Preston Bus still to decide on Burnham's £2 cap

The operator says it needs more details before deciding whether to join Andy Burnham's new scheme.

Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok

Facebook is planning some big changes to try and keep its users from jumping to rival social platforms like TikTok - changes that sound dubiously similar to becoming a TikTok clone. Facebook head Tom Alison announced today that the platform will begin testing a "reimagined

Splatoon 4 should borrow these great features from Splatoon Raiders

Splatoon Raiders already has us hoping that its best features will come to Splatoon 4.

National study finds reports of past-year sexual harassment more than doubled since 2018

Nearly a decade after the #MeToo movement reshaped public conversations about sexual harassment, a new study from the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University finds that Americans are reporting experiences of sexual harassment at far higher rates than they did before the movement.

Paramount bracing for ‘long game’ as its $80B deal for Warner Bros. Discovery gets attacked in California

Their deal received the greenlight from the merger-friendly Trump administration, but the Ellisons knew a cabal of Dem AGs were waiting in the wings to scuttle their efforts.

Dangote Refinery invites private investors in $2.5bn pre-IPO landmark

The record-breaking primary placement brings external capital into the Nigerian mega-complex for the first time, paving the way for a blockbuster public listing later this year.

EU finds TikTok failed to shield the privacy of children's accounts from adults

TikTok's list of EU headaches keeps growing, with Brussels now finding its privacy settings left children's accounts open to adults and to the risks that come with it.

You have 3 days to obtain Big Boss rating in Metal Gear Solid 1's free-to-play period on Steam

Off you pop.

Podcast | Brussels eyes political reshuffles in London and Budapest

In a week of political upheaval in Europe, Hungary got rid of its president and the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade entered office. What does this mean for Brussels?

What one county’s fake rice figures reveal about China’s food security push

Food security has long been a top strategic priority for China, but it has taken on even more importance in recent years

Preparing for disruption: Offline messaging apps join India’s protest toolkit

As concerns over connectivity disruptions grow, protesters in India are turning to offline messaging apps as part of an emergency toolkit. How do they work, and what are their limitations?

Wildfire emergency near Madrid forces over 10,000 to flee as Spain sounds alarm

Civil Guard officers, firefighters and the Military Emergency Unit battle fierce wildfires near Madrid, with more than 10,000 people evacuated amid extreme heat.

Beleagured Turkish opposition attempts to regroup with new party

ANKARA, July 24 (Reuters) - Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel and 91 breakaway lawmakers applied on Friday to launch a new political party, seeking to regroup to challenge President Tayyip Erdogan after their former party faced an unprecedented legal crackdown. They applied

Fred Tsui Named Executive Director of Hong Kong International Film Festival Society

The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society has appointed Fred Tsui, founder and CEO of Moebius Entertainment, as its new executive director, the organization said Friday. Tsui succeeds Albert Lee and assumes the role Sept. 23, reporting to HKIFFS chair Dr. Wilfred Wong

India's pharma sector braces for impact of proposed Trump tariffs on generic drugs

Analysts warn the levies could disrupt global drug supply chains, push up medicine prices for Americans and force Indian drugmakers to rethink their manufacturing strategies.

South Africa's president wins bid to temporarily halt impeachment inquiry over 'Farmgate'

Ramaphosa has faced scrutiny following the theft of large sums of cash from his private farm in 2020.

Jürgen Klopp confirmed as new German national team coach

Klopp takes over following the departure of Julian Nagelsmann and a dismal 2026 World Cup campaign.

US trade groups want South Africa, Ethiopia in AGOA

The grains lobby is also pushing for trade engagement with Uganda and Zimbabwe

Watch: Are Trump's tariffs delivering on his objectives?

The BBC's Samira Hussain explains how President Trump's tariffs affect US economy, who pays the price, and whether they're working.

German rail network to ban alcohol from 5,400 train stations by October, with some exemptions

Germany's national railway operator Deutsche Bahn will introduce a ban on alcohol at all 5,400 stations by 15 October. There will be exemptions, however, including for station bars and restaurants.

BBC Buys War Drama ‘Kabul,’ Featuring Eric Dane in One of His Last Roles

The BBC has acquired thriller series “Kabul,” starring the late Eric Dane and “Tehran’s” Shervin Alenabi, from Mediawan Rights. The six-part show, which is against the backdrop of U.S. troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan amid the Taliban’s return to Kabul, follows the chaotic

From housing to healthcare: What are Europeans worried about in 2026?

Is the economy, housing, immigration or healthcare the biggest concern facing your country? It depends on where in Europe you live.

2026 most powerful passports in the world ranking sees 29 European countries in the top 10

Despite an impressive showing from Europe, Singapore claimed the top spot in the Henley Passport Index for a second year.

Romania says F-16 shot down drone over the country's airspace

Romania's Ministry of Defence said the jet engaged a drone with an air-to-air missile while carrying out an air policing mission.

Watch: Wildfires rage across France and Spain

French authorities order evacuations in tourist hot spot, as Spain's government declares national emergency.

Sony Pictures Sets Viral X-Inspired Short-Form Thriller ‘Los Hilos del Miedo’ at Prime Video Spain (EXCLUSIVE)

Sony Pictures International Productions’ Spanish operation is moving into short-form fiction with “Los Hilos del Miedo,” an eight-part psychological suspense series set to launch on Prime Video in Spain. Running approximately five minutes per episode, the production marks the

The Biggest American Wiener

A visit to the “Most American Pageant Ever!” and the story of a broken Jefferson statue’s quill.

Latest news bulletin | July 24th, 2026 – Midday

Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this July 24th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.

The Vampire Lestat season 2 plot, cast, and possible release date explainer

Here's everything we know about when the continuation of Interview with the Vampire is coming and what it will be about

Scientists decry Trump’s ‘blame game’ after he claims Canada ‘poisoning’ US air

Trump told Mark Carney ‘you got to stop these fires from coming in’ as experts say wildfires symptom of climate crisis Scientists have reacted with incredulity after Donald Trump accused Canada of “poisoning” the US’s air with smoke billowing from a slew of forest fires and

Zohran Mamdani shakes politics far away from New York City

These days, everyone wants a piece of Zohran Mamdani. Progressives hang on to his every word and say more Democratic politicians should be like him. Moderates fear him and worry he has too much control of their party. And conservative Republicans, including his frenemy

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

In this edition: loving a killer; GRASE under fire; the marvelous mundane; Texas on two wheels; and the man who would be T. rex king.

The Federal Circuit Court That Doesn’t Think Mental Illness Is Real

A federal appeals court in Texas ruled earlier this week that OSHA can’t require companies to document work-related mental illnesses, a significant new limitation on the flagship federal workplace-safety statute. “However commendable OSHA’s desire to improve mental health in

The Christian Nationalist Group Mike Johnson Just Called “Home”

There is nothing subtle about the way power moves at this stage of the Trump regime. True, such displays may be clumsy or pathetic. They may simply fail. But however weak the administration may appear, there is still benefit to be had from proximity to the shit show, including

Tensions rise between GOP leader Thune, White House over stalled Trump agenda

Tensions are rising between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and President Trump over the Senate GOP’s inability to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act or emergency funding for the Pentagon at a critical moment during Trump’s second term.

Signal then storm

Allan Basbaum has spent 50 years searching the nervous system for the places where pain begins – and where it can be stopped - by Stephani Sutherland Read on Aeon

OpenAI’s breach of Hugging Face stokes fears about what’s next for AI

Washington and the technology industry are on high alert this week after OpenAI revealed that some of its AI agents went rogue and hacked into the systems of technology start-up Hugging Face. The incident bore out years of warnings from the tech and cybersecurity community

Mortgage and refinance interest rates today, Friday, July 24, 2026: Dropping below 6.5%

Japan zoo gets thousands of birthday cards for Punch the monkey as he turns one on July 26

The young macaque shot to stardom after he was seen clinging to a plush orangutan toy for comfort.

In China, AI is ‘everything, everywhere’. Is there a dark side?

From running marathons to being personalised chefs, robots are redefining life in the future.

How Motherhood Changed Rachel Aviv’s Writing

One summer, Rachel Aviv went away to sleepaway camp in Maine while her mother rented a house some hours away for a self-imposed writing retreat. In a scene that could be a playbook for Annie Baker’s film Janet Planet , the writer recounts calling her mother a few days into her

House GOP presses Senate to act on reconciliation 3.0 framework as Thune hits pause

House Republicans are urging the Senate to move aggressively on the reconciliation framework they passed Wednesday, which tees up the party’s likely last chance to advance several key priorities before Congress becomes consumed by a September government funding fight and the

GOP hawks urge Trump to go big as he weighs 'massive attack' on Iran

Republican defense hawks are urging President Trump to unleash major combat operations as the commander-in-chief weighs a “massive attack” on Iran. These signals coincide with Trump’s escalatory rhetoric against the Islamic Republic, with negotiations completely stalled and

Democrats brush off fears within party about threat of democratic socialists

Democrats in the House and Senate are pushing back at any idea their party is in trouble because of a debate between the left and center over its direction, saying wins by democratic socialists in primaries don’t mean the party is being taken over. While divisions over Israel

Best CD rates today, Friday, July 24, 2026: Up to 4.20% APY return

A Teen Reporter Searched for His Community in the Epstein Files. Adults Freaked Out.

"An Instagram post turned one California student newspaper into a free-speech flash point. The students say they were just doing their homework."

Philippines accuses China of using water cannon on its vessels for a second day

China's Coast Guard says it imposed "control measures" on several Philippine vessels operating illegally around the Scarborough Shoal.

'Lapdog media': Indian reporters caught in youth protest anger

NEW DELHI, July 24 - When Indian television reporter Dev Kotak went to cover a massive youth protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government this week, he planned to deliver a live broadcast, mill around and leave.