News 21/06/26

Serena Williams will make a surprise return to singles action at Wimbledon later this month after accepting a wildcard.

The 44 year old has been given the final spot in the women’s main draw. Williams has played two doubles matches since making her competitive return after a four-year absence. She has won the singles title seven times but remains one short of Margaret Court’s record of twenty-four Grand Slam wins.

A 15 year old girl and two boys, aged 14 and 15, have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a teenager was stabbed to death in south London.

Police were called to Battersea in the early hours of Saturday, where seventeen year old Jamal Coombes was found with serious wounds and died at the scene. The three suspects remain in custody.

The driver who died in a train crash near Bedford has been named as 60 year old Shaun Burton.

His family paid tribute today, saying they are completely devastated by his loss and their thoughts are also with everyone affected by the incident. The collision, which left nine people in a critical condition, involved two East Midlands Railway trains.

An amber weather warning for extreme heat has been extended by the Met Office, as forecasts suggest temperatures could reach 38 degrees in parts of England.

The updated alert is now in force from 1:00AM on Monday until midnight on Thursday, covering large swathes of England and Wales. The exceptionally hot conditions are likely to cause serious health risks and infrastructure disruption.

England cricket captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson have been given written warnings over their visit to a London nightclub.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced formal reprimands over the incident, which led to the players missing the second Test against New Zealand. The board stated that no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct, adding that Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks. Both players will return for the series-deciding third Test at Trent Bridge.

Donald Trump has weighed in on Sir Keir Starmer’s potential exit from Downing Street, claiming the prime minister will resign after failing badly on immigration and energy.

The US president also called for the UK to open North Sea oil. However, Downing Street continues to reject this position, pointing to Starmer’s remarks that he will fight any leadership challenge.

The Met Office has issued new amber weather warnings for extreme heat, with UK temperatures set to reach as high as thirty-eight degrees next week.

The warnings cover parts of England and Wales over four days, as much of Europe swelters. The initial warning covers Monday and Tuesday, while a second alert extends through Wednesday and Thursday.

A murder investigation is underway after a man was stabbed to death in southeast London.

Police were called to Crystal Palace early on Sunday morning following reports of a stabbing. Officers found a seriously injured thirty-year-old man who is now in hospital, before discovering a second man in his thirties who died at the scene.

A collision between two East Midlands Railway services near Bedford, which killed a driver and left one hundred people injured, was a tragic, isolated incident, Network Rail has said.

Disruption will continue until the twenty-eighth of June while a complex recovery operation takes place to remove damaged carriages before engineers can complete essential track repairs.

Downing Street says Sir Keir Starmer is determined to fight on, despite reports he could resign as early as tomorrow.

The Observer claims the prime minister is preparing to set out a timetable for his departure, following Andy Burnham’s decisive win in the Makerfield by-election. Sources say he is planning an orderly departure from Number Ten after realizing the support is no longer there.

A man has been charged in connection with a series of attacks in Edinburgh that injured five men, with three requiring hospital treatment.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the incidents appeared to have been motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. He added that his thoughts are with those who were injured and thanked the emergency services for their response.

Direct talks between the United States and Iran are set to begin in Switzerland, despite the Iranian military claiming it has closed the Strait of Hormuz over ongoing regional attacks.

While Iran cited a breach of its agreement with the US to end the war, the US military insists traffic continues to flow. US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived for the negotiations.