July 24, 2026 - Daily News Digest

On this day: in 1701, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founds the trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, which later becomes the city of Detroit.

QOTD: ““We have no clue where this is going,” said one senior Arab official, with direct knowledge of regional developments. “It’s only getting crazier,” said another senior Arab official, directly involved with diplomatic efforts.

EUROPE/SUMMER - Wildfires in Europe prompt tens of thousands to evacuate
https://www.dw.com/en/europe-wildfires-fires-france-spain-italy/a-78080171

Tens of thousands of people were urged to evacuate on Thursday as forest fires continued to tear through Spain, France and Italy.

The latest fires come as Europe prepares for another heat wave, with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) forecast in some areas.

So far in 2026, wildfires have burnt more land in Europe than the annual average over the past two decades.

Climate change is making extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and the forest fires that ensue, more frequent and more severe.

Spain declares national emergency in Madrid region

To better tackle several out-of-control wildfires, Spain declared a national emergency in the Madrid region and in the province of Avila, near the capital, late on Thursday.

The measure aims to speed up the deployment of resources to fight the blazes, which have forced some 10,000 people in the region to evacuate.

The decision also transfers the crisis response to the military emergency unit of the Spanish Armed Forces, which is specialized in disaster relief.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez posted on X that "the government has deployed every available resource to stop the terrible fires currently affecting numerous areas: Avila, Leon, Toledo, Madrid and other parts of Spain."

Sanchez also visited a fire-ravaged area in Guadalajara, northeast of Madrid, where more than 30 villages were evacuated.

"Year after year we clearly see how climate change kills and destroys wealth in our communities," he said. "This isn't politics. It is science, it's about facts."

US/IRAN/MIL - U.S. launches new strikes and Trump threatens ‘massive attack’ as Iran widens war
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/us-iran-strikes-trump-massive-attack-war-hormuz-red-sea-oil-rcna589016

The United States launched a fresh barrage of strikes on Iran overnight after Tehran opened a second front in its pressure campaign on the world economy.

President Donald Trump threatened a major new escalation and on Thursday told Axios he is weighing whether to launch a “massive attack” on the Islamic Republic that would be “bigger than ever before.” The president’s warning and subsequent 13th night of military strikes came as oil briefly surged above $100 a barrel.

Iran has shown little sign of bowing to U.S. demands, launching new attacks on shipping as well as U.S. bases and allies across the Middle East. These two fronts have combined to increase the cost of the renewed conflict — in human lives, including American soldiers, and global prices.

The struggle for control of the crucial Strait of Hormuz has now been extended to another key trade route, the Bab el Mandeb strait, after attacks by Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

And there were signs that some U.S. partners in the region may be losing patience. Senior Arab officials told NBC News they were growing frustrated with the threats, the daily escalations and the lack of diplomatic progress.

“We have no clue where this is going,” said one senior Arab official, with direct knowledge of regional developments. “It’s only getting crazier,” said another senior Arab official, directly involved with diplomatic efforts.

GIFT LINK: Timeline: How a College Test Scandal Grew Into a Youth Movement in India
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/24/world/asia/india-protest-cockroach-party-timeline.html?unlocked_article_code=1.0FA.a8j2.sdYoePMxkMqv&smid=url-share

What began in India as a student protest over a cancelled college entrance exam in May has grown into a wider campaign against corruption, poor job prospects and mismanagement of the education system. The movement is posing a rare challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in power for more than a decade.

Here’s how it has unfolded:

USA/KSA/NUKES - Is the US-Saudi nuclear deal on, or in limbo?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/24/is-the-us-saudi-nuclear-deal-on-or-in-limbo

The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed a nuclear cooperation deal to establish a civilian nuclear programme in the kingdom.

This would allow Riyadh to harness nuclear power to generate electricity, allowing it to export more of its natural resources and deal with an expansion of energy-hungry data centres.

But a day later, US President Donald Trump announced a new condition on social media, saying that Saudi Arabia must first normalise relations with Israel.

So, what is the status of the US-Saudi nuclear deal and what does this mean for Riyadh?

Saudi Arabia has long insisted it will not establish formal relations with Israel until there is a clear path for Palestinian statehood, which Israel’s current government staunchly opposes.

Riyadh has yet to respond to Trump’s latest statement tying the nuclear deal to normalisation.

What do we know about the deal?

The new nuclear deal is expected to last 30 years, transferring US technology and expertise to the kingdom to help meet the kingdom’s growing energy needs.

While its full text has not been released, some details have emerged through media reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that one provision would potentially see US companies build a uranium enrichment facility in the kingdom, though Trump in his social media post suggested Saudi-based enrichment may be off the table.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said the agreement bolsters “efforts to diversify energy sources, advance cutting-edge technologies, and expand opportunities for cooperation and investment in ways that serve the mutual interests of the two friendly countries”.

GIFT LINK [VIDEO]: Inside Ukraine’s Secretive Unit Knocking Russian Drones Out of the Sky
https://www.wsj.com/world/inside-ukraines-secretive-unit-knocking-russian-drones-out-of-the-sky-460581f2?st=R66FWU&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

As Russia launches its largest aerial attacks of the war, overwhelming Ukrainian defenses with thousands of one-way attack drones and hundreds of advanced missiles, clearing the sky has become a priority.

Four years into the war, Ukraine has developed its expertise in dealing with waves of Shahed-type drones, using machine guns, helicopters and electronic warfare to destroy them. Now, as Kyiv appeals to allies for Patriot interceptors to shoot down missiles, it is leaning on cheap drones to defend cities from drone swarms.

In this video, The Wall Street Journal gained exclusive access to film the teams of pilots and navigators in the Lasar’s Group of the National Guard of Ukraine who are pivoting from attacks on Russian heavy equipment to hunting their drones.

MORE: From steppe to sea, a Ukrainian drone unit hunts Russian ships
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/steppe-sea-ukrainian-drone-unit-hunts-russian-ships-2026-07-24/

In a field in southern Ukraine, soldiers scrawled sardonic messages on a sleek grey attack drone that would soon be hunting Russian ships on the Black Sea — part of ​a widening Ukrainian campaign to isolate Crimea and weaken Moscow's war effort.

Operating far behind the front line on Ukraine's sweeping steppe, such units have hit more than 180 vessels and ‌other sea-borne targets around the peninsula over the past three weeks, opening a new front in the war.

The attacks, first in the Sea of Azov and now expanding into the Black Sea that it opens into, are designed to raise the cost for Russia of occupying Crimea and to swing the initiative towards Kyiv in the fifth year of full-scale war in Ukraine.

"We work day and night, every day, without time off," said battalion commander "Ray" of Magyar's Birds, a brigade that is an important part of the effort. In ​line with Ukrainian military practice, he identified himself only by his call sign.

During a recent visit by Reuters, his team launched drones every couple of minutes. The unit said it struck a cargo ​vessel and floating crane in the Black Sea and a power substation in south Crimea. Reuters could not independently verify this.

IRAN/YEMEN - Iran flew IRGC commanders, missile gear to Yemen's Houthis, sources say
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-flew-irgc-commanders-missile-gear-yemens-houthis-sources-say-2026-07-23/

Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four ​sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping.

Four sources familiar with the ‌matter, including two Iranian sources, Yemen's information minister and a regional security analyst, said Iran transferred the IRGC personnel and military-related equipment on a flight from Tehran to Yemen on July 13, a development that has not been previously reported.

The two Iranian sources told Reuters that between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, were on the Mahan Air flight.

The plane was originally bound for the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, but diverted to the Red ​Sea port city of Hodeidah after the airport came under attack by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

"The IRGC commanders travelled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new ​missile systems," one of the sources said, adding that Iran also sent gold on the aircraft to fund Houthi activities.

The two Iranian sources spoke ⁠on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

UK/SEC - 'Extremely significant' bomb in car intercepted on way to NI, Irish police say
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpq82dg0y3qo

A car containing an "extremely significant" bomb has been intercepted in the Republic of Ireland as it was being driven across the border for an attack in Northern Ireland, gardaí (Irish police) have said.

The vehicle was stopped during an operation targeting dissident republican activities on Wednesday, but further details are just emerging. Two people were arrested.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly confirmed on Friday that officers found an explosive device.

Police sources in Northern Ireland believe the New IRA was likely behind the intended attack.

The vehicle was stopped on the N2 near Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, at about 15:00 on Wednesday.

A woman in her 20s, who was the driver of the vehicle, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon and a man in his 40s has since been arrested.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported that gardaí sources said the bomb contained a power unit, a detonator and military grade explosives.

RUSSIA/UKRAINE/MIL - Russian ballistic strike kills 10 after Ukraine’s Zelenskyy hosts US company making Patriots
https://apnews.com/article/russiak-ukraine-war-patriots-trump-loomer-raytheon-a2f06208baa0759215d973f01758e30f

A Russian attack on a site near Kyiv that was hosting a defense industry event killed at least 10 people and wounded nearly 100 others, according to Ukrainian government and industry officials.

The ballistic missile strike came a day after Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with senior representatives of Raytheon, the U.S. company that makes the Patriot air defense systems Ukraine desperately needs to counter the devastating ballistic missiles Russia uses to advance its invasion. Raytheon didn’t immediately respond to an email inquiring whether any of its workers were at the event.

“Missiles for Patriot systems are the number one priority,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media, where he reported the attack.

The attack hit the grounds of a privately operated military training site that was hosting an event, acting regional military administration head Ruslan Oliinyk wrote on Facebook, citing preliminary information. The site is about 20-30 kilometers (12-19 miles) from central Kyiv, in the Bucha district.