Labour wins decisive victory in Greater Manchester mayoral byelection 01. August 2026 (00:01) Bev Craig succeeds Andy Burnham and wins back support in areas where Reform made gains in MayLabour has stormed to a decisive victory in the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection, seizing back areas that recently fell to Reform UK and the Greens.Labour’s Bev Craig, the Manchester city council leader, will now succeed Andy Burnham and hold one of the most powerful political positions outside Westminster. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Illinois officer who killed Sonya Massey denied medical release from prison 31. July 2026 (23:48) Sean Grayson, diagnosed with colon cancer, was sentenced to 20 years for killing Massey in Springfield in 2024A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy won’t get an early medical release from his two-decade prison sentence for killing Sonya Massey inside her home after the Black woman called 911 about a possible prowler, state officials decided on Friday.Sean Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to the 2024 shooting, and his attorney noted in January that the cancer had advanced to his liver and lungs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
F-35B jet crashed near Marine Corps in San Diego, pilot ejected safely – officials 31. July 2026 (23:15) Pilot of stealth fighter jet, who has not been identified, was treated for non-life threatening injuries sustained in crashAn F-35B fighter jet crashed near a US Marine Corps base in San Diego on Friday morning, sparking a small fire that first responders doused.The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from the Marine Corps Miramar air base. Officials say the pilot is in stable condition and received treatment at a local medical facility. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Missing Australian hiker found dead in Wyoming, officials say 31. July 2026 (23:06) Body of William Standish discovered in Teton mountains as investigators say fatal fall likely cause of deathA 28-year-old Australian hiker who lost contact with his family while hiking the Continental Divide Trail between Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks in Wyoming has been found dead, according to authorities.The man, identified as William Standish, was discovered by rescuers on Wednesday morning in the Wigwams, a series of rocky peaks on the west slope of the Teton mountain range, the Teton county coroner said. Investigators say it was likely he suffered a fatal fall. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jurors in Lindsay Clancy murder trial visit home where children were killed 31. July 2026 (21:50) Defense lawyers say Clancy was ill with postpartum psychosis when she killed three children in January 2023Jurors walked through the Massachusetts home where Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children, a rare visit on Friday that let them see first-hand the place where an outwardly ordinary family life unraveled into tragedy.After being driven past two businesses relevant to the narrative of the January 2023 killings, jurors were escorted in groups of six to view the inside of the house, including the basement where the children died.In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gavin Newsom reveals personal income of $1.7m-$2m in tax return release 31. July 2026 (20:22) California governor and wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, release 2022-2024 filings amid Trump investigationGavin Newsom and his wife made from $1.7m to $2m annually from 2022 through 2024, and paid about half a million a year in federal and state taxes, according to tax returns released by his office.The California Democratic governor’s office released more than 700 pages of tax filings spanning four years for reporters to review, offering a window into Newsom’s finances as he prepares to leave office and considers a 2028 presidential bid. Newsom’s office did not release returns for 2025, because the couple filed for an extension and will complete those returns in October. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump backtracks from promise to let Ukraine build Patriot missiles 31. July 2026 (19:58) US president tells reporters during Camp David cabinet meeting technology ‘a hard thing to give away’Donald Trump has backed off a promise to let Ukraine manufacture its own Patriot air defense interceptors, telling reporters that handing over the underlying technology was “a hard thing to give away” during a cabinet meeting at Camp David.The retreat, billed by the White House as “something different” for the cabinet to experience together, was the first such meeting at the presidential compound of Trump’s second term. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
High court clears way for clinical trial giving puberty blockers to children 31. July 2026 (19:52) Legal challenge to King’s College London research study claimed it could harm participants but was rejectedA clinical trial of drugs that can delay puberty can go ahead after a high court judge threw out a legal challenge on Friday.Campaigners had launched the attempt to halt the planned research into puberty blockers, to be run by researchers at King’s College London (KCL), on the grounds that they believed it could harm the children taking part. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Is the cyclosporiasis outbreak slowing? Test-makers are hopeful 31. July 2026 (19:51) Data by one test-maker shows a positivity drop, but rate could be influenced by number of people taking testSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe maker of a popular laboratory test said the cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US may be slowing. An outbreak of infections from the single-celled parasite has grown to more than 18,000 suspected and confirmed cases in late July, the nation’s largest on record.The midwest has been hit particularly hard in the outbreak, where public health officials have linked infections in nine states to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ Mexico operations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said people in at least nine states appeared to have connected cases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
India’s monsoon rains in danger as UN chief warns planet is ‘on fire’ 31. July 2026 (19:37) António Guterres says strengthening El Niño will help push the world’s climate crisis into ‘uncharted territory’India’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.António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said the strengthening El Niño was “adding fuel to a planet already on fire” and pushing the world into “uncharted territory”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
