Lead Story
Magnitude 7.4 earthquake kills at least 132 in western Colombia
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on the morning of August 10, 2026, with its epicenter near San Jose del Palmar in Choco department, about 150 miles west of Bogota. By August 11, officials said at least 132 people had been killed and roughly 570 injured, with rescue crews still digging through rubble in Cali and other cities, including at a hospital whose pediatric and neonatal wards partially collapsed. More than 1,600 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and thousands were left homeless. The Colombian Geological Service called it the strongest quake to hit the country in a decade. President Abelardo de la Espriella, sworn in just days earlier, declared a national disaster and deployed troops to assist relief efforts. Flights to several western cities, including Cali, Buenaventura and Quibdo, were suspended as authorities assessed damage to infrastructure.
Read more →Lead Story
Magnitude 7.4 earthquake kills at least 132 in western Colombia
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on the morning of August 10, 2026, with its epicenter near San Jose del Palmar in Choco department, about 150 miles west of Bogota. By August 11, officials said at least 132 people had been killed and roughly 570 injured, with rescue crews still digging through rubble in Cali and other cities, including at a hospital whose pediatric and neonatal wards partially collapsed. More than 1,600 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and thousands were left homeless. The Colombian Geological Service called it the strongest quake to hit the country in a decade. President Abelardo de la Espriella, sworn in just days earlier, declared a national disaster and deployed troops to assist relief efforts. Flights to several western cities, including Cali, Buenaventura and Quibdo, were suspended as authorities assessed damage to infrastructure.
Iran sets steep demands for reopening Strait of Hormuz, talks stalled
Iran on August 9-10, 2026 laid out sweeping conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which it has kept closed amid its standoff with the United States. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Washington must lift its naval blockade and sanctions on Iran, withdraw U.S. forces from the region, pay war reparations and release frozen Iranian assets before the vital shipping lane reopens. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said no negotiations with Washington are currently underway, and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman said reopening is not imminent and hinges on the U.S. fully accepting Iran's terms. President Trump told reporters he was "low-keying it" and only "semi-negotiating" with Tehran, while separately floating a demand for Iranian compensation covering damage in Lebanon and Gaza. The prolonged closure of one of the world's most important oil chokepoints has continued to rattle global energy markets and push up crude prices.
Read more →Iran sets steep demands for reopening Strait of Hormuz, talks stalled
Iran on August 9-10, 2026 laid out sweeping conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which it has kept closed amid its standoff with the United States. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Washington must lift its naval blockade and sanctions on Iran, withdraw U.S. forces from the region, pay war reparations and release frozen Iranian assets before the vital shipping lane reopens. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said no negotiations with Washington are currently underway, and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman said reopening is not imminent and hinges on the U.S. fully accepting Iran's terms. President Trump told reporters he was "low-keying it" and only "semi-negotiating" with Tehran, while separately floating a demand for Iranian compensation covering damage in Lebanon and Gaza. The prolonged closure of one of the world's most important oil chokepoints has continued to rattle global energy markets and push up crude prices.
Yemen's Houthis strike Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery with drone
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement claimed a drone attack on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery on the Red Sea coast in southwestern Saudi Arabia, sparking a fire that Saudi authorities said they extinguished without casualties. The Houthis said the strike was retaliation for what they described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemen's Saada and Hajjah governorates, and it came two days after Saudi Arabia signed a new defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan. The group separately claimed a "large-scale" operation targeting Saudi-aligned forces in the Yemeni Red Sea city of Mokha, which killed at least seven people. The attacks follow the Houthis' declaration in July 2026 of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, under which they have vowed to target Saudi shipping. The incident adds another flashpoint to a region already on edge over the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz and fears of wider energy-supply disruption.
Read more →Yemen's Houthis strike Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery with drone
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement claimed a drone attack on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery on the Red Sea coast in southwestern Saudi Arabia, sparking a fire that Saudi authorities said they extinguished without casualties. The Houthis said the strike was retaliation for what they described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemen's Saada and Hajjah governorates, and it came two days after Saudi Arabia signed a new defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan. The group separately claimed a "large-scale" operation targeting Saudi-aligned forces in the Yemeni Red Sea city of Mokha, which killed at least seven people. The attacks follow the Houthis' declaration in July 2026 of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, under which they have vowed to target Saudi shipping. The incident adds another flashpoint to a region already on edge over the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz and fears of wider energy-supply disruption.
UN warns of deepening Sudan crisis as RSF encircles El Obeid
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned on August 10, 2026 that ongoing fighting, mass displacement and severe funding shortfalls continue to deepen humanitarian needs across Sudan. Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have encircled El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, raising fears of a full-scale assault as civilians flee into the city seeking safety, while repeated drone strikes have hit power, fuel and water infrastructure as well as displacement sites in and around it. In West Darfur, fighting has displaced roughly 18,000 people from more than 20 villages in the past week alone, with many crossing the border into Chad. Sudan's $3 billion humanitarian appeal for 2026 remains only about 40% funded, forcing the closure of health facilities in Central Darfur that has cut off an estimated 75,000 displaced people from care. The World Food Programme says 24.6 million people in Sudan face acute hunger, with 2 million at risk of famine, as the war approaches its third year.
Read more →UN warns of deepening Sudan crisis as RSF encircles El Obeid
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned on August 10, 2026 that ongoing fighting, mass displacement and severe funding shortfalls continue to deepen humanitarian needs across Sudan. Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have encircled El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, raising fears of a full-scale assault as civilians flee into the city seeking safety, while repeated drone strikes have hit power, fuel and water infrastructure as well as displacement sites in and around it. In West Darfur, fighting has displaced roughly 18,000 people from more than 20 villages in the past week alone, with many crossing the border into Chad. Sudan's $3 billion humanitarian appeal for 2026 remains only about 40% funded, forcing the closure of health facilities in Central Darfur that has cut off an estimated 75,000 displaced people from care. The World Food Programme says 24.6 million people in Sudan face acute hunger, with 2 million at risk of famine, as the war approaches its third year.
US House introduces sweeping bipartisan Russia and Iran sanctions bill
A bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers led by Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland introduced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on August 10, alongside 16 co-sponsors from both parties. Named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation mirrors a Senate version that passed 86-11 and would target Russian banks, energy revenues, oligarchs and the Kremlin-linked "shadow fleet" of tankers evading sanctions, as well as penalize foreign governments and firms that help sustain Moscow's war in Ukraine. It would also extend existing sanctions on Iran's energy and weapons sectors through 2031. Backers said the bill is intended to cut off the revenue streams funding Russia's war effort and increase pressure aimed at bringing the conflict to an end. The push comes as a separate bipartisan Senate effort on Russia sanctions has been building for more than a year, reflecting continued congressional frustration with the stalled state of Ukraine peace efforts.
Read more →US House introduces sweeping bipartisan Russia and Iran sanctions bill
A bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers led by Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland introduced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on August 10, alongside 16 co-sponsors from both parties. Named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation mirrors a Senate version that passed 86-11 and would target Russian banks, energy revenues, oligarchs and the Kremlin-linked "shadow fleet" of tankers evading sanctions, as well as penalize foreign governments and firms that help sustain Moscow's war in Ukraine. It would also extend existing sanctions on Iran's energy and weapons sectors through 2031. Backers said the bill is intended to cut off the revenue streams funding Russia's war effort and increase pressure aimed at bringing the conflict to an end. The push comes as a separate bipartisan Senate effort on Russia sanctions has been building for more than a year, reflecting continued congressional frustration with the stalled state of Ukraine peace efforts.