News 24/06/26

A Catholic bishop has been charged with two counts of raping a girl under the age of 16.

Staffordshire Police confirmed 70 year-old David Oakley, the Bishop of Northampton, was arrested in September last year. The Diocese of Northampton stated the charges followed an investigation into non-recent safeguarding allegations, but they cannot comment further on an active legal process.

Shop workers filming without consent is an increasing problem, according to the retail union Usdaw.

This follows a sales assistant appearing in a video uploaded to TikTok and YouTube by former presenter Michael Barrymore, who captures public interactions using camera smart glasses. While this exchange was good-natured, the union warned other filmed encounters can get heated and are concerning.

More than ten people have been hospitalised with minor heat-related conditions after a serious van and lorry crash stranded traffic on the M25 for hours during a red weather alert.

Emergency services responded near Godstone, where a man was airlifted to hospital. The ambulance service described the prolonged congestion as severe as drivers appealed for help.

A bereaved mother has demanded a public inquiry into NHS maternity services following the latest inquiry findings.

Kim Errington, whose son Teddy died aged just one day old after a coroner found clear failings by the trust, warned the next prime minister that any delay puts more lives in danger and insults suffering families.

Yet another June temperature record has been broken today, with the mercury reaching 36.1 degrees in Gosport, Hampshire.

This surpasses a high recorded earlier today in both Gosport and Wisley in Surrey. The Met Office has extended its rare red warning for extreme heat down to the south coast until midnight tomorrow.

The head of the global nuclear watchdog says it will carry out inspections in Iran under a preliminary peace agreement with the United States.

International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Grossi confirmed supervision will happen soon. However, Iran’s deputy foreign minister stated facility access would only be addressed within a final deal.

Plans to convert Slough Borough Council’s former headquarters into fifty-one flats for temporary accommodation have been approved.

The local authority will lease back St Martin’s Place, at the junction of Bath Road and Montem Lane, after selling it to an unnamed buyer. Council leader Wal Chahal welcomed the development as a positive story.

Today is officially the hottest June day, breaking the 1976 record.

A temperature of 35.7 degrees has been recorded in Charlwood, Surrey, according to the Met Office. This year marks half a century since the 1976 heatwave: a summer when people put foil over windows to keep out the sun and water supplies ran short. The UK’s all-time high is 40.3 degrees, recorded in July 2022.

Six people have been jailed after an innocent woman was shot dead at point-blank range on a doorstep in South Wales.

Forty-year-old Joanne Penney died from a single bullet to the heart in March last year in Talbot Green during a dispute over drug dealing. The killing was linked to rival gangs, and all six individuals were convicted of murder and gang offences.

Captain Ben Stokes admits England face the highest amount of pressure since he and coach Brendon McCullum took charge four years ago.

England face a series decider against New Zealand from Thursday, following controversy where Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended pending a nightclub investigation. Both have been cleared to return, with Stokes resuming his role as captain.

A train driver who died in a crash near Bedford had passed a red signal moments before the collision, investigators say.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch revealed the finding on Wednesday. Sixty-year-old Shaun Burton died at the scene when the East Midlands Railway train he was driving hit the back of a stationary train run by the same operator.

Sir Keir Starmer will remain an MP after he steps down as prime minister, his spokesperson has confirmed.

The announcement follows speculation that he could resign his central London seat, causing a by-election. At a cabinet meeting, he told his ministers that while this was the end of his journey, it was not the end of theirs.

A major review has revealed the shocking extent of mistakes within Nottingham’s maternity services, where hundreds of mothers and babies suffered avoidable harm or died due to systemic failures.

The report notes that health bosses effectively ignored a letter from over fifty staff members back in 2018, which warned of chronic understaffing and a dire lack of leadership.

June temperature records are set to be broken this week as the second heatwave of the year grips England and Wales.

The mercury is forecast to reach into the mid- to high thirties, but high humidity, a heat dome, and tropical nights mean conditions could feel as hot as forty-one degrees, making for a few very uncomfortable days.

Hundreds of mothers and babies suffered potentially avoidable harm or died due to deep systemic failures at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, the Donna Ockenden review found.

Trust leaders knew of serious issues going back to at least 2010 but failed to prevent deaths. Around twenty-five hundred families contributed to the inquiry, which concluded outcomes were potentially avoidable in over five hundred cases.

Temperatures have crept over 31°C, with the Met Office forecasting they could surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C.

There is a small chance temperatures could reach near 40°C today and Thursday, closing in on the United Kingdom’s ultimate record of40.3°C which was measured in July 2022.

A murder investigation has been launched after a man’s body was discovered at a Bronze Age stone circle in the Peak District.

Investigators described the twenty-six year old man’s life as being taken in the most brutal way. His body was found at Nine Ladies Stone Circle in Derbyshire on Monday afternoon following summer solstice celebrations.

A national independent inquiry into grooming gangs will initially investigate Oldham, Bradford, Keighley, and London.

Chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield, the statutory inquiry will compel institutions and individuals to explain their actions regarding child sexual abuse protection. The review will also examine past review sites like Oxford and Rotherham to check if changes were made.

If Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, he is expected to replace Rachel Reeves as chancellor and offer her a more junior cabinet role.

A spokesperson for Burnham said no decisions have been made. The former Greater Manchester mayor has begun assembling a Downing Street team as the sole candidate to replace Sir Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation days after Burnham’s parliamentary return.

Rail passengers in England and Wales are being advised to travel only if absolutely necessary today and Thursday.

Numerous operators have put reduced timetables in place to minimise network stress and limit knock-on delays. The Gatwick Express will not run on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons, and operator LNER has strongly recommended that its customers avoid travelling completely.

Installations of heat pumps in the United Kingdom grew by just seven per cent last year, down from fifty-six per cent in 2024.

The independent climate advisors who published the figures blamed the drop on the government withdrawing a grant scheme for poorer households. They warned that slow progress in home heating risks future emissions targets being missed.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel claimed England’s opening World Cup win against Croatia excited fans, but a dismal follow-up against Ghana provided a brutal reality check.

Ghana’s resilience, physicality, and organisation built an insurmountable barrier against the Three Lions. Despite a distinct lack of creativity during the match, England still lead Group L. Midfielder Declan Rice insisted there is no panic in the camp, adding that the squad have a great chance to top the group in their upcoming fixture against Panama.

The largest maternity review in NHS history will be published today, detailing widespread failings that led to baby deaths and avoidable harm.

Led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, the independent review into the Nottingham University Hospital Trust has seen contributions from twenty-five hundred families and eight hundred staff. The trust has previously paid millions in compensation and fines, including a record one point six million pounds over three deaths in 2021.