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A solar eclipse causes totality from Siberia to Iberia.
- A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, with a magnitude of 1.0386. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Because the eclipse occurred about 2.3 days after perigee (on 10 August 2026, at 11:18 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was visually extra-large.
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A magnitude-7.4 earthquake strikes Chocó Department, Colombia, leaving at least 294 people dead.
- On 10 August 2026, a Mw 7.4–7.5 earthquake struck the department of Chocó in Colombia, killing at least 294 people, injuring more than 3,900 others, leaving more than 300 confirmed missing and causing extensive damage across the country. The earthquake was felt across much of western and central Colombia and in parts of neighbouring Ecuador and Panama, and caused extensive damage in Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, Manizales and other areas.
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.
- The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is a defence pact that was signed into force between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey on 7 August 2026. It builds upon the earlier Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, which was signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on 17 September 2025, to include Turkey. The official announcement of the trilateral pact's ratification took place amidst the 2026 Iran war.
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Former premier of China Zhu Rongji dies at the age of 97.
- Zhu Rongji (Chinese: 朱镕基; IPA: [ʈʂú ɻʊ̌ŋ.tɕí]; 23 October 1928 – 12 August 2026) was a Chinese politician and electrical engineer who served as the 5th premier of China from 1998 to 2003. He also served as member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1992 to 2002, along with CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin.
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A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund purchases video game publisher Electronic Arts in a leveraged buyout.
- On September 29, 2025, a consortium of investors comprising the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, the private equity firm Silver Lake, and the investment firm Affinity Partners announced a leveraged buyout of the American video game company Electronic Arts (EA). The deal, valued at US$55 billion, was completed on August 4, 2026, following regulatory approvals.
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In cycling, Demi Vollering wins the Tour de France Femmes.
- The 2026 Tour de France Femmes (officially Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift) was the fifth edition of the Tour de France Femmes. The race took place from 1 August to 9 August 2026, part of the 2026 UCI Women's World Tour. The race was organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which also organises the men's Tour de France. From 2026, more ranking points were awarded at the Tour, the Giro d'Italia Women and the Vuelta Femenina – elevating the races in status compared to other races in the UCI Women's World Tour.
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Iran war (ongoing)
- Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been at war with Iran and its regional allies. Hostilities broke out after US–Israeli airstrikes killed several Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The strikes were launched amid ongoing US–Iran negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program.
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Lebanon war (ongoing)
- Since 2 March 2026, there has been an ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, with Israel invading parts of Lebanon. It is a resumption of major fighting in the Hezbollah–Israel conflict, and part of the wider conflict in the Middle East. The war has precipitated a humanitarian crisis, resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 people from Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and seen the forced displacement of over 1 million.
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Russo-Ukrainian war (ongoing)
- On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the existing war between the two countries that began when Russia attacked Ukraine in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties. As of August 2026, Russian troops occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine. From a population of 41 million, about 8 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced and 6–7 million have fled the country, creating Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II.
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