News 15/07/26

Argentina have progressed to a second consecutive World Cup final and will face Spain on Sunday in New Jersey, leaving England heartbroken once again.

They will now face France in the upcoming third place playoff match in Miami on Saturday. The Argentinian players have been celebrating their win in a provocative way, taking a banner from supporters which read that the Falkland Islands are Argentinian.

A fourteen year old boy has been charged with terrorism over an alleged plot to target two London mosques.

The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was detained in south London last Thursday initially on suspicion of criminal damage of a vehicle. But following a search, officers discovered documents of concern, arresting him on suspicion of preparing acts of extreme right wing terrorism in Sutton.

US Central Command has revealed that the US launched a second wave of strikes against Iran to target military capabilities threatening vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier ninety minute strikes targeted coastal defence systems and cruise missile storage on Greater Tunb Island. Shortly before, Donald Trump was asked if Iran had a deadline before the US attacked bridges.

England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles died with a brain condition caused by repeatedly heading a football, a coroner has ruled.

Stockport Coroner’s Court heard Stiles, who died aged seventy-eight, headed a ball around one hundred and forty thousand times during his career. An inquest revealed his severe dementia was caused by Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, with a neuropathologist convinced heading caused the trauma.

A man in his twenties has been arrested in south London over an alleged threat to shoot Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on social media.

The arrest, on suspicion of sending threatening communications to an MP, relates to a post made on X on the eighth of May, a day after the local and mayoral elections. The suspect has been bailed pending further inquiries.

Eight men have been charged with rape and child sexual abuse offences linked to an alleged grooming gang in South Wales.

Gwent Police detectives said the exploitation took place during the 1980s and 1990s across Newport, Swansea, London, Birmingham, Lancashire, Edinburgh and Argyll and Bute. The defendants, arrested on Tuesday, face over thirty charges relating to eight victims who were children at the time.

All six hundred and fifty MPs would be provided with round the clock protection under a Reform UK government, according to Zia Yusuf.

The policy is estimated to cost up to one hundred million pounds, with resources also protecting former politicians active in public life. Yusuf said MPs must air views without fear, following the targeted attack on party spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe. Sir Keir Starmer was truly horrified.

Sir Keir Starmer has finished his last answer at prime minister’s questions, telling MPs: “this is the end of my political journey”.

He was responding to an emotional question from Carolyn Harris, one of his strongest backers and closest friends. Starmer thanked her for her support and friendship to him and his family, adding that every leader knows when they take up the torch, the day will come to pass it on.

Streaming service customers could be told to pay an additional charge to help protect the BBC under a new proposal.

The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, told MPs that options include adding a charge to subscriptions for platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Under the plans, subscribers could pay a small extra amount, or anyone with a streaming account could be required to pay the full licence fee.

Three men who raped a woman on Brighton beach in a predatory and contemptuous attack have been jailed.

Asylum seekers Abdulla Ahmadi, Ibrahim Alshafe and Karin Al-Danasurt attacked the victim last October. The court heard the victim still hears her attackers laughing. Ahmadi and Alshafe were jailed for twenty-one years, while Al-Danasurt received eighteen and a half years for filming the assault.

Six people have been killed in Ukraine following overnight Russian attacks on the port of Odesa and the city of Sumy.

Local officials said the drone and missile strikes marked the fifth consecutive day of attacks on Odesa. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military stated its own drones had successfully targeted twenty Russian vessels, including seventeen oil tankers, in the Black Sea overnight.

Thames Water has warned its funding is set to dry up by November, with further cash dependent on incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The struggling utility company says it has one-point-one billion pounds to tide it over. Lenders are holding out on funding pending next week’s political transition. Annual results show Thames met just over half of its regulated targets, with billing complaints rising by over one hundred per cent.

Parts of the UK have recorded double their average July sunshine in under two weeks as the heatwave continues.

The sunny weather has mostly affected southern and south-west England, bringing ten consecutive days of temperatures above thirty degrees. The heat has swept across the country, including Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is forecast to intensify this week before temperatures ease slightly over the weekend.

A serious review of MPs’ security is needed following the death of Ann Widdecombe, Andy Burnham has said.

The incoming prime minister expressed his shock at current Westminster security levels and warned they may need to be increased. The killing of the Reform UK spokeswoman is being investigated by counter-terrorism officers, triggering a wider debate on the safety of British politicians.

A British man jailed for spying in Iran has had his ten-year sentence extended by two years, according to his family.

Craig Foreman was detained alongside his wife, Lindsay, last year during a motorcycle journey. Relatives state the extra term was handed down because he spoke to the media from prison. The Foreign Office is urgently investigating.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has addressed the historic rivalry with Argentina ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final.

He insists his team are hungry for another win and will not be weighed down by history. Tuchel said his players respect their opponents but will not make the occasion bigger than it is.

The UK is experiencing unprecedented climate change, with extreme heatwaves here to stay, says the Met Office.

In its state of the climate report, it warns that Britain’s climate has fundamentally changed, driven by burning fossil fuels. Temperatures have exceeded thirty degrees on twenty-five days already this summer.

Ministers plan to impose an overnight social media curfew and disable addictive features for sixteen and seventeen-year-olds to protect young people online.

However, critics argue the measures are ineffective as the settings can be turned off. A complete ban for children under sixteen is scheduled to start next spring.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s power plants and bridges next week unless they negotiate.

His comments on Fox News came as both countries exchanged fire for a fourth day. Trump previously reversed a threat to levy a twenty per cent fee on Strait of Hormuz cargo.

Hospital wards reached thirty-five degrees during the latest heatwave, according to the trust running Wexham Park and Heatherwood.

Frimley Health Foundation Trust has a green plan to make older buildings more resilient against extreme weather. It aims to prepare for climate change, improve waste management, and use renewable energy.