News 16/04/26

Sir Olly Robbins, the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, is set to leave his role after the prime minister and the foreign secretary lost confidence in him.

The move follows revelations that Peter Mandelson failed vetting for top level security clearance, but the decision was overruled. The government says officials granted clearance without informing ministers.

Donald Trump says Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a ten day ceasefire following talks with the US president.

Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached the agreement after speaking with Trump, according to a post on Truth Social. The ceasefire is due to come into effect from ten pm UK time. US vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio will now work with both countries towards a lasting peace.

Sir Keir Starmer was not aware that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting to become the UK’s ambassador to the United States until this week, according to the government.

It follows reports the Foreign Office overruled the failed clearance before his appointment. Earlier reporting also said security services raised concerns about the role, but Number Ten proceeded regardless.

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been invited by councillors to relinquish his Freedom of the City of London.

He received the honour in two thousand and twelve by virtue of patrimony through his father Prince Philip. The City of London Corporation previously said the title cannot be removed, but elected members have agreed to write to him inviting him to give it up formally.

A man convicted of murdering his wife and never revealing the location of her body can be released from prison, the Parole Board has ruled.

Glyn Razzell was jailed for life in two thousand and three for killing his estranged wife Linda, who disappeared in Swindon the previous year. Her family say the decision undermines Helen’s Law, while the board says it focuses on public risk.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of misleading Parliament over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the United States.

It follows reports that Lord Mandelson failed security vetting before his appointment, with that decision later overruled by the Foreign Office. Earlier reporting also suggested security services raised concerns, but No 10 proceeded with the appointment.

If you have booked a summer holiday abroad from June onwards, there is a warning over possible flight disruption.

The head of the International Energy Agency says Europe has around six weeks of jet fuel remaining. Fatih Birol raised the concern in Paris, echoing earlier warnings from the boss of Ryanair about potential impacts on travel.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger has died in a traffic accident at the age of 48.

He played for the club for five years between 1997 and 2002. The announcement was made by his first club Red Bull Salzburg, which said it mourns the loss of its former goalkeeper who tragically lost his life.

Three people, including a 16 year old boy, have been arrested after an attempted arson attack on offices used by a Persian language media organisation.

Police say a lit container was thrown at a premises in Wembley at around eight thirty on Wednesday evening. It landed in a car park and extinguished itself before suspects fled in a black SUV, which later crashed during a police pursuit.

A representative of the Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK group says vaccine injury and death are part of the pandemic story.

Kate Scott said the inquiry’s recommendations recognise that reality. Inquiry chair Baroness Hallett said a small minority suffered harm after vaccination, adding those affected and their families are no less important despite the overall scale of the programme.

Influential analysis suggests breakthrough Alzheimer’s drugs are unlikely to benefit patients.

Researchers say the impact is well below what is needed to make a difference to people’s lives. The findings have prompted strong criticism from other scientists who say the work is flawed. The drugs are licensed globally but not funded by the NHS, with private treatment costing around ninety thousand pounds.

The UK could face shortages of foods including chicken and pork by the summer if the Iran war continues, under a worst case scenario.

Officials are planning for disruption including closure of the Strait of Hormuz and shortages of carbon dioxide used in food production. The government says such scenarios are planning tools, not predictions, and it will continue working with businesses.

Pet owners could be banned from buying over the counter flea and tick treatments each month under proposals to reduce environmental harm.

Ministers are considering limiting products to prescriptions from vets if pets have an infestation. Evidence suggests the chemicals can kill songbirds and contaminate rivers, affecting aquatic life.

The UK economy grew more than expected in the month before war in Iran began, according to the latest official figures.

Gross domestic product rose by 0.1 percent in February compared with January, according to the Office for National Statistics, following a surprise fall at the start of the year. The government says growth remains its top priority, although recent increases have been modest.

Sir Keir Starmer is set to bring senior leaders from major social media companies into Downing Street as part of efforts to make online platforms safer for children.

Representatives from firms including Meta, Snap, Google, TikTok and X will meet the prime minister and technology secretary. The talks come after MPs rejected a ban on under sixteens using social media for a second time, although a government consultation on further measures remains open for six weeks.

Manufacturers are calling for urgent support with energy bills after the government confirmed an expansion of a key scheme, but said it would not begin until next April.

Ministers say around ten thousand businesses will benefit from the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, with reductions of between fifteen and twenty five percent. The support includes exemptions from policy costs such as the renewables obligation and feed in tariffs, as companies face rising energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict.

Russia has carried out a wave of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine, killing at least three people.

A twelve year old boy was among those killed in Kyiv, where at least eighteen others were injured. One person also died in Dnipro, with further attacks reported elsewhere. Meanwhile in Russia, officials say two children aged five and fourteen were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Krasnodar region.

An eyewitness has described scenes of carnage following a crash involving a police car in Slough.

The two vehicle collision happened on Windsor Road outside the police station on April thirteenth. Emergency services including fire and rescue crews and an ambulance attended. Derek Taylor said he came across the aftermath at around ten twenty in the morning and described extensive damage at the scene.