A routine quality assurance check found “road markings were not up to the required standards”

A new road described as England’s first “cycle street” has closed for works less than three months after opening. This is reportedly due to road markings not being “up to the required standards”.

The £2.4 million transformation on Adams Road in Cambridge gives cyclists and pedestrians priority over motorists. The road, said to be used by 3,000 cyclists per day, was opened at the end of May 2026. It was closed on Monday, August 10, for remaining road lining and remedial work.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) said it “became clear some of the road markings were not up to the required standards”, while carrying out a routine quality assurance check. The roadworks will take place over the next two weeks.

A spokesperson for GCP said: “Our contractor, M Group, takes full responsibility and is removing and replacing them at their own expense. There is no additional cost to the GCP or taxpayers.”

Under the rules of the cycle street, motorists can access the road but must give way to cyclists and pedestrians. Construction began in October 2025 and included construction of an upgraded junction giving greater priority to pedestrians at Adams Road and Sylvester Road, resurfacing all footways and the carriageway, and widening both sides of the footways to create more room for pedestrians.

The GCP spokesperson added: “As a result of this work, the road will be closed for approximately two weeks, with access maintained for residents. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

M Group was approached for comment.

The UK has entered its fifth successive heatwave. More than 70% England and all of Wales are now under drought conditions. That means 45 million people are now living in a drought area in England, with more than 27 million facing water use restrictions. Dangerous wildfires are have been blazing across the country. Firefighters have responded to nearly 1,000 wildfires across England and Wales this year, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council.

In May and June alone, 2,877 deaths were linked to extreme hot weather in the UK. The lack of water is having a dire effect on our farmers – this year’s harvest is predicted to be the worst on record, leading to higher prices and smaller vegetables in supermarkets.

The average maximum temperature for July and August between 1991-2020 was just under 22˚C. This is why British people traditionally go on holiday to somewhere warm and sunny.

But in 2026 we have already had 40 days with temperatures above 30˚C. This extremely hot summer should come as no surprise. Like many other climate scientists, I have been warning politicians and policymakers about the impacts of climate change for more than 30 years. Still, they often seem surprised when extreme weather hits.

And this hot dry summer is the new normal for the UK and Europe. Summers will get even hotter and drier in the future – especially with the additional impacts of a super El Niño (the warm phase of a natural fluctuation in the Earth’s climate system) next year. The summer of 2026 will be one of the coolest you experience in your lifetime. The good news is that we can plan for these now normal extreme summers.

It is not just the UK suffering. Western Europe recorded its hottest June-July period in history, with average temperatures sitting 2.79°C above normal.

Europe seems to be warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Water levels on the Rhine and the Danube rivers are so low that cargo ships cannot operate. More ⁠than a half dozen nuclear generators have shut or reduced output due to cooling difficulties. Agricultural yield estimates have been cut with crops harvested late, and maize and sunflower already suffering a 6-7% loss in July. Heat curtails human productivity and has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, with Germany alone reporting more than 10,000 heat-related deaths.

What should the PM do?

Prime minister Andy Burnham has chaired the government’s second emergency climate Cobra meeting. So far, the only outcome of this meeting is that the prime minister has urged retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues to tackle one of the potential causes of wildfires.

Previous UK governments have had expert advice on what to do to prepare the UK for the impact of climate change – and successive governments have failed to act. Hopefully, Burnham will be different because urgent climate action and effective disaster responses require planning and investing in our safer future. These are my top three recommendations.

First, our water supplies must be secured.

We can mitigate against the worst effects of droughts and supports farmers and industry by have adequate storage of water. Since the water companies in England and Wales were privatised in 1989, they have paid out £85 billion in dividends – money that could have been invested in desperately needed water storage and reduced losses from leaks. It is time to invest in our water infrastructure in such away that the money does not go in to shareholders pockets but goes on building new reservoirs.

Second, cooling needs to be made mandatory for the most vulnerable people.

We need legalisation to ensure that all care homes, hospitals and new build homes have adequate air conditioning to deal with these hot summers. In 2026 over one in ten days will have had temperatures above 30˚C. That mild British weather has gone forever. Now we need a government-backed programme to retrofit every home in the country so that within the next ten years, all homes have cheap efficient heating and cooling systems to make people safe. We also need to know where our vulnerable population is and make sure they have access to public funded cool spaces as they do in France.

Third, the UK needs to massively expand its electricity generation. With more extreme weather, the demand for air conditioning will grow exponentially both in the public and private sector. We also need to diversity our energy sources and collaborate more closely with neighbouring countries on energy sharing.

During droughts across Europe, traditional and nuclear power stations have already had to shut down or reduce output as they rely on vast quantities of water to operate. Solar panels work even better in heatwaves so Burnham’s government could roll out a massive expansion of cheap renewable energy to lower energy costs and satisfy the increasing demand.

Adapting to the new hot dry summers is not difficult. Many countries deal with these sorts of extreme conditions ever single year. But it takes planning and investment in basic infrastructure, not just another emergency Cobra meeting.

By KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 18:06 BST, 13 August 2026

A passenger train has derailed in East Sussex, trapping passengers in overturned carriages on the hottest day of the year.

The eight-carriage train came off the line between Haywards Heath and Lewes at around 3.54pm today, with services set to be cancelled until 10pm.

More than 40 people are believed to be trapped inside the train, with three carriages overturned and emergency services rushing to provide first aid.

Images from the scene show people standing on top of carriages lying on their sides.

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One section of the track appears to have buckled – though there has been no official confirmation of the cause of the derailment. 

Passengers were being escorted away from the train and along the track, with some reporting seeing warnings on track-side signs about a problem ahead.

Follow our live updates below.  

Key Updates

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• No serious injuries or deaths

Watch: Passenger train derailed in East Sussex

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Everything we know so far

• A Southern passenger train has derailed close to Lewes railway station in East Sussex, with the incident happening at around 3.54pm this afternoon.
• Several of the rear carriages are understood to have come off the tracks and ended up on their sides, with images from the scene showing people on top of the overturned carriages.
• British Transport Police said officers were called to the scene at 3.54pm, and are responding alongside paramedics and firefighters.
• South East Coast Ambulance Service has sent a number of ambulance resources, including specialist teams, to the scene.
• There are currently no reports of fatalities or injuries.
• Southern is advising passengers not to travel through the area, with major disruption expected until around 10pm. 

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Three air ambulances and 20 other emergency vehicles at the scene

It is being reported that three air ambulances and at least 20 other emergency vehicles are at the scene.

People can be seen standing on the top of carriages as others are treated by paramedics at the scene, with coach number 7 ‘completely unaccessible’.

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Wounded father from the train: ‘I saw warning signs before we derailed’

Shaking with shock, a father-of-two told how he saw warning signs about problems with the track before the train derailed.

Liton Miah from Eastbourne was taking his wife and daughters to see relatives in London when the train overturned near Lewes.

He suffered heavy bruising to his side.

‘I saw on the big board there as a problem with the track.

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‘I don’t know they didn’t take any precautions.

‘I saved my family and tried to help another couple.

‘The guy was bleeding heavily and there was not much I could do to help him.’

Mr Miah and his family went to the local community centre where injured people are being triaged before treatment.

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Three carriages on their sides

Three of the trains carriages appear to have rotated onto their sides.

One looks to have slipped down the embankment and come to rest on its side.

There are two further carriages on their sides that have remained on the track.

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Transport union: ‘Passenger safety and wellbeing must come first’

The TSSA transport union has said it is ‘deeply concerned’ by the derailment near Lewes, adding its thoughts are with everyone affected.

It adds in a statement: ‘With a large number of passengers involved, their safety and wellbeing must come first.’

UK train drivers’ union Aslef has said it is aware of the derailment and asks the public to ‘allow the emergency services to do their job and refrain from speculation at this time’.

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The scene this afternoon

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No serious injuries or deaths

A source from the Department for Transport has reportedly told the BBC that the latest understanding is that there are ‘no serious injuries or fatalities’

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East Sussex MP calls train derailment ‘deeply distressing’

Helena Dollimore, the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye in East Sussex, said news of a derailment in the area was ‘deeply distressing’.

As she urged her constituents to contact her office if they need ‘urgent support’.

It is deeply distressing to hear that a train on our local line has derailed near Lewes.

I have spoken with the Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander) and the rail minister (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) who are keeping me updated on the situation.

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I know many people locally will be concerned, and the thoughts of everyone are with those affected and the emergency services responding at the scene.

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Images appear to show tracks buckling

Images from the scene appear to show that the train tracks have buckled.

This is when steel railways expand in the heat and start to curve.

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No trains running through the area until further notice

Network Rail has confirmed that no trains can run through between Haywards Heath and Lewes ‘until further notice’.

Passengers travelling by rail should allow an extra 60 minutes if travelling in the affected area and passengers travelling to Gatwick Airport are being asked to allow an extra 90 minutes.

While stations Cooksbridge and Plumpton will not be served until further notice.

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Pictured: The derailed train lying on its side

The derailment has been described as “a very serious and developing incident” by a local MP.

James MacCleary, the MP for Lewes, wrote in a Facebook post: “I am aware of very concerning reports of a train crash in the Lewes area this afternoon.

“I am in touch with the relevant authorities now and will provide further updates as soon as I have more information.

“This is clearly a very serious and developing incident, and my thoughts are with everyone affected.

“In the meantime, if you are concerned about someone or need urgent assistance, please contact the emergency services.”

CHICAGO (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell slightly for the first time in six weeks on Thursday, marking a glimpse of relief for prospective homebuyers — although borrowing costs remain steeper than they were a year ago.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate tumbled to 6.67%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, down from 6.69% reported last week. Still, by comparison, the average rate was 6.58% at this time in 2025.

Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. And that can led prospective home shoppers to delay buying, as seen while rates rose over prior weeks. U.S. sales of previously-occupied homes again slowed in July.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages — which are often sought by borrowers looking to refinance a home loan — also fell slightly this week. That rate averaged at 5.96%, down from 6.01% last week. But that’s still higher than a year ago, when Freddie Mac said 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged at 5.71%.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including inflation, broader policy rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and expectations from bond market investors for the economy. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Similar to the latest mortgage rates, the 10-year Treasury has also eased a bit recently. The 10-year Treasury fell to 4.61% as of midday trading Thursday — down from 4.72% at the start of the week.

Both mortgage rates and the bond market have been mostly rising this year due to the U.S. war with Iran, which has fueled expectations for hotter inflation as crude oil prices soared. Despite easing oil prices recently, long-term bond yields remain steeper than they were before the conflict began in late February, pushing mortgage rates to tread higher.

Before the war, the 10-year Treasury was just 3.97%. And 30-year and 15-year mortgage rates sat around 5.98% and 5.44%, respectively, in late February per Freddie Mac.

Meanwhile, consumer and wholesale inflation also cooled some in the U.S. last month. Prices to continue to climb, just at a slower pace. If that trend continues, the Federal Reserve could decide to hold off on hikes to interest rates.

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Ombudsman and Constitution River are among 10 horses confirmed for the Juddmonte International Stakes at York next week, with the top-class duo set for a mouth-watering Group 1 clash

Ombudsman and Constitution River remain on track for a blockbuster showdown at York next week, with the elite pair amongst 10 confirmations for Wednesday’s Juddmonte International.

John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman delivered a stunning victory on the Knavesmire 12 months ago and is favourite to repeat the feat following a triumphant retention of his Prince of Wales’s Stakes title at Royal Ascot.

In Constitution River, though, he encounters a three-year-old of exceptional quality, with Aidan O’Brien’s colt having travelled to France to secure Classic success in the Prix du Jockey Club before defeating older rivals for the first time in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

Ombudsman will be accompanied by stablemate and regular pacemaker Devil’s Advocate, while Constitution River is one of four entries from Ballydoyle alongside Action, Causeway and Hawk Mountain.

Andrew Balding fields Item, who boasts a perfect record at York this year having claimed the Dante and the York Stakes either side of underperforming in the Derby on soft ground, while French aspirations are expected to rest with the in-form Zaydann.

The latter has won his last five starts for Francis-Henri Graffard, who sent out Calandagan to finish runner-up to City Of Troy in the 2024 Juddmonte International but witnessed his subsequent Arc hero Daryz falter last season.

Like that duo, Zaydann sports the Aga Khan Studs colours for what will be a and while the son of a considerable leap in class, but one worth taking.

The operation’s French racing manager and director Nemone Routh said: “We were looking at all our various options and he was either going to have to wait until Arc weekend, which we weren’t very keen on because he is a good ground horse, or we were going to have put him on a plane and go to somewhere like America.

“We just felt why not give him a slightly easier trip, albeit for a much harder race! He’s a four-year-old now and we kind of need to know his level by the end of this year, purely in terms of making decisions with him.

“He’s a very well-bred horse – he’s a close relative of Zarak as he’s by Dubawi and his granddam is Zarkava – and he’s good-looking and has ability, it’s just nothing he has shown so far suggests he can be up there with the top two, but then he always does what we ask him.

“We’re definitely putting it to him this time, but we’d be very happy if he’s able to run into third place and maybe he’ll surprise us, you never know.”

Ed Walker has retained his stable star Almaqam in the field, but once more the Lambourn trainer is hoping for wet weather.

“We’ve talked about the weather and Almaqam so much. He’s undoubtedly better with just a little bit of ease in the ground,” said the Lambourn handler. “To be competitive or winning a race like that, I think he is going to have to have everything in his favour and I just can’t see the weather playing ball, but we’ll see.”

Pride Of Arras (Ralph Beckett) remains the sole other contender still under consideration at the six-day declaration stage.

By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 17:11 BST, 13 August 2026 | Updated: 17:30 BST, 13 August 2026

A fire ripped through at least six gardens with a woman taken to hospital for burns as temperatures hit 36C today. 

Footage captured the blaze destroying sheds and hedges as it tore across back gardens in Tamworth, Staffordshire this morning. 

The cause of the fire is not yet known and a probe is now underway, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed.

The blaze comes hours a suspected wildfire swept through a Welsh village, destroying six homes. 

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Around 20 people were evacuated after the huge blaze broke out and quickly spread yesterday afternoon. Residents of six bungalows in Newbridge, South Wales, were forced to flee and spent the night in a leisure centre.

It comes as Britain faces one of its hottest days on record – with temperatures expected to hit 38C (100F). The Met Office has extended the area of its rare 15-hour amber ‘extreme heat’ warning, which came into force at 9am this morning.

Neighbours living in the former mining village had gathered to watch Wednesday’s eclipse when the blaze broke out.

Locals believe the fire started on a field behind houses in Pantside, Newbridge, and spread quickly to nearby homes.

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Neighbours rushed to douse the flames with garden hoses and buckets of water before the fire service arrived but at least five homes were completely destroyed.

A fire has ripped through a residential area in Tamworth on Thursday morning, with one woman taken to hospital for burns 

The Staffordshire town saw six gardens including sheds and hedges blazing and required firefighters to extinguish the raging fire 

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Several homes were evacuated after being gutted by the blaze and more than 20 people were forced to seek refuge in a nearby leisure centre or put up in a hotel.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated by officials.

Caerphilly councillor Gary Johnson said: ‘Everyone was getting ready yesterday to witness the eclipse, and for this to happen last night was a total shock.

‘It is just dreadful, and heartbreaking for all the families involved.

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‘The whole community is strong, and we will rally around them like we always do.’

Julie Nicholls, 74, was evacuated from her home by officials and had to wait anxiously to see if the fire would reach it.

She said: ‘We could hear all the banging and the flames going up,’ she said.

‘The next thing I know the police were knocking on my door and we had to go.

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Sheds were set alight in the blaze 

One woman was taken to hospital for burns following the blaze in Tamworth 

‘We were sat in the leisure centre and there were a few people that had actually lost their homes.

‘They were being so brave, I mean to lose everything.

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‘I felt absolute fear, you know, you don’t expect to open your door and see a fire next to you.’

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it received a call–out on Wednesday at around 4pm and deployed a number of resources to the scene of the fire, including 12 fire appliances, two water bowsers, and an aerial ladder platform.

They urged residents in the area to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke from the fire and added that further updates will be provided when more information becomes available. 

Newbridge RFC said they were ‘absolutely heartbroken’ to have seen the horrendous fire on Wednesday evening, adding that they hearts go out to everyone affected by ‘such a frightening and horrendous event’.

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The club said their clubhouse would be open in the morning to offer hot and cold drinks along with changing and shower facilities for people affected.

A gofundme has been launched with has so far raised more than £2,000 to help the families. 

The fire came hours before Britain faced one of its hottest days on record – with temperatures expected to hit 38C (100F).

The Met Office has extended the area of its rare 15–hour amber ‘extreme heat’ warning, which came into force at 9am this morning.

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Megaman (UK) Ltd, founded in September 2000, is a “leading global brand” that specialises in energy-efficient lighting solutions.

The company supplies products for use in retail, hospitality, residential and commercial spaces, which are distributed across the UK through major electrical wholesalers and independent stockists.

Megaman enters administration after 26 years

Now, after 26 years in business, Megaman has fallen into administration.

Simon Farr and Anthony Collier from FRP Advisory Trading Limited were appointed joint administrators on August 5, according to The Gazette.

Having entered administration, the Megaman website has been shut down and is no longer accessible.

What happens when a company goes into administration?

When a company enters administration, it means that it is unable to pay expenses, debts, or other liabilities, according to SquareUp.com.

Companies House adds: “When a company goes into administration, they have entered a legal process (under the Insolvency Act 1986) with the aim of achieving one of the statutory objectives of an administration. This may be to rescue a viable business that is insolvent due to cashflow problems.

“An appointment of an administrator (a licensed insolvency practitioner) will be made by directors, a creditor or the court to fulfil the administration process.”

A statutory moratorium is put in place once a company enters administration, giving it “breathing space” to allow for financial restructuring plans to be drawn up free from creditor enforcement actions.

A company can continue to trade while in administration, but daily management and control are handed over to the administrators.

Companies House continues: “Within 8 weeks it is the administrators’ role to formulate administration proposals.

“Creditors are then asked to vote by a decision procedure to approve the administrators’ proposals.

“If the administration involves a sale of all or part of the company’s business, the proceeds (after the costs of the procedure) will be distributed to creditors in a statutory order of priority.”

Administration will end automatically after 12 months unless the administrator asks the court or creditors for an extension.

Through administration, a company can be:

• Rescued and passed back to the directors
• Enter liquidation
• Be dissolved

Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026

It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.

Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s, and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.

UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation.

Whitbread recently confirmed it will be closing all its UK restaurants in September:

TG Jones and the British Heart Foundation will also both be closing around 150 stores across the UK.

Other retailers have been forced to close stores this year, including:

The company responsible for iconic British bikemaker Raleigh, Accell Group, has also collapsed into administration, putting the 139-year-old British bikemaker at risk of closing.

Several UK travel companies have ceased trading or entered administration in 2026:

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It hasn’t all been bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Meanwhile, brands including Evans and Bodycare have returned to the UK high street this year after previously closing all their stores.

Which business/store closure in 2026 has impacted you the most? Let us know in the comments below.

TOKYO (AP) — Record-breaking heavy rain pounded eastern Japan Thursday, flooding roads and homes, paralyzing traffic and causing power outages to tens of thousands of homes near Tokyo, officials said. At least one person was found dead.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its most severe warning for heavy rain in 14 municipalities in the Chiba prefecture, warning residents of floods and landslides.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said one person was found dead in Ichikawa city, while two people who were trapped inside a flooded car were rescued in the nearby Kashiwa city. Their conditions were not known.

Footage on NHK news showed pedestrians outside the Ichikawa train station wading through floodwater up to their knees, and vehicles stuck on flooded roads elsewhere. Some trains in the area were suspended.

Record-breaking rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters (4 inches) was forecast in just one hour in Chiba City and a number of other nearby cities Thursday night, NHK said. Nearly 220,000 residents in the area were advised to take shelter at safer grounds, the agency said.

JMA forecast official Takuya Hosomi told a televised emergency news conference that unprecedented levels of rainfalls were recorded.

The heavy rain comes a day after a tropical storm battered northeastern Japan, injuring at least seven, toppling trees and causing widespread blackouts.

The torrential rain and flooding also caused power outages to 68,000 homes, according to the TEPCO Power Grid.