The focus of world attention may be on the war in Iraq, but no one should forget that it is business as usual in other parts of the globe, according to one of our most senior officers.

A Royal Marine has been killed in southern Iraq over the weekend.

Harassment of Naval families by journalists is “entirely unacceptable”, according to Portsmouth Naval Base Commander Commodore Amjad Hussain.

The first ten British fatalities of the war in Iraq were flown back to the UK on Saturday.

British aid ship RFA Sir Galahad is reported to have edged through a narrow channel and arrived at the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr.

Two Sandown-class minehunters are to leave Portsmouth today to relieve sister ships Sandown and Bangor in the Gulf.

British aid ship RFA Sir Galahad's entry to the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr has been delayed by the discovery of mines in vicinity of the harbour.

A Royal Marine had a lucky escape when he survived four shots to the head - thanks to his standard-issue protective helmet.

HMS Cornwall has sailed from Devonport for a six-month deployment as the flagship of a NATO naval task group operating in the war on terror in the Mediterranean.

Specialists from the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia are involved in a massive operation to clear mines from the shallow waters which lead to the vital Iraqi port of Umm Qasr.

Three of the aircrew who died early on Saturday morning when two Sea King helicopters collided over the Gulf have been named.

The remainder of Saddam Hussein's navy has been prevented from breaking out into the Arabian Gulf after a rapid manoeuvre by Type 22 frigate HMS Chatham, reports Neil Sears of the Daily Mail, who is on board the warship.

Services of remembrance have been held in the UK and the Middle East for the Royal Marines and Royal Navy personnel who died in accidents in the first days of the war in Iraq.

Eight British personnel from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines are reported to have died when an American helicopter crashed in northern Kuwait last night.

Amid all the media and political agonising over the morality of the conflict to come, the mood on the ground was perhaps summed up by an RM officer on exchange duty with his American counterparts: “We only hear from the vocal minority – we’d like to hear from the silent majority,” he said.