News 25/06/26

The Royal Family have released documents disclosing their financial affairs, including the three hundred and seventy million pound price tag for the Buckingham Palace renovation.

Despite this lavish refurbishment, King Charles and Queen Camilla will reside at Clarence House rather than the London landmark, which remains operational monarchy headquarters. The release also includes the King’s personal tax details to increase transparency.

Hospitals are tired, worn out and unable to cope with extreme heat, according to the Royal College of Physicians.

Dr Hilary Williams warned that critical medical machinery is being pushed to its limits. Meanwhile, firefighters from Derbyshire and Greater Manchester remain at Tintwistle Moor, tackling a wildfire that is expected to burn well into the night.

Cambridge University Hospitals is investigating after around forty people unauthorizedly accessed the medical files of a three-year-old boy.

The toddler was hospitalised following a crocodile attack at a Cambridgeshire zoo last Thursday. The trust has referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office, stating it takes any breach of patient data extremely seriously.

Labour’s ruling body has set out the timetable for electing a new party leader, meaning Sir Keir Starmer’s replacement could be installed by 17th July.

The schedule means that Andy Burnham could take over as prime minister in less than a month if he remains the sole candidate. Potential contenders must secure eighty-one MP nominations between the ninth and fifteenth of July.

A teenager has been found not guilty of the murder and manslaughter of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe.

Aria died from a single stab wound to the chest at her home in Weston-super-Mare in December. At Bristol Crown Court, the sixteen-year-old boy argued that he stabbed her accidentally when he picked up a kitchen knife and walked into the lounge.

A new record has been set for the hottest June temperature ever recorded in the United Kingdom, according to the Met Office. 

The mercury reached thirty-six point four degrees at Yeovilton in Somerset. This peak broke yesterday’s high of thirty-six point one degrees in Gosport, with both afternoons surpassing the fifty-year-old record set in Southampton back in 1976.

A twenty-three year old TikTok influencer charged with the murder of her boyfriend in Dubai is facing death by firing squad.

Brooke George, from Gravesend in Kent, claims she grabbed a knife in self-defence during a violent attack by her partner, advocacy group Detained in Dubai said. The Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting a British woman held in the Emirates.

Ryanair has changed its family seating policy to allow parents to sit next to their young children without paying a seat reservation fee.

Adults travelling with children will now be given free seat allocations after check-in. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said they reluctantly adjusted to the industry standard after the Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into the rules.

More than ten thousand people have been reported missing after yesterday’s deadly earthquakes in Venezuela.

According to a tracking website shared online by opposition leaders, thousands remain unaccounted for following the disaster. Many of the politicians are sharing humanitarian updates from outside the country due to the current ruling regime, with missing numbers expected to rise.

The Met Office has extended its rare red warning for extreme heat into Friday evening.

The alert will remain in place until nine o’clock tomorrow night, covering a smaller area than today’s warning. This marks the first time in the history of the current weather system that red alerts have been issued for three consecutive days in the United Kingdom.

Eight bodies have been found in an advanced state of deterioration at an NHS trust mortuary after hospitals ran out of freezer space.

An inspection by the Human Tissue Authority at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre also revealed that insufficient identity checks created a risk of releasing the wrong bodies to families. The trust apologized, stating it was truly sorry for failing to meet expected standards.

Families are expected to get cheaper access to theme parks, zoos and museums, alongside discounted kids’ meals, as a temporary VAT cut comes into force today.

Ticket prices at various attractions will see VAT reduced from twenty per cent to five per cent for the school holidays. However, some families and charities doubt the savings will actually be passed on.

Buildings have collapsed in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, after powerful back-to-back earthquakes hit the South American country, with reports of high casualties.

The US Geological Survey says the first tremor had a magnitude of 7.1, followed by a larger 7.5 earthquake minutes later. The agency warned that extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread, after residents evacuated swaying buildings.

New cases of obesity are rising fastest in younger adults in England, according to a study published in The Lancet.

Rates of new diagnoses for people in their thirties were nearly 20% higher last year compared to the 2019 period, while cases among those in their twenties jumped by 16%. Experts warn the trend towards earlier diagnosis is worrying due to the risk of serious illnesses.

The White House has asked lawmakers to approve $87.6bn, mostly for urgent needs connected to the war on Iran.

The request comes a day after Congress passed a resolution rebuking the military action. The proposal faces an uphill battle in Congress as the conflict is highly unpopular with American voters ahead of November’s upcoming midterm elections.

Grand Theft Auto Six will cost £70 for the standard edition and £90 for the premium version, after pre-orders opened worldwide.

Rockstar Games confirmed physical copies will contain a digital download code instead of a disc. While journalists described the pricing as fairly reasonable, the lack of a physical disc is expected to disappoint traditional collectors.