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• Moonshot AI has paused new subscriptions for its Kimi K3 model shortly after launch due to skyrocketing user demand. • The suspension was triggered by computing capacity strains as the company struggles to keep pace with the surge in signups. • This development occurs amid intensifying competition between Chinese and US AI developers, highlighting the pressure on infrastructure.

• Motherwell has agreed to a club-record, multi-million pound deal to sell World Cup star Elijah Just to Swansea City. • The transfer fee, which includes add-ons, is expected to surpass the previous record set by Lennon Miller's sale to Udinese last summer. • Other Scottish clubs, including Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, and Aberdeen, are actively scouting for new signings across various markets.

• Hungary's president has signed a law change that officially ends his term in office. • The move is part of a broader effort by current leader Magyar to dismantle the power structures established by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. • Magyar claims a strong democratic mandate for these changes following a landslide victory over the right-wing leader in the April elections.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has indicated a potential cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Jens Spahn as parliamentary leader. • The departure of Spahn, a top figure within the CDU, increases political pressure on the ruling conservative party. • This leadership instability comes at a critical time as the government prepares for upcoming key regional elections.

• Liverpool is reportedly monitoring 25-year-old French midfielder Manu Kone, who is currently linked with a move from Roma. • Roma is seeking a transfer fee of approximately £47 million, though Liverpool faces stiff competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea. • Kone has requested that his agent suspend all transfer negotiations until after the conclusion of the World Cup to resolve his future.

• Hungary's president signed a constitutional amendment into law on Saturday that officially ends his term in office. • The move resolves a political dispute between the president and the country's new government, which had been attempting to oust him. • This action is part of a broader effort by the current administration to purge officials appointed during the tenure of former leader Viktor Orban.

Jens Spahn had criticised ‘rented wombs’ and his party is strongly opposed to surrogacy, which is banned in GermanyA senior German politician and key ally of chancellor Friedrich Merz has resigned as chair of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party after he and his husband used a surrogate mother to become parents, a practice he has criticised in the past and his party is vehemently opposed to.Surrogacy is banned in Germany, a policy Jens Spahn refused to relax when he was health minister in 2020, so he and his husband, Daniel Funke, used a surrogate mother in the US. Continue reading...

• Rangers are reportedly competing with Cardiff City to sign a highly-rated Norwegian midfielder, though reports of an Ibrox delegation visiting the Arctic Circle have been disputed. • Record Sport clarifies that the Rangers hierarchy remains in Spain, where manager Derek McInnes is concluding a week-long training camp this Friday. • The news comes amid a broader window of activity as major Scottish clubs, including Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, and Aberdeen, pursue new signings.

Designers say that as well as offering a degree of protection from surveillance, their clothes make a powerful fashion statement about the importance of privacyAs facial recognition technology is rolled out across Britain’s public spaces, a new generation of designers say privacy could be the next big fashion trend.Companies have started incorporating “adversarial patterns” in their garments – carefully designed arrangements of shapes, colours and repeated motifs said to exploit weaknesses in some computer vision systems. Continue reading...

Telco outlines reasons for network failure that hit mobiles, trains and retailers ahead of appearance at Senate inquiryFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTelstra has blamed the lack of a software update for a key time-keeping system for outage that caused nation-wide chaos last week, with its maintenance teams also unaware of a design change that affected how it would reset.Ahead of an appearance by its chief executive, Vicki Brady, at a Senate inquiry over the mobile outage on Friday, Telstra provided a written submission that revealed the cause. In it, the company stated it didn’t lack redundancy in its network – but the redundancy also did not prevent the outage. Continue reading...

• On 14 July, the European Union held intergovernmental conferences in Brussels to advance the membership process for four candidate nations: Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine. • These meetings served to ceremonially inaugurate or conclude specific negotiation tracks, representing the most significant enlargement effort in over two decades. • This move signals a strategic shift in EU expansion, integrating Eastern European and Balkan nations to strengthen regional stability and political alignment.

• The U.S. AI industry faces potential instability as Chinese AI models rapidly advance, threatening the dominance of American firms and the sustainability of high-spending investment cycles. • Technological shifts are emerging, with MIT developing electronic-photonic integration to drastically reduce data-center power consumption and enable petabit-speed chips, prompting heavy investment from Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom. • Market volatility is evident as IBM stock plummeted 25% following a warning of weaker Q2 revenue, raising concerns about a broader AI bubble burst.

Incoming prime minister says he doesn’t want to ‘create new divisions’ as Mahmood is tipped to be chancellorAndy Burnham has signalled that he will not increase wealth taxes immediately after becoming prime minister, easing concerns among the business community but limiting his economic room for manoeuvre.He said on Wednesday he did not want to “create new divisions” with his tax policy, in comments that allies said were a sign that he did not intend to raise money by taxing wealth. Continue reading...

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has highlighted the urgent need for global governance of artificial intelligence, warning that the "cost of waiting is rising." • Guterres emphasized that a new panel report provides independent, global scientific data to help governments understand and manage the significant risks associated with AI. • The announcement comes amid international signals and strategic actions by China as the world prepares for the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026.

• The Greek government has announced a national plan to fast-track legislation that would ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms. • This move is part of a broader effort to accelerate several pieces of legislation, though the specific implementation date for the ban has not yet been finalized. • The sudden push for these laws has fueled political speculation that snap elections could be called as early as this autumn.

Treaty came into effect at midnight, eliminating border controls on land frontier with British overseas territoryEurope live – latest updatesSpain and Gibraltar are celebrating the fall of the last frontier fence in western Europe after the signing of a post-Brexit deal that brings an end to border checks for residents, tourists and the thousands of Spanish workers who cross into the British overseas territory every day.The agreement, which was signed in Brussels on Tuesday and came into effect at midnight, marks the conclusion of more than four years of negotiations between the UK, Spain, Gibraltar and the EU after Britain’s departure from the bloc. Continue reading...

• Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller stated that another high inflation reading would serve as a "signal" regarding the central bank's future policy direction. • Waller highlighted that the U.S. labor market remains resilient, citing persistently strong job reports and a stable unemployment rate. • These comments matter as the Fed balances the need to curb inflation without triggering a significant economic downturn or spike in unemployment.

Many leaders from the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ stayed overnight in Paris to attend the parade, which will be Emmanuel Macron’s last as presidentYou can watch our live stream of the Bastille Day parade in Paris here, with final preparations now under way before the event starts soon.Most leaders are already in their premium seats, including French PM Sébastien Lecornu, with France’s Emmanuel Macron expected shortly before the start at 10am (9am UK). Continue reading...

• Philadelphia will host a series of signature events throughout 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. • As the nation's birthplace, the city aims to leverage its historical significance to create a "once-in-a-lifetime" year of festivities. • These celebrations matter as they mark a major national milestone, drawing global attention and tourism to the city's historic landmarks.

Higher temperatures can cause radio, TV and microwave signals to travel hundreds of miles farther, upsetting communicationsIt was 3am in north-east Indiana’s Huntington county when the outdoor emergency alarm went off on 1 July.The only issue? There wasn’t a storm, tornado or any other emergency weather event forecast or present anywhere for hundreds of miles. Continue reading...

• U.S. and Iranian negotiators are scheduled to meet in Oman this Saturday to discuss a potential peace deal amid escalating regional tensions. • The UAE Defense Ministry reported that its air defense systems intercepted a missile and drone attack launched by Iran, while Bahrain issued emergency shelter alerts for its residents. • Israel and the U.S. are increasing pressure on Tehran following reports of explosions in multiple areas and concerns over stability in the Strait of Hormuz.

• Early indicators suggest that voter turnout for the Johor state polls may exceed the levels seen during the 2022 general elections. • The increase in participation is expected to significantly influence the outcome for the various contending political parties in Malaysia. • Higher turnout often reflects shifting voter sentiment and could challenge the current political landscape within the state.

Outgoing PM not ruled out drawing up honours list when he stands down in just over 10 days time, despite previously opposing itKeir Starmer has signalled he could hand out resignation honours when he leaves Downing Street, despite pledging three years ago he would not hand out gongs when he eventually stood down.The prime minister twice declined to rule out drawing up a list of honours when he stands down as prime minister in just over 10 days time, to be succeeded by Andy Burnham. Continue reading...

• European stock indices, including the DAX, CAC, and FTSE 100, tumbled on Wednesday afternoon following signals from Donald Trump that a U.S.-Iran agreement has collapsed. • Investors are simultaneously awaiting the release of Federal Reserve minutes to gain insight into policy discussions under new chairman Kevin Warsh. • The situation is critical as markets seek clarity on whether the Fed will shift toward a less guidance-driven approach to monetary policy.

• The UK housing market downturn showed signs of easing in June as buyer demand and short-term sales expectations began to recover from previous lows. • Despite the slight improvement, market sentiment remains fragile due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding inflation, borrowing costs, and the current political climate. • This recovery is significant as it suggests a potential shift in momentum for the property sector after a period of decline.

Constituents to vote in contest being boycotted by major parties over financial scandal surrounding Reform leaderReform UK will request that the Clacton byelection be held on 6 August, the party has said, after Nigel Farage’s decision to resign from the seat.The Reform UK leader, who has represented the Essex constituency since the 2024 general election, said on Tuesday he was standing down and would put himself forward again in what he has sought to portray as a “people versus the establishment” contest. Continue reading...

• South Korea's ruling Democratic party has announced it will consider a recount of 2.47 million ballots from the June 3 local elections in Seoul. • In separate developments, Naver, Naver Cloud, and Korea Aerospace Industries are partnering to develop sovereign defense AI for drones and combat systems. • A catastrophic tornado in China resulted in 11 deaths and over 300 injuries, with reports of a man being sucked from a 12th-story apartment.

• Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have detected an unidentified chemical signature on both Pluto and Saturn's moon Titan. • The discovery was made as part of the "Titan Climate, Composition and Clouds" proposal, led by a research team including scientist Bézard. • This finding is significant because it highlights complex organic chemistry occurring in the outer Solar System without the presence of biological life.