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Sunday, June 28^th , 2026 

The British government announces that it will scrap the 202-year-old Vagrancy Act that criminalizes rough sleeping in England and Wales, saying that a new law will aim at “preventing homelessness” rather than “punishing” it. (The Independent) 

France records an additional 1,000 deaths as the country grapples with a severe heat wave. (AP) 

Poland records a provisional national high temperature of 40.5 °C (104.9 °F) in Słubice, Lubusz Voivodeship, exceeding a 1921 record. (AA) 

Axios reports from American officials that Iran and the United States have agreed to halt strikes near the Strait of Hormuz and will hold a Qatar-mediated meeting in Doha on Tuesday. (Axios) 

Iran cancels its participation in technical talks scheduled for today due to recent strikes against the country and unfulfilled conditions of ⁠the memorandum of understanding ceasefire agreement. (Reuters) 

The Bahraini Army says on X that Bahrain has successfully intercepted and destroyed “a number” of Iranian missiles and drone attacks on the country. (AA) (AFP via The Times of Israel) 

Kuwait’s Chief of the General Staff says that his forces have activated air defense systems to intercept missiles and drones. (Times Kuwait) 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has carried out retaliatory strikes against United States military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, including the Ali Al Salem Air Base and U.S. Fifth Fleet naval base. (The New Region) 

South Korea’s ocean ministry says that two more vessels have transited through the Strait of Hormuz, bringing the total amount of ships to do so to 23 after weeks of disruption caused by the war. The ocean ministry also says that only three more South Korean-operated ships are remaining in the Persian Gulf, including the Panama–flagged HMM Namu, which was damaged in a explosion on May 4. (The Korea Herald) 

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in Baghdad, Iraq, for talks with Iraqi authorities on arrangements for the funeral of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.  (Kurdistan24) 

Israel reports that it has killed three Palestinian police officers in a latest violation of the ceasefire. (MENAFN) 

Israel says its military has killed Mansour Sami Mahmoud Shahtout, a Hamas naval police commander who ran the Central Camps and took part in the October 7 attacks, in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip. (The Times of Israel) 

Israel says its military has destroyed a Hezbollah tunnel in Majdal Zoun, southern Lebanon, after notifying the United States. Israeli officials state that the 200-metre (660 ft) tunnel contained weapons and rocket launcher shafts. (AFP via Daily Sun) (Reuters) 

Ukrainian forces launch FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles at strategic targets in Russia, striking the Titan-Barrikady complex in Volgograd, which produces launchers for Russia’s Yars and Iskander missile systems. Authorities say ten people have been wounded in the strikes. A separate missile strike destroys a Pantsir missile system in occupied Crimea. (The Telegraph) 

Fourteen people are killed as a helicopter belonging to the Saudi Aramco oil company crashes in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. (Al Jazeera) 

Israel’s government unanimously approves recognition of the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman empire as genocide, pending parliamentary ratification. (AFP via Le Monde) (AP) 

Five people are killed and a child is injured in car bombing attacks and murders in Tel Aviv, Holon, and Arab-Israeli communities in Israel. The attacks are linked to organized crime or criminal violence. (DPA via Yahoo News) 

Iraqi forces raid the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, reportedly arresting at least 47 officials suspected of corruption, including lawmakers and senior government officials. Videos on social media appear to show Iraqi Army tanks entering the diplomatic district. The military also begins arresting officials in Salahuddin, Al Anbar, and Nineveh. (i24 News) 

New Caledonians vote to elect 54 seats of Congress for the first time since 2019, after the vote was delayed three times following unrest in 2024 and the Bougival Accord in 2025. Preliminary results indicate the loyalist bloc taking 24 seats and the separatist bloc taking 26 seats, with Oceanian Awakening taking a crossbench position with four seats. (RNZ) (France Info) 

Uganda’s military surrounds the offices of Nation Media Group outlets in Kampala after army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba orders the shutdown of the company’s newspapers, television station, and radio networks. (AFP via The Daily Star) 

Chadchart Sittipunt is reelected to a second term as governor of Bangkok, Thailand. (The Diplomat) (Thai PBS) 

In association football, World Cup co-hosts Canada advance to the round of 16 of the tournament for the first time after defeating South Africa 1–0 in the round of 32.  (Star News) 

Ten passengers and the pilot are killed in a plane crash during a skydiving trip in Tomblaine, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. The passengers are identified as five instructors and five students. (Al Jazeera) (CNN) 

Saturday, June 27th , 2026 

The United Nations estimates that the earthquakes caused approximately 

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Saturday, June 27th , 2026 

The United Nations estimates that the earthquakes caused approximately US$6.7 billion in direct physical damage, equivalent to about 6% of Venezuela’s gross domestic product. (AFP via TRT World) 

Germany records its highest ever temperature of 41.5°C (106.7 F) in Saxony-Anhalt, according to Deutscher Wetterdienst, as an Autobahn highway is closed near Berlin due to the concrete bursting. The Czech Republic records its hottest day on record, with 40.6°C (105 F) recorded in Doksany, and Denmark records a record high temperature of 37.0°C (98.6 F) in Aarhus Municipality, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. (AP) 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and Aerospace Force launch retaliatory strikes against Bahrain and Kuwait, including the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, in response to the U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM’s) strikes against Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, which were in response to the attack on the Singapore–flagged container ship Ever Lovely in the strait. (The Guardian) (The Hill) (Reuters via Times of Israel) 

The U.S. CENTCOM conducts retaliatory strikes against Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities in response to an attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker M/T Kiku near the Strait of Hormuz, which carried more than two-million barrels of crude oil. (Ynetnews) (The Hill) 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reports that the Panama-flagged oil tanker M/T Kiku had been struck by unknown projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz. (Open) 

The South Korean ocean ministry reports that two vessels operated by Korean shipping companies have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz after being stranded for months during the war. (The Korea Times) (Yonhap News Agency) 

Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem rejects the framework agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon, which requires Hezbollah to disarm before an Israeli military withdrawal, and accuses the Lebanese government of legitimizing the Israeli occupation. (Al Jazeera) 

The Lebanese health ministry reports that at least one person was killed and two others were injured in Israeli airstrikes on Nabatieh al-Fawqa, southern Lebanon. (AFP via The Times of Israel) 

The Israeli military confirms that Walid Haniyeh, a Nukhba Force deputy commander and nephew of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, has been killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip. (Caliber.az) (The Jerusalem Post) (The Times of Israel) 

Ukraine’s Security Service announces that the Ukrainian forces have struck the Vtorovo oil pumping station in Russia’s Vladimir Oblast as part of a 40-day campaign by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort at “compelling” Russia to end the war. (Kyiv Independent) 

A Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 is destroyed by a Russian Geran kamikaze drone on the ground at an airbase in southern Ukraine, while another MiG-29 is lost during a combat mission over Poltava Oblast, with the pilot successfully ejecting and reaching safety. (Defence Blog) 

The Sudanese Armed Forces announces that they have recaptured the North Darfur town of Abu Qamra from the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces in a joint offensive with allied joint military forces. (Sudan Tribune) 

Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) says that the Rapid Support Forces have targeted an aid truck heading to El-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan. (Sudan Horizon) (Sudan Tribune) 

Three soldiers and four gunmen are killed in a shootout at a security compound in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera) 

Over 10,000 people gather at the Budapest Pride in Hungary, the first pride march in the city since former prime minister Viktor Orbán was voted out in April. The event occurs following attempts by the Orban government to ban the event and amidst a heat wave in Europe. (DW) 

The Cottonwood Fire, currently the largest burning in the United States, destroys more than 100 condos and cabins as it spreads across Elk Mountain, Utah. Governor Spencer Cox declares it the “most destructive fire in the state’s history” in terms of property loss. (The New York Times) 

Three firefighters are killed and two others are injured when the Snyder Fire grows in size and crosses the Colorado border. (KJCT-CD) 

A mandatory evacuation in Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada, is ordered after a wildfire has grown to over 1,600 hectares near the area.  (CTV News) 

The confirmed toll of the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela rises to over 1400 people killed. (Reuters) 

Five people are confirmed to have died in rain-related incidents in Afghanistan, over the past 48 hours. (Xinhua) 

Governor Andy Beshear declares a state of emergency in the U.S. state of Kentucky after four people have killed by flooding from thunderstorms in Madison and Jackson counties. (AA) 

Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić announces his intention to resign within weeks amid anti-corruption protests and will call for early presidential and parliamentary elections.  (Reuters) 

Australia introduces legislation to increase penalties for social media platforms that fail to enforce its under-16 ban, raising the maximum fine to A$99 million (US$68 million) and expanding regulatory powers to investigate compliance. (AFP via CNA) 

Argentine cabinet chief and the government‘s spokesperson Manuel Adorni resigns following weeks of controversy over his wealth. (Clarín) 

In association football, Argentine forward and captain Lionel Messi becomes the first male player to score in seven consecutive FIFA World Cup matches (including matches from the previous edition) after scoring in the team’s 3–1 win against Jordan in their final group-stage match. (The New York Times) (USA Today) 

DR Congo qualifies for the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup for the first time after winning 3–1 over Uzbekistan in their final group-stage match to finish as the best third-place team in the round. (The Guardian) 

Friday, June 26th, 2026 

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Friday, June 26th, 2026 

The confirmed toll of the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela rises to 920 people killed and over 3,360 injured, with 51,000 reported missing. (CTV News) (Reuters) 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) secretary-general Rafael Grossi says that the interim ceasefire peace deal between Iran and the United States would allow the IAEA access to Iran’s nuclear inspectors. (Reuters) 

A direct communications line between Iran and the U.S. is established under Article 5 of the memorandum of understanding over the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to prevent incidents that could lead to military confrontation. (AA) 

The International Maritime Organization says that 115 vessels and 2,500 seafarers have been evacuated from the Strait of Hormuz since the plan was announced. (AA) 

The United States Central Command says its forces have conducted airstrikes on Iran in response to yesterday’s drone strike on a civilian Singapore-flagged cargo ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, striking Iranian missile and drone storage sites, and coastal radar sites. (Reuters) 

Israel, Lebanon, and the United States sign a trilateral framework agreement in Washington, D.C, that provides for the transfer of two Israeli-held areas to Lebanese army control and establishes a process for the disarmament of Hezbollah. (AFP via RFI) (Axios via Naharnet) (Reuters) 

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu states that Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah disarms, despite the framework agreement. (AFP via Le Monde) (Xinhua) 

Netanyahu states that displaced Lebanese civilians will not be permitted to return to areas within the Israeli-controlled security zone in southern Lebanon under arrangements announced following the agreement. (AFP via Dawn) 

A state of emergency is declared in Russian-occupied Crimea in response to an increasing number of airstrikes by Ukrainian forces. (The New York Times) 

Ukraine launches its largest drone attack on Russia since the start of the war, with over 660 drones launched at multiple regions, including Moscow Oblast, as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has approved a “40-day campaign” aimed at “compelling Russia to end the war”. (AP) 

Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war, with each side releasing 160 people. (The Guardian) 

The European Broadcasting Union approves Canada‘s possible participation in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria, which would mark their first appearance at the annual song contest. (BBC News) 

A building collapses in Lagos, Nigeria, killing nine people and wounding 27 more. (Reuters) 

A small plane crashes into the China Zun skyscraper in Beijing, China, killing the pilot and injuring 13 others. (AP) (The New York Times) 

Swiss energy utility Axpo suspends operations at the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant in Döttingen, Aargau, Switzerland, after the temperature of the Aare river, which the plant uses for cooling, reached 25 °C (77 °F). (AFP via The Straits Times) 

The Met Office records the United Kingdom’s highest temperature in June after a provisional high of 37.3 °C (99.1 °F) is recorded in Santon Downham, Suffolk, breaking the previous record high set yesterday in Somerset, while wildfires spread in Derbyshire burning approximately 22 hectares across the High Peak moor. (BBC News) 

Central African Republic health minister Pierre Somsé declares a cholera outbreak in the districts of Bimbo and Mbaïki following 24 deaths from the disease. (AA) 

Burkina Faso severs diplomatic relations with France, citing concerns over sovereignty. (Reuters) 

Indonesian police arrest at least 24 protesters following a demonstration in Surabaya, East Java, against fuel price increases and government policies. The arrests occur after clashes in which some participants threw objects and set fires in the street. (AFP via South China Morning Post) 

Tanzania bans all political rallies in the country ahead of planned protests against last year’s disputed election results and the detention of an opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, who has been charged with treason by the government. (AP) 

The European Union imposes strict visa restrictions on Somali diplomatic passport holders following a dispute over the deportation and readmission of undocumented Somalis living illegally in Europe.  (Politico) 

In association football, debutant Cape Verde becomes the smallest nation to qualify for the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup after finishing Group H in second place. (AFP via France 24) (ESPN) 

The End Monday 

XTRA below

Thursday, June25th, 2026 

Iran declares the defeat of the United States with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiating team, saying the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has become a “declaration of America’s defeat”. (Al Jazeera) 

Global oil prices fall to their lowest level since February 27, the day before the war started on February 28. Additionally, brent crude futures drop to US$73.50 a barrel. (ABC News)  

Thursday, June 25th, 2026 

France confirms its first Ebola case, and the first case identified outside Africa in this outbreak, after a humanitarian worker returns from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. French health authorities isolate the patient and begin contact tracing.  (CNN) 

The confirmed toll of yesterday’s earthquake in Venezuela rises to 164 people killed, 1000+ injured and more than 27,000 believed to be missing. (Al Jazeera) 

Two people are killed and one is injured in a plane crash in Warsaw, Poland. It is the first such incident in the city since the LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055 crash in May 1987. (Polsat News in Polish) 

Two trains, one passenger train and one freight train, collided in Białośliwo, Greater Poland, Poland. The incident was reported to firefighters after 6:00 PM. There are currently no reports of injuries. (Polsat News in Polish) 

A monitoring system in Spain estimates that a heat wave contributed to 212 deaths between Sunday and Wednesday. The country also records its highest average June temperatures since at least 1950. (AFP via New Straits Times) 

Yabloko deputy leader Maxim Kruglov is convicted and will face seven years in prison over his anti-war stance on social media, including remarks about the Russian Army. (Reuters) 

The Sudan Doctors Network reports that more than 215 civilians have died at the RSF-run Daqris Prison in Sudan’s South Darfur state from the spread of diseases and epidemics, as well as torture and mistreatment of detainees. (AA) 

Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 

The U.S. military says that it will require recruits to take the influenza vaccine amidst an influenza outbreak at the Lackland Air Force Base in Bexar County, Texas, U.S. The move comes after U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth lifted the military vaccine mandate. (CBS News) 

The Israeli military announces that it has eliminated Hamas militant Akram Muhammad Mahmoud Abu Machi, who took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel, during an airstrike in southern Gaza. (The Times of Israel)  

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz says Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon even if “the United States demands it”, adding that “200,000 residents will not return” to their homes. (Al Jazeera) 

A doublet earthquake, consisting of a M_w 7.2 foreshock and a M_w 7.5 mainshock, strikes Yaracuy, Venezuela. Severe damage and collapsed buildings are recorded in Caracas, with casualties being unknown. (AP) 

Ukrainian forces launch long-range drone strikes inside Russia, striking the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, which also houses the only helium plant in Russia, and also striking two Russian Satellite Communications Company facilities, including one in Moscow Oblast and another in Vladimir Oblast. Russia says its forces have shot down 323 Ukrainian drones overnight. (AP) 

Ukrainian missiles strike two Russian military airfields and several air defence systems in Crimea. (AP) 

A wildfire burns over 350 acres and destroys a home in Garfield County, Colorado, U.S., prompting evacuations. (9news) 

The Cottonwood Fire burns over 59,000 acres near the Eagle Point Resort in Beaver, Utah, U.S., with governor Spencer Cox saying it is the “most destructive fire in the state’s history”. (The Salt Lake Tribune) 

Sri Lanka begins enforcing a nationwide ban on the sale and provision of foods and drinks high in sugar, salt, and fat in schools as part of measures to address rising childhood obesity and related health conditions. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

After the deadly fire in Lucknow, India that killed 15 people, authorities across Uttar Pradesh sealed 59 of coaching institutes found to be violating fire safety standards as part of a statewide enforcement drive. (Deccan Herald) 

Three people are killed and 18 injured after an under-construction warehouse collapsed in West Bengal, India. (Xinhua) 

Historic Pact‘s candidate Iván Cepeda concedes defeat in the presidential election won by Abelardo de la Espriella. (BBC News) 

Abelardo de la Espriella is declared president-elect of Colombia by the National Electoral Council. (CBS News) 

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that the U.S. will not accept Iranian tolls or fees on vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. (Kurdistan24) 

The U.S. Senate votes 50–48 in favor of a resolution to require the Trump administration to halt military action against Iran, joining the House of Representatives in doing so.  (NPR) 

The International Maritime Organization announces an evacuation plan for around 500 to 600 ships with 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf to sail through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran and the United States have reached a ceasefire deal to end the war. The evacuation will be coordinated with Iran and Oman. (Middle East Eye) (The Maritime Executive) 

The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation reports that the Bangladesh-flagged vessel Banglar Joyjatra has cleared through the Strait of Hormuz at 3:00am BST after it was stranded in the region for 4.5 months. (The Business Standard) 

2026 United States F-15E rescue operation in Iran Two sources tell CNN that a pilot on a United States Armed Forces F-15E Strike Eagle, which was downed over Iran during the beginning of April, reported a “jellyfish-like” formation from Iranian drones before the jet was shot down. (AA) (CNN) 

Israeli soldiers open fire near an excavator in Nabatieh, Lebanon, killing two civilians and wounding two more. (Al Jazeera) 

South Korea announces that it will accept any North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia if they choose resettlement in South Korea. South Korea also opposes any repatriation of such prisoners against their wishes. (Reuters) 

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a United Nations fact-finding mission, finds that Israel has deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes in Gaza, and war crimes in the West Bank. (Reuters) 

The U.N. Human Rights Office reports that sexual violence has been more widespread across Sudan since the civil war broke out three years ago in April. (BBC News) 

The U.S. House of Representatives passes the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an effort to lower the cost-of-living of houses and support affordable housing in the country. The legislation will head to president Donald Trump for his signature. (CNBC) 

The Government of National Stability, which controls eastern Libya, prohibits the entry of citizens of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan through all land, sea and air ports, citing a reorganization of procedures governing the entry of foreign nationals. (Reuters) 

The Sudanese army launches an offensive in the Geissan District of Sudan’s Blue Nile State, capturing a key rebel stronghold near the border with Ethiopia. (Sudan Tribune) 

Nigerian police report that at least 20 people were killed in an attack on a community in Bokkos, Plateau State, over the weekend. Police and other security agencies engaged the assailants in a shootout before they withdrew from the area. (Reuters) 

French sports minister Marina Ferrari reports that at least 40 people have drowned in France while swimming in unsupervised areas over the weekend during a heat wave. (AFP and Reuters via Al Jazeera) 

In association football, Portuguese forward and captain Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cups and Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer at the tournament after scoring a brace in the team’s 5–0 win over Uzbekistan in the group stage. (AFP via RFI) 

Barbarossa, June 22nd, 2026 

Keir Starmer announces his resignation as British prime minister and leader of the Labour Party in an address to the nation outside 10 Downing Street, London. He will remain as caretaker prime minister until a new party leader is elected. (AP) (BBC News) 

U.S. crude oil prices fall 2.7% to about $74 per barrel for the first time since early March after treasury secretary Scott Bessent announced a 60-day waiver of sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil. (NBC News) 

U.S. vice president JD Vance says that Iran has agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of its nuclear program following the first round of post-war peace negotiations at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland. (BBC News) (The Washington Post) 

The U.S. treasury department lifts sanctions against Iran and authorizes the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil for 60 days amidst ongoing talks in Switzerland. (AFP via NDTV) (CNBC) (The New York Times) 

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar say that Iran and the United States have agreed to a roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal within 60 days. (BBC News) 

The Indian government confirms that four India-bound fertilizer cargo ships carrying urea, diammonium phosphate, and sulfur have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters) 

Shipping data from Kpler shows that two crude oil tankers carrying 2 million barrels of oil have transited through the Strait of Hormuz coming from the east, including one of the vessels showing Basra, Iraq, as its destination. (Reuters) 

Australia and Canada sign a A$2.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) agreement for the export of Australia’s over-the-horizon radar system, the largest defence export deal in Australian history. The system is intended to support long-range surveillance and monitoring in Northern Canada. (AFP via Channels TV) (Reuters) 

A British court finds former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson guilty of all 18 charges, including one count of rape, in relation to two victims who were children at the time of the offense. In a related trial of the facts, the jury found that his wife, Eleanor, had aided and abetted five offenses. (BBC News) 

Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba says that Russian drone attacks in Ukraine have killed at least five people, including an Egyptian crew member aboard a Panamanian-flagged vessel in the Black Sea and three members of the same family in Sumy Oblast. The attack also damages the vessel and forces its crew to evacuate. (Firstpost) (Hurriyet Daily News) 

The United Nations reports that the Tatmadaw’s army has killed over 700 Myanmar civilians in six months. (BBC News) 

At least 15 people are killed, including children, and several others are injured in a fire at a commercial building in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. (India Today) 

The total amount of cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reaches past 1,000. (The Hill) 

China imposes export controls on 10 U.S. companies and bars government procurement from 46 others in response to a U.S. blacklist targeting Chinese firms. The measures take effect immediately. (AFP via Daily Tribune) 

A Belgian judge issues a European Arrest Warrant for Greek parliamentarian and former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos for allegedly receiving payments from an organization linked to the Qatargate corruption investigation. (Reuters) 

Belgian judicial authorities request the lifting of Avramopoulos’s parliamentary immunity to allow questioning regarding payments he received from an organization linked to the scandal. (ANA-MPA and Proto via The National Herald) 

A South Korean court sentences former justice minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison for being involved in former president Yoon Suk Yeol‘s martial law declaration. Prosecutors state that Park assisted preparations for implementing the measure. (AFP via Khmer Times) 

A police officer, a civilian, and the suspect are killed in a mass shooting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (CBC News) (The New York Times) 

Three people are killed and twenty others are injured, one of them critically, in a mass shooting at a secondary school in Tacloban, Philippines. Two suspects, both students, are arrested. (DZRH) (Philippine Daily Inquirer) (Reuters) 

Nepalese police arrest former deputy prime minister and finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel on money laundering charges. The arrest forms part of an anti-corruption campaign launched by prime minister Balen Shah‘s government following the collapse of the previous administration. (Reuters) 

A Spanish court sentences former transport minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison for taking bribes in connection with public contracts for face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. His advisor Koldo García is sentenced to 19 years and businessman Víctor de Aldama to four and a half years. (The Guardian) 

Egypt‘s security forces detain 87 Egyptians and 136 other foreigners over illegal gold mining and smuggling along the Sudanese border. (The Independent) 

Romania’s parliament rejects the proposed government of prime minister-designate Adrian Veștea, which fails to secure the votes required for approval. President Nicușor Dan is expected to begin a new effort to form a government following the collapse of the nomination. (AP) (Xinhua) 

Authorities in South Sudan announce that the first general election in the country will be held on December 22, 2026, the first since its independence in 2011. (PBS) (The Sudan Times) 

Employees of the Czech public broadcasters Czech Television and Czech Radio are on a 24-hour warning strike to protest against the abolition of licence fees and tying of the public media budget to the government budget. (AP) (Swissinfo) 

In association football, Argentine forward and captain Lionel Messi overtakes Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the FIFA World Cup‘s all-time top-goalscorer with 18 goals after scoring a brace in a 2–0 win over Austria in the group stage. (AFP via RFI) (NBC News) 

The International Olympic Committee approves revisions to the venue plan for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, including the proposed use of Thialf in the Netherlands for speed skating, as France lacks a suitable venue for the event. (AP via Toronto Star) 

In college baseball, the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels, 13-2, to win the College World Series for the first time since their 1994 season. (AP) (Tar Heel Times) 

Father’s Day 2026 

The first talks between Iran and the United States since the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum are held at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland. The talks are mediated by Pakistan and Qatar. (Kashmir Observer) (

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa says that his country will not intervene in the Israel–Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon following calls from U.S. president Donald Trump to do so. (Times of Israel) 

Saudi Arabia reaffirms its call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during a UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Arab Group. (Saudi Gazette) 

The Tasnim News Agency reports that Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the ceasefire is implemented in the Lebanon war and waivers are issued for Iranian oil sales. (Reuters) 

Five known ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, down from 26 ships the previous day, amidst the closure. (Reuters) 

The Israeli military and Shin Bet confirm that they have killed Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander Zaki Youssef Mahmoud Abu Mustafa, who participated in the kidnapping of 12-year-old Yagil Yaakov during the Nir Oz attack on October 7, 2023. Additionally, he was also accused of training jihadists at the Nasser Hospital. (The Jerusalem Post) (Ynetnews) 

Three Palestinians, including an eight-year old girl, are killed in drone strikes by Israel in Gaza. (The New Arab) 

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz says that Israeli troops will not withdraw from the illegally occupied Beaufort Castle, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) 

A drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces hits civilian facilities in Kosti in Sudan’s White Nile state, killing one person and injuring 14 others. (Sudan Horizon) 

Thirteen workers are killed and 66 others are injured in an explosion and fire at a gas facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Al Khor, Qatar. The interior ministry attributes the incident to a technical malfunction and continues search operations. (Euronews) 

Three people are killed, five others are injured and multiple people are trapped after three tornadoes touch down near Wichita, Kansas; Dix, Illinois; and Newburgh, Indiana, United States. (KSDK) (KSN) (WSIL-TV) 

Six people are killed in a house fire in Luxi County, Hunan, China. (Xinhua) 

Six people are killed and 29 people are injured as a bus crashes into a parked truck in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India. (The New Indian Express) 

The last American passenger exits the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, officially ending the quarantine for Americans who were affected by the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship. (The New York Times) 

Colombians vote in the second round to determine the presidency, choosing between the far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and the left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda. (AP) 

De la Espriella wins the presidential election, defeating Cepeda by a narrow margin. (AFP via CNA) 

Ethiopia’s National Election Board reports that prime minister Abiy Ahmed‘s Prosperity Party will secure a parliamentary majority in the country’s general election. (AP) (Reuters) 

In association football, Kevin Pina scores Cape Verde’s first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup in a 2–2 draw against Uruguay in the group stage.  (Fox Sports) 

Egypt win their first-ever World Cup match after defeating New Zealand 3–1 in the group stage. (AFP via South China Morning Post) 

The End