Reuters World News Summary

Ukraine has attacked several warehouses of Russian online retailer Wildberries, sparking fires, in a bid to disrupt the company's operations, a linchpin of Russia's consumer economy.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ukraine strikes two more warehouses of Russian online retailer Wildberries

Ukrainian drones struck two more warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries overnight, sparking fires at both sites, the company and a regional official said. Ukraine has attacked about a dozen Wildberries sites since July 18 in a bid to disrupt the operations of the company, a linchpin of the consumer economy that is often described as Russia's answer to Amazon.

Trump says 'Board ​of Peace' reaches Gaza disarmament deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday his so-called "Board of Peace" reached an agreement for the complete disarmament of Palestinian Hamas militants and other armed groups in Gaza. In a post on Truth Social, Trump cast it as a "major milestone in the implementation of the Trump ​20-Point Plan" to end Israel's war in Gaza.

Secretive US court meant to deport alleged terrorists hears first case

A secretive U.S. court created 30 years ago to deport suspected terrorists convened for the first time on ‌Thursday, opening a new front in ​the Trump administration's effort to remove non-citizens accused of national security threats and expand the president's immigration agenda. The hearing, before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, was open to the public and centered on Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old lawful permanent resident accused of supporting Islamic State and helping conceal a failed Election Day 2024 mass shooting plot. Prosecutors say much of the evidence against the Texas woman cannot be publicly disclosed.

Trump says peace plan will lead to Hamas disarmament, Israel support uncertain

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said Cairo talks between mediators and Hamas leaders have led to a "HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas" in what he described as structured phases. Sources close to the talks told Reuters earlier on Thursday that progress was made but it is uncertain if the agreement will hold, as an Israeli official had said the proposed terms were not satisfactory.

Blast at Pakistan coal mine complex kills at least 11, dozens missing, official says

At least 11 coal miners were killed and dozens are missing after an explosion buried parts ‌of a mining complex in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Thursday, an official said. Shoaib Nosherwani, Balochistan's minister for mines and mineral development, told Reuters that 36 people were in the collapsed part of the complex at the time of the explosion.

Drone strike near Suez Canal in Egypt raises new security threat in widening war

A drone strike on gas vessels in Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta signalled a potential new front in the U.S.-Iran war, raising the prospect of threats to navigation through the Suez Canal, one of the last remaining export routes for Saudi oil. Egypt's cabinet said on Thursday that an initial investigation found an unidentified drone caused a fire on two vessels at Damietta port on Wednesday. The port lies near the Suez Canal, which links the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

France and Spain win some respite, as wildfire battles rage across Europe

France, Spain and Greece battled major wildfires on Thursday, with Spain bringing one blaze under control but facing new threats as intense heat, dry vegetation and powerful winds kept much of southern Europe on alert. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez downgraded the emergency level for a major fire on the border between Madrid and Castilla y Leon, but warned the danger had not passed as at least 10 other blazes caused concern across the country.

Tiny Pacific island nation Nauru reclaims traditional name 'Naoero'

The Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, reverting to its traditional designation in ‌a move it said was aimed at strengthening national identity and cultural heritage. Nauru's parliament passed a constitutional amendment in May to rename the country, initially planning a national referendum. However, President David Adeang said in a social media post late on Wednesday that the referendum plans have been dropped.

Father of Georgia school shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison

A man who gave his troubled son the rifle he used to kill four people at a Georgia high school was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years in prison, the culmination of the state's first case in which a parent was convicted of second-degree murder for a mass shooting committed by his child. Colt ‌Gray, 16, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Tuesday for the 2024 school shooting by a Barrow County Superior Court judge. Two days later, the same judge sentenced his 55-year-old father, Colin Gray, to far less than the 80 years prosecutors had requested.

US issues sanctions targeting support networks for Iran's Mahan Air

The United States on Thursday issued new sanctions on Thursday targeting global networks supporting Mahan Air, the Iranian carrier Washington says transports Iran's Revolutionary Guards personnel, as well as weapons and drones. The U.S. Treasury designated six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia and Iran, including several companies that act as sales agents for the U.S.- and E.U.-sanctioned airline, the department said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia seeks international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthis, sources say

Saudi Arabia is seeking to build an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, two people familiar with the deliberations said on Wednesday. The composition of the coalition has not yet been finalised and is being discussed with dozens of countries, the sources said.

Brazilian Supreme Court justice authorizes investigation into president's son

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Andre Mendonca has authorized federal police to investigate Fabio Luis Lula da Silva, son of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, over suspicions he improperly helped a lobbyist in dealings with the health ministry, two sources with direct knowledge of the decision told Reuters. Last week, federal police sought permission to open an investigation into Fabio Luis, known as "Lulinha," for alleged influence peddling and corruption on behalf of Antonio Carlos Camilo Antunes, in dealing with the ministry.

Analysis-Drone strike in Egypt sparks security concerns about Suez oil exports

A drone strike that damaged two gas tankers in Egyptian waters has renewed energy security concerns about the nearby Suez Canal ⁠and a related pipeline, a vital export ​route for Saudi Arabian oil since the beginning of the Iran war. Even as Iran and its Houthi allies have fired on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, Egypt's Suez ⁠Canal and Sumed pipeline continued to offer safe, northbound export routes for Saudi Red Sea energy cargoes.

Mexico arrests suspected gang leader accused of ordering mayor's killing

The alleged leader of a criminal cell linked to Mexico's powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been arrested for ordering the assassination of a mayor in Michoacan state, Security Minister Omar Garcia said in a post on X on Thursday. The slain mayor, Carlos Manzo of the city of Uruapan, was known for publicly criticizing the Mexican government's lack of action against crime in his region.

Arrested Canadian NATO intern suspected of spying for China, sources say

Belgian authorities suspect a Canadian NATO intern arrested on suspicion of espionage was working for China, according to two sources with knowledge of the case. In announcing her arrest on Saturday, Belgian prosecutors said the woman worked at NATO's military headquarters in the city of Mons ⁠and was a "Canadian national of Chinese origin" suspected of spying for a third country and belonging to a criminal organisation.

Trump’s DOJ charged hundreds with assaulting officers. Many cases were dropped, but the damage was done

Christian Garcia admits that he threw a water bottle toward officers guarding a federal building near Los Angeles during an immigration protest last summer. The plastic bottle was empty, he said, and hit no one but Garcia himself – the wind blew it back at him. Yet Garcia, a 32-year-old amateur photographer, was arrested by agents, jailed for three days and charged with a crime that could have kept him in prison for up to a year. He said he lost both of his jobs, as a security guard and an undercover shopper, after his bosses told him they ​had been called by investigators.

Iran's Araqchi presses European counterparts over use of bases in US operations

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi urged Bulgaria to reconsider its decision to allow the temporary deployment of U.S. military aircraft at the Bezmer air base, Iranian state media reported on Thursday. During a phone call with his Bulgarian counterpart, Velislava Petrova-Chamova, Araqchi said Sofia's approval of a U.S. request to station military aircraft at the base to support military operations amounted to facilitating aggression against Iran, adding the move was unacceptable and contrary to the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries.

Argentina's Milei unveils bill to shield central bank from political pressure

Argentina's ⁠President Javier Milei on Thursday announced plans to reform the central bank's charter, a move aimed at strengthening the institution's independence and restricting its ability to finance government spending, which his administration blames for decades of high inflation. The reform, which requires congressional approval, is expected to win broad support from Milei's libertarian allies. The move would bring Argentina closer to international models where central banks operate with autonomy from elected governments.

Informal poll shows Costa Rica's Grynspan ahead in race to be next UN chief

A first informal U.N. Security Council poll on Thursday showed former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan as the early frontrunner to become the next U.N. secretary-general, followed by former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. In the non-binding "straw poll" voting by the 15 members of the Security Council, Grynspan received 10 "encourage" votes to nine for Rodrigues-Birkett and seven for Argentina's Rafael Grossi, head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, diplomats said.

Exclusive-Yemen's Houthis are ⁠attacking Saudi ​Arabia from Iraq, sources say

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia this week from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iraqi armed groups, according to assessments by Saudi Arabia and regional partners, reflecting growing coordination among Iran-aligned militias, two officials in the region said. The assessments, which differ from official accounts, indicate that members of Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance have deepened their ties and ability to inflict damage to U.S. allies in the region despite years of U.S and Israeli strikes on them from Lebanon to Iran after Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel.

Smallpox DNA is recovered from Spanish conquest-era Chilean mummies

When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World some five centuries ago, they brought muskets, cannons, armor, horses and attack dogs as they set about colonizing the Americas. But the biggest blow they delivered came from something else entirely — smallpox and other infectious diseases that ravaged indigenous populations. Researchers now have obtained the first direct molecular evidence of the smallpox unwittingly carried from the Old World to the New World that wiped out untold millions of people in Mesoamerica and South America. They recovered ancient viral DNA from the mummies of two people who died during the early Spanish colonial period in an Inca community in northern Chile.

Climate change made 'fire-prone' weather conditions more likely in Spain and France, scientists say

Human-caused climate change made the extreme weather fuelling wildfires in southwestern France twice as likely, and made the conditions driving blazes in central ⁠Spain 20 times more likely, scientists said on Friday. Ongoing wildfires in Spain and France have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and scorched huge swathes of land.

Migrants pour into Spain's Ceuta from Morocco, military called in

Spain on Thursday deployed military units to reinforce police in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa as migrants surged by sea and land from Morocco into the territory, and authorities sought to close off another Spanish enclave nearby. State television TVE reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people had crossed into Ceuta on Thursday. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm that report.

Southwest China landslide leaves 51 dead, 10 missing

A total of ⁠51 people have been confirmed dead after a landslide in southwestern China's Chongqing on July 17, while 10 are still missing, the local government said in a statement late on Thursday. Search efforts in affected ⁠land areas have concluded, while dredging and search operations in the Wu River were still underway, the statement said.

Soccer-UEFA to boycott World Cup and FIFA tournaments over stake sale plans

European soccer's governing body UEFA and its 55 member nations on Thursday voted to boycott all FIFA tournaments in what could be a knockout blow to the global soccer organisation's proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to external investors. In a statement that pulled no punches, Europe presented a united front to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, whose proposal this week blindsided regional confederations and caused uproar just weeks after the World Cup staged in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

EU agrees rescue centre in eastern Libya as migrant departures rise

The European Union has agreed plans to establish a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, EU Ambassador to Libya Nicola Orlando said on Thursday, as the bloc looks to curb arrivals on one of Europe's busiest migration routes. Libya, where control is split between rival western and eastern factions, has been ‌a major transit route for migrants attempting a dangerous sea crossing to Europe since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.

Russia ‌pounds Ukraine in new air attack, killing 9, including children

Russia pounded Ukraine with dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones in overnight attacks on Thursday that killed nine people, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said delays in supplies of air defence missiles from allies were costing lives.

Russia launched more than 70 missiles and about 280 drones, Zelenskiy said in a ​statement. The capital Kyiv and the western region of Lviv on Ukraine's border with Poland were the main focus of the attack, the Ukrainian air force said.