The satellite Hayabusa2 conducts a flyby of the asteroid 98943 Torifune. (NHK) 

In association football, American forward Folarin Balogun is eligible to face Belgium following an intervention by The Emperor. FIFA suspends his ban under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, placing it on a one-year probationary period while allowing the red card itself to stand. It became first time since introduction of FIFA’s automatic suspension system that a World Cup red card suspension is overturned rather than served. (BBC) 

Wednesday, July 8^th, 2026 

The Emperor says that ceasefire between Persia and Rome is over, and that airstrikes will continue. (CNBC) 

Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate oil prices increase by at least 5% amidst the escalation in the Iran war, rising to US$78.01 and $73.86, respectively. (CNBC) 

The toll from yesterday’s bombings in Damascus, Syria, increases to one person killed and 36 more injured. (Al Jazeera) 

Volhynia genocide (UPA heroes naming controversy) The European Parliament passes a resolution condemning Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, who were responsible for the Volhynia genocide. (TVP World) 

Tuesday, July 7^th, 2026 

Three commercial vessels are reported to be attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, including the Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat, which is owned by Nakilat. (AP) 

Al Rekayyat is reported to be at a risk of explosion following the attack. The attack marks the first time a vessel from Qatar was attacked since the war started on February 28. (Al-Monitor) 

The LNG tanker Al Rekayyat is reported to be at a risk of explosion following the attack. The attack marks the first time a vessel from Qatar was attacked since the war started on February 28. (Al-Monitor) 

The United States revokes the temporary sanctions waiver against Iranian oil issued as part of the Islamabad Memorandum after the attacks on the three vessels.  (Axios) 

U.S. forces strike Iranian air-defence, coastal surveillance, and missile sites after attacks hit three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, with explosions heard in Bandar Abbas, Bandar Sirik, and Qeshm Island. Iran accuses the U.S. of violating their memorandum of understanding and warns of retaliation. (AFP via CNA) 

Human rights groups say that 15 people have been killed in drone strikes in Sudan’s North Kordofan state. (AFP via Al-Arabiya) 

Rights groups say that 15 people have been killed in drone strikes in Sudan‘s North Kordofan state. (Al-Arabiya) 

Three vessels are reported to be attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, including the Qatar LNG tanker Al Rekayyat, which is owned by Nakilat. (AP) 

The Sudanese Army says that it has shot down a Chinese-made FH-95 drone in North Kordofan, the third model shot down by the army. (AA) 

At least 18 people are injured in two explosions near Four Seasons Hotel Damascus, Syria, where French president Emmanuel Macron stayed during his state visit to the country. Macron was not at the hotel during the explosions. (AP) 

At least six people are killed and 22 others are injured in two explosions near Four Seasons Hotel Damascus, Syria, during the state visit of French president Emmanuel Macron to the country, the first of a Western leader since Ahmed al-Sharaa became president in January 2025. (AP) 

A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft goes missing off the coast of Pakistan with five people on board. (The Independent) 

Two people are killed and 14 others are injured after a bus veered off a road and struck pedestrians in Amadora, Portugal. (Xinhua) 

Two people are killed and seven others are missing after a massive landslide triggered by heavy rains hit a bridge in Wayanad District, Kerala, India. (Xinhua) 

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, The Emperor renews his calls for Rome to control The Vikings, and says that the U.S. could remove troops from Europe over the dispute. (CNBC) 

Trump says that the U.S. will lift sanctions against Turkey that were imposed in 2020 over its purchase of Russian defense missiles. (Defense News) 

The Emperor says that the U.S. will lift sanctions against Turkey that were imposed in 2020 over its purchase of Russian defense missiles. (‘Defense News) 

Iraqi state television says that former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s remains has arrived in Iraq’s Shi’ite holy city of Najaf for viewing following funeral ceremonies in Tehran and Qom, Iran. (Reuters) 

Iraqi state TV says that the coffin of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has arrived at the international airport in Iraq’s Shi’ite Islam city of Najaf for viewing following funeral ceremonies in Iran’s capital Tehran and Qom. (Reuters) 

In association football, Argentine forward and captain Lionel Messi becomes the first player to score in nine consecutive World Cup matches (including the previous edition), after scoring in the team’s 3–2 victory against Egypt in the round of 16. (ABC News) 

Switzerland advances to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1954 after beating Colombia in a penalty shootout in the round of 16. (CBS Sports) 

The International Olympic Committee lifts its ban on Russian athletes, allowing them to take part in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States, after previously being banned from competing under its own flag for doping and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. (The Guardian) 

The End Wednesday 

Monday, July 6th, 2026 

Microsoft cuts roughly 4,800 jobs, primarily within its Xbox and commercial sales divisions, while divesting game studios Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs. (Reuters) (The Verge) 

Iranian state television reports that Khamenei’s body arrives in Qom, where he studied, ahead of a planned procession. (AFP via Al-Ahram) 

The Israeli military states that they have killed five Hamas militants who allegedly attempted to restore underground infrastructure in the northern Gaza Strip, west of the Yellow Line, including Hudhayfah Hussein Abdullah al-Hawajri, a Nukhba militant from the East Jabalia Battalion command, despite the ongoing ceasefire. (Israel National News) 

According to shipping data from LSEG, around 10 Japan-linked ships, mostly managed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, are reported to have transited through the Strait of Hormuz using the route proposed by Iran. Data also show that a supertanker carrying Saudi crude oil headed for South Korea left over the weekend. (Gulf Today) (Japan Times) 

The United Nations Human Rights Council orders an inquiry into alleged human rights violations around El-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, warning that civilians face a risk of mass atrocities as the Rapid Support Forces encircles the city amid Sudan’s civil war. (AFP via Macau Business) 

UNICEF reports that over 330 children have been killed in Sudan’s civil war in the first six months of 2026. (AP) (UCICEF) 

Cuba experiences its third nationwide power outage of the year, with state utility Unión Eléctrica de Cuba reporting a total grid disconnection as the country faces severe fuel shortages and chronic failures in its electricity system. (AFP via The Guardian) 

Five people are killed and one injured after a fire at a residential building in Zhengzhou, Henan, China. (PTI via The Hindu) (Xinhua) 

The total number of deaths from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo exceeds 500. (ModernGhana) 

Anastasiia Berezovska, the suspect in a bombing targeting Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev and his family in Monaco on June 29, is found dead near Kyiv, Ukraine, with gunshot wounds to the head. (Pravda) (BBC News) 

A crude bomb explodes during a post-march rally in Savar, Dhaka District, Bangladesh, while National Citizen Party convener Nabila Tasnid was giving a speech, injuring three. (The Business Standard) 

News outlet Telex.hu publishes the text of arrested Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) politician Gergő Czeglédy’s 2024 testimony alleging the existence of a large corruption network involving members of the MSZP and Fidesz since 2006.  (Daily News Hungary) 

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attends former supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral amidst questions surrounding his fate in the aftermath of an Israeli–U.S. airstrike on his home during the early stages of the war. (Iran International) 

Samsung Electronics announces that Samsung Messages is being discontinued in the US on July 6 and directs users who have Android 12 or above to switch to Google Messages. (9to5Google) 

The End Tuesday 

Below posted Mon 10:00pm Cancel

The impeachment trial of Philippine vice president Sara Duterte begins in the Senate. (AP) (BBC News) 

The third edition of the Esports World Cup opens in Paris, France. (TNT Sports) 

Monday, July 6th, 2026 

Amidst ongoing controversies surrounding U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner (D–ME) including a recent sexual assault allegation, Platner says that he will consider “taking the time” to consider his next steps in the race. (Axios) 

Riots between inmates from rival drug gangs at a prison in Negombo, Sri Lanka, kill 25 people, including four officers, and injure more than 100 others. (AFP via NDTV) 

Hamas announces that its government will step down to facilitate the transition of a technocratic administration in the Gaza Strip, as stipulated in the Gaza peace plan of October 2025. In response, the Board of Peace states that it will judge the implementation of these steps rather than mere statements. (Al Jazeera) 

Ukraine’s General Staff reports that drones have struck Russia’s Omsk refinery in Omsk, Omsk Oblast in the Siberia region. (Reuters) 

The UNICEF reports that over 330 children have been killed in Sudan’s civil war over the past six months of 2026. (AP) (UCICEF) 

Fifteen miners are killed and another is injured when part of a decommissioned gold mine collapses in Wadi Halfa, Northern State, Sudan, after miners entered the closed site. (AFP via Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Australia and Fiji sign a defence pact, making Fiji one of Australia’s treaty-bound allies and committing both countries to consult on security threats and support mutual defence in the Pacific. (AFP via France 24) 

Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari begins a four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan after an invitation from Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov, making it the first official visit by a Pakistani president to the country in 21 years. (Pakistan Observer) 

The total number of deaths from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo exceeds 500. (ModernGhana) 

Philippine police ⁠separately arrests senator Rodante Marcoleta and three co-accused, including former representative Mike Defensor, after an anti-graft court orders their arrest in relation to a plunder case filed by the Ombudsman. (AP) 

Prime Minister Péter Magyar condemns Fidesz and the MSZP for the involvement of members of their parties in the scandal, accusing them of forming a “grand coalition” to engage in corruption. (Telex.hu) 

Sunday, July 5th , 2026 

Netanyahu says some Christian-majority villages in southern Lebanon asked to be annexed by Israel for protection from Hezbollah, while villages in the Marjayoun District deny seeking annexation. (AFP via Arab News) 

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that there will be no reconstruction in the Gaza Strip until Hamas is disarmed and the strip is demilitarized. (Ynetnews) 

Medics say that two Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes at the Omar Al-Mokhtar street in Gaza City. (Reuters) 

The Israeli military says that the Commando Brigade targeted Hezbollah operatives riding motorcycles near Nabatieh. (The Times of Israel) 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and British military’s Royal Navy reports that a cargo ship was attacked by “unknown armed assailants” off the coast of Yemen’s port city Hodeidah at the Red Sea. (Euronews) 

Seven OPEC+ members agree to raise oil production quotas by 188,000 barrels per day in August, as oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz gradually resume after disruptions linked to the Iran war. (AFP via France 24) 

Qatar resumes all maritime activities, reversing a June 29 advisory suspending sailing and fishing boats following the death of a Qatari national from shrapnel linked to regional military operations. (Reuters) 

The Venezuelan information ministry reports that the death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 3,342. (Reuters) 

Six people are killed and one injured after a three-story residential building collapses due to heavy rains in Mumbai, India. (Xinhua) 

Seven more children are reported to have died from measles, bringing the death toll from the disease in Bangladesh to 738. (The Business Standard) 

A complaint is filed in a Dhaka court against former interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, former health adviser Nur Jahan Begum, and two other health officials from the Yunus ministry over their roles in the measles epidemic in the country including child deaths. (Dhaka Tribune) 

Around 25 deaths are reported in heat waves in the United States, with 40 million people under heat alerts across the East Coast, Southeast, and Southwest regions of the country. (NBC News) 

The Dar Hamar Emergency Room reports 800 cases of cholera, including 30 deaths, in the West Kordofan communities of Wad Banda and Al-Nahud in western Sudan. (Middle East Monitor) 

The Sudan Doctors Network reports 200,000 people in the North Kordofan town of Bara are facing a cholera outbreak alongside measles, including 100 cases of measles in children at health care facilities in Bara. (AA) 

Puntland government issued a statement saying exclusive control over its marine resources, citing its constitution and Somalia’s federal framework to block SOMTURK. a joint venture between Somalia’s fisheries ministry and Turkey’s OYAK fund, from operating without approval. The firm holds a federal licence for fishing permits across Somalia’s economic zone, signed in Ankara last December to regulate fishing and curb illegal activities, following as leverage in stalled political talks as rich tuna grounds remain underdeveloped. (Garowe Online) (Horseed Media) (Hiiraan Online) 

Norway advances to the quarterfinals of a FIFA World Cup for the first time after defeating Brazil 2–1 in the round of 16. Brazil’s loss also marks the team’s earliest elimination from the tournament since 1990. (AFP via RFI) 

The End

Above posted Mon 10:00pm 

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Nine children are killed when a motorized tricycle plunges into a canal in Abu Tig, Asyut Governorate, Egypt. (AP) 

Palaeontologists identify a fossil vertebra collected on James Ross Island in 1985 as the earliest-known dinosaur bone collected in Antarctica, which was identified to be a tail bone from a titanosaur. (The Independent) 

Former Indonesian education minister Nadiem Makarim, who co-founded the super app Gojek, is sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption. (BBC News) 

Four people are reportedly killed in the early morning hours of Wednesday during celebrations in Mexico City following Mexico‘s victory against Ecuador in the knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.  (Reuters) 

Below posted Thursday 11:00AM 

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 

At least 17 people are killed and 86 others are injured in a Russian ballistic missiles and drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine (Kyiv Independent) 

Eight monks are killed and 14 others are injured, including four critically, when an 11-year-old boy drives a pickup truck into a group of monks on a pilgrimage walk in Mukdahan province, Thailand. (AP) 

Algerians vote for 407 seats of the People’s National Assembly amid a cost-of-living crisis and candidate bans upon the Hirak movement. (AP) 

Wednesday, July 1st, 2026 

Saudi Aramco and Algerian oil company Sonatrach announce that they will cut prices for liquefied petroleum gas for July, with Saudi Aramco reducing it between 24% and 27% and Sonatrach reducing it between 2% and 10%. (Reuters) 

United States vice president JD Vance says that Iran and the U.S. have held technical talks based on the recent 14-point memorandum of understanding in Doha, Qatar, to discuss the Strait of Hormuz. He also states that the U.S. will not return to military action unless necessary. (Haaretz) 

Ukraine approves a mechanism for exporting domestically produced weapons and military technologies to raise funds for its defense effort against Russia and attract foreign investment, while requiring that the Ukrainian military’s supply needs remain the priority. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

South Korea’s ocean ministry says that the Panama–flagged cargo vessel HMM Namu will leave the Strait of Hormuz in mid-July once major repair is complete on the vessel after it was attacked in a explosion on May 4 while it was stranded in the waterway. (Reuters) 

Iranian state television reports that a foreign container ship was grounded in shallow water after using an unapproved route through the strait. (MS Now) 

The Israel Defense Forces confirms that that they have launched strikes in the northern Gaza Strip that killed four militants of the Hamas military wing Al-Qassam Brigades and destroyed several missile launchers used by the organization. (The Jerusalem Post) 

ACLED reported that more than 100,000 people have died from the civil war in Myanmar since the military took power in February 2021.  (SBS News) 

The Emirate of Dubai, UAE, reopens its Catholic churches, including St. Mary’s and St. Francis of Assisi in Jebel Ali, after three months of closure amidst the Iran war. (Gulf News) 

Sony says it will stop releasing new PlayStation games on physical optical discs from January 2028, citing consumer preference for digital media, and will offer new titles through the PlayStation Store and other digital retailers. (AFP via France 24) 

The International Transport Workers’ Federation and the Joint Negotiating Group of shipping owners announce they will continue to designate the Strait of Hormuz as a warzone, which doubles the pay of mariners there and gives them other benefits. (Al Jazeera) 

The World Bank classifies the Philippines as an upper-middle-income economy, up from lower-middle-income status, after its per capita gross national income exceeds the fiscal year 2026 threshold of US$4,496 to $13,935. (Agenzia Nova) 

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says that the United States will not renew the USMCA trade agreement signed during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term. The U.S. will conduct annual reviews of the trade agreement and will conduct negotiations and amendments to it.  (Mexico News Daily) 

Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez declares seven days of national mourning for the victims of the earthquakes as the death toll rises to 2,295. (AFP via The Standard) 

Five people are killed and a number of others injured in a fire at an apartment block in Antwerp, Belgium. (Reuters) 

A United States Navy aviator is reportedly missing after a Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopter carrying four crew members assigned to the USS George H. W. Bush made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea. The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Fifth Fleet rules out hostile activities in the accident. (Navy Times) 

The Directorate General of Health Services reports that one child has died from measles symptoms in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll of the outbreak in Bangladesh to 719. (Dhaka Tribune) 

The United States announces a pandemic response team amidst the ongoing Ebola outbreak. (Bloomberg) 

The World Health Organization reports that 120 people have been killed in cholera outbreaks in Sudan since May in isolated war zones, alongside suspected 1,102 cases of the disease. (MENA via The New Arab) 

The African CDC confirms an isolated case of the Marburg virus in Uganda, amidst the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country. (CNBC Africa) 

In Canada, Ontario lowers the eligibility age for routine colorectal cancer screenings from 50 to 45, joining Prince Edward Island as the second province to do so. (CBC News) 

Sweden’s Market Court orders Google to pay PriceRunner about 14.3 billion kr (US$1.5 billion) in damages, Sweden’s largest competition-related award, after ruling that Google unlawfully favored its own price comparison service over rivals in search results. (AFP via France 24) 

A firebombing on the homes of ruling New Democracy party members in Thessaloniki, Greece, kills one person and injures three others. (AP) 

A passenger car and a bus collide in Antalya, Turkey. Twelve Poles suffered minor injuries, Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór told Polsat News. (Polsat News in Polish) 

The U.S. treasury department announces sanctions on two men and nine companies accused of being involved in transportation, financial services, and real estate for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. (AFP via France 24) 

The End Thursday 

Above posted Thursday 11:00AM 

Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 

The Qatari foreign ministry confirms that United States envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have arrived in Doha for technical indirect talks with Iran and talks with mediators regarding negotiations with Iran. However, they also state that no high-level talks have occurred. (BBC News) 

Paraguayan president Santiago Peña declares a national holiday after Paraguay defeated Germany 4–3 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw, in the FIFA World Cup round of 32. (Tanzania Insight) 

CNBC reports that the Brent Crude oil price declined by 21% during June 2026, its largest monthly decline since March 2020, amidst the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States. (CNBC) 

Former Indonesian education minister Nadiem Makarim, who co-founded the super app Gojek, is sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption. (BBC News) 

SAS signs an order for more than 40 A330-900neo and leased A330-300 aircraft. (SAS) 

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung says that all but two Korean vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz after previously being stranded in the waterway amidst the war. (The Korea Times) 

The Israel Hayom newspaper reports that the Board of Peace will begin managing humanitarian shelter centers in areas of the Gaza Strip not under Hamas control. (AA) 

Ukrainian forces launch a major drone attack on Moscow Oblast, Russia, striking the Dubna Space Communications Center to the north of Moscow. Russian authorities say a Ukrainian drone struck a residential building in Yegoryevsk, killing an infant, while another drone strike reportedly kills a 61-year-old woman in Tver Oblast. (CNN) 

Somalia’s defence ministry says a Turkish F-16 conducted an airstrike in the Godey area of Lower Shabelle region, South West State, killing 35 Al-Shabaab militants and injuring more than 20 others.  (Somali Guardian) 

Sudan’s army says that it has destroyed two tanks and 224 combat vehicles used by Rapid Support Forces and seized 36 others in two weeks of military operations including in Blue Nile State and the Darfur and Kordofan regions. (AA) 

A truck veers off a road in River Nile State, Sudan, and collides with a passenger vehicle, killing 18 people and wounding another. (Xinhua) 

Five people are killed and fifteen others missing after monsoon rains cause a jade mine to collapse in Kachin State, Myanmar. (AFP via The Hindu) 

At least 14 schoolchildren are killed and nine others are hospitalized after the roof of an under-construction tutoring center collapses in Lahore, Pakistan.  (Al Jazeera) 

At least 24 people are killed in floods and landslides caused by torrential rain in Accra, Ghana, and Abidjan, Ivory Coast. (AP) 

Hungary and Slovakia set national temperature records during a central European heat wave, reaching 42 °C (108 °F) and 41.3 °C (106.3 °F) respectively, as some municipalities impose water restrictions and tank trucks supply areas facing water scarcity. (AFP via CNA) 

The South Korean National Assembly approves the nomination of Han Seong-sook as the country’s new prime minister, succeeding Kim Min-seok, as well as the country’s first female prime minister in 20 years. The main opposition People Power Party boycotted the vote. (Yonhap News Agency) 

More than 14,000 people participate in rallies organized by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) in Metro Manila, Philippines, mainly to support senator and INC member Rodante Marcoleta who is under investigation for plunder. Five people are arrested at the People Power Monument in Quezon City and three police officers are injured. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

A coalition of human rights lawyers file a lawsuit against Ghana at the ECOWAS Court of Justice, accusing the country of violating non-refoulement by accepting deportees from the U.S. and forcing them back to the home countries they had fled. (Al Jazeera) 

Trump v. Barbara The Supreme Court of the United States rules 6–3 that president Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship violates the 14th Amendment, with chief justice John Roberts writing that citizenship “was the right to have rights.”  (Reuters) 

According to witnesses, one person is killed and two others are injured when Kenyan police open fire during a protest in Mathare, Nairobi against reported abductions, amid concerns over security abuses. (Reuters) 

Ford issues a recall order of over 741,000 vehicles, mainly F-150, Explorer, Expedition, Lincoln Aviator, and Navigator models, in the U.S. due to a transmission issue that may damage the park system.  (Reuters) 

Eighteen people are killed and one injured after a truck veered off the road in River Nile State, North Sudan and collided with a passenger vehicle. (Xinhua) 

Five people are killed and fifteen others missing after monsoon rains cause a jade mine to collapse in Kachin State, Myanmar. (The Hindu) 

Monday, June 29th, 2026 

Iran holds its first joint committee meeting with Oman in Muscat to discuss future management of the Strait of Hormuz following a preliminary agreement with the United States to end the war. U.S. officials say shipping can resume freely. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

Israeli forces hit a tent in central Gaza, killing three Palestinians, including an 8-year old boy. (AP) 

The National News Agency reports that over 40,000 displaced people have returned to Lebanon since the ceasefire. (L’Orient Today) 

Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev is critically injured alongside his wife and daughter after the explosion of a parcel bomb at a building in Monaco, in what seems like an assassination attempt. (France 24) 

China adds 20 Japanese organizations to a dual-use export blacklist and places 20 others on a watchlist, citing concerns over Japan’s military capabilities amid worsening relations between China and Japan. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

South Korea holds joint burial ceremonies in Seoul and Daejeon for the remains of seven soldiers killed in the Korean War, after recovery efforts from 2007 to 2025 and DNA identification with surviving relatives. (AA) 

WhatsApp announces that it will include usernames and allow users to share their profiles without disclosing their phone numbers. (TechCrunch) 

Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri says that 12 LPG vessels from India have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz without paying tolls. (United News of India) 

Sudan’s health ministry declares a new cholera outbreak, with 117 deaths in the West Kordofan state, four months after declaring an end to an previous outbreak that started in July 2024.  (CBC) 

The Sudanese Armed Forces announces that they have retaken the towns of Sirkum and Mugaja in Sudan’s Blue Nile State. (Sudans Post) 

The joint forces allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces recapture the West Darfur town of Kulbus, two years after it was captured by the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces in October 2024. (Sudan Tribune) 

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data publishes an article accusing the Rapid Support Forces of killing more civilians in Sudan, including in 2025, than other rebel groups. (Sudan Horizon) 

Pakistani information minister Attaullah Tarar says that Pakistan has carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan targeting alleged Jamaat-ul-Ahrar headquarters, killing 25 militants in border regions and the eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar. (AFP via Free Malaysia Today) 

Afghan officials say that over 36 civilians have been killed in overnight strikes by Pakistan, and more than 160 have been injured. (AP) 

Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi summons the chargé d’affaires at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul over the airstrikes.  (India Today) 

Malaysia extends the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared in 2014 with 239 people aboard, until June 30, 2027, under a contingent fee agreement with Ocean Infinity.  (Reuters) 

Fifteen people are killed and one injured after a vehicle collided with a cargo truck in Mamou Region, Guinea. (Xinhua) 

Australia and Vanuatu sign the Nakamal Agreement, which expands Australian economic support and bars foreign military bases in Vanuatu. Vanuatu also commits to rejecting the militarisation of infrastructure. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

The National Office of Electoral Processes confirms the victory of Popular Force‘s candidate Keiko Fujimori in the presidential election after 22 days of vote counting. Fujimori becomes the first elected female president of Peru. (DW) 

Six people are killed and several more injured in a mass shooting at a mother-child group home facility in Stade, Lower Saxony, Germany. Two people are arrested, including the alleged gunman. (CBS News) (DW) 

The American film Michael grosses to US$977 million at the worldwide box office, surpassing Oppenheimer as the highest-grossing biographical film. (The Independent) 

Monday, June 29th, 2026 

Three people die inside of a septic tank during an attempt to clean it in Mundka, Delhi, India. (Hindustan Times) (The Hindu) 

Iran holds its first joint committee meeting with Oman in Muscat to discuss future management of the Strait of Hormuz following a preliminary agreement with the United States to end the war. U.S. officials say shipping can resume freely. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

Pakistani information minister Attaullah Tarar says that Pakistan has carried out airstrikes targeting alleged Jamaat-ul-Ahrar headquarters, killing 25 militants in border regions and the eastern Afghanistan provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar. (AFP via Free Malaysia Today) 

China adds 20 Japanese organizations to a dual-use export blacklist and places 20 others on a watchlist, citing concerns over Japan’s military capabilities amid worsening relations between China and Japan. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

Australia and Vanuatu sign the Nakamal Agreement, which expands Australian economic support and bars foreign military bases in Vanuatu. Vanuatu also commits to rejecting the militarisation of infrastructure. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

Five people are killed in a mass shooting on a street in Stade, Germany. A suspect is arrested. (DW) 

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) 

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Thursday, April 2nd, 2026 

U.S. president Donald Trump, in his prime address since the start of the war, says that U.S. forces will soon “finish the job” and that objectives are “nearing completion”. However, he also says that the U.S. would hit them “extremely hard” within the next 2–3 weeks if a deal is not reached to end the war. (AFP via The Daily Star) 

United States crude oil surges to over US$113 per barrel. (NBC News) 

The B1 highway bridge linking Tehran and Karaj, which was inaugurated earlier this year, is hit by Israeli–U.S. airstrikes. Eight people are killed and 95 others are injured. (Reuters via The Times of Israel) 

The Pasteur Institute of Iran sustains heavy damage in US-Israeli strikes. (Telegraph) 

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian releases a letter to the American people and suggests that diplomatic engagement is possible. (The New York Times) 

U.S. President Donald Trump claims that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has asked for a ceasefire, which the United States “will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear”. The Iranian Foreign Ministry replies that Trump’s claim is “false and baseless”. (Forbes) 

Iran conducts strikes on Amazon Web Services servers in Bahrain and on an Oracle data center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. However, the Dubai government dismisses any reports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has targeted the Oracle data center and says it’s false.  (Gulf News) 

Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi says that Iran and Oman are drafting a protocol to oversee maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz. (AA) 

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asks Gen. Randy George, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, to step down and take immediate retirement. (CBS News) 

U.S. president Donald Trump dismisses Pam Bondi as Attorney General, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche replacing her on an acting basis.  (CNN) 

The United Kingdom hosts a summit with 40 countries to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters) 

Argentina orders Iranian chargé d’affaires Mohsen Soltani Tehrani to leave the country within 48 hours after Iranian officials issued statements that Argentina described as false and offensive. The move follows Argentina’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. (AFP via LBCI) 

Austria denies United States aircraft use of its ‌airspace for military operations against Iran. (Reuters) 

Moldova’s parliament approves the country’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as Moldova’s government says CIS’s core values and principles are no longer respected, particularly with regard to territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders and refer to the actions of Russia in the region, including the war against Ukraine and the illegal military presence on the territory of Moldova. (Moldova Press) 

Air China, China Southern Airlines, and its subsidiary XiamenAir increase fuel surcharges by ¥60–120 (US$8.70–17.50) on domestic flights in response to rising oil prices linked to the Iran war. (AFP via The Standard) 

The Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia, sentences German sculptor Jacques Tilly in absentia to eight years and six months in prison for spreading false information about the military and offending religious believers through his public works and statements concerning Russia’s actions in Ukraine. (Reuters) 

Kenya reports at least 16 Kenyans are missing after being recruited to fight for the Russian military in Ukraine, while 38 others are currently in Russian hospitals in unknown conditions as they are under restricted access. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi says the men were offered a US$2,700 monthly salary by Russian agents for joining the war. (BBC News) 

A Russian Antonov An-72 is destroyed in a Ukrainian airstrike on Kirovske Air Base in Kirovske Raion, Russian-occupied Crimea. (The Kyiv Independent) 

Two Rapid Support Forces drones hit the Al-Jabalain hospital in White Nile State killing 10, including seven medical staff. (Xinhua) 

2025 Drents Museum heist Dutch authorities recover the Helmet of Coțofenești and other treasures from the Dacian royal collection, which were stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, Drenthe, in 2025. (AFP via CTV News) 

Minor damage is reported near the Kizad area in Abu Dhabi after the United Arab Emirates air defenses successfully intercepts a missile. (Khaleej Times) 

Pakistan increases fuel prices, raising petrol by 42.7 percent and diesel by 54.9 percent in response to higher global energy costs linked to the Iran war. (AFP via New Straits Times) 

Both pilots are killed when a Beechcraft Model 18 operating on a cargo flight crashes in Coron, Palawan, Philippines. (Xinhua) 

Myanmar’s military ruler, General Min Aung Hlaing, is elected President of the Republic by the Electoral College. Min secures 429 votes, against 126 for Nyo Saw and 29 for Nan Ni Ni Aye, who become first and second vice presidents, respectively. (AP) 

Cuba announces the pardon of 2,010 prisoners, with releases scheduled over the coming months based on criteria such as conduct and health. (AFP via Free Malaysia Today) 

Wednesday, April 1st, 2026 

NASA launches Artemis II from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States, carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, for a flyby of the Moon.  (Space.com) 

The Israeli military says that the air force has completed strikes against vital targets in Iran, including military and nuclear targets. (Ynet) 

Iran fires three ballistic missiles at Qatar, with two intercepted and a third one hitting a oil tanker registered by QatarEnergy. (Khaama Press) 

As confirmed by the U.S. defense department and international media, two more MQ-9 Reaper unmanned reconnaissance drones have been shot down over Iranian territory. (CBS News) 

A fuel storage at Kuwait International Airport in Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, is hit by Iranian drones, causing a major fire. (Gulf News) 

A U.S. strike on Tehran reportedly damages the former U.S. embassy, which was converted into a museum following its takeover during the Iranian Revolution. The St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is also damaged. (Iran International) (AFP via The Times of Israel) 

A Bangladeshi national is killed by shrapnel during a drone interception in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. (AFP via The Daily Star) 

Ten civilians are injured, including a girl from Bnei Brak, Israel, who is in critical condition, after a missile barrage from Iran. (The Times of Israel) 

Israeli airstrikes kill seven people, including the Hezbollah commander for Iraq, Youssef Hashem, and injure dozens more in Beirut and nearby Khalde, Lebanon. (AFP via Naharnet) 

Israeli airstrikes kill seven people, including the Hezbollah commander for Iraq, and injure dozens in Beirut and nearby Khalde, Lebanon. (AFP via Naharnet) 

The Israeli military reports a missile launched by Houthi militias is intercepted. (The Times of Israel) 

The Russian defence ministry says its forces have taken full control of Luhansk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian military denies this claim, saying its 3rd Assault Brigade continues to hold a small number of positions near the front line. (AP) 

A Russian drone strike kills four civilians in Zolotonosha, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. (The New Voice of Ukraine) 

Talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan are reportedly held in China in an effort to end the current conflict. (Reuters) 

Malaysia announces a remote work policy for government officials and employees of state-owned enterprises starting April 15 to reduce fuel consumption amid rising energy costs linked to the Iran war. The government also reduces subsidized fuel quotas while maintaining market-based pricing for unsubsidized fuel. (AFP via CNA) 

The Taiwanese transport ministry announces that airlines will increase fuel surcharges on international flights by 157 percent starting April 7, following a rise in global oil prices linked to the Iran war. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

Ten people are injured, including a girl from Bnei Brak, Israel, in critical condition, after a missile barrage from Iran. (The Times of Israel) 

A boat carrying Afghan migrants capsizes off the coast of Bodrum, Turkey, leaving at least 19 people dead, according to the Turkish Coast Guard. Twenty other migrants are rescued. (AP) 

Five people are killed and 21 others are injured, including one critically, when a truck crashes into and sets on fire several vehicles at a tollbooth in Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. (Blu Radio in Spanish) 

Four people are killed in a roof collapse at a coal mine in Xing County, Shanxi, China. (China Daily) 

The United States lifts sanctions on Venezeulan acting president Delcy Rodríguez. (AP) 

Pakistani cricketer Naseem Shah receives a record fine of Rs. 20 million (US$71,500) for a social media post criticizing Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz, while other disciplinary cases arise in the Pakistan Super League, including a fine for Shaheen Shah Afridi and a ball-tampering charge against Fakhar Zaman. (AFP via France 24) 

Cambodia extradites the former chairperson of Huione Group to China, where law enforcement authorities accuse him of involvement in a large-scale online fraud and money laundering network linked to Huione. Investigators identify him as an associate of suspected crime leader Chen Zhi, who was previously extradited in connection with the case. (AFP via The Star) 

Tuesday,  March 31st, 2026 

Iranian president Masud Pezeshkian says that Iran has the “necessary will” to end the war, provided that the “guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression” are met. (RFE/RL) 

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi confirms that direct contacts, although “not negotiations”, with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff are under way. (Al Jazeera) 

U.S. president Donald Trump says that U.S. forces plan to end operations in Iran within about two to three weeks while continuing military action, stating that the withdrawal is not contingent on reaching an agreement with Iran. (AFP via RFI) 

U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth says that the talks between Iran and the United States “are very real” but also states that the U.S. will “negotiate with bombs” until a ceasefire is reached. (Time) 

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation claims that oil tanker Al Salmi has been hit by an Iranian drone at a port in Dubai, causing a fire onboard and damage to the vessel. Dubai authorities say that the fire has been contained hours after the incident. (The Guardian) 

The Israeli defense ministry halts sales of defense products to France following president Emmanuel Macron‘s decision not to allow U.S. aircraft to pass through French airspace en route to Israel. (The Jerusalem Post) 

Italy denies the United States Air Force the use of the Sigonella base in Sicily for operations related to the Iran war. (Reuters) 

Poland refuses a request by the United States to relocate its Patriot air defense systems to the Middle East for the Iran war. (Politico) 

Poland refuses a request by the United States to relocate its Patriot air defense systems to the Middle East for the war in Iran. (Politico) 

China and Pakistan releases a five-point peace plan for the Iran war following a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Ishaq Dar, respectively. The plan includes a ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.  (Axios) 

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz announces that Israel will destroy “all houses” near the Israel–Lebanon border. (Reuters) 

Four Israeli soldiers are killed in action while fighting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. (The Jerusalem Post) 

American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson is kidnapped by armed men in Baghdad, Iraq. (BBC News) 

Thirty people are killed when a Russian Air Force Antonov An-26 crashes in Crimea. (Reuters) 

Dozens of people are killed and many others are injured after multiple explosions occur at a military ammunition depot in Bujumbura, Burundi, causing extensive damage to nearby residential areas. (AFP via The Standard) 

Eleven people are killed in a shophouse complex fire in Wamena, Highland Papua, Indonesia. (iNews) 

The American Automobile Association reports that the United States national average gas price has reached $4.02 a gallon, the highest since 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (AP) 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surges over 1,000 points and the Nasdaq increases to 3.4% after Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian says that Iran has signaled it is willing to end the conflict if security guarantees and assurances are met. (Moneycheck) 

Stocks in the U.S. also rise following reports that president Donald Trump has told aides that he is willing to end the war without securing the Strait of Hormuz. (Quartz) 

The U.S. Supreme Court overturns Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy in an 8–1 decision, ruling that it infringed on the First Amendment, thereby invalidating similar bans in 22 other states.  (Colorado Public Radio) 

A court in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, nullifies a fine of more than R$16 million (US$3 million) imposed on football player Neymar in 2023 over alleged environmental violations linked to construction at his Mangaratiba property, citing procedural flaws in the investigation. (AFP via RFI) 

Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye approves a law increasing penalties for same-sex sexual acts to up to 10 years in prison and criminalizing the promotion or financing of such acts. The measure amends existing provisions in the penal code that already penalize these acts. (Reuters) 

new above Wed

Monday, March 30th, 2026 

NASA begins the countdown for the launch of Artemis II, set to be the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, with liftoff scheduled for 1 April. (The Register) 

United States crude oil settles above US$100 per barrel for the first time in four years. (CNN) 

Brent Crude oil passes US$116 per barrel, the highest it has been since the start of the war. (UPI) 

Israeli leaders announce the “completion phase” of war and order the IDF to strike “economic” targets in Iran to damage the Iranian economy. (Times of Israel) 

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says that Iran has not started negotiations with the Trump administration but also says that the United States have submitted a negotiation request. (The Hill) 

A missile barrage from Iran and Lebanon causes a fire at the BAZAN oil refinery in Haifa. (The Jerusalem Post) 

An Iranian attack on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait kills an Indian worker and damages a building at the site. (Al Jazeera) 

Spain closes its airspace to U.S. aircraft involved in military action against Iran. (BBC News) 

The Syrian Army says that drone attacks have targeted several of their bases near the Iraqi border. However, the Syrian Army also says that several of the drones were shot down and did not say where the drones came from. (Reuters) 

Kosovo approves the deployment of troops to Gaza as part of an international peacekeeping force. (Reuters) 

Two Indonesian peacekeepers of the UNIFIL mission are killed in Southern Lebanon when a projectile hits their vehicle. (BBC News) 

At least 10 people are killed, 25 others are injured and more than 45,000 displaced after Somalia’s national army  took control of Baidoa, the capital city of the South West state, two weeks after the state president Abdiaziz Laftagareen said that his administration was severing ties with the federal government and opposed constitutional amendments backed by the Somali federal government. (Reuters) 

India says it has ended the Naxalite insurgency after home minister Amit Shah reported that most of the remaining Naxal fighters had been killed, arrested, or had surrendered following intensified security operations. (AFP via France 24) 

A human rights organization in Haiti claims that the death toll from the previous day’s massacre in the Artibonite department was at least 70 people, higher than official reports. (DW) 

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority rules that around 12 million people are entitled to financial compensation after being mis-sold motor finance agreements between 2014 and 2024. The compensation scheme will see each motorist awarded around £829, costing car finance lenders a total of £9.1bn. (BBC News) 

Five people are killed and three others are injured after a car crashes between Hopefield, South Africa and Langebaanweg in the Western Cape. (SABC News) 

Four people are killed and nine others are injured in an explosion in an under-construction tunnel in Chongqing, China. (Xinhua) 

The Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil, arrives in Matanzas, Cuba, despite the ongoing U.S. blockade of the island. (BBC News) 

The United States resumes operations at its embassy in Caracas after a seven-year closure, aiming to restore direct diplomatic engagement with Venezuela under Delcy Rodríguez‘s de facto presidency. (AFP via Channels TV) 

The Iranian parliament security approves a series of measures to impose tolls on vessels that pass through the Strait of Hormuz. (ANI via Lokmat Times) 

The Knesset passes a bill allowing for mandatory executions of Palestinians convicted of terrorist attacks that kill Israelis. (The Guardian) 

One person is killed and eight others are injured in a school shooting in San Cristóbal, Santa Fe, Argentina. A 15-year-old suspect is taken into custody. (AFP via ABS-CBN News) 

The Bahrain Ministry of Interior says that three men have been arrested for allegedly trying to form a terrorist cell linked to Hezbollah. (VIN News) 

Myanmar military ruler Min Aung Hlaing steps down as Army chief to stand as a candidate for president in the upcoming presidential election, the first to be held since the 2021 coup. (Reuters) 

[ovlp blw]

Sunday, March 29th, 2026 

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, meet in Islamabad to express their “full support” for potential Iran–United States talks hosted by Pakistan. (AFP via France 24) 

United States president Donald Trump tells Financial Times that the U.S. could seize Kharg Island and “take the oil” in Iran, although “a deal could be made fairly quickly”. (Financial Times) 

For the first time ever, Israel Police block the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during Palm Sunday, citing heightened risk in the Old City during the Iran war. (Vatican News) 

At least 45 people are killed and 74 others are injured after five days of severe weather across parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Reuters) 

In auto racing, Mercedes-Benz’s Kimi Antonelli becomes the youngest driver to lead the World Championship at 19 years and 216 days old after winning the Japanese Grand Prix. (AFP via RFI) 

Saturday, March 212026 

The third No Kings protests are held across the United States against the policies of president Donald Trump’s administration including the Iran war, ICE operations, and the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. (CNN) (Reuters) 

The United States Central Command announces the arrival in the Middle East of 3,500 sailors and marines aboard of USS Tripoli. (Gulf Times) 

IIn throughbred racing, American racehorse Magnitude wins the 30th Dubai World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, amidst the Iran war.  (ESPN) 

Emirates Global Aluminium reports that one of its facilities in Abu Dhabi sustained significant damage and several injuries during missile and drone attacks attributed to Iran. (AFP via The Times of Israel) 

The smelter facility of Aluminium Bahrain in Askar, Southern Governorate, is targeted by Iranian attacks.(CNBC) 

Around 18 people are arrested during anti-war protests held across Israel against the Iran war, including 13 in Tel Aviv and 5 in Haifa. Protests are also held in Jerusalem and Beersheba.  (Times of Israel) 

An airstrike in Kirkuk, Iraq, hits a base of the Popular Mobilization Forces, killing one member and injuring four others. (AFP via LBCI) 

The Houthis launch a ballistic missile from their territory in Yemen towards Israel, signifying the group’s entrance in the war. The Israeli military says that the missile was successfully intercepted and no injuries were reported. (Reuters)  

Kuwait International Airport is targeted by multiple drone strikes, causing significant damage to its radar system. (Saudi Gazette) 

Qatar and Ukraine sign a defense pact that includes cooperation on countering missile and drone threats. (AFP via The News) 

The End