Aug 4, 2026, 08:00 PM UTC

Spanish and Moroccan authorities continue to manage the administrative and political repercussions of a mass migration influx into Ceuta and Melilla. Discrepancies in official counts persist, with Ceuta's local leadership estimating up to 80,000 entries and up to 88 fatalities, whereas Morocco acknowledged 40,000 attempts toward Ceuta and 11 deaths within its borders.

In response to missing persons inquiries, Spain's Guardia Civil established a specialized office in Ceuta to assist families. Meanwhile, in Madrid, the central government dismissed a National Security Department communications official following an unauthorized report citing 49,000 arrivals. Operational friction has also surfaced between Spain's Interior and Defense ministries concerning military deployment protocols and summary border returns.

Sources: Canarias7, El Día, El Mundo, La Vanguardia

Extreme heat continues to grip Western Europe, with the Deutscher Wetterdienst issuing weather warnings across central and southern Germany as temperatures rise toward 39 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists warn of accompanying severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail, and high winds.

The prolonged heat is worsening environmental and logistical pressures. Water levels on the Rhine River at Kaub have dropped to their lowest point since 1880, impacting cargo shipping. Meanwhile, emergency crews in France, Spain, and Portugal continue fighting widespread wildfires, including an uncontained blaze near Bordeaux that has severely disrupted local tourism. Fire crews are also responding to blazes in the Netherlands near the German border.

Sources: DW, Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau

Mutual aerial attacks and heavy frontline fighting have escalated across Ukraine and Russia. In Moscow Oblast, regional authorities reported five fatalities and ten injuries following Ukrainian drone strikes targeting warehouse complexes. Meanwhile, falling debris from 17 intercepted drones triggered a fire at a Wildberries logistics facility in Leningrad Oblast, injuring one worker. A separate drone crash on a beach in Krasnodar Krai left seven people dead, including three children, and roughly 40 injured.

Concurrently, a Russian strike on Kyiv killed nine individuals and wounded 33. On the battlefield, Russian troops achieved tactical progress near Artelne in the Kharkiv region, while Ukrainian forces continued advancing toward Uspenovka. Belarus also announced the deployment of a new air assault brigade near its border with Ukraine.

Sources: France24, Mediazona, Point, Радіо Свобода, The Insider

Emergency crews in the Netherlands continue to battle wildfires as persistent drought causes expanding infrastructure and shipping disruptions. A major fire in Limburg's Boschhuizerbergen nature reserve near Oostrum spread across roughly 100 hectares, forcing camping site evacuations, while a separate blaze in Rosmalen, North Brabant, was brought under control.

Simultaneously, low water levels forced authorities to close critical shipping infrastructure, including Rotterdam’s Park Locks and the Eefde lock, halting freight traffic along key canals. Water management officials noted that while past infrastructure investments and freshwater buffers previously mitigated severe impacts, available emergency reserves are now exhausted. Officials warn that prolonged dry conditions will continue to pressure the national economy, shipping sector, and local ecosystems.

Sources: NOS (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting), NRC, NU, ORF

Ukrainian drone strikes continued targeting facilities of Russian e-commerce platform Wildberries, alongside a fatal strike on a Black Sea resort town.

Overnight attacks sparked fires at major Wildberries logistics warehouses in the Moscow and St. Petersburg regions. Russian authorities reported at least six people killed and nine injured in the commercial strikes, with five fatalities recorded in Moscow County alone. Ukrainian forces have struck roughly 20 Wildberries locations since mid-July, alleging the platform distributes military equipment and drones.

Separately, Russian authorities stated seven people died when a drone struck a crowded beach near Gelendzhik on Monday. Verified footage showed a drone detonating near bathers at the popular tourist destination. Concurrently, Russian defense officials claimed to have struck seven Ukrainian cargo vessels.

Sources: Aftenposten, Finansavisen, NRK, TV 2 Nyheter.