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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 

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Thursday, June25th, 2026