Kew Gardens in London reached 38.1C on Thursday, making it the UK’s hottest day of 2026 so far, and the fifth hottest UK day on record.

It is also the second time this year that the temperature has reached 38C, after Lingwood, Norfolk recorded 38.0C on 26 June.

This is only the second time that 38C has been reached twice in the same year – the previous occasion being 2022.

Though the Met Office amber warning for extreme heat that covered large swathes of England on Thursday expired at midnight, high temperatures will linger in central and eastern parts of England on Friday.

Long spells of sunshine will lift temperatures to 29-34C (84-93F) across large parts of the Midlands, Lincolnshire, East Anglia and the south-east.

For many places it will mark a third consecutive day above official heatwave thresholds.

The heat will ease elsewhere.

Somewhat cooler conditions will begin to move into northern and western parts of the UK, although temperatures will generally remain above the norm for the time of year – widely reaching the low to mid-20s Celsius.

Many places will be dry with a mix of cloud and sunny spells although a few showers are possible, and these could be heavy and thundery in some places.

A striking photo of homes ablaze under the headline “Houses burn and train derails on hottest day” dominates the front of the Times. Perhaps unusually, it is a headline that encompasses three separate stories from Thursday – the fires that raged across the West Midlands. the rail accident near Lewes that left two people seriously injured, and the ongoing heatwave that saw the UK record its hottest day of 2026.

The man died the day after the crash

A man who died after a crash near a South Cambridgeshire village has been named. Darren Minett, 39, died when the silver Volkswagen Golf he was driving was involved in a crash with a blue Peugeot 208E.

The crash happened on Twenty Pence Road, near Cottenham, at about 6.30pm on July 29. The Golf came to rest in some trees, Cambridgeshire Police said.

Mr Minett, of Station Road, Haddenham, was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge. He died there the following morning on July 30.

The Peugeot driver, a 60-year-old woman from Cambridge, suffered minor injuries, the force confirmed.

She joined the show as a panellist in 2005 and has been “on and off” ever since

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Denise Welch has confirmed to fans she is leaving Loose Women after 25 years to pursue another venture.

The 68-year-old has been a staple on ITV panel talk show, but said in a statement earlier today she would be stepping down after decades.

On Instagram, she told her followers the reason for her departure is because she wants to focus on her acting career, describing it as her “first love and the thing she’s best at”.

“I’m leaving Loose Women after the best part of 25 years, off and on,” she said. “I did leave for about seven years and went back in 2018.

“This show has been part of mine, and my family’s life, for nearly a quarter of a century. I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories and it’s just that acting has always been my first love and, I think, the thing I’m best at.

“At the moment, I’m having the most wonderful opportunities coming my way and I’m grabbing them by the you-know-whats and running with it for this new chapter of my life.

“And so I just wanted to say that in person to thank all of the people who have shared my stories with me. I’ve shared my life with you – the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m very marmite but I cherish all the comments, good or bad, that I’ve had over the years.

She added: “I just hope you wish me well for this new exciting chapter in my life. I’ll miss everybody but I will remain friends with the whole gang because, despite what you might read, we are a happy band of campers. Lots of love, thanks for sticking with me.”

Fans have since flocked to her comments to show support, including her husband, Lincoln Townley, The Mirror reports.

He penned: “Grab those you know what’s darling you’re an incredibly strong talented sensational woman, the best is yet to come!”

Denise joined the show in 2005 alongside Kaye Adams and Coleen Nolan before taking a step back from the series in 2013. She then returned in 2018.

She has since shared the show with Ruth Langsford, Christine Lampard, Andrea McLean, Oti Mabuse, Gloria Hunniford and many others.

In an interview, the former Greater Manchester mayor was asked to name his favourite Greggs offering but stumbled while trying to remember the name of the sausage, bean and cheese melt.

Instead, he called it “that sausage, bean and cheese thing”, a name which quickly went viral on social media.

Now, the bakery has gone one step further, officially renaming the product in honour of Mr Burnham .

Warren McCarrick, shop manager at the Manchester Heron House branch, located near the Prime Minister’s new No 10 North base, said: “Our shop has been buzzing with Mancs getting their hands on Burnham’s favourite bake.

“Sales have gone through the roof this morning.

“Cheers, Andy.”

Signs at the store have already been swapped out to read: “The sausage, cheese and bean thing as eaten by our Prime Minister.”

🚨 NEW: Greggs has renamed its Sausage, Bean & Cheese Melt after Andy Burnham called it a “thing”

“Sales have gone through the roof, cheers Andy” pic.twitter.com/PxH0ccEzRV

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 12, 2026

Mr Burnham’s offhand endorsement has been a hit for the bakery, with sales reportedly doubling overnight.

The Prime Minister has since acknowledged that several of his strongest policy proposals were inspired by everyday exchanges, whether while standing in line at Greggs or sharing a conversation over a drink at the local pub.

Staff at the Manchester store quickly got behind the new identity, refreshing the branch’s branding in the early hours of Thursday.

Greggs, founded in Newcastle in 1939, has yet to say whether the rebrand will be introduced across the country or remain a temporary local change.

In the meantime, the Manchester outlet is happily dishing out the “sausage, bean and cheese thing” to customers who are both entertained and eager for a bite.

Whether Burnham’s pastry-inspired policymaking proves equally enduring is something only time will tell.

Sixty firefighters tackled a huge blaze as thick plumes of smoke rose into the skyline in Stourbridge, England, this afternoon

Two people were injured and multiple houses alight as a huge fire tore through homes in England. Around 60 firefighters were called to Racecourse Lane in Stourbridge at around 1.30pm this afternoon (August 13).

Flames could be seen ripping through the properties as thick black plumes of smoke billowed into the air. Around six homes were said to be on fire close to a local golf course.

Ounty John Lane and Stourbridge Road were also affected by the fire, the Mirror reports. West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service said it was facing “extreme levels of demand” due to the inferno.

In a post on social media, the fire service said: “We are currently facing extreme levels of demand as a service, and need your immediate help. Wherever you are in the West Midlands, please do whatever you can to stay safe and minimise the risk of outdoor fires.”

“If you are directly affected by an ongoing fire, please DO NOT risk tackling it yourself. Get to a safe place and call 999. We will do our very best to get help to you as soon as we can.

“If you must drive, take extra care if you are driving, avoid areas of dense smoke, and please don’t head to areas where fires are taking place to watch.”

It said flames in Racecourse Lane had spread “across roads in places” with some nearby properties said to be experiencing power outages at the time. The fire service added: “Please keep doors and windows closed as a precaution and avoid the area.”

The fire was said to involve 40 acres, including woodland. Meanwhile, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to another “large fire” in Salford Priors, Stratford-on-Avon.

Families in the area were urged to keep their windows and doors closed. Police, fire crews and ambulances are at the scene of the wildfire which has been declared a major incident.

People have been evacuated from their homes with Stourbridge Town Hall being opened as a rest centre and there is also transport in place for those unable to make their own way there. While St Michael’s Church in Norton has also made itself available to provide accommodation where needed.

Councillor Andrew Southall from Dudley Council said: “Residents and care homes are being evacuated and the council have invoked their major incident plan.

“There are evacuations taking place and Stourbridge Town hall is the respite site. Another site will be set up if need be. The advice is to stay clear of the fire area.

“Our teams are on site supporting safe evacuations, transport arranged. Residents from care homes safely evacuated to other care homes. Stourbridge Town Hall open, our teams there and supporting and housing getting ready in case those who have lost their homes or homes are damaged need temporary accommodation.

“In the short term that will be hotels and support from other associations as needed but housing have that in hand. We are liaising with emergency services and providing all support necessary.”

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Three men were put to death by lethal injection across the U.S. on Thursday, marking the first time since 2010 that three executions occurred on a single day. Tennessee and Oklahoma administered lethal injections within 30 minutes of each other, with Alabama following hours later.

The Tennessee prisoner was executed for killing a motel maid in 1985, and the Oklahoma inmate for the 2003 murder of his girlfriend. In Alabama, a man was put to death Thursday evening for killing a 5-year-old girl he had paid her mother to abuse.

Although three executions in one day stemmed from a scheduling coincidence, it reflects a broader rise in U.S. capital punishment. Eleven states executed 47 people in 2025, the highest total since 2009. Following Thursday’s executions, 22 inmates have been put to death this year, with nearly a dozen more scheduled.

The last time three executions were carried out on the same day was on Jan. 7, 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio and Texas put inmates to death. Three executions were scheduled on the same day in 2018, but only one went forward after a Texas man was granted a reprieve and prison officials in Alabama had problems with the IV line.

Florida executed two men on the same day in July and has put 31 prisoners to death since the start of 2025.

Oklahoma prisoner said he regretted 2003 killing of girlfriend

Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, died by lethal injection at the state’s penitentiary in rural McAlester, the third person put to death this year in Oklahoma.

Cuesta-Rodriguez turned his head to look at his two relatives who attended and mouthed “I love you” but said he had no last words. His breathing was labored for several minutes before he was pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m. CDT.

Convicted of fatally shooting his girlfriend at their Oklahoma City home in 2003, Cuesta-Rodriguez had said he regretted killing Olimpia Fisher and told a board he didn’t want clemency. His attorneys said he had a difficult childhood in Cuba and suffered from brain damage and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Fisher, 43, planned to leave Cuesta-Rodriguez when he shot her in one eye and then he waited about eight minutes as she screamed for help before firing the fatal shot into her other eye.

Fisher’s daughters, Cinthya Allen and Katya Wallis, said in a statement that they hoped the execution brings awareness to preventing domestic violence and they honor their mother by “raising our families to reflect the love and faith in God that she taught us.”

Tennessee man challenged execution after previous one was halted

Anthony Darrell Hines received an injection in Tennessee for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jenkins. He was pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m. CDT.

Hines stabbed Jenkins to death while the 54-year-old was working as a motel maid in Kingston Springs.

Hines said “not right now, thank you” when asked if he had final words, then said, “Tell my son hello” before he died. Hines’ son witnessed the execution. He reconnected with his father four days earlier after not seeing him since he was 3 years old.

About four minutes after the curtain to the death chamber opened, Hines asked his spiritual adviser: “How long do I have?” Not long afterward, witnesses heard groans and heavy breathing as the spiritual adviser put her hands on his shoulders and prayed over him.

Afterward, Jenkins’ son detailed how his mother had only a plastic spray bottle to defend herself against the knife attack.

“I hope he felt severe pain because what he did to my mother is nothing compared to what he may have just gone through,” Dennis Jenkins said.

Hines’ execution comes just three months after the attempted lethal injection of another man was stopped after medical staff couldn’t establish a backup IV line for more than an hour.

Hines, 66, appealed unsuccessfully to the governor and the courts, saying that the doctor who oversaw the May execution was unqualified and likely to botch his execution as well.

Alabama man asked to be executed after pleading guilty to girl’s murder

Alabama executed Jeremy Williams for the 2021 rape and murder of the young Georgia girl. He was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. CDT following the injection.

“I want to thank God for forgiving me for my sins so I can meet him in peace,” Williams said in his final words. He rocked his head back and forth and smiled and appeared to sing or speak before slowing become still on the gurney.

A member of Williams’ family, who was seated near the media, cried quietly throughout the execution.

Williams, who pleaded guilty to killing Kamarie Holland, had declined to appeal and requested that his death sentence be carried out. In letters to the Alabama attorney general’s office, Williams sought an immediate execution date so his victim’s family “may have some type of closure and satisfaction which they deserve.”

Williams, 42, raped and strangled Holland after offering her mother $2,500 for the child to perform a sex act, prosecutors said, adding he filmed his attack.

“To see on video what he did to this baby, what a grown man could do to a child, it’s shocking, it’s horrible, it’s disgusting,” Russell County District Attorney Richard Chancey said. “It’s just a level of evil.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, in a statement after the execution, described the crime as “evil.”

“The unspeakable nature of this crime is exactly why we have the death penalty statute in the state of Alabama,” she said.

The girl’s mother is serving a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to sex trafficking.

Williams also was a suspect in the 2005 death of his infant daughter in Alaska but charges were not filed until 2022.

Corey Holland, Kamarie’s father, said she was an exuberant child who loved princesses and made people laugh.

“She loved playing dress-up, all her little Halloween costumes and her princess stuff I got her. She liked anything girly,” Corey Holland said.

It was Alabama’s first execution of the year. A nitrogen gas execution was put on hold in June after a federal judge ruled the method unconstitutional.

National figures show that in England the number of pupils getting top grades has risen again with 28.5 per cent getting A* or A compared with last year when 28.3 per cent of UK A-level entries were awarded those grades.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, 7.9 per cent of grades awarded were A* (an increase of 0.2 per cent from last year and 1.4 per cent since pre-pandemic rates), 25.7 per cent were A or A*, and 78.1 per cent of grades were C or above – falling slightly below the national average.

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Maxine Squire, Assistant Director, Education and Skills, City of York Council, said: “We are still awaiting full results data from schools and colleges across the city, but can confirm that students from York schools have once again continued to perform ahead of the national average.”

At York schools, the mood was a celebratory one with most centres outperforming their own results from previous years.

Francesca De Lashley, Head of Sixth Form at Archbishop Holgate’s in Badger Hill, said that she was “bursting with excitement” for this year’s graduates and that they were an asset to the school.

Ripon students celebrate a fantastic year (Image: Ripon Grammar School)

Thirty-nine per cent of all exam entries by the school were graded A* to A, 76 per cent of all entries graded A* to B, and 100 per cent of entries graded A* to E.

Headteacher Lucie Pond added: “To our Year 13s, many of whom have been part of the Archbishop Holgate’s community for seven years, congratulations on these excellent results. They are a true testament to your perseverance and the application you have shown throughout your studies.”

At Joseph Rowntree School in New Earswick, head teacher Mike Hewitt praised the cohort for their contributions both academically and within the school community.

Results Day at Joseph Rowntree (Image: Provided)

He said: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with this group of students throughout their time in our Sixth Form. As well as achieving great results, they have contributed to our wider school community and have been positive role models to our younger students.”

Huntington School also congratulated their students with head teacher Matt Smith saying: “We could not be prouder of this year group and we wish them every success and happiness for the future.”

Schools across the county also saw more students than ever moving abroad with Ripon student Lottie Whyte set to move to Paris and All Saints student Isaac Morris – who represented Great Britain in rowing – off to Princeton – among several others.

Ripon students celebrate a fantastic year (Image: Provided)

Also in York, nearly 40 per cent of students at The Mount achieved top A-level grades in this year’s results.

Seventy per cent of students earned grades A* to B, with 100 per cent of students achieving A* to B in nine subjects, including languages, English, geography, and art and design.

Anna Wilby, head of The Mount School, said: “We are all incredibly proud of each pupil’s commitment, resilience, and determination, approaching their studies and exams with a positive mindset to get these excellent, well-deserved results.”

A-level students at St Peters (Image: Provided)

St Peter’s School has also celebrated record A-level success this year. A record number of pupils achieved outstanding grades, with 20 per cent of all marks at A*, 51 per cent at A* and A, and more than 80 per cent at A* to B.

Further afield, more than two-thirds of A-level results were graded A*-B at Pocklington School.

The East Yorkshire school is celebrating A-level and BTEC results, with 67 per cent of A-level grades at A*-B and 66.7 per cent of students achieving at least one A or A*.

Selby College twins Molly Broadhead, left, and Nancie Broadhead who have secured places at their dream universities following their A-Level results (Image: Supplied)

Selby College class of 2026 achieved an overall pass rate of 98 per cent across all programmes, with more than a third of students (35.3 per cent) scoring top grades of A*, A or B.

Among them, twins Nancie Broadhead and Molly Broadhead are celebrating after securing places at their dream universities following their A-level results at Selby College.

Cllr Bob Webb, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Congratulations to all the young people receiving their A-level, T-level and vocational qualification results today. Your results are proof that young people have the drive to achieve great things and will do this city proud.

“These results reflect years of hard work, determination and commitment, and I would also like to thank parents, carers, teachers, support staff and families who have helped students reach this important milestone.”

Nigel Farage says he has won the Clacton by-election ‘fairly convincingly’, saying: ‘This is an overwhelming endorsement of me.’

The Reform UK leader is waiting to see if he has beaten his rivals – including Count Binface – to regain the seaside seat he won at the 2024 general election.

Speaking to GB News at a party-organised event in Essex, Mr Farage was asked whether he had won, and, in what is thought to be a nod to Count Binface, said: ‘Yeah, very convincingly, I’ve managed to beat the establishment candidate.’

He added: ‘Look, this is an overwhelming endorsement of me. I have had enough of being judged by mainstream media, being called a criminal.

‘Do you know, if I made one sin, if I haven’t filled in a piece of paper, I’ve broken no law, I’ve broken no tax law, I’ve taken no public money, I don’t even own a motorhome.

‘Maybe I haven’t filled in a piece of paper. I’m confident that I’m right, we’ll see where we go. I put this to the people of Clacton, said “you decide my future”, and tonight they will.’

The verdict on whether Mr Farage’s political gamble has paid off is not expected until near sunrise on Friday, due to the record 34 candidates in the contest.

The first ballot boxes began arriving at the Essex counting centre in the minutes after polls closed at 10pm. 

Ian Davidson, acting returning officer, said turnout was around 43 per cent – compared to a 58.7 per cent turnout when Farage was first elected in 2024.

It is the largest number ever for a Westminster by-election and has caused logistical problems for the vote count – not least because the ballot papers are almost a metre long.

Mr Farage quit as Clacton MP last month to trigger the by-election – at an estimated cost to taxpayers of £250,000 – in protest at scrutiny over his donations from wealthy backers.

The 62-year-old declared he was forcing a ‘people versus the Establishment’ contest, but the other political parties boycotted the race as they dismissed it as a ‘stunt’.

It left Count Binface, a perennial comedy candidate at Westminster contests, as the Reform leader’s most notable rival.

Actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox, three contenders from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and an array of independents also stood in the constituency.

Watch Live as the ballots are counted: 

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Count Binface speaks to Sky News as he makes appearance at the Clacton by-election polling station 

The first ballot boxes arrived shortly after 10pm. Turnout is around 43 per cent, according to the acting returning officer for the count

Mr Farage arrived at a polling station in the Essex constituency on Thursday morning after more than a month of campaigning.

‘Three guesses who I voted for!’, he posted on social media shortly after he filled in his ballot paper.

The success of the Reform leader’s campaign is likely to be judged in comparison with the 46.2 per cent of the vote – and a majority of 8,405 over his Conservative rival – that he won in Clacton in 2024.

He will be expected to comfortably beat that result in the by-election, due to the absence of any other main political parties. 

The 90cm-long ballot paper of all 34 by-election candidates has caused logistical problems for Tendring District Council and returning officer Ian Davidson.

The size of the ballot paper means larger tables than usual are being required at the count and the result will be announced on the floor of Clacton Leisure Centre rather than on a stage due to the number of candidates who would have to fit on it.

Photographers and TV cameras covering the count were advised by officials they will need a wide-angle lens to fit all the candidates into a single shot.

Before quitting the House of Commons, Mr Farage was being investigated by a parliamentary watchdog over a £5million gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne, which he received before he won his Clacton seat in 2024.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift ‘could not be reasonably thought by others’ to relate to their political activities.

That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat but will resume if he wins the by-election – as is widely expected by bookmakers who have made him the firm favourite to win the contest.

The Reform leader could also face an investigation over support provided by George Cottrell, a convicted criminal and long-term ally.

Mr Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’s social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property he rented near Buckingham Palace.

Count Binface being interviewed on Sky News inside Clacton Leisure Centre

Independent candidate Daniel Pocock arrives at the polling station in Clacton

Forward Party candidate Adham Alkhatip, an engineering student at Queen Mary University, at Clacton Leisure Centre

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Kai Stevens of the British democratic party arriving at Clacton Leisure Centre

Members of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party arrive at Clacton Leisure Centre as election workers review ballots after voting closed in the Clacton by-election

The Clacton by-election is the largest number ever for a Westminster by-election and has caused logistical problems for the vote count. Pictured: Members of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party arrive at Clacton Leisure Centre

Ballot boxes are carried into the counting venue in Clacton-on-Sea in the minutes after polls closed

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A replica model of Count Binface was erected in the Essex constituency in support of the comedy candidate 

Election workers begin the arduous task of sorting ballot papers, a task that will continue late into the night

Mr Farage arrived at a polling station in the Essex constituency on Thursday morning after more than a month of campaigning 

A boycott by Britain’s main political parties left Count Binface, a perennial comedy candidate at Westminster contests, as Mr Farage’s most notable rival in Clacton

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Ahead of polling day on Thursday, Mr Farage said the by-election was a chance to ‘stick two fingers up to the establishment’.

He continued: ‘At the beginning of summer we called this by-election to give the people of Clacton the chance to have their say on the endless political attacks on me, my family and those around me.

‘It’s given us the opportunity to knock on tens of thousands of doors, making the affirmative case for what I’ve done for the area, and what Reform will do for Britain.’

He added ‘it’s not just about me, it’s about the people versus the establishment’.

The 34 candidates standing in Clacton marks a new high for the most candidates standing in a single seat.

The previous record was 26, set at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in July 2008, which was triggered by Tory David Davis in his own seat and was similarly ignored by the main Westminster parties.