Fires across England and Wales have prompted a national government alert warning people not to light anything that could spark a wildfire.
The warning on Friday evening came as it was revealed 19 homes were destroyed and a further 18 damaged in a huge fire in Stourbridge, West Midlands, that spread rapidly through grass and woodland on Thursday before damaging homes.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham told members of the public to take the warning "seriously", adding it was triggered at the request of firefighters.
West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the Stourbridge blaze was one of the most significant incidents the service had ever dealt with.
It was one of several fires being dealt with across England and Wales on Friday.
In Wales, a major incident was declared near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads closed
In Hampshire, firefighters spent a sixth day tackling a wildfire in the New Forest, Hampshire, which broke out on Sunday.
Sixteen emergencies were tackled by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath, off Gurney Road in the city.
Elsewhere in the West Midlands fires caused extensive damage in Warstock and Kings Norton, Birmingham on Thursday. A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life .
In Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday four homes in Sandyford were destroyed, with other properties damaged. Two people were arrested on suspicion of arson. Six firefighters were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
In Willenhall, West Midlands, at least three homes and several gardens were destroyed in fires on Stonehouse Avenue and Harry Perks Street.
Investigators said they were working with other emergency services to establish how the Stourbridge fire started, with police saying they were keeping an open mind.
Some of the worst-affected areas have been cordoned off and many residents who were evacuated, including the Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverand Martin Gorick, have not been able to return home. %!s()
Police are treating sociology professor Jason Arday’s death as unexpected but not suspicious.
A British academic and former University of Cambridge professor has been found dead just over a week after resigning his prestigious post amid a high-profile plagiarism scandal.
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Jason Arday, 41, was found unresponsive at a south London address on Friday, according to British media reports citing authorities.
London’s Met Police said in a statement, “At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.”
Cambridge University vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said she was “desperately saddened” to hear news of Arday’s death.
The news comes just nine days after Arday resigned as a professor and fellow of Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, having been the youngest Black professor in the school’s history when he was appointed in 2023.
The sociology professor’s resignation followed several investigative articles into his academic work and personal life, as well as allegations that he plagiarised parts of his doctoral thesis.
In a statement released after his death, Arday’s family criticised a “campaign of harassment” that had targeted the academic.
“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone. We are in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son,” said the statement, released via his publisher Simon & Schuster late on Friday.
‘Personal cost’ of scrutiny
On July 24, British newspaper The Times of London published an analysis of Arday’s 2015 PhD thesis highlighting what it said were multiple examples of passages that were “identical or near-identical” to an earlier paper written by another researcher.
The British media also raised questions about Arday’s claims that he had raised 5.5 million pounds ($7.4m) for charity through feats such as running 30 marathons in 35 days and 965 kilometres (600 miles) in six days.
Arday had admitted to making mistakes, but he said he was being wrongly “portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud”.
Announcing his resignation last week, he said the “personal cost” of the scrutiny of him had become “too great”.
“While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement,” he said.
Cambridge University initially dismissed claims of plagiarism made against Arday by a former colleague because they had already been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University. However, last week Cambridge said it would carry out an independent investigation into Arday’s appointment.
Glasgow University also announced a review into Arday’s previous academic work.
Arday’s new memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, was recently released in the United States and is set to be published in the United Kingdom later this month. The book, which details Arday’s childhood difficulties with autism and his later success, has also attracted scrutiny, but publisher Simon & Schuster has insisted that “no allegations of plagiarism have been made with respect” to it. %!s()
"The train swung wildly for around 10 seconds, like it was about to tilt over," Jon Young told the BBC.
"It then carried on going for a couple of minutes but there was a horrible vibrating sound."
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The 37-year-old from Brentwood said smoke entered the rear carriage and led to "panicked" people running in fear.
There was also confusion at Southend Airport, which is on the affected train line.
"Many passengers can't get to their onward destinations from the railway station here," said BBC Essex reporter Matt Knight, who had, himself, just landed from holiday.
An air ambulance landed close to the scene off Salcott Crescent as a precaution, alongside police, firefighters and paramedics.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) also deployed a team of investigators to gather evidence.
Martin Frobisher, of Network Rail, said the summer's hot weather had "presented exceptional challenges to the railway".
In an interview with the BBC Transport Correspondent Katy Austin, Frobisher also confirmed speed restrictions were not in place in either Wickford or Lewes.
On the possible impact of the hot weather, he said "yes, that's one of the things that we're looking at.
"We've got our investigations underway. We've got technical engineers on site, our best experts who are on site with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
"They're looking very thoroughly at what's happened. And based on that, we will act on what we learn."
However, he added it was "too early to speculate on the full findings".
The investigation would specifically assess "whether or not this was weather-related", said Mark Francois, the Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford.
The Department for Transport stressed Britain's railways were "among the safest in the world" as it reacted to the incident.
It said derailments were "incredibly rare" events.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "Our crews assessed 62 patients who were on board the train.
"Following assessment, all patients were discharged at the scene.
"We also assisted with the evacuation of a second train that was unable to continue its journey due to the derailment.
"There were no casualties among those on board."
A spokesperson for BTP also confirmed there were no reported injuries.
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The US has not confirmed the revocation, which comes amid crackdown on Mexican politicians with alleged ties to cartels.
The son of former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has accused the United States of revoking his visa in a politically motivated manoeuvre.
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Andres Manuel Lopez Beltran made the allegation late on Thursday in a public letter addressed to US President Donald Trump and posted on social media.
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He accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his deputy, Christopher Landau, of ordering the visa revocation.
“There is no reason whatsoever to justify such an arrogant action,” Lopez Beltran wrote to Trump. “It is worth emphasising that these officials have no evidence against me regarding any immoral or criminal act.”
The US State Department has not publicly responded to his claim.
His letter comes as part of a trend of visa revocations from the US. Several Mexican officials, across the political spectrum, have had their visas cancelled, as part of what the Trump administration characterises as a broad crackdown on individuals linked to drug cartels.
Who is Lopez Beltran?
The 39-year-old Lopez Beltran is a prominent politician in Mexico, having recently stepped down from the leadership of the left-wing Morena party.
His father founded the party in 2011 and went on to govern Mexico as its president from 2018 to 2024.
Currently, another Morena politician, Claudia Sheinbaum, holds the presidency, and Morena boasts decisive majorities in both chambers of Mexico’s Congress.
Lopez Beltran is expected to run for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies next year.
For much of his father’s presidency, Lopez Beltran stayed out of party politics, instead focusing on his chocolate business.
However, he was elected Morena’s secretary of organisation in September 2024, just weeks before his father left office.
In his letter, Lopez Beltran called the revocation “a crude and perverse act”, saying US officials target Mexican politicians by falsely labelling them as “communists”, “threats to US security” or “narco-terrorists”.
Sheinbaum reacts to letter
On Friday, Sheinbaum said she was unaware of any investigations by Mexican prosecutors into Lopez Beltran.
“This amounts to interference in Mexican politics,” Sheinbaum said at her morning news briefing. “I see no other reason for it.”
Sheinbaum has also walked a careful line in responding to the Trump administration’s hardline approach to cartels and cross-border crime, pledging to cooperate.
But she has also said she would protect Mexico’s sovereignty from any foreign interference, and while she has welcomed collaboration with US intelligence, she has reportedly declined Trump’s offers of US military action on Mexican soil.
Last month, she also rejected a statement by the head of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that her government has ties to organised crime, a frequent Trump talking point.
In April, she decried the US’s decision to charge Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha, another Morena party official, with drug trafficking and weapons-related offences.
She has argued that the indictment lacks evidence and that such investigations should be left to Mexican prosecutors.
The Trump administration has accused Rocha’s campaign of having worked with the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, the criminal organisation it considers a “foreign terrorist organisation”.
Rocha announced in May that he would take a temporary leave of absence from his position as governor to defend himself from the charges. %!s()
Mangione, pictured here in May, appeared in court in New York on Friday
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ByGrace Eliza Goodwin and Kayla EpsteinReporting fromManhattan federal court
Luigi Mangione has admitted to killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after pleading guilty to federal charges of interstate stalking resulting in death.
"I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died," the 28-year-old admitted in Manhattan federal court on Friday.
Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot from behind on 4 December, 2024 as he walked into a hotel in midtown Manhattan. Following the plea hearing, his family issued a statement calling it "an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family".
Mangione faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He also faces state charges, although his lawyers are seeking to get those dismissed following his guilty plea.
Figure caption,
"I shot Mr Thompson" - Inside the court as Mangione pleaded guilty
Mangione had initially pleaded not guilty in both the federal and state cases against him for the shooting death of Thompson.
At a hearing in Manhattan federal court on Friday, Mangione's lawyers announced that he intended to plead guilty to the two federal charges against him.
Wearing a beige prison outfit, Mangione appeared solemn and serious throughout the hearing.
Reading a statement aloud to the court, he admitted to planning the attack ahead of time, crossing state lines with the intent to kill and using a gun he printed on a 3-D-printer and equipped with a silencer and magazine.
He told the court he was driven to kill Thompson because of his experience with the healthcare system "after years of enduring severe pains from a broken back".
Mangione stated that he had learned UnitedHealthcare would hold an annual investor conference in Manhattan in December 2024.
He then travelled to New York for the event, he told the court.
Image source, Reuters
He also said he emailed UnitedHealthcare prior to the conference "posing as an investor" and asking questions about the event.
"I emailed UnitedHealthcare with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson," Mangione said in his statement. "On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024 I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan in his back."
The sentencing for the federal charges is scheduled for 18 December.
Thompson's family said in a statement that they will continue to seek justice in both New York state and Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested.
"While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable.
"Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime," the family added.
Prosecutors have recommended Mangione serve between 24-30 years in prison. But Judge Margaret Garnett said in court that she ultimately decides his sentence.
Garnett explained to Mangione that the recommendation is not binding and that the maximum sentence is life in prison along with financial penalties. There is no parole in the federal system.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Luigi mangione after his arrest in 2024
Mangione's guilty plea could now throw a wrench into his New York state case.
With the trial slated to begin in September, he faces eight state charges including second degree murder, possession of a forged instrument (for alleged fake driver's license), and six counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
On the steps of the court on Friday, his lawyers argued that because he already pleaded guilty to federal charges, the state case runs afoul of double jeopardy – a constitutional protection that prevents an individual from being prosecuted twice for the same crime.
"New York law does not permit a person to be prosecuted and punished twice for the exact same crime," his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said.
Friedman Agnifilo also said that, in making a guilty plea in federal court, Mangione has accepted "full responsibility" for the death of Brian Thompson.
But the Manhattan District Attorney's office says it is prepared to go ahead with the state prosecution.
"We are encouraged that Mr Thompson's family received a measure of accountability today," the statement said. "While federal sentencing is pending, we are prepared to litigate the defence motions. The Manhattan DA's Office remains committed to seeking justice for Mr Thompson and his family."
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Getty Images