Channel 5 — 5 News with Dan Walker

The government confirmed it will proceed with an early release scheme to tackle prison overcrowding, with 5,000 extra releases planned in ten batches from October. The scheme was paused after the Prime Minister intervened following the potential early release of two men convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper; his mother expressed devastation and a sense of being let down. The Justice Secretary apologised but said exemptions could not be widened to include manslaughter. Separately, a report from the Society of Radiographers highlighted a rise in racist abuse against NHS staff, with patients refusing treatment or directing comments at non-white workers. Other headlines included the discovery of a woman's body in a suitcase in Athens, a 14-year-old boy drowning in the Thames, a £20,000 reward for a man wanted over a fatal stabbing, and 25 US states suing over President Trump's latest tariffs.

Jodrell Bank Observatory faces a £2.8 million annual funding cut, prompting calls from figures including astronaut Tim Peake and musician Brian May to reverse the decision. A boat carrying 157 migrants caught fire and capsized in the English Channel, with all rescued and taken back to France. Firefighters in South Wales are tackling a wildfire believed to have been started deliberately. Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that current NHS guidelines for identifying younger women at higher risk of breast cancer may miss up to 95% of those under 50 who develop the disease, as the criteria rely heavily on family history. In Scotland, around 148,000 students received their national exam results under a new qualifications body, with record pass rates but a persistent attainment gap between rich and poor areas.

Large parts of England and Wales have been declared in drought, with reservoirs at critically low levels and the dry weather uncovering historical features such as World War I practice trenches and a Second World War prisoner of war camp. Internationally, a dolphin was observed carrying her dead calf for six days off Western Australia, the Danube River in Romania reached a record low threatening a nuclear power plant, and Albania used fire trucks to spray crowds as temperatures hit 38°C. The funeral of Oscar-winning singer Glen Hansard took place in Dublin, with hundreds attending including Bono and Steve Coogan.