The capture of 15 Royal Navy personnel by Iran has been used to ratchet up the threats against the country. The US has sent two aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf, with a third battle group on its way this week. All three are nuclear armed.
The Transport and General Workers Union has suspended its planned 24-hour strike action on Thursday by over 2,600 pork and poultry workers at Grampian Foods. It has agreed to attend Acas, the Arbitration Conciliation and Advisory Service.
The US-backed government in Baghdad has approved the ethnic cleansing of Arabs from the Iraqi city of Kirkuk – which is home to Arabs, Kurds and other ethnic groups.
Baljeet Ghale this year became the first black president of the NUT teachers' union. In her opening address to conference this weekend she attacked the Labour government's record on education.
