News 08/09/26

A Thames Valley Police sergeant has been dismissed without notice after showing colleagues an offensive date-rape drug meme while working as a supervisor.

David Brenchley was also found to have inappropriately touched a female officer in 2021 and made sexualised, homophobic, and misogynistic comments in 2025. Although Brenchley disputed six of eight allegations, a misconduct panel proved all charges, ruling his actions constituted gross misconduct.

Three people have been arrested following a fatal four-car collision near Edinburgh Airport.

Emergency services were called to the A8 Glasgow Road on Monday morning, where the fifty-eight-year-old female driver of a Hyundai was pronounced dead. Four other people were taken to hospital and later released. The incident involved a Mercedes, a Renault, a Skoda and the victim’s Hyundai.

More than one thousand flights at UK airports have been cancelled following technical disruptions at National Air Traffic Services.

According to Flightradar24, over sixty-five thousand Ryanair passengers alone face delays or cancellations. Air traffic coordinator Eurocontrol reported that around five hundred and ninety flights in southern UK airspace were impacted during peak times by the system failure.

The Israeli government is to close the UK’s consulate in Jerusalem after Britain sanctioned goods produced in the occupied West Bank.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar declared that a united Jerusalem is Israel’s capital under full sovereignty, insisting any foreign activity must comply with conventional agreements. The consulate represents the UK government in the West Bank and Gaza, supporting commercial, security, and diplomatic relations with Palestine.

The chief executive of the RNLI has condemned online and physical abuse directed at staff following anti-migrant protests at the weekend.

Demonstrators blocked roads in Portsmouth on Sunday after the charity assisted one hundred and forty people arriving at Eastney Landing. RNLI boss Peter Sparkes called the intimidation wholly unacceptable in a civilised society, blaming deliberate misinformation and criticizing those hiding behind balaclavas and keyboards.

Breakaway league LIV Golf has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States to preserve its business and restructure.

It comes after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its multibillion-dollar funding. LIV says it has secured new investment from BC Partners and aims to launch a majority player-owned league next year, with the court process allowing players the option to leave.

The Israeli government will close the UK consulate in Jerusalem in response to British sanctions on goods produced in the occupied West Bank.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that a united Jerusalem is under full Israeli sovereignty and foreign activity must not intervene in state affairs. The closure is significant as the consulate represents the UK in the West Bank and Gaza, managing political, security, and economic interests with Palestine.

Airline Wizzair has joined Ryanair in criticizing National Air Traffic Services, declaring the UK provider fit for purpose in its current form no longer.

Expressing disappointment after another technical failure caused major travel disruption, Wizzair called for urgent reform to prevent critical infrastructure repeatedly bringing aviation to a standstill. Meanwhile, Ryanair branded the head of NATS an overpaid failure and demanded his immediate resignation.

Technical issues are causing disruption to flight departures across the UK this afternoon.

National Air Traffic Services confirmed engineers are on site investigating the problem and promised an update as soon as possible. Apologising for the delays, the provider advised all passengers to check their flight status directly with their airline and monitor updates on its website and X account.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced an import ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, alongside fresh sanctions.

Addressing MPs, Mr Miliband said the UK agrees ethnic cleansing is occurring, accusing settler terrorists while stating Israel’s government has too often turned a blind eye. Reaffirming settlements as illegal, he declared London can no longer merely call out injustice but must act.

An inquiry into the Nottingham attacks has heard student Barnaby Webber’s death was potentially preventable.

Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates were killed in June 2023 by Valdo Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020. The hearing was told faster blood product administration could have increased Barnaby’s chances of reaching hospital with a heartbeat, though the other two deaths were not preventable.

New data suggests English pupils have pulled ahead of the UK in international reading, maths, and science tests, as Scotland and Wales fall further behind.

The 2025 Pisa report shows reading and maths scores dropped across all nations except England, while science scores rose nationwide, led by England. The global study warned teenagers worldwide are losing critical thinking skills vital for the artificial intelligence era.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be surprised by a letter from King Charles clarifying their non-working royal status.

The King instructed the Lord Chamberlain to contact government departments and the military following guidance requests after the couple’s return to the UK. A letter from royal aide Lord Benyon confirms they do not use HRH titles, and operational security matters must go to police authorities.

A man suspected of murdering his wife and two children in Bedfordshire has admitted unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition in South Africa.

The bodies of Nothabo Zandile Tshuma and her daughters Natalie and Nala were found in Great Denham in July. Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma appeared before a magistrate in Johannesburg, where he also admitted breaching immigration laws while fleeing the UK.

Israel’s president says expected UK trade sanctions on West Bank settlements would be a grave miscalculation.

Speaking ahead of the anticipated announcement, Isaac Herzog warned the decision would fall on the wrong side of history. With Israel currently holding a parliamentary election campaign before voting on the twenty-seventh of October, Mr Herzog added that sanctions would represent gross interference in a sovereign nation’s democratic process.

The chief executive of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm Holdings says artificial intelligence will find a cure for cancer that humans cannot solve in our lifetimes.

Rene Haas stated that while DNA modelling remains too complex, computers will solve it. He also predicted widespread humanoid robots within five years, but warned AI growth is being hampered by chip shortages, while remaining sceptical about future UK chip manufacturing.

Air crash investigators have recovered the flight recorders from the Amazon cargo plane that crashed at Miami International Airport, killing five people and leaving five seriously injured.

The Boeing 767 overshot the runway on Sunday and struck two vehicles within the airport perimeter. National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said it remains too early to draw conclusions, with officials still in the fact-finding stage.

More rain fell across late August and early September than in any week since February, according to the Environment Agency.

However, despite the recent unsettled weather, all of Wales and most of England remain in drought. Water companies are reminding customers that temporary hosepipe bans stay in force, warning that sustained rainfall will be required over the coming months to fully reverse the dry conditions.