Jul 25, 2026, 02:30 AM UTC

Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss chief prosecutor Karim Khan following an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct.

During a closed-door meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 82 of the tribunal's 125 member nations supported a resolution to remove the 56-year-old British lawyer from his position. According to court official statements, 13 countries opposed the measure while 15 abstained.

The decision comes after the governing assembly concluded that Khan committed a "serious breach of duty and serious misconduct" involving a female colleague. Khan, who was appointed as the court's lead prosecutor in 2021 and suspended earlier this year, has consistently rejected all accusations against him.

Sources: BBC News, Die Zeit, Rzeczpospolita, Sweden Herald.

A Saudi-led military coalition conducted retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi positions in Hodeidah, Yemen, after the Saudi-flagged tanker NCC Masa sustained minor hull damage in a Red Sea attack. Despite the strike, the vessel's crew brought the ship safely to its destination port.

Following the incident, the European Union's Aspides naval mission raised its security threat level from medium to high for the Bab al-Mandab strait and the southern Red Sea.

Meanwhile, security in adjacent waters remains unsettled. Somali pirates in Puntland continue to hold a merchant vessel hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, reportedly carrying eight German nationals. Amid the escalating regional tensions, the German military announced the redeployment of two naval vessels from East Africa back to the eastern Mediterranean.

Sources: ORF, Tagesschau

Emergency personnel in Spain and France are struggling to contain rapidly expanding wildfires that have forced over 140,000 people to evacuate across both nations. West of Madrid, three blazes merged into a single 6,000-hectare front advancing toward Navas del Rey, prompting Spanish officials to warn that the fire has surpassed containment capacity. Regional leaders labeled the situation the worst in the area's history, while the national government declared its first-ever wildfire emergency.

In southwestern France, more than 65,000 residents have fled along the Atlantic coast, particularly near Bordeaux and Arcachon Bay. With one fire growing to the size of Paris, authorities deployed maritime vessels to assist in evacuations as emergency services remain under extreme pressure.

Sources: BBC News, Die Zeit, ORF, Tagesschau.

Wildfires in southwestern France continue to advance toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area, forcing airport closures and extensive evacuations. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated, "We have never seen a fire of this scale," as firefighters combat blazes across the Gironde region.

Emergency workers have evacuated over 400 people by boat from Cap Ferret to Arcachon, where secondary fires have further disrupted coastal resorts. Smoke clouds and ash have severely reduced visibility across local tourist destinations.

Figures regarding total evacuations differ between sources: NRK cites French official estimates of 140,000 displaced people in southwestern France, whereas TV 2 Nyheter reports between 20,000 and 40,000 evacuees.

Sources: NRK, TV 2 Nyheter

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing to launch a major missile attack against the country within the next 48 hours. Citing reports from Ukrainian intelligence and international partners, Zelenskyy indicated in a social media address that the strike could occur as early as Friday night.

The alert highlights heightened security concerns as Ukrainian defense forces remain on high alert against potential strikes on critical infrastructure and urban centers. Zelenskyy emphasized the urgency of the threat, stating, "This attack could happen today." Authorities have urged citizens to pay close attention to air raid sirens and seek shelter immediately when alerts are activated.

Sources: iROZHLAS.