Historic Pact's candidate Iván Cepeda concedes defeat in the presidential election won by Abelardo de la Espriella.
Source:
BBC 
June 24
Politics and elections
The United States Army states that General Chris Donahue, the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa, will retire on July 2, following a report by that he is being pressured to step down by secretary of defense Pete Hegseth.
Source:
CBS News
Disaster and accidents
After the deadly fire in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, that killed 15 people, authorities across the state close down 59 coaching institutes found to be violating fire safety standards as part of a statewide enforcement drive.
Source:
Deccan Herald
Five people are killed and 20 injured after an under-construction warehouse collapses in West Bengal, India.
Source:
The Indian Express
Business and economy
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 $73.50 a barrel.
Source:
CNN
U.S. President Donald Trump cancels a signing ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed by U.S. Congress to lower the cost-of-living of houses and support affordable housing in the country, citing the need for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE America Act). However, the housing bill can still become law 10 days after its presentation to Trump's desk.
Source:
CBS News
Armed conflicts and attacks
The Israel Defense Forces announces that it has eliminated Hamas militant Akram Abu Madi, who took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel, during a airstrike in southern Gaza. Additionally, the IDF publishes a photo of him during the October 7 onslaught.
Source:
Times of Israel
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz says Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon even if "the United States demands it", adding that "200,000 residents will not return" to their homes.
Source:
Al Jazeera
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.
Source:
AP
Source:
AP
The Sudan Doctors Network reports that more than 215 civilians have died at the Daqris Prison in Sudan's South Darfur state from the spread of diseases and epidemics, as well as torture and mistreatment of detainees.
Source:
AA
June 23
Health and environment
French sports minister Marina Ferrari reports that at least 40 people have drowned in France while swimming in unsupervised areas over the weekend during a heat wave.
Source:
AFP and Reuters via Al Jazeera
International relations
South Korea announces that it will accept any North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia if they choose resettlement in South Korea. South Korea also opposes any repatriation of such prisoners against their wishes.
North Korea–South Korea relationsNorth Korean involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)Prisoners of war in the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)
Source:
Reuters
Sports
In association football, Portuguese forward and captain Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cups and Portugal's all-time top goalscorer at the tournament after scoring a brace in the team's 5–0 win over Uzbekistan in the group stage.
Source:
AFP via RFI
The 80th edition of the NBA draft is held at the Barclays Center in New York City, U.S., with the Washington Wizards selecting former Brigham Young University freshman AJ Dybantsa with the first-overall pick.
Source:
The Washington Post
Armed conflicts and attacks
The International Maritime Organization announces an evacuation plan for around 500 to 600 ships with 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf to sail through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran and the United States have reached a ceasefire deal to end the war. The evacuation will be coordinated with Iran and Oman.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign
Source:
The Maritime Executive
The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation reports that the Bangladesh-flagged DWT bulk carrier vessel MV has cleared through the Strait of Hormuz at 3:00am BST after it was stranded in the region for 4.5 months.
Source:
New Age BD
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that the U.S. will not accept Iranian tolls or fees on vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:
Kurdistan24
Two sources tell CNN that a pilot on a United States Armed Forces F-15E Strike Eagle, which was downed over Iran during the beginning of April, reported a "jellyfish-like" formation from Iranian drones before the jet was shot down.
Source:
CNN
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a United Nations fact-finding mission, finds that Israel has deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes in Gaza, and war crimes in the West Bank.
Source:
Reuters
Israeli soldiers open fire near an excavator in Nabatieh, Lebanon, killing two civilians and wounding two more.
Source:
Al Jazeera
The Sudanese army launches an offensive in the Geissan District of Sudan's Blue Nile State, capturing a key rebel stronghold near the border with Ethiopia.
Source:
Sudan Tribune
The U.N. Human Rights Office reports that sexual violence has been more widespread across Sudan since the civil war broke out three years ago in April.
Source:
Radio Tamazuj
Nigerian police report that at least 20 people were killed in an attack on a community in Bokkos, Plateau State, over the weekend. Police and other security agencies engaged the assailants in a shootout before they withdrew from the area.
Source:
Reuters
Politics and elections
The U.S. Senate votes 50–48 in favor of a resolution to require the Trump administration to halt military action against Iran, joining the House of Representatives in doing so.
Source:
NPR
Business and economy
The U.S. House of Representatives passes the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an effort to lower the cost-of-living of houses and support affordable housing in the country. The legislation will head to president Donald Trump for his signature.
Source:
CNBC
June 22
Health and environment
The total amount of cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reaches past 1,000.
Source:
The Hill
Law and crime
A Belgian judge issues a European Arrest Warrant for Greek parliamentarian and former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos for allegedly receiving payments from an organization linked to the Qatargate corruption investigation.
Source:
Reuters
Belgian judicial authorities request the lifting of Avramopoulos's parliamentary immunity to allow questioning regarding payments he received from an organization linked to the scandal.
Source:
The National Herald
A South Korean court sentences former justice minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison for being involved in former president Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration. Prosecutors state that Park assisted preparations for implementing the measure.
Source:
Khmer Times
A police officer, a civilian, and the suspect are killed in a mass shooting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Two other people are wounded. The perpetrator released a manifesto online, sharing incel ideology.
Source:
The New York Times
Three people are killed and twenty others are injured, one of them critically, in a mass shooting at a secondary school in Tacloban, Philippines. Two suspects, both students, are arrested.
Source:
Reuters
Nepalese police arrest former deputy prime minister and finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel on money laundering charges. The arrest forms part of an anti-corruption campaign launched by prime minister Balen Shah's government following the collapse of the previous administration.
Source:
Reuters
A Spanish court sentences former transport minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison for taking bribes in connection with public contracts for face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. His advisor Koldo García is sentenced to 19 years and businessman Víctor de Aldama to four and a half years.
Source:
The Guardian
A British court finds former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson guilty of all 18 charges, including one count of rape, in relation to two victims who were children at the time of the offense. In a related trial of the facts, the jury found that his wife, Eleanor, had aided and abetted five offenses.
Source:
The New York Times
Egypt's security forces detain 87 Egyptians and 136 other foreigners over illegal gold mining and smuggling along the Sudanese border.
Source:
The Independent
Source:
The Straits Times
Sports
In association football, Argentine forward and captain Lionel Messi overtakes Germany's Miroslav Klose as the FIFA World Cup's all-time top-goalscorer with 18 goals after scoring a brace in a 2–0 win over Austria in the group stage.
Source:
NBC News
The International Olympic Committee approves revisions to the venue plan for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, including the proposed use of Thialf in the Netherlands for speed skating, as France lacks a suitable venue for the event.
Source:
Toronto Star
In college baseball, the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels, 13–2, to win the College World Series for the first time since their 1994 season.
Source:
Tar Heel Times
Politics and elections
Keir Starmer announces his resignation as British prime minister and leader of the Labour Party in an address to the nation outside 10 Downing Street, London. He will remain as caretaker prime minister until a new party leader is elected.
Source:
BBC News
Romania's parliament rejects the proposed government of prime minister-designate Adrian Veștea, which fails to secure the votes required for approval. President Nicușor Dan is expected to begin a new effort to form a government following the collapse of the nomination.
Source:
Xinhua
Authorities in South Sudan announce that the first general election in the country will be held on December 22, 2026, the first since its independence in 2011.
Source:
The Sudan Times
Employees of the Czech public broadcasters Czech Television and Czech Radio are on a 24-hour warning strike to protest against the abolition of licence fees and tying of the public media budget to the government budget.
Source:
Swissinfo
International relations
China imposes export controls on 10 U.S. companies and bars government procurement from 46 others in response to a U.S. blacklist targeting Chinese firms. The measures take effect immediately.
Source:
Daily Tribune
Australia and Canada sign a A$2.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) agreement for the export of Australia's over-the-horizon radar system, the largest defence export deal in Australian history. The system is intended to support long-range surveillance and monitoring in Northern Canada.
Source:
Reuters
Armed conflicts and attacks
Mediators Pakistan and Qatar say that Iran and the United States have agreed to a roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal within 60 days.
Source:
BBC News
The Indian government confirms that four India-bound fertilizer cargo ships carrying urea, diammonium phosphate, and sulfur have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:
Reuters
Shipping data from Kpler shows that two crude oil tankers carrying 2 million barrels of oil have transited through the Strait of Hormuz coming from the east, including one of the vessels showing Basra, Iraq, as its destination.
Source:
Reuters
Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba says that Russian drone attacks in Ukraine have killed at least five people, including an Egyptian crew member aboard a Panamanian-flagged vessel in the Black Sea and three members of the same family in Sumy Oblast. The attack also damages the vessel and forces its crew to evacuate.
Source:
Hurriyet Daily News
The United Nations reports that the Tatmadaw's army has killed over 700 Myanmar civilians in six months.
Source:
BBC News
Disasters and accidents
At least 15 people are killed, including children, and several others are injured in a fire at a commercial building in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Source:
India Today
Business and economy
The U.S. treasury department lifts sanctions against Iran and authorizes the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil for 60 days amidst ongoing talks in Switzerland.
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran warIran–United States relationsUnited States sanctions against Iran
Source:
The New York Times
U.S. crude oil prices fall 2.7% to about $74 per barrel for the first time since early March after treasury secretary Scott Bessent announced a 60-day waiver of sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil.
Source:
NBC News
The United States Senate votes 85–5 to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bill aimed at lowering the cost-of-living of houses and supporting affordable housing in the country. The bill will be voted upon by the House of Representatives.
Source:
The Guardian
June 21
Health and environment
The last American passenger exits the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, officially ending the quarantine for Americans who were affected by the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Source:
The New York Times
Armed conflicts and attacks
The first talks between Iran and the United States since the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum are held at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland. The talks are mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefire
Source:
Middle East Eye
The Tasnim News Agency reports that Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the ceasefire is implemented in the Lebanon war and waivers are issued for Iranian oil sales.
Source:
Reuters
Five known ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, down from 26 ships the previous day, amidst the closure.
Source:
Reuters
Saudi Arabia reaffirms its call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during a UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Arab Group.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
The Israeli military and Shin Bet confirm that they have killed Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander Zaki Youssef Mahmoud Abu Mustafa, who participated in the kidnapping of 12-year-old Yagil Yaakov during the Nir Oz attack on October 7, 2023. Additionally, he was also accused of training jihadists at the Nasser Hospital.
Source:
Ynetnews
Three Palestinians, including an eight-year old girl, are killed in drone strikes by Israel in Gaza.
Source:
The New Arab
Israeli defense minister Israel Katz says that Israeli troops will not withdraw from the illegally occupied Beaufort Castle, Lebanon.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa says that his country will not intervene in the Israel–Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon following calls from U.S. president Donald Trump to do so.
Source:
Times of Israel
A drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces hits civilian facilities in Kosti in Sudan's White Nile state, killing one person and injuring 14 others.
Source:
Sudan Horizon
Sports
In association football, Kevin Pina scores Cape Verde's first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup in a 2–2 draw against Uruguay in the group stage.
Source:
Fox Sports
Source:
South China Morning Post
Disasters and accidents
Thirteen workers are killed and 66 others are injured in an explosion and fire at a gas facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Al Khor, Qatar. The interior ministry attributes the incident to a technical malfunction and continues search operations.
Source:
Euronews
Source:
Xinhua
Six people are killed and 29 people are injured as a bus crashes into a parked truck in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India.
Source:
The New Indian Express
Politics and elections
Colombians vote in the second round to determine the presidency, choosing between the far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and the left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda.
Source:
AP
De la Espriella wins the presidential election, defeating Cepeda by a narrow margin.
Source:
AFP via CNA
Ethiopia's National Election Board reports that prime minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party will secure a parliamentary majority in the country's general election.
Source:
Reuters