BBC

New York becomes the first US state to impose a moratorium on building large-scale data centres.

The measure, announced by New York's Governor Kathy Horchul, applies to all centres using 50MW or more of power and will remain in force for a year. We hear what the moratorium might mean for business.

The announcement comes hours after Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese announces tougher rules for companies wanting to build data centres there.

Elsewhere, the removal of a border fence separating southern Spain from the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar puts an end to border controls that have been in place for 118 years. And our correspondent Anna Holligan looks at Europe's largest freight port in Rotterdam, which is under pressure to be greener.

Harrison struggles to take in what he’s missed, and Lynda offers her support.

US Central Command says its latest barrage of strikes against Iran is designed to degrade Tehran's military capacity to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump warns military strikes will intensify if Iran does not cooperate in peace talks, and both sides threaten further escalation to gain control over the key shipping lane.

Also: prosecutors in Bolivia investigate reports that Bolivian citizens are being tricked into fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The Australian government announces plans to regulate the growing AI sector. Tensions escalate in Pakistani-administered Kashmir as security forces try to stop protesters marching on the main city of Muzaffarabad to demand more political representation. Border checks between Spain and Gibraltar are permanently lifted, after London and Brussels sign a free movement treaty affecting the British territory. And a pen, that helped save the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men on the moon, has been sold at auction in New York for more than $850,000.

The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.

Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.

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Photo: a screengrab from a video obtained from social media on July 15 shows a view shortly before what U.S. Central Command say was a U.S. strike on Iran. Location and date not verified.

Credit: U.S. Central Command/via REUTERS

Chinese GDP growth slowed to 4.3% but success in electric vehicles and EV batteries boosted export earnings. We also head to Gibraltar where citizens and businesses of "The Rock" and Spain cheer the end of passport checks on the frontier border following the post-Brexit agreement between Spain and the UK.

World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.

Days after the rescue of 48 school children and their teachers from kidnappers in Nigeria's Southwest Oyo State, authorities call for investigations into the abductions and the release. We hear from the families of the victims.

And Somalia cites insecurity and money laundering in a bid to oppose the roll out a new WhatsApp feature that will allow users to utilise usernames instead of registered phone numbers.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Bella Twine and Priya Sippy

Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga

Technical Producer: David Nzau

Editors: Rhoda Odhiambo and Maryam Abdalla

The US State Department has said it's supporting efforts by Iraq and Syria to restore a crude oil pipeline between them, in an attempt to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Also in the programme: Australia has announced wide-ranging plans to regulate AI, including enhanced copyright and restrictions on data centres; and as England and Argentina prepare for their World Cup semi-final, we'll explore a fraught relationship between the two countries that goes back many decades.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump meets with Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi at the White House - 14 Jul 2026 Credit: Photo by GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

Also, older teenagers in the UK facing an overnight social media curfew

Big banks, big profits...We're looking at the handsome results posted by five big US banks today.

We'll also look at threats to wheat exports in both Russia and the United States

And why is American beef so pricey at the moment?

(Picture: Close-up of benjamin franklin on scattered one hundred dollar bills. Credit: Getty Images)

US banks see supersized profits as dealmaking streak continues, but will US households feel any richer after inflation data showed gasoline prices at the forecourt eased for drivers. Video conferencing app Zoom has predicted a three-day working week as AI boosts worker productivity...but do bosses agree? And what will the fallout be for Paramount and Warner Brothers after their media mega-deal hit a regulatory roadblock?

Donald Trump says he's no longer planning to charge ships for using the Strait of Hormuz, as the US battles to break Iran's hold on the waterway. Trump said the toll would be replaced by "massive" trade and investment deals with Gulf states. Also: US banks are making huge profits despite rising inflation. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been told to halt most vehicle stops nationwide immediately, following a pair of fatal shootings in Texas and Maine involving ICE agents. Another record-breaking heatwave has hit parts of Canada and the US, bringing extreme temperatures and poor air quality. At the FIFA World Cup, Spain have beaten France to secure a place in the final. A 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex has become the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever.

The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.

Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Photo: A ship using the Strait of Hormuz

Credit: Reuters