Good evening. Trump is escalating tensions with Iran, dispatching US officials to Pakistan for fresh peace talks while threatening to resume bombing if Tehran doesn't agree to a deal. This comes as new reporting reveals how Iran has been studying lessons from the war in Ukraine, particularly around drone warfare tactics that could reshape any future conflict. Meanwhile, British counterterrorism police are investigating a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites, including another synagogue hit overnight in north-west London, with authorities focusing on a shadowy Islamic group that may have Iranian connections.
Closer to home, the Mandelson affair is deepening into a full political crisis, with the ex-Foreign Office head Olly Robbins now taking legal advice over his dismissal from the vetting process and preparing to give his full account to MPs on Tuesday. Ministers are rallying around Starmer, saying he would have blocked the appointment himself had he known earlier about the security concerns. In sport, Liverpool kept their title hopes alive with Van Dijk's stoppage-time winner against Everton, while Saracens demolished Sale with Noah Caluori scoring five tries in a record victory.