Armed conflicts and attacks
Middle Eastern crisis
2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
U.S. president Donald Trump announces that the ceasefire will be extended so that Iran's government can make a "unified proposal," at the request of Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and field marshal Asim Munir. However, he also says the blockade will remain. (The Hill) (CNBC) (AA)
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announces that it stopped and boarded a stateless tanker, M/T Tifani, which it says is connected to Iran. (Stars and Stripes)
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi calls the blockade "an act of war" and a violation of the ceasefire. (Al Jazeera)
Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and launches a drone into northern Israel. (The Times of Israel)
Two Israeli soldiers are sentenced to 30 days in military prison for destroying a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in the Christian village of Debel in Lebanon. (The Guardian)
2026 Israel–Lebanon peace talks, France–Lebanon relations
French president Emmanuel Macron affirms France's support for the territorial integrity of Lebanon, saying that the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the country is a precondition for stability. (Al Jazeera)
Israeli troops raid the Quneitra Governorate in Syria, where they detain three people. (AA)
Sudanese civil war
Transitional Sovereignty Council leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq hold official talks to focus on regional development and efforts to end the war in Sudan. (Muscat Daily)
A United Nations investigation finds that the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar facilitated the transfer of weapons, vehicles and Colombian mercenaries to Sudan to fight for the Rapid Support Forces against government forces. The operation was centred around the Libyan town of Kufra where LNA forces control Kufra Airport. (AP)
Business and economy
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
Nepal resumes issuing work permits for its nationals seeking employment in the Middle East after a temporary suspension linked to the Iran war, citing guidance from the foreign ministry and demand from workers. (Reuters)
Vitol CEO Russell Hardy says that at least one billion barrels of oil production will be lost because of the war even if it ends immediately, and that the current loss is in the range of 600 to 700 million barrels. (Financial Times)
Disasters and accidents
Thirteen people are killed and 23 injured after an explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Thrissur, India. (The Indian Express) (India Today)
A shell explodes inside a Type 10 main battle tank from the 8th Division's Western Army Tank Battalion, during a live fire exercise at Hijudai Training Area in Kusu, Ōita Prefecture, Japan, which is under the AOR of 4th Division killing three soldiers and injuring another. (AP) (Asahi Shimbun Company)
International relations
Cross-strait relations, Eswatini–Taiwan relations
Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te cancels his planned visit to Eswatini after the governments of Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles denied overflight permissions for his aircraft, with Taiwan attributing the decision to pressure from China. (Reuters)
Visit by Pope Leo XIV to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea
Pope Leo XIV arrives in the Equatorial Guinean city of Malabo, beginning the final leg of his apostolic visit to Africa, and becoming the first pope to visit the nation since 1982. (AP News)
Law and crime
At least five people are killed and 200 others are injured in a prison riot at the Yare Prison in Miranda State, Venezuela. (Newsweek Argentina in Spanish)
South Korean police seek an arrest warrant for Hybe founder and chairperson Bang Si-hyuk over alleged violations of capital market laws related to Hybe's initial public offering, accusing him of misleading early investors and receiving profits through a related private equity fund. (Reuters)
2025 Indonesian protests
A joint investigation by the Indonesian human rights commission, the ombudsman, and the child protection commission finds that police and other state security personnel violated human rights, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and alleged child sexual abuse, during anti-government protests in 2025 that left at least 11 people dead and thousands detained. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
The Indonesian parliament passes the landmark Domestic Workers Protection Bill into law after 22 years of deliberation. (Bloomberg via The Straits Times)
New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon secures the support of his caucus after initiating and winning a confidence vote on his leadership within the National Party. (Reuters)
United States House of Representatives member Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns from her position after being convicted of stealing $5 million of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, some of which went towards funding her 2022 election campaign. (CNBC)
Subscribe to Legible News Plus and we'll email you the Wednesday issue when it publishes .