News 17/08/26

Russia has issued formal threats against the UK following reports that Ukraine is using British drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.

In a statement, the Russian Embassy in London said the reports demonstrate the UK is deliberately choosing to escalate the crisis while hypocritically claiming a desire for peace. It warned that London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer.

The government is set to expand free bus travel for disabled people from April next year as part of measures to tackle the cost of living.

Time restrictions on concessionary passes will be lifted, allowing eligible disabled travellers to use services all day, every day, for free. Currently, standard disabled bus passes are valid only between 9.30am and 11pm on weekdays unless individual local authorities choose to fund an extension.

Fifa’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has been sacked by football’s governing body, less than three weeks after strongly criticising president Gianni Infantino’s aborted plan to sell tournament stakes to private investors.

A Fifa spokesperson confirmed that the working relationship with Lamour ended on August 17th. Staff were informed in an email from secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who said both sides had agreed to part ways.

Two teenagers have died after a car left the road and crashed into woodland near Theydon Bois in Essex.

Officers were called to the single-vehicle collision on the B172 shortly after 10.40pm on Sunday evening. Police confirmed that the driver, a seventeen-year-old boy, and a nineteen-year-old male passenger died at the scene despite the best efforts of responding ambulance crews.

Five male teenagers have died and four other people were left seriously injured following a crash in County Kildare, Irish police have said.

Two cars collided head-on on the M9 near Athy at three o’clock on Sunday morning. Police confirmed one vehicle was travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway. The occupants of the second car are believed to have been travelling to the UK on holiday.

The US president has threatened extreme military action against Oman if the nation gets in the way regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

The warning comes as Tehran announced it has reached an agreement with Oman concerning the key strategic waterway. Meanwhile, an official from the US-led Board of Peace reported that Jared Kushner held a lengthy, in-depth, and highly productive meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Gaza peace plan.

A Labour MP has been suspended from the party following newspaper reports questioning whether he attempted to avoid repaying a government Covid loan.

Bayo Alaba, the Member of Parliament for Southend East and Rochford, referred himself to the party for investigation. He has now lost the whip and will sit as an independent MP, though it is understood the ongoing internal inquiry does not imply any official wrongdoing at this early stage.

A postal company involved in a massive fraud operation targeting Royal Mail has been ordered to pay back more than £1m.

Slough-based Global Express Worldwide Limited was described at Southwark Crown Court as one of the principal firms used in the scheme, securing over £3m  from criminal activity. The company previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, though director Balginder Sandhu was cleared of the charge.

Double murderer Simon Levy has denied stabbing a Belmarsh prison officer with a pen before attempting to strangle him.

The 41-year-old was given a whole-life sentence last week for killing grandmother Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and mother-of-four Sheryl Wilkins in 2025. He was also sentenced for raping a third victim left for dead in Tottenham. Levy attacked all three vulnerable sex workers while he was on bail.

A woman who tried to murder a toddler by repeatedly giving her adult medication has been sentenced to an order for lifelong restriction with a minimum of six years in prison.

Laura Docherty, aged 35, gave the young girl antidepressant and painkilling drugs, leaving her needing resuscitation and ventilator support. Judge Michael O’Grady KC described her actions as utterly reckless and breathtakingly wicked.

Train journeys to the continent could soon look very different for travellers, with potential for cheaper fares as rail competition heats up. V

irgin Trains has been granted permission by the Office of Rail and Road to run up to 20 new daily return services linking London with Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. However, regulator approval means it will still be a while before the operator actively competes with Eurostar for passengers across the Channel.

The oil and gas industry has urged Andy Burnham to approve two controversial North Sea developments as public consultation closes.

The Rosebank oil field, northwest of Shetland, and the Jackdaw gas field, east of Aberdeen, await a formal decision after previous government approval was quashed by Scottish courts. The projects remain a focal point in debates over energy security, climate targets, and the speed of the UK’s energy transition.

American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her prominent starring roles in hit television series Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.

In a statement released to NBC News, her father Skip expressed profound sadness at her passing, describing her as an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable joy to millions. The family has requested privacy as they process their loss.

Parts of the UK are set to face the most changeable week of weather since June, with cooler temperatures, rain, and thunderstorms forecast following weeks of hot and dry weather.

However, a yellow heat health alert remains extended until nine o’clock tomorrow morning across London, the South East, and the South West. Meteorologists say while rain is not guaranteed everywhere, cooler conditions will break the recent stretch.

Government planning changes taking effect today will give automatic default approval to plans for building homes near train, tram, and underground stations.

Ministers say the move will help drive community growth and allow thousands of people to live closer to work and schools. The policy also grants extra protections to local pubs to prevent licensing challenges from residents moving into newly built nearby housing developments.