News 16/07/26

Iran has asked Houthi allies in Yemen to prepare to close the vital Red Sea oil route if the United States attacks Iranian power infrastructure.

Sources tell Reuters the Houthis have completed preparations using missiles and drones near the Bab el Mandeb waterway, which carries seven per cent of global energy supplies.

Two young men have been jailed for hacking into the Transport for London cyber network.

Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers used the dark web to access systems in 2024, causing twenty-nine million pounds in damages and disrupting services for months. All twenty-seven thousand TfL employees were forced to reset passwords in person.

A University of Aberdeen employee has been arrested and charged over social media comments about the death of Ann Widdecombe.

Heather Herbert was reported to police following an online post on Bluesky before the seventy-eight-year-old’s death was announced as a suspected murder. Police Scotland arrested her after conducting additional enquiries.

Experts are recommending that all fifteen-year-old teenagers in the UK should be offered a free vaccine against meningitis B.

The change in advice follows a major outbreak in Kent earlier this year. A one-off vaccination campaign is already being launched this summer for young people heading to university for the first time.

 

A British mother has been on the run in the UK for more than three months after abducting her two sons from their American father.

Nishika Samaratunga, aged thirty-four, and her children, five-year-old Blaine and three-year-old Nathaniel, have not been seen since March. The boys travelled from Colorado for a court-ordered visit following a divorce, prompting their father to take legal action.

Argentina face disciplinary action from Fifa after players celebrated their World Cup semi-final victory against England with a banner supporting claims to the Falkland Islands.

The defending champions produced a late comeback in Atlanta, defeating Thomas Tuchel’s side two-one to book a final against Spain. After the whistle, players held a banner reading Las Malvinas son Argentinas, highlighting the ongoing sovereignty dispute.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced military personnel aged thirty and older will undergo mandatory testing for testosterone deficiency during annual health screenings.

In a video on X, Hegseth said the programme ensures troops operate at their absolute best. Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the policy applies to active and reserve personnel, with voluntary hormone replacement therapy offered.

Ten unreleased tracks recorded by David Bowie early in his career as Davie Jones are to be shared with the public.

The collection features work with producer Shel Talmy and includes contributions from guitarist Jimmy Page and pianist Nicky Hopkins. One unheard single, I Want Your Love, has been released on streaming services ahead of the full album launch on the eighteenth of September.

There’s more news on our website and social media. You can find us on Facebook, X and Instagram.

After an overnight journey from the UK, Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in Kyiv.

He was greeted by Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister Yevhen Perebynis and protocol director Olena Yalova. His arrival comes hours after Russian strikes on the capital. Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people died and six were injured.

Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether TikTok is failing to protect children from harmful content.

The watchdog is examining if the app complies with the Online Safety Act, passed in October 2023. This follows an Ofcom review claiming TikTok failed to protect children despite evidence of harm, and concerns that age-checks failed to identify minor users.

British Steel has been taken into public ownership in the national interest, the government has announced.

The Department for Business and Trade says a new leadership team has now been appointed to focus on stabilising the business and developing a sustainable, low carbon future. This protects thousands of jobs at the firm and in its vital supply chain. The producer was taken into control last year after Chinese owner Jingye Group planned to close its Scunthorpe blast furnaces.

Families face bills of over eleven hundred pounds per child for summer holiday childcare, new research suggests.

Coram Family and Childcare says working parents face paying an average of one hundred and ninety-one pounds per week for each child, totaling around eleven hundred and forty-five pounds for the six-week break. Holiday childcare costs have risen five per cent in a year.

Temperatures are set to drop across the UK this weekend after a spell of intensely hot weather, ending the heatwave for some.

Fresher northerly winds will bring a significant cooldown to Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. However, southern England will remain warmer than average, despite the break from the heat, with no sign of significant rain.

Slough council’s leader has agreed to award an extra care housing contract to an alternative provider after their first choice withdrew.

The service provides assisted living for older people to help them live independently. The contract covers one hundred and twenty-six apartments across two borough schemes, including Northampton Place which offers residents a cinema, library and gym.