News 09/04/26

Melania Trump says she never had a relationship with the disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

She criticised what she called lies linking her to the late sex offender in a surprise address filmed in the Grand Foyer of the White House. The First Lady said the claims were defaming her reputation and insisted the allegations must end today.

A child has died after being bitten by a dog, police said.

Armed officers were called to Hardale Grove in Dormanstown, Redcar shortly after one thirty pm on Thursday following concerns for a child. The youngster died after police arrived at the property and Cleveland Police believe the death was caused by a dog bite.

A man has been sentenced to twenty eight months in prison after grooming a fourteen year old girl on the gaming platform Roblox.

Carlo Tritta from Eastleigh, Hampshire pleaded guilty to offences including making indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual communications and intimidating a witness. He built trust online before encouraging explicit images.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon are wrong and should stop Sir Keir Starmer has said during a visit to the Gulf.

Speaking to ITV he said it was a matter of principles. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said strikes killed three hundred and three people and were a grave violation of the ceasefire while Israel said Lebanon was not covered. Benjamin Netanyahu has told ministers to begin talks with Lebanon soon.

OpenAI is pausing a multibillion pound UK data centre project known as Stargate UK citing concerns about high energy costs and regulation.

The plan included a site in north east England and access to powerful chips through partners Nvidia and Nscale. The wider investment package was worth thirty one billion pounds but the company says it will proceed only when conditions allow long term investment.

An opportunistic thief who stole a handbag containing an emerald encrusted Faberge egg and watch set worth up to two point two million pounds from a central London pub has been jailed for more than two years.

Enzo Conticello, twenty nine, took the bag from Rosie Dawson outside the Dog and Duck in Soho. The items have not been recovered.

The Artemis Two crew say they have many more pictures and stories to share as they return to Earth.

The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft have completed their mission around the Moon and are expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego at around twenty hundred US Eastern time on Friday. Pilot Victor Glover said the crew is eager to share what they have seen.

Jo Malone has said she hopes sense will prevail in a legal case involving Estée Lauder over use of her name.

The company bought her original brand in nineteen ninety nine, including rights to her name. She later founded Jo Loves in twenty eleven. Legal action relates to a collaboration with Zara, and Malone says she was very surprised and very sad.

The defence secretary says there has been increased Russian activity in the Atlantic north of the UK.

John Healey told a Downing Street briefing that an Akula class attack submarine and two specialist submarines linked to Russia’s deep sea research directorate have been detected. He also referred to the detection of the Russian Yantar spy ship last November. Mr Healey said the vessels had been directed by President Vladimir Putin to carry out hybrid warfare activities targeting the UK and its allies, particularly critical undersea infrastructure. [Pause(1)]

A British man has been charged with directing the activities of the Somalia based Islamist group Al Shabaab.

Jermaine Grant, aged forty three, is also accused of attending a commando training camp in the southern port city of Kismayu and possessing an AK47 rifle for terrorist purposes. Prosecutors say the charges relate to alleged involvement with the group in two thousand and eight and two thousand and nine. Counter Terrorism Policing said the case follows a long running investigation and described the allegations as serious.

Four people have died after attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, French authorities have confirmed.

The incident occurred around 7am local time in Équihen‑Plage, near Boulogne. It is the latest fatal accident in the Channel, following the deaths of two people just eight days ago. Rescue teams continue to warn of the dangers posed by small vessels attempting the crossing.

The foreign secretary has said she is deeply troubled by Israeli attacks on Lebanon and wants the country included in the ceasefire agreement.

The US and Iran have agreed a two-week truce, but Israel says Lebanon is not covered and has escalated its attacks. Yvette Cooper said she is concerned about the humanitarian impact, including mass displacement, and urged that the ceasefire be extended to Lebanon.

Donald Trump has said US forces will remain in the Middle East and warned that if no agreement is reached with Iran, the shooting will start, bigger and stronger than ever before.

In a post on Truth Social, he described the military presence as appropriate and necessary for the destruction of what he called an already substantially degraded enemy. He ended the message by saying the United States is loading up and looking forward to its next conquest.

More than twenty thousand students have been told they were wrongly given maintenance loans and grants and must repay the money.

The affected students are all on weekend courses and received letters from the Student Loans Company or their university saying their courses were never eligible. One letter said the university provided incorrect information and failed to say the student only attended at weekends. It added any overpayment would need to be repaid.

Plans to replace cladding removed after a major fire at an eight storey block in Slough High Street have been approved.

The blaze broke out just after midnight in August twenty twenty four at a top floor flat in Mosaic House. Part of the building had been fitted with the same flammable aluminium composite material used at Grenfell Tower. The cladding was fully removed last year, but further remediation work is still required.

Global oil prices have risen in Asian trading as investors monitor developments in the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

The two week agreement has been tested after Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon, prompting warnings from Tehran. Prices had fallen after the ceasefire announcement, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but traffic through the route has been disrupted by Iranian threats against vessels.

A woman known as the Ketamine Queen has been jailed for fifteen years for selling drugs linked to the death of actor Matthew Perry.

Jasveen Sangha admitted supplying ketamine, and prosecutors said her home funded a lavish lifestyle. Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home, with investigators saying ketamine caused his death.