Healey sets budget for late October, promising to ‘spread money and power’ around UK

• In July 2026, press freedom faced escalating legal pressure as new laws, security regulations, and court rulings reshaped the landscape of journalism. • Reporters continued to operate in high-risk environments, specifically facing extreme dangers while covering conflicts in Gaza, Israel, and Iran.

• Dr. Binoy Kampmark reports on tensions surrounding the Australian Labor Party (ALP) conference on July 30, 2026, specifically regarding debates over Palestine. • The Israeli embassy in Canberra issued warnings to the ALP, suggesting that the party's internal discussions and positions were moving "too far."

• A new front of conflict is reopening in Yemen, driven by the broader regional war between the United States and Iran. • While neither Saudi Arabia nor the Houthi rebels currently desire prolonged hostilities, both risk being trapped in an escalatory spiral.

• Hamas official Ghazi Hamad stated that the group is willing to hand over its weapons to a new Gaza administration established by Trump’s Board of Peace. • The transition is contingent upon the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

• The United Nations has formally launched the global selection process to find a successor for the outgoing Secretary-General, António Guterres. • The search occurs against a backdrop of escalating geopolitical flashpoints and compounding global crises that are currently straining multilateral diplomacy.

Adam O’Neal did not give reason for his departure at end of August, in another major shakeup at US publicationThe Washington Post had realized a state of relative calm in the five months since the paper was turned upside down in February, when nearly half the newsroom was laid off and its unpopular publisher, Will Lewis, abruptly resigned.But on Friday, staffers were shocked to find out that Adam O’Neal, a millennial hired last year to lead its opinion section, was already leaving. Continue reading...

Two-time Oscar winner was to take on role of vampire-hunting antihero but said project is no longer happeningThe two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali has confirmed that his Blade reboot is no longer going forward.The star of Moonlight and Green Book had been attached to play Marvel’s vampire-hunting antihero in 2019. The role had originally been played by Wesley Snipes in three films between 1998 and 2004. Continue reading...

Duetting stars surpass record set in 1953, when crooner Frankie Laine hit the top with I BelieveSam Fender and Olivia Dean have scored the longest running UK No 1 single in history with Rein Me In, beating a record that has stood since 1953.Back then, the UK singles chart had been running for less than a year and contained just 12 songs when I Believe, a bombastic ballad by US crooner Frankie Laine, hit No 1 and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart. Continue reading...

Brittany Clark struggled for her life before dying from brutal injuries in rare attack, autopsy report confirmsA woman who was killed in a rare alligator attack while swimming with her boyfriend in Florida struggled for her life before dying from the brutal injuries inflicted on her by the animal, newly released autopsy results confirmed.The report containing the results of Brittany Clark’s autopsy, published on Thursday, also contained new details about the extent of the 28 June mauling that unfolded in Seminole county’s Little Big Econ state forest. Continue reading...

Injectable PrEP drug holds promise but investment in HIV prevention has declined dramatically worldwideSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email New innovations in HIV prevention could dramatically reduce the number of new HIV cases around the globe, but US foreign aid cuts will mean that those that most need the new medication will be unable to access it, according to experts at the Aids 2026 Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.One year ago, the World Health Organization recommended that governments around the world prioritize expanded access to lenacapavir, an injectable version of the HIV prevention medication PrEP that requires only two injections annually. PrEP, which also comes in the form of daily oral medications and bimonthly injections, is 99% effective in preventing sexually transmitted HIV for people who take it consistently. Continue reading...

CJ Miller from West Lothian has delighted global audiences with ‘sheer stupidity’ of his half-time dancesThe 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have already provided plenty of highlights. But fans across the world have been dazzled by one particular breakout star: the “mop man”.When a cleaner came out at half-time during a netball match to wipe down the court before the restart, everything appeared normal. But as the cleaner swept, and the first bars of Queen’s I Want to Break Free rang out in the venue, he went from sweeping to a standing split. Continue reading...

El Niño forecast to strengthen from August to October, resulting in higher temperatures and more extreme weatherIndia’s monsoon is in danger and hotter, drier conditions are forecast across much of the world as a stronger El Niño weather system is taking hold, weather experts have warned.The El Niño system will strengthen from August to October, which will bring higher temperatures globally, with increasing rainfall in some regions while other suffer drought, according to new data and forecasts released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Friday. Continue reading...