All news: Tuesday 25 August 2026

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.

2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign

United States president Donald Trump and the navy say that all mines have been cleared from the Strait of Hormuz.

2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

War crimes in the Sudanese civil war

Sudan’s social welfare ministry reports that 224 cases of child sexual violence have been documented since the conflict.

2026 Flores earthquake

The toll from the earthquake in Flores, Indonesia, ten days ago, increases to 103 people dead and 1,666 injured.

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.

At least 40 people are injured and over 300 homes are damaged in a tornado in Pomas, Occitania, France.

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.

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.

Russia–United States relations

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.

Israel and the United Nations

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.

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.

Emmanuel Nchimbi announces his resignation as the vice president of Tanzania.

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.

Boycott of Russia and Belarus

Latvia's cabinet ministry announces that the country will ban imported goods from Belarus and Russia starting September 1.

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Company reaches a deal to end a month of walkouts by workers.

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.

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.

AI boom

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.

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.