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After Keir Starmer’s statement to the Commons and gripping evidence from the sacked top civil servant Olly Robbins, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey talk about how the story of Peter Mandelson’s vetting for his job as UK ambassador to the US, which was first broken by the Guardian last Thursday, has unfolded this week Continue reading...

In evidence to MPs, Cabinet Office’s top civil servant disputes claim her department suggested vetting might not be neededUK politics live – latest updatesOlly Robbins refused to hand Peter Mandelson’s vetting summary to the Cabinet Office, the civil servant who leads the department has said.The summary – which would have revealed that Robbins, the now-sacked Foreign Office head, had granted Mandelson clearance against the advice of security officials – was instead provided to Cat Little by UK Security Vetting, she said. Continue reading...

Sources say cabinet ministers warned PM against alienating civil service after firing of official over Mandelson scandalUK politics live – latest updatesCabinet ministers have expressed concern about Keir’s Starmer’s decision to sack Olly Robbins as the Foreign Office’s top official over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal as they warned him not to alienate the civil service, sources have told the Guardian.Several ministers spoke out about the decision to sack Robbins during a gloomy cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to multiple government sources. Continue reading...

Mandelson received two ‘clearance denied’ red ticks yet top Foreign Office civil servant says he did not have access to file – which he later readUK politics live – latest updatesThe verdict on Olly Robbins’ parliamentary testimony, among fellow knights of the civil service realm at least, was unanimous. Lord Sedwill, a former Cabinet secretary, called on the prime minister to “retract his accusations against Olly Robbins and reinstate him”.Simon McDonald, who once held Robbins’ job as top civil servant in the Foreign Office, said if Keir Starmer had only waited to hear his evidence to the foreign affairs select committee he would never have sacked him. Continue reading...

Former cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill has called for Robbins to be reinstated at the Foreign Office after his evidence to MPsGood morning. Keir Starmer faces PMQs today with the Peter Mandelson vetting row still dominating the Westminster agenda and – in the view of most observers familiar with the views of Labour MPs – the wagons of doom circling in, ever closer, on the Starmer premiership. In an ideal world, the fate of prime ministers would be decided by the big issues, not arcane scandals and personality spats. But we don’t live in the ideal world; we live in 21st century Britain, where everyone has social media on their phone. And even if you don’t care much about Mandelson, there is a link between how Starmer has handled this and wider government failures.Starmer’s position got worse yesterday as Olly Robbins, the person he sacked as Foreign Office permanent secretary, gave evidence to MPs. Here is our overnight story about it by Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey.The prime minister appointed Peter Mandelson against official advice, announced that appointment without security vetting having been completed and claims that he would have changed his mind had he been told that the vetting process had raised the concerns about Mandelson’s previous conduct of which he was already well aware.As Robbins explained yesterday, the question for him was not whether to tell the prime minister what he already knew, but whether those issues could be mitigated enough to allow Mandelson access to the secret intelligence necessary to do his job. He made the professional judgment that they could. Unwisely as it turned out, he shouldered his responsibilities rather than shunting them. Continue reading...

Sacked civil servant tells select committee of ‘pressure’ to give clearance and ‘dismissive’ attitude to vettingThe civil servant sacked by Keir Starmer has given a devastating account of his government, saying Downing Street put huge pressure on the civil service to approve the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador despite the concerns of vetting officials.Olly Robbins, the former top official at the Foreign Office, said No 10 took a “dismissive” attitude to vetting, and Mandelson was given access to the Foreign Office building and to “higher-classification briefings” before he was granted security clearance. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer’s decision to oust senior official may have knock-on effect for No 10’s relationship with civil serviceFury within Whitehall about the treatment of Olly Robbins remains white hot, several days on from Keir Starmer’s decision to sack the senior Foreign Office civil servant.“It’s just total self-serving, narrow, selfish, political endgame stuff,” said one supporter of Robbins, who was dismissed for failing to tell the prime minister that the now disgraced former US ambassador Peter Mandelson had not passed UK security vetting. Continue reading...

Ex-civil servant testifying about Peter Mandelson says there was a ‘creep’ of senior diplomatic roles going to political figuresUK politics live – latest updatesDowning Street asked the Foreign Office to find a senior diplomatic role for Keir Starmer’s then communications chief, Matthew Doyle, the department’s former lead civil servant revealed on Tuesday.Testifying to MPs at parliament’s foreign affairs select committee, Olly Robbins said he had had several conversations with No 10 about finding a role for Doyle, who was later suspended as a Labour peer after it emerged he had campaigned for a friend charged with possessing indecent images of children. Continue reading...

Sacked Foreign Office permanent secretary says he was under pressure from Downing Street over appointment of US ambassadorUK politics live – latest updatesThe sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he arrived in the Foreign Office to get Peter Mandelson in post as soon as possible.He said the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to allow Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US without the usual vetting process but the Foreign Office pushed back and the vetting eventually went ahead. Continue reading...

Robbins was forced out as Foreign Office permanent secretary over the Mandelson vetting revelations in the GuardianDonald Trump seems to be conducting his relationship with Keir Starmer chiefly by online trolling at the moment. He was at it again overnight, with a post on his Truth Social network saying that, when Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, it was a “really bad pick”.Good morning. At 9am Olly Robbins will give evidence to the Commons foreign affairs committee about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US. Until last week Robbins was permanent secretary at the Foreign Office and his predecessor but one in that office, Simon McDonald, was the man who terminated Boris Johnson’s career with a revelation showing that Johnson had lied about his knowledge of a sleaze allegation about a minister. Robbins is not expected to produce a bombshell on that scale, but his evidence will be moment of jeodpardy for Keir Starmer nevertheless.Back before Lord Mandelson was announced as the appointee, there was a process … within the Cabinet Office to make sure that the prime minister was aware of Lord Mandelson and the issues around his appointment. There was then a process of clearing his conflicts of interest, which the employing department [the Foreign Office] oversaw, which we have talked about. In parallel with that process, we also went through the standard UK national security vetting process for DV [developed vetting].By the time we are describing [when DV was carried out], it was clear that the prime minister wanted to make this appointment himself. Continue reading...

Actor who worked with the great French auteurs in the 1970s and 80s and starred in Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can died of Lewy body dementia, says familyThe French film star Nathalie Baye, who starred in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, has died at the age of 77, her family said on Saturday.Baye, a stalwart of French cinema, starred in about 80 films and took home the best actress César, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, four times, including three years running from 1981 to 1983. She died on Friday evening at her home in Paris from Lewy body dementia, her family told AFP. Continue reading...

The prime minister says ministers were left in the dark, but friends of the former top civil servant suggest it was a case of politicians looking the other wayUK politics live – latest updatesFiddling with his reading glasses, the then cabinet secretary, Sir Chris Wormald – sitting alongside the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office, Sir Olly Robbins – suddenly appeared a little tense.The bonhomie evident in earlier answers had quite disappeared. Continue reading...

There has been a steady succession of departures by ministers and senior officials in the last two yearsThe exit of the top civil servant Olly Robbins from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the latest departure of an official or minister under Keir Starmer’s two-year tenure as prime minister. Here we take a look at some of the most high-profile resignations since Starmer came to power. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer understood to have lost confidence in official over decision to override security vetting failureMandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decisionSir Olly Robbins, the UK Foreign Office’s top civil servant, is leaving his post after the decision to fail Peter Mandelson during his security vetting was overruled by his department.Robbins was the Foreign Office’s most senior official in late January 2025 when the decision was made, paving the way for Mandelson to become the US ambassador. Continue reading...

Chancellor ‘frustrated and angry’ at decision to attack Iran ‘without being clear what the objectives are’UK politics live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesRachel Reeves has hit out at the “folly” of Donald Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran without a clear exit plan.Speaking to the Mirror before a trip to Washington for the International Monetary Fund spring meeting, the UK chancellor renewed her criticism of the war, which has pushed up oil prices and threatens a new jump in inflation across the west. Continue reading...

The 11-time Grammy winner had a net favorability of 65%, Obama came second with 14%, while Zelenskyy had 12%For the US public, the feeling that Dolly Parton expressed in her country music chart-topping 1974 classic I Will Always Love You is clearly mutual.A poll of Americans’ opinions about more than 20 international luminaries established as much, with the 11-time Grammy winner and philanthropist leaving her two closest competitors – Barack Obama and Volodymyr Zelenskyy – in the dust by more than 50 percentage points. Continue reading...

• A massive warehouse fire near Los Angeles film studios allegedly started due to employee negligence, damaging potential streaming props yesterday. • Firefighters contained the blaze after hours; no injuries reported but millions in entertainment assets lost. • Probe highlights safety risks in California's production hubs, affecting upcoming film releases.

Headlining set for Netflix Is a Joke festival marks first outing with major streamer since misconduct allegations in 2017Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxNetflix is welcoming Louis CK back into its fold.The comedian, long subject to questions regarding rehabilitation and so-called “cancel culture”, will headline a show at the Hollywood Bowl next month as part of the streamer’s Netflix Is a Joke festival – his first major outing with a streamer since allegations of sexual misconduct at the height of the #MeToo movement. Later this summer, Netflix will also premiere CK’s new special, Ridiculous, which he directed and executive-produced. Continue reading...

• The biopic Michael delves into Michael Jackson's life, showcasing his fame highs and personal struggles, set for April 2026 release. • Directed to offer an intimate look at the music icon beyond his public image, appealing to fans of music biopics. • Listed among top films like Super Mario and The Drama, it elevates April 2026 as a significant month for Hollywood blockbusters.

A rescue mission involving volunteer helicopter crew and public donations ended in joy after Molly was located and brought home A spot of furry black and white appears among the jagged rocks of New Zealand’s alpine backcountry. It is Molly the border collie, sitting near the foot of a waterfall where she had been separated from her owner one week earlier.Molly was rescued on Tuesday after an avalanche of donations from the public funded a volunteer team made up of former helicopter pilots and crew to mount a search in the wilderness. Continue reading...

• Season 2 of 'House of David' starring Stephen Lang launched on Prime Video on Friday, March 27, 2026, streaming to audiences nationwide. • Fox's three-part series 'The Faithful: Women of the Bible' debuted its first installment on March 22 with Minnie Driver as Sarah and Jeffrey Donovan as Abraham, focusing on Old Testament narratives. • The second episode highlighting Rebekah played by Alexa Davalos premieres Sunday, March 29, signaling Hollywood's renewed interest in religious stories previously deemed too controversial for TV.

• 50 Cent announced a $100 million partnership with Planet Hollywood to launch PH Live, a state-of-the-art entertainment venue in Times Square, New York City, on March 27, 2026. • The immersive space will host surprise concerts, movie premieres, exclusive A-list parties, and feature curated menus including 50 Cent's favorites like steak with mac and cheese and a signature burger. • This deal redefines New York City nightlife, positioning 50 Cent as a major entertainment mogul with a high-tech hub in a prime location.

Oscars to end over two-decade run at Dolby Theatre the same year it moves broadcast to YouTubeThe Oscars are moving to a new venue, ending a more than two-decade run in Hollywood during the same year the Academy moves its annual awards broadcast to YouTube.The Academy Awards will move to the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles starting in 2029. The venue, located within the 4m sq ft LA Live sports and entertainment complex will serve as the Oscars’ new home from the 101st ceremony through 2039. Continue reading...

• NBCUniversal has canceled Access Hollywood, ending the long-running celebrity news show after nearly 30 years amid shifts in daytime TV programming. • Production of the show will continue through the summer of 2026 before the final episodes air. • The cancellation marks the close of a significant era in Hollywood gossip and celebrity coverage on broadcast television.

• Brandy has been selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with the official star ceremony scheduled for March 30, 2026. • The Grammy Award-winning artist's biggest hit '1998's The Boy is Mine' featuring Monica topped the Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks, cementing her legacy in music history. • This honor recognizes Brandy's significant contributions to music and entertainment, adding to her illustrious career that has spanned decades.

• Reese Witherspoon turns 50 on March 22, 2026, evolving from 'Legally Blonde' star to influential producer behind hits like 'Big Little Lies' and 'The Morning Show.' • The Oscar winner has amplified female-driven stories through Reese's Book Club, turning picks into award-winning adaptations and reshaping media tastemaking. • Fellow celebrities marking birthdays include William Shatner at 95, Cole Hauser at 51 for his 'Yellowstone' role as Rip Wheeler, and Constance Wu at 44.

Stanley McChrystal said White House has a ‘we should do because we can’ approach to international relationsThe retired US army general who once led Nato forces in Afghanistan says the bellicose foreign policy Donald Trump has pursued during his second presidency can be summed up as “we should do because we can” – invoking the lyrics of the Dolly Parton classic Jolene to emphasize the point.Stanley McChrystal delivered those remarks on Friday at Tulane University’s New Orleans book festival during a fireside chat hosted by the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, who asked in part about US military strikes Trump has ordered in Nigeria, Venezuela and Iran since Christmas. Continue reading...

AI integration has led to thousands of layoffs at studios like Warner Bros. and Paramount, fueling pre-Oscars dread over job losses and creative control as of March 14, 2026. Over 5,000 positions cut industry-wide since January, with tools automating editing and VFX. Experts warn of ethical dilemmas in nominated films using AI, potentially sparking awards debates. Unions plan strikes post-ceremony to address tech displacement.