The dominant story today is Colombia’s catastrophic 7.4-magnitude earthquake, with the death toll surpassing 265 and rising as rescue crews race against time in Pereira and Cali. Geopolitically, the U.S. continues its confrontation with Iran, including a naval missile strike on a blockade-running cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iran and Oman near a deal to reopen the strait. A rare total solar eclipse swept across the North Atlantic on August 12, 2026, marking the first time since 1999 that mainland Europe has experienced totality, and the first over Iceland since 1954. Elsewhere, a devastating ferry disaster on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba has killed at least 44, the DRC’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 4,000 confirmed cases, and Libya’s fragile reunification effort is threatened after a car bombing killed a senior intelligence official tied to Khalifa Haftar’s forces in Benghazi.
By country/region:
- Afghanistan: UNESCO reaffirmed it remains the only country in the world formally banning girls and women from secondary and higher education.
- Colombia: Earthquake death toll has risen to at least 265 (with over 2,700 missing) after Monday’s 7.4-magnitude quake, the strongest in 47 years; the new president has declared an economic emergency.
- Iran: The U.S. Navy fired missiles to disable a Panama-flagged cargo ship for breaching the U.S. naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz; Iran and Oman are reportedly nearing a deal on reopening the strait via separated shipping routes.
- United States: Trump reportedly evaded a suspected Iranian assassination threat by secretly switching planes before departing a NATO summit in Turkey; a federal judge blocked USPS enforcement of Trump’s mail-ballot order; primary election results came in for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Carolina; three executions are scheduled Thursday across Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
- Ukraine/Russia: Overnight drone strikes killed civilians on both sides; Ukraine accuses Russia of using North Korean missiles; a Moscow court barred Russia’s main antiwar party from September’s parliamentary elections.
- North Korea: Named by Ukraine as a supplier of missiles used in recent Russian strikes.
- Zimbabwe: At least 44 people drowned when an overloaded ferry (rated for 90, carrying over 150) capsized on Lake Kariba.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: Confirmed Ebola cases have surpassed 4,000, making it the second-largest outbreak on record; WHO is exploring vaccine testing against the new strain.
- Thailand: The government suspended new gun licenses and is reviewing existing ones after two mass shootings in one week.
- Spain / Iceland / Greenland: A total solar eclipse — the first of its kind since 1999 — is crossing these countries today, with a partial eclipse visible across Western Europe and North Africa.
- State of Palestine / Israel: Israeli troops clashed with settlers occupying an outpost in the West Bank; violence has slowed since early August but the Gaza disarmament roadmap remains stalled amid Israeli political resistance ahead of October elections.
- Yemen: Houthi fighters attacked a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing six and wounding ten, amid a declared blockade of Saudi ports.
- Taiwan / China: Taiwan condemned planned Chinese naval drills with Indonesia near its east coast as a “dangerous” attempt to assert control over the waters.
- Libya: A senior military intelligence official for Khalifa Haftar’s eastern forces was assassinated in a Benghazi car bombing, threatening a U.S.-brokered reunification plan; drone strikes also hit oil infrastructure in western Libya.
- Poland / Romania: NATO reaffirmed support following Russian airspace violations.
- Germany: Announced it is strengthening intelligence services in response to rising “foreign” threats.
- Ethiopia / Sudan: Renewed fighting near the Tigray-Amhara border has sparked fears of a return to civil war, with hundreds of Ethiopians fleeing into an already war-strained Sudan.
- Somalia: Signed a new defense and security agreement with Pakistan covering counterterrorism and maritime cooperation.
- Venezuela: Continues under de facto U.S. oversight following January’s capture of Nicolás Maduro; the economy has shown signs of recovery, though recent earthquakes have dented growth forecasts.
- Australia: Hosted Vietnamese President To Lam for talks in Canberra.
