diff --git a/README b/README
index 54da3587754..2fc84ca6620 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ Copyright (C) 2001-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 See the end of the file for license conditions.
 
 
-This directory tree holds version 30.0.60 of GNU Emacs, the extensible,
+This directory tree holds version 31.0.50 of GNU Emacs, the extensible,
 customizable, self-documenting real-time display editor.
 
 The file INSTALL in this directory says how to build and install GNU
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b57bb65e0bf..e87274a9858 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ dnl  along with GNU Emacs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 AC_PREREQ([2.65])
 dnl Note this is parsed by (at least) make-dist and lisp/cedet/ede/emacs.el.
-AC_INIT([GNU Emacs], [30.0.60], [bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org], [],
+AC_INIT([GNU Emacs], [31.0.50], [bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org], [],
   [https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/])
 
 if test "$XCONFIGURE" = "android"; then
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..af32a93d9c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+GNU Emacs NEWS -- history of user-visible changes.
+
+Copyright (C) 2022-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+See the end of the file for license conditions.
+
+Please send Emacs bug reports to 'bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org'.
+If possible, use 'M-x report-emacs-bug'.
+
+This file is about changes in Emacs version 31.
+
+See file HISTORY for a list of GNU Emacs versions and release dates.
+See files NEWS.30, NEWS.29, ..., NEWS.18, and NEWS.1-17 for changes
+in older Emacs versions.
+
+You can narrow news to a specific version by calling 'view-emacs-news'
+with a prefix argument or by typing 'C-u C-h C-n'.
+
+Temporary note:
++++ indicates that all relevant manuals in doc/ have been updated.
+--- means no change in the manuals is needed.
+When you add a new item, use the appropriate mark if you are sure it
+applies, and please also update docstrings as needed.
+
+
+* Installation Changes in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* Startup Changes in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* Changes in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* Editing Changes in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* Changes in Specialized Modes and Packages in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* New Modes and Packages in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* Incompatible Lisp Changes in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* Lisp Changes in Emacs 31.1
+
+
+* Changes in Emacs 31.1 on Non-Free Operating Systems
+
+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
+This file is part of GNU Emacs.
+
+GNU Emacs is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+GNU Emacs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with GNU Emacs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+
+Local variables:
+coding: utf-8
+mode: outline
+mode: emacs-news
+paragraph-separate: "[	 ]"
+end:
diff --git a/etc/refcards/ru-refcard.tex b/etc/refcards/ru-refcard.tex
index a394688a8a0..a013f7695ed 100644
--- a/etc/refcards/ru-refcard.tex
+++ b/etc/refcards/ru-refcard.tex
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 \newlength{\ColThreeWidth}
 \setlength{\ColThreeWidth}{25mm}
 
-\newcommand{\versionemacs}[0]{30} % version of Emacs this is for
+\newcommand{\versionemacs}[0]{31} % version of Emacs this is for
 \newcommand{\cyear}[0]{2024}       % copyright year
 
 \newcommand\shortcopyrightnotice[0]{\vskip 1ex plus 2 fill
diff --git a/msdos/sed2v2.inp b/msdos/sed2v2.inp
index 3c719e3f9ac..1285afeddf1 100644
--- a/msdos/sed2v2.inp
+++ b/msdos/sed2v2.inp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 /^#undef PACKAGE_NAME/s/^.*$/#define PACKAGE_NAME ""/
 /^#undef PACKAGE_STRING/s/^.*$/#define PACKAGE_STRING ""/
 /^#undef PACKAGE_TARNAME/s/^.*$/#define PACKAGE_TARNAME ""/
-/^#undef PACKAGE_VERSION/s/^.*$/#define PACKAGE_VERSION "30.0.60"/
+/^#undef PACKAGE_VERSION/s/^.*$/#define PACKAGE_VERSION "31.0.50"/
 /^#undef SYSTEM_TYPE/s/^.*$/#define SYSTEM_TYPE "ms-dos"/
 /^#undef HAVE_DECL_GETENV/s/^.*$/#define HAVE_DECL_GETENV 1/
 /^#undef SYS_SIGLIST_DECLARED/s/^.*$/#define SYS_SIGLIST_DECLARED 1/
diff --git a/nt/README.W32 b/nt/README.W32
index 33e252f7e01..5f33898c215 100644
--- a/nt/README.W32
+++ b/nt/README.W32
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Copyright (C) 2001-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 See the end of the file for license conditions.
 
-		Emacs version 30.0.60 for MS-Windows
+		Emacs version 31.0.50 for MS-Windows
 
   This README file describes how to set up and run a precompiled
   distribution of the latest version of GNU Emacs for MS-Windows.  You