Bordeaux wineries at risk from ‘zombie fires’

France’s famous vineyards are vulnerable to absorbing smoke particles
Leila Abboud & Domitille Alain in Paris & Susannah Savage in London

THE FINANCIAL TIMES

Published 7 HOURS AGO

Wildfires burning near Bordeaux have put some of France’s most famous winemakers on edge, as shifting winds threaten to push flames or smoke towards vineyards just weeks before harvest.

Trump’s DOJ ‘Simply Refuses’ To Formally Restrict IRS Settlement, Senator Says

By Alison Durkee, Forbes Staff.

Alison is a senior news reporter covering US politics and legal news.

Jul 29, 2026, 11:55am EDT

Topline

The Trump administration refuses to modify the IRS’ controversial settlement with President Donald Trump and formally rescind its “anti-weaponization” fund, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters Wednesday, even though the Justice Department holding firm on the settlement could derail Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general.

Drone hits gas storage tanker at Egypt's Mediterranean port, Ambrey reports

By Jonathan Saul, Marwa Rashad and Mohamed Ezz

July 29, 20269:19 AM PDT

Updated 3 hours ago

Summary

• Fire causes no injuries or fatalities, Egypt's petroleum ministry says
• Strike hits Energos Winter and fire spreads to Gaslog Salem, trading sources say
• Energos Winter stores 138,250 cubic metres of gas, company details show

LONDON/CAIRO, July 29 (Reuters) - A drone hit a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt's ‌Mediterranean port of Damietta, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Wednesday, in an initial assessment that could signal a further spread of conflict across the Middle East.

France and Spain battle to control wildfires ahead of expected heatwave

By Simon Ormiston

EU officials have warned that "extreme conditions" are looming across parts of Europe, with the wildfire situation expected to worsen in France, Spain and Portugal.

Firefighters in France and Spain raced to contain huge wildfires on Tuesday before another surge in temperatures threatens to worsen conditions.

Houthis to copy Iran's Hormuz playbook with Red Sea toll plan

Copyright AP Photo
By Aleksandar Brezar
Published on 29/07/2026 - 17:28 GMT+2
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Yemen's information minister said intelligence confirmed IRGC advisers were directly involved in designing a Houthi-enforced toll system for the Bab el-Mandeb, mirroring Iran's contested claim to charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump and Netanyahu explored all Iran options including attack, Israeli official says

By Matt Spetalnick

July 29, 202611:25 AM PDT

Updated 3 hours ago

Summary

• Israeli official denies Netanyahu pressed Trump to escalate militarily
• Israeli official pushes back against notion of tension between two leaders
• Israel has warned Iran it will respond forcefully if attacked

WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister ‌Benjamin Netanyahu explored all possible paths to curb Iran's nuclear program in their meeting, including diplomacy, economic pressure and force, a senior Israeli official said on Wednesday.

Iran set to receive up to 400 Chinese shoulder-fired air-defense systems within weeks

Sources report a $70 million deal to help Tehran rebuild defenses after Israeli and US strikes, with plans made to transport arms overland via Pakistan; 

Beijing denies report

By John Irish and Jonathan Saul

Today, 4:02 pm

Reuters — Iran is expected to receive within weeks a first shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers, as it rebuilds its defenses amid ongoing fighting with the United States, three sources told Reuters.

Trump reportedly issues menacing new threat after Iran targets U.S. forces in thwarted missile attack

The president made the expletive-laden threat in a call with Fox News

Iran launches surprise attack on U.S. Middle East bases

July 28, 2026, 8:55 PM PDT

By Chantal Da Silva

President Donald Trump vowed to “beat the f---ing s--- out of” Iran after new attacks on American forces in the Middle East, Fox News reported Wednesday. “They’re going to get a beating,” Trump said, according to Fox’s chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. The comments followed what Washington described as a “surprise attack,” which prompted Saudi Arabia and the United States to retaliate against a Tehran-backed militia in Iraq.

JPMorgan's Record Quarter Came as Jamie Dimon Warned of "Tectonic" Risks Below the Surface

Jennifer Saibil, The Motley Fool

Tue, July 28, 2026 at 1:25 PM PDT 3 min read

The second quarter was a hot one for bank stocks. The largest ones benefited from major investment banking moves, and nearly all of them enjoyed robust consumer activity.

JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), specifically, had a record quarter across metrics, and its stock is hitting record highs as a result. However, CEO Jamie Dimon warned of several risks in the economy, and smart investors should listen carefully.

Francesca Hong avoids attacks as Wisconsin Democrats meet for an amicable governor debate

Amid a volatile race that has seen Hong, a democratic socialist, rise in the polls, Tuesday’s debate largely focused on the policy agreements 

among the five candidates.

July 28, 2026, 7:24 PM PDT

By Adam Edelman

The five Democratic candidates for governor in Wisconsin almost entirely refrained from lobbing attacks at one another during their only debate Tuesday night, even as the volatile race enters its final two weeks.

Francesca Hong Wants To Be America’s First Socialist Governor

Lever Time
Jul 21, 2026
The Democratic Socialists of America are winning big this summer — but can a DSA candidate land the governor’s seat in a swing state like Wisconsin?

David Sirota and Natalie Bettendorf

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Iran Has Figured Out How to Overwhelm U.S. Air Defenses

As the U.S. runs short of interceptor missiles, Iran is carrying out strikes with a mix of attack drones and advanced ballistic missiles

Nick Turse July 28 2026 

As munitions streaked through the night sky, a plaintive cry like a whale song echoed in the darkness. U.S. troops grabbed their gear and headed for shelter as the warning sirens rang out, a leaked video shows.

Teen Colt Gray sentenced to life without parole for deadly mass shooting at his Georgia high school

Two teachers and two students were killed in the Apalachee High School shooting
By Meredith Deliso
July 28, 2026, 2:15 PM

A teenage boy who carried out a mass shooting at his Georgia high school, killing two students and two teachers, was sentenced to life without parole, with the judge calling his actions "deliberate, contemplated evil."

Colt Gray, 16, faced a sentence of life with or without parole after pleading guilty to all 55 counts against him, including murder and aggravated assault.

Trump's Bending the Law to Rig the Elections in His Favor

July 28, 2026

He Found a Judge to Allow His Voting Coup to Move Forward

Source: The New Republic and agencies

In a significant setback for voters, a recent ruling by a federal appeals court paves the way for President Donald Trump to advance his agenda aimed at restricting mail-in voting. With the midterm elections just around the corner, this development raises serious concerns about election integrity.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower court's decision on Tuesday, asserting that a Democratic lawsuit challenging Trump's executive order on mail-in voting was premature. This ruling could have dire consequences for the upcoming elections, as Trump's order mandates the creation of a national citizenship registry by the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, it instructs the U.S. Postal Service to deny mail-in ballots in states that do not comply with federal voter registration data sharing.

Rescuers race to find survivors in collapsed shopping mall after Japan earthquake

At least two people were killed in the collapse, and dozens were injured after a major quake hit the Kumamoto prefecture, the country's public broadcaster said

Updated 5:58 PM EDT, Tue July 28, 2026
Here's the latest

• Earthquake hits: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture has left many people trapped after a shopping mall partially collapsed. Several are also unaccounted for at a paper factory and a highway bridge has buckled. Japan’s prime minister said authorities will work “through the night” to coordinate the rescue operations. Track the impact in maps and charts here.
• Several reported dead: Two people have died following the shopping mall collapse, according to the country’s public broadcaster NHK. Earlier, CNN affiliate TV Asahi cited police sources as saying that several people had been killed. NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees couldn’t be contacted after the collapse.
• Dozens injured: One hospital had reported more than 50 injuries, NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were ⁠also injured, according to Nikkei newspaper.
• Tremor warning: Residents who felt the biggest tremors ​must be alert to further strong quakes for about a week as well as the risk of landslides, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Kumamoto has been hit by powerful earthquakes before. In 2016, a series of quakes in the prefecture killed 275 people in one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters of recent decades.

This El Niño Is on Track to Become the Strongest on Record by a ‘Mind-Blowing Margin’

The latest forecasts point to a gob-smackingly strong El Niño 

with possible $10 trillion impact, scientists say

BY ELLYN LAPOINTE

PUBLISHED JULY 27, 2026, 4:35 PM ET

READING TIME 3 MINUTES

Scientists have warned for months that a “super” El Niño is brewing. Now, forecast models suggest it could eclipse every event on record.

The latest projections show that the peak of this El Niño is set to surpass the previous record-holder by “a truly mind-blowing margin”, Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the non-profit research organization Berkeley Earth, wrote in a blog post earlier this month.

Pentagon calls for cheaper long-range strike weapons, with testing in just 3 months

By Michael Peck

Jul 27, 2026, 11:55 AM

With the U.S. running low on expensive guided munitions, the Pentagon is pushing yet another project to develop cheap, long-range weapons that can be mass produced.

But this time, the Pentagon is in a hurry. The Iran war has exposed the problem of relying on costly long-range missiles such as the Tomahawk. To remedy that, DoD is putting out a call for long-range, autonomously guided Ground-Based Affordable Mass, or GBAM, weapons that cost less than $250,000 apiece.

From Garpiya drones to a Starlink rival: Europe strikes at Russia’s military might

 By Angela Skujins

Published on 27/07/2026

The EU’s latest sanctions package against Russia targets 56 military-industrial entities and individuals, including long-range drones and communication networks. Experts say the measures could bolster not just Ukraine’s battlefield efforts, but also Europe's future security.

Dozens of defence-related companies and nationals propping up the Kremlin’s war machine have been targeted in the 21st package of sanctions against Russia.