Portal:Current events/2026 July 29

July 29, 2026 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- Gaza war
  - Attacks on religious sites during the Israeli invasion of Gaza
    - Israeli forces strike a mosque in Gaza City in violation of the ongoing ceasefire and accuses Hamas of using it to store weapons. (The New York Times)
- Hezbollah–Israel conflict
  - 2026 Lebanon war
    - Israeli forces accuse Hezbollah of launching a drone attack on its forces in the Ali al-Taher ridge of southern Lebanon, in violation of the ceasefire. (AFP via Arab News)
  - Israeli forces also claim that their 401st Brigade Combat Team and Yahalom Unit have destroyed an underground headquarters belonging to Hezbollah, located near a UNIFIL post. (Israel National News)
- 2026 Iran war
  - Saudi Arabia in the 2026 Iran war, Iraq in the 2026 Iran war
    - The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and United States Central Command (U.S. CENTCOM) launch strikes against Iran–backed militias in Iraq in response to Iranian drone attacks against oil facilities in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. (Iraqi News) (Reuters)
    - The Popular Mobilization Forces reports that 20 militants have been killed in joint Saudi–U.S. strikes. (The Defense Post)
    - Several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are also confirmed to have been killed in the Saudi–U.S. strikes in Iraq. (The New Region)
  - Egypt in the 2026 Iran war
    - 2026 Damietta drone strike
      - A drone strike targets the LNG storage tanker Energos Winter, which is leased by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, at the port of Damietta, Egypt. Additionally, another vessel is also targeted. The group responsible for the strike is currently unknown. (The New York Times)
  - July 2026 United States strikes against Iran
    - The U.S. CENTCOM launches strikes against Iran in retaliation of a attempted attack by Iran against Jordan. (AP)
    - A senior officer in U.S. CENTCOM issues an internal email requesting troops to suggest "new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran". (CNN)
- Red Sea crisis
  - Data from Kpler shows that 39 commercial vessels have transited through the Bab el-Mandeb yesterday, the highest since July 19, while another five transited it today, including the VLCC Sophia and the Aframax tanker Ocean Laureate. (Reuters)
Sudanese civil war
- Kordofan campaign
  - The Sudan Tribune reports that Rapid Support Forces militants retreating from Umm Sayala, Jabrat al-Sheikh, and Barah have launched retaliatory strikes in North Kordofan. (Sudan Tribune)
Somali Civil War
- Five soldiers are killed in a shootout with Al-Shabaab gunmen in Mandera County, Kenya. (Garowe Online)
Terrorism in Pakistan
- Ten police officers are killed in a drone attack and ambush in Hangu district of northwest Pakistan. Pakistani authorities claim that 15 of the attackers were killed. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Wildfires in 2026
- Two firefighters are killed while battling a wildfire near Rethymno, Crete, Greece, while a third dies near Gytheio, Laconia, during a separate operation. (AFP via Malay Mail)
A Bell 412 helicopter crashes while on a fire-fighting training operation in San Juan, Argentina, killing all seven occupants. (AFP via NDTV)

Health and environment

Kenya Wildlife Service says preliminary tests indicated cyanide-contaminated tomatoes may have killed 15 elephants near Amboseli National Park over the past month, warning that livestock grazing in the area could also be exposed. (AFP via The Manila Times)

Law and crime

2026 Bolivian protests
- Bolivian prosecutors issue an arrest warrant for former president Evo Morales for allegedly organizing protests and roadblocks across the country in May and June. The investigation follows complaints alleging armed uprising and terrorism. (AFP via Firstpost)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Russia's Federal Security Service issues an arrest warrant on Telegram founder Pavel Durov for facilitating terrorist activity, alleging that Telegram helps Ukraine plan attacks in Russia. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

China–Holy See relations, Catholic Church in China
- Pope Leo XIV consecrates Fr. Francis Xavier Duan Yongkun as the coadjutor bishop of Bameng in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region under the 2018 provisional framework that cedes authority over its bishops to the Chinese government. (Vatican News)
The government of Nauru announces the official change of name of the country from Nauru to Naoero. (RNZ)

Sports

2026 FIFA World Cup
- Argentina at the FIFA World Cup
  - FIFA opens an investigation into the Argentina national football team over altercations during the World Cup final and the display of a banner of the Falklands. (The Athletic via The New York Times)