News 31/07/25

The most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2024 have been revealed, with some new additions to the top 100.

Athena and Yahya appear for the first time. Muhammad remains the most common name for boys, followed by Noah and Oliver. For girls, Olivia holds the top spot again, ahead of Amelia and Lily. The figures were published by the Office for National Statistics and are based on birth registration data.

A murder investigation is under way after the death of a three-year-old girl in Leeds.

Police were called just after 11 o’clock yesterday morning following concerns for the child’s safety.

Officers found the girl inside a house on Austhorpe Court.

A woman at the address was taken to hospital and later arrested on suspicion of murder. She remains under medical care in a stable condition.

Detectives say the investigation is ongoing.

Conor McGregor has lost his appeal against a ruling that found him civilly liable for sexually assaulting a woman in Dublin.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal rejected all grounds of his challenge.

Last November, the High Court ruled the MMA fighter was responsible for assaulting Nikita Hand at a hotel in 2018.

McGregor was ordered to pay nearly 250,000 euros in damages and a further 1.3 million in legal costs.

Mexico has avoided sweeping tariffs after Donald Trump agreed to extend a temporary trade deal.

The president had threatened 30 percent duties on Mexican imports starting tonight.

But after last-minute talks, the agreement has been extended for 90 days while negotiations on a permanent deal continue.

Trump said the border makes trade with Mexico “more complex” than with other nations.

More than 25,000 migrants have crossed the Channel into the UK so far this year, according to the latest figures from the Home Office.

The milestone was reached after 898 people arrived in 13 boats yesterday.

It’s the earliest point in any year that the 25,000 mark has been hit since records on small boat crossings began in 2018.

A 76-year-old man has been arrested after eight children were taken to hospital from a summer camp in Leicestershire.

Police were called to Canal Lane in Stathern on Monday after reports of children feeling unwell. Paramedics assessed the group and took them to hospital as a precaution — they’ve all since been discharged.

The man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of administering poison with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. He remains in custody as investigations continue.

There’s no evidence of any malicious activity behind the air traffic control meltdown that caused major flight disruption.

That’s according to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who’s spoken directly to the National Air Traffic Service. She described the outage as an isolated IT fault.

More than 150 flights were cancelled during the incident, which came at one of the busiest times of the year for UK airports.

Airlines say the chaos left thousands of passengers stranded and are demanding answers.

The Royal College of Nursing is warning it could ballot members for strike action unless the government improves pay and investment this summer.

The threat follows the rejection of a proposed 3.6 percent rise for 2025–26.

RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger says nurses feel deeply undervalued. She’s urging ministers to recognise the scale of the pressure on the profession.

The Department of Health says it “hugely values” nurses, adding that they’ve already received two above-inflation pay rises.

Two more people have been arrested over the murders of two great-grandparents who died in an arson attack in St Helens.

Eric Greener, 77, and Sheila Jackson, 83, were killed in a house fire in the early hours of 15 July.

Merseyside Police say a 33-year-old man from Aigburth has now been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and possession of cannabis.

He has been taken into custody for questioning as the investigation continues.

Wealthier households could soon pay more for their energy to shield low income families from rising bills.

Regulator Ofgem has launched a major review into how costs are distributed, saying it’s time to explore fairer models.

Its chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, says the aim is to stop fixed charges falling too heavily on the most vulnerable.

As the UK moves towards a renewable-led energy system, he says long-term savings should benefit all consumers — not just the better-off.

Nineteen shops along a single stretch of road in Newport have been shut down in the last nine months — all for selling illegal tobacco and vapes.

Trading Standards officers say they’re dealing with criminal gangs, forced labour, and serious community disruption.

Locals have reported open drug dealing, threats, and even an acid attack linked to the illicit trade.

Investigators describe it as an “endless battle” against organised crime, with some stores acting as hubs for counterfeit cigarettes and illegal substances.

Food inflation is expected to climb to 6% by the end of the year, posing what industry leaders call a “significant challenge” for households in the run-up to Christmas.

The British Retail Consortium is warning that any tax rises in the upcoming budget could make matters worse, accusing the chancellor of risking a further spike in inflation.

Despite strong competition between supermarkets, the BRC says grocery prices are still rising at pace.

Food inflation currently stands at 4% year-on-year – the highest level since February.

Airlines are demanding answers from the UK’s air traffic control provider, NATS, after a system outage caused widespread disruption to flights.

NATS has apologised, saying the issue was resolved within 20 minutes by switching to a back-up system.

But the impact was significant, with over 150 flights cancelled and thousands more grounded on Wednesday.

The disruption has continued into Thursday, with ten flights to and from Heathrow cancelled this morning – including four departures and six arrivals.

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms comes into effect this morning, with parts of southern England bracing for heavy rain, lightning and hail.

The alert covers areas including Bristol, Oxford, Southampton, London, Kent and Ipswich, and will remain in place from 10am until 9pm.

Forecasters say some areas could see up to 60 millimetres of rain fall within just two hours.

There’s also a risk of flash flooding, travel disruption, road closures and possible power cuts.