Europe News Keir Starmer defies resignation calls over Mandelson envoy row Mandelson was named to the top diplomatic post in December 2024, just weeks before US President Donald Trump was inaugurated the following month. 22/04/2026
Iran Iran seizes two cargo ships in Hormuz after three vessels fired on The tanker seizures come after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was being indefinitely extended at the request of mediator Pakistan. 22/04/2026
Iran Trump wants to extend Iran ceasefire, until negotiations conclude The US president also wrote on Truth Social that the blockade of Iranian ports will continue until Tehran presents a "unified proposal". 21/04/2026
USA US Labour Secretary Chavez-DeRemer quits amid misconduct probe Us labour secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer quits Trump cabinet amid misconduct probes, including alleged affair with a subordinate and misuse of staff. 21/04/2026
Iran Trump refuses to lift Hormuz blockade until Iran deal agreed Trump’s announcement comes after Iran said earlier it would not be sending a delegation to participate in the second round of high-stakes peace talks in Islamabad that were set to take place on Monday. 20/04/2026
USA FBI director files $250-million defamation suit against US magazine According to The Atlantic, Patel's job as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is in jeopardy in part because of what it said were "bouts of excessive drinking" and "unexplained absences". 20/04/2026
Europe News UK PM Starmer admits Mandelson envoy appointment was a mistake UK police are investigating allegations of misconduct in office by Mandelson, 72, when he was a Labour minister more than 15 years ago. He was arrested and released in February. 20/04/2026
No Comment Community holds vigil after Louisiana mass shooting Residents gather near the scene of a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana hugging and consoling one another after a father shot dead eight children in a domestic rampage. 20/04/2026
USA US military strike on alleged drug boat kills at least three people US strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean have so far killed a minimum of 181 people. Critics have slammed the Trump administration over the strikes, saying they constitute a violation of international law. 20/04/2026
Canada Carney says Canada must cut reliance on US as tariffs hit economy The Canadian leader stressed that his country cannot hinge its future on hope that the US will return to the partner it formerly was to his country and that active steps must be taken to protect Ottawa from the disruptions caused by the Trump administration. 20/04/2026
Iran Iran pulls out of Islamabad peace talks after US seizes cargo ship Tehran’s decision comes after the US Navy halted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, in what was the first interception since Washington instated its naval blockade of Iranian ports. 20/04/2026
Iran US and Iran announce Strait of Hormuz open, Trump hints at wider deal Iran and US declare Strait of Hormuz "completely open," but Iran adds that passage is on a "coordinated route" set by Tehran. 17/04/2026
Lebanon Israel says military operation against Hezbollah 'still not complete' US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire on Friday after a meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, the first direct diplomatic talks between the two countries in decades. 17/04/2026
Culture news Did Pete Hegseth really quote a fake Bible verse from 'Pulp Fiction'? US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth mistakenly presented the made-up scripture as genuine Bible verse - and he's being trolled for quoting the gospel of Quentin Tarantino. 17/04/2026
Europe News Germany could send minehunting boats to secure Strait of Hormuz According to a report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the navy could also use its logistics base in Djibouti for maritime reconnaissance missions. 16/04/2026
Iran US to blockade Iran ports 'as long as it takes,' Hegseth says The US naval blockade of Iran’s ports came into effect on Monday, with President Donald Trump warning that any attack ships would be “eliminated” if they attempted to break it. 16/04/2026
Europe News Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left,' IEA chief warns Last week, the Airports Council International Europe wrote to the European Commission, saying jet fuel shortages could begin at the start of May if tankers do not start passing through the Strait of Hormuz. 16/04/2026
Culture news Massive Attack and Tom Waits team up for powerful ICE protest song "Across the western hemisphere, state authoritarianism and the militarisation of police forces are fusing again with neo-fascist politics." Massive Attack have teamed up with Tom Waits for a haunting and incredibly powerful protest song, titled 'Boots On The Ground'. 16/04/2026
Iran White House says discussing second round of Iran talks in Pakistan Negotiators are focusing on three key points that derailed last weekend's talks, including Iran's nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages. 15/04/2026
USA Trump says Iran war 'very close to over' as truce talks advance A second round of talks between Washington and Tehran could take place within days, according to Trump. Meanwhile, Israel continues to press ahead with its military campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. 15/04/2026