Girl, 13, pulled from River Wharfe on Sunday and boy, 11, remains missing from River Don as hot spell comes to an end
A 13-year-old girl has died after going into a river and a boy is missing as the water-related death toll reached at least 15 at the end of the UK heatwave.
The girl was pulled from the River Wharfe in Burnsall, near Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Sunday evening. She was airlifted to hospital where she was pronounced dead, North Yorkshire police said.
Continue reading...Chiedza Nyanjowa, who wanted to be a nurse, died in hospital after getting into difficulties in the sea
A 15-year-old girl, who died after getting into difficulties in the sea off the coast of Merseyside, wanted to be a nurse so she could “give back”, her family said in a tribute.
Chiedza Nyanjowa, from Cheshire, was taken to Alder Hey children’s hospital after swimming at Formby beach on bank holiday Monday, Merseyside police said.
Continue reading...Supporters filling north London pubs said they were already gratified by Premier League win
The streets of Holloway, usually bustling with families and trolly-dragging shoppers, were uncharacteristically quiet on Saturday afternoon. But shortly after the clock struck 5pm, loud roars echoed through the north London high street, located a short walk away from the Emirates stadium, as Arsenal walked on to the pitch for the Champions League final.
While the team, still basking in the glory of their Premier League win last week, were in Budapest for their final showdown against Paris Saint-Germain, Gunners – or Gooners, as they are colloquially known – came out to support the team on their home turf.
Continue reading...Survey shows 44% increase on RSPB reserves of bird that almost became extinct in England in the 60s
More than half a century after the Dartford warbler almost vanished from the English countryside, the charismatic heathland bird appears to be staging a comeback.
A survey has revealed the highest number of Dartford warblers ever recorded on reserves run by the bird conservation charity RSPB, with 264 pairs counted in 2025, a 44% increase in five years.
Continue reading...Labour’s Makerfield byelection candidate understood to have changed stance on no recourse to public funds policy
Andy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions.
As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented new arrivals getting access to benefits or public housing before they are granted settled status.
Continue reading...More than 52,000 people respond to Commons committee’s call for evidence amid criticism of loan terms
Thousands of graduates have told an official inquiry their horror stories and bad experiences relating to student loans, underlining what the chair of an MPs’ committee called massive levels of “frustration and upset”.
Amid an ongoing row over the ballooning cost of degree course debts, more than 52,000 people responded to a call for evidence by the Commons Treasury select committee as part of its inquiry into student loans and the taxation of graduates.
Continue reading...Tom Kopke, from Germany, out-tumbled local hero Chris Anderson to win his third roll on hot day in Gloucestershire
It was billed as the great cheese-off; a helter-skelter, bone-jarring downhill race between the all-time champ and a young upstart.
After the hype and hyperbole, youth won out, as the 24-year-old German YouTuber Tom Kopke beat 38-year-old local hero Chris Anderson at the annual cheese-rolling event in the English West Country.
Continue reading...Wait times of more than two hours reported at terminal for cross-Channel ferry to France
French police have temporarily suspended extra EU border checks at the port of Dover as thousands of holidaymakers face long delays in the hot weather.
Waiting times of more than two hours were reported at the terminal in Kent for the cross-Channel ferry to France.
Continue reading...Temperatures expected to reach as high as 33C in southern England or Midlands on Monday
Amber heat health alerts have been issued for the bank holiday weekend as record-breaking May temperatures as high as 33C (91F) are expected in parts of the UK.
The alerts – which indicate a possible risk to life as well as potential damage to properties, significant travel delays and power cuts – were announced for the East Midlands, West Midlands, the east of England, London and the south-east, and will be in effect from 2pm on Friday until 5pm on Wednesday.
Continue reading...Judge says it is ‘disappointing’ there will have to be retrial of prisoners accused over Lostprophets singer’s death
The jury in the trial of two prisoners accused of murdering the paedophile Lostprophets frontman, Ian Watkins, has been discharged for legal reasons.
The disgraced singer was stabbed to death in his cell at high-security HMP Wakefield by Rico Gedel, 25. Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for child sexual offences.
Continue reading...Without urgent intervention England faces water shortages of 5bn litres a day by 2055, peers tell government
Rainwater harvesting, the use of grey water in homes and an urgent campaign to reduce water usage across society are vital to prevent water shortages of 5bn litres a day by 2055, the government has been told.
Without intervention, England will face severe water shortages in the coming decades, as climate change-induced weather patterns, population growth and the expansion of industries such as water-intensive datacentres put excessive demand on supplies and endanger life, according to a House of Lords report published on Thursday.
Changes to building regulations to require new homes to achieve a maximum water usage of 105 litres a person a day and accelerated grey water reuse.
Nature-based solutions such as restoring peat bogs and reconnecting rivers to their natural flood plains to enhance water retention.
An urgent awareness campaign for the whole of society to reduce water usage.
A full environmental and economic assessment of drought to weigh the cost of inaction against the value of resilience.
The rolling out of nature-based solutions more widely in urban and rural settings.
Continue reading...British Trust for Ornithology says 2025 breeding season was especially disastrous for warbler species
After a mild, wet and stormy winter in the UK, spring 2025 was one of the warmest and driest ever, while the summer was the hottest since records began, most particularly in England and Wales.
Good news, you might think, for migratory birds – especially for eight species of warblers that travel here from their winter quarters in Africa. Yet according to data from bird ringers, collated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), last year’s breeding season was pretty disastrous.
Continue reading...The Emirates erupted as the Gunners were crowned champions – with expats, drivers and a boy in pyjamas out to celebrate
‘Twenty-two years,” said the father to his son, shaking his head reflectively. “Twenty-two effing years.” Standing outside the Emirates Stadium among an ever-growing crowd, he was not alone in trying to get a handle on his feelings. Arsenal had just won their first league title in a generation, after all.
From the moment Eli Junior Kroupi gave Bournemouth a first-half lead over Manchester City, the red part of north London was preparing to party. Arsenal’s only rivals for the title had to win to take their duel to the final day. A half-time deficit was not a good start. The landlord of the gridlocked Gunners pub on Blackstock Road had a glass of champagne in his hand, though it may have been something to do with the prospective takings.
Continue reading...Government announces a near tenfold increase but forces fear it will not cover anticipated cost of dedicated teams
Keir Starmer’s government has announced a near tenfold increase in funding for detectives hunting grooming gangs but has been warned by police that the amount will “likely fall short” of what is needed.
Operation Beaconport, which was set up last year to review closed group-based sexual exploitation inquiries in England and Wales, will receive nearly £38m, a Home Office statement said – up from £4m given last year.
Continue reading...Exhibition explores how artists mainly known for their paintings helped revive a skill that had fallen out of fashion
They may be best known for their vibrant oil paintings but an exhibition opening in the English West Country is focusing instead on the subtle printmaking skills of artists such as Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.
More than 50 prints created mainly by impressionists, post-impressionists and cubists are going on display at the Holburne Museum in Bath.
Continue reading...Unspecified number of officers from royalty and specialist protection team being investigated, force confirms
Police officers accused of being asleep when they were supposed to be protecting the royal family at Windsor Castle have been placed under investigation.
An unspecified number of officers from the Metropolitan police’s royalty and specialist protection team are being investigated after concerns were raised, the force confirmed. The Sun, which first reported the story, said up to 30 officers were involved.
Continue reading...Met police say they pursued vehicle believed stolen before it collided with another vehicle in Ilford
Nine people have been injured after a car being pursued by police crashed in east London.
The Metropolitan police said officers had tried to stop a vehicle they believed had been stolen.
Continue reading...Medicines watchdog approves two treatments for patients with spinal muscular atrophy
Hundreds of children with a rare muscle-wasting disease will be able to receive two drugs that can improve their survival in a move parents hailed as a “lifeline”.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published final draft guidance recommending that any patient who would benefit can have either drug.
Continue reading...Wes Streeting says legislation will save lives, but GPs are concerned about liability for errors introduced by other providers
GPs and hospitals will be required to share patient data under legislation to be announced in the king’s speech on Wednesday.
Legislation to create a single patient record (SPR) for each person, which would be used across all healthcare providers, is part of a £10bn digitisation of the health service.
Continue reading...Adam Bedoui, 20, and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub, 21, guilty of religiously aggravated harassment
Two men have been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment after filming antisemitic TikTok videos in north London.
Officers were called to reports of a hate crime involving a group of men allegedly harassing members of the Jewish community on Clapton Common at about 9pm on Thursday, the Metropolitan police said. Officers arrested five men in Hackney after the incident, it added.
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