Portal:Current events/2026 March 26

March 26, 2026 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
    - Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war, Pakistan–United States relations
      - U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff confirms that the United States has shared a 15-point peace plan to Iran through the Pakistani government. (The Pakistan Connect) (Xinhua)
      - Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar confirms that indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S. are taking place. (The Hindu)
  - 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    - U.S. president Donald Trump extends his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by ten days, until 6 April, or "face further assassinations of senior officials". (The Guardian)
  - 2026 Iranian strikes on Israel
    - Nine people are injured in Israel after seven salvos of ballistic missiles by Iran. (The Times of Israel)
  - 2026 Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates
    - Two people are killed and three others are injured by falling debris from an intercepted ballistic missile in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Hindustan Times)
  - Reactions to the 2026 Iran war, Israel–Uganda relations
    - Ugandan military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba says the country is ready to join the war "on the side of Israel" and says the Ugandan military will enter the war soon if Iranian attacks on Israel do not end soon. (The New Arab)
  - Israel claims to have assassinated Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. (Al Jazeera)
- Hezbollah–Israel conflict
  - 2026 Lebanon war
    - One person is killed and 11 are injured by Hezbollah rocket fire in Nahariya, Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)
    - Two Israeli soldiers are killed in action in southern Lebanon. (Reuters)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Foreign involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - Zimbabwe confirms that 15 of its citizens have been killed after being recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine, with more than 60 others still on the front line. Cabinet minister Soda Zhemu says that most of them were lured to Russia through social media. (BBC News)

Arts and culture

Russian 2022 war censorship laws
- A court in Chelyabinsk Oblast bans the distribution of the documentary film Mr Nobody Against Putin in Russia. (AFP via The Guardian)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
- Norway's Storting passes a bill temporarily cutting petrol and diesel taxes in response to surging energy costs amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis. (Reuters)
- Mauritius and South Sudan announce measures restricting electricity consumption due to the international energy crisis, with Juba's main electricity distributor saying the capital will start experiencing daily power cuts on a "rotational basis" from today. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

At least 14 people are killed and 27 others are injured when a private bus collides head-on with a tipper-truck in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. (Hindustan Times) (The Times of India)
At least 10 people are killed and 35 others are injured when a bus collides with a truck and overturns in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, India. (The Hindu) (Hindustan Times)
Two people are killed, including a child, and at least 90 families are affected in flooding in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (ATN)
Mexico's navy launches a search and rescue operation in the Caribbean Sea for two sailboats, which departed from Isla Mujeres with nine crew members, carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba after they failed to arrive in Havana as scheduled and lost communication. (Reuters)

Health and environment

Noelia Castillo euthanasia case
- A 25-year-old Spanish woman from Barcelona, Catalonia, undergoes euthanasia after her request was approved by authorities and upheld through multiple legal challenges despite opposition from her family. (CNN)

International relations

European Union-United States relations
- Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade
  - The European Parliament approves legislation to implement the EU-US trade deal adopted in 2025. (BBC)
Russia–United Kingdom relations
- Russia says the United Kingdom's decision to board and detain shadow fleet vessels is hostile and vows a "political, legal and asymmetric" response against the UK to protect Russian interests. (Reuters)
- British Chief of the General Staff Roland Walker warns that the UK is now on an "inevitable collision course" with Russia and urges the government to prepare. (MSN)
52nd G7 summit, France–South Africa relations
- South Africa says it is no longer invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Haute-Savoie, France, after an initial invitation, with differing statements from its officials on the reasons for the decision. (AFP via Arab News)
Australia–Iran relations, Reactions to the 2026 Iran war
- Australia announces a six-month ban on short-term visa applications from Iranian passport holders for tourism and work, citing concerns that some visitors may not depart Australia once their visas expire due to the Iran war. The new policy includes limited exemptions. (AFP via The Times of Israel)
Belarus–North Korea relations
- Belarus and North Korea sign a friendship and cooperation treaty after North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un welcomed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko to Pyongyang. (AFP via The Guardian)
France–Philippines relations
- France and the Philippines sign a visiting forces agreement allowing joint military exercises and cooperation in each other's territory. (Reuters)
Tajikistan–Uzbekistan relations
- Tajik president Emomali Rahmon and Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev inaugurate the Tajikistan embassy in Tashkent during Rahmon's state visit to Uzbekistan. (Kun.uz)

Law and crime

Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Europe
- The Catholic Church in Portugal agrees to compensate 57 victims of sexual abuse with a total of €1.61 million (US$1.86 million) following findings from an independent inquiry into abuse cases over several decades. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Two people are killed, including the perpetrator, in a stabbing attack at a Pokémon Center at Sunshine City in Tokyo, Japan. (CTV News)

Politics and elections

2026 Faroese general election
- Two days after the Danish election, Faroe Islanders vote to elect 33 members of the Løgting. (Dagur.fo in Faroese) (Euractiv)
- The People's Party, led by Beinir Johannesen, wins the highest share of votes, receiving nine seats in the Løgting. (Dagur.fo in Faroese) (DR in Danish)

Sports

2026 FIFA World Cup, Iran at the FIFA World Cup
- The Iranian sports ministry bans the men's national football team from travelling to "hostile countries", placing the team's participation in this year's FIFA World Cup tournament in doubt, which is being held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali previously stated that Iran will not play in this year's World Cup. (Reuters)
2028 Summer Olympics, Transgender people in sports
- The International Olympic Committee announces that participation in women's events will be limited to athletes classified as female based on biological criteria, with eligibility determined through a one-time genetic test starting from the 2028 Olympic Games. The policy replaces previous rules that allowed individual sports federations to set their own criteria. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)