Party hopeful cites national security report on ecosystem collapse and food supply threats

A GREEN PARTY candidate standing in the upcoming Senedd elections has warned that biodiversity loss and environmental decline could pose serious risks to food supplies and national security.

Amy Nicholass, the Green Party’s Ceredigion Penfro lead candidate for the May election, has highlighted the findings of a report titled Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, which examines how environmental breakdown could affect the stability of societies.

Nicholass, who holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science, said the report shows the need for communities to become more resilient in the face of environmental shocks.

“We need to create resilient communities,” she said. “Such communities are being formed all over the UK at the moment.”

The report outlines how biodiversity decline and ecosystem damage could disrupt food production and increase pressures on national infrastructure.

Environmental campaigners have also launched a new initiative called SAFER – Strategic Adaptation for Emergency Resilience – which aims to help communities prepare for major shocks linked to climate change and ecological decline.

The campaign has been promoted by former Green MP Dr Caroline Lucas and environmental thinker Dr Rupert Read.

Nicholass said the involvement of national security experts highlights the seriousness of the issue.

“There are still people, and political leaders who deny that climate change is real,” she said. “Now is the time to come together to acknowledge the truth and find solutions that are good for nature and good for people, and which do not leave poorer members of our society behind.”

The report also highlights the challenges already facing farmers, with changing weather patterns and biodiversity loss affecting crop production.

Nicholass said farmers are on the front line of the crisis but must also be supported as part of the solution.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Nature underpins our security, prosperity and resilience.”

Nicholass added that communities had shown during the Covid pandemic that rapid change is possible when people understand the scale of a challenge.

“In the Green Party we always look for hope,” she said. “The pandemic showed that people and communities can be resilient and rethink priorities in times of crisis.”

THE INDEPENDENT PRESS STANDARDS ORGANISATION has rejected a complaint made against The Pembrokeshire Herald over its reporting of a Domestic Violence Protection Order hearing.

The complaint related to an article headlined “Dorset man stopped at Fishguard ferry given domestic violence order,” which was published on February 2, 2026.

The complainant alleged the report breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice, claiming the article gave readers the misleading impression that he had a proven history of domestic violence and criminal behaviour.

However, after reviewing the complaint, IPSO’s Complaints Team concluded that the article did not raise a possible breach of the Editors’ Code.

In its decision, the regulator noted that newspapers are responsible for accurately reporting what is said in court proceedings, rather than verifying the accuracy of statements made during those hearings.

IPSO said the complainant did not dispute that the allegations referenced in the article had been raised during the court hearing.

The regulator also noted that the report made clear the nature of a Domestic Violence Protection Order, explaining that it is a civil safeguarding measure and does not amount to a criminal conviction.

On that basis, IPSO concluded that the article was not misleading and that there were no grounds to investigate a breach of the Code.

The complainant has seven days to request that the decision be reviewed by IPSO’s Complaints Committee.

A RAPIDLY escalating war between Iran, Israel and the United States has expanded dramatically across the Middle East, with major airstrikes on Tehran, missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, and the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean marking one of the most dangerous global crises in decades. 

The conflict, which began only days ago following joint US–Israeli strikes inside Iran, has now spread across multiple countries and military theatres, drawing in NATO air defences, threatening global oil supplies and triggering international evacuations.

Military analysts warn the situation could develop into a full regional war if the cycle of retaliation continues.

War triggered by assassination of Iran’s supreme leader

The current crisis began after coordinated American and Israeli strikes targeted senior Iranian leadership and military infrastructure.

Among those killed was Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a development that has plunged the Islamic Republic into both military confrontation and political uncertainty over who will lead the country next.

The attacks were reportedly planned weeks in advance and targeted command centres, security headquarters and other strategic sites across Iran.

Tehran responded by launching waves of missiles and drones across the region, including attacks on Israel and military installations hosting US forces in Gulf states such as Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Air raid sirens have repeatedly sounded in Israeli cities as interceptors attempt to shoot down incoming Iranian missiles.

Israeli airstrikes hammer Tehran and Lebanon

Israeli forces have continued a sustained bombing campaign across Iran, targeting Revolutionary Guard facilities, police headquarters and other security infrastructure in Tehran.

Explosions have been reported across several districts of the capital as Israeli aircraft and missiles strike strategic targets.

At the same time, Israel has expanded operations against Iranian allies in Lebanon, striking Hezbollah positions and ordering civilians to evacuate areas close to the border.

The Israeli military says the aim is to dismantle Iran’s ability to wage war through its regional proxy networks.

NATO intercepts missile heading towards Turkey

The conflict has also spilled towards NATO territory.

Turkish defence officials confirmed that a ballistic missile launched from Iran crossed Iraqi and Syrian airspace before being intercepted by NATO air defence systems in the eastern Mediterranean.

The missile was destroyed before entering Turkish airspace, and no casualties were reported.

NATO has condemned the attack and warned Iran that further escalation could threaten the security of alliance members.

British military base struck in Cyprus

The war has already touched British military infrastructure.

A drone believed to be Iranian-made struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus earlier this week, marking the first attack on the UK’s key Middle East airbase in decades.

The base plays a central role in British operations in the region, and the strike has raised concerns that UK forces could be drawn more deeply into the conflict.

US submarine sinks Iranian frigate

One of the most dramatic developments occurred thousands of miles away in the Indian Ocean.

A US Navy submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

The ship was carrying about 180 crew members when it was hit while travelling in international waters.

Sri Lankan naval vessels launched a major rescue operation after receiving a distress call from the stricken vessel.

So far only thirty-two sailors have been rescued, with dozens confirmed dead and many more still missing.

The attack is historically significant — it is the first time since the Second World War that an American submarine has sunk an enemy warship using a torpedo.

US defence officials say the strike was part of a wider campaign to destroy Iran’s naval capability.

Hundreds killed as fighting spreads

Casualty figures across the region are rising rapidly.

Officials say more than a thousand people have been killed in Iran since the bombing campaign began, with further deaths reported in Israel, Lebanon and among American forces deployed in the region.

The United Nations has also expressed alarm after reports that a girls’ school in southern Iran was struck during the early stages of the fighting, killing large numbers of children.

Both Israel and the United States say the strike was not deliberate and that investigations are under way.

Strait of Hormuz disruption sends shock through markets

The conflict is already having major economic consequences.

Iran has effectively halted much of the shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow sea passage through which a large proportion of the world’s oil exports normally pass.

Drone attacks have struck several tankers and maritime traffic has dropped sharply as insurers and shipping companies avoid the area.

Energy analysts say the disruption could trigger global fuel price rises if the crisis continues.

Iran vows devastating retaliation

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned that continued attacks on the country could lead to “widespread destruction” across the Middle East.

Officials in Tehran have vowed retaliation against American and Israeli targets across the region.

At the same time, the country faces a leadership vacuum following the death of its supreme leader, with religious authorities now responsible for selecting a successor.

Some analysts believe the instability inside Iran could intensify the conflict further.

What happens next

Military leaders in Washington say the campaign against Iran could last weeks, with additional strikes expected deeper inside the country.

Israel has also warned that it will target any new Iranian leadership if attacks against Israel continue.

With missile exchanges, naval battles and drone strikes already spreading across multiple countries, the conflict now risks becoming one of the largest wars in the Middle East in decades — with potentially global economic and political consequences.