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Topics in the news
Earthquake damage in Pereira, Colombia
- A magnitude 7.4 earthquake (damage pictured) strikes Chocó Department, Colombia, leaving at least 254 people dead.
- In cycling, Demi Vollering wins the Tour de France Femmes.
- Shootings at a residence and a school in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, leave at least nine people dead.
- A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund purchases video game publisher Electronic Arts in a leveraged buyout.
August 13, 2026 (Thursday)
Politics and elections
- 2026 Zambian general election
- Zambians vote to elect a president and 280 seats of the National Assembly. Incumbent president Hakainde Hichilema runs for re-election to a second term in office. (AP)
August 12, 2026 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Sudanese civil war
- Kordofan campaign, Siege of El Obeid
- The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launch eight drone and land attacks across El Obeid, North Kordofan, and intercepting them using air defenses. Two people are reported to be killed during the attacks. (Reuters)
- RSF launch drone strikes across multiple cities in Sudan, including its capital Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman in Khartoum State and the River Nile cites of Ad-Damir, and Atbara. (AFP via Arab News) (The National News)
- Kordofan campaign, Siege of El Obeid
- Libyan crisis
- A drone strike is reported on an Zawiya electrical substation in western Libya, causing a fire and power outages. (The Hill)
- Colombian conflict
- Two soldiers were killed and at least seventeen more wounded (all members of the 9th Brigade). The attack occurred after military personnel were requeried to examine a suspicious cilinder in a road of the the locality of El Quebradón, Algeciras, Huila, subsequently were ambushed for suspected members of the Iván Diaz Front. (El Colombiano)
- Mexican drug war
- A failed attack against the Tayoltita Airfield, in San Dimas Municipality, Durango, leaves one gunmen killed and two soldiers wounded. Authorities deploy an operative in the zone securing the area and search for the rest of the attackers. (La Jornada)
Disasters and accidents
- A woman is killed and 172 other people are rescued after a ferry catches fire off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. (AFP via RFI)
Law and crime
- Four people are killed, including the perpetrator, in shooting and stabbing attacks at a daycare and a house in Hopkins, Minnesota, United States. (CBS News)
Politics and elections
- 2026 Cook Islands general election
- Cook Islanders vote to elect all 24 seats of Parliament amid a cost-of-living crisis and debate regarding a past partnership agreement with China. Incumbent prime minister Mark Brown faces a challenge from Cook Islands United leader Teariki Heather. (RNZ) (The Guardian)
- The Rapid Support Forces-appointed governor of Sudan's Kordofan region, Hamad Mohammad Hamad Khalifa, resigns and will defect. (Sudan Tribune) (Al-Arabiya)
Science and technology
- Astronomers who have spent four years trying to understand the mysterious little red dots found by the James Webb Space Telescope announce in Nature that it marks the discovery of a new type of astrophysical object, the black hole star. The first object classed as such, MoM-BH*-1, in the constellation of Cetus, is the size of the Solar System and emits a pure light that outshines its host galaxy. (PopSci) (The Guardian)
- Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026
- A total solar eclipse occurs in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, with partial eclipses visible over much of northern North America, Europe (except most of Ukraine, Greece, Bulgaria and Russia), northwestern Africa and northern Asian Russia. It is the first total eclipse observable in mainland Europe since the solar eclipse of August 11, 1999. (Time and Date) (EclipseWise)
August 11, 2026 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Iran war ceasefire
- Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war
- Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif says that a deal between Iran and the United States is "close", including an arrangement over the Strait of Hormuz. (Bloomberg News) (CNBC)
- Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- 2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
- The Wall Street Journal reports that a U.S. military helicopter has fired at the rudder of the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova after crews ignored the naval blockade re-imposed in July, contradicting British maritime management that it was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Oman. (Reuters)
- 2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
- 2026 Iran war ceasefire
- Red Sea crisis
- Operation Rough Rider
- The U.S. Department of Defense reports to Congress that the U.S. military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen in 2025 killed 153 civilians and injured another 243. (The Hill)
- The Yemeni government reports that six people have been killed in strikes on a cargo ship by the Houthis in the Bab-el-Mandeb. (The New York Times)
- Operation Rough Rider
- Gaza war
- The Israeli Army Radio reports that the Israel Defense Forces launched a strike targeting a Hamas sniper near the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip, its first strike on the enclave in 10 days. (AIN) (The Times of Israel) (The Jerusalem Post)
- 2026 Iran war
- Sudanese Civil Wars
- Sudanese civil war
- Blue Nile campaign
- A heavy attack on civilians by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N) is reported in Geissan in Sudan's Blue Nile state, including on the main market, surrounding farms, and other shops. (Sudan Tribune)
- The International Organization for Migration reports that 2,300 people in the Blue Nile region has been displaced following recent clashes. (Middle East Monitor)
- Attacks by the RSF and SPLM-N are also reported in Qaysān on its provincial headquarters and a market. (Sudan Tribune in Arabic)
- Blue Nile campaign
- Sudanese nomadic conflicts
- Around 60 people are killed and around 50 others injured in an armed attack during a cattle raid in Tonj North County, Warrap State, South Sudan. (AFP via Arab News) (Radio Tamazuj)
- Sudanese civil war
Disasters and accidents
- 2026 Colombia earthquake
- The death toll from the Mw 7.4 earthquake in Colombia yesterday increases to over 240 people killed, 570 injured, and at least 3,000 others still missing. President Abelardo de la Espriella declares a national state of emergency. (The Guardian)
- At least 44 people are killed when a ferry sinks on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. (AFP via RFI)
- Search operations for the landslide from Sunday conclude in Baguio, Philippines, placing the final death toll at ten people killed. Meanwhile, the national police places the nationwide toll from the tropical cyclones and monsoons at 26. (ABS-CBN News) (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
- At least 18 people are killed and around 30 others are injured in a two-vehicle collision in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt. (Al Ahram)
- Four people are killed and five others are injured after an old residential building collapses in Cairo, Egypt. (Gulf News)
- Three people are killed following a commercial building fire in Giza, Egypt. (Al Ahram)
International relations
- Syria and weapons of mass destruction
- The Syrian transitional government confirms their cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to purge nuclear materials at a hidden facility following a report by Axios on such plan after an agreement between Israel, Syria, and the United States. Conversely, Israel threatens to bombard the site again if the materials remain, and to prevent access to the site. (AA) (Axios) (The Jerusalem Post)
Law and crime
- Presidency of Ahmed al-Sharaa, War crimes in the Syrian civil war, Prosecution of Syrian civil war criminals
- The Criminal Court in Damascus, Syria, sentences deposed president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia, and former Daraa political security director Atef Najib in person, and issue international arrest warrants for all for premeditated murder and crimes against humanity. (AFP via The Standard) (The National)
- Capital punishment in Lebanon
- The Lebanese parliament votes to abolish the death penalty. (BBC News)
- A United States Marine Corps soldier is released from Russia after having been detained there since 2022. (Kyiv Independent)
Politics and elections
- 2026 Hungarian presidential election
- Former Supreme Court president András Baka is elected as Hungarian president through a supermajority and is scheduled to take office on 19 August. He ran uncontested as the Tisza Party's candidate, as neither Fidesz nor its partner KNDP nominated a candidate. (Reuters)
Sports
- Palestinian sports during the Gaza war
- Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub announces that all football and sport activities will resume in September following a three-year suspension that began after the outbreak of the Gaza war. (Al Jazeera)
August 10, 2026 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- 2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
- The United States Central Command says that they have redirected 55 vessels linked to Iran since reinstating the blockade in July. (Middle East Eye)
- 2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
- Impact of the 2026 Iran war on Iran
- Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei appoints new leaders for Iran's military to replace their predecessors after they were killed during the initial Israel and U.S. airstrikes, including Ali Abdollahi as chief of staff, Kioumars Heydari as deputy commander, and Hossein Taeb as Basij commander. (The Jerusalem Post) (Al-Monitor)
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- Russo-Ukrainian war
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Аt least 13 people are killed, including a child, and 39 others were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan, Russia. (Reuters)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Libyan crisis
- Fawzi al-Mansouri, head of military intelligence for the Libyan National Army, is assassinated as a bomb exploded inside his car in Benghazi, Libya. (AFP via RFI) (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- 2026 Colombia earthquake
- A Mw 7.4 earthquake strikes Chocó Department, Colombia, causing widespread and heavy damage, and leaving at least 164 people dead. (El Pais) (BBC News) (Reuters)
- The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales is confirmed to be among the buildings damaged after one of the towers collapsed following the earthquake. (The Independent) (The City Paper Bogota) (El Colombiano in Spanish)
- Wildfires in 2026
- A recent wildfire at the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia, is extinguished after 550 ha (1,400 acres) were burnt. However, new hotspots are also reported near the caldera. (Reuters)
- The Philippine civil defense office reports that at least 16 people were killed across Luzon, including seven in Baguio, by floods, landslides and weather-related accidents after nine days of heavy monsoon rain, while three others remain missing. (AFP via RFI)
Health and environment
- 2026 Ebola epidemic
- The World Health Organization reports that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo started in February before its declaration, with some cases attributed to malaria and typhoid. (Al Jazeera)
International relations
- Colombia–Israel relations, Colombia–Syria relations
- Colombia becomes the second country to recognize the Golan Heights, a region in southwestern Syria that has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, as part of Israel's sovereignty. (AFP via CNA) (The Jerusalem Post)
Politics and elections
- 2026 Russian legislative election
- Upon petition from Rodina, the liberal Yabloko party is barred from participating in the 2026 Russian legislative election on charges of unregistered funding, a controversial copyright infringement, and extremism by the Supreme Court of Russia. (The Guardian) (The Moscow Times)
Law and crime
- 2026 Nonthaburi shootings
- Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization president Thongchai Yenprasert is killed in a shooting at a government building in Nonthaburi province, Thailand. Former parliament member Chalong Riewrang is taken into custody over corruption. (BBC News) (AFP via CNA) (Thairath)
- Murder of Mir Raza Ali
- The government of Sindh, Pakistan, announces that a judicial commission headed by a judge of the Sindh High Court would investigate businessman Mir Raza Ali's death. The decision followed a recommendation by the Sindh Assembly. (Dawn)
August 9, 2026 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Middle Eastern crisis
- Gaza war
- Gaza peace plan
- Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects a United States-led plan for peace accepted by Hamas, saying Israel will not withdraw forces until Hamas fully disarms. (AFP via RFI)
- Gaza peace plan
- Yemeni civil war
- At least eleven people are killed and at least 40 others are injured in a Houthi missile and drone attack on Mokha, Taiz Governorate, Yemen. (MENA via The New Arab)
- The Governor of Al-Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen, survives an assassination attempt after the Houthis shelled his residence in Al Khawkhah district. (Yemen Online)
- Gaza war
- Mali War
- 2026 Mali offensives
- Around ten Malian soldiers are reportedly killed in a Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin attack in central Mali. (AFP via Arab News)
- Authorities say that they have repelled an attack by militants on a military base in San, Mali. (BBC)
- 2026 Mali offensives
- Sudanese civil war
- Blue Nile campaign
- Mass graves of 25 civilians executed by the Rapid Support Forces are discovered in Kurmuk in Sudan's Blue Nile region. (Sudan Tribune)
- Blue Nile campaign
- Colombian conflict
- Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella reports that military forces killed four FARC dissidents in Meta and two Gulf Clan members in Antioquia. (AFP via The Daily Star)
Disasters and accidents
- 2026 Canadian wildfires
- Police report that a woman was killed while evacuating the Summerland wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, which has burned more than 13,600 hectares (34,000 acres) and forced over 20,000 people to evacuate. (AFP via RFI)
- 2026 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in eastern China, evacuating 1 million people and cancelling 1,300 flights from Shanghai. Monsoon rains are also reported in parts of the Philippines, causing flooding. (South China Morning Post) (The New York Times) (AP)
- At least 16 migrant workers are killed in a major fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
- Six people, all members of the same family, are killed after an intoxicated truck driver collides head-on with their vehicle in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India. (The Hindu)
- Five people are killed, at least three others survive, and five are still missing in a landslide that hits a residential area in Baguio, Philippines. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Health and environment
- 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak, Salmonellosis in the United States
- Taylor Farms extends its recalls to products containing jalapeños after they were linked to the ongoing salmonellosis outbreak in the United States. Taylor Farms currently has a recall for iceberg lettuce linked to cyclosporiasis. (Ars Technica) (HuffPost)
- The Hong Kong Observatory records 36.9 °C (98.4 °F) in the city, the highest temperature since records began in 1884. (AFP via Malay Mail)
International relations
- Russia–Syria relations
- Russia and Syria reach a memorandum of understanding to reorganize Russia's presence on the Syrian coast, including transferring civilian facilities to Syrian state management and converting Russian military bases into joint training centers. (SANA)
Law and crime
- At least eleven people are killed and two others are injured in three separate shootings in Cape Town, South Africa. (AA)
- Afghanistan's intelligence agency arrests two staff members of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in Herat, according to the office of UN secretary-general António Guterres. (AFP via RFI)
- Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan is arrested upon arrival at Baldonnel, County Dublin, Ireland, following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates, and is brought to the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Kinahan is charged with directing the operations of a criminal organisation from 2015 to 2017. (RTÉ)
Politics and elections
- Impact of the 2026 Iran war on Iran
- Iranian state media reports that Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei met president Masoud Pezeshkian in July, his first publicly reported meeting since taking over, amidst ongoing speculation about his health and future. Additionally, a rare video is released of him. (Middle East Monitor) (Reuters) (Shafaq)
Sports
- 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup
- In association football, Malawi's women's national football team defeats Ghana 2–1 at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in the quarter-finals at Al Medina Stadium in Morocco, qualifying for the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil and will make their debut at the tournament. (Nyasa Times) (Ghanaweb) (ESPN)
- 2026 CONCACAF U-20 Championship
- Mexico defeats the United States 2–0 at the Estadio Azteca to win the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, its second in a row after winning the previous one. (ESPN)
August 8, 2026 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company says that one of their vessels was attacked by a missile while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz during the early hours. No injuries were reported. (Khaleej Times)
- Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr says that Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts sanctions against the country, ends the naval blockade, and halts military action against the country. (Al Jazeera)
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- Russo-Ukrainian war
- Kyiv strikes
- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports that a 3-year-old boy and his grandparents were killed by a drone strike by Russian forces in Kyiv. (Reuters)
- Kyiv strikes
- Sudanese civil war
- Darfur campaign
- Darfur governor Minni Minnawi says that the SAF-allied Joint Forces have repelled an attack in Sudan's West Darfur state. (Sudan Tribune)
- Kordofan campaign
- A tribe leader in the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan accuses the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North of launching attacks on Otoro villages in Kauda. Additionally, four aid workers are reported to be detained. (Sudan Tribune)
- Darfur campaign
Disasters and accidents
- Wildfires in 2026
- 2026 United States wildfires
- 2026 Utah wildfires
- The National Interagency Fire Center reports that two people were killed yesterday in a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter crash in Fishlake National Forest, Utah, U.S., while trying to battle the Widemouth 2 fire. (The New York Times) (The Hans India)
- 2026 Utah wildfires
- 2026 Canadian wildfires
- In Canada, British Columbia declares a state of emergency after 105 wildfires were reported across the province. (DW)
- 2026 United States wildfires
- 2026 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, which encompass the entirety of Okinawa Prefecture and parts of Kagoshima Prefecture. Additionally, China shuts down ports and ferry routes in preparation for the typhoon. (The Japan Times)
- A helicopter crashes in Tijuca National Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing three Colombian tourists and the pilot. (AFP via Gulf News)
- Satellite images show that the British-sanctioned oil tanker Caroline Bezengi, believed to be part of the Russian shadow fleet, which was carrying 1 million barrels of oil, is leaking oil and sinking further off the coast of Oman, after an explosion was reported on the vessel on June 8. The oil leaks have reportedly reached the shore of Al-Qibliyah Island. (AP)
International relations
- 2026 Morocco–Spain border incident, Italy–Spain relations
- Spain imposes temporary border checks on travelers from Italy after Italy introduced similar controls on arrivals from Spain amid a dispute over migration policy following the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta. (AP)
August 7, 2026 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- Operation Urja Suraksha
- Indian shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal reports that more than 4,000 seafarers from India have been repatriated and 62 Indian vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. (Lokmat Times) (India New England News)
- The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reports that 15 of its vessels have been attacked by missiles or drones while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz since the war with Iran started on February 28. (Reuters)
- Operation Urja Suraksha
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- Gaza war
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Gaza war
- Israeli forces withdraw from the Qalandiyah refugee camp and Kafr 'Aqab neighborhood in occupied West Bank following a two-day raid, with Palestinian Authority reporting 51 injuries. (Haaretz)
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Gaza war
- Yemeni civil war
- Houthi attacks in Marib, Yemen, kill at least eight government soldiers and two civilians and injure 26 others, as the group launches missiles, drones and shelling against military positions, residential areas, and refugee camps. (AFP via The Manila Times)
- 2026 Iran war
- Russo-Ukrainian war
- Odesa strikes
- A Russian drone strike hits the Chornomorets Stadium in Odesa, Ukraine, with Odesa Oblast governor Oleh Kiper reporting that two people are injured in the strikes. (Kyiv Independent)
- Odesa strikes
- Sudanese civil war
- Kordofan campaign
- Sudanese armed forces repel a surprise drone attack by the Rapid Support Forces in Dilling, South Kordofan. Additionally, five civilians are reported to be killed in El Obeid, North Kordofan. (Sudan Tribune)
- Kordofan campaign
Disasters and accidents
- Twenty people are killed and several others are injured after a fuel tanker overturns in Bangui, Central African Republic. (Xinhua)
- Sixteen people are killed and dozens others are injured in two separate road accidents in Sylhet Division and Bogra District, Bangladesh. (Xinhua)
Health and environment
- 2026 United States cyclosporiasis outbreak
- Michigan health officials lift an advisory against the consumption of lettuce in the U.S. state after reporting a decline in cases of cyclosporiasis, which is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis. (Reuters)
- Brazil's National Institute for Space Research reports that deforestation of the Amazon rainforest fell to 2,874 square kilometres (287,400 ha) from August 2025 to July 2026, a 37% annual decline and the lowest level since the institute's satellite monitoring began in 2016. (AFP via The Straits Times)
- The Bald Range fire erupts Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada, forcing 20,000 people to evacuate, including the entire village of Summerland, British Columbia. The government declares a state of emergency. News)
International relations
- International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, United States and the Russo-Ukrainian war
- The United States Senate votes 86–11 to pass a bill imposing sanctions on Russia's energy revenues, financial institutions, officials, and shadow fleet, while authorizing tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. The legislation will head to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. (Reuters)
- Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations, Pakistan–Turkey relations, Saudi Arabia–Turkey relations
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey mutually sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, declaring that an attack on one will constitute an attack on all three. (Al Arabiya)
- Mexico–Peru relations
- The governments of Mexico and Peru reinstate diplomatic relations after agreeing to allow former Peruvian prime minister Betssy Chávez to seek asylum in Mexico. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Crime in Karachi
- Murder of Mir Raza Ali
- A judge of the Karachi High Court in Pakistan allows the exhumation of Mir Raza Ali's body. (Dawn)
- Murder of Mir Raza Ali
- 2026 Nonthaburi shootings
- Nine people are killed, including the shooter, and 15 others are injured in a shooting spree between a home and the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, Thailand. (AP) (The Guardian)
Politics and elections
- Inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella
- Abelardo de la Espriella is sworn in as the president of Colombia after winning the presidential election in June. (AP)
Science and technology
- Investigation of UFO reports by the United States government
- The U.S. defense department releases more classified videos and files of unidentified flying objects, including an incident in the Gulf of Oman in 2021 when United States Air Force pilots encountered a swarm of "cold orbs", describing each orb as measuring around 4 feet (1.2 metres) in diameter and moving in irregular patterns. (BBC News)
Sports
- 2026–27 Ukrainian Premier League
- The Ukrainian Premier League's FC Chornomorets Odesa announces on Telegram that its match against FC Kolos Kovalivka is postponed after its home stadium was hit by a Russian strike. (Intent)
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