LONDON (AP) — The British government said Sunday that it will unveil plans this week to create a new national police force, dubbed the “British FBI," to take charge on complex investigations such as counterterrorism, fraud, online child abuse and criminal gangs.
The National Police Service will bring under the same umbrella the work of existing agencies dealing with terrorism and crime, police helicopters and policing of the roads, and regional organized crime units in England and Wales.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the new body will lift the burden on the 43 local police forces in England and Wales, helping them focus solely on day-to-day crimes within their jurisdictions.
“Some local forces lack the skills or resources they need to fight complex modern crime such as fraud, online child abuse or organized criminal gangs," she said.
Mahmood said the current model was “built for a different century” and that the new body will attract “world-class talent” as well as helping to keep a lid on costs by moving procurement to one national force.
She said the full proposals will be unveiled to Parliament on Monday. Other changes expected include slashing the number of police forces in England and Wales and changes to how police officers are recruited and managed.
The prospect of change was widely welcomed within police circles, with London's Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on counterterrorism, welcoming the creation of a single national service.
FILE - Police officers patrol the King's Cross train station, in London, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - Britain's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood departs 10 Downing Street in London, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday about American talks with Iran, his office said Saturday, as concerns remain high about possible regional conflict.
“The prime minister believes that all negotiations must include limiting the ballistic missiles, and ending support for the Iranian axis,” Netanyahu’s office said in a brief statement, referring to Tehran's support for militant groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories. Trump and Netanyahu last met in December.
There was no immediate White House comment.
The U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran held indirect talks on Friday in Oman that appeared to return to the starting point on how to approach discussions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Trump said that the United States had “very good” talks and more were planned for early next week. Washington was being represented by Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to reach a deal on the nuclear program after sending the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships to the region amid Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide protests that killed thousands.
Gulf Arab nations fear an attack could spark a regional war, with memories fresh of the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June.
For the first time in negotiations with Iran, the U.S. on Friday brought its top military commander in the Middle East to the table. U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the military’s Central Command, then visited the USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday with Witkoff and Kushner, the command said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told journalists Friday that “nuclear talks and the resolution of the main issues must take place in a calm atmosphere, without tension and without threats.” He said that diplomats would return to their capitals, signaling that this round of negotiations was over.
It remains unclear what terms Iran is willing to negotiate at the talks. Tehran has maintained that these talks will only be on its nuclear program.
However, the Al Jazeera satellite news network reported that diplomats from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar offered Iran a proposal in which Tehran would halt enrichment for three years, send its highly enriched uranium out of the country and pledge to “not initiate the use of ballistic missiles.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the talks needed to include all those issues.
Israel, a close U.S. ally, believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon and wants its program scrapped, though Iran has insisted that its atomic plans are for peaceful purposes. Israel also wants a halt to Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups in the region.
Araghchi, speaking at a forum in Qatar on Saturday, accused Israel of destabilizing the region, saying that it “breaches sovereignties, it assassinates official dignitaries, it conducts terrorist operations, it expands its reach in multiple theaters.” He criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and called for “comprehensive and targeted sanctions against Israel, including an immediate arms embargo.”
In this photo released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center, heads to venue for talks between Iran and the U.S., in Muscat, Oman, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)
