Veronique Hawksworth

JD Wetherspoon will open two new central London pubs: Piccadilly Hall at the Trocadero on October 13, 2026, and The Benjamin Franklin on The Strand near Charing Cross Station on November 24. The Benjamin Franklin will accommodate up to 320 customers and operate without live entertainment or outdoor seating after Wetherspoon won a planning appeal and secured a licence. The openings form part of a 12-pub UK expansion, despite slower sales growth, higher labour and operating costs, and an estimated £60 million in additional wage and National Insurance expenses.

Lee Nelhams was sentenced to 35 months in prison and banned from driving for four years after losing control of a Vauxhall Corsa while overtaking on Tudor Drive in Kingston-upon-Thames in 2022. The car struck a bus stop and seriously injured a schoolboy, who spent almost three months in hospital, including two weeks in a coma, and suffered life-changing brain, skull, leg and eye injuries. The court heard that the boy has fallen behind at school, experiences anxiety and isolation, and may need supported living while pursuing university. The judge described the dangerous driving as causing profound physical and lifelong harm; Nelhams had pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

An unidentified man died from hypoxia, hypothermia and cardiac arrest after hiding in the landing gear compartment of an Air Arabia flight from Tangier to Gatwick. Aircraft wheel wells expose stowaways to extreme cold, dangerously low oxygen levels, crushing machinery and the risk of falling during landing-gear deployment. Most people who attempt such journeys are believed to be fleeing poverty, conflict or persecution, with refugee advocates arguing that a lack of safe legal migration routes contributes to the risks. Although survival is exceptionally rare, documented cases include several people who survived flights under more favorable circumstances, such as shorter distances, lower altitudes or unusual weather-related flight conditions.

Residents across Bexley received a fraudulent letter bearing the council's logo that claimed asylum seekers would be housed locally and urged people to keep daughters indoors, dress modestly and protect pets and property. Bexley Council confirmed the document was not genuine and referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police, urging recipients to contact its Community Safety team. The realistic-looking letter prompted alarm and criticism of social-media scaremongering, while residents called for those responsible to be identified.

More than seven million 10p coins featuring King Charles III’s portrait are entering UK circulation: 600,000 dated 2023 and 6.5 million dated 2026. The coins are being issued through banks, post offices and Royal Mint outlets in response to demand, while Queen Elizabeth II coins remain legal tender. Their reverse features the capercaillie bird as part of a British flora and fauna series intended to raise awareness of the species’ conservation status. The launch comes as cash use continues to decline, with UK Finance reporting that cash represented 8% of UK payments in 2025 and forecasting it will fall to 4% by 2035.

Zara Ishfaq suffered a severe perineal tear during a traumatic three-day labour at Whipps Cross Hospital in December 2021, but the injury was not officially diagnosed for more than two years despite repeated symptoms. The delayed diagnosis led to worsening bowel complications, repair surgery, sepsis during a later pregnancy and the need for a stoma bag. Barts Health NHS Trust admitted a breach of duty and accepted that earlier detection would probably have prevented the serious complications. Zara is now campaigning for better maternity care, earlier recognition of birth injuries and greater awareness of the elevated risk of obstetric anal sphincter injuries among women of South Asian heritage.

easyJet is launching a UK cabin crew recruitment campaign aimed particularly at workers over 50, reporting that its number of cabin crew aged over 50 has more than doubled since 2022. The roles offer a £22,000 base salary plus flight-sector pay and onboard-sales commission, along with travel and other discounts. Emirates is also seeking experienced pilots through a London roadshow, offering relocation to Dubai, tax-free annual compensation of up to 1,185,000 AED, accommodation, health insurance and education benefits.

The NHS will offer free at-home HPV self-testing kits to around four million women in England aged 30 to 65 who are overdue for cervical screening. Invitations will be sent through the NHS App, text, email or post, and recipients can order a kit, collect a vaginal sample with a swab and return it to an NHS laboratory. Those testing positive for high-risk HPV will be invited for clinician-led cervical screening. The rollout aims to address barriers such as embarrassment, time constraints and concerns about discomfort, as only 68.8% of eligible women currently attend screening compared with an 80% target. NHS officials, the government, The Eve Appeal and Cancer Research UK support the scheme, while emphasizing that self-testing complements rather than replaces clinical screening.

BBC Weather forecasts a significant chance of thunderstorms and rain in London on Friday and Saturday of the August bank holiday weekend, while the Met Office expects rain on Friday but a dry Saturday with no thunder. The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for Wednesday, August 26. Both services forecast sunny conditions for Sunday and Monday, with temperatures in the low twenties. A partial lunar eclipse is also expected on Friday, with about 93% of the Moon entering Earth's deepest shadow, although stormy weather could obscure viewing.

Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short were spotted filming the sixth season of Only Murders in the Building in Covent Garden, London. Footage shows the actors’ characters gathering around a red telephone box, with Short’s character opening a paper bag for Gomez and Martin to inspect. The upcoming season is also set to feature Olivia Colman, David Tennant, Nicola Coughlan, Simone Ashley and Martin Freeman.

Virgin Trains has received approval from the Office of Rail and Road to operate up to 20 daily return services through the Channel Tunnel from 2030. The proposed routes would connect London St Pancras with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, with the company suggesting fares could be cheaper than Eurostar's. Virgin has secured access to Eurostar's Temple Mills depot but still needs additional rail-network access and safety approvals. The services would challenge Eurostar's long-standing dominance, while rival Gemini Trains is also planning Channel Tunnel routes to Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport and Cologne.

A partial lunar eclipse is due on Friday, August 28, with 93% of the Moon expected to pass into Earth’s darkest shadow and maximum coverage at 5:12am. It should be visible across the UK and Ireland and requires no protective eyewear, but London’s viewing prospects are uncertain because the Met Office forecasts cloud, a 50% chance of rain, and possible thunderstorms. If conditions clear, the eclipse will be best viewed from an elevated location with an unobstructed southwestern outlook.