Experts warn parts of the UK, particularly southern England and the Midlands, face "exceptional" wildfire risk due to the ongoing heatwave. The Met Office expects dry, hot conditions to persist, increasing the danger across most of England and Wales.
RuneScape, a 25-year-old MMORPG, has evolved into a vital virtual social space for thousands, fostering real-world connections and even weddings. Despite humble beginnings, its unique blend of humor and challenging gameplay has maintained a dedicated player base.
Extreme heat is impacting sports events in the UK, leading to cancellations and player welfare concerns. Planting trees, particularly willow, offers a natural, cost-effective solution to provide shade, reduce temperatures, and improve air quality at cricket grounds.
The UK is set for the hottest day of the year this bank holiday weekend, with temperatures expected to reach the low 30s Celsius. Amber heat health alerts are in effect for several regions, warning of potential impacts on health services and vulnerable groups.
The UK is bracing for an intensifying heatwave over the bank holiday weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach the low 30s Celsius. Heat health alerts are in effect, and London has already seen its warmest day of the year.
The Mease River in the UK has won the River Restoration Centre's UK River Prize 2026 for its 13-year restoration campaign. The project, led by Trent Rivers Trust and funded by the Environment Agency, involves farmers, volunteers, and water companies to combat pollution and habitat degradation.
Stuart Prior, who was elected in Essex last week, allegedly celebrated the rape of Sikh woman and called Muslim people ‘rats’A Reform UK councillor has resigned days after being elected, after he allegedly celebrated on social media the rape of a Sikh woman in the Midlands, declared white people the “master race” and called Muslim people “rats”.Stuart Prior was elected as a councillor for Essex county council last Thursday, winning 2,404 votes, the highest total of any candidate in the ward. Continue reading...
Senior Labour MPs urge prime minister to step down within year as party suffers loss of hundreds of English council seats and humbling in WalesElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesKeir Starmer is under pressure to set out a timeline for his departure after a crushing defeat in elections across Britain prompted senior Labour MPs to call for him to step down within a year.In a disastrous set of results, Labour lost hundreds of council seats in England, many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made big gains across the Midlands and the north as well as taking seats from the Tories in the South.Nigel Farage said a “truly historic shift in British politics” had occurred after Reform UK won hundreds of seats and control of more councils in England. The gains included Essex where the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, has her constituency and which the Conservatives held for 25 years.Plaid Cymru became the largest party in Wales, beating Reform into second place, after Labour admitted it was on course to lose control of the Senedd for the first time since devolution. Morgan, the first woman to lead the Welsh government, became the highest-profile casualty and called on Labour to “go back to being the party of the working class”.The SNP leader, John Swinney, declared victory in the Holyrood elections – though was expected to fall short of an outright majority. The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, conceded defeat saying his party had failed to counter “national dissatisfaction” with Starmer.The Greens gained their first two directly elected mayors – in Hackney and Lewisham – although they missed out on some more ambitious targets in London, as their leader, Zack Polanski, declared Britain’s two-party politics “dead and buried”. They also won three councils: Norwich, Hastings and Waltham Forest.The Tories were on course to lose hundreds of seats – both to Reform and the Liberal Democrats – across the south of England. However, they won back the flagship Westminster council in central London, with Badenoch announcing it meant the party was “coming back”.Labour appeared to be struggling in its London stronghold, despite early indications that its vote was holding up, unexpectedly losing control of Brent. Party insiders were closely watching councils including Lambeth, Lewisham and Haringey. Continue reading...
After Labour’s demise was overestimated, the prime minister’s potential challengers are staying quiet – for nowElections 2026 – live updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesAs the results rolled in, a trickle of voices were calling for Keir Starmer to quit – MPs from the governing Labour party, some trade union leaders, and a Labour peer.The numbers in England’s crucial local election results on Friday were undoubtedly bad for Labour, as Reform UK made sweeping gains across pro-Brexit heartlands in the Midlands and north, including the historically deep red Sunderland and Hartlepool. These could even be the party’s worst losses for 50 years, with more than 1,000 councillors gone alongside the potential loss of control of the Welsh parliament – and similar disappointment expected in Scotland. Continue reading...
After Labour’s demise was overestimated, the prime minister’s potential challengers are staying quiet – for nowElections 2026 – live updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesAs the results rolled in, a trickle of voices from MPs in the governing Labour party calling for Keir Starmer to name an exit date turned into a steady stream.The numbers in England’s crucial local election results on Friday were undoubtedly bad for Labour, as Reform UK made sweeping gains across pro-Brexit heartlands in the Midlands and north, including the historically deep red Sunderland and Hartlepool. These could even be the party’s worst losses for 50 years, with more than 1,000 councillors gone alongside the loss of control of the Welsh parliament – and similar disappointment expected in Scotland. Continue reading...
United Utilities share price jumped 11% after the water company announced an £800m share placing with Future Fund and Atlas as cornerstone investors. Ofwat's regulatory settlement a year ago has proven more generous than initially thought, particularly for companies not incurring heavy pollution fines. UU now targets 10-11% return on equity and seeks to spend an additional £2.5bn on infrastructure, potentially adding £10 to household bills. Severn Trent rose 7% in sympathy, with both companies at all-time highs.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest meet in the first all-English Europa League semi-final since 2009, with Villa seeking to end a 30-year trophy drought. Villa, led by Unai Emery, have built remarkable stability with eight players from their starting XI 3.5 years ago still capable of starting. Forest, under Vítor Pereira, are unbeaten in eight matches and have scored more Premier League goals than anyone since February. The tie represents Villa's third consecutive major semi-final.
Northampton Saints host Bath at Franklin's Gardens in a crucial Premiership encounter, two weeks after Bath's dramatic Champions Cup quarter-final victory. The match saw Bath win 6-5 in an 11-try thriller, with the winning try coming in the final five minutes. Northampton, who led 28-7 early, will look to avenge that defeat and maintain their position at the top of the table, one point ahead of Bath.
England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is set to acquire a stake in The Hundred's Birmingham Phoenix franchise. The 22-year-old midfielder's investment, reportedly around 1.2% worth approximately £1 million, signifies a unique crossover between football and cricket. Bellingham, a childhood cricket enthusiast from the Midlands, is expected to formally announce the move this week.
