UK - July is set to be England’s driest on record, the Met Office has revealed. A total of 5.6mm of rain fell in England during this past month. The previous record was set in 1911, when 13.4mm of rain fell. That was followed by July 1868, with 18.1mm, and 1869, with 20.2mm. Dr Emily Carlisle, a Met Office scientist, said: “Provisional figures suggest this could be one of the driest Julys in nearly two centuries of records, which is particularly notable when coupled with the exceptional heat experienced so far this summer.” Both England and Wales are on course for their driest July since rainfall records began 190 years ago in 1836. The rainfall record comes after drought was declared across more than half of England following a prolonged spell of record-breaking heat.

USA - According to the latest update, approximately 7,500 acres have burned, more than 600 structures have been destroyed, and all three fires are 0% contained. Several fires exploded in size across Spokane County on Saturday afternoon. A combination of three fires has burned about 7,500 acres, and all three are still 0% contained. California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 is assuming command of the Spokane Area Fires, which consist of the Autumn Lane Fire, Old Trails Fire and Fairview Fire. Fire authorities confirmed to KREM 2 that over 600 structures have been destroyed by the fires. There was a mad scramble to evacuate on Saturday evening, and as a result there were huge traffic jams throughout the city. In some cases, those stuck in the traffic jams could literally see giant flames approaching in their rear view mirrors. Can you imagine being in that position? There were many that left with only the clothes on their backs. That is how fast this happened. And when some of them finally return home, they will discover that they have lost everything.

HUNGARY - Hungary's only nuclear power plant will be forced to shut down entirely for the first time due to record low water levels of the River Danube, Prime Minister Péter Magyar has said. The Soviet-era Paks power plant uses the Danube for cooling but the water level is so low that the suction nozzles cannot reach it. Magyar warned Hungary's energy supply could become "critical" from Monday due to the Paks shutdown and the ongoing heatwave, which will see temperatures hover around 37C for a week. Like much of Europe, Hungary has seen very low rainfall and high temperatures for much of the summer. The waters of the Danube have fallen to the lowest levels for 30 years in several countries, including neighbouring Serbia and Romania.

EUROPE - Since mid-July wildfires have torn through France, Spain, and Portugal forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes. Officials in the Spanish capital Madrid have said the fires are the worst the region has ever experienced. French President Emmanuel Macron, visiting the fire-ravaged area in the Gironde region, called the "completely unprecedented" wildfire the "toughest since World War Two". The fires have broken out amid a sweltering summer of heatwaves across Europe. Both France and Spain are now seeing another sharp rise in temperatures, with peaks of 41-42C expected in France. Wildfires in the regions outside Madrid have burned about 606 sq miles (1570 sq km) since 1 July, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis). That is an area more than twice as large as the city itself.

USA - Donald Trump says he has pulled back from a major assault on Iran because a peace deal may be close. The US president announced on Truth Social late on Saturday night that he had paused the attack, which he had claimed would include the heaviest strikes of the war, at Tehran’s request, “subject to being able to rapidly make a deal”. Mr Trump said: “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.” He added that he had agreed to Tehran’s proposal “for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran”. However, Mr Trump warned the Iranian regime that the US remained “locked and loaded and ready to go”.

SAUDI ARABIA - While Riyadh has adopted a new muscular approach, the UAE has moved towards dialogue and Oman is trying to position itself as neutral. Early on Wednesday in the skies above Iraq, the geopolitics of the Gulf were shifting. Fighter jets from the Saudi air force were flying alongside their US counterparts, in a joint operation against Iranian proxy militias. For the first time in the conflict, Saudi Arabia had explicitly moved from defensive to offensive.

MIDDLE EAST - Hamas disarming? Believe it when you see it. Those were the words on the lips of all sensible observers as the latest Donald Trump stunt was announced. Hamas disarming? It’s about as convincing as a crocodile going vegan. If you don’t believe me, believe Hamas, which has never publicly committed to demilitarisation. In an interview with Al Jazeera earlier this year, the senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk said that the concession “never happened”. He added: “Not for a single moment did we talk about the surrender of weapons, or any formula about destroying, surrendering, or disarmament.” If Hamas was not disarmed in two years of war, Abu Marzouk continued, “how can they obtain it through negotiations?” It could hardly be clearer, could it?

UK - Most shoppers are filling their trolleys with barbecue food during one of the hottest summers on record – but Morrisons has been ridiculed this week for selling Christmas treats in July. The supermarket was understood to be selling Cadbury Dairy Milk advent calendars in one of its stores on July 31. Retail experts believe it is the earliest time the festive chocolates have ever appeared on shelves.

EUROPE - It’s ironic that the Ceuta surge came as illegal crossings into Europe were falling. Schengen members want it to stay that way. The sharp response from Spain’s EU neighbours to the influx of about 60,000 migrants into Ceuta has highlighted long-simmering tensions over migration and the Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel between 29 European nations. Europe’s leaders seem worried that pictures and videos of the dramatic scenes in Ceuta, a small Spanish territory in north Africa, will stir memories of the 2015 migrant crisis that upended the continent’s politics, fuelling greater support for right-wing populist parties in multiple countries. Mindful of this legacy, many EU countries have united in their criticism of Spain and left Pedro Sánchez, the country’s Socialist prime minister, increasingly isolated on the left.

SOUTH KOREA - According to a report from 24/7 Wall St, South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index plunged 10.84 percent overnight, delivering a sharp jolt to global semiconductor investors and sending shockwaves through US premarket trading. Memory chip giants led the collapse. Samsung Electronics sank 13.39 percent while SK Hynix tumbled 14.65 percent. The sell-off quickly crossed the Pacific. As of 6:30am Eastern time, Nasdaq futures were down 0.84 percent and semiconductor names were falling even harder, even as Dow futures edged up 0.21 percent.