News 13/05/26

An addiction counsellor who delivered the ketamine doses to Matthew Perry that killed the Friends star has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Erik Fleming pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of the drug resulting in death or serious injury, after connecting Perry with drug dealer Jasveen Sangha.

Prosecutors said Sangha was known as the “Ketamine Queen” because of her jet-setting lifestyle. She was jailed for 15 years last month.

In legal documents, prosecutors said Fleming helped distribute 51 vials of ketamine to Perry in October 2023, including the dose that caused his death.

The family of a UK couple jailed for 10 years in Iran have said they are increasingly worried after not hearing from them for over a week.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who were detained during a motorbike trip in January 2025 and later sentenced over spying allegations, are being held in the notorious Evin Prison.

Their phone access was cut off in early May, according to relatives, who believe it was in response to a media interview they gave.

The couple, who deny all the charges, believe their situation has been complicated by the UK government removing diplomatic staff from Iran due to the war.

The Metropolitan Police has warned that it is preparing for potential violence and hate speech crimes across two protests in London this Saturday.

More than 4,000 officers will be drafted in to police the rival events – possibly one of the largest protest deployment in decades – amid fears that far-right demonstrators could clash with pro-Palestine marchers if the two groups are not kept apart.

In addition, tens of thousands of football fans are also expected at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup Final, adding further pressures on the capital’s police.

Scotland Yard said the risks meant it had to impose the “highest degree of control”.

Downing Street says Sir Keir Starmer has full confidence in Wes Streeting after reports allies of the health secretary believe he could resign and launch a leadership bid.

The pair met in Downing Street this morning. The prime minister’s spokesman would not discuss what was said or how long the meeting lasted although Streeting spent only sixteen minutes inside Number 10.

More than seventeen hundred passengers and crew have been told not to leave the cruise ship Ambition while French health officials investigate a suspected stomach flu outbreak.

The ship sailed from Belfast on an overnight tour of western France and Spain and later called at Liverpool. Officials say there is no reason to connect the gastroenteritis cases with the separate hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is launching an investigation into whether Reform UK leader Nigel Farage broke Commons rules by failing to declare a five million pound gift.

Farage says he was under no obligation to declare money from businessman Christopher Harborne because it was given before he became an MP. Conservative opponents contacted Parliament’s standards watchdog, which is now investigating possible breaches of the Commons code of conduct.

Kemi Badenoch says today is a highly unusual moment in politics and claims the prime minister is in office but not in power.

Speaking during debate around the King’s Speech, the Conservative leader said nearly one hundred Labour MPs had called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign over the past forty eight hours and four ministers had quit. She added his authority had gone and he would not be able to deliver the plans outlined.

Forecasters say temperatures could reach around twenty five degrees by the end of May.

The current week has brought cooler than average conditions and blustery showers across some parts of the country. Forecast models now suggest temperatures may begin rising next week. Sky News meteorologist Dr Christopher England said it was still very early for detailed predictions and there remained significant uncertainty around the forecast.

Allies of Wes Streeting say the health secretary is preparing to resign and launch a formal challenge for the Labour leadership.

Sources told The Times he is considering a bid against Sir Keir Starmer. A spokesperson for Streeting did not deny the claims, saying he remained focused on his role and would not say anything after meeting the prime minister that could distract from the King’s Speech.

Poland has scrambled jets after Russian air strikes on Ukraine.

The Polish military says air defence systems and radar reconnaissance are at readiness. Meanwhile Donald Trump says there is no agreement with Vladimir Putin for Russia to receive all of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region in any peace deal. Russia’s territorial demands remain a major obstacle in talks aimed at ending the war.

King Charles has outlined the government’s plans for the coming parliamentary year in a speech to the House of Lords.

The King’s Speech included details of thirty seven bills ministers want to pass during the next session including eight already introduced in Parliament. The occasion was overshadowed by continuing speculation surrounding Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.

Sussex Police Chief Superintendent Adam Hays has described the discovery of three women’s bodies as a tragic incident.

He says the priority is identifying the women and contacting their next of kin. Officers are working with partner agencies to establish what happened and are gathering and reviewing CCTV from the surrounding area.

The Scottish National Party says it will attempt to force a vote on the prime minister’s future in the coming days.

The move would come through an amendment to the King’s Speech during the parliamentary debate. Westminster leader Dave Doogan said the leadership situation could not continue, calling it a farce and urging a focus on wider issues facing the country.

The bodies of three women have been recovered from the sea in Brighton, Sussex Police have confirmed.

Emergency services were called at around 5.45am following concerns for the welfare of three women in the water off the coast. The RNLI launched lifeboats from Brighton and Shoreham at about 6am, but both were later stood down after the recovery.

Twenty two people evacuated from a cruise ship following a hantavirus outbreak are beginning to leave a Merseyside hospital after a period of isolation.

Passengers and crew from the MV Hondius spent 72 hours at Arrowe Park Hospital and will now continue isolating at home for a further 42 days. The group includes 20 British nationals, a German resident in the UK and a Japanese passenger. Ten additional people are being brought to the UK from British territories in the South Atlantic as a precaution.

New research suggests a daily pill could help people coming off weight loss jabs remain slim.

The drug is already available in the United States and could soon launch in the UK. Trials found patients taking orforglipron avoided regaining weight after stopping GLP one injections. The Nature Medicine study was funded by Eli Lilly, which also makes the weight loss jab Mounjaro.

In less than a month, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is expected to release its final report into the crash of London bound Air India flight AI171.

The plane crashed seconds after take off from Ahmedabad last June killing two hundred and sixty people. Air India is also facing losses airspace closures fuel shock and concerns about safety following recent incidents.

Sir Keir Starmer is due to meet Health Secretary Wes Streeting in Downing Street before the King’s Speech.

The talks come as pressure grows on the prime minister to resign after four government ministers and six parliamentary private secretaries quit. More than eighty Labour MPs have also called for him to go following heavy local election losses. At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Starmer insisted the government must continue governing.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman says he is an honest and trustworthy businessperson as he rejected Elon Musk’s claims he tried to steal the company and turn it into a capitalist venture.

The pair are involved in a California court battle over the company behind ChatGPT. Musk alleges Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman sought millions of dollars from him before transforming the organisation into a corporate entity.

Donald Trump says he will have a long talk with Chinese president Xi Jinping about the Iran war during his visit to China.

Speaking before leaving the White House, Trump said Iran was very much under control and he would not need China’s help. China is Iran’s biggest oil customer and the US president has urged Beijing to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Metropolitan Police say facial recognition cameras helped officers arrest 173 suspects during a six month trial in Croydon.

Static cameras were placed along Croydon High Street between October and March. Police say suspects arrested using the technology were linked to offences including kidnapping, rape and serious sexual assault. One woman arrested had allegedly been wanted over an assault investigation for more than twenty years.

A man from Slough has been jailed for eight months after admitting drug offences.

Fhaim Khan pleaded guilty to possessing crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply after police saw unusual behaviour.