Portal:Current events/2026 June 26

June 26, 2026 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
    - Islamabad Memorandum
      - 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)
  - 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    - 2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign
      - 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)
- 2026 Lebanon war
  - 2026 Israel–Lebanon peace talks
    - Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon
      - 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)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Crimea attacks
  - 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)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - 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)
- Prisoners of war in the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war, with each side releasing 160 people. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

Eurovision Song Contest 2027
- 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)

Disasters and accidents

2026 Venezuela earthquakes
- 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)
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)
Three people die inside of a septic tank during an attempt to clean it in Mundka, Delhi, India. (Hindustan Times) (The Hindu)

Health and environment

2026 European heatwaves
- 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) (AFP via Arab News)

International relations

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

Law and crime

Gen Z protests
- 2025–2026 Indonesian protests
  - 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)
Migration and asylum policy of the European Union
- 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. (Al Jazeera) (Business Insider) (Politico)

Sports

2026 FIFA World Cup
- Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup
  - In association football, debutants 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)