha had “peel him off the couch” in order to attend the event. “And that reminds me,” he noted, “please do not get up from your seats during the performance because the Vice President will f--- them.”
He also called out White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who he said “puts the ‘cyst’ in ‘white supremacist,’” adding, “He’s like if baby Hitler traveled in time to kill us.”
And dragged Trump’s “psychopath sons” Eric and Don Jr., telling them, “If there’s time, maybe I can introduce you to your father later on, huh?”
After taking several more politicians down a peg — and pointing out some familiar faces in the crowd including Ye, Rob Schneider, Kid Rock, and Dog the Bounty Hunter — Kimmel concluded his roast by thanking Trump and offering him a gift. “We are the hottest country in the world right now and that’s all because of you, sir,” he said. “You truly are the GOAT… and a monkey, and a pig.”
It was then Kimmel pulled out a large gold trophy from underneath the podium. “You made America great again, and you’ve made comedy great again,” he said, “And that’s why I’m very proud to announce the winner of the inaugural Burger King of Comedy Gold award goes to none other than our president, Donald Jay Leno Trump.”
I believe the South African government is backing xenophobia. There are cases but this one caught my attention
Chidinma adeshina was born in South Africa and was citizen by birth but the director of SA department Of Home Affairs wanted to jail her for nationality fraud.
Very very sick
brain54: What is the South African government doing to curb...
Or prevent cases of xenophobic attacks?They seem to look the other way when it happens.
Besides these attacks aren't only carried out by groups!
brain54: What is the South African government doing to curb...
Or prevent cases of xenophobic attacks?They seem to look the other way when it happens.
Besides these attacks aren't only carried out only by groups as you mentioned. They have also been random attacks by individuals/mobs not associated to any group.
And political or not the south African government should find lasting solutions to the situation. South Africa has cultivated that image and reputation as a xenophobic nation and it doesn't even look good at all!
The tales of xenophobia in southafrica has become endemic.
Is either the government have eyes but can't see or want to see but no eyes to behold the evil in jungle justice.
Operation Dudula and March on March organisation.
Should be labelled a terrorist group. These groups use two female pygmies (Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma & Zandile Dudula) to mask the actual financiers of this terror group.
I've seen videos of this group in action and I will tell you, it is politically motivated.
Ghana has summoned South Africa's top envoy to the country over reported "acts of intimidation and harassment" against its citizens and other African migrants in the southern African nation.
Earlier this week, video clips were shared online showing vigilante groups attacking and confronting people they believed were in South Africa illegally - in one of them they challenge a Ghanaian man over his status.
Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa and has been accompanied by occasional outbursts of deadly violence.
Ghanaian officials have met the man in the video to offer him support and also urged citizens living abroad to continue being "law-abiding".
The West African nation's foreign affairs ministry said it had also met South Africa's acting high commissioner to Ghana, Thando Dalamba, and raised a formal protest over the recent "xenophobic incidents" against foreigners, including its citizens.
It cited a video clip showing a group of South Africans questioning a Ghanaian man. The group demand to see the man's documents and even when he produces them, they question their authenticity, before telling him to go and "fix your country".
According to Ghana's foreign affairs ministry, the man is in South Africa legally.
"Such conduct undermines the dignity and rights of law-abiding citizens," the ministry said in a statement released on Thursday.
Ghana's High Commission in South Africa has shared a video of top envoy Benjamin Quashie meeting the man.
"The situation is dire, we understand, [but] let's continue being law-abiding [and] respect the rules... of engagement as migrant citizens in this country," Quashie says.
The country's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has also spoken to his South African counterpart Ronald Lamola, who promised a full investigation and expressed empathy for the victims.
South Africa's acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia also condemned the acts, saying that "no individual or group has the authority to take the law into their own hands, irrespective of grievances or frustrations".
South Africa is home to about 2.4 million migrants, just less than 4% of the population, according to official figures. However, many more are thought to be in the country unofficially.
Most come from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which have a history of providing migrant labour to their wealthy neighbour. A smaller number come from Nigeria.
Vigilante groups like Operation Dudula, which means to force out in the Zulu language, and March on March claim South Africa is overrun with migrants and blame them for many of the country's social problems, especially unemployment and drug abuse.
They have held demonstrations in major cities which have sometimes turned violent and resulted in attacks on foreign-owned shops.
Earlier this week, March on March led a protest in the port city of Durban and in one clip shared online, a few participants are seen viciously attacking a man they believe is an illegal foreigner.
Are you ok, protest is your right. It is the people complaining.
7upnigeria: Many policemen with families were kpaid, many innocent citizens were kpaid, private and government infrastructure were destroyed during the protest that was hijacked by Nnamdi Kanu and his people. OUR YORUBA PEOPLE suffered because of the stewpeed!ty of some Yorubas that joined the protest.
You can take your ENDSARS to your state. Never bring it to Yorubaland again.
Oh my God. What did I just read. Rasheed Wasiu story like many other protesters of the EndSARS protest are harrowing.
A lot of politicians cashed in on EndSARS October 20/20 but don't want to share the burden.
But thank God for people like Adekunle Taofeek of TIB for his intervention.
This is why tyranny and dictatorship will grow in Nigeria because the politicians Nigerians are fighting for don't truly regard them.
Also I never knew OPC are into crime fighting because when ever you see them they are always smoking cannabis and drinking shepe. Hence they can't fight herdsmen.
Big ups to Adekunle Taofeek for his generosity. Shame to politicians that call for protest but won't bail protesters.
Not listening to his mother cost 23-year-old Nigerian Rasheed Wasiu dearly – more than five years of his freedom for something he did not do.
Now released from prison, where he was stuck waiting for his trial as the judicial process crawled on, Rasheed has no idea where she is. His mother has gone missing.
In October 2020, she had told him not to go out as widespread anti-police brutality demonstrations, known as the End Sars protests, swept into his area of Lagos, Nigeria's bustling commercial heart.
People's anger was directed towards the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) accused of robbing, attacking and even killing innocent people.
The reaction of the security forces to the 2020 demonstrations was to reach a crescendo on the evening of 20 October, when officers opened fire on a group of protesters in the city.
But the protests had been building over the previous fortnight, with some turning violent, and the police along with a local vigilante group began responding by rounding up anyone they thought might be involved.
On the morning of 20 October, Rasheed, 17 at the time, was trying to get to a painting job with a friend in an area called Amukoko, but on their way they learnt that violence had broken out there and so turned around.
When he arrived home, his mother told him to "stay indoors" and not to "go outside because of the protests" that had by that point reached his neighbourhood.
But as a disobedient teenager he ignored her and stepped out on the street again
Although he says he did not join the demonstration, members of the vigilante Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) caught him in their dragnet and bundled him into a van alongside weapon‑wielding protesters.
Although he says he did not join the demonstration, members of the vigilante Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) caught him in their dragnet and bundled him into a van alongside weapon‑wielding protesters.
His mother and neighbours remonstrated with the OPC, insisting Rasheed was not part of the group, but their pleas were ignored.
He was first taken to an army barracks and then moved to a prison – Lagos's Kirikiri Correctional Centre – where he waited for his trial to start.
Rasheed says he was initially arrested on allegations that he had been involved in looting "but when I appeared in court, the offence on my charge sheet was 'unlawful possession of firearms'".
His experience and the charges chimed with many who were detained during the protests.
Speaking to the BBC, dressed in worn-out clothes and bathroom slippers, he sounds stressed and bitter as he recalls his incarceration.
"Jail is hell if you do not have money to ease your way through and cater for your needs," he says.
"The food is miserable; we get weak after eating. The space is really congested. They locked up to 70 people in a tiny room at a time. There is no good healthcare, but if you have money, you can have access to good food, a bed and proper medications.
"There was a time a young man died in my cell, his leg was just getting swollen." No-one had gone to help diagnose what was wrong.
Rasheed took on menial jobs to survive like washing clothes for inmates in exchange for a bit of cash or food. He also sold food items on behalf of prison staff, like cow skin, popularly known as "ponmo", and baked snacks. They would give him some of what he was selling or some money.
Months passed without his case being called. On the rare occasions when he was taken to court, his case was not mentioned. One of the lawyers who was representing Rasheed even died while he was in prison.
This state of purgatory continued for nearly six years.
However, at a hearing early last month, a judge at Lagos's high court struck out his case over a lack of evidence and Rasheed was set free.
The judge's ruling came after the intervention of an advocacy group known as the Take It Back Movement (TIB), which provides lawyers for free and fights for the release of people arrested during the End Sars protests as well as other demonstrations.
According to Nigeria's prison authorities, some 50,000 people are currently in detention in the country even though they are still awaiting trial - some 64% of the total prison population.
Human rights groups say that cases like Rasheed's - of people spending years in prison without being convicted of any offence - are not uncommon.
TIB's Lagos coordinator, Adekunle Taofeek, called the ruling on Rasheed's case "a significant milestone".
"This development reinforces our belief that persistence, solidarity and commitment to justice will always yield results."
TIB says it has managed to free 100 people who were detained during the End Sars protests.
Asked whether he planned to pursue legal action for the years he has lost, Rasheed responded: "No, I am leaving everything to God."
But Rasheed's joy at finally being released turned into another nightmare as, on returning home, he was unable to find his mother.
"People in my neighbourhood said they thought I was dead since they couldn't find me. I checked around for my mum but couldn't find her… neighbours told me she left the area because she was being threatened that she would be arrested as well."
He had only seen her once since his arrest, in the immediate aftermath of his detention when she followed him to the barracks where he was initially held.
On the following two days she returned with some food but was denied access.
He did not see her again.
Rasheed's neighbours could offer very little information about her whereabouts.
"When I asked… they said they did not know where she had moved to, but sometimes they see her when she passes by the market. They would greet her but she won't reply.
"They said my arrest caused her so much pain and tears." Rasheed now lives with his mother's brother in another area of Lagos. They are both actively searching for his mother.
"I pray to God every day that I will see her, let me just come face to face with her," he says.
Rasheed's top priority is finding his mother but he is determined to rebuild his life after losing out on almost six precious years.
He says that before his arrest he was training to become a tailor and would have finished by now and set up his own business
"Ever since I got out of prison, my neighbours have been the one[s] supporting me with food. But I don't want to be dependent on them, I wish to get a job and be a giver as well. I have two hands and legs, I can work."
Marjorie Taylor Greene says Donald Trump has ‘gone insane’ in his rhetoric towards Iran
Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed Donald Trump has “gone insane” in his rhetoric towards Iran.
Appearing on Newsnight on Tuesday (21 April), the former Trump loyalist said: “The way that the president has acted and the words that he's used and the change in policy that he's taken has been shocking to many Americans that supported him and voted for him.”
Trump has faced condemnation for his language used in pushing negotiations to end the war in Iran.
In an April 5 social media post, Trump ordered Iran to “open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell,” ending the post with “Praise be to Allah.”
In another post from April 7, the president threatened that a “whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran agreed to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,"
US President Donald Trump has participated in a marathon Bible reading session organised by Christian conservatives, against the backdrop of his rift with the Pope and his recent posting of an image that appeared to depict him as a Jesus-like figure.
Trump read from 2 Chronicles on Tuesday night, as part of the "America Reads the Bible" event at the Museum of the Bible in Washington.
The passage is often invoked by Christian conservatives in the US, and is interpreted to be a call for citizens to repent and for God to bless the nation.
Numerous public figures are participating in the week-long continuous reading of the entire Bible that started 18 April.
The US Constitution bars the government from establishing a national religion, however, the Trump administration has embraced a movement in the country to see Christianity as a key part the founding of the US and for leaders to follow the Bible. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, for example, cites passages in his press briefings and also leads prayers in his department.
During the week-long reading event, which is timed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of US independence, other prominent conservatives and members of the administration, including Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are sharing passages.
The organisers say it will encourage a "return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country".
Trump's section was taped in the White House's Oval Office earlier, and was filmed on two cameras that were edited together.
The passage he read includes the line: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
The reading comes as Trump quarrels with Pope Leo XIV, who has criticised the US for waging war on Iran.
On Friday, Trump told reporters that he has "a right to disagree with the Pope."
Trump's comment came one day after the Pope criticised those who "manipulate religion" while he was on an official visit to Cameroon.
"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth," the Pope said.
Trump later took down the post, saying that he thought it was meant to show him as a doctor.
He later posted a second AI image that showed Jesus embracing Trump with the caption: "The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!!"
Foreign Affairs › Protest At RAF Base Being Used In Iran Conflict by Ironfaceman(op): 10:14am On Apr 26
