As the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran squeezes global oil supplies, travelers have valid reasons to worry about the cost and availability of flights as they plan their late spring and summer trips.
The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that European countries could run low on jet fuel within weeks, forcing the continent’s airlines and carriers that fly to Europe to significantly reduce flights. Many airlines have already raised checked bag fees or added fuel surcharges as the global price of jet fuel increased from about $99 per barrel at the end of February to as high as $209 a barrel at the beginning of April.
In a sign of the conflict’s ongoing repercussions for travel, Air Canada said Friday it planned to suspend its service to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June 1 until Oct. 25 to lower its fuel costs. Other airlines, ranging from U.S. carriers like United and Delta to Air France-KLM, SAS, Philippine Airlines and and Cathay Pacific in Europe and Asia, have reduced routes and either increased ticket prices or said they would hike them if the war keeps oil from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“It’s very hard for the airlines to make predictions in this environment, so they’re going to be conservative, and that’s why it’s likely that their prices will remain elevated for some time until things really stabilize,” said Shye Gilad, a former airline captain who now teaches at Georgetown University’s business school.
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With airfares and fees on the rise, consumers still can make choices that determine how much of their travel budgets will get taken up by paying to get to and from their destinations.
Act quickly
While consumers may be tempted to see if the war ends before buying airline tickets, the “wait-and-see” approach to booking flights is riskier this year, travel experts say, especially the longer the war goes on and the closer to summer and other peak travel periods it gets.
“Presuming there is a lasting ceasefire — or better yet, peace agreement — it will take a few months for normal levels of jet fuel production and delivery to resume,” airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, said.
Iran’s reversal on Saturday of its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and President Donald Trump’s insistence on maintaining a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports illustrated the shakiness of prospects for oil flowing reliably again from the Persian Gulf and with it, an easing of the price pressure on airlines and their customers.
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“My advice to travelers is this: If you find a flight whose schedule fits yours, with a fare you can afford, and on an airline you can at least tolerate, book it,” Harteveldt said. “But — and I cannot emphasize this enough —do not book a Basic Economy fare,” the cheapest but also the most restrictive airline ticket class.
Along with charging for checked bags and seat selection, most North American airlines do not give refunds or travel credits to passengers with Basic Economy tickets if they don’t cancel their trips within 24 hours of purchase. Policies may vary, but spending more for a Standard Economy ticket provides more flexibility, according to Harteveldt.
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Paying more up-front for a refundable ticket also prove advantageous because “if the prices start to dramatically change, you can cancel and rebook for the better price,” Gilad said.
Travel experts say that for now, longstanding booking guidance offers a baseline for how early to reserve a flight to get the lowest airfare: international flights are typically the cheapest about two to five months in advance, and domestic trips about three to six weeks out.
Last-minute bookings and other situations that typically command higher prices are likely to keep climbing, Gilad said.
“Remember, especially if you’re traveling on the major airlines, they’re going to have more ability to adjust fares. If you book too close to your travel date, you’re going to pay more,” he said. “The farther out you can book, the better.”
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Keep an open mind
Travelers who don’t want or need to reach a specific place at a specific time can find it easier to save on airfare. Shifting departure or return dates by a day or two — especially from peak weekends and holidays to midweek — often yields big price differences.
Choosing a different destination also may pay off. A flight from the U.S. may be significantly cheaper to one European city than another. Since budget airlines and trains connect much of Europe, and trains, an airport it cost less to get to can still provide easy access to a lot of other places.
Consumers not set on a certain arrival destination can try tools like Skyscanner’s “Explore Everywhere” feature to look for less-expensive options.
Looking beyond the closest airport for departures also can make a meaningful difference. Major hubs tend to offer more flights and lower fares than smaller regional airports.
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In some cases, booking a separate short flight or train to a hub will unlock a cheaper long-haul airfare — think Milwaukee versus Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Travel light
Sticking to a carry-on bag, when possible, can help avoid the higher fees for checking luggage that many major U.S. airlines introduced recently, including Delta, American, United, Southwest and JetBlue.
If packing light is not an option, plan ahead because airlines typically charge more to add bags closer to departure, especially within 24 hours of a flight.
Redeem your points
While fares are going up, the number of airline points needed for many flights has not increased at the same pace, said Adam Morvitz, CEO of points.me, a loyalty rewards redemption search platform.
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Airlines still need to fill seats, Morvitz said, and offering more of them for fewer points is one way to do it.
Customers without enough frequent-flyer miles or credit card points for a round-trip ticket still can redeem their travel rewards for one leg of a journey and free up cash for other travel expenses.
Many travelers redeem points directly through their credit card’s booking portal, where they’re typically worth about 1 cent each, Morvitz said. Transferring points to airline loyalty programs often unlocks significantly better value because most major credit card issuers partner with a range of airlines.
Take American Express, whose points can be transferred to Air France’s Flying Blue program. Travelers who don’t want to book with Air France still can use those points with the airline’s partner carriers, such as Delta, Morvitz said.
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“Points are a form of wealth, and consumers should recognize that those points increase spending power,” he said.
Explore travel credit cards
For those new to travel credit cards, sign-up bonuses may yield benefits that can be put to use as soon as this summer. Some bonuses are large enough to cover a flight after meeting a minimum spending requirement.
“Even if you were to travel the entire year, taking one trip per month, you would still earn more points simply by signing up for the card than actually sitting on a seat and flying,” Morvitz said.
Points and rewards can add up through everyday spending on groceries, dining and gas. Some cards include perks like free or discounted checked bags.
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AP writers Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Mae Anderson in New York and Lisa Leff in London contributed to this story.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A gunman wielding an automatic weapon killed six people and barricaded himself inside a supermarket with hostages in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday, before he was shot and killed by police, authorities said.
At least 14 people were wounded and taken to hospital.
The 58-year-old attacker was not named by police, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was born in Russia, as authorities worked to piece together a motive for the violence.
The mass shooting — unheard of in wartime Kyiv following Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — took place in a busy central district of the city, outside an apartment block and a nearby shopping center, leaving bodies on a crowded street as bystanders fled for safety.
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An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw victims’ bodies in the street covered with emergency blankets before they were taken away.
“The assailant has been neutralized. He had taken hostages and, tragically, killed one of them. He also murdered four people on the street. Another woman died in the hospital due to severe injuries,” Zelenskyy said.
“It has been established that the attacker set fire to an apartment before taking to the streets with a weapon,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted online. “He had a prior criminal record, had lived in the Donetsk region (in eastern Ukraine) for a long period, and was born in Russia.”
Ukraine’s special tactical police units stormed the convenience store after attempts to contact the gunman with a negotiator failed, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
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The hostages were supermarket customers and staff.
“We tried to persuade him, knowing that there was likely a wounded person inside. We even offered to bring in tourniquets to stop the bleeding, but he did not respond,” Klymenko said. “Consequently, the order was given to neutralize him.”
The minister said the gunman had a valid weapon’s permit.
During the 40-minute standoff, a female negotiator wearing body armor and standing behind an armored vehicle used a loudspeaker to call out to the assailant, urging him: “The people are not to blame for this. Please let them go, and we will talk with you.”
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Ukraine’s security service, or SBU, described the killings as an act of terrorism.
The shooting took place in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district, where several residents said they recognized the gunman.
“I knew him by sight. He seemed like an educated, refined man. You’d never guess he was some kind of criminal,” said 75-year-old Hanna Kulyk, who lived in the same apartment block as the attacker.
“He didn’t socialize much with people — just a greeting and he’d be on his way,” she said. “He lived alone.”
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Associated Press journalists Vasilisa Stepanenko and Dan Bashakov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.
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An earlier version of this story was corrected to say the gunman shot bystanders, not the government.
Banish grime from your oven in under 30 minutes using this woman’s super easy cleaning hack which transformed her appliance from looking dirty to completely brand new
Cleaning your oven and hob can often slip down the priority list, purely because it’s such a lengthy job and, let’s be honest, rather unpleasant. Everyone desires a sparkling oven, but achieving it demands considerable elbow grease.
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A grimy oven doesn’t just look awful, it can also create unpleasant odours throughout your home while cooking – and when entertaining visitors, this can prove genuinely mortifying. However, one woman has revealed she transformed her entire oven and hob using an unexpected household item that’s typically used for something completely different. Posting in the Mrs HinchCleaning Tips Facebook group, she explained: “So I did it!
“I bought the cheapest dishwasher tablets I could find (Morrison’s own make) and cleaned my entire oven and hob with them, took less than 30 minutes to do the whole thing.
“I had tried Elbow Grease spray, Pink Stuff, Cif oven cleaner, and others alike before. Nothing cleaned the oven door, I couldn’t see through it.
“Now it’s almost like new, the whole oven and hob and door. Thank you to this page. Also, please remember to wear gloves when doing this as you don’t want prolonged contact with skin from the dishwasher tablets.”
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Keen to discover more about the cleaning method, fellow Mrs Hinch fans requested further details, with one asking: “Did you just go over everywhere with just the tablet or do you do something with the tablet?”
The original poster explained: “I just sprayed hot water inside and on the door and on hob then scrubbed around with the dishwasher tablets.
“I used the tablets then wiped all over with a clean wet sponge to essentially rinse it off then wiped all around with kitchen towel.”
She further emphasised that it required “no effort.”
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Dishwasher tablets are available for as little as £3.29 for a pack of 40.
How to clean your oven:
Another easy way to clean your oven is by creating a paste of baking soda and water. Next apply it to the interior and let it sit overnight to break down grime.
This easy method avoids harsh fumes and doesn’t require much elbow grease either. The paste acts as an abrasive to banish stubborn burn-on grease, which you can then easily wipe away the next morning.
It took a first home defeat to Leeds since 1981 for the real moans to start.
The calmness previously viewed as an asset became a negative. Inaction was seen as conservative. All week the question has been asked, is Carrick up to the job?
Well, there was nothing aesthetically pleasing about this latest triumph.
But given only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of all the post-Sir Alex Ferguson bosses had experienced the feeling of winning at Stamford Bridge, style was a secondary element.
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Chelsea may have hit the woodwork three times. They may have carried the more consistent threat. But Carrick’s team was the one that delivered.
“It was a game for a result,” he said. “And we managed to find it.”
There was more to it though. There was overcoming the adversity of knowing that on top of the three central defenders he knew would be missing (Matthijs de Ligt through injury and Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire due to suspension), Carrick then lost a fourth, Leny Yoro, to a training ground injury.
That came so late in the week his chosen pairing, Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven, could only prepare with walk-throughs.
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“I love when you see players thrive in those moments,” said Carrick.
Heaven, 19, had not started a game under Carrick, having first been given his chance by Ruben Amorim and then his immediate replacement Darren Fletcher.
“Ayden has not played a lot of football recently, and to come into that environment is not something that you can take for granted,” said Carrick.
“We say the same things to young players all the time. Sometimes they look at you as if to say, ‘yeah, good one’ but in terms of training every day and looking after yourself and being ready ‘because you never know when that chance comes’, he probably wouldn’t have thought it would come at that moment.
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“But he was there, he was prepared, and he took it in his stride magnificently well.”
Top chef Angela Hartnett revealed how she takes her favourite pasta dish to the next level
Pasta is a go-to choice for many households when they’re in need of something comforting and quick and easy to prepare. Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett recently shared her knack for elevating the simplest of pastarecipes.
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In a recent episode of the Dish from Waitrose podcast, Angela whipped up one of her favourite pasta dishes for actress Gemma Arterton. She paired linguine with flavours of the coast, using crab and fennel as the heart of the dish.
What’s even better is that it takes just ten minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook, so it works perfectly for a speedy midweek dinner, too. In a clip shared to TikTok, the chef revealed how she takes a simple pasta dish to the next level.
The real secret to any good pasta dish, which Angela swears by, is using pasta water. When adding all of the ingredients to the pan, you want to make sure that you’re adding a splash of the reserved pasta water.
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Angela said: “The key to all of this is your reserved pasta water.”
Pour around a cup of the pasta water and then toss all of the ingredients together to coat the pasta. Adding pasta water to sauce acts as a binder that helps to emulsify fats, thickens the texture with starch, and helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
The starchy, salty water prevents watery sauces, binds oil and/or cheese, and allows the sauce to coat each noodle evenly. To add some extra colour and flavour to the dish, you can add a handful of wild rocket leaves to the pasta after everything is stirred together.
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Angela continued: “Mmm, that is lovely. I hope Gemma likes it.”
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Gemma described the dish as “beautiful”.
The video has already been viewed over 18,400 times, receiving 972 likes and seven comments, at the time of writing. AA simply commented: “Delicious.”
Another agreed: “God Angela is GORG.”
Here’s how you can recreate Angela’s favourite pasta at home for a true taste of Italy.
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Angela Hartnett’s crab, caramelised fennel and red chilli linguine
Ingredients
Two tbsp olive oil
One bulb/s fennel, halved, core removed, then finely sliced
One shallot, finely sliced
150g linguine (or and pasta shape of your choice)
One mild red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
One unwaxed lemon, zest of half and juice of whole
15 basil leaves, shredded
100g white crab meat
Method
Heat one tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the fennel and shallot and season. Cover with a lid and sweat gently for five minutes until soft, then uncover and fry for another five minutes, stirring regularly until starting to caramelise.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Simmer for one minute less than stated on the pack instructions.
Just before draining, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water and set aside.
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Add the chilli and finely grated zest from half the lemon to the fennel, then tip in the drained pasta and six tbsp of the reserved cooking water and toss together. Toss through the juice of the whole lemon and most of the basil and crab meat, then divide between plates and drizzle with the remaining one tbsp oil.
Grind over some black pepper and scatter over the remaining basil to serve.
It is sixth versus third at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host Manchester United, with the race for the Champions League places hotting up. Manchester United won the reverse fixture 2-1 at Old Trafford back in September, with Chelsea spending most of the game down to 10 men after Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card. If Manchester United were to win tonight, they would complete a league double over Chelsea for just the second time after the 2019/20 campaign. Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 home league meetings with Manchester United.
Chelsea lost 3-0 at home against Manchester City last weekend. Chelsea have just one Premier league win in their last seven games and go into tonight’s game four points behind Liverpool, who occupy the final Champions League place in fifth.
“That is the great thing about the quality we have in this team,” Liam Rosenior said. “We are capable of a run, but capability is one thing and producing it is another. Time is running out, so we need to be as close to perfect as possible in every aspect of the game. If we do that, we have the potential to win every game for the rest of the season.
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“When the team was its best with players like John [Terry], Frank [Lampard], Didier [Drogba], it was a team of big personalities fighting for the shirt, not a team of egos. I feel we have those kinds of characters in our squad, and that is what we need to show in this moment.”
Enzo Fernandez has been suspended for their last two games but is back available for selection tonight, although it remains to be seen in what capacity.
Manchester United lost 2-1 at home to Leeds last Monday but remain in third, level on points with Aston Villa, three points ahead of Liverpool and seven ahead of Chelsea.
“It is an important game,” Michael Carrick said. “We are in a good position in the league and we want to keep building on that. It is a tough place to go, always has been. We have had some tough games down there. Most of the time they have been good games in terms of what it brings. It has the feelings of a real, proper game so we will be ready for that. We have prepared well and take the confidence from what we have built. We did not get the result we wanted against Leeds but the character that we showed we have to take into this game with an extra player and make the most of it.”
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Manchester United will be without centre-backs Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez for the trip to Stamford Bridge due to suspension. Maguire was given an extra game ban for improper conduct following his red card against Bournemouth whilst Martinez was sent off against Leeds. They could have a real centre-back problem tonight with Matthijs de Ligt still out injured and Leny Yoro set to miss out. Kobbie Mainoo though could be fit to return having missed the loss to Leeds.
Iranian officials are still yet to bury the remains of the assassinated Supreme Leader months on from his death, with one security expert claiming the regime is too scared to hold a ceremony
Peter Hennessy UK & World News Editor
00:41, 19 Apr 2026
Reports suggest that Iranian officials are ‘afraid to bury’ the slain Supreme Leader, months after his death.
Now, one security expert claims the delay is down to Tehran being too fearful to carry out the process.
The last state funeral for his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989 saw millions of Iranians flooding the streets of Tehran in mourning – but similar displays for Khamenei were largely absent during weeks of airstrikes across Iran that claimed many of the regime’s top leaders.
According to reports, a ceremony would risk potential Israeli airstrikes, nationalist counter-rallies similar to the nationwide uprisings earlier this year, and the regime’s need to explain the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son and the new supreme leader, who has not been seen in public since his appointment.
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“It speaks volumes that the turnout for the funeral of the regime’s founding father in 1989 was such a massive affair, and yet one generation later his successor is still not able to have a funeral well over a month after his passing,” Taleblu continued.
“The Islamic Republic likes to talk a big game about owning the streets, but a 50-day internet blackout tells you all you need to know. The regime fears the consequences of the truth getting out.”
Iranian officials are now understood to be weighing up the remote northeastern city of Mashhad as a potential resting place for the Supreme Leader, according to state media outlet Fars, as reported by The Australian.
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Mashhad, which borders Turkmenistan and lies far from Israel, is Khamenei’s birthplace and holds both practical and symbolic significance.
Among the proposals being considered is a burial site close to a shrine that benefits from a substantial security presence, which would afford protection to the long-serving leader’s grave, according to reports.
The Islamic Republic had initially planned a three-day state funeral commencing on 4th March, but those plans never came to fruition after the country was shaken by large-scale Israeli and US bombing campaigns, according to state news agency Irna.
No dates have yet been confirmed for Khamenei’s burial ceremony.
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The US and Iran reached a temporary truce on 8th April, which is due to expire on Wednesday.
Grant McKinnon, 30, was described by police as ‘dangerous’ after disappearing around 4am on Saturday from the Cardowan Road area of Glasgow – police have now launched an appeal
01:30, 19 Apr 2026Updated 01:30, 19 Apr 2026
Police have launched a manhunt for a missing man who has been deemed “dangerous”.
Grant McKinnon vanished at around 4am on Saturday, 18 April. The 30 year old was last spotted in the Cardowan Road area of Glasgow.
He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a red hood, or red hood lining, and blue jeans. Mr McKinnon has been described as white, 6ft tall, of slim build and with a shaved head, reports the Daily Record.
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Police Scotland issued a public appeal to locate the man this evening, with officers branding him “dangerous”. The force has urged members of the public not to approach him and to contact police straight away.
Detective Superintendent Gary Ferguson said: “Grant is considered to be dangerous and I’m appealing for information from the public to help us trace him as soon as possible.”
“If anyone sees Grant, they should not approach him but contact police immediately.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson added: “We are appealing for information to trace 30-year-old Grant McKinnon. He was last seen in the Cardowan Road area of Glasgow around 4am on Saturday, 18 April, 2026.
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“Grant is described as white, 6ft tall, of slim build, with a shaved head. When he was last seen he was wearing a black jacket with a red hood, or red hood lining, and blue jeans.
“Anyone with information on where he may be, or anyone who thinks they’ve seen him since the early hours of Saturday morning, should call 999 urgently quoting reference 0523 of 18 April. Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
It is “inconceivable” that Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy were not told about Peter Mandelson failing the security vetting process for the role of US ambassador, a former foreign secretary has claimed, amid growing accusations that the prime minister scapegoated the head of the Foreign Office in order to save himself.
Describing his own recent experience, Sir James Cleverly, who was foreign secretary from 2022 to 2023, said: “I cannot envisage a universe where someone senior in the Foreign Office wouldn’t have sat down with the foreign secretary and said something to warn about this.”
It comes as former civil servants claim that the sacked permanent secretary to the Foreign Office, Sir Olly Robbins, was “thrown under a bus”.
Sir Keir has claimed he only discovered last week that Lord Mandelson had failed vetting, despite The Independent telling Downing Street and running a story on the revelation in September last year.
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Prime minister Keir Starmer with Britain’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence in Washington in February last year (AFP/Getty)
The prime minister said it was “staggering” and “unforgiveable” that he had not been told earlier, adding that he was “furious”. He claimed that Downing Street and all his ministers had been kept in the dark.
In an interview with The Guardian, Mr Lammy said he had no knowledge of Mr Mandelson’s vetting process and that the prime minister would “absolutely no doubt at all” have blocked the Labour grandee from serving as the UK’s ambassador to Washington if had he known he failed security checks.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for the prime minister to resign over the furore and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wrote in the Mail on Sunday that Sir Keir was “unfit to govern”.
Sir Olly is widely expected to mount a staunch defence of his decision to approve Lord Mandelson’s appointment at a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday – which has been described as “judgement day” for Sir Keir – with former colleagues expecting the former civil servant to emphasise that the appointment was a ministerial decision pushed through by Downing Street.
As outrage grows at the scandal around Lord Mandelson’s appointment, and the prime minister’s claims that he wasn’t aware of the problems surrounding it, fresh doubts are being cast on Sir Keir’s version of events.
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Questions have been raised about his claim, made in the Commons in February, that Downing Street was not aware that Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting.
Simon McDonald, a former permanent secretary in the Foreign Office, told Radio 4’s Today programme that Sir Olly had been “thrown under a bus”, and described him as a “scalp” who had been sacked in an effort to save the prime minister.
“I think this is the biggest crisis in the diplomatic service since I joined it in 1982,” said Lord McDonald.
Speaking on The Independent’s political podcast In the Room, former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara criticised the prime minister for axing Sir Olly, calling the decision “reactive” and echoing the metaphor about throwing him under a bus.
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Other senior former colleagues of Sir Olly have suggested that what he is accused of is “completely out of character”.
With recent experience of making highly sensitive diplomatic appointments as foreign secretary, Sir James said it was “just not credible” that neither Sir Keir nor the then foreign secretary Mr Lammy – now deputy prime minister – did not know.
He said: “It is just inconceivable that Olly Robbins would have sat on this information knowing that it would eventually blow up.
“We are being asked to believe that Olly Robbins was sitting there thinking, ‘I actually know Mandelson didn’t get through vetting… I probably should tell the prime minister that before he embarrasses himself further.’”
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James Cleverly was foreign secretary from 2022 to 2023 (PA)
He went on: “That is just not credible – the idea that absolutely nobody read The Independent’s piece in September; that seems at odds with what Olly Robbins has already told us.
“The only thing I can think is that Olly doesn’t have anything in writing to show he told anyone.”
Pointing to a letter sent by Sir Olly in July last year to shadow Tory minister Richard Holden, in which he stated that Lord Mandelson “was directly appointed by ministers”, Sir James suggested that the sacked senior mandarin “has left a trail of crumbs back to who was really responsible”.
He said that normally, diplomatic roles are given to career diplomats who have already been vetted, but with political appointments, “the foreign secretary is told firmly that is on him, and is warned of the risks”.
Sir James said: “I had this with two political appointments I tried to make which were much more minor than the ambassador to the United States. They make it very, very clear that you, personally, are importing a whole load of risk.”
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He added: “This is why I think David Lammy may have even more problems than Keir Starmer.”
On the matter of any problems that might arise, Sir James said: “Of course I would relay that to the prime minister, especially in a case like this, where the appointment was being driven by Downing Street.”
Simon McDonald, a former Foreign Office minister, described the Mandelson affair as ‘the biggest crisis in the diplomatic service since I joined it in 1982’ (PA)
However, speaking to The Guardian, Mr Lammy said he had not been told about Mr Mandelson’s vetting process and that the PM would not have hired the former him if he’d known.
He added: said: “I have absolutely no doubt at all, knowing the PM as I do, that had he known that Peter Mandelson had not passed the vetting, he would never, ever have appointed him ambassador.
“The prime minister was not particularly close to Peter Mandelson. He hadn’t worked with him in the past, as some of us had. He was weighing a decision, but I’m quite sure had he known that, he would not have become ambassador. Therefore this is inexplicable.”
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It is known from papers already released that Sir Philip Barton expressed concerns about the appointment before he quit early as permanent secretary at the Foreign Office in February 2025.
Other former top cabinet ministers and civil servants have also privately agreed with Sir James’s assessment, noting that such briefings to the prime minister and other senior cabinet ministers take place in STRAP rooms (secure and secret).
One former senior civil servant also pointed to a post on X by Dominic Cummings, in which Mr Cummings attacked claims that the prime minister hadn’t been briefed.
Mr Cummings, who served as Boris Johnson’s chief of staff, wrote: “The PM is often told by officials details from vetting, leak inquiries, investigations by intel agencies etc. This is because the PM in our constitution is often the only constitutional authority deemed able to make a political judgement about things including risk assessments of appointments.”
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The former civil servant described the post as “completely accurate”.
Sir James’s doubts coincide with revelations that others in Whitehall – including new cabinet secretary Dame Antonia Romeo, the permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office, Cat Little, and government lawyers – were all aware of the problem as of March this year.
A source close to the deputy prime minister said: “The deputy prime minister has made it clear that he had no knowledge that the FCDO had overruled Peter Mandelson’s vetting outcome until Thursday afternoon.”
The Independent has approached Downing Street and Mr Lammy’s office for comment.
There’s more criticism levelled at the prime minister, with the Sunday Express saying Sir Keir is being accused of “betraying” Northern Ireland veterans over Labour’s plans to repeal the Legacy Act. The controversial clause, which protects former servicemen from prosecution for Troubles-era crimes, had already been found to be unlawful and was opposed by Northern Ireland parties and victims’ groups. The paper quotes a former SAS colonel who says veterans are being “pushed to the brink” while the PM “cuddles up to Europe”.
Cherry claimed the mood was “jovial, even celebratory”.
Joanna Cherry has dropped bombshell claims that SNP insiders were “jovial” over Alex Salmond being probed over sex attacks claims at Bute House.
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The former MP has gave the jaw-dropping account in her new book, ‘Keeping The Dream Alive’, claiming that the party machine allegedly revelled in its former leader’s downfall, in excerpts published by the Times. Cherry claims that senior figures gathered at the plush Western House Hotel after the news dropped, but instead of showing sympathy or being in shock, the mood was “jovial, even celebratory”.
Cherry then goes on to say she believed there was a “witch hunt against Alex”.
Allegations of sexual misconduct against Salmond were first published by the Daily Record in 2018. Following a trial in 2020 he was acquitted on all charges.
In another explosive claim, Cherry says she became the target of vicious name-calling within Nicola Sturgeon’s inner circle. She alleges she was branded with the label ‘The B**ch’.
The former MP recounts being subjected to a barrage of abuse by colleagues over her decision to attend an LGB Alliance conference, with senior figures joining in the criticism.
Cherry also told the Times that while writing her autobiography she had become “absolutely disgusted by the SNP, and ashamed of being a member”.
Ms Cherry revealed she had left the party as she claimed its Holyrood election manifesto – unveiled on Thursday – had made clear the SNP “intend to continue ignoring the law” on biological sex. She also alleged the First Minister is “too afraid” to stand up to his party on the issue.
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John Swinney has responded saying he is “satisfied” his Government has complied with a landmark Supreme Court ruling on sex and gender – despite claims from Cherry claiming that he is a “coward” who has failed to implement it.
Mr Swinney insisted he was “satisfied the Scottish Government has taken the necessary steps to implement the Supreme Court ruling”. The SNP leader spoke to journalists in Dundee as he unveiled the battle bus that will take him around Scotland campaigning in the run-up to the May 7 election.
Asked about Ms Cherry’s comments, the First Minister said: “An awful lot of this stuff is in the past, and I’m looking to the future.”
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Pressed on her decision to leave the party she represented at Westminster, Mr Swinney added: “People make their own decisions about their politics.”
He continued: “So much of what is being talked about here is in the past and I am looking to the future.”
The First Minister also stressed: “I’m satisfied the Scottish Government has taken the necessary steps to implement the Supreme Court ruling.”
That ruling, from April 2025, made clear that the the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act “refer to a biological woman and biological sex”.
The Scottish Government is still facing a second legal challenge from the group that won that case, For Women Scotland, over the placement of transgender prisoners in women’s jails.
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Mr Swinney told the Press Association: “There’s obviously still some parts of that that are still the subject of legal challenge in Scotland that I can’t comment on, it is for the courts to look at.
“But I am satisfied we have taken the steps to implement the Supreme Court ruling, which is in accordance with my view, that I have always asserted, that the Scottish Government must act within the law.”
Keeping the Dream Alive by Joanna Cheery is £20 and available from Icon books.
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