Portal:Current events/2026 June 24

June 24, 2026 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Lebanon war
  - Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon
    - Israeli defence minister Israel Katz says his forces will not withdraw from occupied southern Lebanon even if "the United States demands it", adding that "200,000 residents will not return" to their homes. (Al Jazeera)
- Gaza war
  - The Israeli military announces that it has killed Hamas militant Akram Muhammad Mahmoud Abu Machi, who took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel, during an airstrike in southern Gaza. (The Times of Israel) (Israel National News)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - Ukrainian forces launch long-range drone strikes inside Russia, striking the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, which also houses the only helium plant in Russia, and also striking two Russian Satellite Communications Company facilities, including one in Moscow Oblast and another in Vladimir Oblast. Russia says its forces have shot down 323 Ukrainian drones overnight. (AP)
- Crimea attacks
  - Ukrainian missiles strike two Russian military airfields and several air defence systems in Crimea. (AP)
Sudanese civil war
- War crimes during the Sudanese civil war
  - The Sudan Doctors Network reports that more than 215 civilians have died at the RSF-run Daqris Prison in Sudan's South Darfur state from the spread of diseases and epidemics, as well as torture and mistreatment of detainees. (AA)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Iran war fuel crisis
  - Global oil prices fall to their lowest level since February 27, the day before the war started on February 28. Additionally, brent crude futures drop to US$73.50 a barrel. (ABC News) (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

2026 United States wildfires
- 2026 Colorado wildfires
  - A wildfire burns over 350 acres and destroys a home in Garfield County, Colorado, U.S., prompting evacuations. (9news)
- 2026 Utah wildfires
  - The Cottonwood Fire burns over 59,000 acres near the Eagle Point Resort in Beaver, Utah, U.S., with governor Spencer Cox saying it is the "most destructive fire in the state’s history". (The Salt Lake Tribune)
2026 Venezuela earthquakes
- A doublet earthquake, consisting of a M_w 7.2 foreshock and a M_w 7.5 mainshock, strikes Yaracuy, Venezuela. Severe damage and collapsed buildings are recorded in Caracas, with casualties being unknown. (AP) (The New York Times).
After the deadly fire in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, that killed 15 people, state authorities close down 59 coaching institutes found to be violating fire safety standards as part of a statewide enforcement drive. (Deccan Herald)
Five people are killed and 20 injured after an under-construction warehouse collapses in West Bengal, India. (Xinhua) (The Indian Express)

Health and environment

2026 Ebola epidemic
- France confirms its first Ebola case, and the first case identified outside Africa in this outbreak, after a humanitarian worker returns from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. French health authorities isolate the patient and begin contact tracing. (AFP via ABS-CBN News) (CNN)
Sri Lanka begins enforcing a nationwide ban on the sale and provision of foods and drinks high in sugar, salt, and fat in schools as part of measures to address rising childhood obesity and related health conditions. (AFP via The Straits Times)
The U.S. military says that it will require recruits to take the influenza vaccine amidst an influenza outbreak at the Lackland Air Force Base in Bexar County, Texas, U.S. The move comes after U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth lifted the military vaccine mandate. (CBS News) (Reuters)

Law and crime

Protests against the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Anti-war protests in Russia
  - Yabloko deputy leader Maxim Kruglov is convicted and will face seven years in prison over his anti-war stance on social media, including remarks about the Russian Army. (Reuters)
A South Korean court orders the arrest of Shincheonji Church of Jesus leader Lee Man-hee for allegedly coercing thousands of followers to join the People Power Party in violation of the Political Parties Act. (AFP via The Manila Times) (Reuters)
17 people are injured after a vehicle struck a crowd of people in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, following Mexico's victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Czech Republic. (The New York Times).

Politics and elections

Sports

2026 FIFA World Cup
- Bosnia and Herzegovina at the FIFA World Cup, Canada at the FIFA World Cup, South Africa at the FIFA World Cup
  - In association football, South Africa reaches the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup for the first time after defeating South Korea 1–0 in their final group-stage match to finish second in Group A. Co-hosts Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina also advance for the first time after finishing Group B in second place and third place, respectively. (AFP via France 24) (AFP via France 24) (ESPN)
FIFA suspends Nepal's football association with immediate effect for violating its statutes through third-party interference, barring Nepal from international football competitions until the conditions for reinstatement are met. (AFP via The Daily Star)