News 28/02/26

Iran’s supreme leader has been killed in US Israeli strikes, according to a senior Israeli official speaking to Reuters.

The official said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, is dead and that his body has been found. His compound was said to have been extensively damaged in strikes today. Within minutes of the report, Iranian state media cited the supreme leader’s office as saying the enemy is resorting to mental warfare.

A man in his sixties has suffered a head injury following an aggravated burglary in Slough.

Thames Valley Police say an increased presence on Hampshire Avenue today is linked to the incident, which happened this morning. The victim is receiving medical care. Officers have set up a cordon while they carry out what they describe as essential investigation work. No arrests have been made at this stage.

The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to introduce legislation to overhaul the UK’s asylum system as part of what is described as a tougher approach to migration.

A government source says she will argue that the generosity of the current system attracts people from around the world, funds human traffickers and encourages false asylum claims. She is also expected to warn that migration must be cut or risk opening the door to the right, dividing communities with the kind of ICE style anti immigration raids seen in the United States.

Qatar has suspended all public events and gatherings in the interest of public safety, according to the country’s tourist board.

Entertainment at hotels and tourism establishments has also been cancelled until further notice.

Iran’s foreign ministry says the supreme leader and the president are alive and well.

A spokesman said they are safe and sound, although he confirmed some commanders have been martyred as a result of what he described as a terrorist act of aggression.

A fire has broken out near the entrance of the Fairmont The Palm hotel in Dubai after debris reportedly fell from the sky during an Iranian missile attack.

Photos and verified video show a large blaze and smoke rising from outside the building. The Tui website describes the Fairmont The Palm as a luxury hotel with gourmet dining, an award winning spa and pools with city views.

Airlines serving the Middle East have cancelled or diverted flights after the United States and Israel launched deadly strikes on Iran.

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air are among carriers reducing services to destinations in the region, citing safety concerns. Sites in Iran, including in the capital Tehran, were targeted on Saturday. Iran has been accused of launching retaliatory strikes on Israel and other nations hosting US facilities, with civilian casualties reported. The UK Foreign Office has urged British nationals in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to shelter in place following reports of explosions.

Two senior Iranian officials are reported killed in Israeli strikes, according to sources cited by Reuters.

Iran’s defence minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were said to have died. The Israeli military says it has completed a broad strike on the Iranian regime, including one directed at an advanced SA-65 aerial defence system in Kermanshah in western Iran.

Experts warn a “friendly fraud” trick against shops and restaurants is becoming an epidemic.

The scheme involves paying for goods or services, such as a meal, then claiming to the bank that the payment was unauthorised. This uses the chargeback system, designed to refund customers mis-sold items. Researchers at Datos Insights forecast the mechanism will be used 281 million times globally this year, with up to 70% of claims likely to be fraudulent.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer chaired a Cobra meeting following US and Israeli air strikes on Iran.

Explosions were heard across five Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran, after negotiations to limit Iran’s nuclear programme ended without agreement this week. The UK did not take part in the strikes. A government spokesperson said Britain would protect its interests in the region and did not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.

Former President Bill Clinton has told a congressional panel he saw nothing and did nothing wrong in relation to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The all day hearing, held behind closed doors in New York, included questions about his appearance in newly released files, including a photograph with an unidentified person in a hot tub. His testimony came a day after Hillary Clinton told the committee she had no idea about Epstein’s crimes. Appearing in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing, and neither Clinton has been accused of misconduct by Epstein survivors who have come forward so far.

The London listed drinks company behind Bulmers and Magners is in talks about a rescue deal for parts of BrewDog.

C&C Group, valued at just over £430 million, is said to be among parties in serious negotiations with advisers to the struggling Scottish brewer. Its interest is understood to focus on BrewDog’s brand portfolio and brewing capacity rather than its bar estate. A combination of C&C and BrewDog’s brand assets would create a major force in the UK beer industry.

Donald Trump has confirmed the United States has launched what he called major combat operations against Iran.

In an eight minute video posted on Truth Social, he said Tehran’s menacing activities directly endanger the United States, its troops, overseas bases and allies. He said that for 47 years the Iranian regime has chanted Death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed. The president also referenced the US embassy crisis between 1979 and 1981, when 66 hostages were held for 444 days, along with other incidents involving Tehran.

A man has been charged after the statue of Sir Winston Churchill was defaced with graffiti in Parliament Square in Westminster.

Phrases including Zionist war criminal, Stop the Genocide and Free Palestine were sprayed in red paint on the bronze statue in the early hours of Friday. Police say 38 year old Caspar San Giorgio, of no fixed address, was arrested shortly after four o’clock that morning.

Slough Council’s budget will be reconsidered after councillors voted against a financial plan designed to help the authority stand on its own two feet by 2028-29.

Councils must set a balanced budget each spring before the new financial year. A full council meeting heard the 2026 to 27 proposals were described as a budget of reform, aimed at supporting the authority through its medium term financial strategy. However, members rejected the plan and the financial proposals are due to return next Thursday.

A military plane has crashed onto a busy road in El Alto, near Bolivia’s capital La Paz, killing 15 people and injuring at least 30 others, according to media reports.

The Bolivian Air Force Hercules aircraft was transporting new banknotes to the interior of the country, Unitel reported, citing the Ministry of Defence. The plane had departed Santa Cruz and crashed after landing, skidding off the runway onto a neighbouring street before coming to rest in a field. Authorities have not confirmed whether the plane was taking off or landing at the time of the crash.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will press ahead with reforms to the asylum and immigration system, despite Labour losing the once-safe Gorton and Denton seat to the Greens.

The Green Party criticised Labour’s immigration stance, with leader Zack Polanski accusing the party of echoing “the racist rhetoric of the far right” and calling for asylum seekers to have the right to work. Following the by-election, some Labour MPs warned ministers against attempting to “out-Reform Reform UK”. A source close to Mahmood told the BBC it was wrong to assume Muslim voters were deserting Labour over immigration.

Renters in more than half of British neighbourhoods now pay at least £1,000 a month for a new tenancy, research from property portal Zoopla shows.

In 2020, only 23% of local authority areas had average rents above £1,000, rising to 52% in 2025. While average wages have increased, many tenants say renting remains unaffordable. Landlords warn of ongoing cost pressures, although Zoopla’s data suggests the pace of rent rises has slowed sharply.