The Labour Party is united behind Andy Burnham as its next leader, two senior party figures have told the BBC.

The party set out a timeline for a leadership contest following Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation earlier this week, but there is scant evidence of support for any contenders other than Burnham.

Former defence minister Al Carns has said a speech on Monday, in which Burnham will set out his economic policy, will decide whether he challenges him for the Labour leadership.

Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell and Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who had stayed loyal to Sir Keir, both said that Labour MPs were backing a coronation of Burnham, rather than a contest.

“I’m pleased that actually what it looks like is we’re probably going to have just the one candidate in Andy Burnham,” Powell told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.

“How refreshing that would be – that the whole Labour Party is agreed on the new leader and we don’t have to go through a contest that could be damaging at this point in time.

“Now we’ve all got to get behind that leader and stop the kind of infighting and chitter chatter from the background.”

Reed agreed the party was “going to move very swiftly to uniting behind Andy Burnham” without “turning inwards”, which he described as absolutely essential.

While a general election is not necessary to replace a prime minister, calling one is seen as a test of a new prime minister’s support among the public.

Powell was among then-opposition figures to call for a general election when the Conservatives forced Liz Truss out of office as prime minister in 2022.

But she denied that it was hypocritical that she did not want one to test a new Labour leader.

“I think we were in very particular times after Liz Truss crashed the economy,” she said, adding: “People want us to get on with the job and deliver the change they want to see.”

Reed, too, said this time was very different as the Tories had repeatedly changed leader while in government.

He said he was backing Burnham, but insisted Labour owed a debt of gratitude to Sir Keir.

Demi Leigh Davies, 17, was a passenger in Leon Callaghan’s car when she was killed on the M65 motorway

The life of a Lancashire teenager described as beautiful, funny, caring and selfless, was cruelly cut short when the car she was a passenger in crashed on the M65.

Demi Leigh Davies, 17, was a passenger in the car Leon Callaghan was driving when she was killed. Callaghan, now 19, was driving at speeds of up to 113mph when he lost control of his Seat Ibiza near Junction 9 of the M65 in the early hours of October 2, 2024.

Lancashire Police said Callaghan was driving in a dedicated exit lane when he carried out a late manoeuvre to rejoin the main carriageway.

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The car hit a bullnose point and lost control, crossing all three lanes, hitting the central reservation, and rebounding back towards the hard shoulder. The car then struck the barrier and rolled several times before coming to rest on the embankment.

Tragically, Demi Leigh, from Darwen, suffered multiple injuries and was sadly pronounced dead at the hospital. Two other passengers, girls aged 17 and 19, also suffered serious injuries but have since recovered. Callaghan was also seriously injured.

Callaghan, of Harwood Street, Darwen, admitted causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing earlier this year. This week, he appeared before Preston Crown Court on Friday, June 26, where he was jailed for five years and three months.

When questioned later, Callaghan claimed he had blacked out at the start of his manoeuvre, did not remember driving at over 100mph and that his foot must have got stuck between the pedals, causing the excessive speed, said Lancashire Police.

‘Her future was taken from her’

Demi had just been offered her first job in a care home, a role her mum said she would be perfect for, given her caring nature.

In a victim personal statement read to the court on behalf of the family, Demi’s mum, Gemma, said continuing to live when Demi wasn’t there was the most difficult and heartbreaking struggle she had ever had to go through.

She added: “There are no words that can truly describe the pain of losing a child. Every day I wake up with the reality that my daughter is gone.

“Every day I am reminded that I will never hear her voice again, never hear her laugh again, never be able to hold her again or hear her call me mum.

“As a family, we will never see Demi become the woman she was meant to be. We will never see her progress in the career she had just begun. We will never see her achieve her dreams, fall in love, get married, or have children of her own.

“We will never know what her future would have looked like because it was taken from her before she had the chance to live it.

“Demi was only beginning her journey into adulthood. She had her whole future ahead of her. That future was stolen from her, and our family has been left to live with that loss every single day.

“Nothing can undo the pain and suffering that her death has caused. We have been given a life sentence of grief, and we will carry that burden for the rest of our lives.”

Detective Constable Olivia Maidment, of Lancashire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Demi Leigh was clearly a much loved young woman with her whole life ahead of her and my thoughts today are with all of her loved ones.

“Nothing can ever compensate for the loss of a life, but I hope at least that this sentence gives Demi Leigh’s family some sense that justice has been done.”

Callaghan will also be banned from driving for seven years after his release and have to take an extended test before he can get behind the wheel again.

The £1 billion scheme aims to improve journeys between Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire

A roundabout is set to open by next summer, after works began in 2023. National Highways continues its work on the Black Cat roundabout on the A1.

The £1 billion scheme is turning the roundabout into a three-tier junction, with a new A421 flyover above the roundabout and an underpass below it. It’s also extending a new 10-mile dual carriageway from the Black Cat roundabout to Caxton Gibbet.

National Highways has given an update on the works and the road opening, which will be carried out in phases.

A National Highways spokesperson said: “As construction moves towards completion, we’re pleased to share our plans for opening the new road and junction improvements that will help make journeys across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire quicker, safer and more reliable.

“In spring 2027, we’ll open the majority of the scheme, including the new 10-mile A421 dual carriageway between Black Cat junction in Bedfordshire and Caxton Gibbet in Cambridgeshire. The final phase of the scheme will open in mid-summer 2027, when the new A1 underpass at Black Cat junction comes into use.

“By opening the scheme in phases, road users will be able to benefit from the new road and junction improvements sooner, with safer, quicker and more reliable journeys between Milton Keynes, Bedford, St Neots and Cambridge.”

The final part of the scheme – creating the A1 underpass – has been the “most complex” part of the project, National Highways said.

The spokesperson added: “During construction, we discovered a higher than expected number of unrecorded underground services, including water, gas and telecommunications services, which needed to be safely moved before work could continue.”

A further update on confirmed opening dates will be shared in early 2027.

The US Supreme Court will conclude its current term in the coming days, with a series of pivotal decisions still pending, including three cases that scrutinise Donald Trump’s expansive of presidential authority.

The court, which holds a 6-3 conservative majority, has seven disputes yet to be resolved and has scheduled Monday as its next day for issuing rulings. Supreme Court terms typically commence in October and conclude around the end of June, occasionally extending into early July.

The cases involving Donald Trump centre on actions taken last year: his attempts to dismiss a member of the US Federal Reserve Board of Governors and a member of the Federal Trade Commission, alongside an executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship. These actions collectively test the established boundaries of presidential powers.

Beyond these, the court is also set to rule on two significant election-related cases and one concerning state-level bans on transgender athletes.

The Republican president has recently seen favourable outcomes from the court, securing victories in two immigration-related cases on Thursday. Furthermore, since his return to office last year, the court has backed him in multiple emergency rulings, allowing policies previously blocked by lower courts to proceed while legal challenges continued. However, the court delivered a notable setback in February when it rejected his sweeping tariffs, which were issued under legislation intended for national emergencies.

FIRING FEDERAL OFFICIALS

The justices signaled skepticism during arguments in January toward Trump’s bid to fire the Fed’s Lisa Cook, a move ⁠that threatened the central bank’s independence.

No other president has tried to fire a Fed official since its founding in 1913. In creating the Fed, Congress passed ​a law that included ⁠provisions meant to insulate it from political interference, requiring governors to ‌be removed by a president only “for cause.” The statute does not define the term nor establish procedures for removal.

Trump cited unsubstantiated mortgage fraud allegations — denied by Cook — to justify the firing. Cook, who has remained in the post while the case plays out, called the allegations a pretext to oust her over monetary policy differences. The conservative justices during ‌arguments in December signaled they would uphold Trump’s firing of Democratic Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter ‌over policy differences. Lower courts ruled Trump exceeded his authority.

U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, arguing for the administration, urged the justices to overturn a Supreme Court precedent in a 1935 case called Humphrey’s Executor v. United States that has constrained presidential power by protecting the heads of certain independent agencies from removal. The court in recent decades has narrowed the precedent’s reach but stopped short of overturning it.

The conservative justices appeared sympathetic to the administration’s arguments ⁠that tenure protections given by Congress to the heads of independent agencies encroach on presidential powers under the U.S. Constitution. The court last year let Trump remove Slaughter while the case proceeded.

ELECTION-RELATED CASES

Two election-related decisions are due as the November midterm elections loom, with Republicans seeking to retain control of Congress. The conservative justices signaled skepticism during arguments in March toward a Mississippi law challenged by Republicans that permits a five-day grace period for mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted. That case could lead to stricter voting rules around the country.

The administration argued in favor of the challenge. Mississippi’s law permits mail-in ballots sent by eligible voters to be counted if they were postmarked on or before Election Day but received up to five business days after a federal election. A lower court ruled against the law. Trump, who has made false claims about widespread fraud ‌in U.S. elections, issued an executive order in March to restrict mail-in ballots nationwide, but a federal judge in Boston on Thursday blocked its implementation. The court ​heard arguments in December in a Republican-led bid to strike down federal limits on spending by political parties in coordination with candidates in a case ‌involving Vice President JD Vance. Some of the conservative justices appeared sympathetic toward the ⁠challenge. The court’s liberal members seemed inclined to preserve the restrictions.

The dispute centers on whether these limits violate the Constitution’s First Amendment protection against government abridgment ⁠of freedom of speech. A lower court upheld the restrictions.

TRANSGENDER ATHLETES

The court heard arguments in January over the legality of laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender athletes from female sports teams at public schools including ‌universities. The conservative justices appeared ready to uphold the ​laws. The states said the measures preserve fair competition for women and girls. Critics see them ‌as part of wider efforts to restrict the rights of transgender Americans.

‘GEOFENCE’ ​WARRANTS

The court heard arguments in April in a case from Virginia involving whether law enforcement’s use of a “geofence” warrant to identify potential suspects based on data from cellphones near crime scenes violates the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment bar on unreasonable searches.

Marcus Rashford’s girlfriend, Lucia Loi, uploaded an emotional social media post at World Cup 2026

Marcus Rashford’s girlfriend, Lucia Loi, has shared details of her struggle with endometriosis in a heartfelt social media message. The 28-year-old was present as Rashford featured in England’s 2-0 World Cup 2026 victory against Panama.

The Three Lions have advanced to the knockout rounds in North America and Manchester United’s Rashford, who netted in the first group fixture against Croatia, shone on the left wing in the third match.

Supporting him from the stands in New Jersey was his childhood partner Loi, who began her relationship with Rashford when she was approximately 15 years old.

Earlier this week, Loi posted a photograph to Instagram showing herself in bed crying and in the accompanying text, she revealed her experiences with endometriosis while offering solidarity to others living with the condition.

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Loi wrote in her post: “This was me last night. I had my heels on, my makeup done, and I was ready to go and celebrate my friend’s birthday. Endometriosis had other ideas.

“I’ve been meaning to post about this for so long, but I never really found the courage. Last night, though, I felt so much anger at the fact that so many women go through this while there are so few effective treatment options and the condition remains so under-researched.

“Over time, I have found some things that have helped to an extent and intend to share more of that. I’m sending so much love to anyone living with a women’s health condition.”

The NHS describes endometriosis as a chronic condition where tissue resembling the womb lining develops outside of it, typically on organs within the pelvis. Throughout a menstrual cycle, this displaced tissue thickens, deteriorates, and bleeds in the same way as normal uterine lining.

Yet, because it remains trapped outside the womb with no means of leaving the body, it triggers serious internal inflammation, agonising pelvic pain, excruciating periods, the development of scar tissue and possible fertility complications. There is presently no definitive cure and it is thought to affect one in ten women across the UK.

Loi’s post received an outpouring of supportive comments, including from numerous fellow wives and girlfriends. Megan Pickford, partner of England goalkeeper Jordan, wrote: “Oh my darling, such an important message.” Jack Grealish’s partner, Sasha Attwood, commented: “Love you special girl.”

The 28-year-old met Rashford when they both attended Ashton-on-Mersey School in Greater Manchester and while she supported him throughout his United and England rise to prominence, they separated in 2021, maintaining a close friendship.

Their romance reignited in 2022 and Rashford subsequently proposed, but the wedding plans were abandoned and they parted ways again in 2023. Nevertheless, following Rashford’s loan transfer to Barcelona, the pair resumed their relationship once more and Loi is accompanying him in North America as the Three Lions strive to bring football home.

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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Police were called to the scene at Cowbury Reservoir at around 6.30pm on Saturday, June 27, following reports of a teenager struggling in the water.

Emergency services including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) responded, and specialist teams later recovered a body from the water.

Chief Inspector Helen Baxter said:

“Yesterday’s events are nothing short of devastating and my thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the young boy who sadly lost his life in such awful circumstances.

“We are confident that there are no suspicious circumstances and that this is such a sad reminder of the dangers of entering open water.

“We remind the public to please avoid being tempted to cool off in reservoirs, rivers, canals or ponds.

“We all want to enjoy the warm weather; please make sure you do so in a safe way.”

Formal identification has taken place and the boy’s family have been informed.

Detectives from Tameside CID believe there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Housed inside the town’s decommissioned Victorian railway station, it has become one of Europe’s largest second‑hand bookshops and a must‑stop for bookworms visiting the North East.

Opened in 1991 by Stuart and Mary Manley, Barter Books was founded on a simple swap system – customers could trade in their old books for credit and walk out with armfuls of new reads.

The couple transformed the disused Alnwick station, designed by Victorian architect William Bell in 1887, into a warm, labyrinthine space filled with shelves, armchairs and roaring fires.

But part of what makes Barter Books so beloved is the sense that it’s more than just a shop.

There are model trains rattling along tracks over the shelves, quotes from famous writers painted on the walls, and corners where you can tuck yourself away with a coffee and a book for an hour or an afternoon.

The shop attracts more than 350,000 visitors a year, with around 40 per cent of them travelling from outside the area.

One visitor on Tripadvisor described it as a “lovely old station building packed full with every book imaginable”, the sort of place you go in for a browse and inevitably come out with something.

Barter Books is also closely linked to one of Britain’s most recognisable slogans.

In the early 2000s, a forgotten wartime “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster was rediscovered in a box of books in the shop, helping to spark the design’s global revival and cementing Barter Books’ place in modern pop culture.

Today the shop is open every day from 9am to 7pm, including Sundays and most bank holidays, making it an easy detour for anyone heading to Alnwick Castle, the beach or the surrounding countryside.

Alongside the shelves there’s a buffet café and an ice‑cream parlour, making it one of those rare attractions that can keep book lovers, families and casual browsers equally happy under one ornate station roof.

The fleet includes an aircraft that is used by the Prime Minister and the royal family

Huge military aircraft will temporarily operate from an airport near Cambridgeshire during improvement work at RAF Brize Norton. The A330 Voyager fleet are normally located at the base in Oxfordshire but will be moved elsewhere for several months.

The fleet includes an aircraft that bears the Union Jack and is used by the Prime Minister and members of the royal family. The A330 Voyager fleet will operate from Prestwick, East Midlands, and Stansted airports between July and November.

Voyager is a military version of the Airbus A330 Airliner. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) say it is designed as a dual role air-to-air refuelling and air transport aircraft.

Voyager is being moved alongside the Atlas and Globemaster fleets while essential resurfacing and improvement works are done on the airfield operating surface at RAF Brize Norton. The RAF say it is a planned programme of modernisation work designed to ensure the base remains fully operational and fit for the decades to come.

The RAF say there is no cause for public concern and that the UK’s military air mobility capability is not diminished by the works. The Atlas and Globemaster fleets will operate primarily out of MoD Boscombe Down with occasional use of Bournemouth Airport.

All aircraft that are normally located at RAF Brize Norton will begin moving to their temporary alternative locations in July. Once the resurfacing work has been completed the aircraft are expected to return in late November.

Fifa has committed to reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and to reaching net-zero by 2040.

For this year’s tournament, the world football governing body set out a number of environmental pledges, including:

However, even before the first ball was kicked on 11 June, there was scepticism from some climate scientists given the scale of the tournament.

A 2025 report from Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) estimated the overall carbon footprint of this World Cup could reach nine million tonnes of CO2e.

It said this would equate to almost double the average for the past four World Cups, making this year’s tournament the most polluting ever.

In 2023, a Swiss regulator said Fifa had “made false statements” by claiming that Qatar 2022 would be the first carbon-neutral World Cup in history by using investments in low-carbon initiatives to offset emissions.

In response to the ruling, Fifa said it is “fully aware that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and believes it requires each of us to take immediate and sustainable climate action”.

Infantino attended all 64 matches at the last World Cup in Qatar, where the eight stadiums used were separated by about an hour’s drive at most – but this year’s tournament spanning an entire continent presents a very different challenge.

Additional reporting by Mark Poynting.