News 14/08/26

Jason Arday, the former University of Cambridge professor who resigned following accusations of plagiarism, has been found dead.

He was found unresponsive at an address in Battersea on Friday afternoon. The 41-year-old resigned as professor of sociology of education last week following reports alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis at Liverpool John Moores University. Other claims also came under scrutiny, including running 600 miles in six days and raising millions for charity.

Internal Network Rail investigations into the derailments at Lewes and Wickford will look at all possible causes and factors, the organisation said.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is investigating yesterday’s Lewes derailment and has inspectors on scene at Wickford. Network Rail director Martin Frobisher urged people to avoid speculating on causes, noting unprecedented hot and dry weather presented exceptional challenges.

Liverpool’s owners have agreed to sell around a third of the club to a consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Fenway Sports Group confirmed a definitive agreement for the sale of a strategic minority investment to 1892 Holdings. The group is led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Bhatia is set to become vice-chairman and join an expanded board, pending regulatory approval.

Luigi Mangione has entered his guilty plea to two federal charges over the killing of healthcare executive Brian Thompson.

He pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, and one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. There was speculation over whether the defence and prosecutors were negotiating a deal, and both Mangione’s lawyers and the Justice Department declined to comment.

The fire in Stourbridge has affected 38 domestic properties, according to chief fire officer Simon Tuhill.

Of these, 19 have been fully destroyed and a further 18 have sustained damage. It remains unclear how the remaining property was affected. The fire officer confirmed the blaze has covered an area of approximately 500 acres.

British Transport Police are on the scene at Wickford railway station in Essex following reports that the rear carriages of a train derailed.

The force received the report at 2.12pm today and confirmed the train is upright with no reported injuries. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has sent inspectors to the site, while Network Rail says major disruption is expected until further notice.A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday.

Staffordshire Police said it was called to a grass fire in the Goldenhill area by the regional fire and rescue services shortly before 4.15pm. Four homes and a number of gardens were affected by the blaze. A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, both from Stoke-on-Trent, were detained this morning after enquiries into the incident progressed at pace overnight, the force said.

The government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues.

They pose a significant risk to the public due to the heatwave conditions, according to advice published online. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged all retailers big and small to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues to prevent wildfires. The ban applies to all producers and distributors of the product, including retailers that make disposable barbecues available on the British market, and includes online sales.

A man who killed his estranged wife but has never revealed where her body is hidden can no longer be released from prison, the High Court has ruled.

Glyn Razzell was convicted in November 2003 of murdering 41-year-old Linda Razzell, who disappeared on her way to work at Swindon College in Wiltshire amid divorce proceedings. The Parole Board decided in April that he could be released, despite his ongoing silence.

A mother who killed her baby daughter with heat from a hairdryer has been jailed for six years.

Courtney Gartshore, aged 28, subjected three-month-old Dahlia-Rose to significant heat, fatally injuring her. Detective Inspector James Callander said children are defenceless, calling a child’s death at the hands of a parent incredibly disturbing.

NATO jets were scrambled and shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace this morning, the country’s air force says.

It comes after Russian officials said an energy export hub in the Leningrad region came under drone attack overnight. Latvia’s Defence Ministry claimed the drone entered its airspace due to Russian electromagnetic warfare. Finland has restricted airspace and maritime traffic in the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precaution against drones.

It is eerily quiet in Stourbridge this morning compared to last night, when crackling flames filled the air alongside sirens.

A police car is blocking Norton Road at the junction with Osmaston Road, near where fires blazed on Thursday. Empty water bottles and discarded food packaging remain visible on the roadside, highlighting the vital help provided by local residents to firefighters during the height of the incident.

The investigation into Nigel Farage’s donations has been reopened.

When he stood down as an MP, the investigation was paused, the allegations being investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards. That pause has now been undone, according to the Commons website.

Temperatures are forecast to reach 34 Celsius in parts of south-east England on Friday as the UK’s fifth widespread heatwave continues, but it is predicted to be the last day of sweltering temperatures for most people.

Amber heat-health alerts remain in force across England until 9 PM. Northern and western areas will be cooler than Thursday, the hottest day of 2026, with much cooler conditions expected nationwide over the weekend.

A petition calling for the killers of police officer PC Andrew Harper not to be released early from prison has received more than one million signatures.

PC Harper was killed in 2019 while responding to reports of a burglary. He was dragged for more than a mile after his ankle became caught in the getaway car’s towrope loop. Around 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after exemptions announced after an urgent review.

Nigel Farage has announced he will not attend the Clacton by-election declaration, where he is a candidate.

The Reform UK leader said Essex Police had advised him of an organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result. Farage said he was not scared, but would not attend the count.

UK energy firms have made £6bn in profits in 2026, according to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

Campaigners say the oil and gas war windfall amounts to £200 for every household. The claims come as Ofgem prepares its energy price cap announcement later this month, with costs set to rise. Uplift’s deputy director Robert Palmer said the profit was a war bonus.

A child and three firefighters have been taken to hospital as fires raged on Thursday across the West Midlands.

Fire services reported extreme demand as the UK recorded its hottest day. Around 100 firefighters tackled a blaze near Stourbridge Golf Course, which spread through dry grass and woodland and set six homes alight. Four homes were destroyed in Stoke-on-Trent, a woman was seriously injured in Castle Vale, Birmingham, and a major incident was declared.

Broken engine fragments smashed a cabin window on a Ryanair plane last month, causing a man’s head and right shoulder to be sucked into the opening, US investigators say.

An engine fan blade broke shortly after takeoff on 10 July, during a flight from Greece to Germany. Serbian national Ljubisa Karović was seriously injured. The NTSB was delegated the investigation.

Twenty people have been injured, two seriously, after a train derailed in East Sussex and a major incident was declared.

Network Rail said the 14:24 Southern service from London Victoria to Eastbourne came off the tracks close to Lewes station shortly before 16:00. Three carriages derailed, leaving several people trapped. British Transport Police said all 150 people on board have now been evacuated.