Firefighters battle to contain France and Spain wildfires

Firefighters battle to contain France and Spain wildfires

Over 270,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain following a spate of wildfires, with areas surrounding Bordeaux and Madrid particularly affected. Spain has declared the incident a national emergency. We hear from a woman in the impacted French commune of Biscarrosse who has not yet left the region. Also in the programme: India’s education minister resigns following protests from the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party movement. And we take a look at ‘Romantasy’ – a genre of fiction that has taken readers on the internet by storm. (Photo: Wildfires rage in southern France, Cap Ferret - 24th July 2026. Credit: Damien Rembert/EPA/Shutterstock)

ICC top prosecutor removed over sexual misconduct allegations

Member states of the International Criminal Court have overwhelmingly voted to remove its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, over allegations of sexual misconduct. The British lawyer denies accusations of engaging in an improper sexual relationship with a junior staff member. Also, firefighters struggle to contain Madrid wildfires as more than 130,000 evacuated in France and Spain. And a month after the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela, a leading member of the opposition tells us why he thinks the destruction was so bad and the response so slow. Plus that remarkable tale about two best friends who later discovered they were brother and sister! (Photo: Karim Khan. Credit: Reuters)

UN warns 'escalation is not what Yemen needs'

President Trump has threatened to inflict major military punishment against Yemen's Houthi rebels following their strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea. Oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May as fears grow over global energy supplies. We speak to the UN's Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg who is concerned about the prospect of escalation in Yemen. Also in the programme; The BBC visits Iran school where a strike killed 120 children as questions remain whether the US military is responsible; and the European Union has fined the US tech titan Google one-billion-dollars for flouting anti- trust regulations. (Picture: A person walks past a display of Houthi-made mock missiles and drones at a square in Sana'a, Yemen, 23 July 2026. Credit: Yahya Arhab)

BBC visits Iran school where strike killed 120 children

Nawal Al-Maghafi visits Iranian school in Minab hit on first day of war. Also in the programme: Donald Trump has said the Saudi nuclear deal signed just a day ago is now contingent on the country normalising ties with Israel; and why are Tour de France cyclists being awoken in the middle of the night? (Photo: Iranian families visit the graves of loved ones killed in the US strike on a school in Minab. Credit: Jack Garland/BBC)

US-Saudi nuclear deal raises concern

American lawmakers and Israeli officials have expressed unease over a landmark nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia, but the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says that the agreement won't lead to proliferation. Also in the programme: the trial of Venezuela's ousted leader, Nicolas Maduro, on drugs trafficking charges is due to be held next June in New York; and the American jazz musician, Plas Johnson, famous for his Pink Panther saxophone theme, has died at the age of 94. (Photo: President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attend the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on 13 May 2025. Credit: Ali Haider/ EPA-EFE Shutterstock)