User:RiiffTower
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Statements
Attention!
- From time to time, I leave and return to Wikipedia. You may not be able to contact me on the talk pages during my absence.
- English is not my native language, so sometimes mistakes may appear in my texts. I try to correct them, but I may not translate the text correctly. In any case, I'm not going to act like that teenager on the Scots Wikipedia.
- If you do not agree with my assessments of the articles, you can safely edit them. I just want to rid Wikipedia of unassessments articles a little bit, but I might make a little mistake in my assessments.
- This page has not been completed yet, so sometimes it may not look like it really is intended.
About me
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Hi, my nickname on Wikipedia is Riiff. That's how you can address me. Nice to meet you!
I am a multilingual user and editor of Wikipedia, but my preferred language is my native Russian. In addition to Russian, I know Ukrainian at a high level, Toki Pona, English and Interslavic at an intermediate level, and Kazakh and Esperanto at a basic level. I also plan to learn Lojban.
I've been editing Wikipedia since 2018, but I've been editing it with huge interruptions. During this time, I managed to change a lot of Wikipedia accounts. (No, I'm not a sockpuppeteer!) I lost the password to most of them, and some were abandoned for various reasons. However, each account had no more than a couple or a couple dozen edits, which is not much.
I have several diverse hobbies: studying, reading, and learning foreign languages. Previously, I programmed in Python and also used to write... Well, as you might have noticed, yes, I'm also a Wikipedian.
I'm interested in geography and history, politics and political science, micronations and conlangs, card games and YouTube, as well as mythology and holidays.
Now at Wikipedia, I plan to focus on editing Vital articles and Outlines, but there are other things in the plans.
I edit Wikipedia because I think it is extremely useful and helps many people, and with its help I consider myself in demand and understand that this way I will leave my mark on the world.
Selected articles
The articles I edited
Putin's Detachments address Philipp Kirkorov on March 7, 2023
Putin's Detachments (Russian: Отряды Путина) is a Russian unregistered social movement created by businessman and founder of the Social Justice charitable Fund Marat Dinaev. It is based in Krasnodar and consists mainly of retired grandmothers.
Putin's Detachments proclaim their goal to support Russian President Vladimir Putin and fight the opposition. The movement is best known for its storming of the headquarters of opposition politician Alexei Navalny and the Yabloko party branch. Putin's detachments are also known for their angry appeals to US presidents and burning national flags, dancing to the song "Taet led", the "magic" recipe for COVID-19 and other actions.
Despite its pro-government position, the organization was once almost liquidated at the request of the Russian Ministry of Justice. (Full article...)
Andrey Leonidovich Kostin (Russian: Андрей Леонидович Костин; born September 21, 1956) is a Russian businessman who is chairman of the United Shipbuilding Corporation's Board of Directors since August 25, 2023. President and Chairman of the Board of VTB since June 10, 2002 (Full article...)
Agalychnis is a genus of tree frogs native to forests in Mexico, Central America and northwestern South America. The genus consists of 14 species within the family Phyllomedusidae. (Full article...)
Vitaly Ivanovich Nalivkin (Russian: Виталий Иванович Наливкин) is a fictional character in a satirical sketch show. According to the plots of the videos, he is the chairman of the executive committee of the Ussuriysky district.
The role of Nalivkin was played by amateur actor Andrey Alexandrovich Neretin (31 December 1975, Kansk — 5 October 2024, Ussuriysk).
The author of the YouTube channel was Andrey Gennadievich Klochkov. He was both a director, producer and screenwriter. The co-producer was Semyon Vavilov. (Full article...)
Mikhail Albertovich Murashko (Russian: Михаил Альбертович Мурашко; born 9 January 1967) is a Russian gynecologist and statesman, serving as Russia's Minister of Health since 21 January 2020. (Full article...)- Adi ibn Zayd al-Ibadi al-Tamimi (Arabic: عَدِيُّ بْنُ زَيْدٍ العِبَادِيُّ التَمِيمِيُ, romanized: ʿAdī ibn Zayd al-ʿIbādī al-Tamīmī; c. 550-600) was a 6th-century Arab Christian poet from an Ibadi family of al-Hirah. (Full article...)
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (born 24 October 1966) is a Russian business oligarch and politician. He is the former owner of Chelsea, a Premier League football club in London. He has Russian, Portuguese and Israeli citizenship.
Abramovich was Governor of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug from 2000 to 2008.
Abramovich, including his family and affiliated related trusts, is the 371st richest person in the world with a net worth of $9.3 billion according to Forbes and the 444th richest person in the world with a net worth of $8.56 billion according to Bloomberg L.P. He is the fifth-richest person with Israeli citizenship.
Abramovich enriched himself in the loans for shares scheme by Boris Yeltsin following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, acquiring a stake in Sibneft in partnership with Boris Berezovsky for approximately $100 million in 1995, well below market value. In 2005, he sold the stake to the Russian government under Vladimir Putin for $13 billion. Like all Russian oligarchs, Abramovich is considered to have a good relationship with Putin. As a result of these alleged relations, he has been subject to sanctions following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich allegedly now spends most of his time in Turkey. Abramovich's assets are held in a web of companies; much of his assets are based in Jersey. (Full article...)- Navalny 35 (also known as the Navalny's List) are a group of Russian human rights abusers, kleptocrats, and corruptioners involved in poisoning and imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The initial list, compiled by Navalny's team, contained 35 individuals. (Full article...)
Dmitry Nikolayevich Patrushev (Russian: Дмитрий Николаевич Патрушев; born 13 October 1977) is a Russian banker and politician serving as the deputy prime minister for agriculture since May 2024. He previously served as Minister of Agriculture of Russia from 2018 to 2024.
Dmitry Patrushev is the son of Nikolai Patrushev, former director of FSB and secretary of the Russian Security Council. Nikolai Patrushev is a trusted member of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's inner circle. The two have known each other since the 1970s.
At the age of 32, Patrushev was made chairman of the fourth-largest bank in Russia, the Russian Agricultural Bank. (Full article...)
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Articles about things that I'm very familiar with
- Minecraft is a sandbox video game developed and published by the Swedish company Mojang Studios. Following its initial public alpha release as an early access title in 2009, it was formally released in November 2011 for personal computers. The game has since been ported to numerous platforms, including mobile devices and various video game consoles.
In Minecraft, players explore a procedurally generated world with virtually infinite terrain made up of three-dimensional blocks represented as voxels. They can discover and extract raw materials, craft tools and items, build structures, fight hostile mobs, and cooperate with or compete against other players in multiplayer. In addition, the game's large community offers a wide variety of user-generated content, such as modifications, servers, player skins, texture packs, and custom maps, which add new game mechanics and possibilities.
Originally created by Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java programming language, Jens "Jeb" Bergensten was handed control over the game's development following its full release. In November 2014, Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property were purchased by Microsoft for US$2.5 billion; Xbox Game Studios hold the publishing rights for the Bedrock Edition, the unified cross-platform version which evolved from the Pocket Edition codebase and replaced the legacy console versions. Bedrock is updated concurrently with Mojang's original Java Edition, although with numerous, generally small, differences.
Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time with over 400 million copies sold. It has received critical acclaim, winning several awards and being cited as one of the best video games ever made. Social media, parodies, adaptations, merchandise, and the annual Minecon conventions have played prominent roles in popularizing it. The wider Minecraft franchise includes several spin-off games, such as Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Legends. A film adaptation, titled A Minecraft Movie, was released in 2025 and is the third highest-grossing video game film of all time. (Full article...) - 2b2t (2builders2tools) is a Minecraft server founded in December 2010. It is the oldest and most infamous "anarchy server" in the game. The server has almost no rules, and players commonly engage in griefing, the deliberate destruction or alteration of other players' creations, as well as hacking through modified software to gain an advantage. 2b2t is among few Minecraft servers of any kind established in 2010 that remain active.
The server is permanently set to hard difficulty and player versus player combat is enabled. It has seen over 1,000,000 players explore its procedurally generated map over approximately 16 years, increasing its file size to over 100 terabytes. 2b2t has been described in news media as the worst Minecraft server due to its toxic playerbase and culture. In 2025, the server's rules were updated on Mojang Studios' request, banning "harmful ideas, hateful symbols, or hateful speech". Since then, a wordfilter was introduced to chat messages as well as on in-game signs. (Full article...) 
An example of Poland portrayed as a "countryball". The inversion of the Polish flag is intentional.
Polandball, also known as Countryballs, is an internet meme, genre of geopolitical satire, and art style. They are primarily used in webcomics and videos in which countries and other political entities are personified as anthropomorphic balls bearing the design of their national flag—these figures are generally referred to as "countryballs". Polandball comics usually feature plots that satirize international relations, historical events, and stereotypes associated with featured countries, and are primarily created with widely available graphic art software such as Microsoft Paint, though comics created with more advanced software are often intentionally made to look crudely drawn.
The name "Polandball" is derived from the comics' origin as a means to troll a Polish user on the image board Krautchan named Wojak, who often spoke in broken English. Notably, in the early comics, Poland was drawn with an inverted Polish flag (resembling the flag of Indonesia or Monaco), which is now considered a defining feature of the genre.
After the initial strips that were focused on Wojak, other users on the board began to create their own comics featuring other countryballs and exploring real-world geopolitical relationships and history. The Polandball meme then spread to other parts of the internet, spawning large communities on social media sites like Facebook and Reddit, while "Countryballs" videos have grown and continue to be popular on YouTube. (Full article...)
YouTube is an American online video-sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen who were all former employees at PayPal. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, it is the second-most-visited website in the world, after Google itself. In January 2024, YouTube had reached more than 2.7 billion monthly active users, who collectively watched more than one billion hours of video every day. As of May 2019[update], videos were being uploaded to the platform at a rate of more than 500 hours of video per minute, and as of mid-2024[update], there were approximately 14.8 billion videos in total.
On November 13, 2006, YouTube was purchased by Google for 1.65 billion USD (equivalent to $2.44 billion in 2025). Google expanded YouTube's business model from generating revenue through advertisements alone to paid offerings such as movies and exclusive programming explicitly produced for YouTube. It also offers YouTube Premium, a paid subscription option for watching videos without ads. YouTube incorporated the Google AdSense program, generating more revenue for both YouTube and approved users. In 2023, YouTube's advertising revenue totaled $31.7 billion, a 2% increase from the $31.1 billion reported in 2022. From Q4 2023 to Q3 2024, YouTube's combined revenue from advertising and subscriptions exceeded $50 billion.
Since its purchase by Google, YouTube has expanded beyond the core website, creating mobile apps, network television, games, and the ability to link with other platforms. Video categories on YouTube include music videos, video clips, news, short and feature films, songs, documentaries, movie trailers, teasers, TV spots, live streams, vlogs, and more. Most submissions are generated by individuals, including collaborations between YouTubers and corporate sponsors. Established media, news, and entertainment corporations have also created and expanded their visibility on YouTube channels to reach bigger audiences.
YouTube has had unprecedented social impact, influencing popular culture, internet trends, and creating multimillionaire celebrities. Despite its growth and success, the platform has been criticized for its facilitation of the spread of misinformation and copyrighted material, routinely violating its users' privacy, excessive censorship, endangering the safety of children and their well-being, and for its inconsistent implementation of platform guidelines. (Full article...)
The Backrooms is a fictional location invented in a 2019 thread on the imageboard website 4chan. The Backrooms are usually portrayed as an impossibly large extradimensional complex of empty rooms, accessed by exiting reality. They are one of the best-known examples of the liminal space aesthetic and the creepypasta genre.
The concept began with an anonymous interpretation of a photo showing a large, empty room with an uncomfortable yellow atmosphere. The photo was taken in 2002 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at a former furniture store while the new tenant was renovating the site, and had been posted on the store's blog. The photo's origin had been widely unknown until it was discovered in 2024.
Internet writers have expanded on the concept, introducing "levels" of interconnected backrooms with different themes and hostile "entities" which roam these spaces. Fans have adapted both the classical and expanded settings into video games and short films. In early 2022, American YouTuber Kane Parsons published a Backrooms short film on YouTube, which ultimately grew into a 24-episode web series. These viral videos have been credited with igniting a surge in Backrooms content and taking the concept into the mainstream. Parsons directed a film adaptation of his series produced by A24, which was released in May 2026. (Full article...)- MikuMikuDance (commonly abbreviated to MMD) is a freeware animation program that allows users to create animated and still renders, originally produced for the Japanese Vocaloid Hatsune Miku, the first member of the Character Vocal series created by Crypton Future Media. The program was developed by Yu Higuchi (HiguchiM) and has gone through significant upgrades since its initial creation. Its production was made as part of the VOCALOID Promotion Video Project (VPVP). (Full article...)
The SCP Foundation is a fictional secret organization and the premise of the SCP Wiki, a wiki-based collaborative fiction project launched in 2008. Within the project's shared world, the SCP (Special Containment Procedures) Foundation is responsible for capturing, containing, and studying paranormal, supernatural, and other mysterious phenomena (known as "anomalies" or "SCPs"), while also keeping their existence hidden from society.
The collaborative writing project includes elements of horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy. The majority of works on the SCP Wiki are "SCP files": mock confidential scientific reports that document various SCPs and associated containment procedures; the website also contains "Foundation Tales", short stories featuring various characters and settings in the SCP universe.
The site's literary works have been praised for their ability to convey horror through a quasi-scientific and academic writing style, as well as for their high standards of quality. The SCP universe has inspired adaptations in various media, including literature, short films, and video games. (Full article...)
Obsidian is a proprietary personal knowledge base and note-taking application that operates on Markdown files. The software is free for personal and commercial use; only the offered cloud services, optional commercial licenses, and early access versions are paid. It is available as desktop versions for macOS, Windows and Linux as well as for mobile operating systems such as iOS and Android, but not as a web application. (Full article...)
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Favorite articles from the English Wikipedia
Toki Pona (/ˈtoʊ.ki ˈpoʊ.nə/; toki pona, pronounced [ˈtoki ˈpona] ⓘ, lit. 'the language of good') is a philosophical and artistic constructed language designed for its small vocabulary, simplicity, and ease of acquisition. It was created by Canadian translator and polyglot Sonja Lang with the stated purpose of simplifying her thoughts and communication. The first drafts were published online in 2001, while the complete form was published in the 2014 book Toki Pona: The Language of Good (referred to as lipu pu in Toki Pona). Lang also released the Toki Pona Dictionary (lipu ku), in July 2021, describing the language as used by its community of speakers. In 2024, a third book was released, a Toki Pona adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written in Sitelen Pona.
Toki Pona is an isolating language with only 14 phonemes and an underlying feature of minimalism. It focuses on simple, near-universal concepts to maximize expression from very few words. In Toki Pona: The Language of Good, Lang presents around 120 words, while the later Toki Pona Dictionary lists 137 "essential" words and a small number of less-used ones. Its words are easy to pronounce across language backgrounds, which allows it to serve as a bridge for people of different cultures. However, it was not created as an international auxiliary language. Partly inspired by Taoist philosophy, the language is designed to help users concentrate on basic things and to promote positive thinking, in accordance with the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. Despite the small vocabulary, speakers can understand and communicate, mainly relying on context, combinations of words, and expository sentences to express more specific meanings.
After its initial creation, a small community of speakers developed in the early 2000s. While activity mainly takes place online in chat rooms, on social media, and in other online groups, there have been a few organized in-person meetups. (Full article...)
Collage of images representing different academic disciplines
The following outline provides an overview of and topical guide to academic disciplines. In each case, an entry at the highest level of the hierarchy (e.g., Humanities) is a group of broadly similar disciplines; an entry at the next highest level (e.g., Music) is a discipline having some degree of autonomy and being the fundamental identity felt by its scholars. Lower levels of the hierarchy are sub-disciplines that do generally not have any role in the title of the university's governance. The proper criteria for organizing knowledge into disciplines is open to debate. (Full article...)
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Popular articles
Top 25 popular vital articles
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Koine Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Θεά Φιλοπάτωρ, lit. 'Cleopatra father-loving goddess'; 70/69 BC – 10 or 12 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. Her first language was Koine Greek, and she is the only Ptolemaic ruler known to have learned the Egyptian language, among several others. After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the Hellenistic period in the Mediterranean, which had begun during the reign of Alexander (336–323 BC). (Full article...)
YouTube is an American online video-sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen who were all former employees at PayPal. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, it is the second-most-visited website in the world, after Google itself. In January 2024, YouTube had reached more than 2.7 billion monthly active users, who collectively watched more than one billion hours of video every day. As of May 2019[update], videos were being uploaded to the platform at a rate of more than 500 hours of video per minute, and as of mid-2024[update], there were approximately 14.8 billion videos in total. (Full article...)
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The United States also asserts sovereignty over five major island territories and various uninhabited islands in Oceania and the Caribbean. It is a megadiverse country, with the world's fourth-largest land area and third-largest population, exceeding 341 million. (Full article...)
Google LLC (/ˈɡuː.ɡəl/ ⓘ, GOO-gəl) is an American multinational technology corporation focused on information technology, online advertising, search engine technology, email, cloud computing, software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial intelligence (AI). It has been referred to as "the most powerful company in the world" by the BBC, and is one of the world's most valuable brands. Google's parent company Alphabet Inc. has been described as a Big Tech company. (Full article...)
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's seventh-largest country by area and the largest by population. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is near Sri Lanka and the Maldives. (Full article...)
Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum theory. His mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, which arises from special relativity, has been called "the world's most famous equation". He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for "his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". (Full article...)
World War II, or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945), was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many engaging in total war on an unprecedented scale. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the deaths of 60 to 75 million people, a majority of whom were civilians. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes. (Full article...)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a population of over 69 million in 2024. The UK includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and most of the smaller islands within the British Isles, covering 94,354 square miles (244,376 km2). It shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea, while maintaining sovereignty over the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. The capital and largest city of England and the UK is London; Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are the national capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively. (Full article...)
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Often referred to as the "'King of Rock and Roll or simply "The King"'", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. Presley's energetic and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a mixture of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, brought both great success and initial controversy. (Full article...)
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American former politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American to serve as president. Obama represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 2005 to 2008 and served as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004. (Full article...)
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including deserts in the interior and tropical rainforests along the coast. (Full article...)
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is divided into 33 province-level divisions, including two special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital, while Shanghai is the most populous city by urban area. Its geography features the Central Plain, major rivers such as the Yangtze and Yellow River, deserts, subtropical and temperate forests, plateaus, and mountain ranges such as the Himalayas. It is the world's second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion (17% of the world's population), across an area of 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), making it the third-largest country by area. (Full article...)
World War I, or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, World War I resulted in an estimated 15 to 22 million deaths, including those in war crimes and genocides. The war also helped spread the Spanish flu pandemic. The conflict saw important developments in weaponry, including the first large-scale use of machine guns, artillery, aircraft, chemical weapons, and tanks. (Full article...)
Edward Teller (Hungarian: Teller Ede; 15 January 1908 – 9 September 2003) was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist and chemical engineer who is known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb" and one of the creators of the Teller–Ulam design inspired by Stanisław Ulam. (Full article...)- Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of research in engineering, mathematics, and computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximise their chances of achieving defined goals. (Full article...)
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world, spanning eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries. With a population of over 140 million, Russia is the most populous country in Europe and the ninth-most populous in the world. It is a highly urbanised country, with sixteen of its urban areas having more than 1 million inhabitants. Moscow, the most populous metropolitan area in Europe, is the capital and largest city of Russia, while Saint Petersburg is its second-largest city and a major cultural centre. (Full article...)
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered to the west by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk in the north, and the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands alongside over 14,000 smaller islands. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions, and around 75% of its terrain is mountainous and heavily forested, concentrating its agriculture and highly urbanized population along its eastern coastal plains. With a population of almost 123 million as of 2026, it is the world's 11th most populous country. Tokyo is the country's capital and largest city. (Full article...)
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island—each being coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area. New York is a global center of finance and commerce, culture, technology, entertainment and media, academics and scientific output, the arts and fashion, and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations, international diplomacy. New York City is known for its fast pace and continuous urban energy. (Full article...)
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was Emperor of the French from 18 May 1804 until his first abdication in 1814, with a brief restoration during the Hundred Days in 1815. He rose to prominence as a general during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across Europe and the Middle East during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. As a statesman, he implemented numerous legal and administrative reforms in France and Europe. (Full article...)
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (/ˈɡɑːndi, ˈɡændi/ GA(H)N-dee; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule, and to later inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā (Sanskrit: "great-souled", "venerable"), first applied to him in 1914 in South Africa, is now used throughout the world. (Full article...)
The cat (Felis catus), also called domestic cat and house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is a member of Felidae, the family of mammals in the order Carnivora also colloquially referred to as cats. It is an obligate carnivore, requiring a predominantly meat-based diet. Its retractable claws are adapted to killing small prey species such as mice and rats. It has a strong, flexible body, quick reflexes, and sharp teeth, and its night vision and sense of smell are well developed. It is a social species, but a solitary hunter and a crepuscular predator.
Cat communication includes meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, grunting, body language, and scent marking. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by small mammals. It secretes and perceives pheromones. Cat intelligence is evident in its ability to adapt, learn through observation, and solve problems. The domestic cat is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. (Full article...)
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman, former professional basketball player, and former baseball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan is regarded as one of the most influential sports figures in history and is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time; he was integral in popularizing the sport and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. (Full article...)- The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a network of networks that comprises private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope, linked by electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast range of information services and resources, such as the interlinked hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web (WWW), electronic mail, discussion groups, internet telephony, streaming media and file sharing. (Full article...)
The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from its formation in 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. It was the world's third-most populous country, the largest by area, and bordered twelve other countries. A diverse multinational state, it was organized as a federal union of national republics, with the largest and most populous being the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR). The world's flagship communist state, it was governed by the Communist Party under Marxism–Leninism, through soviet councils. The Soviet economy was also centrally planned. Its capital and largest city was Moscow. (Full article...)
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Western and Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north with the Alps to the south. Its 16 constituent states have a total population of over 83 million, making it the most populous member state of the European Union (EU). Germany borders Denmark to the north; Poland and the Czech Republic to the east; Austria and Switzerland to the south; and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its main financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr. (Full article...)
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Top 25 popular articles on geography
- This is a list of countries and dependencies by population. It includes sovereign states, inhabited dependent territories and, in some cases, constituent countries of sovereign states, with inclusion within the list being primarily based on the ISO standard ISO 3166-1. For instance, the United Kingdom is considered a single entity, while the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are considered separately. In addition, this list includes certain states with limited recognition not found in ISO 3166-1. Also given in a percentage is each country's population compared with the world population, which the United Nations estimated at 8.232 billion as of 2025. (Full article...)
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and various islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It comprises an area of 912,050 km2 (352,140 sq mi), with a population estimated at 31.8 million in 2025. The capital and largest urban agglomeration is Caracas. The continental territory is bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Colombia, on the south by Brazil, on the east by Guyana, and on the northeast by Trinidad and Tobago. Venezuela consists of 23 states, the Capital District, and the Federal Dependencies covering Venezuela's offshore islands. Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America, with an estimated urbanization rate of 88.4% in 2022. The vast majority of Venezuelans live in urban areas in the north, including in the capital. (Full article...)
Dymaxion map of the world with the 30 largest countries and territories by area
This is a list of the world's countries and their dependencies, ranked by total area, including land and water. (Full article...)
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. England shares a land border with Scotland to the north and another land border with Wales to the west, and is surrounded by the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south, the Celtic Sea to the south-west, and the Irish Sea to the west. Continental Europe lies to the south-east, and Ireland to the west. The population was 56,490,048 according to the 2021 census, with nine million inhabitants in its largest city, London. (Full article...)
A map of the United States showing its 50 states, federal district and five inhabited territories. Alaska, Hawaii, and the territories are shown at different scales. The Aleutian Islands and the uninhabited northwestern Hawaiian Islands are omitted from the map.
The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States). The U.S. also possesses five major territories and nine minor islands. Both the states and the United States as a whole are each sovereign jurisdictions. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution allows states to exercise all powers of government not delegated to the federal government. Each state has its own constitution and government. All states and their residents are represented in the federal Congress, a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state elects two senators, while representatives are distributed among the states in proportion to the most recent constitutionally mandated decennial census. (Full article...)
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Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. This is made possible by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all of Earth's water is contained in its ocean, which covers 70.8% of Earth's crust. The remaining 29.2% of Earth's crust is land, which is predominantly located within Earth's land hemisphere in the form of continental landmasses. Most of Earth's land is at least somewhat humid and covered by vegetation, while large ice sheets at Earth's polar deserts retain more water than Earth's groundwater, lakes, rivers, and atmospheric water combined. Earth's crust consists of slowly moving tectonic plates, which interact to produce mountain ranges, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Earth has a liquid outer core that generates a magnetosphere capable of deflecting most of the destructive solar winds and cosmic radiation. (Full article...)- The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, their metropolitan regions, or the extent of their urban area. A complicating factor is that many large cities in the world have not only homeless or the unhoused, but also vast slum communities. This leads to official census data being less accurate in representing the actual number of residents in a given area. (Full article...)
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.4 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has been the site of the national government and parliament for centuries. London grew rapidly in the 19th century, becoming the world's largest city at the time. Since the 19th century the name "London" has referred to the metropolis around the City of London, historically split among the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. Since 1965 it has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority. (Full article...)
Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington, is the federal capital city of the United States, and its only federal district. (Full article...)
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Situated on China's southern coast just south of Shenzhen, it consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. With 7.5 million residents in a 1,114-square-kilometre (430 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world. (Full article...)
North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. (Full article...)- Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z and informally known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years, with the generation typically being defined as people born from 1997 to 2012. Most members of Generation Z are the children of younger Baby Boomers, Generation X and older Millennials, and it is predicted that many will be the parents of members of younger Generation Alpha and Generation Beta. (Full article...)
Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico, as well as the most populous city in North America. It is one of the world's leading cultural and financial centers and, according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network's 2024 ranking, is classified as an Alpha world city. Located in the Valley of Mexico on the high Mexican Central Plateau, the city sits at an altitude of 2,240 meters (7,350 feet). It is divided into 16 boroughs, or alcaldías, which are further subdivided into neighborhoods, or colonias. (Full article...)- Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east. Europe shares the landmass of Eurasia with Asia, and of Afro-Eurasia with both Africa and Asia. Europe is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea, and the Turkish straits. (Full article...)
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 7 miles (11 km) west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,022, an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 2010 census count of 8,913, which in turn reflected an increase of 197 (+2.3%) from the 8,716 counted in the 2000 census. (Full article...)
The Strait of Hormuz (/hɔːrˈmuːz/) is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of Oman, with a portion of the southwest of the peninsula under the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The strait is about 104 miles (90 nmi; 167 km) long, with a width varying from about 60 mi (52 nmi; 97 km) to 24 mi (21 nmi; 39 km). (Full article...)
Puerto Rico (abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a self-governing Caribbean archipelago and island organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States under the designation of commonwealth. Located about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida, between the Dominican Republic in the Greater Antilles and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Lesser Antilles, it consists of the eponymous main island and numerous smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. With approximately 3.2 million people, it is divided into 78 municipalities, of which the most populous is the capital municipality of San Juan, followed by those within the San Juan metropolitan area. Spanish and English are the official languages of the government, though Spanish predominates. (Full article...)- Generation X, often shortened to Gen X, is the demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding millennials. Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the late 1970s to early 1980s as its ending birth years, with the generation generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980. By this definition and U.S. census data, there are 65.2 million Gen Xers in the United States as of 2019. Most Gen Xers are the children of the Silent Generation and older baby boomers, and many are the parents of millennials, Generation Z and older Generation Alpha. (Full article...)
Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application developed by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets (Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bike, and public transportation. As of 2020[update], Google Maps was being used by over one billion people every month around the world. (Full article...)
Animated, colour-coded map showing four to seven continents – depending on the convention and model, some continents may be consolidated or subdivided.
A continent is any of several large terrestrial geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a landmass and nearby islands either on or beyond its continental shelf, or a part of a larger landmass, as in the case of Asia and Europe within Eurasia. Due to these varying definitions, the number of continents varies, up to seven or as few as four. Most English-speaking countries recognize seven continents. In order from largest to smallest in area, these seven are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia (or Oceania or Australasia). Different variations with fewer continents merge some of these regions; examples of this are merging Asia and Europe into Eurasia, North America and South America into the Americas (or simply America), and Africa, Asia, and Europe into Afro-Eurasia. (Full article...)
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. In a broader sense, climate change also includes previous long-term changes to Earth's climate. The modern-day rise in global temperatures is driven by human activities, especially fossil fuel (coal, oil and natural gas) burning since the Industrial Revolution. Fossil fuel use, deforestation, and some agricultural and industrial practices release greenhouse gases. These gases absorb some of the heat that the Earth radiates after it warms from sunlight, warming the lower atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere now has roughly 50% more carbon dioxide, the main gas driving global warming, than it did at the end of the pre-industrial era, reaching levels not seen for millions of years. (Full article...)- Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years, with the generation typically being defined as people born from 1981 to 1996. Most millennials are the children of baby boomers and older Gen Xers, and are often the parents of younger Generation Z and Generation Alpha. (Full article...)
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country in the Caribbean. It comprises the eponymous main island as well as 4,195 islands, islets, and cays. Situated at the convergence of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean, Cuba is located east of the Yucatán Peninsula, south of both Florida and the Bahamas, west of Hispaniola, and north of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean by area and the third-largest by population, after Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Culturally, Cuba is considered to be part of Latin America. Its capital and largest city is Havana. (Full article...)- Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers around 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With nearly 1.4 billion of the world's human population, Africa's population is the youngest among all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4. Based on 2024 projections, Africa's population will exceed 3.8 billion people by 2100. Africa is the least wealthy inhabited continent per capita and second-least wealthy by total wealth, ahead of Oceania. Scholars have attributed this to various factors including geography, climate, corruption, colonialism, the Cold War, and neocolonialism. Despite this low concentration of wealth, the African economy is home to many of the world's fastest-growing economies. (Full article...)
Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of Germany, being the third-smallest state in the country by area. Berlin is surrounded by the state of Brandenburg, bordering Brandenburg's capital Potsdam to the southwest. The urban area of Berlin has a population of over 5 million, making it the most populous in Germany. The Berlin-Brandenburg capital region has around 6 million inhabitants and is Germany's second-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr region, as well as the fifth-biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union. (Full article...)
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In the news
Earthquake damage in East Manggarai, Indonesia
- A magnitude-7.7 earthquake (damage pictured) strikes off the coast of Flores, Indonesia, causing at least 70 deaths.
- Former premier of China Zhu Rongji dies at the age of 97.
- A solar eclipse causes totality from Siberia to Iberia.
- A ferry capsizes on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, leaving at least 94 people dead.
Nuclear threats
- 18 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant crisis
- A drone strike hits a bus stop near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, killing one plant worker and injuring several others. (Reuters)
- 13 August 2026 – 2026 European heatwaves
- Romania begins shutting down the second reactor at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, the country's only nuclear power plant, after a drought lowered the Danube river below the level required for cooling, leaving both reactors offline. The government says alternative sources and imports will cover electricity demand. (AP)
Viruses
No recent news
United Nations
- 17 August 2026 – 2026 Ebola epidemic
- The United Nations reports that at least 2,325 people have died from the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it the deadliest in the country's history. (DW)
NATO
- 16 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Violations of non-combatant airspace during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia–NATO relations
- 13 August 2026 – Russian spies in the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says authorities, working with U.S. services, foiled an alleged Russian plot to kill a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw and arrest a suspect accused of acting for Russian intelligence. Tusk says it is the first such Russian-directed plot in another NATO country. (CBS News)
China
- 14 August 2026 –
- Heavy rainfall persists in Eastern China due to the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin, resulting in flooding in Zhejiang province, China, killing atleast one. (Reuters)
Israel
- 15 August 2026 – Hezbollah–Israel conflict
- 2026 Lebanon war
- Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon kill eleven people, including three children. (Sky News)
- The Israel Defense Forces says that they have killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a Hezbollah commander in the Radwan Force, during a airstrike in Ansar. (The Times of Israel)
- 14 August 2026 – Gaza war
- The Israel Defense Forces announce that Al-Qassam Brigades commander Muhammad Bassam Mushtaha, who was accused of taking hostages during and after the Hamas–led attacks against Israel on October 7, was killed in a recent airstrike last month in northern Gaza. (The Times of Israel)
- 13 August 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis
- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet says that they have killed Hamas commander and Gaza District Police chief Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamil in a airstrike in Gaza City. Additionally, the IDF also kills a Hamas company commander in a separate strike in Khan Yunis. (The Jerusalem Post) (Israel National News)
Afghanistan
- 17 August 2026 – Terrorism in Afghanistan
- A explosion is reported at a school in the Dashte Barchi neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan, injuring several people. The perpetrator is unknown. (Al Jazeera)
India
- 18 August 2026 –
- At least eight people are killed and more than 20 others are injured after a vehicle rams into a truck in Madhya Pradesh, India. (Xinhua)
- 17 August 2026 –
- A crowd crush at the Ashokdham Temple in Bihar, India, kills at least seven people and injures 19 others. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
- Seven people are killed and several others are injured after a fire breaks out in a hotel in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India. (Xinhua)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 Indiana floods
- Authorities in Indiana, United States, report that six people have died in recent floods from storms. (Reuters)
- 15 August 2026 –
- Six people are killed and several others wounded after a container truck crashes into an auto rickshaw in Latehar district, Jharkhand, India. (ETV Bharat)
- 13 August 2026 –
- Seven people are killed after an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Chamoli District, India. (Xinhua)
Taiwan
No recent news
Kazakhstan
No recent news
Terrorism
- 17 August 2026 – Terrorism in Afghanistan
- A explosion is reported at a school in the Dashte Barchi neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan, injuring several people. The perpetrator is unknown. (Al Jazeera)
European Union
No recent news
United States
- 18 August 2026 –
- Singapore begins requiring major Internet messaging platforms to restrict unsolicited contacts and social media services to verify advertisers and block suspected scam advertisements under new anti-scam rules, with penalties of up to S$1 million (US$780,000) for non-compliance. (AFP via The Manila Times)
- 17 August 2026 – 2026 Pacific hurricane season
- A 90-year-old woman is confirmed dead in Nāʻālehu, Hawaii, United States, and over 100,000 people remain without power after Hurricane Lala struck the state. (AP) (The Guardian)
- 17 August 2026 –
- California's energy commission approves the United States's first energy-efficiency standards for replacement tires, aiming to reduce rolling resistance and lower driver fuel costs by 2029. However, manufacturers warn the strict limits could eliminate up to 70% of current replacement tire options by 2033. (The New York Times) (Fox Businesss)
- 17 August 2026 – South Korea–United States relations
- United States president Donald Trump orders the Department of Defense to substantially reduce the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and his relationship with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. The drills begin as scheduled. (AFP via The Straits Times)
- 17 August 2026 –
- The trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis for his alleged role in the murder of Tupac Shakur begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. (BBC News) (CNN)
- 17 August 2026 – Immigration policy of the second Trump administration
- United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner Rodney S. Scott pauses construction of a $1.7 billion border-security project in Big Bend National Park, Texas, while the CBP reviews the plan amid bipartisan local opposition and environmental concerns. (AFP via RFI)
- 16 August 2026 – 2026 IFAF Women's Flag Football World Championship, Canada at the 2028 Summer Olympics
- In flag football, Canada's women's team defeats the defending champion United States to win its third IFAF Flag Football World Championship title. Additionally, the men's football team qualifies for the upcoming Summer Olympics. (Global News)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 Indiana floods
- Authorities in Indiana, United States, report that six people have died in recent floods from storms. (Reuters)
- 14 August 2026 – 2026 political prisoner release in Venezuela
- Venezuela releases 131 detainees under alternative custody measures as part of a national reconciliation program following former president Nicolás Maduro's removal. Human rights group Foro Penal confirms that at least 45 of those freed are political prisoners. (AFP via RFI)
- 13 August 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 United States military buildup in the Middle East
- 13 August 2026 – 2026 Pacific hurricane season
- In the United States, Hawaii governor Josh Green declares a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Lala's expected landfall on the state over the weekend. (AFP via CNA)
- 13 August 2026 – Russian spies in the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says authorities, working with U.S. services, foiled an alleged Russian plot to kill a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw and arrest a suspect accused of acting for Russian intelligence. Tusk says it is the first such Russian-directed plot in another NATO country. (CBS News)
Russia
- 18 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia–United Kingdom relations
- British prime minister Andy Burnham confirms that the United Kingdom will continue to militarily support Ukraine after Russia warned the UK will face "consequences" for allowing Ukraine to use British-made drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. (BBC News)
- Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war
- A Russian ballistic missile strike kills ten civilians and injures eight others in Pechenihy, Kharkiv Oblast. Several homes are completely destroyed. (AP)
- 17 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- A Russian Banderol cruise missile explodes in Ștefan Vodă District, Moldova, after entering from Ukrainian airspace, triggering a wildfire in a corn field. Moldovan authorities condemn the strike as "a serious violation of Moldova’s sovereignty". (The New Voice of Ukraine)
- 17 August 2026 – Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia, Protests against the Russo-Ukrainian war
- A Russian court sentences Yabloko deputy chairperson Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in prison for discrediting the armed forces and spreading disinformation after he publicly condemned the Russo-Ukrainian war. (Reuters)
- 16 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Violations of non-combatant airspace during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia–NATO relations
- A Spanish F/A-18 Hornet jet shoots down a Russian drone in Romanian airspace. The drone was downed near Galați after entering from Moldova. (Politico)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Ukrainian forces launch 822 drones at Russia, including over 600 towards Moscow, killing at least seven people and injuring 39 others. A Wildberries warehouse is also destroyed. Russian officials say it is the largest Ukrainian drone attack launched this year. (BBC News)
- 13 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Russian military officer Robert Shagaev, who commanded the submarine Zaporizhzhia before defecting to Russia after its annexation of Crimea, is reported to have been killed by an explosive planted in a trash can in Sevastopol. (CNN) (Ynet)
- 13 August 2026 – Russian spies in the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says authorities, working with U.S. services, foiled an alleged Russian plot to kill a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw and arrest a suspect accused of acting for Russian intelligence. Tusk says it is the first such Russian-directed plot in another NATO country. (CBS News)
Ukraine
- 18 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- British prime minister Andy Burnham confirms that the United Kingdom will continue to militarily support Ukraine after Russia warned the UK will face "consequences" for allowing Ukraine to use British-made drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. (BBC News)
- 17 August 2026 – Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia, Protests against the Russo-Ukrainian war
- A Russian court sentences Yabloko deputy chairperson Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in prison for discrediting the armed forces and spreading disinformation after he publicly condemned the Russo-Ukrainian war. (Reuters)
- 16 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Ukrainian forces launch 822 drones at Russia, including over 600 towards Moscow, killing at least seven people and injuring 39 others. A Wildberries warehouse is also destroyed. Russian officials say it is the largest Ukrainian drone attack launched this year. (BBC News)
Iran
- 18 August 2026 – 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reports that a cargo vessel has come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one dead. (Al Jazeera)
- United Arab Emirates in the 2026 Iran war
- The United Arab Emirates's defence ministry detects two missiles fired from Iran towards the country, including one that fell outside territorial waters and another that fell within it. (Gulf News) (Khaleej Times) (Emirates 24/7)
- 17 August 2026 – France–Iran relations
- Iran says it barred two French embassy employees from returning for allegedly violating the Vienna Convention through activities supporting Iranian civil society. France says their work involved programs for civil society, students, and artists. (Reuters)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- 2026 Iran–Oman negotiations
- Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says that Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on a safe route for vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. (Iran International) (Saudi Gazette)
- The Emirates News Agency reports that a third Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel was attacked by Iran while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. No injuries were reported. (Reuters) (Al-Monitor)
- 13 August 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
- The United Arab Emirates says that two vessels linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of being behind the attacks. (Al Jazeera) (The New Region)
North Korea and South Korea
- 17 August 2026 –
- Torrential rainfall causes widespread flooding in Geoje-si, South Gyeongsang, South Korea, killing at least one. (BBC News) (The Guardian)
- 17 August 2026 – South Korea–United States relations
- United States president Donald Trump orders the Department of Defense to substantially reduce the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and his relationship with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. The drills begin as scheduled. (AFP via The Straits Times)
- 17 August 2026 –
- Former South Korean prime minister Kim Min-seok is elected as the new leader of the Democratic Party with 54.08% of the vote against its former leader Jung Chung-rae. (The Diplomat) (The Korea Herald)
Serbia and Kosovo
No recent news
Greenland
No recent news
Belarus
No recent news
Picture of the day
The Kid is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin, who stars alongside Jackie Coogan. Chaplin plays The Tramp, who finds an abandoned baby and raises him as his son. Five years later, the pair support themselves through a scheme in which the boy breaks windows and the Tramp repairs them. The film was Chaplin's first feature-length work as a director and made Coogan a major child star. A commercial and critical success, The Kid is considered one of the greatest films of the silent era. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011.
Film credit: Charlie ChaplinSelected quotation
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War. War never changes. |
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— Fallout |
On this day
August 19: Afghan Independence Day; Qixi Festival in China (2026)
The Luck of Cumberland
- 1759 – Seven Years' War: Having damaged several French vessels, British ships pursued the remainder of the fleet to Lagos, Portugal, and continued the battle there in violation of Portuguese neutrality.
- 1905 – In a ceremony officiated by Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey, The Luck of Cumberland (pictured) was presented to HMS Cumberland.
- 1950 – The 766th Independent Infantry Regiment of North Korea was disbanded after fighting for less than two months in the Korean War.
- 2002 – Second Chechen War: A Russian Mil Mi-26 was brought down by Chechen separatists with a man-portable air-defense system near Khankala, killing 127 people in the deadliest helicopter crash in history.
- 2017 – Around 250,000 farmed non-native Atlantic salmon were accidentally released into the wild near Cypress Island, Washington.
- Coco Chanel (b. 1883)
- Bill Clinton (b. 1946)
- Otto Frank (d. 1980)
- Levy Mwanawasa (d. 2008)
Did you know...
- ... that even if you read 100 articles every day, it would take you 198 years to read the entire current Wikipedia.
- ... that in China there is a delicacy that is boiled in the urine of boys?
- ... that a fictional deputy was arrested in Russia for exposing a fictional police lieutenant colonel?
- ... that occasionally a mother can have a stone baby?
- ... that Putin has detachments and not only military ones?
Wikiprojects
Wikiprojects that interest me now
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Vital articles
Improvement of articles to B class, translation of articles into foreign languages.
WikiProject Biography
Various politicians, as well as Russian and Ukrainian people.
WikiProject History
General history, Stone Age, World War II, modernity, history of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, as well as the assessment of articles.
WikiProject Maps
Templates for maps of large cities by country and region.
WikiProject Internet culture
Russian and Ukrainian memes and things similar to Countryballs, SCP, Backrooms, as well as the assessment of articles.
WikiProject YouTube
Russian-speaking youtubers and youtubers from post-Soviet countries, as well as the assessment of articles.
WikiProject Video games
Games that I know of and collectible card games, as well as the assessment of articles.
WikiProject Board and table games
MTG and other collectible card games, as well as the assessment of articles.
WikiProject Magic: The Gathering
Improvement of articles to B class.
WikiProject Pokémon
Improvement of articles to B class, as well as the assessment of articles.
WikiProject Constructed languages
Improvement of articles to B class, as well as the assessment of articles.
WikiProject Food and drink
East Slavic and Kazakh cuisine, as well as the assessment of articles.
Wikiprojects I might want to join in the future
Userboxes
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User:Rafaelthegreat/link
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This user believes that anyone who thinks Wikipedia is an unreliable source should continue their quest to find a better website. |
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| </ref> | This user finds primary sourcing paranoia disruptive and thinks secondary sourcing should mainly be used for establishing notability. |
| no ads | This user is against advertisements on Wikipedia. |
| This user believes that Wikipedia is the greatest website ever created. |
 | This user wishes editing Wikipedia were a job; that way they could procrastinate some other way! |
| EW0 | This user has not experienced any edit wars and does not wish to be involved in any. |
 | This user spends far too much time editing their user page. |
| This user thinks you can learn a lot by editing an encyclopedia. |
| This user enjoys the Picture of the Day. |
 | This user is a wikiarchaeologist and likes looking through page history for no particular reason.± |
.svg){kind=logo} | This user checks their statistics in XTools |
 | This user contributes to Wikipedia using the Laptop Computer |
 | This user listens to Hatnote to hear the beautiful sounds of new edits being made to Wikipedia! |
 | This user also has a page on the Russian Wikipedia. (visit) (contributions) |
 | This user also has a page on the Ukrainian Wikipedia. (visit) (contributions) |
 | This user also has a page on the Wikidata. (visit) (contributions) |
My views
 | This user is opposed to political censorship. |
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This user is against computer and video game censorship and regulation. |
 | This user respects copyright, but sometimes it can be a major pain. |
My knowledge and skills
| Com-2 | This user is at an intermediate comedic level. They can back slap with the best of them. |
 | This user knows how to create userboxes. |
My interests
| PUN | This user is a fan of puns. |
| T | This user is a fan of topical comedy and satire. |
| C | This user is a fan of character comedy. |
| I | This user is a fan of improvisational comedy. |
| fan-2 | This user is a big fan of the comedian Yury Tymoshenko. |
| fan-2 | This user is a big fan of the comedian Efim Berezin. |
| fan-2 | This user is a big fan of the character Tarapunka and Shtepsel. |
| fan-1 | This user is a fan of the comedian Yury Velykyy. |
Other
 | This user believes that it is destiny you saw their user page. |
 | This user's user page contains humorous content. [Humor][understatement] |
 | This user recognizes Sealand as a country. |
 | This user is an expert in Nothing Do not trust this user in any topic! |
 | This user absolutely detests small flies that attempt to enter ears. |
 | Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, If you understood that, Then you're a nerd too! |
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 | This user could make it to the last level in the Fear Test! Could you? |
 | "So many userboxen, so little space." |
| This user has way too many userboxes |
| ∞ (...) | This user has ∞ (...) userboxes, including this one. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too many. |
| ∞ | This user's ACTUAL userbox tower has infinity userboxes, so I cut it off here to not make you go crazy |
Wikipedia newsfeed
- 18 August 2026 – 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reports that a cargo vessel has come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one dead. (Al Jazeera)
- United Arab Emirates in the 2026 Iran war
- The United Arab Emirates's defence ministry detects two missiles fired from Iran towards the country, including one that fell outside territorial waters and another that fell within it. (Gulf News) (Khaleej Times) (Emirates 24/7)
- 18 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia–United Kingdom relations
- British prime minister Andy Burnham confirms that the United Kingdom will continue to militarily support Ukraine after Russia warned the UK will face "consequences" for allowing Ukraine to use British-made drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. (BBC News)
- Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war
- A Russian ballistic missile strike kills ten civilians and injures eight others in Pechenihy, Kharkiv Oblast. Several homes are completely destroyed. (AP)
- Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant crisis
- A drone strike hits a bus stop near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, killing one plant worker and injuring several others. (Reuters)
- 18 August 2026 – Sudanese civil war
- Blue Nile campaign
- The Sudanese Doctors Network reports that recent attacks in Geissan of Sudan's Blue Nile region has displaced over 5,000 people to Damazin. (Sudan Horizon)
- Darfur campaign
- The Rapid Support Forces launches a major crackdown in Nyala, South Darfur, its largest security and military mobilization since seizing the city in 2023. (Sudan Tribune)
- 18 August 2026 –
- At least eight people are killed and more than 20 others are injured after a vehicle rams into a truck in Madhya Pradesh, India. (Xinhua)
- Three people are killed after an explosion at a thermal power plant in Baniyas, Syria. (Xinhua)
- A second Mw 4.7 earthquake strikes the province of Granada, in Spain. Damage and injures are reported in Granada and the surrounding area, while the Alhambra is evacuated. (Expansión in Spanish)
- The UK Health Security Agency confirms that an outbreak of salmonella in the UK has left one person dead and hundreds more ill. The outbreak is believed to be linked to imported eggs. (BBC News)
- 18 August 2026 – 2026 Zamboanga City school shooting
- A student is killed while nine other people are injured in a mass shooting at a junior secondary school building of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City, Philippines. The perpetrator, also a student, later kills himself. (Reuters) (The Philippine Star)
- 18 August 2026 – Imprisonment of Imran Khan
- Pakistan's Supreme Court orders imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan transferred from the central jail in Rawalpindi, Punjab, to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical examinations following a petition by his lawyers concerning his health. (AFP via RFI)
- 18 August 2026 –
- Singapore begins requiring major Internet messaging platforms to restrict unsolicited contacts and social media services to verify advertisers and block suspected scam advertisements under new anti-scam rules, with penalties of up to S$1 million (US$780,000) for non-compliance. (AFP via The Manila Times)
- 18 August 2026 – 2026 Zambian general election
- Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema is declared the winner by the electoral commission, re-electing him to a second term. (AP)
- 17 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Violations of non-combatant airspace during the Russo-Ukrainian war
- A Russian Banderol cruise missile explodes in Ștefan Vodă District, Moldova, after entering from Ukrainian airspace, triggering a wildfire in a corn field. Moldovan authorities condemn the strike as "a serious violation of Moldova’s sovereignty". (The New Voice of Ukraine)
- 17 August 2026 – Sudanese civil war
- Kordofan campaign
- The Sudanese Armed Forces says that it has shot down a long-range drone used by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan's North Kordofan state, the second drone shot down this month in the region. (Sudan Tribune)
- South Sudanese president Salva Kiir meets with Darfur governor Minni Minnawi in Juba, South Sudan, to discuss efforts to end the conflict in Sudan. (Eye Radio)
- 17 August 2026 – Somali Civil War
- Constitutional crisis in Somalia, Controversies of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
- Several fighters from both sides are killed after Somali federal forces and opposition groups clash in the South West State. Two civilians are also killed. Militias loyal to former state president Abdiaziz Laftagareen enter the regional capital Baidoa, challenging two battalions of the Somali National Army loyal to Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. (Reuters) (Garowe Online) (i24 news)
- 17 August 2026 – Nigerian bandit conflict
- At least 22 people are killed in a mass shooting in Kebbe, Sokoto State, Nigeria. (Tribune)
- 17 August 2026 – Terrorism in Afghanistan
- A explosion is reported at a school in the Dashte Barchi neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan, injuring several people. The perpetrator is unknown. (Al Jazeera)
- 17 August 2026 – 2026 Pacific hurricane season
- A 90-year-old woman is confirmed dead in Nāʻālehu, Hawaii, United States, and over 100,000 people remain without power after Hurricane Lala struck the state. (AP) (The Guardian)
- 17 August 2026 – 2026 Pacific typhoon season
- Floods and landslides caused by the southwest monsoon and Tropical Storm Kujira kill at least 23 people and displace thousands across the Philippines. (AA)
- 17 August 2026 –
- A crowd crush at the Ashokdham Temple in Bihar, India, kills at least seven people and injures 19 others. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
- Seven people are killed and several others are injured after a fire breaks out in a hotel in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India. (Xinhua)
- Humanitarian NGO Emergency rescues 50 migrants from a wooden boat in international waters off Libya and recovers seven bodies. Two survivors require urgent medical evacuation, and 29 of those rescued are unaccompanied minors. (Reuters)
- Three people are killed when a private helicopter crashes on Sifnos, South Aegean, Greece. (AP)
- Torrential rainfall causes widespread flooding in Geoje-si, South Gyeongsang, South Korea, killing at least one. (BBC News) (The Guardian)
- 17 August 2026 – 2026 Ebola epidemic
- The United Nations reports that at least 2,325 people have died from the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it the deadliest in the country's history. (DW)
- 17 August 2026 – Seventh cholera pandemic
- A city official reports that at least 500 people have been hospitalized for severe diarrhea, with nearly 150 testing positive for cholera, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AFP via CNA)
- 17 August 2026 –
- California's energy commission approves the United States's first energy-efficiency standards for replacement tires, aiming to reduce rolling resistance and lower driver fuel costs by 2029. However, manufacturers warn the strict limits could eliminate up to 70% of current replacement tire options by 2033. (The New York Times) (Fox Businesss)
- 17 August 2026 – France–Iran relations
- Iran says it barred two French embassy employees from returning for allegedly violating the Vienna Convention through activities supporting Iranian civil society. France says their work involved programs for civil society, students, and artists. (Reuters)
- 17 August 2026 – South Korea–United States relations
- United States president Donald Trump orders the Department of Defense to substantially reduce the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and his relationship with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. The drills begin as scheduled. (AFP via The Straits Times)
- 17 August 2026 – Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia, Protests against the Russo-Ukrainian war
- A Russian court sentences Yabloko deputy chairperson Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in prison for discrediting the armed forces and spreading disinformation after he publicly condemned the Russo-Ukrainian war. (Reuters)
- 17 August 2026 –
- Discord suspends live streaming, screen sharing, and video calls in Brazil to comply with an order from the national data protection authority following the death of a 13-year-old girl allegedly encouraged to kill herself during an online broadcast. (AFP via RFI)
- The trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis for his alleged role in the murder of Tupac Shakur begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. (BBC News) (CNN)
- 17 August 2026 – Mexican drug war
- Elements of the Mexican Navy seized 3.2 million doses of cocaine floating off the coasts of the state of Michoacán. This action represent a financial blow of 340.2 million pesos to organized crime.(López Doriga)
- 17 August 2026 – Immigration policy of the second Trump administration
- United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner Rodney S. Scott pauses construction of a $1.7 billion border-security project in Big Bend National Park, Texas, while the CBP reviews the plan amid bipartisan local opposition and environmental concerns. (AFP via RFI)
- 17 August 2026 –
- Former South Korean prime minister Kim Min-seok is elected as the new leader of the Democratic Party with 54.08% of the vote against its former leader Jung Chung-rae. (The Diplomat) (The Korea Herald)
- 16 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Violations of non-combatant airspace during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia–NATO relations
- 2026 drone incidents in Romania
- A Spanish F/A-18 Hornet jet shoots down a Russian drone in Romanian airspace. The drone was downed near Galați after entering from Moldova. (Politico)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Ukrainian forces launch 822 drones at Russia, including over 600 towards Moscow, killing at least seven people and injuring 39 others. A Wildberries warehouse is also destroyed. Russian officials say it is the largest Ukrainian drone attack launched this year. (BBC News)
- 16 August 2026 – Insurgency in Balochistan
- Seven suspected members of the Pakistani Taliban are killed in a intelligence-based joint operation in Kharan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. (The Express Tribune)
- 16 August 2026 – Mali War
- 2026 Mali offensives
- Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front releases six wounded Malian troops. (AFP via Arab News)
- 16 August 2026 – Myanmar civil war
- Rakhine offensive
- Two civilians are killed and several homes are damaged by a government airstrike in Thandwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar. (Narinjara News)
- 16 August 2026 – Sudanese civil war
- The African Union (AU) holds a meeting with Sudanese officials in an effort to end the war, marking the first talks by the AU in the country since the military led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power in the October 2021 coup. (Sudan Tribune)
- 16 August 2026 –
- The death toll of the Lake Kariba vessel capsizing in Zimbabwe from last week rises to 72 after twelve more bodies are recovered. (AP)
- A passenger bus carrying tourists from Poland crashes in to a ditch in Mezőkeresztes, Hungary, killing 12 people and injuring ten more. (AP)
- Ten people are killed after a tourist bus overturns near Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Xinhua) (O Globo in Portuguese)
- Five teenagers are killed and four others, including a child, are injured in a head-on collision caused by a wrong-way driving vehicle on the M9 motorway in County Kildare, Ireland. (BBC News)
- St. Nicolas' Church is completely destroyed by a fire at the Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok, Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Poland. (TVP World)
- Three people, including a teenager, are killed and two others are injured in a shooting in Isla Cristina, Andalusia, Spain. Police investigate the attack as a possible dispute between rival drug-trafficking groups and search for the gunman. (Reuters)
- 16 August 2026 – 2026 IFAF Women's Flag Football World Championship, Canada at the 2028 Summer Olympics
- In flag football, Canada's women's team defeats the defending champion United States to win its third IFAF Flag Football World Championship title. Additionally, the men's football team qualifies for the upcoming Summer Olympics. (Global News)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- 2026 Iran–Oman negotiations
- Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says that Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on a safe route for vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. (Iran International) (Saudi Gazette)
- The Emirates News Agency reports that a third Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel was attacked by Iran while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. No injuries were reported. (Reuters) (Al-Monitor)
- 15 August 2026 – Hezbollah–Israel conflict
- 2026 Lebanon war
- Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon kill eleven people, including three children. (Sky News)
- The Israel Defense Forces says that they have killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a Hezbollah commander in the Radwan Force, during a airstrike in Ansar. (The Times of Israel)
- 15 August 2026 –
- A 180-foot (55 m) the Our Lady of Mercy monument dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the tallest of its kind in Europe, is inaugurated in Konotopie, Poland. (NBC News) (Vatican News)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 Indiana floods
- Authorities in Indiana, United States, report that six people have died in recent floods from storms. (Reuters)
- 15 August 2026 –
- The death toll of the Lake Kariba vessel capsizing in Zimbabwe from last week rises to 72 after 26 more bodies are recovered. (AP via CNN)
- Six people are killed and several others wounded after a container truck crashes into an auto rickshaw in Latehar district, Jharkhand, India. (ETV Bharat)
- A minibus carrying a wedding party overturns in Diyarbakir Province, Türkiye, killing five and injuring eleven others. (Asharq al-Awsat)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 Ceuta migrant crisis
- Police in Morocco arrest 111 migrants who attempted to enter Spain's autonomous community Ceuta, amidst tightened security on both sides of the border with Spain. (CBC)
- 15 August 2026 –
- Four artwork by Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina are reportedly stolen from the Regional Museum of Messina in Messina, Sicily, Italy. (The Guardian) (Reuters)
- Three people are shot dead and two others are wounded in a mass shooting in a flat in Newclare, Johannesburg, South Africa. (EWN)
- 15 August 2026 – Succession to the Liechtensteiner throne
- Hereditary Prince Alois announces that Liechtenstein will gradually transition its line of succession to absolute primogeniture, stating that any future descendant of him and Hereditary Princess Sophie, regardless of sex, will inherit the throne, allowing future women to inherit the throne. (AP)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 European Aquatics Championships
- In swimming, Johannes Liebmann sets a men's 1,500-metre freestyle world record of 14:26.79 at the European Championships, improving Bobby Finke's 2024 Olympic record by nearly four seconds. (AFP via RFI)
- 15 August 2026 – 2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
- In swimming, Kate Douglass sets a women's 50-metre freestyle world record of 23.49 seconds in the Pan Pacific Championships heats, surpassing Gretchen Walsh's 23.55-second mark set in June. (AFP via RFI)
- 14 August 2026 – Gaza war
- Gaza war hostage crisis
- The Israel Defense Forces announce that Al-Qassam Brigades commander Muhammad Bassam Mushtaha, who was accused of taking hostages during and after the Hamas–led attacks against Israel on October 7, was killed in a recent airstrike last month in northern Gaza. (The Times of Israel)
- 14 August 2026 – Sudanese civil war
- Kordofan campaign
- Heavy fighting erupts in El Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Clashes also break out in Umm Arda. (Sudan Tribune)
- Around 14 people are reported to be killed following an attack by RSF militants on the North Kordofan town of Umm Arda. (AFP via Arab News) (Xinhua)
- 14 August 2026 – Colombian conflict
- A Colombian soldier is killed and four more wounded following a drone strike in the rural area of El Carmen, Norte de Santander. (El Colombiano in Spanish)
- 14 August 2026 – Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- A constable policeman is killed and another is injured after a group of suspected insurgents attacked a police post in Bajaur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Dawn)
- 14 August 2026 – Mexican drug war
- Three gunmen are killed and a child is wounded in an attempted ambush on a highway in La Piedad, Michoacán, Mexico. Authorities seize four long guns, magazines, ammunition, and improvised explosives. (El Heraldo de México in Spanish)
- 14 August 2026 – War in the Sahel
- American missionary Kevin Rideout is released from captivity after being kidnapped by an unidentified organisation front in Niger nine months prior. (The New York Times)
- 14 August 2026 – 2026 Croatia wildfires
- One person dies and at least 40 others are injured after a severe wildfire breaks out on Croatia's coastline. (BBC News)
- 14 August 2026 – 2026 Flores earthquake
- At least 47 people are killed and several more are injured when a Mw 7.7 earthquake strikes the coast of the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. (AP)
- 14 August 2026 –
- A Mw 4.8 earthquake strikes the province of Granada in Spain, with damage reported in Granada and the surrounding area, and being felt in Madrid. (The News International)
- Sixteen people are killed and 40 others injured on the Yaounde-Bafoussam highway after a passenger bus crashed into a parked truck carrying planks in Mbam-et-Inoubou, Cameroon. (Xinhua)
- Thai rescuers find a French tourist and his two sons alive after they spend more than 16 hours at sea when their rented jet ski capsizes off Ko Samui. The family receives medical checks and is discharged. (CBS News)
- Heavy rainfall persists in Eastern China due to the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin, resulting in flooding in Zhejiang province, China, killing atleast one. (Reuters)
- 14 August 2026 – Internet censorship in France
- The Constitutional Council of France blocks a bill proposing a ban social media access for minors under the age of 15. President Emmanuel Macron orders prime minister Sebastien Lecornu to re-work the draft legislation and resubmit it to the Council. (RFI) (Business of Fashion)
- 14 August 2026 – 2026 political prisoner release in Venezuela
- Venezuela releases 131 detainees under alternative custody measures as part of a national reconciliation program following former president Nicolás Maduro's removal. Human rights group Foro Penal confirms that at least 45 of those freed are political prisoners. (AFP via RFI)
- 14 August 2026 – 2026 NFL season
- In American football, the National Football League suspends Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. for eight games for violating the league's personal conduct policy after his arrest in February on domestic violence charges. (AP) (WAGA-TV)
- 14 August 2026 – 2026 Volta a Portugal
- In road bicycle racing, the eighth stage at the Volta a Portugal race is neutralised after British cyclist Finlay Tarling is killed in an accident during the race. (The Athletic via The New York Times)
- 13 August 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- The United Arab Emirates says that two vessels linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of being behind the attacks. (Al Jazeera) (The New Region)
- 2026 United States military buildup in the Middle East
- The Wall Street Journal reports that the Nimitz-class USS George Washington will deploy to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln following a nine-month deployment and amidst reports of conditions on the aircraft carrier. (CBS News) (The Hill) (The Wall Street Journal)
- Gaza war
- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet says that they have killed Hamas commander and Gaza District Police chief Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamil in a airstrike in Gaza City. Additionally, the IDF also kills a Hamas company commander in a separate strike in Khan Yunis. (The Jerusalem Post) (Israel National News)
- 13 August 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
- Crimea attacks
- Russian military officer Robert Shagaev, who commanded the submarine Zaporizhzhia before defecting to Russia after its annexation of Crimea, is reported to have been killed by an explosive planted in a trash can in Sevastopol. (CNN) (Ynet)
- 13 August 2026 – Sudanese civil war
- Blue Nile campaign
- The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) says that they have retaken control of the Blue Nile town of Kurmuk, a month after being recaptured by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). (Sudans Post)
- Kordofan campaign
- The SAF and Joint Forces repels a major assault by RSF on the Jebrat al Sheikh district in North Kordofan, Sudan. (Sudan Tribune) (AA)
- Renewed drone attacks by the RSF are reported in Khartoum, Sudan, for a second consecutive day, with the SAF intercepting several drones targeting the area. (La Presse) (Sudan Tribune)
- 13 August 2026 – 2026 Pacific hurricane season
- In the United States, Hawaii governor Josh Green declares a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Lala's expected landfall on the state over the weekend. (AFP via CNA)
- 13 August 2026 – 2026 United Kingdom wildfires
- Multiple wildfires break out across England on the hottest day of the year in the United Kingdom so far, with widespread damage in Stourbridge, West Midlands. (BBC News)
- 13 August 2026 – Lewes derailment
- At least 20 people are injured when a GTR Southern commuter train derails near Lewes, East Sussex, United Kingdom. (BBC News) (CNN)
- 13 August 2026 –
- At least eleven people are killed and 13 others are injured after two trucks, two minibuses, two cars and a tricycle collided on the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, Ghana. (Xinhua)
- Seven people are killed after an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Chamoli District, India. (Xinhua)
- Unprecedented torrential rainfall due to severe thunderstorms causes widespread flooding in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, leaving at least eight people dead. (BBC News) (Reuters)
- 13 August 2026 – 2026 European heatwaves
- Romania begins shutting down the second reactor at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, the country's only nuclear power plant, after a drought lowered the Danube river below the level required for cooling, leaving both reactors offline. The government says alternative sources and imports will cover electricity demand. (AP)
- 13 August 2026 –
- Greece's public health agency reports 110 West Nile virus infections and nine deaths in 2026, including 45 new cases in one week, as authorities increase mosquito control measures in the Athens metropolitan area. (AFP via Daily Sabah)
- 13 August 2026 – Russian spies in the Russo-Ukrainian war
- Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says authorities, working with U.S. services, foiled an alleged Russian plot to kill a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw and arrest a suspect accused of acting for Russian intelligence. Tusk says it is the first such Russian-directed plot in another NATO country. (CBS News)
- 13 August 2026 – 2027 Kyrgyz presidential election
- Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov announces that he will run for a second term in the upcoming presidential election in January 2027. (Reuters)
- 13 August 2026 – 2026 Zambian general election
- Zambians vote to elect a president and 280 seats of the National Assembly. Incumbent president Hakainde Hichilema is running for re-election to a second term in office. (AP)
- Zambian police arrest several senior opposition figures during the elections, accusing them of possessing military weapons and planning armed insurrection. Opposition leader Brian Mundubile says security forces raided his residence after voting ended. (Reuters)
- 12 August 2026 – Sudanese civil war
- Kordofan campaign, Siege of El Obeid
- The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launch eight drone and land attacks across El Obeid, North Kordofan. Two people are reported to be killed during the attacks. (Reuters)
- The RSF launch drone strikes across multiple cities in Sudan, including its capital Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman in Khartoum State, and the River Nile cites of Ad-Damir and Atbara. (AFP via Arab News) (The National News)
- 12 August 2026 – Colombian conflict
- Two Colombian soldiers are killed and 17 more are wounded in an ambush by FARC dissidents in Algeciras, Huila. (El Colombiano in Spanish) (Sociedad Media)
- 12 August 2026 – Libyan crisis
- A drone strike is reported on a electrical substation in Zawiya, western Libya, causing a fire and power outages. (The Hill)
- 12 August 2026 – Mexican drug war
- A failed attack against the Tayoltita Airfield, in San Dimas Municipality, Durango, Mexico, leaves one gunman killed and two soldiers wounded. Authorities deploy an operation in the zone to secure the area and search for the remaining attackers. (La Jornada in Spanish)
- 12 August 2026 – Red Sea crisis
- Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar reports that three Pakistanis were killed in a attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea. (DW)
- 12 August 2026 –
- A woman is killed and 172 other people are rescued after a ferry catches fire off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. (AFP via RFI)
- Four people are killed, including the perpetrator, in shooting and stabbing attacks at a daycare and a house in Hopkins, Minnesota, United States. (CBS News)
- 12 August 2026 – 2026 Cook Islands general election
- Cook Islanders vote to elect all 24 seats of Parliament amid a cost-of-living crisis and debate regarding a past partnership agreement with China. Incumbent prime minister Mark Brown faces a challenge from Cook Islands United leader Teariki Heather. (RNZ) (The Guardian)
- 12 August 2026 –
- The Rapid Support Forces-appointed governor of Sudan's Kordofan region, Hamad Mohammad Hamad Khalifa, resigns and announces he will defect. (Sudan Tribune) (Al-Arabiya)
- 12 August 2026 – Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026
- A total solar eclipse occurs in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, with partial eclipses visible over much of northern North America, Europe (except most of Ukraine, Greece, Bulgaria and Russia), northwestern Africa and northern Asian Russia. It is the first total eclipse observable in mainland Europe since August 1999. (Time and Date) (EclipseWise)
- 12 August 2026 – MoM-BH*-1
- Astronomers studying a little red dot found by the James Webb Space Telescope announce in Nature the discovery of the first black hole star. The first object classed as such, [[MoM-BH;12 August 2026 – MoM-BH*-1
- -1]], in the constellation of Cetus, is the size of the Solar System and emits a light that outshines its host galaxy. (The Guardian) (PopSci)
- 11 August 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Iran war ceasefire
- Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war
- Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif says that a deal between Iran and the United States is "close", including an arrangement over the Strait of Hormuz. (Bloomberg News) (CNBC)
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- 2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
- The Wall Street Journal reports that a U.S. military helicopter has fired at the rudder of the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova after crews ignored the naval blockade re-imposed in July, contradicting British maritime management that it was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Oman. (Reuters)