The edition of
Sunday 21 June 2026
19 stories, section by section, the most important first.
International
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Five known ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, down from 26 ships the previous day, amidst the closure.
Saudi Arabia reaffirms its call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during a UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Arab Group.
Three Palestinians, including an eight-year old girl, are killed in drone strikes by Israel in Gaza.
Israeli defense minister Israel Katz says that Israeli troops will not withdraw from the illegally occupied Beaufort Castle, Lebanon.
Politics
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.
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.
De la Espriella wins the presidential election, defeating Cepeda by a narrow margin.
Science
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.
Environment
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.
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.
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.
Sport
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 win their first-ever World Cup match after defeating New Zealand 3–1 in the group stage.
Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 21 June 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.