BBC News Briefing

15 July, 2026

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

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. US acting attorney general Todd Blanche has appeared at a Senate confirmation hearing to take on the role permanently. In India, businesses expect to benefit from a UK trade deal. And finally, watch people celebrate the end of border checks between Gibraltar and Spain.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Loyal Trump ally vies for top lawyer job

Todd Blanche sits at a desk in front of a microphone. He wears a blue suit and an orange tie. He has short dark hair and brown eyes.

Blanche spent several years as Trump’s personal attorney before being named deputy attorney general. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Blanche's confirmation hearing had been expected to touch on contentious issues such as the independence of the judiciary and his role in the Epstein files release. As it began, about a dozen women walked into the room wearing white and black T-shirts saying "Epstein survivors are still waiting". When questioned about the release, Blanche acknowledged "mistakes were made" and accepted responsibility. Other issues discussed included access to abortion pills, President Donald Trump's eligibility for a third term and a controversial settlement between Trump and the US's tax agency that a federal judge nullified this week.

Read key takeaways

England-Argentina face off for final spot

The second World Cup semi-final sees one of international football's most storied rivalries playing out in Atlanta, Georgia. The winner will face Spain in the final in 19 July.

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GET UP TO SPEED

Closeup of Xi and Trump wearing suits, and smiling

Global view of China more positive than US, poll finds

The Pew Research Center's findings indicate that perceptions of the US have worsened while those of China improved.

Explore the data >

A protester sits with a placard that reads "Burden" during a rally organised by French "pro-life" organisation Alliance Vita against the new French draft law on euthanasia and assisted suicide at Invalides, in Paris on June 22, 2026

French MPs approve assisted dying law

The bill would create a right to assisted dying for terminally ill adults who meet strict criteria.

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Aerial images of a sinking boat in San Francisco Bay surrounded by emergency response vessels.

Pontoon boat sinks near Alcatraz Island

One person has died and three others are missing after the vessel capsized with around 20 adults on board, authorities said.

What happened >

A view of from the driver's carriage of a freight train shows flames all around

Wildfire surrounds freight train in Canada

The workers seen in the video were able to escape after one of the wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario encircled the train.

Watch the footage >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Watch: Sir Keir Starmer has received a standing ovation from various MPs after giving his final answer at his last Prime Minister's Questions.

Brighton rape: Three men have been jailed for attacking a woman on the beach.

Methanol poisoning: A new government campaign aims to raise awareness of the risks of drinking alcohol laced with methanol in foreign countries.

AT THE SCENE

Mumbai, India

What UK-India trade deal can deliver

A woman wearing a multi-coloured Indian kurta with a yellow stole, finishes men's trousers after production in Kolkata city, India,.

India and the UK began negotiating the trade pact in 2022. Credit: Nurphoto via Getty Images

The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) has come into effect. It reduces tariffs on 99% of Indian exports to the UK and 90% of UK imports into India. Manufacturers hope that the deal will boost their exports, but experts caution that some unresolved trade challenges remain.

Nikhil Inamdar, BBC News

In the offices of Welspun Living, the Indian company that makes championship towels for Wimbledon, preparations have been gathering pace to take full benefit of the FTA. "I'm expecting our exports to the UK to now grow in double digits," Dipali Goenka, CEO of Welspun Living, told the BBC.

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The pact could also be a tipping point for British alcohol and spirits companies. The reduction of customs duties on Scotch whisky from 150% to 75% immediately and then gradually to 40% over 10 years is a "real shift, not a small tweak", says Avneet Singh of Modern Drinks Pvt Ltd, an import house based in the capital Delhi. Singh has seen momentum building ahead of the new terms of trade taking effect.

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