News 24/02/26

Spring is approaching, but for some it already feels as though the season has begun.

Tuesday was the warmest day of the year so far and temperatures on Wednesday could climb even higher. A shift to mild south-westerly winds from the Atlantic has boosted conditions. Although the number of flood warnings has fallen, rain is still affecting some areas.

The family of missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie have offered one million dollars for information leading to her recovery.

NBC Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie said on Instagram that “someone knows how to find our mom and bring her home” on Tuesday, urging the public to keep Ms Guthrie in their thoughts. The 84-year-old disappeared more than three weeks ago after failing to attend church on 1 February. She was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of 31 January.

A borough council has been praised by Ofsted for its work supporting children in care.

The Royal Borough received recognition for delivering “strong, effective and child-centred support” following a focused visit in January. Inspectors highlighted the consistently high quality of care, noting that children benefit from well-coordinated, multidisciplinary support promoting wellbeing, educational progress and long-term outcomes. Ofsted also commended “significant improvements” in workforce stability, which has helped maintain continuity for children. Since the last inspection in 2024, staff turnover has reduced, providing children with more consistent social worker support. This stability has been noted as having a positive impact on the experience and wellbeing of children in care.

The government will not oppose a Liberal Democrat attempt to force the release of documents about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as trade envoy, according to Sky News.

The party will use an opposition day debate to table a humble address, an arcane parliamentary procedure compelling publication of papers. Mountbatten-Windsor served as a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011 under Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has defended plans to freeze the repayment threshold for student loans in England.

She said graduates will repay an average of eight pounds more each month. The threshold for Plan 2 loans will rise in April as expected, before the freeze takes effect next year. Phillipson said ministers would look again at the issue but warned there are challenges across education and government that cannot all be fixed at once. Some graduates told the BBC income-linked repayments had led them to reduce their working hours and salaries.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion with a televised address.

He said Vladimir Putin had failed to achieve his war aims and pledged to deliver peace and justice. Zelenskyy said it is four years since what he called Putin’s three-day push to take Kyiv began, adding it shows the strength of Ukraine’s resistance and how the country has fought throughout the conflict.

Russell Brand has appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the latest charges against him.

Announced in December, they include one count of rape and one of sexual assault alleged to have taken place in 2009. He has also denied earlier charges brought in April last year. Those comprise two further counts of rape, one of indecent assault and two of sexual assault involving four women between 1999 and 2005.

Labour MP Dawn Butler has written to the BBC seeking an urgent explanation after a racist slur was broadcast during the Bafta Film Awards.

John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome and inspired the film I Swear, shouted out while Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan were on stage. The BBC apologised and said it would remove the moment from iPlayer, but Butler said it could have been prevented given the two hour delay.

Sex offenders on trains are evading justice due to serious issues with CCTV across the rail network, an investigation has found.

One woman who was sexually assaulted on a train said she was devastated to learn police could not trace her attacker because the incident was not captured on camera. British Transport Police officers in England, Scotland and Wales report struggling to gather evidence from footage collected from trains and stations. The Rail Delivery Group, representing train companies, said the industry takes sexual harassment and assault cases very seriously.

A baby boy has become the first child in Britain to be born to a mother with a womb transplanted from a deceased donor.

Hugo Powell was delivered by caesarean section in December, weighing six pounds thirteen ounces at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London. Only two other cases have been reported elsewhere in Europe, while the UK previously saw a baby born from a womb transplanted from a living donor last year.
The number of workers on zero-hours contracts has reached a record high ahead of Labour’s planned crackdown next year.

Analysis by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, using Office for National Statistics data, shows 1.23 million people were employed on the contracts in December. That is up ninety-one thousand on a year earlier. A rise in sixteen to twenty-four-year-olds and workers not in full-time education drove the increase.

The Department for Business and Trade says it will ensure eligible workers have the right to guaranteed hours. Zero-hours contracts allow employers to offer work only when needed, often at short notice.

Lord Mandelson has been released on bail following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a seventy-two-year-old man was released pending further investigation. The arrest occurred on Monday at an address in Camden, north London. This follows allegations that market-sensitive government information was passed to the late Jeffrey Epstein while Lord Mandelson served as a minister.

Retailers are locking chocolate bars in plastic boxes to deter thieves.

Sainsbury’s is using these security measures on frequently targeted items, including two pound sixty Cadbury Dairy Milk bars. The Association of Convenience Stores reports that chocolate is being stolen to order by prolific offenders. Several police forces have recently released footage highlighting the increasing frequency of these thefts across the United Kingdom.

GPs in England will receive annual bonuses of three thousand pounds for prescribing weight loss drugs.

This new incentive will be added to the GP contract starting this April. Doctors will also receive approximately one thousand pounds for referring patients to weight loss programmes. Ministers stated the importance of ensuring that patients who could benefit from this support are able to access these services effectively.