News 25/05/26

The UK has recorded its all-time highest May temperature after parts of London reached thirty-four point eight degrees on Monday.

That provisional figure, recorded at Kew Gardens, also surpassed the hottest bank holiday on record, which was thirty-three point three degrees in twenty-nineteen. Wales has also experienced its hottest May day, reaching thirty-two point two degrees at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire. The Met Office described the heat as exceptional for this time of year.

Russia has threatened to launch a fresh wave of systematic strikes against Kyiv, days after carrying out one of its largest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the start of the war.

The new strikes will target decision-making centres and command posts alongside drone manufacturing facilities, the foreign ministry said. Moscow has urged foreign diplomats and nationals to leave the city immediately, warning citizens to stay away from administrative buildings. Large-scale strikes on Saturday night killed four people and injured one hundred others.

A woman has died following a shooting outside a bar in Sheffield city centre.

The thirty-year-old was found with serious injuries outside One Four One on West Street at around quarter to three this morning and later died in hospital. Two men and a woman have been arrested in connection with the incident and remain in custody. Police have closed several surrounding roads, including West Street, Eldon Street and Westhill Lane, as investigations continue.

Pope Leo has presented the first major teaching document of his papacy, warning that artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed.

While the encyclical primarily focuses on the dangers of new technology, the Pope also included one of the most comprehensive apologies from the Vatican regarding the Catholic Church’s role in slavery. These documents, historically addressed to bishops, have become influential messages delivered to the wider world.

A clinical bowling display spearheaded by Dani Gibson has helped England beat New Zealand by seven wickets to secure a two-one T20 series victory.

The visitors were bundled out for just eighty runs on a sizzling day in Hove, as all-rounder Gibson ripped through the middle order with career-best figures of three for fourteen. She was well supported by an impressive spin attack which stifled the tourists, who recorded their eighth-lowest total in T20 international cricket.

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has admitted embezzling over four hundred thousand pounds from the party.

Murrell, the estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning. Between August twenty-ten and October twenty-twenty-two, he used the funds to purchase luxury goods, a motorhome and two cars. A senior police officer stated that sixty-one-year-old Murrell diverted the cash to bankroll a lavish lifestyle he could not otherwise afford.

Oil prices have fallen sharply and Asian stock markets have risen on hopes of a deal that could bring an end to the US-Israel war with Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to India that negotiators had a solid proposal on the table and an agreement might be reached today. The global oil benchmark Brent fell five point five percent to ninety-seven pounds and sixty-four pence a barrel. President Donald Trump has suggested the deal would include the reopening of the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

A photographer has been bitten by a shark or a sea lion during the finals of a World Surf League competition in New Zealand.

The attack occurred at twenty-six minutes past eight on Sunday morning while the photographer was shooting a semi-final in the water, causing the event to be suspended for several hours. Australian photographer Ed Sloane was treated for puncture wounds to his ankle and remains in a stable condition.

An RAF jet carrying the Defence Secretary had its signals jammed while flying near the Russian border, in what officials described as reckless interference.

John Healey was returning to the UK from Estonia on Thursday when the electronic attack occurred. Passengers reported that smartphones and laptops could not connect to the internet, and pilots were forced to use alternative navigation systems as the aircraft’s GPS was disabled for the three-hour flight.

If you thought the last few days were warm, today is set to be even hotter.

Monday is forecast to be the hottest bank holiday on record, with historic temperatures of thirty-four degrees predicted across London and the South East. This comes after yesterday was confirmed as the hottest May day for nearly eighty years, with local highs reaching thirty-two point three degrees.

The Education Secretary is to ask the Competition and Markets Authority to examine hidden costs that parents may be charged when using government-funded childcare.

Ministers are concerned that families are still facing financial hurdles, including demands for non-refundable deposits, to secure places. In some cases, parents are also expected to meet additional costs for meals, snacks, nappies and suncream despite existing state support schemes.

Thames Valley Police have provided an update regarding an investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, following allegations of inappropriate behaviour at Royal Ascot.

The reported incident allegedly occurred at the racing event in two thousand and two, the year of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee. It remains unclear whether the claim was reported to officers at the time or more recently.