News 11/04/26

A man has been arrested after vandalism at the grave of murdered toddler James Bulger.

The two year old was abducted from a shopping centre in Merseyside and later tortured and killed in nineteen ninety three by two boys aged ten at the time. Police were told on Friday afternoon that damage had been discovered at the grave in Kirkdale Cemetery in Liverpool. It is reported to be the second time the site has been targeted in six weeks. Officers are continuing enquiries into the incident.

Broadcaster Eamonn Holmes is in hospital after suffering a stroke, according to GB News.

The channel said he was taken ill last week and it was later confirmed he had experienced a stroke. A statement says he is responding well to treatment, with colleagues wishing him a speedy recovery. Holmes, who is sixty six, has worked across television for decades, including roles at Sky News and ITV, before joining GB News in twenty twenty two to co host its breakfast programme with Ellie Costello.

More than two hundred people have been arrested during a Palestine Action protest in central London.

Demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square to oppose the ban on the group. The Metropolitan Police says two hundred and twelve people aged between twenty seven and eighty two were detained for showing support for a proscribed organisation. Among those arrested was Massive Attack musician Robert Del Naja, who was seen holding a sign supporting Palestine Action before being carried away by officers.

Talks between the United States and Iran have been described as having mood swings, according to a Pakistani source.

Delegations met for around two hours before pausing, with discussions expected to resume later. The source said tensions rose and fell during the meeting. The Strait of Hormuz remains a key sticking point, with Iran’s Tasnim news agency describing it as an area of serious disagreement.

A man’s death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious after a major emergency response outside Maidenhead Railway Station.

Police were called at around 7.50pm on April 7 following concern for a man in his fifties. He was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Thames Valley Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he has held talks with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and urged him to seize the opportunity presented by discussions in Islamabad to achieve lasting de escalation.

He also stressed the importance of respecting the ceasefire, including in Lebanon, and said France supports the actions of Lebanese authorities to exercise sovereignty and determine the country’s future.

A 19 year old woman has died after a suspected dog attack at a house in Leaden Roding near Dunmow.

Police were called at 10.45pm on Friday and found her with serious injuries. Despite the efforts of emergency services she was pronounced dead at the scene. Essex Police say enquiries are ongoing and believe she was attacked by a dog at the property.

A nine year old boy has been rescued after being locked in his father’s van since 2024 in the village of Hagenbach near the borders of Switzerland and Germany.

Police forced entry after a neighbour reported hearing sounds from inside. The child was found lying in a foetal position, malnourished and unable to walk after being confined for so long, according to the prosecutor.

A van driver has been issued with an offence report after a gas leak led officers to discover insecure load.

Thames Valley Police were called by the fire service to Datchet Road in Slough where vehicle was parked. Officers determined the load was likely to cause danger and the driver was reported for the offence.

Two teenagers have died after a car fell from a bridge onto a motorway and collided with a minibus below.

Police said the blue car had been travelling along Gilmorton Lane towards Lutterworth in Leicestershire when it left the bridge at around one thirty on Friday afternoon. Four people in the minibus were taken to hospital. Three women remain with non life threatening injuries, while the male driver has now been discharged following treatment.

Sir Keir Starmer has shelved plans for a Chagos Islands deal amid worsening relations with Donald Trump after the United States failed to confirm its approval.

The agreement would have handed sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius. Officials say it has not been abandoned entirely, but there is no time to pass legislation before Parliament is prorogued, and a new bill is not expected in the King’s Speech.

Almost twelve thousand people who received meningitis B vaccinations after a deadly outbreak in Kent will be offered a second dose from next week.

Two people died and nineteen cases were confirmed. The programme was offered to those potentially exposed, including university students and school pupils. Clinics will open in Canterbury, Faversham and Ashford, with appointments available through an online booking system.

Two teenagers have died after a car fell from a bridge onto a motorway and collided with a minibus below.

Police said the blue car had been travelling along Gilmorton Lane towards Lutterworth in Leicestershire when it left the bridge at around one thirty on Friday afternoon. Four people in the minibus were taken to hospital. Three women remain with non life threatening injuries, while the male driver has now been discharged following treatment.

Sir Keir Starmer has shelved plans for a Chagos Islands deal amid worsening relations with Donald Trump after the United States failed to confirm its approval.

The agreement would have handed sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius. Officials say it has not been abandoned entirely, but there is no time to pass legislation before Parliament is prorogued, and a new bill is not expected in the King’s Speech.

The Orion capsule has safely landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego after a dramatic return through Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA said it reached speeds of more than twenty three thousand miles per hour before parachutes slowed the spacecraft for splashdown. The ten day mission saw astronauts travel around the far side of the Moon.