News 18/06/26

A memorandum of understanding signed by US President Donald Trump and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian outlines the consequences of the decision to attack Iran on the twenty-eighth of February.

Thousands have been killed, including civilians, in Iran and Lebanon. Critics say the regime has been empowered after its blocking of the Strait of Hormuz forced concessions from Trump.

Polls have now closed in the intensely watched Makerfield by-election, which could see Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham return to the House of Commons as an MP.

Should Mr Burnham be successful, he must resign as mayor. He intends to stand in a leadership contest upon his return. Ballot boxes are being taken to counting centres, with the result expected early on Friday morning.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was left with critical injuries in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure.

Cambridgeshire Police were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon at one twenty-four this afternoon. The boy was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a critical condition. A thirty-year-old Norfolk man has been arrested, and officers believe they were unknown to each other.

A Liberal Democrat MP has had the party whip withdrawn following his arrest.

Cameron Thomas, the Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury, was detained by Gloucestershire Police on Wednesday night. A spokesperson for the party confirmed that the whip has been suspended pending the outcome of the police investigation, adding that they are unable to comment further while the inquiry remains ongoing.

A teacher has been sentenced to a whole-life order for the murder of his adopted thirteen-month-old son.

Jamie Varley from Blackpool claimed the toddler drowned in a bath in July 2023, but a post-mortem examination revealed forty injuries. Varley was also convicted of sexual abuse, including thirteen counts of taking indecent images or videos of a child.

An amber heat health alert has been issued for London, the South East, South West, and East of England.

The UK Health Security Agency warning will remain in place until eight o’clock next Tuesday evening. A separate yellow heat health alert has also been issued for the West Midlands and East Midlands during the same period.

The Bank of England has held interest rates at three point seven five per cent.

Members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted seven-two in favour of the hold, weighing the potential of a US-Iran peace deal to unblock global energy supplies against the risk of continued inflationary pressure. Two members voted for an increase to four per cent.

The Foreign Office has dropped its advice against travelling to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and most of Saudi Arabia following the US-Iran peace agreement.

However, officials have warned British citizens that the situation remains unpredictable and attacks could resume at short notice. The conflict had previously left thousands of British travelers stranded in the Middle East.

The Church of England has apologised for the pain and trauma caused by its role in historical forced adoptions.

Speaking in a video message, Dame Sarah Mullally said the lifelong impact for many had been significant, telling victims they have nothing to be ashamed of. An estimated one hundred and eighty-five thousand babies of unmarried mothers were adopted between 1949 and 1976.

Moscow has come under its largest Ukrainian drone attack since the start of the full-scale war.

Close to two hundred drones hit targets around the Russian capital, wounding seventeen people. Russia’s defence ministry claims almost one thousand drones and four cruise missiles were destroyed across the country, while an oil depot strike in the Rostov region killed one person.

Slough Borough Council is aiming to improve its road maintenance rating as tighter national rules to tackle potholes are introduced.

The government has announced new rules requiring councils to publish transparent information on their performance from September. The Department for Transport says councils must demonstrate publicly how well they repair roads, encouraging full road resurfacing rather than patch fixes.

People living in the Greater Manchester constituency of Makerfield are heading to the polls to elect their new MP.

Polling stations will remain open until ten o’clock tonight, with the result expected early tomorrow. Fourteen candidates are standing in the by-election, which was triggered by the resignation of Josh Simons. Two other Westminster by-elections are also taking place today in Scotland.

An ancient oak tree linked to the legend of Robin Hood has died.

The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, was thought to be up to twelve hundred years old. The RSPB confirmed it perished after its first spring with no leaves. The charity said the tree had been in decline due to heatwaves, droughts, and excessive tourism, which heavily impacted the surrounding soil.

Interest rates are expected to be held by policymakers at the Bank of England who are keeping a close eye on events in the Middle East.

Analysts widely predict the Monetary Policy Committee will keep the benchmark rate at three point seven five per cent for a fourth consecutive meeting. The UK inflation rate remains above target but has not risen as high as feared.

Around two hundred lives have been saved in England so far thanks to a vaccine which protects against cervical cancer, according to analysis in the Lancet.

The study showed that deaths have fallen sharply since school-age girls were offered the HPV jab in 2008. Between 2020 and 2024, no cervical cancer deaths were recorded in women aged twenty to twenty-four