Portal:Current events/2026 August 23

August 23, 2026 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    - Iran claims to have blacklisted 45 tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that breached its rules for crossing the waterway, with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority threatening fines, detainments, and confiscations against the named vessels. (Reuters)
    - The Iran parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission approves a draft allowing Iran to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. (Middle East Eye)
- Gaza war
  - Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
    - Two Israeli airstrikes kill two people, including a four-year-old boy, in the Gaza Strip in violation of the October 2025 ceasefire. (Reuters)
Somali Civil War
- Controversies of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
  - At least ten people are killed and several others injured in clashes between federal forces and residents protesting a controversial demolition and forced eviction in Yaaqshid neighbourhood of Mogadishu. (FTL Somalia) (Garowe Online) (Shabelle Media)
- The Turkish Armed Forces carries out an airstrike in Garmaal, Puntland, killing at least four people, in response to the previous hijacking of a Cameroon-flagged vessel by Somali pirates, which was transporting military equipment to the Camp TURKSOM in Mogadishu. The authorities of Puntland identified the victims as civilian fishermen. (Somali Guardian)
Kivu conflict
- M23 campaign
  - The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 rebel group agree on a roadmap for further peace negotiations under the Doha Framework Agreement after talks in Switzerland. (AFP via The Hindu)
Sudanese civil war
- Sudan's defence ministry says that the country's armed forces (SAF) have shot down a "hostile" drone from Ethiopia entering its airspace, which was seen flying over the Blue Nile region. (Saudi Gazette) (Sudan Horizon)
- The SAF-allied Joint Forces says that they have destroyed a Rapid Support Forces convoy in the northern desert bordering Libya, along with capturing several vehicles and drone equipment. (Sudan Tribune)
Haitian crisis
- At least 47 people are killed and over 50 others are kidnapped by armed gangs in Kenscoff, Ouest department, Haiti, in one of the largest mass kidnappings in the conflict. (AP)
Mali War
- The Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front releases 22 Malian soldiers, some held for more than three years, in exchange for at least eight of its fighters and several civilian detainees. (AFP via Macau Business)
Mexican drug war
- Iván Manjarrez, a La Línea ringleader accused of controlling illegal logging in the Chihuahua Mountains, is killed during a security operation in Bocoyna Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico. (El Heraldo de Chihuahua in Spanish)

Disasters and accidents

2026 United States wildfires
- 2026 Nevada wildfires
  - The Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada, U.S., grows to more than 20 square miles (53 sq. km.) and spreads across the Peavine Peak of Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest, prompting evacuations. (PBS) (Reuters)
A M_w 5.9 earthquake strikes southern Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, injuring 45 people. (The Nikkei) (FNN)
At least 30 people are killed and six more are wounded when a landfill collapses in Conakry, Guinea. (BBC News)
The Indian Coast Guard and Navy's Eastern Naval Command reports that two crew members from the Panama-flagged MV Ocean Winner have been rescued after it sank off the coast of Bay of Bengal in eastern India. (Times of India) (New Indian Express)
Four people are found dead after a fire at a restaurant in Thusis, Switzerland, two days ago. The search and rescue operation are concluded. (RSI)

Law and crime

Billings, Montana massacre
- Eight people, including four children, are killed in a domestic shooting and house fire in Billings, Montana, United States. The gunman kills himself at the scene. (AP)
The Israel Defense Forces's Duvdevan Unit says that they arrested four Palestinians over the weekend, including two allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State. (The Times of Israel)

Politics and elections

2026 Kazakh legislative election
- Kazakhstanis vote to elect 145 members to the 1st convocation of the unicameral Kurultai following the passage of the new constitution on 15 March. Contesting parties must get at least five percent of the vote in order for lists to gain proportional representation. (AP) (DW)

Sports

2026 IndyCar Series
- Freedom 250 Grand Prix
  - In open-wheel racing, American auto racing driver Kyle Kirkwood wins the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix event at the National Mall in Washington D.C., United States. (The Athletic via The New York Times) (The Indianapolis Star)
2026 WNBA season
- In basketball, former National Basketball Association player Enes Kanter Freedom is ejected from a WNBA game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena after being confronted by Natasha Cloud for his controversy in declaring for the 2027 WNBA draft. (AP)