BBC News Briefing

7 August, 2026

Georgia has short curly hair and brown eyes. She is wearing a pink top.

Georgia Chambers

Hello. The Trump administration has been ordered to stop construction on the US president’s $400m (£297m) ballroom at the White House - we've got the details. Plus, take a tour of the childhood home of the world's most famous astronaut. And it's Friday, so why not test your news knowledge with our quiz of the week.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Trump's ballroom plans blocked

An aerial view of the White House in Washington DC. Tall cranes and contruction works are seen to the left, with lots of buildings in the background. A lush green lawn and trees is in front of the White House.

Trump railed against the "horrendous" and "politically motivated" decision on social media. Credit: Getty Images

The order by a US federal appeals court that work must stop on the US president’s ballroom is the latest setback to the controversial project, which has been mired in legal issues since it began last year. Friday's ruling upholds the order blocking above-ground construction without approval from Congress, while still allowing underground work to go ahead. In a 2-1 decision, the three-judge panel said: "Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence." Trump has vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court.

More on this story

GET UP TO SPEED

A close up of US Senator Bill Cassidy as he speaks at a Senate meeting. He has short grey hair and wears a dark suit.

US senator will vote to confirm Blanche for AG

Bill Cassidy's vote will likely save Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general, which was on the precipice of defeat.

Read the latest >

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose next to each other, each holding a document in their hands, after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign defence pact

The three countries said an attack on one of them would be seen as an attack on all of them.

Read more >

A close-up of a pair of hands holding a black bottle. Written on the cap is 'Guinness extra stout London'.

Divers find 162-year-old Guinness in shipwreck

The artefact was discovered off the English coast by a Belgian photographer, who believes many more remain buried.

See the discovery >

Hundreds of migrants sit on the ground in rows on a beach in Ceuta, with the sea behind them.

Spain threatens retaliation over Italy's border controls

Italy partially suspended its Schengen arrangement with Spain after thousands of migrants arrived in Ceuta.

Get the details >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Simon Levy: Serial sex offender found guilty of murdering two women and raping a third in London.

Jason Arday: The University of Cambridge is to review its hiring process for senior academics after the professor's resignation.

Pubs: A row over “vertical drinking” breaks out after a London council says it wants to "discourage excessive drunkenness".

AT THE SCENE

Sudan

The invisible children of war

Two small children lie side-by-side on a pink mat next to a woman partly covered in a blue cloth.

Women who gave birth to children as a result of rape can often face social stigma. Credit: Reuters

As war rages in Sudan, children are being born into complex circumstances. Women who have become pregnant after being raped and don’t know the name of their child's father have run into issues getting a birth certificate.

Ethar Shalaby, BBC News Arabic and Patricia Whitehorne, BBC Africa

Amira, 17, is one of them. Eight months after her son was born, she says she can’t get him vaccinated or enroll him in nursery. "I'm afraid for his future because he isn't registered at all,” she says of her son, adding that she can’t afford his treatment or care and can’t go to work “for fear of being exposed to violence again”.

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According to Nada, a Sudanese aid organisation, this is an experience repeated in areas experiencing conflict across the country, and the true number of children born in this way is unknown due to social stigma.

Keep reading

How Sudan got here: A simple guide on how the war started, and what's happening.

BBC Verify: Thousands of people hoping to find shelter from the conflict have found themselves under threat again.

PICK OF THE WEEK

Is AI stagnating women's careers?

A photo of a woman with long dark hair wearing large black glasses.

Stacey said the responses she received left her feeling "lonely and shameful".

After a career spanning decades, 52-year-old Stacey Duguid decided to find "one last job". Despite sending "gazillions" of CVs, she was met with little more than automated rejections or no response at all. Stacey thought that AI-powered recruitment tools could be contributing to the problem and has "botoxed" her CV by removing references to her age and experience. And she's not alone - we have spoken to more than 60 women ag