News 29/06/26

A long-delayed military spending plan will be published on Tuesday.

Sir Keir Starmer said the defence investment plan will keep Britain safe and secure long into the future. The Ministry of Defence confirmed it includes five billion pounds to increase the Armed Forces’ use of drones. It follows a thirteen-point-five billion pound funding increase agreed by the Treasury and Downing Street.

A commercial pilot has reported colliding with a drone during his approach to New York’s JFK Airport on Monday morning.

The incident occurred at around a quarter past seven local time as the aircraft passed through three thousand feet. The pilot stated that the drone hit the plane right above the cockpit. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Police are appealing for public assistance following two arson attacks on Lynch Hill Lane in Slough.

The incidents took place early on Friday and Sunday morning, where accelerant was poured into a window and set alight. No injuries have been reported. Thames Valley Police are now looking to trace a small, light-coloured car seen in the area.

People granted asylum in the UK will be required to pay back around ten thousand pounds towards accommodation and support costs once they start earning.

The upcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill will be put before Parliament on Tuesday. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes would demonstrate that asylum support is a right but also a responsibility.

The US Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump’s appeal to overturn a five-million-dollar verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing and defaming magazine columnist E Jean Carroll.

Justices refused to hear the president’s appeal against the 2023 jury verdict. Carroll alleged that Trump assaulted her in a department store dressing room around 1996, a claim which Trump denies.

Five people are dead following a shooting at a youth centre in Stade, northern Germany. Police have arrested two individuals, including one suspect, following the attack.

A number of people were also injured, but authorities confirmed there is no further threat to the public. No information has yet been released regarding the ages of the victims or a possible motive.

British American Tobacco is to cut nearly a fifth of its global workforce as part of a major cost-cutting drive.

The maker of Lucky Strike and Dunhill cigarettes will shed five thousand five hundred roles and outsource a further three thousand five hundred. The company previously revealed it wanted to make savings to become more digital and AI-focused as traditional sales shrink.

Andy Burnham has confirmed that a prime minister’s office would be established in Manchester if he takes the top job.

The leadership contender explained the office would be based there to ensure power flows across the UK, including into the Midlands, the South West, and London. Burnham added the move aims to extend devolution by taking power deeper down.

The actress and television presenter Dame Penelope Keith has died at the age of eighty-six.

Her family confirmed she passed away peacefully at her home in Surrey following a battle with cancer. They expressed deep sadness and gratitude for the care she received, requesting privacy for the family at this time.

A warning has been issued after several children suffered serious burns from a dangerous trend involving heating squishy toys in microwaves.

Medical experts warn that microwaving the toys causes pressure to build, risking an explosion of hot gel. The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow has treated six injured children, with some requiring skin grafts.

A man has been charged with murder following the discovery of a body in the Peak District last week.

Derbyshire Constabulary found twenty-six-year-old Isaac Clare-Watts dead near the Nine Ladies Stone Circle on Monday. Szymon Babynko, from London, was arrested on Thursday and has now been charged by police in connection with the death.

The United Kingdom is set for cooler weather this week following a spell of record-breaking heat, but forecasters warn the reprieve may not last long.

New June temperature records were set on three consecutive days last week, peaking at thirty-seven point three degrees in Suffolk. Atlantic winds will bring lower temperatures and rain this week, but high pressure could trigger another heatwave by the weekend.

The number of children referred to mental health services in England has risen by ten per cent in a year to more than one million.

Data from twenty-four twenty-five reveals referrals have almost doubled since twenty-eighteen. Anxiety remains the most common cause, while suspected autism cases rose by nearly fifty per cent. Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza warned that young people face increasingly long waits for vital support.

Plans to replace ageing warships will be scrapped in favour of building at least six hybrid vessels equipped to deploy drones.

The Ministry of Defence says they are better suited to modern warfare than a small number of expensive ships. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said the equipment is designed for increasing threats, with Sir Keir Starmer publishing the defence plan before July’s Nato summit.