Jul 24, 2026, 08:30 PM UTC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that intelligence reports indicate Russia has prepared missiles for a potential large-scale strike within the next two days.

The warning comes amid continued localized attacks across the country. In Kharkiv, a Russian attack drone struck near a residential high-rise building in the Saltivka district, shattering windows and causing at least one injury, local authorities reported.

These incidents follow widespread aerial bombardments earlier in the week. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 81 drones and one of three ballistic missiles launched toward the Kyiv region, where strikes on a private training ground resulted in heavy casualties. Additionally, guided aerial bomb attacks on Zaporizhzhia injured 30 people, including seven children. Local emergency and municipal services continue recovery operations in the affected regions as national air threat alerts persist.

Sources: Ukrinform

A 25-year-old law student has appeared in court charged with explosives possession following the interception of a viable car bomb near the Northern Ireland border.

Gardaí stopped the vehicle driven by Isobella Perrie Sullivan near Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, during an intelligence-led operation targeting dissident republican groups. Investigators discovered a military-grade explosive device fitted with a power unit and detonator, which officials reported was intended for transport into Northern Ireland.

A second suspect, a man in his twenties, was also arrested during the counter-terrorism operation. Police leadership described the recovery as one of the most substantial explosive seizures in Ireland in recent years.

Sources: BBC Northern Ireland, NOS, ORF, The Irish Times.

Poland's main opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), has experienced a major fracture after more than 30 lawmakers decided to exit its parliamentary faction. Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński confirmed in Warsaw that a group of deputies from the 186-member caucus in the Sejm is departing following an ideological rift over the party's future political strategy.

The defecting lawmakers belong to a faction associated with former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who favors a more moderate stance. While outlets including Respect reported that Morawiecki himself left the party, ORF noted that Kaczyński left Morawiecki's individual status unconfirmed. The departure of over a sixth of its parliamentarians marks a significant realignment within Polish right-wing politics.

Sources: ORF, Respect, Tagesschau

A California federal judge has granted final approval to a $1.5 billion settlement between artificial intelligence company Anthropic and thousands of authors and publishers. The agreement resolves a major lawsuit accusing the technology firm of using pirated copies of copyrighted books to train its Claude AI models.

The deal represents the largest financial resolution to date concerning copyright infringement claims against artificial intelligence developers. Under the terms of the court-approved settlement, eligible writers and publishing houses will receive compensation for the unauthorized use of their literary works in machine learning datasets. Anthropic did not admit wrongdoing as part of the agreement, but the resolution marks a significant precedent for how AI companies compensate rightsholders when utilizing copyrighted material for model training.

Sources: La Stampa.

Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided on Friday to dismiss Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct.

The decision comes after misconduct accusations against Khan caused prolonged friction within the Hague-based tribunal, where the matter had remained a serious concern for the past two years. Khan, who assumed the role of chief prosecutor in June 2021, oversaw several high-profile international cases during his mandate. ICC member states initiated his dismissal as part of their oversight responsibilities concerning the tribunal's governance and ethical standards. Further information regarding interim leadership for the prosecutor's office has not yet been detailed.

Sources: NRC