Andy Burnham outlines new rules to outlaw ‘rip-off’ private parking fines

19 October 2026 at 22:30

Drivers to get five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave after their session ends

Drivers will get a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave after their parking session ends before they face a fine under new rules for private car parks that Andy Burnham said were designed to outlaw “rip-off” charges.

In the latest in a series of “everyday fixes” to ease the cost of living and give consumers a “fairer” deal, the prime minister said a new official code of practice for the industry meant motorists in England, Scotland and Wales would enjoy a range of new rights.

Masts removed from bomb-laden WWII ship in Thames in bid to avoid explosion

The Guardian - World news

By: Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent

19 October 2026 at 17:21

American warship sank in 1944 with approximately 1,400 tonnes of munitions onboard

A sunken US wartime ship in the Thames estuary holding enough unexploded bombs to devastate a Kent coastal town and send a tidal wave through London has been made slightly safer, ministers have announced.

Engineers have removed the masts of the SS Richard Montgomery – a second world war cargo ship that sank in 1944 with approximately 1,400 tonnes of munitions onboard – without triggering the kind of feared explosion that has kept the wreck under constant guard for decades.

Bank of England said to be reviewing Barclays’ handling of private credit loans

The Guardian - World news

By: Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent

19 October 2026 at 16:16

Concerns financial contracts known as derivatives were incorrectly logged, potentially boosting Barclays’ profits

The Bank of England is reportedly looking into Barclays’ handling of loans linked to the embattled private credit sector.

The Bank’s regulatory arm, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), started reviewing the matter this year after concerns were raised by a Barclays insider, according to the Financial Times.

Stop ‘cash to trash’ housebuilding in Norfolk Broads, says Labour MP

The Guardian - World news

By: Sandra Laville Environment correspondent

19 October 2026 at 13:20

Exclusive: Chris Hinchliff urges environment watchdog to block rules that will allow almost 16,000 new homes in one of UK’s most protected areas

The environment watchdog is being urged to intervene in “cash to trash” planning rules that will allow almost 16,000 new homes in the Norfolk Broads despite the damage to one of the UK’s most environmentally protected areas.

Labour’s flagship planning reforms allow damage to protected habitats and species to be overlooked if developers pay into a central nature restoration fund, which is used for conservation actions at a later date. These environmental delivery plans (EDPs) have been called “cash to trash” by critics, who say they roll back decades of environmental law and are a “licence to kill nature”.

To Find Criminals and Child Exploitation in Gold Mines, We Just Had to Look

NYT - Top Stories

By: Justin Scheck

19 October 2026 at 11:59

Layers of people certify that gold is free from rights abuses and criminality. Nobody makes them leave their desks.

Labor abuses and criminality are not hard to find in the world’s unlicensed gold mines. Assuming someone visits.

Four arrested after police officer shot in foot in Nottingham

The Guardian - World news

By: Josh Halliday North of England editor

19 October 2026 at 11:17

Officer in stable condition after incident in city centre in early hours of Sunday

Four people have been arrested after a police officer was shot in the foot in Nottingham city centre.

The officer was struck by a projectile believed to have been fired from a shotgun after approaching two suspects in the early hours of Sunday morning.

To Find Criminals and Child Exploitation in Gold Mines, We Just Had to Look

NYT - Top Stories

By: Justin Scheck

19 October 2026 at 10:01

Layers of people certify that gold is free from rights abuses and criminality. Nobody makes them leave their desks.

Seabird numbers bounce back in Solent region after 2022 avian flu wipeout

The Guardian - World news

By: Patrick Barkham

19 October 2026 at 07:00

Conservation work by RSPB has led to recovery of terns, gulls, plovers and oystercatchers on England’s south coast

The colony of sandwich terns nesting at Pagham harbour, West Sussex, was completely wiped out by bird flu in 2022. But numbers have bounced back from zero to 756 breeding pairs in just three years after conservation work in the Solent.

Up to 20 maternity units in England may have to shut, NHS leader warns

The Guardian - World news

By: Denis Campbell Health policy editor

19 October 2026 at 06:00

Exclusive: NHS Alliance’s acute care director says centralisation of services ‘inevitable’ to ensure safe care

Why are some NHS maternity units facing closure?

Up to 20 maternity units in England will have to shut to ensure mothers and babies receive safe care amid shortages of doctors and rising caesarean section rates, an NHS leader has warned.

Matthew Hopkins, the NHS Alliance’s director for acute care, said centralising childbirth services into fewer hospitals was “inevitable” and the “right thing”, but would lead to a political backlash against unpopular changes.

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