News 25/05/26

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has admitted embezzling over four hundred thousand pounds from the party.

Murrell, the estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning. Between August twenty-ten and October twenty-twenty-two, he used the funds to purchase luxury goods, a motorhome and two cars. A senior police officer stated that sixty-one-year-old Murrell diverted the cash to bankroll a lavish lifestyle he could not otherwise afford.

Oil prices have fallen sharply and Asian stock markets have risen on hopes of a deal that could bring an end to the US-Israel war with Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to India that negotiators had a solid proposal on the table and an agreement might be reached today. The global oil benchmark Brent fell five point five percent to ninety-seven pounds and sixty-four pence a barrel. President Donald Trump has suggested the deal would include the reopening of the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

A photographer has been bitten by a shark or a sea lion during the finals of a World Surf League competition in New Zealand.

The attack occurred at twenty-six minutes past eight on Sunday morning while the photographer was shooting a semi-final in the water, causing the event to be suspended for several hours. Australian photographer Ed Sloane was treated for puncture wounds to his ankle and remains in a stable condition.

An RAF jet carrying the Defence Secretary had its signals jammed while flying near the Russian border, in what officials described as reckless interference.

John Healey was returning to the UK from Estonia on Thursday when the electronic attack occurred. Passengers reported that smartphones and laptops could not connect to the internet, and pilots were forced to use alternative navigation systems as the aircraft’s GPS was disabled for the three-hour flight.

If you thought the last few days were warm, today is set to be even hotter.

Monday is forecast to be the hottest bank holiday on record, with historic temperatures of thirty-four degrees predicted across London and the South East. This comes after yesterday was confirmed as the hottest May day for nearly eighty years, with local highs reaching thirty-two point three degrees.

The Education Secretary is to ask the Competition and Markets Authority to examine hidden costs that parents may be charged when using government-funded childcare.

Ministers are concerned that families are still facing financial hurdles, including demands for non-refundable deposits, to secure places. In some cases, parents are also expected to meet additional costs for meals, snacks, nappies and suncream despite existing state support schemes.

Thames Valley Police have provided an update regarding an investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, following allegations of inappropriate behaviour at Royal Ascot.

The reported incident allegedly occurred at the racing event in two thousand and two, the year of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee. It remains unclear whether the claim was reported to officers at the time or more recently.