Media Fact-Checking: A UK-focused debunking report claims a Met Office-linked heatwave death figure (over 2,700 in England and Wales) was “fake news”, after the number was widely repeated by BBC and others. AI & Privacy: Italy’s draft AI decree would let police collect biometric face data from everyone entering “sensitive” public areas, with automatic deletion after seven days unless a crime is linked—raising concerns it clashes with the EU AI Act. Security & Defence Tech: UK MoD says it found no sensitive data leak after concerns that Royal Navy sea drone cameras transmitted technical “status signals” to China, while officials disconnected devices as a precaution. Local Culture: Blackpool has formally submitted its bid to become UK City of Culture 2029, backed by Lancashire MPs. Public Debate Funding: Northern Ireland’s WRDA wins £100,000 to coach women to take part in policy forums and boost use of media and data. Online Safety: NSPCC/Childline says TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are most mentioned in counselling sessions about online harms. Entertainment & Streaming: Maxine Peake’s drama “Funny Cow” is streaming in the UK, and BritBox highlights romance spin-offs like “The Other Bennet Sister”. Business/Marcom: FIOR Group and Multiverse Computing announce a partnership for secure edge and sovereign AI deployments.