Author: Darren Smith

Wildfires across the West Midlands have left 19 people in hospital and destroyed up to seven homes in Stourbridge, with hundreds of residents, including care home patients, forced to evacuate overnight as families described watching their properties go up in flames. Nineteen people have been taken to hospital after wildfires broke out across the West Midlands, the region’s ambulance service has confirmed. The fires caused severe damage in Stourbridge, where residents have been assessing the destruction to their homes and belongings following the blaze. Dudley Council, which covers the town, said between 250 and 300 residents were evacuated overnight, including…

Jimmy Rimmer, the goalkeeper who won the European Cup with both Manchester United and Aston Villa, has died at the age of 78, prompting tributes from across English football for a career that made him one of the rare players to lift the continent’s top trophy with two different clubs. Jimmy Rimmer, the former Manchester United and Aston Villa goalkeeper, has died at the age of 78, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across English football. Rimmer enjoyed a distinguished playing career spanning more than two decades, during which he became one of the few footballers to be part of…

A passenger train has derailed in the Lewes area of East Sussex, prompting a large emergency response involving police, paramedics and fire crews, with Southern Railway warning that all lines through the station are closed and major disruption is expected to continue until 10pm. A passenger train has derailed near Lewes station in East Sussex, closing all rail lines running through the area and triggering a significant emergency services response. Network Rail confirmed that a Southern service came off the tracks just before 4pm on Thursday, with British Transport Police, paramedics and fire crews all attending the scene. Southern Railway…

Plans to accommodate around 1,200 asylum seekers at the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse site have prompted warnings from local politicians and campaigners over pressure on the village’s infrastructure. Women in a small North Yorkshire village could be outnumbered six to one if plans to accommodate around 1,200 male asylum seekers at a former military base go ahead, amid growing opposition to the proposal. The RAF Linton-on-Ouse site is one of three former military locations being considered for asylum accommodation, with the Government looking at ways to redistribute asylum seekers across different parts of England. York Central MP Rachael Maskell has described…

Royal Mail has issued a delivery delay warning covering 142 UK postcode areas today, with disruption affecting large parts of the country including Bedford, Chester, Margate, Merthyr Tydfil and Inverclyde, as the delivery firm blames local staffing and resourcing issues. Royal Mail has warned that deliveries will be delayed across 142 UK postcode areas today, Thursday, 13 August, publishing a full list of the affected locations. The disruption spans large parts of the country, including delivery offices covering Bedford, Chester, Margate, Merthyr Tydfil and Inverclyde. Royal Mail said the delays stem from local issues at individual delivery offices, including high…

Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain has narrowed its first-half losses to £11.4 million, boosted by record World Cup betting activity, even as higher UK gambling taxes continue to weigh on its online business and force further high street shop closures across the sector. Entain, the gambling giant behind Ladbrokes, Coral and Foxy Bingo, has narrowed its first-half losses after what it described as the “biggest World Cup final in history” drove a surge in betting activity. The FTSE 100 firm reported post-tax losses of £11.4 million in the six months to June, a significant improvement on losses of £85.8 million…

Galatasaray have made an audacious £38 million move for Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, though the Brazilian appears reluctant to leave for Turkey, with Roma also monitoring the situation as Arsenal simultaneously push forward with a separate £40 million approach for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa. Galatasaray have made a move to sign Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, tabling an offer worth £38 million for the Brazilian. However, Martinelli is understood to be reluctant to leave for Turkey, complicating any potential deal. Arsenal have placed a valuation of around £50 million on the 25-year-old, meaning Galatasaray’s opening offer falls short of what…

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to equip officers with gloves capable of delivering powerful electric shocks, in a contract worth up to $20 million that has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic politicians and civil rights advocates amid a pending lawsuit linking the devices to a death in a Kentucky jail. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to supply officers with gloves that deliver powerful electric shocks, in a contract that could cost up to $20 million (£15 million). The devices, known as GLOVE, an acronym for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, look like standard patrol gloves until…

The Royal College of Nursing has warned that nurses are collapsing during shifts as temperatures inside hospitals exceed 30C, with the union blaming decades of underinvestment in NHS buildings for leaving staff and patients dangerously exposed to extreme heat. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that nurses are collapsing while working in hospital conditions exceeding 30C, as extreme summer heat exposes deep-rooted problems in NHS infrastructure. The union compiled a series of staff testimonies describing broken air conditioning, poor ventilation and dangerously high temperatures on wards. RCN chief executive and general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said the findings…

A News24 reporter was forced to chase a protester through a crowded Melbourne rally against Pauline Hanson’s One Nation after they grabbed her microphone mid-broadcast, in one of several nationwide student demonstrations that drew crowds across Australia on Thursday. A protester stole a microphone from News24 reporter Georgie Dickerson while she was broadcasting live from a Melbourne rally against Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party. Dickerson said she was forced to give chase through the packed crowd after the protester ran over and grabbed the microphone from her hands during her live cross. She was ultimately able to catch up with…