News 16/08/26

Five male teenagers have died and four other people have been seriously injured in a crash on a motorway in County Kildare, Irish police have said.

Two cars were involved in a head-on collision on the M9 near Athy at around 3am on Sunday. According to police, one vehicle was travelling in the wrong direction on the northbound carriageway. Gardaí confirmed the bodies of the five teenage males have been removed from the scene and taken to hospital for post-mortem examinations.

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has officially become the deadliest in the country’s history, data suggests.

The number of confirmed cases has risen to 4,945, including 2,325 deaths. This surpasses the previous record of 2,299 fatalities during an earlier outbreak. On Friday, the United Nations warned that the virus is winning in the region, with the epidemic now killing one person every 30 minutes.

At least six people have been killed in Russia after Ukraine launched nearly 1,500 drones over the course of 24 hours.

In an apparent counterstrike to recent Russian ballistic missile attacks, Ukraine fired 1,478 drones and at least nine cruise missiles during the same period. Citing Moscow’s defence ministry, state news reported the barrage as one of Ukraine’s largest of the war. Five deaths occurred in the southwestern Rostov region.

Amy Hunt has won a historic fourth gold medal at the European Athletics Championships after Great Britain secured victory in the Mixed 4x100m relay.

Running alongside Dina Asher-Smith, Zharnel Hughes and Jeremiah Azu, Hunt added to her earlier triumphs in the women’s 4x100m relay, 100m, and 200m events in Birmingham. Her incredible four-gold haul surpasses legendary Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen, who previously held the record with three golds and a silver set back in 1950.

Premier League champions Arsenal produced a statement win over rivals Manchester City to lift the 2026 Community Shield in Cardiff.

Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead after just 23 seconds when Myles Lewis-Skelly slipped in Riccardo Calafiori, who slotted past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Sebastien Pocognoli has been confirmed as head coach of Scotland’s men’s team, signing an initial two-year deal with the Scottish FA.

An emergency government phone alert warning of wildfires across England and Wales put domestic abuse victims at risk, campaigners have said.

Millions of mobile phones bleeped on Friday with a severe alert notification. However, charities and survivors criticised the lack of advance warning, which left little chance to protect hidden phones. A government spokesperson said the alert followed a direct request from fire services.

A 28-year-old Slough man has been arrested after a 12-year-old boy suffered life-changing injuries in a collision with a car.

Emergency services were called to Station Road at around 7.50pm on Saturday, August 15 following reports a pedestrian was hit by a Mercedes AMG. The boy was rushed to hospital where he remains in a stable condition. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving over the alcohol and drug limits and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

A man has been charged with arson after ten small fires were set at a park in east London.

The Metropolitan Police said officers responded to reports of a man starting fires in London Fields, Hackney, shortly after 5am yesterday. An individual was arrested at the scene on suspicion of arson, setting fires, and possession of a Class A drug. Isaac Shozi, who is fifty and from Bodney Road in Hackney, was subsequently charged with arson.

A number of people have died and others have been seriously injured in a crash on a motorway in County Kildare, Irish police have said.

Two cars were involved in a head-on collision on the M9 near Athy at around 3am on Sunday. According to police, one vehicle was travelling in the wrong direction on the northbound carriageway. Four people who were badly injured have been taken to hospital.

A man has died after being bitten by a dog following an altercation in West Yorkshire, police have confirmed.

The 55-year-old was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the incident in Wakefield on Saturday afternoon and died later that evening. A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place causing injury. Police have seized the dog.

People who had to flee their houses during the devastating Stourbridge fires are starting to return home.

Many families are only just discovering the extent of damage to their homes as West Midlands Fire Service allowed some behind the cordon after three days. Nineteen properties across five streets have been fully destroyed, with another 18 severely damaged. Aerial images show some houses remained intact while those next door were burnt down.

Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight have led to widespread fires and left at least three people injured.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said some of those injured were in the Obolonskyi district, where a fire broke out after shelling. Regional governor Tymur Tkachenko reported later that a child was also among the injured.

The cyclists’ union says it is filled with anger after the death of British rider Finlay Tarling during the Volta a Portugal race.

The 19-year-old from Wales was taking part in the eighth stage on Friday when he was struck by a non-race car on the route. Tarling was a time trial specialist for the NSN Development Team, which has since withdrawn from the race. The Cyclistes Professionnels Associes described the news as leaving them speechless.

Bangladesh thrashed Australia by nine wickets on the fourth day of the series-opener in Darwin to complete one of Test cricket’s greatest upsets.

After bowling the hosts out for 284 and needing 57 to win, Mominul Haque cut Beau Webster to the boundary for the winning runs to seal his nation’s first Test victory in Australia. The moment sparked jubilation among Bangladesh players and staff, celebrating arguably their greatest victory in 26 years of competing in Test cricket. Australia are the top-ranked Test nation, while Bangladesh had not played a five-day series in the country since 2003.

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The heatwave finally waned yesterday, with temperatures staying below 30 degrees in most places.

From today, cooler weather will begin to be felt more widely, with even a chance of rain on the horizon. However, it remains unclear if the rainfall will be heavy enough to make a real difference after a dry and scorching summer so far. Much of Britain has been left parched, with all of Wales and most of England in drought.

Robert Jenrick claims a Reform UK government would cut fifty billion pounds from the welfare bill.

The party’s treasury spokesperson says plans would result in almost three million people seeing disability and sickness payments withdrawn or modified. Reports suggest Reform would abolish personal independence payments and the health element of Universal Credit for working-age adults. Mr Jenrick added this was not an epidemic of broken backs and lost limbs.

Amy Hunt has won her third gold medal of a potential historic quadruple, as Dina Asher-Smith earned a spot in the record books.

Great Britain’s 4x100m relay stars put on a show at the European Championships in Birmingham. Sprint sensation Hunt celebrated her third title in six days following wins in the 100m and 200m. She will now attempt to become the first athlete to win four gold medals at a single edition on Sunday.