News 04/02/26

We are about to enter a world without nuclear arms control as the last remaining treaty limiting the arsenals of Russia and the United States expires on Thursday.

For the first time in more than half a century, there will be no legal limits on missiles and warheads, raising fears the world is on the brink of a new arms race. Moscow based analyst Vasily Kashin called the situation serious.

A ban on asylum seekers using taxis to attend medical appointments has now come into force.

The government changed the policy after a BBC investigation showed people travelling long distances at high cost. One asylum seeker described a 250 mile cab journey to a GP costing the Home Office six hundred pounds. Taxis will still be allowed in limited cases including disability, chronic illness and pregnancy.

An email appearing to be from Ghislaine Maxwell suggests a photograph of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor with Virginia Giuffre is genuine.

Andrew has denied wrongdoing and previously questioned whether the image was doctored. In a 2015 draft statement sent to Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell wrote she was in London in 2001 when Giuffre met friends including Andrew and a photograph was taken.

Ryan Routh has been sentenced to life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in September 2024.

He was convicted of trying to kill Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. A US Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel in bushes, fired, and Routh fled before being arrested nearby.

Six Palestine Action activists have been cleared of aggravated burglary following a break-in at the Elbit Systems UK factory in Bristol.

Prosecutors said the group, dressed in red boiler suits and armed with sledgehammers, used a prison van as a “battering ram” in a meticulously organised attack on 6 August 2024. They were accused of spraying red paint, smashing computer equipment and boxes of technical products, and damaging the disabled toilet. Samuel Corner, 23, Charlotte Head, 29, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, were found not guilty at Woolwich Crown Court.

Sir Keir Starmer has heavily criticised Peter Mandelson in PMQs.

Responding to a question from Kemi Badenoch, the prime minister said: “To learn that there was a cabinet minister leaking sensitive information at the height of the response to the 2008 crash is beyond infuriating. I am as angry as the public and any member of this House. Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party.” He added that Mandelson “lied repeatedly” to his team about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador.

An investigation has been launched after a fight broke out following Slough’s clash with Chelmsford City.

Police say an affray occurred between 5:05pm and 5:20pm on Saturday, 31 January on Stoke Road, close to Slough Town’s stadium. Officers said the fight erupted shortly after the National League South match ended and are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.

A man in his twenties has died after being stabbed in Leicester city centre, police have said.

He was attacked following an altercation with another man and collapsed in Oxford Street, near Bonners Lane. He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, where he later died. An eighteen year old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Police have launched a murder investigation and are searching fields in Stoke Poges as part of an inquiry into the disappearance of a man missing for more than four years.

Thames Valley Police say land on Grays Park Road is being searched in connection with the suspected murder of Andrzej Mucha from Greystoke Road in Slough. He was 57 when last seen. He was reported missing on December 13th 2021, with last contact on November 29th.

A very serious incident has been reported at a university campus in Leicestershire, prompting significant police action in Leicester city centre.

Several roads around De Montfort University were closed from around six pm on Tuesday, including Oxford Street, Grange Street and nearby routes. Police say closures remain in place, but officers are unable to confirm any details about the incident

National Rail says major disruption affecting services through London Blackfriars is expected to last until the end of the day.

Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services are all impacted. Passengers have been advised not to travel this morning if at all possible. The disruption affects travel plans and services across the affected operators today, for many passengers overall.

Former player and broadcaster John Virgo has died at the age of 79, World Snooker has announced.

He died at his home in Spain, according to World Seniors Snooker chairman Jason Francis. Paying tribute, Mr Francis described Virgo as an amazingly loyal friend and a familiar voice who entertained viewers while commentating. He was doing what he loved doing.

Passengers across three rail operators are facing major disruption this morning and have been advised not to travel after multiple incidents around south London.

Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services are all affected. Southern said it cannot guarantee passengers will reach their destination, advising people to delay journeys, use alternative routes, or avoid travel if possible.

The government says it wants to recruit ten thousand more foster carers by the end of the next parliament, launching a major drive to reverse a long term decline in support for vulnerable children.

Backed by £88M  in funding, ministers say the plan will open fostering to younger and more diverse households, remove outdated rules, and improve support so fewer carers leave the system. Fostering charities have broadly welcomed the announcement but say the ambition must be matched with further investment.

Earlier cancer diagnosis and faster treatment are being promised under a government plan in England aiming for three quarters of patients to survive cancer for at least five years by 2035.

Ministers say the strategy will deliver the fastest improvement in cancer outcomes this century. Latest figures for twenty twenty two show five year survival at sixty percent, leaving the UK behind comparable countries. The government also plans to meet the sixty two day waiting time target by twenty twenty nine.

Taxi drivers in Slough have been shut out of discussions about a policy to stop licensing new diesel vehicles, according to claims made during the consultation process.

Slough Borough Council had planned to stop issuing new licences for diesel private hire and Hackney carriage vehicles from the 1st January 2026. The proposal follows earlier plans dating back to 2018 to move all new licences and renewals to ultra low emission vehicles.

The court system is said to be on the brink of collapse as trial backlogs reach record levels.

Sir Brian Leveson warned there can be no selective response. His final review recommends one hundred and thirty efficiency changes.

A woman whose necklace was stolen thanked a bus driver who intervened after chasing the thief, later saying the incident was terrifying.