Last week I offered some tips for a daily routine for the elderly in isolation which hopefully were taken onboard and tweaked to suit whoever embarked on a routine to pass the time more fruitfully in these long days of quarantine.

This time among other tips my suggestions are aimed to help you rationalise in your shopping, because we discovered that wonderful as the delivery shopping is, there is a minimum value which you can order.

For example if you were to order from two separate establishments on the same day you would probably have to spend 50 and end up buying more than what two people really need, so think carefully in order to avoid wastage and stockpiling. This is not WW3 yet by any stretch of the imagination.

If you are not on supplements yet perhaps now is a good time to think of including some to improve your health and build up your reserves at a time when we move about much less and we may inadvertently not be caring for ourselves as well as we should.

However before we take any supplements we need to check that there are no contra indications to other medicines that we may already be taking. If you are not sure and dont read up on any - dont take them.

Vitamin C is a good start and apart from your daily intake of fresh fruit which should include bananas, apples, oranges and tangerines apart from a handful of dried red fruit and nuts, a vitamin C supplement will help to support immune system.

Turmeric is an anti inflammatory which is quite beneficial as well. Cod liver oil is a fish oil supplement which can be bought with included vitamins A and D plus Glucosamine for joint support. Better than WD 40! Ive been taking all of the above for years and I noted that omega in fish oil also helps in keeping down levels of cholesterol. Our local heath shops all stock a variety of these supplements so give them a ring and discuss but dont go overboard on them.

Sensible and nostalgic cooking will keep us in good shape and remind us of a certain age about the days when there were no other menus!

Nobody eats enough greens nowadays and the easiest way to change that is to make it a point to have green salads and green beans regularly.

Green beans in glass jars can make a delicious omelette meal for two by using just a half jar of them at a time.

Simply heat up a little oil and add two finely diced garlic cloves till they start to go golden, add the drained beans and toss them around for a bit, then add two beaten eggs to make a torta de habichuelas which are a healthier substitute to the usual torta patatas any day. This serves two for a light supper. Double up on beans and on eggs and you can have four servings but not as light.

Two bunches of broccoli and a medium, chopped cauliflower can be boiled together and garnished with a little lemon juice and a touch of olive oil. The mix can be kept in the fridge and you can have regular meals with added salad for a few occasions.

Remember the old corned beef pie? Well start by mashing up four good sized potatoes into a creamy mix perhaps adding a little butter, salt and a dash of milk to taste. In an oiled pan heat up a diced onion, garlic clove and mix in the contents of a tin of corned beef into a creamy paste. Roll out a pack of frozen short crust pastry and make a bottom and a top for your pie dish.

Place the bottom layer of pastry weighted down and cook lightly in medium oven. Once ready spread the corned beef paste evenly all round and cover the top of the pastry with a brushed beaten egg for gloss. Bake until golden brown and this will serve two for a good lunch (seconds allowed). Keep the other half of the pie for next day in the fridge. Recommended for lunch.

Stuffed green peppers are also an old favourite and easy to make. Six generous peppers washed and opened at their tops. The stuffing needs breadcrumbs, a couple of eggs, two or three chopped slices of ham or luncheon meat, marjoram, grated cheese and finely chopped garlic then mash into a fairly thick paste that can be spooned into the peppers. Seal stuffed ends by dipping into flour after compacting, always leaving some space for expansion during frying.

Cook peppers in a pan with a tin of tomate frito and a carton of tomate triturado (which should first be cooked separately in the pan of oil). When both tomatoes units are blended mix in 2 teaspoons of sugar and place the stuffed peppers to cook in the tomatoe sauce for a half hour or until you can pierce them to test. If during cooking there is too much stuffing remove it before the peppers burst.

Theres enough here for one generous meal or for two light meals if you add mash or fries as a side. As with all recipes you can tweak and season with your favourite spices and add your favourite sides, however go easy because we seniors shouldnt go out to exercise during quarantine. Pimientos rellenos are recommended for lunch and not supper.

Remember we have more time on our hands and cooking is a great pastime so help out if you dont cook yourself bearing in mind that this is a part of the daily routine which you should have mapped out and be executing in order to better spend the time in isolation and come out sane and fit when we get through this. Stay safe and keep busy and positive, that too is contagious in a good way. Till next time enjoy the recipes.

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Features Helpful Tips for the elderly in Isolation ------ week two By Joe Adambery 30th March 2020 - Gibraltar Chronicle

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Editor:

On my usual weekly trip to Targetand Albertsons on NM 528 and Ridgecrest, I was appalledby the people hoarding and stockpiling food and everyday items due to the coronavirus.

I have neverbeen sodisgusted by the actions of our fellow community members. What ever happened to the sense of community, decency, treat your fellow man/woman as you would yourself?

The I got mine, screw you attitude will be our downfall. Not very Christian, in my humble opinion.

All of you who seem to think you need 100 rolls of toilet paper, 80 pounds of potatoes, a cartload of canned vegetables, box upon box of Saltines and so onare an absolute disgrace to society.

This isnt World War III. Try being rational, wash your hands and do as the CDC and our local government advises.

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At least our governor is taking action and is ahead of the curve on this.

Stop the panic, people. It does no good whatsoever.

William Rehm

Rio Rancho

Original post:

Letter to the Observer: Stop panicking and preparing for WW3 - Albuquerque Journal

By Irvin Baxter

The question is not, Is there going to be a World War III? It is in your Bible. There is not a one tenth of one percent chance that it is not going to happen. Another world war is coming, and it will be the biggest world war ever. According to the Bible, one out of three people on the earth will die in this war of all wars! The prophecy is found in Revelation chapter nine, verse 15: And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

The third part of men would be over two billion people! Other translations read one-third of the human race, one-third of all the people on earth, one-third of humanity. They all say the same thing. A war is just ahead that will wipe out over two billion human beings!

Prior to the 20th Century, there had never been a war with one million fatalities. Then came World War I in 1914, with 8.2 million dead. They called it The Great War. With the founding of the League of Nations, we had hoped that this type of carnage would never happen again. Twenty years later, 52 million people died in World War II. As if something had come unhinged in the human soul, we cried out, How can we ever stop this? With the founding of the United Nations we had hoped that the solution to world peace was at hand. I have the dreadful assignment of telling you, it is not fixed. There is another war coming. There will neither be 8 million dead nor 52 million dead. This war that is coming will kill 2.2 billion, forty times World War II. It will be the worst war ever.

I cant tell you exactly when this is going to happen, but the Bible tells us where World War III will originate. The Sixth Trumpet prophecy is found in Revelation 9:14-15:

Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

These angels were bound in the Euphrates River, which flows through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, and empties into the Persian Gulf. War has been raging up and down the Euphrates River since 2003 when the U.S. invaded Iraq. When they are loosed, these evil angels will carry out their assignment to kill one-third of mankind.

Out of the chaos and destruction, a strong leader will rise to promise peace and security. The Antichrist will step onto the world scene at just the right moment. He will provide firm direction but he will also demand absolute obedience.

There are four prophetic developments occurring right now that demonstrate how close we are to the Euphrates River War, otherwise known as World War III.

In Genesis 15:18, God entered into a covenant with Abraham, affirming that the Promised Land would be given to his descendants. The Antichrist, according to Daniel 9: 27 will confirm this covenant with many for seven years. A peace agreement which confirms the covenant will establish Israels right to exist in the Holy Land and will mark the beginning of the final seven years to Armageddon. U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry has set the goal of April 29, 2014 to reach just such a peace agreement between Palestinians and Israelis. A viable two-state solution is the only way this conflict can end, he said, and there is not much time to achieve it, and there is no other alternative.

Halfway through the final seven years, the Antichrist will order the stopping of animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount, which will have been resumed by then. He will then stand in the temple claiming to be God.

II Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Revelation 11:1-2 describe a temple standing on the Temple Mount three and one-half years before Armageddon. Israel has been subsidizing nonprofit organizations that advocate the building of the Third Temple atop Jerusalems holiest site. The Temple Institute is dedicated to the vision of the Temples rebuilding, and has already recreated several items to be used when services are resumed on the Temple Mount.

Revelation 13:16-17 describes the control system which will be implemented during the reign of the Antichrist. During the Great Tribulation, every person on earth will be coerced into pledging allegiance to the Antichrist. Those who do so will be given a unique identification mark or number permitting them to participate in the world economy. Those who refuse will be denied the privilege of buying and selling.

The REAL ID Act mandates that Americans produce federally approved identification upon demand. Although it has repeatedly postponed implementation penalties, the Department of Homeland Security has announced a gradual rollout for enforcing the law, beginning in April, 2014. The Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, implements a national ID system disguised within a data hub, and a unique patient identifier to verify eligibility. Concurrently making its way through Congress, as part of an immigration reform bill, is E-Verify, a mandated universal biometric ID required for federal approval for employment.

Middle East unrest continues to boil in Libya, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan. Syria is on the brink of expanding to a full-scale war that could involve the major world powers. Analysts believe Syria may soon become a flashpoint that would divide the region along a battle lines drawn between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Iran is one of Americas and Israels foremost enemies and the Islamic Republic has become one of the most serious threats to stability in the Middle East. As Iran is rapidly achieving nuclear capability, the region will become far more dangerous as the number of countries engaged in nuclear activities grows. The Deputy Commander of Irans Revolutionary Guard has threatened that Tehran is able to destroy every spot in Israel. Germany views Iran as a potential threat not just to Israel, but also to European countries.

WWIII Entrance Ramp for the Antichrist details how this war is going to come out of the Euphrates River area, resulting in the killing of one-third of the human race. It is going to happen and it will affect us, our families, our nation, our world, everything. And it looks like it is coming sooner, rather than later.

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World War 3 | WW3 | WWIII | Endtime Ministries | Irvin ...

The incident came at the height of the Cold War, as the US and Soviet Union jostled to become the ultimate global superpower.On November 9, 1979, acomputer errorat the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) headquarters caused an alarm and full preparation for alarge-scale nuclear attackfrom the USSR. It led tonational security adviserZbigniew Brzezinskibeing awoken at 3AM to the news that 2,200 ballistic missiles were on their way.

It was a false alarm, but Brzezinski was not to know that and any form of retaliation would have been enough to start a real nuclear war thanks to Mutually Assured Destruction.

Lance Geiger, a history researcher and the man behind The History Guy on YouTube revealed the sobering details on his channel.

He said in 2018:In the early morning of November 9, 1979, in the worlds most advanced bunker, using the brand-new and robust early warning system, the unthinkable happened.

Decades of strategy around massive retaliation, Mutually Assured Destruction collapsed as the screens at the NORAD command centre showed indisputable that Americas worst nightmare had occurred.

The Soviet Union had launched an all-out nuclear attack on the US

Lance Geiger

The Soviet Union had launched an all-out nuclear attack on the US, designed to destroy our command functions and our nuclear weapons.

This was no drill, the Pentagons National Military Command Centre and the Alternate National Military Command Centre all showed the same thing the Soviets had launched more than 200 submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Following procedure, the launch control centres for Americas 550 Minuteman 3 and 450 Minuteman 2 missiles were given a preliminary warning to prepare for a counter-attack.

Mr Geiger, 55, went on to detail the chain of events that followed.

He added: The crews of the SAC-ready alert bombers were moved to their aircraft emerging from their mole holes to man their B-52 bombers and started their engines.

READ MORE:World War 3: PM's demand to 'monitor' French nukesafter'EU deal'backfired exposed

The entire Continental Air Defence interceptor force, fighter aircrafts tasked to defend the US, was put on alert and at least 10 F-106 Delta Dart fighter interceptors were launched to protect US airspace.

Finally, the Presidents Doomsday Plane, the national emergency airborne command post, was launched without the President or Secretary of Defence on board.

US national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski was woken at 3AM by a call from his military assistant Major General William Odom, who informed him that 250Soviet ballistic missiles were headed to the US.

Brzezinski knew that the Presidents decision time to order a retaliation was just three to seven minutes and they were still waiting for satellite confirmation.

A moment later, Odom called again to tell him that the Soviets had now launched 2,200 missilesan all-out nuclear attack.

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But, Brzezinski somehow kept a cool head and though before ordering a retaliation.

That bought enough time for a third phone call.

Mr Geiger said: As Brzezinski prepared to call the President, he made a silent decision of his own, he chose not to wake his wife.

If the world was going to end in half an hour, he would let her go quietly.

Moments later, Odom called for a third time, data from the early-warning satellites were seeing nothing, it was a false alarm.

Later it was determined that software simulating a nuclear attack, intended to test the new system, had inexplicably been transferred into the regular warning display.

As all command centres were linked, they were all showing the same thing.

Unfortunately, the mistake was not the last of its kind, as a computer glitch at NORAD caused three more false alarms a year later.

By May 1981, Soviet fears had reached an all-time high as General SecretaryLeonid Brezhnev andKGB chairmanYuri Andropovbluntly announced that theUSwas preparing a secret nuclear attack on theUSSR.

Andropov revealed the KGB would beginOperation RYaN (Nuclear Missile Attack) the largest, most comprehensive intelligence operation in Soviet history.

Consequently, mass paranoia set in among Soviet leaders regarding the US plans, asmemoriesofNazi Germany's surprise invasion of the USSRstill haunted them.

These fears were not helped by the actionsand rhetoricofnewly-electedUS President Ronald Reagan.

He announced a new medium-range nuclear missile to be introduced into Europe Pershing II which could reach the Soviet Union from West Germany in six minutes.

On March 8, 1983, Reagan brandished the Soviet Union an evil empireduring a press conference, sparkingfury in the Kremlin, who became obsessed Reagan was attempting to smear the communist ideology.

The timing of NATOs yearly Able Archer exercise could not have come at a worse time for the USSR.

In November, Able Archer 83, an exercise to simulate nuclear war, was carried out by NATO forces.

While it was simply a communications test, paranoid Soviet agents believed this was exactly how the US would mask a real attack.

The operation introduced several new elements not seen in previous years, including anewunique format of coded communication,radio silences, and the participation ofheads of government.

It also simulated a move through all alert phases, from DEFCON 5 to DEFCON 1, which KGB agents wrongly assumed to be a real move into the highest nuclear threat.

TheSoviet politburo believed theironly chance of surviving a NATO strike was to preempt it, and so readied its nuclear arsenal.

Days later, on November 11,1983,Soviet fears were completely ended upon learning the Able Archer exercise had finished thanks to double agent Oleg Gordievsky.

Many historians including Thomas Blanton, Director of theNational Security Archive, andTom Nichols, a professor at theNaval War College, have since argued that Able Archer 83 was one of the times when the world has come closest tonuclear warsince theCuban Missile Crisisin 1962.

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WW3 warning: 3AM White House call that saved US from total annihilation exposed - Express.co.uk

The 9M730 Burevestnik is a Russian experimental nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed cruise missile, which has been dubbed a game-changer for its revolutionary design.The missile is claimed to have virtually unlimited range and was one of six new strategic weapons unveiled by President Vladimir Putin on March 1, 2018, The claims are enough to send a warning to any other nation planning to go into conflict with the Kremlin, but it appears the weapon is quite unreliable.

According to US intelligence, only one of 12 tests have been successful, and the Russian military actually has no idea where one of them went, Dark5s documentary: The Race to Find Russias Lost Nuke revealed.

The series said in 2018: In November of 2017, Russian defence forces launched a high-tech, nuclear-armed missile from a small base called Pankovo on Yuzhny Island, an uninhabited strip of land which has been used in nuclear weapons testing since the Fifties.

The launch was an early-phase test of the extremely powerful Burevestnik missile.

The Burevestnik programme is an attempt by the Kremlin to develop a weapon that is both nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered, meaning it is driven by a sustained nuclear reaction that could potentially allow it to travel unlimited distances and stay in flight for a nearly unlimited amount of time.

During the test launch, however, the missile only travelled for a brief two-minutes before it lost directional control and was sent screaming out of the sky into the remote waters somewhere off the northern coast of Russia.

The series went on to reveal how Russia attempted to find their lost nuke.

It added: After the missile splashed down, the Russian government lost track of its location, and search teams were unable to recover it intact or locate any possible debris.

Given its short flight time, the radius that the missile could have travelled before crashing is limited.

READ MORE: WW3 warning: 3AM White House call that saved US from total annihilation exposed

Yuzhny Island is the southern island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago that splits the Barents Sea to the west from the Kara Sea to the east.

Given that the launch angle of the missile was decidedly in the northwest direction, away from civilisation, it seems most likely that the downed Burevestnik, a top-secret and potentially game-changing weapon, is still hiding somewhere in the sprawling Barents Sea.

With this information now leaked into the public sphere, its a safe bet that the Russians arent the only ones hunting for it.

In 2018 a Russian naval flotilla set off from Severomorsk.

Theeight ship task forcewas allegedly on a safety of navigation exercise, but the presence of the crane ship KIL-143 raised suspicions that the vessel's real purpose was to recover the lostBurevestnik.

In August last year, a mysterious nuclear blast in the Barents Sea killed seven people.

The US suspected the two events were connected, but Russia has refuted the claims and no evidence has been put forward thus far.

Vyacheslav Solovyov, the scientific director of theRussian Federal Nuclear Centre, said in an interview with a local newspaper that the institute had been studying small-scale sources of energy with the use of fissile materials."

Link:

World War 3 panic: How Russia lost control of nuclear weapon in shocking test blunder - Express.co.uk

Conspiracy theorists have long speculated that the defunct HAARP project is secretly being used in warfare, but a 12-year-old document and a speech from the 1990s suggest the US military have at least considered the idea.

The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is a cutting edge transmitter facility used to study the properties and behaviour of the ionosphere, located in Alaska.

Its military-funded construction was completed in 2007, but just seven years later the programme was shut down and ownership of HAARP and its capabilities were transferred to the University of Alaska.

For years conspiracy theorists have speculated that the US government is using HAARP to control the weather, an allegation that's been repeatedly denied by officials and scientists.

The recent flare-up in tensions between the US and Iran reignited interest in the theory, with some speculating that should full-scale war break out HAARP would be used by American troops to defeat Iran.

A spate of earthquakes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant only fuelled the theories.

In 2017 the Iranian Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Law Enforcement, Mohammad Hossein Zolfaqari, was forced to issue a public statement denying a connection between the region's repeated earthquakes and HAARP.

American magazine National Review reports that in a speech in 1997, the US Secretary of Defence William Cohen made an oblique reference to military technology that could cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

"...some scientists in their laboratories trying to devise certain types of pathogens that would be ethnic specific so that they could just eliminate certain ethnic groups and races; and others are designing some sort of engineering, some sort of insects that can destroy specific crops," he said.

"Others are engaging even in an eco-type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves."

National Review speculates he may have been referring to a HAARP prototype, but casts doubt on whether members of the Trump administration could quiet about possessing earthquake weapons.

A 12-year-old document also contains evidence that the US military planned to invest in "weather modification" technology in the interest of national security.

Air Force 2025, a 3,300-page report featuring contributions from technologists, futurists, science fiction writers, scientists, historians, active military officers and retired Air Force generals, was published in 2008.

It predicts the most pressing dangers facing the US in the decades to come, and devises potential defence strategies to combat them.

One such proposal was the creation of a "Spacebased High-Energy Laser System" - a hugely powerful chemical laser with the ability to hit targets on the ground, in the air and in space.

"At lower power settings, it could disable enemy optics, perform passive sensing missions, actively illuminate a target with a laser, or even modify the weather," an article analysing the report reads. "Between fifteen and twenty such satellites could provide global coverage."

In an excerpt from the report itself published by Global Research, experts seem convinced that militarised weather manipulation is not a far-fetched fantasy but only a matter of time.

"Weather modification will become a part of domestic and international security and could be done unilaterally," it reads.

"It could have offensive and defensive applications and even be used for deterrence purposes. The ability to generate precipitation, fog, and storms on earth or to modify space weather, and the production of artificial weather all are a part of an integrated set of technologies which can provide substantial increase in US, or degraded capability in an adversary, to achieve global awareness, reach, and power."

It's unlikely that Iran's earthquakes were caused by HAARP or that the programme will be used in future attacks, but there's ample evidence its potential capabilities once formed a key part of the US defence strategy.

See the article here:

US military hinted at using HAARP weather machine in WW3 in 12-year-old report - Daily Star

During the Seventies, as the Cold War raged, the UK boasted a huge nuclear arsenal of 520 strong warheads as a continuous deterrent to the Soviet Union and the rest of the world.But, since joining Euratom a treaty established by the EU's precursor, the EEC, in 1973 the UK has gradually reduced those numbers to 120, which arenow fielded solely by its Vanguard-class submarines under its maritime-only deterrence strategy, which house the Trident nuclear system.Euratom implements nuclear safeguards, including the United Nations' sponsored Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) to reduced nuclear capabilities and safeguard nuclear activities inside Europe, reporting back to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on their steps towards the complete removal of nuclear deterrence.

In accordance to the treaty,the UK decommissioned fissile material production facilities or converted them for peaceful use in 1995 and three years later dismantled thelast of its Nuclear Gravity Bombs at AWEAldermaston.

The UK has also decreased the number of warheads each Vanguard-class submarine can carry from 48 to 40,decreased the requirement for available warheads from 160 to 120, and decreased the number of operational missiles on each submarine to 8.

In addition, Downing Street hascommittedto reducing the country's nuclearweapons capabilities to 180 missiles by mid-2020.

Meanwhile,the UK provided significant financial support to EU security activities through its contribution to theBrusselsbudget, financing approximately 16 percent.

READ MORE:World War 3: How US came seconds from total annihilation after horrific nuclear mishap

It also provided personnel, expertise and equipment for EU missions, most notably maritime support to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa and to prevent smuggling in the Mediterranean.

The Ministry of Defences Permanent Joint Headquarters is the operational headquarters for some EU missions, including Operation Atalanta.

As of today, it is oneof only two member states possessing full-spectrum military capabilities, the last remaining nuclear deterrence and joined all other nuclear weapon-possessing states in boycotting the 2017 Nuclear Ban Treaty.

Euratom was established on March 25, 1957, with the original purpose of creating a specialist market for nuclear power in Europeby developing nuclear energy and distributing it to its member states while selling the surplus to non-member states.

It is legallydistinct from theEUbut has the samemembership, and is governed by many of thebloc's institutions.

It isthe only remaining community organisation that is independent of theblocand therefore outside the regulatory control of the European Parliament.

Europe's defence is not a competence of the EU, NATO is the overarching structure for international co-operation, yet theUK participates in EU security and defence initiatives through the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

Withdrawal from Euratom will require changes in the UK approach to safeguards and in domestic provisions for providing IAEA information and access.

Some experts argue that the UK will need to renegotiate its voluntary access safeguards agreement and additional protocol with the IAEA, given that the Euratom measures are part of the UK arrangements with the agency.

Dame Sue Ion, Chair of the UK Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board,told a House of Lords Select Committee in 2019that the UK will need to evolve other arrangements between the UK regulator and the IAEA.

She said that the Government will need new arrangements that pretty much mirror Euratom.

There is Government interest in remaining in Euratom, as leaving will see a stoppage of trade of nuclear isotopes, used in many diagnostics and treatment applications by the NHS.

Currently, these medical radioisotopes cannot be produced in the UK, and many of them have a shelf-life of only a few days.

Without replacement Nuclear Trade Agreements in place by the time of Brexit, access to these materials would be lost.

After Friday, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) will assume these responsibilities. ONR will require additional support, funding, staff, skills, tools and equipment in order to discharge these new duties.

An addition of approximately 4million will be required annually for this purpose.

However, it is very possible the UK will complete a separate deal with Euratom, becoming an "associated state" like Switzerland.

Read more from the original source:

EU warning: How defence restrictions were imposed on UK despite WW3 threat - Express

Fears of an all-out war have seemingly been silenced by both the US and Irans determination to find a peaceful resolution to the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. However, Iran international editor and presenter Sadeq Saba argued this could be short-lived. He told Express.co.uk in a massive conflict in the Middle East, Iran would likely strike the USAs allies in the region.

He said: I think if there is a serious war between Iran and the United States Iran may ask its allies in Lebanon to attack.

Iran itself may fire missiles against targets in the Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.

This is because they cannot reach American soil.

But they can reach American bases in both countries.

DON'T MISS:WW3 shock: Who Russia and China will side with in US Middle East war

Iran has repeatedly said if America uses its bases from any country in the Persian Gulf area, Iran will see those countries as enemies.

And Iran will retaliate.

Mr Saba also explained who China and Russia would side with, in a major Middle Eastern conflict against the US.

The Iran expert said China would likely stay neutral in the conflict.

He noted Russia would be most likely to side with the West but may continue to arm Iran with weapons and technology.

However, Mr Saba explained Russia would not send Russian forces to support Iran or its allies in a major Middle Eastern conflict.

The Iran expert said: The way that history goes when it comes to the crunch is China usually remains neutral.

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Russia will vote with the West.

I remember when there was some kind of a resolution against Irans nuclear activities, Russia always voted with the West.

Yes, Iran is becoming more and more reliant on Russia for weapons and technology.

Although on the surface Russia is friendly with Iran, ideologically they are worlds apart.

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USA vs Iran: Tehran's ally list and FIRST point of attack exposed in terrifying prediction - Express.co.uk

On Wednesday, Iran fired around 20 rockets toward US airbases in Iraq which housed American military personnel. This was in retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian General - Quassem Soleimani.

A US sanctioned drone strike killed General Soleimani more than a week ago and sparked fury from Iran and fears of an all-out war.

However following the missiles hitting the US bases in Iraq, President Donald Trump gave a speech from the White House declaring very little damage was caused by the Iranian missiles, and no personnel were harmed.

Mr Trump also said: Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world.

However, the President pledged to immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime."

Read More:Iran-US war: Iraq furious at escalating tensions as they refuse war

The Iranian government had previously repeatedly denied Western accusations that it was responsible.

The plane was shot down early on Wednesday, hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing US troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad. No-one was wounded in the attack on the bases.

A military statement carried by state media said the plane was mistaken for a "hostile target" after it turned towards a "sensitive military centre" of the Revolutionary Guard.

The military was at its "highest level of readiness," it said, amid the heightened tensions with the US.

"In such a condition, because of human error and in an unintentional way, the flight was hit," the military said. It apologised and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent future tragedies.

This came despite Mr Trumps calls for the UK to follow the US in abandoning the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Speaking to Rouhani Mr Johnson also spoke of the "continued detention of mistreatment of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual nationals, asking for their release.

Saudi Arabia condemned Iran's attacks on Iraqi bases hosting US forces as a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty", Saudi state TV reported.

Iran fired around 20 rockets toward US bases in Iraq, but there have been no recorded fatalities and only minor damage according to US President Donald Trump.

A statement carried by the official SPA news agency said: The kingdom denounces and condemns the Iranian violations of Iraqi sovereignty.

"Saudi Arabia calls on all parties to exercises self-restraint.

Also following on from the attack on US airbases, a statement from Turkeys foreign minister said they do not want Iraq to become a battle zone.

Mevlut Cavusoglu told a press conference along with his Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad, Iraqi capital: We don't want Iraq to be the battle zone of the foreign forces.

In response to Iran scrapping the limits imposed on their nuclear enrichment, Germanys foreign minister called for European powers to put forward a joint response.

Heiko Maas told reporters on Tuesday: What Iran has announced is, we believe, not the right course and so we need to find a joint response.

Iran cannot build its own nuclear weapons.

Continued here:

WW3 news: How has the world responded to the US-Iran conflict? - Express.co.uk

On Friday, January 3, a US drone strike killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani - triggering outrage and pledges for retaliation from Iran. World leaders called for de-escalations following the assassination US PresidentDonald Trump sanctioned, but Iran responded on Wedensday with 20 rockets hitting US bases in Iraq.

The attack - carried out on Wednesday morning - saw Iran send around 20 ballistic missiles to airbases housing US troops in Iraq.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the attack was in retaliation for the death of General Soleimani on Friday.

Soleimani was regarded as the second-most important person in Iran, behind only Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah.

Now, following his death,Iran has said it will not be respecting the restrictions laid out in the 2015 nuclear accord.

A statement released last Sunday said: Iran will continue its nuclear enrichment with no limitations and based on its technical needs.

Read More:WATCH Iran plane crash: Unseen footage shows moment of fiery blast

The head of the European Commission said on Monday that Iran must comply with the 2015 nuclear deal adding her voice to international calls for Iran to help salvage the pact that US PresidentDonald Trumpwithdrew from in 2018.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement: We are deeply concerned by Iran's announcement that it will not respect the limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) any longer,"

"From a European viewpoint, it is important for Iran to return to the nuclear deal. We have to convince Iran that it's also in its own interest.

Ms Von der Leyen confirmed EU foreign ministers will hold a special session on Friday.

All eyes are on the promised retaliation from Iran, who has vowed severe revenge against the US.

But after the Iranian missile attacks, the nation's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter: Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defence under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.

We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.

There has as of yet been no declaration of war between the US and Iran.

Many fear the recent attacks could be the start ofWorld War 3with the hashtags #WW3 and #WorldWar3 trending on Twitter shortly after Soleimani's death was announced.

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Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington said: "Iran has no choice but to strike back and retaliate for the assassination of Major General Soleimani.

"But the Islamic Republic is patient and the timing and nature of that strike is not yet known to us."

US President Donald Trump has published a series of tweets following Irans decision to not respect the 2015 accord.

In his tweets, he spoke of the US military being by far the BEST in the World and vowing to return any attack Iran made against the US.

Mr Trump wrote: The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment. We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World!

If Iran attacks an American Base or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way...and without hesitation!

He later tweeted: They [Iran] attacked us, & we hit back.

If they attack again, which I would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before!

He also tweeted in entirely capital letters: IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!

Mr Trump reiterated this in an address from the White House on Wednesday, saying while he was in office he would make sure Iran would never possess nuclear weapons.

He called on the UK, Germany, France, Greece, China and Russia to abandon the Nuclear accord which the US withdrew from in 2018.

The US President said:"Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism.The time has come for the United Kingdom,Germany,France, Russia and China to recognize this reality.

"They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal -- or JCPOA -- and we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place."

Iran has now announced its military "unintentionally" shot down the Ukrainian jetliner which crashed earlier this week, killing all 176 aboard.

The Iranian government had previously repeatedly denied Western accusations that it was responsible.

The plane was shot down early on Wednesday, hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing US troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad. No-one was wounded in the attack on the bases.

A military statement carried by state media said the plane was mistaken for a "hostile target" after it turned towards a "sensitive military centre" of the Revolutionary Guard.

The military was at its "highest level of readiness," it said, amid the heightened tensions with the US.

"In such a condition, because of human error and in an unintentional way, the flight was hit," the military said. It apologised and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent future tragedies.

Allies of both Iran and the US have weighed in on the conflict, calling for a de-escalation.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab became the latest Government figure to distance the UK from US President Donald Trump's suggestion that Iranian cultural sites could be targeted.

He said: "We have been very clear that cultural sites are protected under international law and we would expect that to be respected."

Speaking after a meeting of senior ministers to discuss the crisis, Mr Raab said: "Clearly our first priority is to make sure that UK nationals, citizens, shipping, diplomatic missions and military personnel are safe.

"We've changed our travel advice, we are going to be reinforcing in due course the Royal Navy protection for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

"On a diplomatic front our overwhelming message that the Prime Minister and I are conveying to our European and American counterparts, and also critically our partners in the Middle East, is the importance of deescalating the tensions and finding a diplomatic way through this crisis."

However, Mr Trump has been adamant the US took action to stop a war, not to start one.

However Iranian general Esmail Ghaani, who has taken Soleimanis place as head of Irans Quds Force, has stated Iran will be taking actions against the US as revenge for the death of Soleimani.

Ghaani told Iranian state television on Monday: God the almighty has promised to get his revenge, and God is the main avenger. Certainly, actions will be taken.

See the original post here:

WW3: Is World War 3 about to happen? Will there be another war? - Express.co.uk

That's right, memes, those images you see on social media that are created, shared, remixed and shared again.

A cursory glance at any of the content posted there is sure to leave the impression of a disingenuous and foolhardy person. But a deeper look reveals a far more complex portrait of a people using humor to mask their deep sense of dread.

One person familiar with the feeling is Kate Hewitt, a federal contractor and adviser at Girl Security, a nonprofit organization that educates girls in middle and high school on national security. She has authored several articles on Iran and researched the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"People are certainly afraid and sometimes pictures, GIFs, memes and tweets can express what you either don't know how to or don't want to fully articulate," she told CNN.

"It's certainly easier for some people to see a meme that takes a serious issue, like what's happening with rising US-Iranian tensions, and makes you laugh either because it is absurd or you're afraid or you don't fully understand the issue," Hewitt said.

The threat of "WWIII" has loomed large on the internet for years

The subreddit languished for more than two years until a week ago. The forum's growth has been extraordinary, Price said.

"It was a huge shock. I actually completely forgot about the subreddit until it started growing last week," Price told CNN. "I think memes just happen whenever there's a big cultural event, regardless of the nature of it. A few years ago, a movement seemed to start where the darker the joke was, the more popular the meme was and I guess these new ww3 memes are just an extension of that."

Withorne cited the overuse of "the draft," instead of "conscription" or "selective service" on Twitter, and how people feared getting called up to serve in the US military.

"I think the language used specifically in the memes is particularly interesting and perhaps indicates that the people making them are not familiar with international conflict," Withorne told CNN via email. "I think this unawareness of the linguistics they are using is indicative of an unawareness about the nature of conflict itself and could be potentially dangerous as tensions continue to rise."

The simmering tension in the Middle East hits close to home for Iranians

While many Americas are using memes to filter their fears, Reza Akbari, a 22-year-old from Mashhad, Iran, used his Twitter account to share his unadulterated feelings.

Many of Akbari's other tweets include anger over the airstrikes that killed Soleimani, a revered and powerful figure. Soleimani loomed large in Iran as the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps elite Quds Force and the leader of the country's overseas operations.

"Still tears streaming down our eyes with his name and his memory ... and only with a vengeance on his killers Iran will lose a bit of our sadness ...Iran have nothing to do with the common people of US. Iran is taking revenge on US politicians," Reza told CNN through a Twitter message after the funeral.

Hannah Kaviani, a journalist at Radio Farda, the Iranian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, believes that recent history may explain why Iranians have responded on social media in their own way.

Iran, no stranger to military conflicts, has lived under the threat of war before.

"There are still pictures of soldiers of that war on the walls of cities and many streets around town bear their names. The state media is also very much trying to keep that memory alive through its own propaganda tools. But then I also think youth in Iran, due to so many different reasons, get involved in socio-political matters much sooner than in the West," Kaviani said.

"You see jokes going around on social media and messaging apps, about all sort of heavy news coming from inside and outside of the country," Kaviani told CNN.

"Obviously the talk of heightened tension between Iran and the US in the past days is the number one topic being discussed among Persian-speaking users on all platforms, and it has caused hot debates among those who believe a confrontation with the US can rid Iran from its current regime, those who are against war, and others who think Islamic Republic should confront the US."

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Zachary B. Wolf, Amir Vera and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this story.

See the article here:

How Americans and Iranians are using memes and hashtags to cope with conflict - CNN

UPDATE: When we originally published this article on Jan. 8, we said there was no evidence to connect a plane crash that killed 63 Canadians in Iran to the death of Qassem Soleimani. On Jan. 9, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the plane was likely shot down by an Iranian missile. He added that it "may have been" an accident and called for a thorough investigation.

When the news came out that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the death of one of Irans most powerful military commanders, #WW3 started trending on TikTok and Twitter.

Many of the early posts were sort of darkly funny, using the idea of a Third World War as the inspiration for a series of gloomy memes.

But as the situation started to escalate, some people got scared.

Turns out, that whole #WW3 thing? Not likely to happen any time soon, many experts say.

There will be no World War Three due to the current confrontation between Iran and U.S. - Political scientist Houchang Hassan-Yari

But lets back up. Why was #WW3 trending in the first place?

Iranian Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. airstrike on Jan. 3.

Why? The U.S. Defence Department said Soleimani had approved plans to attack Americans in the past and was preparing to do it again.

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about the attack on Soleimani to the media on Jan. 3. He said it wasnt an act of war, but a way to prevent it. (Tom Brenner/Reuters)

Iran called it an act of terrorism and promised revenge.

On Tuesday, the Middle Eastern country retaliated by firing missiles at two Iraqi military bases where U.S. soldiers were staying.

No Canadians were hurt in the attack, even though Canada has about 500 troops stationed in Iraq as part of an effort to fight a militant group called ISIS.

That mission is now on hold until Canada can ensure the safety of its soldiers.

The U.S. and Iran have been enemies for a long time and their relationship had become worse in recent months.

Some are suggesting these recent attacks could cause even more damage to that relationship.

But dont panic.

There will be no World War Three due to the current confrontation between Iran and U.S., said Houchang Hassan-Yari, a professor emeritus in political science at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont.

The conflict is confined to a small part of the world, he told CBC Kids News.

Also, many of the more powerful nations on the planet arent directly involved, Hassan-Yari said. There is no desire among big powers to confront each other.

BBC defence and diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus echoed that idea when answering questions from the public online.

The fact that countries like Russia and China are not significant players in this drama will help ensure the conflict doesnt get too big, he said.

This will not prompt World War Three, said Marcus.

Some people are taking to the streets in the U.S. and Canada to voice their concerns about the increased tension between the U.S. and Iran. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/The Associated Press)

The CBCs Nahlah Ayed, who has reported on a number of clashes across the Middle East, also said the fact that both Iran and the U.S. are heading into elections soon means all-out war isnt likely.

Still worried? Here are some tips for dealing with sad or scary news.

On Wednesday, 63 Canadians were killed when a plane crashed shortly after leaving Tehran, which is the capital of Iran.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said evidence suggests the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile and it may have been an accident.

Iranian officials have denied any involvement.

The investigation continues.

With files from CBC News, The Associated Press

See the article here:

#WW3 may be trending, but experts say its unlikely - CBC.ca

World War Three is alarmingly seeming more likely than ever as Iran/USA tensions boil. The Iranian crisis escalated after the USA killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike. Iran threatened severe revenge in response and on Tuesday Tehran fired ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases home to American troops.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard went on to warn the USA and its allies against responding militarily to any Iranian retaliation for the assassination of Soleimani.

The Guard issued the warning via a statement: We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted, reported Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

As tensions rise, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have updated their travel advice to affected areas.

A number of countries in the Middle East now come with travel warnings, including Dubai, Turkey and Egypt.

READ MORE:World War Three: Safest countries in the world mapped

Today, the FCO issued an urgent warning to Britons in Iran and urged them to return home.

They now warn against travelling to the country. The FCO said: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to Iran.

Additionally, the FCO advise against all air travel to, from and within Iran. If youre in Iran, you should review your departure options and consider leaving the country.

There are heightened tensions in the region. On 8 January 2020, Iran fired missiles against two military bases in Iraq containing US personnel.

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Tensions between Iran and other countries could escalate rapidly. Anger inside Iran is high, following the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in a US strike in Baghdad on 3 January.

There is a possibility of an increased threat against Western interests and the security situation could worsen with little warning.

To add to the escalating tensions, a Ukraine International Airlines plane crashed moments after it left Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran at 6.10am local time (2.40am GMT) on Wednesday, bound for the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. There were 176 passengers on board flight PS752, all of whom died.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has since said he has "a body of information" that shows Iran is to blame for the crash.

However, Irans government spokesperson Ali Rabiei has since denied the country is responsible for the crash.

He said reports that a missile hit the Ukrainian plane is a psychological warfare against Tehran.

The FCO said of the tragedy: There is uncertainty surrounding the crash on 8 January of a Ukrainian International Airlines flight shortly after take-off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran.

If you decide to travel by air against FCO advice, contact your airline or travel company for the latest information before travelling.

Flight schedules may be subject to cancellation at short notice. There are alternative land and sea-based routes to leave Iran.

The Foreign Office issued advice to anyone still in Iran at this time. In the event of a sudden deterioration in the security station, there may be limits to the assistance the FCO can provide, depending on the security and transport situation, said the FCO.

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WW3: Britons in this country urged to leave immediately as FCO issue new travel warning - Express

World War 3 has trended on most social media websites and Google since Friday last week when a US drone strike killed Irans top military General Qasem Soleimani. The General was responsible for commanding Irans extraterritorial military presence, and his death prompted a severe reaction from the country, which has vowed swift revenge.

Military conscription is an aged concept, rarely used outside of times of national crisis.

Conscription is otherwise known as the draft and compels people into military service during war.

Several countries have a permanent draft in place, while others only use it in times of crisis.

In countries where it isnt currently active, such as the US and UK, governments can introduce the draft.

In the UK, the draft was introduced on two occasions, during World War One and World War Two, while the US kept the draft until 1973.

Traditionally, those eligible for the draft comprise of men aged 18 to 25, with women ineligible.

However, rules can vary by country.

READ MORE:WW3: Is it safe for Britons to travel to Turkey?

The US modern-day military is currently an all-volunteer force, and has approximately 1.2 million active-duty troops.

To change this, Congress would have to pass a law reinstating the draft, and the president would have to sign it.

These are actions which would likely need extensive political support.

All men from 18 to 25 years old in the United States are required to register with the Selective Service System (SSS).

The SSS was founded in May 1917 and has minimal practical effect today due to the voluntary nature of the military.

Many men check a box to register when receiving their drivers license, and others sign up when they apply for federal student aid to go to college.

However, just because you have registered does not mean you will be drafted.

Jennifer Mittelstadt, a professor of history at Rutgers University who has studied the military told the New York Times: Right now, registering for selective service really means nothing about the likelihood of you serving in the current military.

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With most active drafts, there are conditions which exempt people from compulsory service.

If a government introduced a military draft, it would also need to issue a classification programme specifying who would not need to serve.

The same programme would also define the various forms of service people might have to perform.

According to howstuffworks.com, people deemed fit to serve immediately in the US will receive an induction notice and classified as 1-A.

In the US, an induction notice would then come from the SSS.

If people deemed 1-A have good reason not to serve, they have 10 days to file a reclassification claim.

To do so successfully, they must fall within one of several outlined groups.

According to the SSS, the following groups are exempt from service:

- High school students: Younger than 20 and in full-time education

- College students: Seniors may postpone for a year, freshman, sophomore and juniors until the end of the semester

- Religious ministers: Must be practising

- Ministerial students: Full-time students working to become an ordained minister

- Armed forces members on active duty

- Men with dependents: Men with dependents can defer the draft if it would cause hardship for those they look after

- Government officials: Judges and elected officials are deferred

- Non-citizens and dual nationals

- Conscientious objectors: Those strongly against war for moral or religious reasons

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WW3 news: What are the rules of military conscription? Who is exempt? - Express.co.uk

In the aftermath of the drone strike, World War 3 has been trending across social media.

Millions have expressed concern about the assassination and whether it could become the trigger for World War 3.

General Soleimani. 62, was responsible for commanding the Quds Force and attained celebrity status as a military mastermind for Irans war efforts in Syria and Iraq.

Since his death, several high-ranking Iranians have condemned the execution of General Soleimani.

The countrys President, Hassan Rouhani, promised Iran would continue to resist American expansionism and take revenge on the dead generals behalf.

Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami said: A crushing revenge will be taken for Soleimanis unjust assassination... We will take revenge from all those involved and responsible for his assassination.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: The US act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani... is extremely dangerous and a foolish escalation. The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.

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World War 3: Is World War 3 official? Will WW3 happen and will the UK get involved? - Express.co.uk

Relations between the US and Iran continue to deteriorate as the world waits on how Tehran will enact their revenge on Washington. International Crisis Group Iran Project Director Ali Vaez argued that Iran may disproportionately retaliate against the US. While speaking on Bloomberg Mr Vaez warned of a similar incident where 280 Americans lost their lives in an attack on a US Barracks in Beirut in 1983.

Mr Vaez said: There is no doubt that the Iranians will retaliate.

The important question is when and where.

Usually Ayatollah Khomeinis modus operandi is that he would respond in a proportionate fashion.

So we might see a response in Iraq against the senior US military or diplomatic official.

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If that option is not open then we might also see a similar action taken somewhere else in Afghanistan or even beyond the Middle East.

There is also the risk that the Iranian might miscalculate thinking that a disproportionate response would be a better option for them.

Something similar to the attack on a U.S Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983 that killed more than 280 Americans.

This is because it would deter the US from further escalation and without any doubt, this is a very dangerous moment.

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World War 3: Iran may OVER-RETALIATE in swift attack to send 'severe' warning to US - Express.co.uk

Iranian state television has now released a video of what it says is a ballistic missile attack launched at US military forces in Iraq. The Pentagon has confirmed that missiles were launched from Iran. The missiles targeted at least two Iraqi military bases which hosted American soldiers and coalition personnel.

The two bases were al-Asad and Erbil.

The attack comes just days after the US confirmed it killed General Qassem Suleimani.

Suleimani was the head of Irans elite Quds force.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards claim the attack was in retaliation to the assassination of the Iranian general.

The video shows missiles being fired into the night sky, leaving trails of smoke.

US officials released a statement that more than a dozen ballistic missiles were fired at US troops at two Iraqi bases.

At the present time they are working on initial battle damage assessments.

Although no official report has yet been released on the number of fatalities, it is expected to have had a major impact upon the bases.

READ MORE:Trump popularity soars after Iran attack - Will he win 2020 election?

A US government statement said: It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al Assad and Erbil.

We are working on initial battle damage assessments.

These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region.

As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measure to protect and defend US personnel, partners and allies in the region.

Original post:

WW3 devastation: The terrifying moment Iran's missiles attacked US airbase released - Express.co.uk

Many airlines across the UK are keeping a watchful eye on the rising tensions across the Middle East, following a US airstrike which targeted and killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

As it stands, most airlines are continuing with flights to and from the region.

A spokesperson for British Airways told Express.co.uk that their teams are closely monitoring the situation and our flights are operating normally".

An Emirates spokesperson echoed similar sentiments, commenting: Emirates flights are continuing as scheduled and we are monitoring the situation.

Virgin Atlantic added that their safety and security is their number one priority they will continue to monitor all air space closely and make adjustments to our flight paths if necessary".

Concerns around travelling to the Middle East escalated after US military launched a drone attack on a group of Iranian militants, which targeted and killed Iranian military leader Major General Qassem Soleiman.

READ MORE: World War 3 warning: Iran in line to unleash 'disastrous' response to US attack in Israel

Since his death, protests have sparked across the region, with reports stating that crowds have been heard chanting: Death to America.

While flights are continuing to travel to and from the Middle East, some airlines have faced delays.

Passengers flying between the UK and India were delayed by more than 36 hours over the weekend, with airline TUI citing airspace restrictions in the Middle East as the cause.

The flight - which took off from London Gatwick to Goa shortly after 6am on Monday - was due to depart on Saturday evening.

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According to The Independent, TUI told passengers on flight TOM30: "Due to recent political issues in the Middle East, this has resulted in airspace restrictions along the route of your flight."

Reports suggest the airline didnt not clarify what restrictions are in place.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesperson for Tui said: TOM030, Gatwick to Goa and TOM031, Goa to Gatwick were delayed due to flying restrictions along the intended route. The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority.

The revised time of departure for TOM030 was 07:00 (local) on Monday 6th January and TOM031 at 23:20 (local) on Monday 6th January.

All customers were being looked after in hotels until the new flight departure and we can confirm both flights landed safely.

As a result of the delay, TUI said it would compensate each passenger, paying them 600 (513) under European air passengers rights rules.

The European air passengers rights rules state that if a flight is delayed at departure, a person has the right to assistance, reimbursement and a return flight depending on the duration of the delay and distance of the flight, according to the European Union (EU) website.

They add: If you arrived at your final destination with a delay of more than three hours, you are entitled to compensation, unless the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances.

The airline has to prove this by providing, for example, extracts from logbooks or incident reports. The air carrier should give this evidence to the relevant national enforcement body as well as to the passengers concerned in line with national provisions on access to documents.

While a 36-hour flight delay is particularly long, many have taken to forums to discuss the shocking delays theyve experienced.

In a forum on TripAdvisor, one user detailed a delay that left her family stranded in Morocco for nine days.

Having travelled there last April for four nights, an ash cloud descended, and the holidaymaker explained that the first available flights were nine days later.

Many shared that they had been delayed for up to 96 hours in countries including France, Brussels and Spain.

I was totally abandoned in Brussels three years ago due to fog. No alternative transport offered and no one to ask when the next flight leaving would be, another user revealed.

We found out later that the next scheduled flight was four days later and it was full. Cost me 900 euros to get my family home.

Whats the longest delay youve had to endure? Email leahsinclair@reachplc.com to share your story.

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World War 3 fears: Are airlines travelling to the Middle East? - Express

Can I speak to the manager of Iran?

In case youve been living under a rock, Donald Trump ordered an air strike on Iran on Friday, that killed Irans General Qassem Soleimani and Iran have threatened to strike back against the US, and now WW3 memes are a thing.

These decisions have led many people on Twitter to believe that we are heading to World War three.And of course there are many memes to get us through this troubling political time.

Some Twitter users have criticised the creations of these memes, stating that war is not funny and has serious consequences.

Obviously it is a very serious issue but people on the Internet have decided to make the best out of a bad situation and bless us all with some quality memes to get us through the day.

Weve rounded up the best memes that are essentially the best coping mechanism for dealing with a potential global catastrophe.

Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore /Creative Commons Licence

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These 30 WW3 memes are the only way to get through this chaos - The Tab

The past few days have borne witness to a whirlwind of excitement in the world of geopolitics- excitement born out of a sense of collective fear and negativity. Twitter users around the world woke up on the January 3, 2020, to see #WWIII as one of the top social media trends. Yet despite the collective globalfear about the developments in Iran immediately following General Qassem Soleimanis assassination, the concerns about WW3 may well be unfounded. The stakes are high, and the potential for a limited war is extremely likely. Yet, to say that the Third World War is inevitable is incorrect- and this is not the result of the publics futile hopes for a diplomatic solution, but a ground reality based on fact.

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Following last nights missile strikes on Al-Asad Air Base in northern Iraq, the Iranian government issued a series of threats against a variety of US allies in the Middle East. The two most outlandish and quoted of these threats have been against the UAE and Israel, with Tehran threatening to use Hezbollah militias to conduct terrorist attacks in Dubai and Haifa respectively. The escalating rhetoric from both Washington and Tehran at first glance may appear to be a call to arms, but a deeper look shows that it is really just coded calls for restraint aimed at one another. Iran hopes that its escalating talk of war and violence will pressurise American allies in the region to a point where they have to work together to prevent Donald Trump from deploying ground troops in Iran, thereby ending the looming threat of World War Three.

READ | With the world on tenterhooks over Iran-US escalation, AAAs the magic word for Imran Khan

Despite Washingtons best efforts to gather support for its cause among allies, it is highly doubtful as to whether or not they will concede to the USAs demands. It is true that most of the USAs major European allies- Britain, France and Germany- have all faced off with Iran in the past year or have outstanding differences with Tehran. The UK had a tense face-off with Iran in July 2019, following Britains detention of an Iranian oil tanker, Grace 1, on the charge of evading sanctions and smuggling crude oil to Syria. Iran responded with the capture of British ships Mesdar and Stena Impero. After two months of tense negotiations, both sides relented and the ships were freed.

After such a showdown, caused as a result of Whitehall pursuing American national interest on the basis ofLondons Special Relationship with Washington, the UK will try to not become involved in a military confrontation with Iran. With the UK poised to leave the EU on theJanuary 31, PM Boris Johnson will not want anything to distract from Brexit, viewed by many in the Conservative Party as Johnsons greatest political triumph.

France has already expressed its concern about the escalating tensions between the USA and Iran. France and Iran had a severe diplomatic spat in late 2018, with France publicly declaring that Irans intelligence agencies were involved in an attempted bomb plot in Paris aimed at targeting a meeting of Iranian dissidents. Responding in 2019, Iran jailed two French academics on charges of espionage. The charges against the duo were dropped in January once France proposed to solve the US-Iran standoff diplomatically.

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While France continues to push for a diplomatic solution, it has still strengthened the security levels for the 160 French troops deployed in Iraq. However, this is little but a token gesture, aimed at creating a facade of apparent NATO unity while refraining from getting involved in what is viewed as an American war.

Finally, Germany refuses to become entangled in any war against Iran. While Germany did voice support for the American assassination of General Soleimani, and was criticised by Iran for it, it is averse to supporting President Trumps military activities against Iran. In fact, Germany has rapidly started withdrawing some of its troops from Iraq already.

The different lines of action being taken by France and Germany indicate that there is fractured support for war against Iran among NATO members. And despite certain shared views on the matter, no European ally of the USA is willing to go to war with Iran.

In the case of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the USAs main regional allies, neither of them want a conventional war with Iran either. Despite the tensions between the USA and Iran, UAEs Energy Minister has rubbished what he calls exaggerations regarding WW3. Yet the UAE is quietly working on securing its oil routes in case war does break out- and even if it doesnt the actions the UAE is taking now will increase its standing as a regional power. The UAE has started quietly lobbying in Washington so that an Emirati company, DP World, is given the contract to invest in a construction project in Port Sudan. Such an investment will allow the UAE to transport oil via the Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal and Bab-el Mandeb strait to markets in Europe, Asia and beyond. In case of war, the Straits of Hormuz will be blockaded- which would otherwise have left the UAE in a lurch.

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From a strategic standpoint, war is not a feasible reality for the USA. The only two routes into Iran are through the south and north. A US landing in southern Iran would face the full might of the Iranian navy, and even then the invading American troops would have to traverse across wide desert and mountains to reach Tehran in the north. The invasion would also see widespread destruction in major Iranian port cities, such as Chabahar, where India is working on a port project. An invasion from the north would require American bases in Central Asian countries such as Turkmenistan, which are firmly part of Russias CSTO bloc. With the current tensions between Russia and the West, it is unlikely that the US will have this opportunity. An invasion from the west is most likely, since US forces in Iraq would be able to move eastward toward Tehran. Yet still, the terrain is rough and Tehran is extremely far away. Additionally, the western Iranian province of Khuzestan has borne witness to a decades-long separatist insurgency by the Sunni Arab population dominating the province. Violent interactions with invading American troops could quickly spiral into a Wahhabi insurgency funded by Saudi money.

In conclusion, chances - if at all - of even a localised conflict spiralling into the Third World War may be remote.Despite what one might like to excitedly proclaim to ones friends, the real possibility is either a violent skirmish or an intense diplomatic showdown where both sides - Trump especially - may be able to walk away claiming a victory for the galleries.

It is, and will be, peace in our time.

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Even as Iran & US flex muscles, here are three reasons why World War 3 isnt happening - Republic World - Republic World