Special

Lindsey Graham’s sister, appointed to replace the Republican, held a narrow lead in the Senate primarySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenator Darline Graham, appointed to complete the Senate term of her late brother, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has advanced to a runoff election for the Republican nomination of the seat. It remains unclear who she will face on 25 August.Graham held a narrow lead in the polls going into the abbreviated special primary on Tuesday, which predicted a close contest for second place. Congressman Russell Fry, Congressman Ralph Norman and former governor Mark Sanford polled within a point of each other in the most recent survey from the Trafalgar Group. Graham has loudly trumpeted her endorsement from Donald Trump, but also enjoys the support of South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, and John Thune, the Senate majority leader. Continue reading...

• The European Union has informed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez that Spain must implement special measures regarding the migration situation in Ceuta. • EU officials are demanding that Madrid share verified returns data following doubts over Spain's official claims regarding migrant deportations. • The move comes as leaders from Italy, France, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland express growing concerns over a potential regional migration crisis.

• Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi and other negotiators are reportedly open to making limited compromises with the United States. • On August 2, 2026, Artesh Spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia claimed Iran "fully exploited" a memorandum of understanding and ceasefire to import equipment and repair military systems. • These statements were intended to reassure ultra-hardline parliamentarians from the Paydari (Stability) Front who oppose diplomatic engagement with the U.S.

• The Philippine military is launching a recruitment drive for specialists in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to address evolving modern security threats. • This initiative coincides with the June groundbreaking of a new National Cyber Security Center in Valenzuela City. • The new facility is supported by a $25-million grant from South Korea’s Korea International Cooperation Agency to modernize security infrastructure.

• Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim Aboudi requested on July 28 that NATO Training Mission-Iraq military advisors remain in the country to assist the Iraqi Security Forces with planning and development. • This request comes as US-led international coalition forces are scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by the end of September following the conclusion of their mission to counter ISIS. • The move is critical for maintaining the capabilities of the ISF, as NATO troops had previously withdrawn in March and are currently based in Naples, Italy.

• Iran is utilizing proxies and partners to launch attacks on regional states, allowing the Iranian government to maintain plausible deniability. • In response to Iranian efforts to control oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the Iraqi federal government is actively developing alternative export routes. • These strategic maneuvers highlight escalating regional tensions and Iran's attempt to exert economic and military leverage over critical energy corridors.

• Microsoft has launched Project Perception and its first specialized cybersecurity AI model, MAI-Cyber-1-Flash, designed to deploy red, blue, and green agents for rapid cyber defense. • Project Perception utilizes a multi-model architecture that optimizes for quality, speed, and cost by combining frontier models with smaller, task-specific AI. • The MAI-Cyber-1-Flash model is integrated into MDASH, achieving a 96% score on the CyberGym industry benchmark, outperforming Mythos by 12 percentage points.