At least five people are killed in Gaza, including two children, from Israeli strikes on a residential area.
Source:
Al Jazeera 
June 20
Armed conflicts and attacks
Israeli strikes on south Lebanon kill at least 16 people, including a family of four.
Source:
RTÉ News
Health and environment
The Australian Government confirms the first detection of the avian influenza subtype H5N1 in the country after identifying the virus in a wild seabird in Western Australia. The strain has now been recorded on every continent.
Source:
AFP via France 24
Politics and elections
Bolivian president Rodrigo Paz declares a state of emergency, deploying the Armed Forces to clear the blockades.
Source:
Reuters
June 19
Science and technology
Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre announces new school guidelines that generally prohibit the use of generative AI by primary school pupils and restrict its use for older students. The policy takes effect in the next academic year.
Source:
Reuters
Malaysian researchers identify , a new fungal species in Borneo that parasitizes fungi infecting ants. Scientists also report the discovery of a previously undocumented spider-infecting fungus.
Source:
AFP via CBS News
Arts and culture
Mexican archaeologists uncover Early Classic-period ruins in Veracruz featuring a circular stone platform and other previously undocumented architectural elements for the region. Researchers also discover a carved monolith depicting figures with possible Maya cultural influences.
Source:
AFP via France 24
Sports
In swimming, American swimmer Kate Douglass sets a world record in the women's 50-meter freestyle at the Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, finishing in 23.59 seconds and surpassing the previous mark of 23.61 seconds set by Sweden's Sarah Sjöström.
Source:
AFP via RFI
International relations
Philippine president Bongbong Marcos announces that 24 Filipino nationals detained in Russia will be released and repatriated to the Philippines following a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Kazan.
Source:
The Star
Polish president Karol Nawrocki strips Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country's highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle, for naming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which massacred Poles during World War II.
Source:
Reuters
Armed conflicts and attacks
The Swiss foreign ministry confirms that the planned talks between Iran and the United States at the Bürgenstock Resort, Switzerland, have been cancelled after U.S. vice president JD Vance cancelled his trip.
Source:
Reuters
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei rejects reports that Iran has re-closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:
Euronews
Source:
NBC News
Source:
NBC News
Source:
Al Jazeera
The Sudanese human rights organization Emergency Lawyers reports that nine civilians have been killed in a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drone strike on a passenger vehicle carrying civilians in North Darfur. Additionally, another drone struck the Um Bayada market, causing a massive fire.
Source:
Darfur24
The UN secretary general envoy to Sudan calls for RSF head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to halt attacks on the North Kordofan area of El-Obeid.
Source:
Arab News PK
Rapid Support Forces launch a drone strike on the El-Obeid area of North Kordofan, Sudan, amidst warnings about the situation in the area.
Source:
Sudan Tribune
Politics and elections
Bolivian president Rodrigo Paz and the Bolivian Workers' Confederation trade union reach an agreement aimed at easing a 50-day protest crisis marked by road blockades and supply shortages. Other protest groups continue demonstrations and demand Paz's resignation.
Source:
Reuters
British home secretary Shabana Mahmood, energy secretary Ed Miliband, and transport secretary Heidi Alexander meet with prime minister Keir Starmer and reportedly urge him to set out a timetable for his departure following Andy Burnham's win in the 2026 Makerfield by-election.
Source:
The Telegraph
Law and crime
The Australian Government agrees to pay A$28 million (US$20 million) in a settlement with 38 former asylum seekers who alleged harm while detained at the Baxter and Woomera immigration detention centres. The agreement follows a High Court ruling on compensation claims for unlawful detention.
Source:
The Manila Times
Costa Rican police arrest a man in connection with an alleged threat against president Laura Fernández Delgado. The president is evacuated during a visit to northern Costa Rica after an explosion was reported nearby.
Source:
Reuters
Disasters and accidents
One person is killed and 89 others are injured, including 33 seriously with and nine in critical condition, after two passenger trains collide near Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.
Source:
BBC News
Source:
The Brussels Times
Business and economy
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority states that tariffs and insurance will not be collected from ship owners during the 60-day period of the Islamabad Memorandum. However, it also calls for ships to register with it, and requires that a transit request for the Strait of Hormuz must be made 48 hours prior to arrival.
Source:
NBC News
June 18
Disasters and accidents
A fire at a Wyndham resort in Bayahíbe, Dominican Republic, kills one person, injures several others, and prompts the evacuation of nearly 1,700 tourists. Authorities state that combustible roofing materials and wind conditions contribute to the fire's spread.
Source:
Reuters
Politics and elections
Former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom after winning a by-election in Makerfield, setting up a leadership challenge to prime minister Keir Starmer.
Source:
The Guardian
Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov signs an order to dismiss Abdupaty Matkalikov from his post as mayor of Manas, Jalal-Abad Region, Kyrgyzstan.
Source:
Akipress
The National Assembly of Zimbabwe approves a bill extending presidential terms from five to seven years, which will allow president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose second term was scheduled to end in 2028, to remain in power until 2030. The constitutional amendment also scraps direct presidential elections, electing future presidents through parliament.
Source:
BBC News
The National Nutrition Agency of Indonesia suspends its free meal programme during public holidays, citing efficiency and programme review measures. The policy is expected to reduce spending as the government seeks to address budget pressures and economic challenges.
Source:
New Straits Times
Sports
In association football, co-hosts Canada win their first-ever FIFA World Cup match after defeating Qatar 6–0 on the second matchday.
Source:
AFP via France 24
Health and environment
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has caused 202 deaths from 875 confirmed cases. Health officials cite difficulties in contact tracing, while the Red Cross warns that the outbreak has not yet peaked.
Source:
Jamaica Observer
Two more passengers who were on the MV cruise ship during the hantavirus outbreak exit the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, making the total amount of people remaining in quarantine to six.
Source:
Central Nebraska Today
Australian researchers report that an H5 avian influenza outbreak on Heard Island and McDonald Islands has killed more than 13,000 southern elephant seal pups and has infected local bird and penguin populations, marking the virus's first detection in an Australian external territory.
Source:
The Straits Times
Scientists confirm that Major Oak, a 1,000-year-old oak tree in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England, has died. The tree failed to produce any new leaves this year after becoming "stressed" by a series of hot, dry summers over the last decade.
Source:
The Guardian
Business and economy
The American Automobile Association reports that gas prices in the United States are at $3.999 per gallon, making it the first time gas prices have gone below $4 since March 30 after rising amidst the Iran war.
Source:
PBS
The United Kingdom lifts its travel advisory for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the Riyadh and Eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia after the signing of the peace deal.
Source:
The Independent
Armed conflicts and attacks
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif postpones his visit to Switzerland after the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Iran and the United States was signed remotely.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefireIslamabad MemorandumPakistan in the 2026 Iran war
Source:
Dunya News
Sharif reaffirms that the MOU to end the war will take effect immediately and that Iran will "instantly" reopen the Strait of Hormuz and that the American blockade on ports will end "immediately".
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefireIslamabad MemorandumPakistan in the 2026 Iran war
Source:
CBS News
The U.S. presidential executive office provides a text of the details on the agreement to the U.S. Congress.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefireIslamabad Memorandum
Source:
Reuters
U.S. vice president JD Vance says that his country will allow ships through to Iranian ports, and that the naval blockade will be lifted as part of a agreement to end the war.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
Source:
AP
The United States Central Command confirms that the naval blockade imposed by the U.S. Navy on Iranian ports and coastal areas has ended.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
Source:
CNBC
Iran announces that it will begin charging fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the 60 days in the agreement.
Source:
The Guardian
According to data from Kpler, three oil supertankers from Saudi Arabia carrying 6 million barrels of crude oil were seen transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:
CNBC
Source:
Al Jazeera
Israel publishes a map of southern Lebanon that it will continue to illegaly occupy, and says it may launch attacks beyond it, as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rules out a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.
Source:
South China Morning Post
Ukraine launches its largest ever drone attack on Moscow, Russia, targeting the Moscow Refinery and damaging several residential buildings.
Source:
CNN
Following the attack, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says "If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn", warning against further Russian attacks on the country.
Source:
The Guardian
Russia says it will carry out a "massive retaliation" against Ukraine with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov saying the Russian Armed Forces will from now on, carry out "massive group strikes" on a "regular basis" following the attack on Moscow.
Source:
MSN
Eleven soldiers, two civilians and 22 gunmen are killed in a mass shooting and shootout at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger. Twenty suspects are also arrested.
Source:
AP
June 17
Health and environment
The European Union and G7 nations at the summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, pledge funding for the Democratic Republic of the Congo amidst the Ebola epidemic in the country, including in Ituri Province.
Source:
DW
The TASIS-aligned Peace Government officially declares a cholera outbreak in the Kordofan region, with laboratory tests in South Sudan confirming the disease, after weeks of acute watery diarrhoea cases in West Kordofan.
Source:
The Sudan Times
Politics and elections
In the U.S., the Republican-led Georgia General Assembly rejects governor Brian Kemp's attempt to redistrict Georgia's congressional districts for the 2028 United States House of Representatives elections in the state after state House speaker Jon G. Burns announced that he will not hold a vote to do so.
Source:
The New York Times
The Philippine Senate elects Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president, formally removing Alan Peter Cayetano and ending a leadership dispute that began on June 3. Gatchalian receives the support of all 13 senators present during a special session.
Source:
Reuters
Afghanistan's Taliban government imposes a ban on smartphone use by government employees, with exemptions requiring approval from supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Source:
AFP via CTV News
The Norwegian palace says that Crown Princess Mette-Marit underwent a lung transplant surgery at the Oslo University Hospital.
Source:
Reuters
The European Parliament passes a law that aims to accelerate the deportation of illegal immigrants. It allows the construction of "return hubs": deportation centers outside of the EU. Other provisions of the law regarding illegal immigrants include allowing the searching of their residences, increasing their maximum prison time, and the imposition of stricter entry bans.
Source:
Euronews
Disasters and accidents
Tropical Storm Arthur forms, becoming the first tropical cyclone of the season after creating significant rainfall across Mexico and Texas, United States.
Source:
The New York Times
Eleven people are killed and 19 others injured after a bus lost control and crashed into a house in Huanuco Region, Peru.
Source:
Xinhua
Sports
In association football, Yoane Wissa scores the DR Congo's first goal at a FIFA World Cup during a 1–1 draw against Portugal in their opening match.
Source:
Jamaica Observer
Abbosbek Fayzullaev scores Uzbekistan's first goal at a FIFA World Cup during a 3–1 loss against Colombia in their opening match.
Source:
Reuters
Sudan's women's national under-17 football team makes its first appearance on international stage in Morocco in an effort to qualify for the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles amidst the ongoing civil war in the country that erupted three years ago.
Source:
The Independent
Armed conflicts and attacks
Iran foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei tells Iranian state media that president Masoud Pezeshkian and U.S. president Donald Trump remotely signed the deal to end the war, extend the ceasefire by 60-days, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump reportedly signed the agreement while at the G7 summit during a dinner with French president Emmanuel Macron.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiationsIslamabad Memorandum
Source:
The Hill
Ship tracking websites, including Kpler, MarineTraffic, and TankerTrackers, show that three Iranian oil tankers, including two from the National Iranian Tanker Company, have escaped the blockade that was imposed on April 13 by the United States. Additionally, the Iranian-flagged NITC vessel have reached the blockade line as it headed towards the Gulf of Oman.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
Source:
Al-Monitor
U.S. artificial intelligence chief Cameron Stanley says that the Grok chatbot was used to launch 2,000 missiles and munitions at Iran during the operation.
Source:
Middle East Eye
The Gaza Health Ministry says that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was announced last year.
Source:
AP
Source:
Shafaq
The Israel Defense Forces says that they have killed two Hamas militants who allegedly took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel over the weekend in a airstrike in the central Gaza Strip.
Source:
The Times of Israel