Annette Belcher

A fast-moving wildfire near Saumos in France’s Gironde department has burned about 2,000 hectares and prompted the evacuation of nearly 12,000 residents and tourists, many from campsites around Arcachon Bay and Lège-Cap-Ferret. Extreme heat and dry conditions have intensified the blaze, while firefighters work to prevent it from reaching surrounding tourist resorts.

Forecasts indicate a prolonged and intense heatwave across Liverpool and Merseyside, with temperatures expected to reach up to 34C and persist through the end of July. Weather models show a strong high‑pressure system driving extreme heat, elevated UV levels, and tropical nights above 20C. Emergency services have issued wildfire warnings due to dry conditions. Meteorologists note a slight temperature dip later in the week, though conditions will remain generally hot and dry.

Andy Burnham is set to become the next UK Prime Minister after securing 349 nominations from Labour MPs, making any leadership challenge mathematically impossible. As the sole candidate to succeed Keir Starmer, he will be confirmed as Labour leader at a special conference before officially taking office on July 20. Burnham’s overwhelming support from the Parliamentary Labour Party cements his path to Number 10, with final engagements including an online hustings with MPs.

Police believe a mother and her two daughters found dead in their Bedford home were murdered, with the husband and father, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, suspected of fleeing to Zimbabwe. Family members issued a tribute requesting privacy, while both children's schools shared messages honouring the victims. Authorities continue the investigation and have released CCTV of the suspect, who reportedly travelled out of the UK via Heathrow.

A drunk driver, Kyle Patrick, received an eight‑year prison sentence for causing the death of 19‑year‑old Erin Slane and seriously injuring another passenger after driving at excessive speeds and crashing in Perthshire. Slane had texted friends expressing fear shortly before the accident. The judge condemned Patrick’s prolonged reckless driving while impaired by alcohol, noting the devastation caused to the victim’s family.

Two teenagers, 17-year-old Zachary Steinke and 19-year-old employee Michael Nash, died in 1993 when a bungee cage at the Beach Bungee attraction in South Carolina fell 150 feet after operators replaced a faulty hoist with an unsuitable shrimping winch. A federal case secured a $12 million judgment against the owners, who were found personally liable for bypassing safety systems, and a later state case resulted in a $2 million verdict against the South Carolina Department of Labor for regulatory failures.