The prime minister, Andy Burnham, announced that rapists, child sexual abusers, and groomers will not be released early from prison as part of efforts to reduce overcrowding. The early release plan has been delayed by one month, but some offenders, including domestic abusers and killers, will still be released early despite concerns from victims’ groups and police representatives.
Key Facts
Rapists, child sex offenders, and groomers will be excluded from early release plans.
Early release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales has been postponed until October.
Domestic abusers and killers, including two men jailed for the killing of PC Andrew Harper, remain eligible for early release.
There are warnings from police, victim groups, and watchdogs that these releases could put women and girls at risk.
The early release rule changes allow prisoners serving 4+ years to be freed halfway through their sentence instead of two-thirds through.
Victims’ groups and officials argue that excluding domestic abusers from the ban on early release endangers victims.
Overcrowding predictions show prisons may be full by November, prompting the early release plan.
The government has not disclosed how many prisoners will be affected by these changes or future release plans.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Thousands of migrants gathered on a beach in Ceuta, a small Spanish territory, seeking asylum. Many have spent several days there, facing hunger and thirst as authorities work to manage the large number of people.
Key Facts
Ceuta is a small Spanish territory located in North Africa.
Thousands of migrants crossed the border and rushed onto a beach in Ceuta.
Many migrants have been waiting for several days to apply for asylum.
Migrants faced hunger and thirst while waiting on the beach.
Authorities are trying to manage the situation and provide aid like water and drinks.
The situation arose after a sudden large group attempted to enter Ceuta.
Ceuta is an entry point for migrants seeking to enter Spain and the European Union.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Israeli officials say they will only withdraw their military from Gaza if Hamas fully disarms, meaning giving up all weapons. This standoff affects a peace plan brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, which proposes Israeli withdrawal and security to be managed by an international force and a new Palestinian police.
Key Facts
Hamas stated it is ready to disarm, which means giving up all weapons.
Israeli government officials say they will not leave Gaza unless Hamas completely disarms.
Hamas wants Israeli troops to leave Gaza before it gives up its weapons.
The peace plan is sponsored by President Donald Trump and aims to end the conflict in Gaza.
The plan includes Israel withdrawing its military from Gaza.
After withdrawal, an International Stabilization Force (ISF) would handle security.
A new Palestinian police force would also help maintain security in Gaza.
The disagreement between Israel and Hamas complicates the plan’s implementation.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A tropical tiger shark was caught off the coast of Massachusetts, an unusual sight since these sharks normally live in warmer southern waters. Scientists say this may be a sign that ocean temperatures are rising due to climate change, allowing tropical species to move north.
Key Facts
Two brothers caught a juvenile tiger shark off Falmouth, Massachusetts, in late July 2026.
Tiger sharks usually live in warm waters like the Caribbean Sea, not in northern New England.
The shark caught was about five feet long; adult tiger sharks can grow over 15 feet and weigh up to 1,400 pounds.
Tiger sharks eat many types of sea life and sometimes man-made objects.
Scientists have noticed more young tiger sharks appearing in northern waters in recent years.
Warmer ocean temperatures are making northern areas more suitable for tropical sharks.
Other sea creatures, like great white sharks and black sea bass, are also moving north due to warmer seas.
Increased sightings of great white sharks in New England are linked to more seals, their main food.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A man opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing three people and injuring seven before taking his own life. Police say he acted alone and are still investigating what caused the shooting.
Key Facts
The shooting happened at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho.
The shooter was identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams.
Three people died and seven others were wounded in the attack.
The shooter killed himself after the attack.
Police believe he acted alone and are investigating his motive.
An off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired at the gunman to stop him.
One of the people killed was an In-N-Out employee, according to the company owner.
Several victims were treated in the hospital; some have been released, others remain in stable or critical condition.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children are stuck in Ceuta, a Spanish city in North Africa, after a large group of migrants crossed the border from Morocco. Many children are traumatized, some lost family members at sea, and local facilities are overcrowded.
Key Facts
Around 3,000 to 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta after a large influx from Morocco.
Over 800 of these migrants are unaccompanied minors, meaning they are children without adults.
A 17-year-old girl reported losing her 8-year-old brother at sea and being separated from her mother.
Spanish law requires that unaccompanied migrant children receive special protection and care.
Most Moroccan adults who arrived returned home or were sent back by police.
Migrants from other countries, like Sudan, Gaza, Afghanistan, and several African nations, are also in Ceuta.
The migrant center in Ceuta only holds 600 people but is overcrowded.
Many migrants lack enough food and must sleep outdoors while hoping to reach mainland Europe across the sea.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Fighting has resumed near the border region of Tigray, causing hundreds of people to flee their homes. This is the most serious outbreak of violence in the area since 2022.
Key Facts
The fighting occurred near the border of the Tigray region.
Hundreds of residents have left the area due to the violence.
This is the worst fighting in Tigray since 2022.
The Tigray conflict involves complex regional and ethnic tensions.
The renewed clashes raise concerns about stability in northern Ethiopia.
The situation is part of ongoing conflicts affecting the Horn of Africa.
Humanitarian aid access may be affected by the fighting.
The article also mentions other unrelated Africa news, such as Nigeria investigating drug cartel links and a Cape Verdean athlete joining a Chilean soccer club.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Scientists studied ancient human remains from different cultures to learn more about their deaths and lifestyles. They found that an Incan sacrificial boy died from a blow to the head, not freezing, and some ancient Egyptian princesses buried with weapons were likely skilled archers.
Key Facts
Incan child sacrifice often involved making long pilgrimages to mountain sites.
A re-examined Incan boy’s remains showed blunt force trauma from a mace caused his death.
The boy’s body had signs of walking long distances and having eaten before dying.
Two other Incan children once thought to be strangled likely died differently, with no evidence of broken neck bones.
Ancient Egyptian princesses buried at Dahshur were found with weapons and probably used them skillfully.
Researchers used bone studies, X-rays, and material analysis to study the princesses’ remains.
Some princesses had strong upper-body muscles, supporting the idea they were trained archers.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Survivors of a fire on the Indonesian ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 have returned to port. At least five people died in the accident, and rescuers are still looking for others missing from the ferry, which probably had more passengers than the official count.
Key Facts
The ferry involved is named Mutiara Sentosa 2.
A fire broke out on the ferry, causing deaths and injuries.
At least five people have died so far.
The number of passengers was likely higher than the official list showed.
Indonesian rescuers continue to search for missing passengers.
Survivors have safely returned to the port.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Europe is experiencing a record-breaking hot and dry summer, causing large wildfires in Greece and France and the driest July in nearly 200 years in the UK. Firefighters are battling fires near Athens and Bordeaux, while drought conditions affect Wales and England.
Key Facts
Wildfires are burning west of Athens, Greece, with more than 1,000 people evacuated.
A helicopter crash fighting the fires killed two crew members and injured two others.
Firefighters in France are working to control a large wildfire near Bordeaux covering an area four times the size of Paris.
July was the driest month recorded in England and Wales in almost 200 years.
Over half of England and all of Wales are officially in drought.
The wildfires in Greece began partly due to a faulty power line from a wind farm, leading to arrests for negligent arson.
Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, increasing the risk of wildfires and drought.
Strong winds have worsened the fires in southern Greece, damaging homes and farms and closing highways.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Several people unrelated to the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Mississippi college student, have been charged with making threats to public officials involved in the case. The circumstances of Wells’s death, which remains under investigation, have caused social tension and calls for transparency.
Key Facts
Nolan Wells died in July after a boat trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf coast with friends.
Wells was Black; the three friends he was with were white, raising questions about racial motives.
Michelle Francine Edwards from Ohio was charged with making threatening phone calls to Mississippi officials.
Edwards allegedly threatened officials multiple times, causing a building lockdown and bomb search.
Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce from California was charged with threatening a chancery judge involved in the case.
An independent autopsy funded by Colin Kaepernick found the cause of death “undetermined” and noted missing neck tissue and red marks.
Civil rights leaders, including Ben Crump and Rev Al Sharpton, have called for answers and justice.
An online fundraiser has raised about $94,000 to help defend some of Wells’s friends legally.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Spain plans to build a 1,600-foot fence around its area called Ceuta after thousands of migrants tried to cross the border from Morocco. This action follows a recent surge in people rushing into Ceuta, which caused deadly incidents.
Key Facts
Spain will build a fence 1,600 feet long around Ceuta.
Ceuta is a Spanish enclave located on the north coast of Africa, bordering Morocco.
Thousands of migrants tried to enter Ceuta from Morocco last week.
The border rush led to deaths and serious safety concerns.
The fence aims to control and contain border crossings.
Ceuta is an important entry point for migrants aiming to reach Europe.
The move is a response to pressure related to border security and migration issues in the region.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Greek police are investigating why a 26-year-old Afghan man, Sharif Ahmadzai, allegedly killed Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old Scottish charity worker, whose body was found inside a suitcase in Athens. Ahmadzai has admitted to hiding Ross’s body and using her credit cards but denies killing her. Authorities are focusing on events before her death and expect more test results to clarify the cause.
Key Facts
Elisabeth-Jane Ross was found dead inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens in July.
Sharif Ahmadzai, a 26-year-old Afghan man, was charged with intentional homicide after three days of questioning.
Ahmadzai confessed to moving Ross’s body and using her credit cards but denies killing her.
Police have CCTV footage showing Ahmadzai moving the suitcase on the night of July 16.
Ross was last known to have made a phone call on July 15, three days before her body was discovered.
Forensic tests suggest Ross was likely asphyxiated, but the autopsy was inconclusive due to body decay.
Ahmadzai is a former child refugee to Greece and a lightweight professional boxer and is married to a US citizen, Alaina Hall, who helped with the investigation.
Police are investigating possible motives, including theft, confrontation, or rejected advances.
Ross’s phone was used after her death to send misleading messages to delay the missing person report.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A Board of Peace official met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a new deal to disarm weapons in Gaza and move towards civilian rule. The official also urged Israel to stop military strikes in Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement announced by President Donald Trump last year.
Key Facts
Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace representative for Gaza, met with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday.
They discussed a plan to completely remove weapons in the Gaza Strip and end military rule there.
Mladenov urged Israel to halt airstrikes in Gaza during the meeting.
The disarmament deal is part of a ceasefire deal reached last year, announced by President Donald Trump.
The ceasefire calls for Israel and Hamas to stop military actions against each other.
Since the ceasefire, Israel has killed more than 1,250 people in Gaza, and the war has caused tens of thousands of deaths.
President Trump’s ceasefire plan includes 20 points to end Hamas rule and rebuild Gaza after war.
No airstrikes were carried out in Gaza on Monday following the official’s meeting.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Mexico’s largest university, UNAM, held its entrance exam remotely using AI proctoring for the first time, but the results showed unusually high scores that suggested cheating. To address this, UNAM will require about 58,000 students to take an in-person re-exam, including those admitted based on scores since 2021.
Key Facts
Nearly 160,000 students took the remote UNAM entrance exam in late May to early June.
The exam showed many more top scores than in previous years, raising cheating concerns.
An expert commission recommended a new in-person “control exam” to confirm results.
About 58,000 applicants, including those admitted from recent years, must retake the test.
The remote exam used a locked browser to block cheating methods and AI-based webcam monitoring.
Despite these security measures, cheating tips circulated online before the exam.
The UNAM university rector apologized to honest students who must retake the exam.
The in-person exam results will determine final admissions and may affect the start of classes.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Cuba is experiencing frequent islandwide blackouts due to a shortage of oil caused by U.S. sanctions, leading to widespread power outages and increased hardship. Many residents are sleeping outside to cope with hot temperatures and lack of electricity, as the country’s energy system continues to fail.
Key Facts
Cuba has faced six islandwide blackouts since January 2024.
The blackouts began after the Trump administration cut Cuba off from its main oil source.
Power outages often last over 20 hours a day in many parts of the country.
High heat and humidity make it difficult for people to stay indoors without electricity.
The energy crisis is worsening daily, affecting hospitals, transportation, and food storage.
Some hospitals have installed solar panels to maintain electricity.
Cuba’s tourism industry has declined significantly, reducing income for many residents.
Longtime U.S. sanctions and recent actions have intensified Cuba’s economic and infrastructure problems.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump has spoken about the latest efforts to reach a peace agreement with Iran, calling it the "last chance." These remarks highlight ongoing international negotiations aimed at resolving tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
Key Facts
President Trump addressed the current attempts to negotiate peace with Iran.
He described the situation as the "last chance" for a deal.
The negotiations are part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce conflict.
The article is from ABC News and was published on August 3, 2026.
Related news includes discussions on U.S. government funding and security concerns.
There is no mention of specific terms or details of the Iran negotiations in the article.
This topic is part of broader international relations involving the U.S. and Iran.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Bomb disposal teams are working in Le Porge, France, after wildfires in the Gironde region uncovered old ammunition from World War II. The work aims to make the village safe for residents to return.
Key Facts
Wildfires in Gironde, France, revealed World War II-era shells in Le Porge.
Bomb disposal operations are currently ongoing in the area.
The goal is to clear the shells so residents can safely return to their homes.
These shells were buried or hidden since World War II.
The presence of explosives poses a danger until safely removed.
Le Porge is a village affected by this issue.
Authorities are managing the situation to protect public safety.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz, an award-winning Latino author and poet known for his stories about life on the Southern border and LGBTQ+ themes, has died at age 71. He was the first Latino to win the PEN/Faulkner prize and wrote popular books including "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe," which inspired a recent film.
Key Facts
Benjamin Alire Sáenz died last week in El Paso, Texas, after a long illness.
He was the first Latino to win the PEN/Faulkner fiction prize, awarded in 2013.
Sáenz was born in New Mexico and was once a Catholic priest before leaving the order and coming out as gay.
His acclaimed 2012 young adult novel tells the story of two Mexican American boys falling in love.
The novel won awards for LGBTQ+ literature but faced censorship, including bans in some schools and countries.
Lin-Manuel Miranda narrated the audiobook and helped produce the 2023 film adaptation starring Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales.
Sáenz taught creative writing at the University of Texas at El Paso for many years before retiring in 2016.
His upcoming book, "When the World Was Happy," will address surviving tragedy, inspired by a bowling alley shooting and the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore Britain party, offered to work with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK to unite their efforts. Farage rejected the offer and accused Lowe of bad behavior, leading to a public dispute between the two. Restore Britain’s growing support is creating challenges for Farage’s party, especially as they compete for right-wing voters.
Key Facts
Rupert Lowe is the leader of the Restore Britain party.
Nigel Farage leads the Reform UK party.
Lowe proposed cooperation between the two parties despite their rivalry.
Farage accused Lowe of bad faith and rejected the offer.
Restore Britain finished fourth in the Greater Manchester mayoral election, ahead of the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.
Restore also performed well in the Makerfield byelection with a 6.8% vote share.
Restore holds controversial far-right positions, including support for a death penalty referendum and bans on halal and kosher slaughter.
Lowe demands that former Tory ministers in Reform, like Robert Jenrick, have no role in any future government.
The split in right-wing votes between the two parties could hurt Reform’s chances in future elections.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
