Ministers urged to share Mandelson vetting files with intelligence committee

• US President Donald Trump warned Iran of 'no more Mr Nice Guy' and threatened new strikes if no deal is agreed by Wednesday, following stalled talks over nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz. • Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz until the US lifts its blockade, with Revolutionary Guard navy confirming the move amid risks to global oil shipments; 13 US service members killed in related conflict. • Negotiations in Islamabad saw US propose 20-year Iranian nuclear suspension, countered by Iran's 3-5 year halt offer; Tehran reports progress but fundamental gaps remain per speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Senior government figures fear decision to appoint former ambassador to US could cost PM his leadership Keir Starmer will deliver a high-stakes statement to MPs on Monday as he struggles to overcome fears inside his government that the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal could yet cost him his leadership.In what is set to be a dramatic showdown, the prime minister will set out how Mandelson was able to take up his role as UK ambassador without the Foreign Office revealing it had overruled the decision to fail his vetting. Continue reading...

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a long supporter of Trump, says president’s feud with the pope is a ‘distraction’A Republican lawmaker has condemned what he refers to as Donald Trump’s “holy war” against Pope Leo XIV.Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a long supporter of Trump and the ultraconservative Maga movement, condemned the president’s attacks on the pope during a Fox News interview on Saturday. Continue reading...

Ahead of a showdown with MPs, prime minister looks like a man who is not really in controlKeir Starmer has spent much of the last 24 hours working on a plan for what senior government figures are already describing as his “judgment day”: his showdown with MPs on Monday over the latest Peter Mandelson revelations.That the prime minister was apparently not told of Mandelson’s vetting failure has provoked incredulity across Westminster and accusations he sacked a senior civil servant to save his premiership. Continue reading...

Take Back Power, which targets the super-rich, says seven members were arrested at a training sessionSeven people from an activist group calling for higher taxes on the super-rich have been arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.Police confirmed that six women and one man were detained in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Sunday over what they said was a coordinated plan to steal from high-end stores. Continue reading...

Trump’s unreliable style sows diplomatic confusion but leaves Tehran clear on strategic value of strait of HormuzDonald Trump’s decision to send US officials to Islamabad for further talks on Monday with Iran just 24 hours after Iran once again closed the strait of Hormuz will signal to Tehran that the strategic waterway remains a bargaining asset beyond parallel.It will also confirm in Iran’s eyes that the US president’s chaotic approach to diplomacy doubles the need for Tehran to act calmly and strategically – two competencies it believes he totally lacks. Continue reading...

Unclear whether Iran will take part in talks as US president repeats threat to destroy Iranian infrastructureMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump’s representatives will return to Pakistan on Monday for another possible round of talks aimed at ending the US-Israeli war in Iran, as the US president repeated his threats to Iranian infrastructure unless Iran agrees to a deal.The return of a US delegation to Islamabad, led by vice-president JD Vance, along with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, comes after Iran on Saturday reimposed tight restrictions on the transit of commercial shipping in the strait of Hormuz, reversing an agreement made hours before to reopen the strategic waterway, over the US’s refusal to lift its naval blockade. Continue reading...

Former Little Mix singer offers £10,000 reward for information about Land Rover taken from Essex drivewayThe musician Jesy Nelson, a former member of the band Little Mix, has pleaded for help after her car, which contained essential medical equipment for her children, was stolen from her driveway in Essex.The black Land Rover is believed to have been taken at about 3am on Sunday in Brentwood. Continue reading...

Suspect was fatally shot, Shreveport police say, after children ranging from 18 months to 14 years were killedSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxAt least eight people are dead and others are wounded after a mass murder reported in the Louisiana city of Shreveport, according to local police.Police said that among the victims were children ranging in age from 18 months to 14 years. Two other women were reportedly shot in the head but survived – and a third person, described as a young boy, was injured while jumping from a roof. Continue reading...

Chris Wright says ‘I don’t know’ when asked about lower cost of gas as average price soars to $4 a gallon in USChris Wright, the Trump administration’s energy secretary, acknowledged Sunday that it might not be until 2027 before US gas prices come back under $3 a gallon.Asked by Jake Tapper, the CNN State of the Union host, when he thought “it’s realistic for Americans to expect the gas will go back to under $3 a gallon”, Wright replied: “I don’t know. That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year.” Continue reading...

The government has defended its response, citing the upcoming royal commission and work done by the Islamophobia and antisemitism special envoysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFederal Labor has been accused of dragging its feet on a plan to combat systemic racism in Australia, nearly 18 months after it received recommendations from the human rights commission.New documents released to the Senate show no progress on the national strategy delivered to the government and published in November 2024 – despite the race discrimination commissioner imploring the government to take action in five letters and at least two meetings. Continue reading...