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)
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In breaks 73-year record to become longest-running UK No 1 single 31. July 2026 (19:00) 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...(The Guardian)
HIV prevention drug could reduce cases globally but USAID cuts prevent access, say experts 31. July 2026 (18:29) 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...(The Guardian)
‘It’s OK to mess around’: how ‘mop man’ stole the show at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games 31. July 2026 (18:21) 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...(The Guardian)
Hamas agrees to Trump’s plan to disarm in Gaza – The Latest 31. July 2026 (18:11) Donald Trump has declared a breakthrough in negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but Israeli government officials have voiced scepticism over the deal.Lucy Hough speaks to Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent – watch on YouTube Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Boss of £300m used-car firm was ousted after ‘orchestrated plan’ by investors, judge rules 31. July 2026 (17:48) Multimillionaire Peter Waddell is also found to have been properly dismissed from Big Motoring World for gross misconductA multimillionaire used-car salesman was ousted from his £300m company after “a pre-conceived and orchestrated plan” devised by private equity investors that had backed his business, a high court judge has ruled.Peter Waddell, 60, was forced out as the chief executive of the Kent-based dealership Big Motoring World in 2024 in a coup that resulted in “more-or-less open warfare” at the car seller and caused “unfair prejudice” to the investment company that held Waddell’s majority stake. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Healey sets budget for late October, promising to ‘spread money and power’ around UK 31. July 2026 (17:43) Chancellor will have to find money for Burnham’s policies while sticking to fiscal rules as borrowing costs riseAndy Burnham’s government has set a date for a late October budget to “spread money and power” out of Westminster as the new prime minister pushes forward his tax and spending plans.Announcing an autumn budget for 28 October, the chancellor, John Healey, said Labour would stick to its fiscal rules with its agenda to give businesses and households stability for the future. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham signals he will scrap plans to curb jury trials 31. July 2026 (17:27) Prime minister says he has concerns about one of most significant proposals from Keir Starmer’s governmentUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham is indicating he will scrap plans to curtail jury trials in England and Wales, abandoning one of the most significant overhauls from Keir Starmer’s government.In perhaps his biggest repudiation yet of the policies he inherited from his predecessor, the prime minister said he had concerns about the proposals and his instinct was to keep juries at the heart of the justice system. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
