BBC News Briefing

31 July, 2025

Alex has short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is smiling and wearing a black turtleneck.

Alex Binley

Hello. Canada has joined the UK and France in announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state, but President Donald Trump has warned the decision could threaten a trade deal with the US. Technology editor Zoe Kleinman explains what parents need to know about the impact of their children's screen time. Plus, take a look at the creatures that lie at the bottom of the ocean, in footage from depths never seen before.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Splits emerge between Trump and allies over Palestinian state recognition

Two young boys are at the front of a mass of people, all holding out cooking implements. They are crying and appear scared. Many other people are crowding behind them

'The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable and it is rapidly deteriorating,' Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said as he made his announcement. Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

Canada's plans to recognise a Palestinian state will make it "very hard" for a trade deal to be agreed with the US, President Donald Trump has said, just hours before his "Liberation Day" tariffs are due to kick in. PM Mark Carney's announcement follows similar declarations from the UK and France, with the trio hoping to pressure Trump towards a long-term peace plan for Gaza, writes state department correspondent Tom Bateman. However, he notes there is "growing evidence that the Trump administration's strategy on Gaza increasingly parallels that of its Israeli ally". Israel's Foreign Ministry said the move was a "reward for Hamas". Also on Thursday, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is in Israel, amidst reports he may visit aid sites in Gaza.

Latest updates

State recognition: Here's what it would mean if Palestine was recognised as a state, and what difference this could make.

Dozens dead: More than 50 Palestinians waiting for aid were killed by Israeli gunfire on Wednesday, according to the Hamas-run civil defence agency.

Increasing malnutrition: Seven more deaths in Gaza from malnutrition were reported by the Hamas-run health ministry on Wednesday.

WORLD HEADLINES

A block of flats appear to have been hit by a missile . Smoke rises from a pile of rubble and the block has been damaged. A number of emergency workers stand on the rubble and an orange digger can be seen.

Russian strikes kill 8 and hit apartments - Ukraine

Russian attacks have continued despite Trump's threat of sanctions on Moscow if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.

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A woman with blond hair tied up, wears a white top and holds a photograph of herself as a teenager. In the photo her long blond hair is down and she is wearing a red T-shirt.

Giuffre's family ask Trump not to pardon Maxwell

The family of one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims has asked Trump not to consider pardoning the sex offender's accomplice.

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A composite image showing emergency medical advisor Aaron on the right and a phone showing a video featuring Aaron in the middle against a blue and green backdrop

British 999 call handler's voice cloned by Russian AI

The identities of UK public sector workers have been cloned using AI by a Russian-linked disinformation campaign.

Watch the report >

A white and yellow plane flies through a blue sky. It says 'Vueling.com' on the side of it

France-Spain flight row over Jewish teens grows

A diplomatic row was sparked after the teenagers' group leader was handcuffed and a minister called them "Israeli brats".

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Energy drink cans wrongly filled with vodka

Warnings have been issued for certain varieties of High Noon vodka seltzers and Celsius energy drink cans.

What happened >

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

What screen time does to children's brains is more complicated than it seems

A young child with long brown hair wears a bright yellow T-shirt and wears a yellow and blue checked skirt or shorts. They are sat on the floor and hold a tablet on their lap, watching a cartoon.

Official advice is currently inconsistent on screen time limits for children. Credit: Arthur Debat/Getty Images

Have we got it wrong when it comes to worrying about children's screen time? It has been blamed for rises in depression, behavioural problems and sleep deprivation. But some experts argue that concrete scientific evidence on the downsides of screens is lacking. The BBC’s technology editor Zoe Kleinman takes a look at the debate.

Find out more

Engineers fit a wind turbine blade inside a Radia WindRunner plane.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Sky's the limit

The company designing the world's largest aircraft has never built a plane.