News 12/04/26

Burger King’s UK business has secured a sixty million pound financing deal as it continues plans to open dozens of new restaurants despite challenges in the hospitality sector.

The company, which operates under a franchise agreement with Restaurant Brands International, is expected to report strong growth in like for like sales, overall revenue and underlying earnings. It is understood Metro Bank and OakNorth will each provide thirty million pounds, with the funding set to support expansion and other growth initiatives.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting says it is disappointing that initial talks to end the war in Iran have broken down without agreement.

Negotiations between the United States and Iran in Pakistan ended in the early hours of Sunday without a deal. Streeting said the UK, which is not involved in the talks, wants a negotiated end that puts Iran’s nuclear ambitions to bed. He added the prime minister had made the right choice not to commit the UK to US Israeli military strikes.

A man has been arrested over alleged criminal damage involving a United States military aircraft at Shannon Airport in County Clare.

Police say he entered an unauthorised area on Saturday morning. Footage shared online appeared to show a man climbing onto a US Air Force C one thirty Hercules transporter plane and striking the wing with an object. Airport operations were suspended for around twenty minutes before later resuming following the incident. [Pause(1)]

The United States vice president says American negotiators are leaving peace talks without an agreement.

Speaking after twenty one hours of discussions in Pakistan, JD Vance said Iranian negotiators had chosen not to accept US terms. He said the delegation would return to the United States without a deal. Vance added the US had been seeking an affirmative commitment that Iran would not pursue a nuclear weapon or the means to rapidly develop one. [Pause(1)]

An Orthodox Easter truce between Russia and Ukraine has come into force but violations have already been reported.

Air raid sirens were heard in the Kharkiv region less than an hour after it began. Officials say there have been multiple breaches along the frontline, although no long range missile or drone strikes. The pause in fighting is intended to last until Easter Monday. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said forces would respond in kind to any actions by Moscow. [Pause(1)]

Tyson Fury has returned to boxing with a unanimous points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Anthony Joshua watched from ringside as Fury secured a wide decision in his comeback fight. It was his first bout after a sixteen month retirement following two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. Fury chose Makhmudov as his opponent for the return and marked his first fight in a British ring since 2022 with an emotional tribute to friend Ricky Hatton, the British boxing legend who died last year.