The American Express Times
Friday, July 31, 2026
Fortnight of bombs to cripple Iran’s missiles
A senior US military commander is planning a prolonged two-week bombing campaign targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure to reduce Tehran’s missile threat. This strategy represents a significant escalation aimed at curbing Iran’s offensive capabilities amid ongoing regional conflict and limited US defensive resources.
★ Featured Stories
Labour’s £18 billion council tax raid warned to hit 25 million homes
Labour's proposals to raise council tax in England could increase bills for over 25 million households by 2030, with average Band D payments rising from…
Badenoch: Doubting net zero doesn’t make me a climate change denier
Kemi Badenoch has condemned the UK’s current net zero policies for harming businesses and inflating a costly climate bureaucracy, pledging to scrap the 2050 target…
England to boycott Infantino’s World Cup over commercial rights sell-off
England and all UEFA member associations have unanimously declared a boycott of upcoming FIFA tournaments in protest against FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell…
Record reoffending after early release shocks justice system
Reoffending rates have surged to 31.9 percent following the early release of over 70,000 offenders under a government scheme to reduce prison overcrowding. This rise,…
★ All Stories
Defence Secretary declines 10 times to confirm 3% GDP defence spending target
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has declined to confirm whether the government will meet the goal of spending 3 percent of GDP on defence by 2030,…
Nigel Farage defends friendship amid ‘Posh George’ donation row
Nigel Farage has defended his relationship with convicted fraudster George Cottrell amid investigations into undisclosed donations and gifts linked to Reform UK, while stepping down…
Britain faces ‘one escalation away from disaster’ amid conflicts in Europe and Middle East
The United States conducted airstrikes against multiple targets in Iran while a Russian cruise missile struck Polish territory over 60 miles inside its border, prompting…
Sizewell Wildfire Started on RSPB Wetland Reserve
A wildfire has burned over 370 acres of the RSPB Minsmere nature reserve near Suffolk’s Sizewell nuclear power station, forcing evacuations and involving more than…
Military Planes Converted for Firefighting in France
France has deployed modified A400M military transport planes equipped with 22-ton water tanks to combat widespread wildfires that have led to the evacuation of about…
George Clooney and Family Flee French Chateau Amid Fires
Actor George Clooney and his family evacuated their estate in southern France due to nearby wildfires that have forced thousands to flee across the region.…
Migrants Swim to Spanish Territory Ceuta in Their Thousands
Over 1,700 migrants crossed by sea into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this week, overwhelming the territory’s security and accommodation facilities amid a legal ruling…
Four Migrants Die in Channel During Crossing Attempts
Four migrants died attempting to cross the English Channel on Thursday amid ongoing use of overcrowded dinghies and "taxi boats" operated by people smugglers. The…
Alleged Iranian Spy Fights Extradition Over Surveillance at Cyprus RAF Base
Rashad Sultanov, a dual British-Azerbaijani national, appeared in a Cypriot court contesting extradition to the UK on charges of spying for Iran at the RAF…
Spare Foreign Carers From Immigration Crackdown, Rayner Tells PM
Senior ministers, including Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, are urging the government to exempt foreign care workers from proposed immigration rule changes that would extend the…
Guy Fawkes Portrayed as Civil Rights Activist in BBC Educational Game
The BBC has added Guy Fawkes to its primary school history game alongside figures like Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks, portraying him as an "astonishing…
Britons on holiday in Mexico warned about explosive diarrhoea bug
The UK Health Security Agency has reported a surge in cyclospora infections among British tourists returning from Mexican resorts like the Riviera Maya and Cancun.…
MasterChef Chef Adam Handling Says Diners’ Dog Killed His Chickens
Chef Adam Handling reported that guests at his Tartan and Fox pub in Cornwall let their dog run off-lead, resulting in the death of one…
HMRC Plans to Fine Taxpayers for Innocent Tax Return Mistakes
HM Revenue and Customs is proposing new legislation that would allow fines for taxpayers who make unintentional errors on their self-assessment tax returns, especially targeting…
Man Jailed for Arson After Blowing Up Childhood Home Over Inheritance Dispute
Darren Davies was sentenced to four years in prison for deliberately setting fire to his childhood home in a dispute over inheritance, causing a major…
‘Two-tier Policing’ Accusations After No Action Over Greens Leader’s Threatening Post
Reform UK has criticized the Metropolitan Police for deciding not to take action against Green Party leader Zack Polanski after he shared a social media…
Police Accused of ‘Staggering Hypocrisy’ Over Nigel Farage Threat T-Shirt Case
Avon and Somerset Police chose not to press charges against a man wearing a T-shirt at a Green Party rally that was seen as a…
Council Faces Legal Challenge After Cutting Ties with Israeli Twin City
The London Borough of Hackney voted to end its 60-year twinning relationship with the Israeli city of Haifa amid tensions related to the Gaza conflict,…
Drivers pay price as ‘surge charging’ hits car parks
Several UK car park operators, including Q-Park and JustPark, are adopting dynamic pricing models that adjust parking fees in real time based on demand, location,…
DVLA prosecutes Parkinson’s sufferer over £3.34 unpaid tax
An 86-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease and caregiving duties was convicted and ordered to pay £3.34 compensation for a six-week delay in car tax payment…
Doctors failed to save toddler after believing killer mother
Alexandra Walker and her boyfriend Harrison Simpson were both sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the murder and abuse of two-year-old Isabelle…
Driver distracted by phone chased by bear in Romania
A driver in Romania was caught on dashcam encountering a bear after being distracted by his phone while driving. The incident underscores the risks of…
Detectorists uncover Bronze Age bracelets worth £300k
Two metal detectorists from Kilwinning uncovered three solid gold Bronze Age torcs near Carlisle, valued at over £300,000. The artefacts, now with the British Museum…
Virgin Atlantic engineer killed in Heathrow accident
A Virgin Atlantic technician, Georgie Buxton, died from a traumatic brain injury sustained in a workplace accident at Heathrow Airport in June. Authorities have launched…
Boost for Alzheimer’s patients as second drugmaker in NHS talks
Eli Lilly and Eisai have begun pricing negotiations with NHS England to secure NHS availability for their Alzheimer’s drugs donanemab and lecanemab, which are the…
Let us Work From Home or We’ll Take You to Court, Say Bank Staff
TSB employees are planning legal action against Santander’s new policy requiring at least three days of in-office work per week, reversing previous full-time remote work…
‘Predatory’ female sailor jailed for sexual assaults on shipmates
Able Seaman Sian Dowsett was sentenced to 18 months in a service detention centre after being convicted of six counts of sexual assault against fellow…
Smash-and-grab gang who carried out £225,000 daylight robbery sentenced
Three men from Essex were sentenced to prison for a smash-and-grab robbery at a family-owned jeweller’s in Richmond, southwest London, where they stole £225,000 worth…
Drug-smuggling influencer keeps nurse licence
Levi Whalley, a nurse and social media influencer, retained her nursing licence after being convicted of attempting to smuggle over 35 kilograms of cannabis into…
Russian missile crashes in Poland triggering Nato warning
A missile believed to be a Russian Kh-101 crashed in a field near the Polish village of Tarnawa Koloni, marking the first known impact on…
Trump envoy displays map of Africa with all nations wrong
A U.S. health official from the Trump administration displayed a map of Africa with multiple geographical errors, created using AI tools, during a presentation at…
Scepticism at net zero policy is not the same as climate-change denial
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the UK government's net zero 2050 policies as ineffective and economically harmful, proposing to repeal the Climate Change Act…
Merz’s secret plan to thwart AfD from blocking supply lines in event of invasion
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is formulating secret contingency plans to prevent the far-right AfD party from obstructing NATO’s military logistics if Russia invades, especially as…
Giuffre family hit out at Obama’s aide for doubting Epstein victim
Kathryn Ruemmler, former White House counsel and recent Goldman Sachs lawyer, expressed skepticism about Virginia Giuffre’s allegations against Jeffrey Epstein during a closed congressional testimony,…
Italy releases thousands of prisoners with drug addictions
Italy has passed a law allowing inmates with drug or alcohol addictions to serve their sentences at home to reduce severe prison overcrowding. The measure…
Attacker who stabbed and blinded Rushdie convicted of terrorism
A jury in New York convicted Hadi Matar on terrorism charges for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie, finding he acted with support from…
World’s biggest boyband boycotts Grammys over Asian category
BTS announced they will boycott the 69th Grammy Awards in protest of the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, arguing that regional classifications undermine…