Top World News
Remains of US soldier who went missing in Korean war laid to rest after 75 years
Apr 20, 2026 - World 
Sgt Celestino Chavez Jr, accounted for in 2025, given full burial honors and posthumous medals in New MexicoThe remains of a US soldier who went missing in action during the Korean war were identified by DNA analysis, and he was recently laid to rest in his hometown of Gallup, New Mexico, authorities said.US army Sgt Celestino Chavez Jr’s burial ended a decades-long saga that began with him being wounded while defending his post near the Changjin (Chosin) Reservoir in North Korea and then being taken to an aid station on 30 November 1950. Chavez, 19, was then reported missing in action three days later, when enemy fighters attacked his convoy. Continue reading...
Starmer says it ‘beggars belief’ he wasn’t told about Mandelson vetting failure as he faces Commons – UK politics live
Apr 20, 2026 - World 
MPs jeer as PM says it is ‘incredible’ he was not told full story and says he was wrong to appoint Mandelson as US ambassador At his press conference Nigel Farage was asked about reports saying that Keir Starmer knew about the security concerns about Peter Mandelson that led to him failing his security vetting interview. That was a reference to the Telegraph splash, which says:Senior Whitehall sources told The Telegraph that the UKSV [UK Security Vetting] findings largely restated security risks that had already been drawn to Sir Keir’s attention.One senior source with knowledge of the process said: “The reality is that Starmer had already been warned about the major risks and he had waved them away.”Sources have told The Independent that MI6 failed to clear the Labour peer largely because of concerns over his business links to China.However, there were also worries that his past links to the disgraced financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein “would compromise him”.It’s impossible for the prime minister to say the warning lights weren’t flashing.And if you were prime minister and there were news reports last September that your ambassadorial choice had failed vetting, you would have thought perhaps he might have had some curiosity to try to find out whether this had really happened or not. I just find the whole thing totally incredible. Incredible. There is no way the prime minister couldn’t have known.The Labour backbenchers are not yet of a mood to get rid of their prime minister, although after 7 May they just might be. Continue reading...
Middle East crisis live: Iran sends mixed signals on talks after US seizes ship
Apr 20, 2026 - World 
Official tells Reuters it is ‘positively reviewing’ involvement in negotiations after earlier saying it had no plans for a new round of talksTehran has ‘no plans to participate’ in new talks, state media reports, as it accuses US of violating ceasefireThe US has just released some more footage of the encounter with the Iranian flagged vessel, the M/V Touska.In a post on X, US Central Command said US Marines had departed the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli by helicopter and rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel. Continue reading...
Hungary’s Magyar eyes swift political deal to unfreeze EU funds after Orbán years – Europe live
Apr 20, 2026 - World 
New Hungarian leader says he could sign a political agreement with the EU in mid-MayThe commission also got asked about the Italian proposals for a “wild west-style bounties” that could be paid to Italian lawyers if they successfully convince their immigrant clients to return home.Our Rome correspondent Angela Giuffrida reported on the controversial proposal over the weekend: Continue reading...
Starmer tells MPs Foreign Office has been stripped of power to overrule vetting
Apr 20, 2026 - World 
PM says in Commons statement he has ordered inquiry into any security concerns relating to Mandelson’s tenure in USUK politics live – latest updatesThe Foreign Office has been stripped of its powers to overrule vetting decisions after the Peter Mandelson scandal, Keir Starmer told MPs as he sought to set out his side of events in a politically crucial statement in parliament.Saying to jeers that he accepted it appeared “incredible” he and other ministers were not told Mandelson was initially refused security vetting, Starmer also said he had ordered an investigation into any security concerns related to Mandelson’s tenure as ambassador to Washington. Continue reading...
