Portal:Current events/Sandbox

Topics in the news

Ratko Mladić in 1993

• Bosnian Serb military officer and convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić (pictured) dies in prison at the age of 84.
• At least 392 people are killed after flash flooding in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot Districts of Nepal and along the China–Nepal border.
• American singer-songwriter and actress Dolly Parton dies at the age of 80.
• The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria ends its autonomous rule following its full integration into Syria.
• President Hakainde Hichilema wins the Zambian general election for a second consecutive term.

Ongoing:

• Iran war (Lebanon war)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • timeline

Recent deaths:

• Nakayama Festa
• Klaus-Michael Kühne
• Billy Boston
• Anny Schlemm
• Mitchell Doens
• Tim Curry

August 28, 2026 (2026-08-28) (Friday)

Arts and culture

• Death of Harald V of Norway
  • King Harald V of Norway dies at the age of 89. Haakon ascends to the throne. (BBC)

International relations

• South Korea–United States relations, Japan–United States relations
  • The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirms that the annual Freedom Edge trilateral military exercises between the United States, South Korea, and Japan will go on as scheduled between September 7 and 11. (The Korea Times)

August 27, 2026 (2026-08-27) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • Gaza–Israel conflict
    • Gaza war
      • Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
        • Three Palestinians are reported to be killed in strikes in the Gaza Strip, violating the October 2025 ceasefire. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)
      • Gaza war hostage crisis
        • The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and its Spokesperson's Unit confirms Al-Qassam Brigades commander Ismail Mohammad Ibrahim Barim, who held Edan Alexander, Avera Mengistu, and Matan Zangauker as hostages, was killed in a strike in Khan Yunis. (The Times of Israel) (Israel National News) (The Jerusalem Post)
      • The IDF also confirms that they have recently killed two Hamas militants that invaded the Re'im Base in Re'im during the October 7 attacks in separate strikes in the Gaza Strip, including a body guard to former leader Yahya Sinwar and a Nukhba forces militant. (The Times of Israel)
    • It is reported that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu held secret meetings with Hamas during the 2014 Gaza War. The Prime Minister's Office denies the reports. (The Times of Israel) (Ynetnews)
  • 2026 Iran war
    • 2026 Iran war ceasefire
      • Qatar as a mediator in conflict
        • Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani talks with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, including on the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to end the war. (Al Jazeera)
    • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
      • 2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign
        • United States Central Command commander Brad Cooper says that the military has cleared all Iranian naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz and its routes. (The Hill)
      • Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei says that Iran is preparing a set of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz after mediators called for them to do so. (Reuters)
      • The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reports that a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by an "unknown projectile", causing a fire that was later extinguished. (Marine Insight)
• Sudanese Civil Wars
  • Sudanese civil war
    • Blue Nile campaign
      • Sudan's army repels a Rapid Support Forces attack on the town of Al-Keli in the Blue Nile region. (Sudan Tribune)
    • Around 12 people are reported killed in a airstrike near border with Chad. (Al Jazeera)
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts
    • Around 49 people are killed in a cattle raid on the Machar-Pakuek cattle camp in Mading Juer Boma in Tonj North County of South Sudan's Warrap state. (MENA via The New Arab)
• Kivu conflict
  • M23 campaign
    • Four people are killed after an unconfirmed civilian or military airplane is shot down with a surface-to-air missile near Minembwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Noveau Media)

Business and economy

• South Korean company SK Gas pays a record US$5.3 million for priority passage of the LPG tanker G. Spirit through the Panama Canal before El Niño-related transit restrictions reduced daily crossings. (AFP via France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 Canadian wildfires
  • In Canada, British Columbia ends its state of emergency, which was previously imposed on August 8 this month in response to wildfires that killed one person. (The Canadian Press News) (CTV News)
  • A section of the Trans-Canada Highway in the Fraser Canyon reopens after being closed for seven weeks due to the wildfires. (Redfm) (CTV News)
• 2026 Flores earthquake
  • The death toll from the earthquake that struck the Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, rises to 111, with 176,000 people displaced. (A News) (AA)
• 2026 Nepal floods
  • The United States Geological Survey says a glacial collapse and debris flow, not an earthquake, caused the seismic event near the Nepal–Tibet border and subsequent flooding that killed at least 392 people and left over 900 more missing. (BBC)
• Six people die after a pump boat carrying 13 passengers capsizes while crossing the Mapanuepe Lake in San Marcelino, Zambales, Philippines. Three others remain missing. (The Philippine Star)

Health and environment

• 2026 European heatwaves
  • Germany's Robert Koch Institute estimates 15,800 heat-related deaths during summer 2026, the highest total in a decade of monitoring, as repeated heat waves push temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F). (Kurdistan 24).

Law and crime

• 2026 Gosen-Neu Zittau school stabbing
  • Two people are killed in a stabbing at a private school in Gosen-Neu Zittau, Brandenburg, Germany. A suspect is arrested. (Xinhua)

Politics and elections

• 2026 Zambian general election
  • Zambian presidential candidate Brian Mundubile surrenders to police and is questioned over an alleged national security threat after two weeks in hiding following the disputed presidential election, in which he finished second. (AFP via France 24)
• U.S. president Donald Trump signs an executive order directing federal agencies to call Lake Ontario "Lake America." The change applies only to U.S. federal usage; Canada need not adopt it, and no international authority exclusively determines names of shared waters. (AP) (The Guardian)

Science and technology

• August 2026 lunar eclipse
  • A near-total partial lunar eclipse occurs over Africa, the Americas, and Europe. (TimeandDate)
• The Korea AeroSpace Administration says that the Nuri will launch 15 satellites, a record, into space from the Naro Space Center in South Korea's Goheung County on October 7. (Korea Times) (Yonhap)

Sports

• 2026 Diamond League
  • In athletics, Brazilian Alison dos Santos and American Masai Russell breaks the world records in men's 400 metres hurdles (45.80 seconds) and women's 100 metres hurdles (12.09 seconds), respectively, at the 2026 Weltklasse Zürich in Zurich, Switzerland. (Reuters)

August 26, 2026 (2026-08-26) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • 2026 Iran war
    • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
      • 2026 Iran–Oman negotiations
        • The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps say Iran and Oman have agreed to share revenues from the Strait of Hormuz and define their respective maritime areas, while negotiations continue over reopening the waterway amid the war. (AFP via The Borneo Post)
        • Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi says that Iran will not allow military vessels to transit through the strait under the proposed agreement. (AP) (Military.com)
  • Gaza war
    • The Israel Defense Forces says that they have killed several Hamas members in airstrikes in the Gaza Strip city of Jabalia, including on a structure allegedly used as a storage facility for weapons. (The Jerusalem Post)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
    • An overnight Ukrainian drone attack "completely destroys" a Wildberries depot in Tambov Oblast, Russia. (Reuters)
    • A man and a 14-year-old child are killed in Lipetsk Oblast, and a woman is killed in Belgorod Oblast, in Ukrainian drone strikes. The Russian defence ministry says its forces have shot down 426 Ukrainian drones overnight. (Al Jazeera)
  • Luhansk Oblast campaign
    • Nine people are killed after a Ukrainian strike on a bus in Russian-occupied Luhansk. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• 2026 anti-immigrant movement and xenophobia in South Africa
  • A spokesperson for Malian singer Salif Keita confirms that he has cancelled all upcoming concerts in South Africa over its response to anti-migrant protests in the country. (Channels TV) (Arbiterz)

Business and economy

• American multinational company General Mills announces that they have removed artificial colors from their cereals including Lucky Charms and Trix. (NBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 Nepal floods
  • Flash floods and mudslides along the Trishuli River impact Nepal and Tibet. At least 160 people are killed, hundreds are injured and 463 others, including over 200 tourists, are reported missing in Nepal, while Chinese Communist Party officials report three deaths and 265 missing in Tibet, severely affecting Gyirong County and its port. (AFP via Jamaica Observer) (AP) (BBC News)
  • Nepali officials say bridges, roads, power stations, and entire villages have been swept away by the flash flooding with some areas still completely cut-off from search and rescue efforts. (Al Jazeera) (The National)
• At least 15 infants are killed and another is injured after a fire at a state-run hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. (The Globe and Mail) (The Guardian)
• Twelve people are killed and at least 54 others are injured as wildfires spread across northeastern Algeria during a severe heat wave, with deaths reported in Béjaïa, Jijel, and Tizi Ouzou provinces. (AFP via Gulf News)

Health and environment

• Nineteen cases of Japanese encephalitis are confirmed in Madhesh Province, Nepal, causing six deaths. (Nepal News)
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the daraxonrasib drug as a treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer, making it the first RAS inhibitor drug to be approved for the disease. This came after a previous study showed that it nearly doubled the survival rate for patients compared to chemotherapy. (The Guardian) (Reuters)

International relations

• South Korea–United States relations, Japan–United States relations
  • The U.S. Pacific Command announces that the United States will conduct trilateral military exercises with South Korea's armed forces and Japan's self-defense forces despite U.S. president Donald Trump scaling back on the recent Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercises. (AA via TRT World) (Korea Herald)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the September 11 attacks
  • The U.S. military trial for al-Qaeda militant Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, is set for June 2028 alongside three co-conspirators. (NBC News) (Sky News)
• Lawsuits involving Meta Platforms
  • Meta Platforms agrees to pay up to $16.7 billion to settle claims by 29 U.S. states over alleged harms to young users and to impose new usage limits and safeguards for teenagers on its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
• Terrorism in the United States
  • The United States designates the Italy-based Autistici/Inventati, the UK-based Palestine Action, and pro-Palestinian group Masar Badil as terrorist organizations, citing alleged involvement in politically motivated violence and extremist activity. (AFP via France 24)
• Russia orders the arrest of German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung journalist Michael Martens, charging him in absentia over comments interpreted as calling for the killing of Russians, a crime punishable by up to six years in prison. (News.az)
• Two people are killed and nine others are seriously injured in a vehicle-ramming attack against pedestrians after a fight near a train station in Caen, Normandy, France. The perpetrator is arrested. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• Immigration policy of the second Trump administration
  • The United States Department of State suspends immigrant visa appointments at all embassies and consulates worldwide while training consular staff on screening applicants for potential dependence on public benefits. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
• Deogratius Ndejembi is appointed as Vice President of Tanzania, replacing Emmanuel Nchimbi who resigned yesterday. (The Tanzania Times)

Sports

• Elimination of the Pro Bowl Games
  • In American football, the National Football League announces the elimination of the Pro Bowl. (The New York Times) (Reuters)

August 25, 2026 (2026-08-25) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • 2026 Iran war
    • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
      • 2026 Iran–Oman negotiations
        • Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani foreign minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi say that Iran and Oman have discussed a proposal to establish a temporary joint shipping route for ships in the Strait of Hormuz. (CNBC)
      • 2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign
        • United States president Donald Trump and the United States Navy say that all mines have been cleared from the Strait of Hormuz. (Al-Monitor)
      • The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reports that an oil tanker has been struck by a unknown projectile off the coast of Oman near the strait. No casualties are reported. (AFP via Arab News) (Gulf News)
    • Analysis of the 2026 Iran war
      • The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. president Trump launched Operation Epic Fury in February despite warnings from U.S. vice president JD Vance and then-intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard. (Middle East Monitor)
  • Aftermath of the Syrian civil war
    • The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announce they have officially dissolved and completed a merger with the Syrian army following the end of the civil war in 2024. (AP)
  • Gaza war
    • The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet say that they have struck five Hamas weapons storage systems and a launch site in Gaza, including in mosques. (Ynetnews)
• Operation Southern Spear
  • United States strikes on alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear
    • The U.S. military launches a strike against a vessel in the Caribbean Sea allegedly carrying drug smugglers, killing four people. (The Guardian)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Kordofan campaign
    • Around 27 people, including four children, are reported to be killed by Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N) militants in the South Kordofan areas of Kadugli and Abu Hitan. (Middle East Monitor)
  • War crimes in the Sudanese civil war
    • Sudan’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Welfare reports that 224 cases of child sexual violence have been documented since the conflict. (Sudan Tribune)

Arts and culture

• AI boom, Artificial intelligence in music
  • The Australian Recording Industry Association bans wholly AI-generated music from appearing on its charts starting in September 2026. The ruling aims to distinguish fully AI-generated music and AI-assisted music, where the track is human-created but uses AI as a supporting tool. (DW)

Business and economy

• Canada–United States relations
  • 2025–2026 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico
    • Canada announces retaliatory tariffs on about US$20 billion worth of U.S. annual imports in response to the 50% tariffs by U.S. president Donald Trump and his administration. (Reuters)
• Economic consequences of the Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Boycott of Russia and Belarus, Belarus–Latvia relations, Latvia–Russia relations
    • Latvia's cabinet ministry announces that the country will ban imported goods from Belarus and Russia starting September 1. (LIGA)
• South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Company reaches a deal to end a month of walkouts by workers. (AFP)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 Flores earthquake
  • The toll from the earthquake in Flores, Indonesia, ten days ago, increases to 103 people dead and 1,666 injured. (Detik News)
• 2026 Venezuela earthquakes
  • The death toll for the earthquakes in Venezuela this June exceeds past 6,500, with a total of 6,509 deaths reported. (The Straits Times)
• At least 40 people are injured and over 300 homes are damaged in a tornado in Pomas, Occitania, France. (DW)
• El Salvador declares a nationwide red alert for meteorological and agricultural drought, while Panama declares an El Niño emergency as severe dry conditions damage crops and reduce traffic through the Panama Canal. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director John Ratcliffe visits Moscow, Russia, on an unscheduled military flight to meet with Russian intelligence officials, marking the first known visit by a U.S. CIA director to Russia since 2021. (Al Jazeera) (BBC News)
  • The Wall Street Journal reports Ratcliffe's visit was to formally warn Russia against attacking NATO after military intelligence suggested Russia is preparing for a "limited assault" on a NATO member state. (AFP via CNA) (The Wall Street Journal)
• Israel and the United Nations, Israeli occupation of the West Bank
  • The Israel Defense Forces take control of the UNRWA's vocational training centre in Qalandia, East Jerusalem, West Bank, and begin removing the United Nations agency under legislation banning its operations in Israel. (AFP via France 24)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
  • Hungary foreign and deputy prime minister Anita Orbán files a criminal complaint against the government of former prime minister Viktor Orbán (no relation) over its purchase of 300 billion Ft (US$965 million) in ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. (AP) (Reuters)
• Lawsuits involving TikTok
  • Brazil's national data protection authority fines TikTok R$153.7 million (US$29.9 million) for inadequate child-safety measures and orders its developer, ByteDance, to delete improperly collected data and strengthen protections for users under 16. (AFP via France 24)

Politics and elections

• Hijab and burqa controversies in Europe
  • The Grand Council of Aargau votes 78–54 to ban Islamic hijabs for girls aged under 16 in the Swiss canton of Aargau. The motion was sponsored by the Radical-Liberal Party. (Swiss Info)
• Emmanuel Nchimbi announces his resignation as the vice president of Tanzania. (Africanews) (Reuters)

Sports

• 2026 WNBA season
  • In basketball, the Women's National Basketball Association's Chicago Sky bans Enes Kanter Freedom from attending home games following his altercation with Natasha Cloud. (ESPN)

August 24, 2026 (2026-08-24) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Operation Southern Spear
  • United States strikes on alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear
    • The United States Southern Command's Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere launches a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on alleged drug traffickers, killing two people. (CNN) (PBS)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukraine–United Kingdom relations
    • British prime minister Andy Burnham, during a visit to Kyiv, confirms that he has approved supplying Ukraine with the classified blueprints to produce Storm Shadow cruise missiles despite Russian threats against such a move, which will give Ukrainian forces the ability to strike key targets deep inside Russian territory. (BBC News) (The Japan Times)
  • Kharkiv strikes
    • A Russian missile strike on the outskirts of Kharkiv kills three people and leaves eight others wounded. (TRT World)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Darfur campaign
    • Drone strikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces hits several Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary targets in Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan, hours after a cargo aircraft landed in the area. (Sudan Tribune)
• South Sudanese Civil War
  • Jonglei clashes
    • Two peacekeepers from Ethiopia of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan are killed in an ambush by unknown gunmen in Jonglei State, South Sudan. Three more peacekeepers, two policemen and two civilians are also wounded. (RFI in French)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
  • International sanctions against Iran
    • United States sanctions against Iran
      • U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent announces Operation Economic Outcast, a campaign involving new sanctions against Iran, in an effort to isolate the regime. (BBC News) (Politico)
  • Iranian economic crisis
    • The Iranian rial reaches 2.02 million rials ahead of the U.S. dollar, a record-low, ahead of U.S. sanctions. (Time)
• France–Saudi Arabia relations
  • French president Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman reach an agreement to build a Dragon Ball Z theme park worth €6 billion (US$7 million) in Paris, France. (France 24) (CNBC)

Health and environment

• 2026 United States cyclosporiasis outbreak
  • The Arkansas Department of Health reports seven new cases of cyclosporiasis in the state, including the first cases in Ashley and Cleburne counties, amidst a decline in the outbreak across the United States. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

International relations

• Syria–United States relations
  • The United States formally removes Syria from its designated state sponsors of terrorism list. (AFP via The Straits Times) (The Jerusalem Post)

Law and crime

• War crimes in the Syrian civil war
  • Syria's Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun is found guilty of committing war crimes spanning nearly 14 years of civil war under Bashar al-Assad's former regime and is sentenced to life in prison. (AP) (Al Jazeera) (DW)
• Former British snooker player Graeme Dott is found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school children. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian)
• South African police arrests four people in connection of the murder of former professional boxer Zolani Tete. (Sahara Reporters) (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2026 Kazakh legislative election
  • The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan declares the preliminary results from yesterday's election, stating that Ädilet secured 71% of the vote. (Reuters)

August 23, 2026 (2026-08-23) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • 2026 Iran war
    • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
      • Iran claims to have blacklisted 45 tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that breached its rules for crossing the waterway, with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority threatening fines, detainments, and confiscations against the named vessels. (Reuters)
      • The Iran parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission approves a draft allowing Iran to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. (Middle East Eye)
  • Gaza war
    • Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
      • Two Israeli airstrikes kill two people, including a four-year-old boy, in the Gaza Strip in violation of the October 2025 ceasefire. (Reuters)
• Somali Civil War
  • Controversies of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
    • At least ten people are killed and several others injured in clashes between federal forces and residents protesting a controversial demolition and forced eviction in Yaaqshid neighbourhood of Mogadishu. (FTL Somalia) (Garowe Online) (Shabelle Media)
  • The Turkish Armed Forces carries out an airstrike in Garmaal, Puntland, killing at least four people, in response to the previous hijacking of a Cameroon-flagged vessel by Somali pirates, which was transporting military equipment to the Camp TURKSOM in Mogadishu. The authorities of Puntland identified the victims as civilian fishermen. (Somali Guardian)
• Kivu conflict
  • M23 campaign
    • The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 rebel group agree on a roadmap for further peace negotiations under the Doha Framework Agreement after talks in Switzerland. (AFP via The Hindu)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Sudan's defence ministry says that the country's armed forces (SAF) have shot down a "hostile" drone from Ethiopia entering its airspace, which was seen flying over the Blue Nile region. (Saudi Gazette) (Sudan Horizon)
  • The SAF-allied Joint Forces says that they have destroyed a Rapid Support Forces convoy in the northern desert bordering Libya, along with capturing several vehicles and drone equipment. (Sudan Tribune)
• Haitian crisis
  • At least 47 people are killed and over 50 others are kidnapped by armed gangs in Kenscoff, Ouest department, Haiti, in one of the largest mass kidnappings in the conflict. (AP)
• Mali War
  • The Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front releases 22 Malian soldiers, some held for more than three years, in exchange for at least eight of its fighters and several civilian detainees. (AFP via Macau Business)
• Mexican drug war
  • Iván Manjarrez, a La Línea ringleader accused of controlling illegal logging in the Chihuahua Mountains, is killed during a security operation in Bocoyna Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico. (El Heraldo de Chihuahua in Spanish)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 United States wildfires
  • 2026 Nevada wildfires
    • The Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada, U.S., grows to more than 20 square miles (53 sq. km.) and spreads across the Peavine Peak of Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest, prompting evacuations. (PBS) (Reuters)
• A M_w 5.9 earthquake strikes southern Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, injuring 45 people. (The Nikkei) (FNN)
• At least 30 people are killed and six more are wounded when a landfill collapses in Conakry, Guinea. (BBC News)
• The Indian Coast Guard and Navy's Eastern Naval Command reports that two crew members from the Panama-flagged MV Ocean Winner have been rescued after it sank off the coast of Bay of Bengal in eastern India. (Times of India) (New Indian Express)

Law and crime

• Billings, Montana massacre
  • Eight people, including four children, are killed in a domestic shooting and house fire in Billings, Montana, United States. The gunman kills himself at the scene. (AP)
• The Israel Defense Forces's Duvdevan Unit says that they arrested four Palestinians over the weekend, including two allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State. (The Times of Israel)

Politics and elections

• 2026 Kazakh legislative election
  • Kazakhstanis vote to elect 145 members to the 1st convocation of the unicameral Kurultai following the passage of the new constitution on 15 March. Contesting parties must get at least five percent of the vote in order for lists to gain proportional representation. (AP) (DW)

Sports

• 2026 IndyCar Series
  • Freedom 250 Grand Prix
    • In open-wheel racing, American auto racing driver Kyle Kirkwood wins the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix event at the National Mall in Washington D.C., United States. (The Athletic via The New York Times) (The Indianapolis Star)
• 2026 WNBA season
  • In basketball, former National Basketball Association player Enes Kanter Freedom is ejected from a WNBA game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena after being confronted by Natasha Cloud for his controversy in declaring for the 2027 WNBA draft. (AP)

August 22, 2026 (2026-08-22) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • Aftermath of the Syrian civil war
    • Israeli invasion of Syria
      • The Israeli Army Radio reports that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a drone strike against a militant in southern Syria whom they accuse of prepping an improvised explosive device (IED) attack against Israeli troops currently occupying the region. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • Syrian state media reports that an IED struck a bus carrying security forces on the Maarounah–Al-Tall road near Damascus, injuring several passengers. (AFP via Arab News Japan)
  • Gaza war
    • Tunnel warfare in the Gaza Strip
      • The IDF says that Sharif al-Hasanat, an alleged Hamas company commander affiliated with the Deir al-Balah Battalion of the Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza, violating the ongoing ceasefire. (The Times of Israel) (JFeed)

Business and economy

• Canada–United States relations
  • 2025–2026 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico
    • The United States imposes 50% tariffs on about US$20 billion of Canadian goods after trade talks fail to produce an agreement. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney says Canada will impose equivalent retaliatory tariffs. (AFP via Daily Tribune)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Sudan's industry ministry establishes a high-level committee to rehabilitate industrial zones in Khartoum State that were damaged during the ongoing civil war along with helping shuttered factories resume production. (Sudan Tribune)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 Zamboye mine collapse
  • The Central African Republic's government closes down a gold mine site in Zamboye that killed over 100 people after it collapsed, citing non-compliance with regulatory procedures. (AP)
• The Indian Coast Guard launches a rescue operation after a Panama–flagged cargo bulk carrier sunk off the coast of eastern India. (Reuters)
• Seven people are killed, including two police officers, and several others are injured in a three-vehicle collision on the A66 road in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. (BBC News) (Reuters)
• Five people are killed in a head-on road collision along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway near Lagos, Nigeria. (The Daily Post Nigeria)

International relations

• Pastoral trips made by Pope Leo XIV
  • Pope Leo XIV makes a half-day papal visit to San Marino, including meeting with the Captains Regent, the local religious community, and visiting the Basilica of Saint Marinus. (Vatican News) (Holy See)

Law and crime

• The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency reports that authorities in Kiribati, Palau, and Papua New Guinea have detained four Chinese and Indonesian fishing vessels for alleged illegal fishing or licence violations during a regional enforcement operation across the Pacific Ocean. (AFP via Daily Tribune)
• American far-right activist Jake Lang, who was pardoned last year for his role in the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol, is arrested during a protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. (The Detroit News) (Minnesota Star Tribune)

Science and technology

• A humanoid robot at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China, runs 100 meters in 9.39 seconds, surpassing a record set by Usain Bolt of 9.58 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in 2009. (NBC News)

Sports

• 2026 IndyCar Series
  • In open-wheel racing, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix kicks off in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, with former NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon winning the International Race of Champions. (The Athletic via The New York Times) (Motorsport)

Time: 08:11 UTC|Day: 28 August

August 2026

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Ongoing events

Disasters and humanitarian

• African Ebola epidemic
• Cuban fuel blockade
• Gaza genocide

Economics

• Global memory supply shortage
• Strait of Hormuz crisis

• Iran war fuel crisis

• United States tariff policy

• United States–Canada–Mexico trade war

Politics and diplomacy

• Ceuta migrant crisis
• Gaza peace plan
• Israel–Lebanon peace negotiations and ceasefire
• Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations

Protests and strikes

• Albanian anti-government protests

Weather

• Canadian wildfires
• European heatwaves

• UK heatwaves and wildfires

• North American heat wave
• 2026–2027 El Niño event

Elections and referendums

Recent

• August

• 12: Cook Islands, Parliament
• 13: Zambia, President, National Assembly
• 20: Bangladesh, President (indirect)
• 23: Kazakhstan, Kurultai

Upcoming

• 29: Iceland, Referendum
• 30: Guinea-Bissau, Constitutional referendum

• September

• 02: Estonia, President (indirect)

Sports

• American football

• 2026 NCAA Division I FBS season

• Association football

• 2026–27 UEFA Champions League (qualifying)
• 2026–27 UEFA Europa League (qualifying)
• 2026–27 UEFA Conference League (qualifying)
• 2026–27 UEFA Women's Champions League (qualifying)
• 2026–27 UEFA Women's Europa Cup (qualifying)
• 2026 ASEAN Championship
• 2026–27 Premier League
• 2026–27 La Liga
• 2026–27 Serie A
• 2026–27 Bundesliga
• 2026–27 Ligue 1
• 2026 Copa Libertadores
• 2026 Major League Soccer season
• 2026 National Women's Soccer League season
• 2026–27 Liga F

• Athletics

• 2026 Diamond League

• Australian rules football

• 2026 AFL season

• Baseball

• 2026 Major League Baseball season
• 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball season
• 2027 Women's Baseball World Cup
• 2026 Little League World Series

• Basketball

• 2026 WNBA season

• Canadian football

• 2026 CFL season

• International cricket

• 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship

• Cycling

• 2026 UCI World Tour
• 2026 UCI Women's World Tour
• 2026 Vuelta a España

• Golf

• 2026 PGA Tour
• 2026 European Tour
• 2026 LPGA Tour

• Motorsport

• 2026 Formula One World Championship
• 2026 MotoGP World Championship
• 2026 NASCAR Cup Series
• 2026 IndyCar Series

• Rugby league

• 2026 NRL season
• 2026 Super League season

• Rugby union

• 2026 Nations Championship

• Softball

• 2027 Women's Softball World Cup

• Tennis

• 2026 ATP Tour
• 2026 WTA Tour

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

August0/0July

• 28: Harald V of Norway
• 27: Ratko Mladić
• 26: Peter Cullen
• 25: Tim Curry
• 25: Dolly Parton
• 24: Jaye P. Morgan
• 24: Sliman Mansour
• 22: Shelley Fabares
• 22: Siim Kallas
• 21: Nancy Kassebaum
• 21: Zolani Tete
• 20: Nancy Kissinger
• 18: Bill Rasmussen
• 17: Frank Beard
• 17: O. J. Brigance
• 16: Hayden Panettiere
• 15: Tommy John
• 14: Yayoi Kusama
• 14: Jason Arday
• 14: Dave Marsh
• 14: Jimmy Rimmer
• 14: Johnny Young
• 13: Prichard Colón
• 13: Mark Rydell
• 12: Zhu Rongji
• 11: Ward Churchill
• 11: John Irvin
• 10: Jackie
• 10: James McHugh
• 09: Reggie Bannister
• 09: Ben Jones
• 09: Don Nelson
• 07: Violet Hensley
• 05: Sydney Towle
• 04: Dory Funk Jr.
• 04: Victor Niederhoffer
• 04: Lloyd Robertson
• 03: Jimmy Cricket
• 03: Jon Cypher
• 03: Allan Nascimento
• 02: Kay Granger
• 02: Rod Liddle
• 01: Vincent Pastore
• 31: Franco Baresi
• 31: Glenn A. Baker
• 31: Kazimira Prunskienė
• 30: Nadhira Al Harthy
• 30: Nirmal Purja
• 29: Glen Hansard
• 29: Billy Ray Smith Jr.
• 28: Kavinsky

Ongoing conflicts

Global

• War against the Islamic State

Africa

• Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda

• M23 campaign

• Cameroon

• Anglophone Crisis

• Sahel

• Burkina Faso
• Chad Basin

• Mali
• Niger

• Somalia

• Civil war

• Sudan

• Blue Nile campaign

• Kordofan campaign

Americas

• Haiti

• Gang war

• War on cartels
  • United States military intervention

• Colombia

• Mexico

Asia−Pacific

• Afghanistan and Pakistan

• Border war

• Myanmar

• Civil war

• Pakistan

• Insurgency in Balochistan

Europe

• Russia and Ukraine

• Russo-Ukrainian war

Middle East

• Israel–Palestine

• Gaza war

• Middle Eastern crisis

• Iran war

• Lebanon war

• Syria

• Israeli invasion of Syria

• Yemen

• Civil war

• Red Sea crisis

See also – List of ongoing proxy wars

2026 events and developments by topic

Arts

• Animation (Anime)
• Architecture
• Comics
• Film (Horror, Science fiction)
• Literature (Poetry)
• Music (Classical, Country, Hip hop, Jazz, Latin, Metal, Rock, UK, US, Korea)
• Radio
• Television (Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK, Scotland, US)
• Video games

Politics and government

• Elections
• International leaders
• Sovereign states
• Sovereign state leaders
• Territorial governors

Science and technology

• Archaeology
• Biotechnology
• Computing
• Palaeontology
• Quantum computing and communication
• Senescence research
• Space/Astronomy
• Spaceflight
• Sustainable energy research

Environment and environmental sciences

• Climate change
• Weather (Heat waves
• Tornadoes
• Wildfires)

Transportation

• Aviation
• Rail transport
• Transportation technology

By place

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Andorra
• Angola
• Antarctica
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• The Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cape Verde
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Comoros
• Congo
• DR Congo
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Ethiopia
• Eswatini
• Equatorial Guinea
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Georgia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Liechtenstein
• Libya
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Madagascar
• Marshall Islands
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mali
• Malta
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Nauru
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palau
• Palestine
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• Russia
• Rwanda
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa
• San Marino
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Solomon Islands
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste
• Togo
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Establishments and disestablishments categories

• Establishments
• Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

• Works
• Introductions
• Works entering the public domain

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