Rosie Shead

Seven-year-old Musa Ahmed died on July 28, six days after being rescued from the sea at West Mersea, Essex, where he suffered a hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury. His 15-year-old cousin Sameeha Rahman and her mother, 41-year-old Shelina Rahman, also died after getting into difficulty in the water during a family holiday. A Chelmsford inquest heard that provisional post-mortem causes of death were drowning for all three, with Musa’s death also involving the brain injury. The inquest was adjourned until January 19, 2027.

Octopus Energy is urging customers to reduce electricity use between 6pm and 8pm during Wednesday’s solar eclipse, when more than 90% of the Sun will be obscured over parts of the UK and solar generation is expected to fall sharply. The company says lower demand could ease pressure on the grid and reduce the need for additional fossil-fuel generation. Customers who cut their usage for at least 30 minutes may receive a free hour of electricity on Sunday. The warning follows a record-sunny July in which solar power supplied 14.4% of the UK’s electricity.

A major incident was declared in Suffolk after a wildfire at Dunwich Heath near Leiston spread across about 100 hectares. More than 100 firefighters and 18 engines were deployed, while Cliff House Holiday Park was evacuated and residents were sheltered by the local community. EDF said Sizewell B operations were unaffected, and Sizewell C assessed the immediate risk as low, though both sites continued monitoring the fire, smoke and road conditions. The blaze damaged parts of the RSPB Minsmere nature reserve and threatened rare bird habitats, with conservation officials warning that recovery could take more than a decade. Green Party leader Zack Polanski called for an emergency Cobra meeting as wildfires continued amid drought and high temperatures across Britain.

Robert Bush, formerly involved in operating Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, is facing sentencing after admitting to 31 additional charges, including preventing the lawful and decent burial of deceased people and theft from charities, alongside previously admitted fraud offences. The remains of Sunny Beverley-Conlin, a baby who was stillborn in 2022, were found almost two years later in a brown paper bag on the floor of Bush’s premises, despite the family having been told that the baby had been cremated and receiving ashes. Jasmine Beverley and three other mothers gave emotional statements describing the renewed trauma and loss of trust caused by receiving incorrect ashes or learning that their babies had not been handled with dignity. Bush remains in custody while the sentencing hearing continues.