Britain’s government has been criticised for not being able to send a warship to the region sooner, with military vessels from allies Greece and France arriving within days of Iran launching retaliatory attacks across the Gulf

International News via Reuters:

British warship HMS Dragon departed for the Eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday, more than a week after Britain’s air base in Cyprus was attacked by a drone in the aftermath of the United States and Israel launching attacks against Iran.

Britain’s government has been criticised for not being able to send a warship to the region sooner, with military vessels from allies Greece and France arriving within days of Iran launching retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.

On March 1 RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by an Iranian-made drone, thought to have been launched from Lebanon or Iraq.

The decision to deploy the destroyer was made a week ago but it has taken days to prepare it for the journey, adding to scrutiny of Britain’s military readiness.

The government has defended its response, saying it had pre-deployed other assets to the region including radar systems, air defence, and F-35 jets.

HMS Dragon is a Type 45 air-defence destroyer equipped with the Sea Viper missile system and advanced radar designed to track and neutralise airborne threats, according to the Royal Navy’s website.

The government has also cited its close cooperation with the United States in preparation and in response to the conflict, despite criticism from Trump over Britain’s support.

Trump has lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer for limiting Britain’s military support for the strikes on Iran, plunging the relationship between the historically close military allies into crisis.

Starmer has allowed the U.S. to use British bases for defensive action but has said that he would not approve UK involvement in offensive actions unless he was sure they were legal and were part of a clear plan.

Reporting by William James; Editing by Alistair Smout

The Japanese conglomerate is accused of abusing its dominant position by requiring digital games and add-ons for its console to be bought and sold only via its PlayStation Store

International News via Reuters:

Sony is fighting a London lawsuit worth almost 2 billion pounds ($2.7 billion) that alleges the PlayStation maker’s “monopoly position” inflated prices for digital games, in the latest mass consumer case to go to trial in Britain.

The Japanese conglomerate is accused of abusing its dominant position by requiring digital games and add-ons for its console to be bought and sold only via its PlayStation Store, making prices higher than for physical games.

Sony says it has “invested years and billions” in an integrated gaming platform that benefits consumers in a competitive market, where rivals Nintendo and Microsoft’s Xbox use similar models.

Its lawyers also argue the margin Sony earns on sales of games and additional content is not excessive, saying the lawsuit ignores the company’s costs and the value of its brand.

The case, brought at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) on behalf of around 12 million people in the United Kingdom, is the third against a major tech company to go to trial since the start of 2025.

SONY ACCUSED OF EXCLUDING COMPETITION

Alex Neill, who is leading the case, said in a statement that “gamers have paid too much and they should get some money back”. The case was previously valued at up to 5 billion pounds, but has since dropped to 1.97 billion pounds.

Her lawyer Robert Palmer told the tribunal: “Sony can and does set the retail prices … without facing any retail competition for digital content. It allows it to obtain monopoly profits from digital distribution.”

But Sony, which sold 8 million PlayStation 5 consoles between October and December, says the lawsuit amounts to arguing that third parties should be allowed to set up a store for the PlayStation and “free-ride” on Sony’s investments.

Other cases relating to app stores are pending. Last year, the CAT ruled against Apple in relation to its App Store, a decision Apple is seeking to appeal.

A trial of a lawsuit against Google is due to begin in October. Fortnite maker Epic Games, which would have been involved in that case, withdrew its claim on Monday after Google announced sweeping changes to its Play Store practices.

($1 = 0.7446 pounds)

Reporting by Sam Tobin. Editing by Mark Potter

If prices fell in the next four or five weeks to levels before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, the effect on consumer price inflation would be very limited and the rise was unlikely to have a big impact

International News via Reuters:

Britain’s inflation rate could end the year at around 3% rather than the roughly 2% rate assumed by the country’s fiscal forecasters if energy prices stay at current levels, an official at the Office for Budget Responsibility said on Tuesday.

“Material, significant, as yet not on the same scale as we experienced after the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” David Miles, a member of the OBR’s Budget Responsibility Committee told lawmakers.

“I’d have given you a different answer probably yesterday morning and by the end of this week it will look different again,” Miles said, referring to the volatility in prices in energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

If prices fell in the next four or five weeks to levels before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, the effect on consumer price inflation would be very limited and the rise was unlikely to have a big impact on household energy bills, he said.

Writing by William Schomberg, editing by Andy Bruce