News 10/09/26

The RNLI is reviewing security procedures to protect members following anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth.

Volunteers have been advised to consider not wearing branded clothing when representing the charity in certain circumstances. The decision follows an incident where crew members brought around one hundred and twenty migrants to Langstone Harbour, prompting road blockades. Chief executive Peter Sparkes condemned the abuse as wholly unacceptable after photos and names of volunteers were shared online accusing them of treason.

Primark plans to launch a home delivery service across Britain, four years after first entering e-commerce.

The retailer has purchased a fulfillment facility in Sheffield to handle home shipments. Having relied exclusively on a click-and-collect service introduced in 2022, Primark believes online delivery offers opportunities for profitable growth following subdued high street sales during recent warm weather.

Donald Trump has promised to issue a $5,000 dividend to every adult American citizen if the Republican party wins both houses of Congress in the November midterm elections.

Speaking at the party’s first midterm convention, Mr Trump stated that the payout would be made possible by economic strength, subject to the condition that the money must be spent within the United States.

Last month was the world’s joint hottest August on record, according to climate scientists.

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that temperatures reached one point six five degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, matching the record previously set in July 2023. The extreme heat led to severe drought conditions across several European countries, including the UK, France, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania.

Plans to give English mayors the power to introduce a local tax on tourists are expected to be outlined today.

Under the proposed legislation, local leaders could choose to levy a charge on overnight stays, calculated as a percentage of accommodation costs rather than a flat fee. The government says the percentage-based system will protect budget holidays, with all revenues raised being reinvested locally.

An inquest has concluded that a private hospital’s failure to provide preventative medication contributed to the death of Sir Richard Branson’s wife.

Lady Joan Branson died aged eighty after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Lister Hospital in Chelsea last November. Senior Coroner Professor Fiona Wilcox ruled that the failure to administer anticoagulants, despite a very high risk of deep vein thrombosis, probably contributed to her death.