-
Huge fire erupts on industrial estate with ‘explosions heard’ and trains cancelled
A major fire erupted at Colthrop Business Park, a waste management centre near Thatcham in West Berkshire, on Monday evening just after 7:30pm. The blaze, which produced dramatic flames and billowing smoke, caused significant disruption to the area, prompting Network Rail to establish a 150-metre exclusion zone that led to the suspension of all train…
-
Wes Streeting warns activists NOT to oppose boost to defence spending
Wes Streeting urged Labour’s left-wing activists not to oppose increased defence spending, arguing that investment in national security does not come at the expense of public services. His remarks came as union leaders promoted a campaign to prioritise wages over weapons and sought to block further spending on the Armed Forces. The article says UK…
-
‘It’s a relief that he’s free from his body now’: Mike Tindall opens up about harrowing final weeks of his father’s life after his death aged 80 following 25-year battle with Parkinson’s
Mike Tindall, the former England rugby international married to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara, has opened up about his father Phil’s death at the age of 80 following a 25-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. The experience has prompted Tindall to become an advocate for assisted dying after witnessing his father’s severe suffering in his final months.…
-
Bulgarian woman who stole £54m in UK’s biggest benefit fraud pays back just £18,000
Tvetka Todorova, who helped run a benefits fraud that cost taxpayers £54 million, has repaid only £18,228 of the £101,202 she was ordered to pay back. She was jailed for three years in 2024 after making £263,514 from the scheme, and missed a July repayment deadline; interest is now accruing on the outstanding amount. Todorova…
-
Boxing world champion Billy Joe Saunders attacked rival thugs with beer bottles during mass brawl at a baby shower
Former world champion boxer Billy Joe Saunders was sentenced for using a beer bottle and punching people during a mass brawl at a baby shower in Bulkington, Warwickshire. The court heard the fight involved nine men and was “very violent”; one person was stabbed through the hand, while another man was alleged to have had…
-
Teen volleyball star identified as victim in horror crash that left three dead in Victoria
Fourteen-year-old volleyball player Tenesha Fieldsend died after a three-vehicle crash on the Western Highway near Ledcourt in regional Victoria on Sunday. Two people in another car also died, bringing the death toll to three; police said the holiday-period crash occurred amid busy traffic as people were travelling home. Fieldsend was returning from a competition in…
-
Burnham to expand state control of utilities and housing, rethink pension increases
Andy Burnham is due to use his Labour conference speech to argue for greater state control over essential services and housing, saying the current approach is failing and serves vested interests. He is expected to propose expanding government influence over water and energy, alongside existing plans for more council housing, and to argue that Britain…
-
Peppa Pig and Mr Bean among icons of British culture driving international students to study in UK, survey finds
A British Council survey found that British popular culture is a significant factor in international students’ choice to study in the UK. The findings suggest that familiar characters, music and public figures add to the country’s appeal alongside its universities’ academic reputation. Censuswide surveyed 2,500 UK-based students aged 18 to 25, with 500 respondents from…
-
Matthew Macfadyen leads BBC Cold War thriller as George Smiley returns
Filming has wrapped on the BBC and MGM+ series *Legacy of Spies*, marking the return of John le Carré’s iconic spymaster George Smiley to television. Two-time Emmy and BAFTA winner Matthew Macfadyen takes on the role—last seen on screen in Gary Oldman’s acclaimed performance in *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*—whilst Charlie Hunnam plays the world-weary field…
-
Aurora CFO says 30,000 autonomous trucks by 2030 are achievable
Aurora, an autonomous vehicle technology company, announced ambitious plans to have over 30,000 self-driving trucks on the road generating $5 billion in annual revenue by the end of 2030. This represents a dramatic scaling up from the company’s current position of around 200 trucks with an $80 million annual revenue run rate expected by end…