News 14/01/26

Iran has issued a notice closing its airspace to all flights except international services with permission to enter or leave the country, according to tracking site FlightRadar.

A NOTAM, or Notice to Air Missions, is a time sensitive alert for pilots about hazards and airspace conditions. The restriction will be in effect for over two hours.

The families of victims of the Manchester Arena bombing say they cannot support the current form of a new law designed to prevent cover ups.

Campaigners met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Parliament on Wednesday, arguing the Hillsborough Law should apply to employees of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, with no public authority exempt. Families bereaved by the 2017 attack say MI5 failed them, and after the meeting said he did not address their concerns.

Three Palestine Action hunger strikers have ended their seventy three day protest after a key demand was met.

On Wednesday, Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi and Lewie Chiaramello confirmed they would stop striking after Elbit Systems UK was denied a government contract. It was announced that the firm lost a two billion pound deal to train sixty thousand British troops each year.

Donald Trump says the United States has been told killings in Iran were stopping and there were no plans for executions. 

Earlier, Trump told protesters help was on its way and warned of strong action, while Iran said it would retaliate against US sites.

Thousands of properties across South East England remain affected by water outages after a major incident in Kent and Sussex.

Many households entered a fifth day with no or intermittent supply after Storm Goretti caused power cuts and burst pipes, leaving storage tanks low. South East Water said supplies were restored to sixteen thousand properties. The company blamed the problems on Storm Goretti. Power cuts and burst pipes were cited by SEW officials.

California’s top prosecutor has opened an investigation into sexualised AI deepfakes linked to Elon Musk’s Grok model.

Attorney General Rob Bonta said reports of non consensual explicit material produced by xAI were shocking. The company says anyone prompting Grok to create illegal content will face consequences, as Sir Keir Starmer warns action.

The White House has defended President Donald Trump after he made an offensive gesture toward a heckler at a Ford factory event in Detroit.

Footage showed him responding to shouted abuse. Officials said the response was appropriate. The heckler has been suspended by Ford, while online fundraising raised nearly seven hundred thousand dollars.

The UK is withdrawing military personnel from a US base in Qatar, it is understood, as tensions rise with Iran.

The move follows comments by President Donald Trump, who told protesters that help is on its way and warned of very strong action if planned executions proceed. Iran has said it would retaliate against American military sites in the region if attacked. The United States has also begun withdrawing some staff from the US run Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has announced the launch of phase two of a plan to end the conflict in Gaza.

The phase establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and begins full demilitarisation and reconstruction. Writing on X, Witkoff said the United States expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage, warning failure would bring serious consequences.

John Alford, star of London’s Burning, has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting two girls aged 14 and 15.

The 54-year-old was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court for offences committed during a party at a friend’s home in April 2022. The trial heard he bought £250 of food, alcohol and cigarettes from a petrol station in the early hours, including a bottle of vodka which the victims drank.

Sting has paid former bandmates in The Police more than half a million pounds after acknowledging underpaid royalties, court documents show.

In London’s High Court, lawyers confirmed Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland received over $800,000 after launching legal proceedings last year. The dispute involved royalties for songs including Roxanne and Every Breath You Take.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she no longer has confidence in the chief constable of West Midlands Police, after the force banned Israeli football supporters from a UK match.

In October, fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv were barred from a game against Aston Villa in Birmingham over safety concerns. The decision prompted criticism, concern from the prime minister, and Commons committee evidence, after which Jewish groups called for Chief Constable Craig Guildford to resign.

Sir Keir Starmer says Elon Musk’s X is complying with safety laws and the government will not back down.

At Questions, he described non consensual sexual images from the Grok AI tool as disgusting and shameful. He said making the image editing feature a premium service was horrific and ministers are determined to act.

Amateur Jordan Smith won one million Australian dollars, equal to four hundred ninety six thousand eight hundred and thirty five pounds, at the Australian Open Million Dollar One Point Slam.

The format let amateurs play a single point against top professionals. Smith beat world number two Jannik Sinner and defeated women’s world number four Amanda Anisimova on Rod Laver Arena before almost fifteen thousand spectators.

A teacher who told a pupil they had the hottest, sexiest body and sent explicit images and gifts has been struck off.

Ian Shilling was head of music at Newlands Girls’ School in Maidenhead from September twenty twelve to October twenty twenty. A panel found a calculated pattern of behaviour and abuse of position. The school said it was reassured and would maintain safeguarding standards.

Iran has warned neighbouring countries it could strike United States bases in retaliation for attacks from Washington.

Sir Keir Starmer condemned what he called the sickening repression and murder of protesters in Iran. He made the remarks at the start of Prime Minister’s Questions.

Britain is said to be firmly on track to meet its clean power targets for twenty thirty, according to the government, after a record offshore wind auction.

Contracts have been awarded to supply eight point four gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity, enough to power around twelve million homes. Ministers say this will reduce reliance on volatile and polluting natural gas. However the agreed strike price of ninety pounds ninety one is an eleven percent rise on last year. The target of a clean power grid by twenty thirty requires at least forty three gigawatts of offshore wind, with higher prices likely to fuel political debate.

A twenty six year old Iranian protester is set to be executed today for taking part in anti regime demonstrations across the country, as international attention focuses on possible action by the United States.

President Donald Trump has urged demonstrators to keep protesting and said help is on its way, without giving detail. Writing on his Truth Social platform, he warned those he called killers and abusers would pay a big price.

A new rail line will be built between Birmingham and Manchester, the government has announced, although no timetable or funding details have been provided.

The Treasury said it wants a new connection between the cities but stressed it would not be a reinstatement of HS2. The Conservative government scrapped the planned HS2 extension in 2023, saying the decision was taken to save money.

MPs have warned that recent and upcoming policies could be the final nail in the coffin for many pubs, after the Commons backed an increase in alcohol duty in line with inflation.

Pubs have faced rising national insurance, higher minimum wages, energy costs, business rates, inflation, new workers rights and now the duty rise. The increase will apply from the first of February after approval of the Finance Bill.

Staff at colleges across Slough and Windsor are due to walk out this week in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The University and College Union says picket lines will be outside three sites run by Windsor Forest Colleges Group after bosses refused to make a fair offer. Union members will strike on January fourteen, fifteen and sixteen, with pickets outside Slough and Langley College each morning.

Child killer Jon Venables is to have his latest bid for freedom heard by the Parole Board.

The now 43 year old was refused release in 2023.