31 July 2026, in sixty words

On Friday, the European Commission confirmed no irregular migrants travelled from Ceuta to the European mainland.

Bev Craig has assumed the role of Mayor of Greater Manchester, taking over from Andy Burnham, who is now the Prime Minister.

Ten people have been sentenced under a law that criminalises piloting a small boat across the Channel, in force since January, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

K-pop supergroup BTS is back on tour after a four-year break.

The study by King's College London aims to recruit over 220 young people aged 11 to 16 starting in August.

British band Massive Attack has been banned from Singapore after its members reportedly showed a Palestinian flag and shouted "free Palestine" at a concert on Wednesday.

Speaking to his top team at the Camp David presidential retreat, he said handing over such advanced weaponry was simply too risky.

Sterling climbed more than 1% against the dollar in July, ending two consecutive months of falling value.

The closures wipe out just over a tenth of the bookmaker's entire UK high street estate, leaving it with 1,094 branches.

The RAC motoring group says a tank of diesel is now £10 more expensive, climbing to 179p a litre.

While visiting Sheffield on Friday, Burnham said his own experience with the Hillsborough disaster makes him want to protect the justice system.

The chancellor promised his upcoming financial plan will shift power and money away from Westminster into communities across Britain.

Expensive oil and strong company profits drove the wider market higher, even though London's top share index dropped 0.3% on Friday.

The addition brings the total number of restricted businesses to 187, making it the largest single increase since the law began.

Jonathan Reeves lost his London compliance job in 2022 right before finishing a six-month break to care for his new child.

A Wall Street Journal report claims advisers have discussed selling or closing Tesla's China operations to help a possible merger with SpaceX.

Apple's outgoing CEO, Tim Cook, suggested that an upgraded Siri AI could include paywalled features for heavy users.

Fake events can now be inserted into real satellite maps.

Italy has ordered its sea and air borders with Spain closed, suspending free movement under Schengen after thousands of migrants swam into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.

DeepSeek has launched the official API for its DeepSeek-V4-Flash model in public beta, offering significantly improved Agent capabilities.

Gamma irradiation from India's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is being used by Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth university to breed a climate-resilient strawberry, breaking total reliance on imported plant varieties.

Over 3.4 billion people, nearly half the global population, live in nations spending more on debt repayment than on health and education.

Chelsea Football Club has been fined £10 million and received a suspended two-window transfer ban for breaking agent rules.

Marrone, a new cafe dedicated entirely to tiramisu, is opening in central London on August 15.

Chancellor John Healey will deliver his first budget on 28 October, promising to move power and money out of Westminster.

Microsoft Advertising is retiring its 'Predictive Matching' feature for search campaigns, which helped advertisers find new search queries.

Amazon has confirmed that updates have been applied to over 984 million product titles since June 2026, with AI-generated recommendations commencing on July 27.

More than 750,000 young adults might be missing out on an average payout of £2,200 from Child Trust Funds.

A US State Department presentation in Brazil on Sunday, at an AIDS conference, displayed an African map with every country incorrectly identified.

Apple's stock dropped 7% on Friday after the company predicted slower sales growth for the current quarter, missing Wall Street's 12% estimate.

Apple is reportedly preparing a major redesign for its iPhone 20, which is expected to launch in September 2027.

Residents in central London lost their High Court challenge on Friday against the government's decision to approve a new Chinese super-embassy.

ExfilSquad, a hacking group, alleges it has pilfered more than 740,000 data items from the Department for Education and a police legal database.

The US passport has fallen to its lowest position since 2016, now tied with Iceland at 10th place in a global index.

Around 50 firefighters are battling a blaze at Middlewick Ranges nature reserve in Colchester, which is now surrounded.

Royal Mail advises customers to write the address in the bottom-left corner of envelopes and parcels to help ensure fast delivery.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a new $100,000 fee for foreign graduates who want to work in the US after finishing their studies.

From 31 July 2026, new EU rules will make it easier and cheaper for people to get broken household and electronic products fixed.

A Malaysia Airlines pilot was arrested in Jakarta on Wednesday for allegedly smuggling over 70,000 ecstasy tablets and four grams of meth.

Britain used its National Security Act overseas for the first time to charge Rashad Sultanov, 44, over alleged spying on RAF Akrotiri for Iran.

Diplomatic immunity could shield fire safety flaws at China's London embassy, Royal Mint Court residents told a High Court challenge two judges dismissed Friday.

Situational Awareness, an AI hedge fund, sold most of its public stock portfolio to Citadel after losing money recently.

Andy Burnham has called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign over a controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup.

George and Amal Clooney had to leave their main home in south-eastern France because of a nearby wildfire.

Amazon's quarterly revenue rose to $200.6 billion, with its cloud computing division, AWS, seeing its fastest growth in 18 quarters.

Newcastle United are reportedly back in the hunt for FC Porto midfielder Victor Froholdt.

Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three girls in Southport, has been charged with multiple assaults on prison staff.

New York's Attorney General has initiated legal action against Kalshi, a prediction market platform, alleging that it operates an unlawful gambling enterprise within the state.

At least 18 people drowned while attempting to enter Ceuta from North Africa on Thursday, as 49,000 migrants arrived in the Spanish enclave within 24 hours.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the People's Liberation Army to increase its use of artificial intelligence to build an "intelligent military".

Thousands of migrants arrived in the Moroccan town of Fnideq overnight, close to the border with Ceuta.

Scientists have found traces of two unknown human species in our DNA, suggesting a more complex evolutionary history.

Carlos Cordeiro, an important consultant to FIFA's President Gianni Infantino, stepped down Friday.

A new study reveals people living by the coast in England and Wales are more likely to have multiple long-term health conditions like cancer, diabetes, and depression.

Brighton Pride is marking 35 years since its beginnings as small demonstrations against Section 28, a controversial law.

Engineered donor immune cells, mass-produced in one batch, supply hundreds of doses instead of one bespoke treatment per patient.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Thursday that £8.4 billion will be invested in the Dreadnought-class submarine project.

BP has launched the formal sale process for its North Sea business as new chief executive Meg O'Neill presses ahead with a wider overhaul of the company’s portfolio.

The Republic of Naoero is now the official name of the Pacific island nation previously known as Nauru, marking a return to its original appellation.

France stands to forfeit £160 million from the UK if it does not adequately prevent Channel crossings as part of a "payment-by-results" arrangement.

IAG, the group that also runs Iberia and Aer Lingus, paid nearly 23% more for fuel and emissions between April and June.

The banking group is rewarding its investors with a £955m payout after increasing its summer dividend to 12p a share.

The US State Department is making an extra 250,000 commemorative passports with President Donald Trump's image available across the country.

Apple expects a "significant" future hit from growing supply limits on its products, even after strong recent sales.

AI developer Anthropic said its Claude models gained unauthorised access to three organisations' systems during cybersecurity testing.

Sainsbury's will dispose of Argos for £120m, a decade after its £1.3bn acquisition, as it shifts focus to its primary grocery business.

Counter-terrorism police are investigating 44-year-old Rashad Sultanov under the National Security Act for alleged offences outside the UK.

The television network kicked off the promised returns on Friday by buying back £100m in shares before the deal completes.

Oil giant BP is reducing its global workforce by about 8% in non-frontline roles, aiming to simplify its structure.

The Trump administration has launched "Freedom Haulers", a campaign to incentivise military veterans to become truck drivers.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced English regional mayors will keep a portion of income tax generated in their areas starting in 2028.

Andy Burnham's Labour government is considering new mandatory driving tests for people over 70, including eyesight and cognitive assessments.

England has had seven days at 35 degrees Celsius this year, beating the five recorded in 1976, Met Office data shows.

A jury in Western Australia on Friday acquitted UK rapper Yung Filly of three charges of sexual penetration without consent.

AC Milan has officially denied widespread social media rumours that club legend Franco Baresi passed away on Wednesday.

Golfer Charley Hull has refused to apologise for tricking her caddie, Adam Woodward, with a fake £100,000 winning scratchcard.

A new report warns that over 25 million UK households relying on gas boilers are a national security risk.

London Underground commuters are facing major disruption this morning, Friday, July 31, with entire lines suspended and others severely delayed.

The Palestinian group has eight months to surrender all its weapons and hand over maps of its underground tunnel network.

Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have called for Spain's suspension from the Schengen free travel zone.

Around 90 firefighters are battling a large wildfire at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, which has grown to cover an area the size of 210 football pitches.

An editorial published on Friday by KCNA, the state news agency, accused Washington of preparing Japanese forces for an active regional conflict.

New Zealand track cyclist Nick Kergozou crashed at over 60km/h in Glasgow during a full-speed training ride, ending his Commonwealth Games campaign.

On its opening night in London, Sarah Kane's play "Cleansed" lived up to its reputation when an audience member fainted during a violent scene.

Jaguar Land Rover intends to eliminate salaried and management positions.

European football associations have voted to boycott all Fifa competitions if the body sells stakes in its events to private investors.

Dozens of community water systems in Minnesota were hit by a coordinated cyberattack this week, affecting over 30 facilities.

Spider-Man star Tom Holland revealed that one version of the upcoming film, made using fan notes, was completely ineffective.

Regional mayors will be able to borrow against future income to fund big projects, rather than relying on central government grants.

A pilot's mistake, which led to a plane stalling, reportedly brought a British Airways jet "seconds from disaster".

Thousands of people across Greater Manchester voted today, Thursday, July 30, to choose their new mayor.

An international climbing team, headed by Nepal-born former Royal Marine Nirmal Purja, is believed to have disappeared following an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak on Thursday.

On Thursday, Spain's north African territory of Ceuta saw thousands of people enter from Morocco by swimming and wading, and nine bodies were recovered.

Spotify will launch two new features this week, including a 'Running Mode' that synchronises music with your exercise speed.

Tuberculosis diagnoses in England have reached a 10-year peak, with 574 individuals receiving a diagnosis of the disease posthumously from 2010 to 2020.

An old SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage will hit the moon's surface on 5 August, creating a visible dust plume.

Figures show a big jump in offenders being sent back to prison after being released on licence in England and Wales.

The UK's main stock market index has reached an all-time high, extending its best run since the Covid pandemic recovery.

Officials carried out searches across the UK on Wednesday as part of a crackdown on claims firms sending unwanted text messages.

Residents in Gwaelod-y-Garth were shocked by a powerful explosion, followed by a "wall of water" containing mud, wood, and leaves.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is giving city region mayors a portion of income tax and some business rates to boost local control.

US President Donald Trump states that the Board of Peace has consented to Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza being fully disarmed.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham declared he would adopt a "pragmatic" strategy concerning North Sea oil and gas, recognising the energy resources present.

An independent review restored Abbott to Labour on Thursday, lifting her suspension for the second time.

The English Language Bill successfully navigated its ultimate parliamentary vote, formally establishing English as an official language in addition to Te Reo Māori and sign language.

Apple's own spending on AI data centres is straining the chipmaking supply chain it depends on for iPhones and Macs, chief executive Tim Cook said on Apple's earnings call.

A mixup with testing partner Irregular left three Claude models, including its flagship Opus model, believing offline test systems were live in April.