Royal News

Tag: Keir Starmer

  • BBC Expected To Apologise After Trump Speech Editing Row

    BBC Expected To Apologise After Trump Speech Editing Row

    The BBC is expected to issue a public apology on Monday after an edited segment of a Donald Trump speech in a Panorama documentary triggered the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness.

    The resignations followed allegations that the programme misleadingly suggested Trump had directly incited the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. BBC chair Samir Shah, describing the situation as a “sad day for the BBC,” is scheduled to address lawmakers on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

    The broadcaster has faced repeated criticism over perceived political bias, including its coverage of the Israel–Hamas war. While Trump welcomed the departures, accusing the BBC of corruption, Turness defended the organisation in her resignation note, saying claims of institutional bias were unfounded.

    The controversy comes as the UK government prepares to review the BBC’s Royal Charter, which sets out its remit and governance. The current charter expires in 2027 and will require renewal. Davie said he hoped new leadership would help secure long-term funding and shape the corporation’s future.

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called the allegations “incredibly serious” and said the charter review would help the BBC adapt to a changing media environment. Political reactions have been mixed: former prime minister Boris Johnson threatened to stop paying the licence fee, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the resignations. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to warn Trump against interfering, saying, “We can’t let him.”

    The immediate crisis stems from concerns raised in an internal memo about clips spliced from Trump’s January 6, 2021 remarks, which made it appear he had told supporters to “fight like hell” and march with him to the Capitol. The full recording, however, showed him urging them to “cheer on” lawmakers.

    The episode follows earlier apologies over serious editorial lapses in February’s Gaza documentary, “Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone,” and a subsequent regulatory sanction over misleading content. In recent months, pro-Palestinian protesters have also targeted the BBC’s London offices over its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

    A replacement for Davie could take months to appoint.

  • Trump Halts Planned Putin Summit, Cites Ongoing War Developments

    Trump Halts Planned Putin Summit, Cites Ongoing War Developments

    U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, saying he did not want to hold a “wasted” summit amid continuing uncertainty over the Ukraine war.

    The decision came just days after Trump announced the meeting, which was expected to take place within two weeks following what he described as a “productive” phone call with Putin about ending the conflict.

    Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said the planned talks were on hold. “I don’t want to have a wasted meeting. I don’t want to have a waste of time, so I’ll see what happens,” he said. He added that “a lot of things are happening on the war front,” and further announcements would come “in the next two days.”

    A White House official later confirmed that “there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future,” despite the earlier announcement of a Budapest summit.

    The move followed tense discussions in Washington last Friday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a senior Ukrainian official, Trump pressured Zelensky to cede the eastern Donbas region to Russia in exchange for peace — a proposal Ukraine has repeatedly rejected.

    The talks reportedly ended without progress after Trump refused Zelensky’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles and instead urged him to accept a ceasefire along current battle lines.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also canceled a scheduled meeting meant to prepare for the summit, the White House said.

    The Kremlin confirmed there was no “precise” date for a future Trump-Putin meeting, noting that their last encounter in Alaska in August ended without a breakthrough.

    European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and Britain’s Keir Starmer, issued a joint statement rejecting any deal that would see Ukraine give up territory. They expressed support for an immediate halt to fighting along current front lines but warned that “Russia is not serious about peace.”

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 and has since left tens of thousands dead, with Moscow occupying roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, much of it devastated by the war.

  • UK PM Starmer sacks UK envoy Mandelson over Epstein revelations

    UK PM Starmer sacks UK envoy Mandelson over Epstein revelations

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dismissed Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, after fresh disclosures about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

    The Foreign Office announced on Thursday that Mandelson was removed “with immediate effect” following reports that he had written supportive emails to Epstein during the financier’s 2008 prosecution in the United States.

    “The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment,” the ministry said. It noted Mandelson had suggested Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged, calling this “new information.”

    The Sun and Bloomberg reported that Mandelson sent messages urging Epstein to fight prosecutors, telling him to “remember the Art of War” and to “fight for early release.” In one exchange, Mandelson told Epstein, “I think the world of you,” a day before his sentencing. Epstein ultimately served 18 months for procuring a child for prostitution.

    Mandelson, 71, later told the BBC he had relied on Epstein’s lawyers, who claimed the case was “a shake down” and a conspiracy. “I foolishly relied on their word which I regret to this day,” he said. He added that he “relied on assurances of his innocence that turned out later to be horrendously false.”

    The dismissal came just a week before US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Britain. Mandelson had been tasked with strengthening ties with Washington after being appointed earlier this year.

    Pressure on Starmer mounted in recent days, with opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch calling Mandelson’s role “untenable.” At least three Labour MPs also urged his removal.

    Until Wednesday, Starmer had defended the appointment, saying “due process was followed.” He had expressed confidence in Mandelson even after reports surfaced of a 2003 letter in which Mandelson described Epstein as his “best pal” and “an intelligent, sharp-witted man.” The letter appeared in a book compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday and was later submitted to a US congressional panel investigating his crimes.

    Mandelson, a former Labour minister and European trade commissioner, said he regretted associating with Epstein “for far longer than I should have done.”