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Starmer given warning ahead of another bruising day over Mandelson scandal
Sir Keir Starmer has been warned he has some "real bridge-building" to do with the civil service, as a former top official prepares to respond to the prime minister's stinging criticism over the Peter Mandelson scandal.

In an intense face-off with MPs in the Commons on Monday, which saw two members booted out for calling him a liar, Sir Keir reiterated he made the wrong call in appointing Lord Mandelson as US ambassador – but also repeated he would not have done so had he known the ex-Labour minister had failed the vetting process.

He has said he only found out last Tuesday that the Foreign Office had approved the appointment without telling him and has pinned the blame on Sir Olly Robbins, who was the department's most senior civil servant when the appointment was confirmed last year. He was sacked on Thursday.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for the PM to resign and accused him of throwing his staff and officials "under the bus" – and Sir Olly himself will have the chance to respond this morning.

He will face questions about the scandal from the Foreign Affairs Committee at 9am. The Times reports he will tell MPs the government pressured him into clearing Lord Mandelson despite his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

And it could get more awkward from there for the PM, with the Speaker having granted Ms Badenoch's request for an emergency Commons debate on the scandal too. That should start at around 12.30pm.

Other opposition party leaders have already joined her in calling for Sir Keir to resign.

'Fired for trying to help'

Ahead of what could be a bruising day for Sir Keir, former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman told Sky News's Electoral Dysfunction podcast the row has damaged his relationship with the civil service.

Speaking to political editor Beth Rigby, Baroness Harman said: "I think it's in the civil service that they're really distraught… [Sir Keir] said he wanted [civil servants] to be 'can do', to be backing the government to make the change the government wants to deliver.

"So that was the kind of culture he was trying to set: 'Help me do what I want to do.'

"I think a lot of the civil service think that's what Olly Robbins was trying to do. He was trying to help the prime minister do what he wanted to do, which was appoint Peter Mandelson, and now he's got fired for it!"

She added: "I think there's real bridge-building the prime minister has got to do with the civil service."

'War with the civil service'

It's not the first time Sir Keir has fallen out with the civil service. In December 2024, a few months into his premiership, Sir Keir gave a speech suggesting that "too many people in Whitehall" are being "comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline".

Baroness Harman said a good relationship with the civil service is vital to the success of the government.

"[Sir Keir] has got to get a good relationship with the civil service to have any hope of delivering on the government's objectives," she said. "And at the moment, the relationship is absolutely terrible."

"When the government is at war with the civil service, nobody wins," she warned.


Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO - as tech giant names successor
Tim Cook will be stepping down from his role as Apple CEO, to be replaced by John Ternus, the company has announced.

Mr Cook, who joined the technology giant in 1998 and has been its CEO for nearly 15 years after succeeding the late Steve Jobs, will take up the role of executive chairman.

He will remain in his current role until 1 September, when Mr Ternus, the current head of the hardware engineering department, will officially take up the position.

The move comes following months of speculation that Apple was searching for a successor to Mr Cook, with Mr Ternus seen as a likely candidate to take over.

In his new role, Mr Cook will "assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world", Apple said.

In a statement, Mr Cook said: "It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company.

"I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world."

Mr Cook described his successor as a "visionary" with "the soul of an innovator".

He added: "He [Ternus] is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character."

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Mr Ternus joined Apple in 2001, and during his 25 years at the company has been involved in a number of its major product releases, including the iPad and AirPods, as well as several generations of iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.

He referred to Mr Cook as his mentor and said he was "profoundly grateful" for the opportunity to "carry Apple's mission forward".

"I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come," he added.


The Cathy Newman Show to launch on Sky News
Award-winning journalist Cathy Newman is bringing her own style of friendly, but forensic, political journalism to Sky News.

The Cathy Newman Show, launching on 27 April at 7pm, combines agenda-setting interviews, exclusive investigations and spirited debate from Sky News' Westminster studio.

The show, airing Monday to Thursday on Sky News and YouTube, is designed to cut through the noise and make sense of the stories that matter.

'The perfect time to get started'

Newman, who joins Sky News after two decades at Channel 4, will lead a show featuring uninterrupted conversations that challenge perspectives – with a warm but rigorous approach.

The show will include interviews with leading political, public and cultural figures, original reporting and investigations, and analysis of the biggest UK, US and European stories.

"With the local elections coming up, it feels like the perfect time to get started," said Cathy Newman.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming guests on to the orange velvet sofa for big interviews, exclusives and real conversations that help make sense of it all. Join me from next week for a friendly but forensic chat."

There will also be longer-form investigations and documentaries that sit alongside the show, with a new podcast launching this autumn.

The programme is part of Sky News' 2030 strategy for premium, video-first journalism, designed to bring personality-led reporting to audiences wherever they are.

"Cathy's journalism is forensic, fearless and engaging, and this new format brings that to life in a way that truly connects with audiences," said Jonathan Levy, executive editor and managing director.

Join us from 27 April at 7pm for interviews that probe, investigations that reveal, and conversations that matter.


Canadian woman killed and others hurt in shooting at Mexico's Teotihuacan pyramids
A gunman has killed a Canadian woman and injured four others at one of Mexico's most popular tourist sites.

It happened at the Teotihuacan pyramids outside Mexico City, with footage showing the man firing from the top of one of the pyramids as people sought cover.

Authorities said two more Canadians were wounded, alongside a Russian and two Colombians, and that the attacker killed himself after Monday's shooting.

Two further people were injured in falls amid the panic and taken to hospital.

Officials also said they found a gun, a knife and ammunition after the shooting.

"What happened today in Teotihuacan pains us deeply," said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on social media.

"I express my deepest sympathy to those affected and their families."

The attacker's identity has not yet been released.

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Teotihuacan, built between the first and seventh centuries, is one of Mexico's most popular tourist attractions and had 1.8 million visitors last year.

A tour guide, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to put his job at risk, told the Associated Press he was leading a group down one of the pyramids at around 11.30am local time when the gunman began to shoot.

A number of people stumbled in fear and fell down the stairs, he added.

He said he heard between 20 and 30 gunshots ring out before security officials arrived.

Canada's foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, also expressed her sympathies to those affected by the shooting and said her thoughts were with the family of the woman who was killed.


At least two children stabbed to death every month in England, study finds
At least two children die from knife wounds every month in England, a national study has found.

First-of-its-kind analysis revealed a rise in stabbing deaths among under-17s, increasing from 21 in 2019/20 to 36 in 2023/24.

Most were boys aged around 14, and most were from areas with greater levels of poverty.

Using data from the National Child Mortality Database, as well as hospital, social care, and police data, researchers at Bristol Medical School found 90% of the 145 total deaths across the five-year period were male.

Around a third of those who died (32%) were black and another third (31%) were white, while 110 (75%) were from the most poverty-stricken areas of the country.

Analysed on a population basis, those of black or black British ethnicity were around 13 times more likely to die of a knife-related injury than children and young people who were white.

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'Urgent need' for early intervention

Researchers also noted a history of domestic violence and abuse among many of the victims: a quarter lived with an adult with mental illness and a third lived in a household with substance abuse.

The involvement of gangs was mentioned in a third of the case files.

Lead author Dr Tom Roberts, an A&E clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust, said the data revealed an "urgent need" to support children facing adversity as they grow up.

He warned: "Despite frequent contact with services, many children received no targeted support for adverse childhood experiences, especially domestic violence and abuse, revealing major gaps in early intervention."


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