All news: Sunday 21 June 2026

2026 Iran war ceasefire

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.

2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis

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.

2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis

Five known ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, down from 26 ships the previous day, amidst the closure.

Calls for a ceasefire during the Gaza war

Saudi Arabia reaffirms its call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during a UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Arab Group.

Gaza war

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.

Gaza war

Three Palestinians, including an eight-year old girl, are killed in drone strikes by Israel in Gaza.

2026 Lebanon war

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz says that Israeli troops will not withdraw from the illegally occupied Beaufort Castle, Lebanon.

2026 Lebanon war

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.

Sudanese civil war

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.

2026 Ras Laffan explosion

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.

Tornadoes of 2026

Three people are killed, five others are injured and multiple people are trapped after three tornadoes touch down near Wichita, Kansas; Dix, Illinois; and Newburgh, Indiana, United States.

Six people are killed in a house fire in Luxi County, Hunan, China.

Six people are killed and 29 people are injured as a bus crashes into a parked truck in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India.

2026 Colombian presidential election

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.

2026 Colombian presidential election

De la Espriella wins the presidential election, defeating Cepeda by a narrow margin.

2026 Ethiopian general election

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.

MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak

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.

Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup

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.

Egypt at the FIFA World Cup

Egypt win their first-ever World Cup match after defeating New Zealand 3–1 in the group stage.