BBC News Briefing

24 July, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top.

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. New duties imposed by the US on its key trade partners cover 99.4% of its imports. In Sri Lanka, military drones are being used to fight a dengue outbreak. And finally, catch up with the best moments from the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

New tariffs cite forced labour concerns

President Donald Trump pointing his finger. He has a serious look on his face and is wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and red tie.

The levies are likely to raise costs for businesses and consumers. Credit: Getty Images

The US has imposed new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on countries including the UK, China, Canada, Japan and India. They came into effect as a temporary 10% tax on foreign goods introduced earlier this year expired. After the Supreme Court ruled in February that many of the tariffs President Donald Trump imposed after he returned to power were illegally enacted, the administration has looked for other ways to pursue its flagship trade policy. The latest levies are based on claims that economic partners have failed to tackle forced labour properly.

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Canada trade: Prime Minister Mark Carney met provincial leaders to discuss a response to the 50% tariffs the US announced earlier this week.

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Gordie Howe bridge: A new link between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, has come to symbolise strained US-Canada ties.

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Tariffs explainer: What you need to know about one of Trump's favourite economic tools.

WORLD HEADLINES

A volunteer gives indication to holidaymakers from Lege-Cap-Ferret upon their arrival in Arcachon by boat during an evacuation operation of the entire Cap-Ferret peninsula, in southwestern France, on July 24, 2026 whilst a wildfire is spreading across the area

Hundreds flee wildfires by boat in France

France has ordered the evacuation of a tourist spot in the Gironde region while Spain has declared a national emergency.

What happened >

US and Iran trade more strikes in Gulf

It comes as Iran condemned the US plan to use frozen Iranian assets to pay for war damages.

What to know >

Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke during sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar demanding resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Credit: Hindustan Times via Getty Images

India's government to hold talks with protesters

News of the meeting came after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike after 26 days.

Find out more >

Robert F Kennedy is seen before a mic. He is wearing a light blue shift, blue tie and a dark blue suit.

US health panel loosens restrictions for peptides

The panel has narrowly voted to allow specialised pharmacies to produce drugs including BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV.

Keep reading >

Mathematicians Yu Deng and Hong Wang at the Fields Medal awarding ceremony in the US

Chinese academics win Fields Medal for first time

Hong Wang and Yu Deng won the world's top Maths prize for solving problems that have baffled the field for decades.

More details >

NEWS FROM THE UK

No 10 North: Prime Minister Andy Burnham is spending his first day at the northern branch of Downing Street, in a push to shift power from London.

BBC News investigation: Fifty women have told they BBC they were pressured or coerced by their partners into swinging.

Siblings reunited: Two strangers hit it off when their paths crossed while working at an airport. They had more in common than they thought.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Using drones to fight a deadly disease

A ward at the District General Hospital in Sri Lanka's Negombo city where dengue patients are getting treated. A nurse in green is seen taking notes in the foreground

Dengue fever is common in tropical climates but it is also spreading to new areas. Credit: AFP via Getty Images

Sri Lanka is facing its worst outbreak of dengue in nearly a decade. The mosquito-borne disease has killed 56 people and infected more than 77,000 others in the South Asian nation so far this year. Military drones are now being deployed to scan for stagnant pools of water on rooftops and other bug-breeding sites.

How it works

A composite of Hannah Neeleman, Caro Claire Burke and Anne Hathaway, with the cover of Yesteryear repeated in the background (Credit: Getty Images/ Harper Collins)

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

2026's most divisive book

Caro Claire Burke's novel Yesteryear is the bestseller that everyone's talking about.

Here's why