Portal:Current events/July 2016

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July 2016 was the seventh month of that leap year. The month, which began on a Friday, ended on a Sunday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from July 2016.

Current events of July 1, 2016 (2016-07-01) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Gulshan attack Gunmen storm a restaurant, exchange fire with security, and take at least twenty hostages in the Gulshan neighborhood of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Two policemen are killed. The Islamic State claims responsibility. (ABC News) (CNN) (USA Today) War in Somalia At least six people are shot and killed and several people wounded by suspected Al-Shabaab militants who ambushed two buses in Mandera, Kenya, near the Somalian border. (Al Jazeera) (AP) Israeli–Palestinian conflict A Palestinian woman, in what was construed to be an attempt to stab Israeli Border Police officers at the entrance to the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, is shot and later dies. (PNN)(The Times of Israel) In response to violence in the Hebron area, including the killing yesterday of a 13-year-old Jewish girl asleep in her home in the Kiryat Arba settlement by a Palestinian assailant, the Israel Defense Forces places a closure on Hebron, brings additional troops to the area and announces a cut to tax funds it collects for the Palestinian Authority, saying it would deduct the amount the Palestinian leadership pays to the families of militants. (Al Jazeera) (The Times of Israel) A 63 year old Palestinian man dies during a clash at the Qalandiya checkpoint; Palestinian sources claim his death was due to tear gas inhalation while Israeli sources say the man suffered a fatal heart attack. (Ma'an) (The Times of Israel) Rabbi Michael Mark is murdered and his two children badly injured when terrorists shoot at his car on the highway south of Hebron.(The Jerusalem Post) (The Times of Israel) Palestinian militants fire two rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip; one explodes outside a preschool in the town of Sderot, causing damage to property but no injuries, and the second rocket exploded in an open area in the Sha'ar Hanegev region. (The Times of Israel) Arts and culture British–American Academy Award–winning film actress Olivia de Havilland, one of the last leading movie stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, celebrates her 100th birthday. (CNN) Thousands of people attend a ceremony at the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy, France, to mark the centenary of the start of the Battle of the Somme. (BBC) Disasters and accidents Four Hungarian Defence Force soldiers are killed and one is injured following an explosion at a military firing range in eastern Hungary. (Reuters) International relations Taiwan's navy mistakenly launches a supersonic Hsiung Feng III missile towards China, killing one person and injuring three in a Taiwanese fishing boat. (BBC) (The Guardian) Russia–European Union relations, Ukrainian crisis The European Union extends economic sanctions on Russia until 31 January 2017 over Moscow's continued support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. (Reuters) Canada announces that it will deploy 1,000 soldiers of the Canadian Armed Forces to Latvia to bolster one of the four NATO battalions stationed there. (The Guardian) Israel-Palestine relations The report of the diplomatic Quartet to the Security Council — the United Nations, Russia, the United States, and the European Union — calls on Israel to end settlement construction and expansion policy, and calls on Palestinians to act decisively to stop incitement to violence and to clearly condemn terrorist acts. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov tells the UNSC, “The main objective of this report is not about assigning blame ... (rather) it focuses on the major threats to achieving a negotiated peace." (AP) (UN News Centre) (The Times of Israel) Yanghee Lee, the United Nations special human rights envoy to overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar, says more than 100,000 of the Muslim Rohingya minority remain in squalid camps they were forced to four years ago by violence. The government does not recognize most of these people as citizens, and has treated even long-term residents as illegal immigrants. Lee is encouraged by last March's peaceful transition to a democratically elected and civilian-led government. (AP) Finland–Russia relations Following his meeting at Finnish President Sauli Niinistö's residence, Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia would respect Finland's choice whether to join NATO, though as part of NATO's military infrastructure, Finnish Defence Forces would overnight be at the borders of the Russian Federation. Putin and Niinistö call for improved security in Baltic airspace where Russian and Western aircraft have had close encounters in recent months. (Oneindia) (Reuters) Law and crime Crime in the Philippines; Philippine Drug War Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte urges Filipino citizens to murder people suspected of using illegal drugs. (The Guardian) U Gambira, a former Burmese monk and one of the most visible leaders during Myanmar's 2007 Saffron Revolution, is released from prison after having the charges against him dropped. (BBC) Politics and elections Austrian presidential election, 2016 Austria’s highest court orders a repeat of the presidential elections narrowly lost in May by right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria candidate Norbert Hofer. The margin of votes was less than 1%. (The Telegraph) Causeway Bay Books disappearances Thousands of people take to the streets of Hong Kong, demanding answers over China's alleged abduction of five booksellers in late 2015 and that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying resign from office. (The Guardian) The new Belarusian ruble replaces the old Belarusian ruble during redenomination. (Belarus segodnya) (in Russian) (Construction.RU) Paris, France, implements a pollution-reduction program that bans residents from driving cars built before 1997, and motorcycles built before 2000, on weekdays inside the city limits between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (NPR) Current events of July 2, 2016 (2016-07-02) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Gulshan attack 13 hostages were rescued following a standoff with the Rapid Action Battalion. (Reuters) Twenty hostages and two policemen were killed, and six gunmen are dead with one captured alive. (CNN) War in Afghanistan At least two people are killed and dozens more are wounded in a suicide bombing in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Iraqi Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL According to The Pentagon, two senior ISIL leaders have been killed by a United States-led coalition airstrike in Mosul. (The Guardian) (BBC) Syrian Civil War Syrian government airstrikes in Damascus kill at least 30 people. According to the rebels, the airstrikes were revenge for the killing of a Syrian Air Force pilot by Al-Nusra Front yesterday. The airstrikes reportedly targeted a medical centre and a school. (The Guardian) 2016 Istanbul airport attack Turkish police arrest a total of 41 people in connection with the Istanbul Atatürk Airport terrorist attack. (UPI.com) Law and crime A lone gunman opened fire at a café in Žitište, Serbia, killing five people and injuring 20 more. The perpetrator was arrested shortly afterward while attempting to flee the scene. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Four children are stabbed to death by their mother in Memphis, Tennessee. The mother was taken into custody. (Local 8 News) Politics and elections Australian federal election, 2016 Australians vote to elect a government for the next three years. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, leader of the conservative Liberal Party-led Coalition, dissolved both houses of Parliament in May in a bid for a Senate more friendly to his agenda. The final result showed the Coalition with a bare 1 seat majority in the House with 76 seats and the Australian Labor Party with 69 seats. (Reuters) (Sydney Morning Herald) Aftermath of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 In pro-EU rallies, thousands of people protest in London against the United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union and ask that Article 50 not be invoked. (The Guardian) Current events of July 3, 2016 (2016-07-03) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War Twin bombings in a pair of crowded commercial areas in Baghdad kill at least 125 people. ISIL claims responsibility. (AP) (The Independent) (BBC) Business and economics Libya's National Oil Corporation agrees to merge with the rival company of the same name in the east of the country after being split by the two rival governments. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents At least 31 people are killed and several more remain missing after flash floods ravage the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. (Al Jazeera) Rescue workers in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast discover the remains of an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane which went missing last Friday after going on a firefighting mission. Six people have been killed in the crash. (Reuters) International relations Switzerland–European Union relations The European Union warns Switzerland that it will lose access to its single market if it goes through with its plan to impose restrictions on the free movement of EU citizens. In a referendum held back on February 9, 2014, Swiss voters approved limiting the movement of economic migrants from the EU in the country. Current laws allow migrants to enter Switzerland without visas. (The Guardian) Law and crime Human rights in the Philippines; Philippine Drug War Ten people are killed by the Philippine National Police within a week after Rodrigo Duterte took office as president and made statements encouraging the murder of illegal drug addicts. (Channel News Asia) Politics and elections French presidential election, 2017 Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy resigns as leader of The Republicans party and announces his candidacy for President again. (The Guardian) Sport 2016 Formula One season Lewis Hamilton wins the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. (BBC) 2016 Summer Olympics The Russian Olympic Committee appeals the ban of its track and field team from participating in the upcoming summer Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), because of large scale doping, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A hearing on the case will take place on July 19. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Current events of July 4, 2016 (2016-07-04) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Terrorism in Malaysia Malaysia confirms it has suffered its first bombing by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant during the previous week raising fears about the spread of influence of the militant group. (The New York Times) CPP–NPA–NDF rebellion; Philippine Drug War The Communist Party of the Philippines agrees to fight drug lords after its legal wing Bagong Alyansang Makabayan joins the government cabinet of Rodrigo Duterte. (GMA News) (The Philippine Star) Syrian Civil War, Israel–Syria relations Israel's military attacks two Syrian Army targets in Syrian territory from the Golan Heights after a fire from the fighting damages a security fence on the border. (Reuters) 2016 Saudi Arabia bombings A suspected suicide bomber detonates his belt near the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, killing himself and wounding two guards. (BBC) A suicide bomber detonates a device near the security headquarters of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, killing four security guards. (Daily Mail) (BBC) (Pakistan Today) July 2016 Baghdad bombings The Baghdad Provincial Council deputy head reports the death toll has passed 200, with at least 225 more injured. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, visiting the Kerrada site, is jeered by onlookers who blame his government for not stopping ISIL-related bloodshed. (UPI) Business and economics United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union Standard Life Investments suspends trading in its UK property fund, in response to increased withdrawal calls since the vote, to protect the interests of all investors in the fund. (BBC) Disasters and accidents Flooding caused by torrential rain in China kills at least 180 people, mostly along the Yangtze river. (BBC) International relations Blockade of the Gaza Strip A Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip docks at the Israeli port city of Ashdod, the first warming move between the two countries since relations began to improve. Relations between Turkey and Israel were tense since the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid but ended last week when Turkey agreed to normalize ties in a diplomatic treaty. (The Guardian) Russia–Turkey relations Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says Turkey's cooperation with Russia in combating the Islamic State in Syria does not include Russia's use of its Incirlik Air Base, which some have interpreted from his comments yesterday. (Reuters) Law and crime Eight members of the Cuba men's national volleyball team, which is supposed to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics, are arrested for aggravated group rape in Tampere, Finland, with two later being released. (BBC) (YLE) Ling Jihua, former top aide to paramount leader Hu Jintao, is sentenced to life in prison for illegally obtaining state secrets and taking over $11 million in bribes. Ling's misfortunes started when he was accused of trying to cover up a scandal connected to his 23-year-old son's deadly crash in a Ferrari in 2012. (UPI) Politics and elections United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union Nigel Farage resigns as leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) but says he and other MEPs/MPs of the party would continue to carry out their term in the European Parliament. (BBC via Radio New Zealand) Riots break out in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, after police attempt to disperse a protest by the city's taxi drivers. (Reuters) Australian federal election, 2016 The election deadlock continues as neither Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull nor opposition leader Bill Shorten has the minimum number of Lower House seats (76) needed to form a government. Shorten leads Turnbull, 71-67, with only six seats undecided. (UPI) (Newstalk ZB) Political reshuffle in the Communist Party of China Zhejiang governor Li Qiang is transferred to neighbouring Jiangsu province to serve as party chief. He is succeeded as Zhejiang governor by Xinjiang deputy party chief Che Jun. (Sina) Xian Hui is named acting Chairwoman of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, succeeding Liu Hui. It is the first time in the history of the People's Republic that a woman has succeeded another woman in a provincial government leadership position. (Sina) Current events of July 5, 2016 (2016-07-05) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War Iraqi forces, backed by U.S. airstrikes, advance north towards ISIL-held Qayyarah Airfield West south of Mosul. (Reuters) The United Nations reports a mortar attack on a camp for displaced Iraqis south of Baghdad kills three people, including two children, and injures 13 others, two critically. (The New York Times) Terrorism in Indonesia A suicide bomber attacks a police station in Solo, Indonesia, killing himself and injuring a police officer. Solo is the birthplace of President Joko Widodo. (Time) (Reuters) Allied Democratic Forces insurgency Suspected Allied Democratic Forces rebels hack nine people to death in the village of Oicha, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters) Syrian Civil War, ISIL involvement A suicide bomb explosion in Kurdish-controlled Al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria kills at least 16 people, including three children and two women. ISIL claims responsibility. (Reuters) Business and economics International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis The Central Bank of Russia announces it will start buying the Chinese yuan in an attempt to diversify its foreign-currency reserves away from the Euro and the U.S. dollar and to become less vulnerable to Western sanctions. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Disasters and accidents At least seven people are killed and eight are injured after a helicopter carrying Turkish Armed Forces personnel crashes in Turkey's northern Giresun Province, on the Black Sea coast. (Reuters) Law and crime Human rights in the Philippines; Philippine Drug War Dozens of petty criminals and alleged drug addicts die in the Philippines within a few days after Rodrigo Duterte took the presidency. He actively encouraged extrajudicial killing of drug addicts and petty criminals before and after the election. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian) Protests occur in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S., after a man, Alton Sterling, is fatally shot by a police officer. (The Guardian) Politics and elections European migrant crisis Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announces that the country will hold a referendum on October 2 where voters will get to choose whether or not to accept European Union-imposed quotas on the distribution of migrants. (BBC) Hillary Clinton email investigation The FBI recommends, with numerous reservations about her actions, no charges be filed against Hillary Clinton over her emails. (BBC) (The New York Times) July 2016 Baghdad bombings Iraqi Interior Minister Mohammed Salem Al-Ghabban says he has submitted his resignation. Al-Ghabban cited a lack of "coordination among security systems" demonstrated by Sunday's bombings in Baghdad that killed over 200 people and injured at least 175 others. No report yet that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has accepted this resignation. (CNN) (The New York Times) 2016 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election Home Secretary Theresa May gets 165 votes after the first ballot of Conservative members of parliament to select a new Leader and the next Prime Minister. Her nearest rival, Minister of State for Energy Andrea Leadsom, picked up 66 votes. Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove won 48 votes, and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Stephen Crabb got 34 votes. Former Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox is eliminated from consideration as he received just 16. Later, Crabb pulled out of the race and endorsed front-runner Theresa May. Fox also endorsed May. (Reuters) (Sky News) (Reuters²) Science and technology NASA's Juno spacecraft reaches Jupiter and enters into its orbit after a five-year flight. (BBC) Cybersecurity software maker Check Point reports HummingBad malware has infected at least 10 million Android devices, mostly in China and India. Check Point says a team of developers based in Beijing is behind HummingBad which gives hackers administrative-level access to infected devices. Apple devices have been hit by similar malware. (Time) Current events of July 6, 2016 (2016-07-06) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Twenty Philippine Army soldiers are under investigation after they are suspected of mutilating the body of a New People's Army member. The communist militant's eyes were gouged, his tongue was cut off and his throat was slit. (GMA News) Yemeni Civil War A suicide car bomb, that targeted the Central Security headquarters in the port city of Aden, Yemen, kills at least 26 people. Following the blast, militants stormed the compound and clashed with soldiers. No group immediately claimed responsibility but it is similar to an Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant attack on the port of Al Mukalla. (AP via The New York Times) (Reuters) Business and economy The price of nickel swings wildly after Philippines environment secretary Gina Lopez announces plans to close existing mines in the country. (Financial Times) (Bloomberg) Business magnate and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi sells leading football club A.C. Milan to a Chinese consortium for an eventual €400 million. (BBC) Australian federal election, 2016 Standard & Poor's drops Australia's debt outlook from stable to negative following the country's surprisingly close election this weekend. (The Guardian) International relations International reactions to Philippines v. China China threatens the United States regarding the South China Sea and it will not accept a verdict in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. (ABC News Go) (Forbes) Law and crime Oscar Pistorius trial South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is sentenced to six years imprisonment for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. (CNN) Politics and elections Iraq Inquiry A report about the United Kingdom's involvement in the Iraq War is released. The chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Chilcot, said that the invasion was not a "last resort" and was based on "flawed intelligence and assessments". The inquiry was announced on 15 June 2009 by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The final hearing was held on 2 February 2011. (The Guardian) (BBC) (BBC²) Hillary Clinton email controversy Loretta Lynch, the Attorney General of the United States, closes the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email system to conduct official business without charges being laid. (CNN) 2016 Zimbabwe protests National "Stay Away" protests, organized over the Internet via the WhatsApp social messaging platform, take place in Zimbabwe, following fears of an economic collapse amid calls for President Robert Mugabe's resignation.(BBC News) Current events of July 7, 2016 (2016-07-07) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Terrorism in Bangladesh A group of radical Islamists hurl homemade bombs at police officers in the Kishoreganj District in central Bangladesh killing at least one officer and injuring several others. (AP via ABC News) Colombian conflict The Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP, a unit of the FARC rebel group, announces its rejection of the recent ceasefire signed by its leader Timoleón Jiménez and the Colombian government of President Juan Manuel Santos, declaring it will not lay down its arms and demobilize and will continue to fight the government. (Reuters via The Guardian) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) At least 35 people are killed and 60 others injured in an attack on a Shiite mausoleum located in north of Baghdad. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant have claimed responsibility. (Fox News), (Reuters) Business and economy French food company Danone agrees to buy American company WhiteWave Foods for $10 billion. (The New York Times) Disasters and accidents 2016 Pacific typhoon season Taiwan and China brace for the impact of Typhoon Nepartak, the first major typhoon of 2016. Thousands of people have been evacuated in Taiwan while over 35,000 military personnel have been placed on standby to help with relief efforts. (CNN) (ABC News) Typhoon Nepartak is expected to make landfall on mainland China on Friday and will make flooding worse. Nearly 200 people have died in flood waters in China in the past week with 41 people missing, 1.6 million relocated and almost 50,000 houses collapsed. (The Telegraph) At least five workers are killed after a wall collapses on them at a recycling plant in Birmingham, England. (BBC) A section of a Taiwanese commuter train car explodes near Songshan Station, injuring at least 21 people, some of them seriously. (AP via The New York Times) (CNA) International relations Ukraine–United States relations U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Kiev, Ukraine, where he is expected to discuss ways of ending the conflict in the east of the country. The visit, along with his visit to Georgia yesterday, comes ahead of the NATO summit in Warsaw that will take place tomorrow. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Cuba–United States relations The United States tentatively approves eight, of 12 that applied, airlines for flights from 10 U.S. cities to Havana as early as this fall: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. Last month, flights were approved from five U.S. cities to nine other international airports. (Reuters) (US DOT) Law and crime Human rights in the Philippines; Philippine Drug War The Philippines House of Representatives seeks to investigate the rise in deaths of suspected drug dealers in the country. (GMA News) Rape in Germany Germany's parliament passes a new law saying that it is rape to have sex with a person who says "No" to the sex. Under the previous law, sex was not considered rape unless the victim fought back. The new law also classifies groping as a sex crime, makes it easier to deport migrants who commit sex offences, and makes it easier to prosecute assaults committed by a large group. (BBC) A French court sentences two former Rwandan mayors of the town of Kabarondo to life in prison on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. During the genocide, Hutu extremists massacred over 2,000 Tutsi who sought refuge in the town. (BBC) Vatican leaks scandal, Journalistic freedom In a so-called VatiLeaks case, a Vatican City Court dismisses charges of publishing confidential information against two Italian journalists stating it lacked jurisdiction in this case. Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi wrote books on the inner workings of the Vatican. The court did convict a Vatican priest to 18 months, and assessed a 10-month suspended sentence on an Italian communications expert, for conspiring to pass documents to the journalists; a fifth defendant was cleared of all charges. (AP) (The Guardian) (Catholic News) Shooting of Philando Castile Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton requests a Justice Department investigation of last night's fatal police shooting of Philando Castile (an African-American) during a traffic stop. Castile's girlfriend, Lavish Reynolds, streamed the incident live over Facebook. It showed Castile had been shot several times and was slumped against Reynolds; he died in Minneapolis's Hennepin County Medical Center. (The New York Times) (CBS News) Gov. Dayton says, "Would this have happened if those passengers, the driver and the passengers, were white? I don't think it would have. So I'm forced to confront, and I think all of us in Minnesota are forced to confront, that this kind of racism exists." (NPR) (Wall Street Journal) 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers Eleven police officers are shot, with five dying of gunshot wounds in Dallas, Texas during a protest against two black men killed within a day of each other. Police kill the shooter with a bomb delivered on a bomb defusing robot. (New York Post)(KTLA)(NBC DFW), (ABC News Australia) Politics and elections 2016 Zimbabwe protests Zimbabwean authorities arrest dozens of protesters as anti-government protests spread across the country. (Al Jazeera) 2016 Australian federal election Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Liberal/National coalition, behind Bill Shorten's Labor Party in the first 48 hours following Saturday's election, is now ahead of Labor in the Lower House, 74–71 seats; 76 seats are needed to form a government. Minor parties and independents have won five seats; mail-in and absentee votes are still being counted. Turnbull is on the road today seeking support from a small handful of independent and small party lawmakers. (Reuters) (The Australian) (Daily Mail) 2016 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election Conservative Party members of parliament vote in a second ballot to choose the next leader of the party to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron. The Home Secretary Theresa May secured the highest number votes with 199, while Department of Energy and Climate Change minister Andrea Leadsom received the second highest amount, with 84. The Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove received just 46 votes and is eliminated from the race, meaning a run-off contest will now take place between May and Leadsom, with the result to be announced on September 9. (AP via Daily Mail) (BBC) Hillary Clinton email scandal The United States Department of State reopens an investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information by former Secretary of State and presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her top aides. (AP via Seattle Times) Science and technology Scientists manage to extract one last image from the Hitomi x-ray spacecraft, which broke up last March while orbiting Earth. Before it died, the spacecraft captured an image which measured the X-ray activity of the Perseus cluster. (BBC) Sport Attorneys for 80-year old American pro football legend and Hall of Famer Paul Hornung, who has dementia, sue Riddell sports equipment manufacturer, stating its helmets failed to protect Hornung from brain injury. The suit says Hornung suffered multiple concussions as a player and his neurodegenerative disease has been linked to repetitive head trauma. (AP) Current events of July 8, 2016 (2016-07-08) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Insurgency in the North Caucasus At least eight unidentified militants and one security officer are killed in ongoing clashes in rural Dagestan, Russia. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Boko Haram insurgency According to a Nigerian Army spokesman, a Boko Haram suicide bomber kills six people inside a mosque in the town of Damboa, Borno State. A second suicide bomber attempted to enter the same mosque but failed to gain entry and detonated his belt, killing only himself. (Reuters) Syrian Civil War Airstrikes hit Darkush in Idlib Province near the Turkish border, killing at least 23 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. At least 25 died when rebels shelled government-held areas of Aleppo. Friday is the last day of a 72-hour Syrian Army-sponsored ceasefire. (Reuters) (Reuters²) South Sudanese Civil War Five soldiers between the two rival Sudan People's Liberation Army factions are killed in clashes in the capital Juba, with reports of heavy gunfire continuing, despite President Salva Kiir Mayardit and rebel leader Riek Machar having reached a peace deal back in April. (BBC) Disasters and accidents 2016 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Nepartak hits eastern Taiwan causing three deaths so far, 124 injuries, thousands of people to be evacuated, disrupting transport and power supplies. (Reuters) (CNN) Health and medicine Zika virus epidemic The death of an elderly Utah woman with a Zika virus infection in late June is the first reported Zika-related death in the continental United States. The woman had traveled to an area where Zika is spreading. The exact cause of death has not been determined; the lady had an underlying medical condition. (NBC News) (Time) International relations Abdul Sattar Edhi, Pakistani philanthropist and Chairman of the Edhi Foundation, passes away in Karachi at Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. (Dawn News) (Pakistan Today) 2016 Warsaw summit NATO members gather in Warsaw, Poland, for a two-day summit. Much of the focus will be on Russia and NATO's commitments in bolstering its presence in Eastern Europe. Other issues to be discussed will include Europe's migrant crises, ISIL extremists, and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) South Korea–United States relations American and South Korean military officials agree to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in the country to counter North Korea's growing threats and use of ballistic missile and nuclear tests. (The Guardian) Law and crime Human rights in the Philippines; Philippine Drug War The left-wing political party, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, which is part of the current government, asks Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to investigate the recent vigilante killings of suspected drug pushers. (GMA News) Opposition senator and human rights lawyer Leila de Lima has condemned the killings and urged the Philippine Congress to investigate. (Channel News Asia) 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers Police kill Micah X Johnson, the gunman believed responsible for the killing of five police officers and shooting of seven more in Dallas, Texas following a standoff. (Los Angeles Times) Politics and elections 2016 Zimbabwe protests Protests in Harare and elsewhere in the country continue despite police intimidation and pleas by President Robert Mugabe for them to stop. (Voice of America Zimbabwe) President Mugabe, in a live national television broadcast from a stadium in Bindura, blames Western sanctions for his country's inability to pay government workers on time. (AP via The Washington Post) (AFP via Yahoo! News) #ThisFlag protest leader Pastor Evan Mawarire says the movement, which uses WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter, will hold a two-day strike next week if demands, that include sacking corrupt ministers, payment of delayed salaries, lifting of roadblocks that residents say are used by police to extract bribes, etc., are not met. A drought has aggravated the country's situation as have banks that have a daily withdrawal ceiling as low as $50. (Reuters via CNBC Africa) (Ventures Africa) Current events of July 9, 2016 (2016-07-09) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir 2016 Kashmir unrest At least three people are killed and dozens more are wounded when protesters clash with Indian Army soldiers. The protesters defied an army curfew and took part in the funeral of a top rebel commander of Hizbul Mujahideen. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) South Sudanese Civil War According to a military spokesman of the rebel SPLM-IO, at least 115 soldiers between the two rival Sudan People's Liberation Army factions are killed in clashes in the capital, Juba. (Reuters) Syrian civil war, Russian intervention A Russian Air Force Mi-24 helicopter crashes near Palmyra, Syria, while assisting Syrian Army forces in the area. Russia's Ministry of Defence confirms two Russian pilots, Riafa'at Habibulin and Yevgeny Dolgin, are killed. (The Independent) Disasters and accidents Typhoon Nepartak (2016) Taiwan is recovering after Typhoon Nepartak hit yesterday killing two people and injuring 72. (PA via BT) International relations International reactions to Philippines v. China Ahead of a court decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, China holds a naval drill in the disputed South China Sea raising tensions in the region. (The New York Times) North Korea and weapons of mass destruction South Korea claims that North Korea has fired a ballistic missile from a submarine. (Yonhap) 2016 Warsaw summit NATO members in Warsaw, Poland, agree to extend their mission in Afghanistan into 2017 and announced that they will continue to fund the Afghan Armed Forces to 2020. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Bahamian–United States relations, 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers Following the death of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and the shooting of white police officers in Dallas, Texas, The Bahamas issues a rare travel warning for its citizens traveling to the United States. (BBC) Law and crime Human rights in the Philippines The government of the Philippines demands its critics to provide proof if there are human rights violations conducted during its drug war. (Rappler) More than a hundred suspected drug pushers have been killed since Rodrigo Duterte took office as president of the country, a situation likened to the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Child marriage This week, the Gambia and Tanzania outlawed child marriages. Friday, the Tanzanian High Court — in a case filed by the Msichana Initiative, a lobbying group that advocates for girls' right to education — ruled in favor of protecting girls from the harms of early marriage. And during a feast ending the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday, The Gambian President Yahya Jammeh announced that child and forced marriages are banned. Jammeh called on the National Assembly to quickly take up the issue. (AP) (BBC) (Human Rights Watch) 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers Multiple gunshots strike the public safety headquarters of the San Antonio, Texas, Police Department. No injuries are reported. (USA Today) Politics and elections 2016 Zimbabwe protests The Zimbabwe economy is crippled after a week of protests as a result of dissatisfaction with the regime of Robert Mugabe. (The Telegraph) Nauruan parliamentary election, 2016 Voters in Nauru go to the polls for an election. The President of Nauru Baron Waqa is reelected in his constituency. (Radio New Zealand), (ABC News Australia) United States presidential elections, 2016 Green Party presumptive presidential candidate Jill Stein invites Bernie Sanders to take over her place as the party's nominee. (International Business Times) Sport 2016 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles In tennis, American defending champion Serena Williams defeats Angelique Kerber of Germany in straight sets to win her seventh Wimbledon Championships title and her 22nd Grand Slam title, tying the Open era record held by Steffi Graf. (BBC) Current events of July 10, 2016 (2016-07-10) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks South Sudanese Civil War An estimated 272 people have been killed between rival Sudan People's Liberation Army factions as clashes in the capital, Juba, continue. According to a spokesman for rebel leader and Vice President Riek Machar, South Sudan is "back to war" despite a peace deal being reached last April. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) Hamza bin Laden, the son of the slain Osama bin Laden, threatens a genocide against the United States to retaliate for his father's killing. (News.com.au) Arts and culture An ancient Philistine cemetery has been unearthed in Israel. (BBC) International relations Foreign relations of the United States The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain issue a travel warning for their citizens heading to American cities where protests are occurring following ethnic tensions in the country. This comes after The Bahamas issued its own travel warning yesterday, after the shooting of Dallas police officers. (Al Jazeera) Law and crime Kem Ley, a popular Cambodian political commentator and frequent critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen, is shot dead at a gas station in Phnom Penh. (Cambodia Daily) Politics and elections Japanese House of Councillors election, 2016 Voters in Japan go to the polls with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its Komeito partners looking for a two-thirds majority that will allow them to put forward a referendum to change the constitution. The governing parties won 70 of the 121 seats. (AAP via SBS), (Bloomberg), (AP via Crossroads Today) Australian federal election, 2016 The Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, concedes defeat as continued counting in marginal seats indicates that the governing coalition of the Liberal Party and National Party will either win a narrow majority or be able to govern with the support of independents. Malcolm Turnbull will continue as Prime Minister of Australia and has claimed victory. (Reuters), (The Guardian) Shooting of Alton Sterling and Shooting of Philando Castile Protests continue in multiple cities across the United States following the death of two black men by police. Numerous confrontations and arrests have been reported. (Reuters) Sport 2016 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles In tennis, Andy Murray of Scotland defeats Canadian Milos Raonic in the finals of the men's singles to win his second Wimbledon championship. It is the first time that a men's Wimbledon final has not featured Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic since 2002. (Wimbledon official live updates) UEFA Euro 2016 Final In football, host nation France plays against Portugal for the 2016 UEFA European Championship at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Portugal wins 1–0 with an Éder goal in extra time. (UEFA official) (BBC), (ABC News Australia) Current events of July 11, 2016 (2016-07-11) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Somalia At least 10 Somali Armed Forces soldiers and 12 Al-Shabaab militants are killed in fighting near the town of Afgooye, Lower Shabelle. (Al Jazeera) Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir 2016 Kashmir unrest At least 30 civilians have been killed by Indian Army soldiers as anti-government protests and violence spread across the state. (CNN-News18) Syrian Civil War Rebels in Aleppo launch an assault on government-controlled areas in the city. This comes after the Syrian Army blocked off the only road leading into opposition-controlled areas. According to state media, at least eight people have been killed and dozens more are wounded. (BBC) Iraqi Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL The United States announces it will be sending 560 more United States Armed Forces soldiers to Iraq to help fight against ISIL. (BBC) Israeli–Palestinian conflict Israeli forces level land east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. (Ma'an News) Arts and culture The 127 people who were massacred in the Srebrenica massacre in 1995 and were subsequently discovered in mass graves are buried at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial following a funeral. For the first time, Bosnian Serbs were not welcome to attend the ceremony. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Floods resulting from the annual monsoon season cause 22 deaths and make 100,000 people homeless in India. (Reuters via Channel News Asia) A Lockheed C-130 Hercules owned by the Portuguese Armed Forces catches fire while taking off from Montijo Air Base, killing at least three people. (Reuters) Law and crime St. Joseph courthouse shooting At least three people die, including the shooter, in a shooting at the Berrien County courthouse in the U.S. state of Michigan. (Washington Examiner) Politics and elections 2016 Zimbabwe protests Protest leader, Evan Mawarire, asks the international community to put pressure on the regime of Robert Mugabe. (The Guardian) 2016 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election Andrea Leadsom withdraws from the leadership election meaning that Theresa May will become the next leader of the Conservative Party and next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. (The Guardian) Prime Minister David Cameron announces he will step down on Wednesday, July 13. (BBC) 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership crisis The former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Angela Eagle formally announces her bid to become the new leader of the Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn refused calls to resign. (ITV News) Sport The Ultimate Fighting Championship Mixed Martial Arts competition is sold to a consortium led by Hollywood talent agents WME-IMG. (AP) In basketball, Tim Duncan, who played his entire 19-season NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, where he won five NBA titles and two MVP awards, made 15 All-Star appearances and made the All-NBA first team 10 times, announces his retirement. (ESPN) Current events of July 12, 2016 (2016-07-12) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks South Sudanese Civil War After five days of fighting that left 272 people dead and thousands more displaced in the capital, Juba, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and rebel leader and Vice-President Riek Machar declare a ceasefire. (Al Jazeera) Iraqi Civil War A car bomb explodes at an outdoor market in Baghdad, killing at least 12 people and injuring 20 more. Bombings elsewhere in Iraq kill five more people. (Al Jazeera) (AP) Arts and culture Restoration work at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine reveals a hidden angel mosaic. (Wafa) (Daily Mail) Business and economics AMC Theatres is purchasing London-based Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group in a deal valued at about £921 million ($1.21 billion). AMC has 385 theaters with 5,380 screens, most in the United States. Odeon & UCI has 242 theaters and 2,236 screens in the U.K. and Ireland. AMC noted its $1.1 billion (£835 million) acquisition of Carmike Cinemas (276 thrs/2,954 scrs) (of Columbus, Georgia) is still in the works. (AP) (USA Today) Disasters and accidents Andria train collision 23 people are killed and 50 others are injured after two trains collide head-on near Andria in the province of Apulia, in southern Italy. (BBC) International relations Philippines v. China The Permanent Court of Arbitration rules in favor of the Philippines against China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. (The New York Times), (The Guardian) The court unanimously says that China has "no historical rights" based on the so-called "nine-dash line" map. (CNN), (BBC) China rejects the tribunal's ruling, declaring it null and void. China's paramount leader Xi Jinping reiterates the South China Sea has been Chinese territory since "ancient times." (AP) Law and crime In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan revokes Azimzhan Askarov's life sentence and sends the case to a lower court to be reviewed. A prominent Kyrgyz political activist and recognized prisoner of conscience of Uzbek ethnicity, Askarov was convicted in 2011 of stirring up ethnic violence in 2010 between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in southern Kyrgyzstan and sentenced to life in prison. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) 2016 Zimbabwe protests Evan Mawarire, the most visible leader of the protests in Zimbabwe, is arrested and charged with "inciting public violence and disturbing peace." (BBC) Politics and elections 2016 United States presidential election Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders endorses Democratic Party rival Hillary Clinton for president at a rally in New Hampshire, effectively suspending his presidential campaign. (NBC News) 2016 state of emergency in Venezuela Citibank notifies the Venezuelan government it will close the accounts of the Venezuelan Central Bank and the Bank of Venezuela in 30 days after conducting a "periodic risk management review." Venezuela relies on Citibank to conduct foreign currency transactions due to the country's strict currency controls. (UPI) Current events of July 13, 2016 (2016-07-13) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War A car bomb explodes at a checkpoint north of Baghdad, killing at least seven people. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir The death toll from anti-government protests in the Indian state rises to 36 with over a thousand more being treated for injuries. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called for calm. (BBC) Syrian Civil War Russian war planes allegedly bomb a refugee camp near the border with Jordan, killing at least eight people. (BBC) According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, airstrikes in the towns of Al-Rastan and Ariha kill at least 24 people, despite a temporary ceasefire being declared by the Syrian government. (Reuters) South Sudanese Civil War The United States deploys more than three dozen soldiers to Juba, South Sudan, to protect the U.S. embassy and help evacuate non-essential embassy staff due to local clashes. (UPI) Arts and culture Dr. Carla Hayden is confirmed to be the 14th Librarian of Congress, becoming the first woman and African-American to lead the Library of Congress.(Washington Post) Disasters and accidents A bus crashes on a highway in Dagestan, Russia, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens more. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) International relations North Korea–South Korea relations South Korea announces plans to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile system in Seongju County in the country's south in order to deter against a North Korean attack. (CNN) Law and crime In Brooklyn, New York 33 people are treated for a possible K2 overdose. The drug is illegal to sell or produce in the state. (New York Daily News) 2016 Zimbabwe protests A Zimbabwean court dismisses charges against opposition leader Pastor Evan Mawarire who was accused of trying to overthrow the government. (Reuters) A serial killer who has murdered seven people over a period of several months is on the loose in Phoenix, Arizona. (NBC) Politics and elections Theresa May becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. (The Telegraph) Formation of the May ministry The new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May begins forming her ministry following the end of the Second Cameron ministry. The former Mayor of London Boris Johnson is appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Philip Hammond is appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Amber Rudd is appointed Home Secretary filling Theresa May's former position, Liam Fox is appointed as Secretary of State for International Trade and David Davis is appointed as minister for the newly created Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. (BBC) Emperor Akihito of Japan intends to abdicate within a few years, citing old age. It would be the first abdication of a Japanese emperor in 200 years; the last emperor to abdicate was Emperor Kōkaku in 1817. (BBC) (The Guardian) Nauruan parliamentary election, 2016 Baron Waqa is reelected President of Nauru, winning 16 of the 18 votes in Parliament. (Radio New Zealand) Human rights in Egypt In a report by Amnesty International, the group documents findings of Egyptian officials forcibly making hundreds of people disappear and face torture in the past year in an attempt to crack down on dissent in the country. (BBC) Sport In American football, a United States appeals court has denied New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's appeal for his role in the Deflategate controversy. (ESPN) Current events of July 14, 2016 (2016-07-14) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Somalia A suspected militant of Al-Shabaab shoots and kills four Kenyan police officers at a police station in Kapenguria, Kenya, where he was being held. The militant was later killed following a shootout with police. (Reuters) 2016 Nice truck attack A truck plows into a mass of revelers during the Bastille Day fireworks on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, with a death toll as high as 80 and 100 people injured. (Le Parisien) (Fox News) Arts and culture 68th Primetime Emmy Awards The nominees are announced in Los Angeles. Game of Thrones, Veep and The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story lead in nominations. (Los Angeles Times) (The Washington Post) International relations The French government calls on former European Commission chief José Manuel Barroso not to take a job with investment bank Goldman Sachs, after some EU politicians demanded Barroso be sanctioned for accepting the new position that raises questions about the EU's conflict of interest rules. (BBC) Law and crime United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologizes for remarks she made earlier in the week to a number of news outlets criticizing presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. (CNN) Politics and elections Formation of the May ministry Elizabeth Truss is named Secretary of State for Justice and first ever female Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom as former chancellor Michael Gove is ousted from the cabinet. (The Lawyer) Current events of July 15, 2016 (2016-07-15) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Nice truck attack The President of France François Hollande extends a state of emergency against terrorism for three months following the attack, which has now claimed over 80 lives. He had previously announced that it would be lifted on 26 July. (Sputnik News), (BBC News) Authorities identify the attacker as a 31-year-old Tunisian resident in France, who was killed during the exchange of gunfire with police. The man was known to police in connection with petty crime, but was not on the French intelligence service watch list. (Reuters) (BBC) 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt The Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yıldırım calls for "calm" over what he states was an "illegal attempt" by sections of the Turkish military to claim power. (The Telegraph) The Turkish military claims to have gained control of the government with gunfire reported on the streets of Ankara. (CNBC) The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urges supporters to oppose the coup d'etat by taking to the streets. (Washington Post) The death toll from the coup is reported to be at least 42 in Ankara and 60 across Turkey. 130 soldiers have been taken into custody and one Turkish Army general has been killed. (Reuters via Trust), (NBC News) Arts and culture In painting, Louise Hearman wins the 2016 Archibald Prize for her portrait of Australian comedian, satirist and actor Barry Humphries. (ABC News) Business and Economics Herbalife, a multi-level marketer of dietary supplements and personal care products, has reached an agreement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to settle charges arising out of the appearance that it is a pyramid scheme. (BBC) International relations Ukrainian crisis, Russia–Ukraine relations Russia is to deploy its advanced long range S-400 surface-to-air missile system to Feodosia in the Crimean Peninsula next month for the first time. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) (RT) Politics and elections Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection, 2016 Donald Trump chooses Indiana governor Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate. (CNN) Sport Evolution Championship Series The largest video fighting game tournament in the world begins its three day event running from July 15–17. Over 15,000 players registered to compete with record breaking entrants for Street Fighter 5 at 5,107, Super Smash Bros for Wii U at 2,662 and Super Smash Bros. Melee at 2,372 entrants. (ESPN) Current events of July 16, 2016 (2016-07-16) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan returns to Istanbul Atatürk Airport indicating that the coup may be faltering. (The New York Times) Erdoğan declares that the coup is over with over 1,500 members of the Turkish military in detention. (CNN) (AP) General Ümit Dündar reports at least 194 people were killed: two soldiers, 41 police officers, 47 civilians, and 104 alleged coup plotters. An official later adds that 1,440 people have been reported wounded. (NBC News) Greek security forces arrest eight people after a Turkish military helicopter lands at Alexandroupoli Airport. The helicopter crew have reportedly requested political asylum. (Reuters via Yahoo! News) (Ekathimerini) Secretary of State John Kerry says the United States would consider an extradition request for the cleric blamed for the attempted coup. Fethullah Gülen left Turkey in 1999 and now lives in Pennsylvania. Gülen denies any involvement. Kerry adds no request has been received. (NBC News) (AP) The United States Federal Aviation Administration issues an order that prohibits all airlines from flying from Turkey to the U.S., and bans U.S. commercial and private aircraft from flying to Turkey. (Reuters) 2016 Nice truck attack ISIL claims responsibility for the attack, and four people allegedly involved in the attack are arrested overnight. (AP, Fox News via West Australian) Arts and culture Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch is killed by her brother in an honour killing. (BBC) Current events of July 17, 2016 (2016-07-17) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks At least one person is reportedly killed and others are taken hostage after an armed group seized control of the police headquarters in the Erebuni District of Yerevan, Armenia. The gunmen are demanding the release of jailed opposition figure, Jirair Sefilian, according to Armenia's National Security Service. (RT) Syrian Civil War Syrian Government forces capture the main road into the parts of Aleppo controlled by rebels. (Reuters) Second Libyan Civil War UN-backed talks are underway in Tunis regarding the future of Libya, including discussions on forming a unified army for the Government of National Accord. (RTE) Arts and culture Protesters in Pakistan take offense to the honour killing of internet celebrity Qandeel Baloch. (Al Jazeera) Business and economics The Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull said that his country would open up trading with the United Kingdom in a post-EU trade deal. (BBC) Disasters and accidents Local officials report eight people were killed on Friday when their elevator fell 18 stories in an under-construction apartment building in the port city of Longkou in Shandong province of eastern China. (AP) A helicopter crashes at Breighton Aerodrome in the United Kingdom, with reports of five casualties. (BBC) Law and crime 2016 shooting of Baton Rouge police officers At least three Baton Rouge Police Department officers are shot dead and several others are wounded by a gunman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (USA Today) (BBC) Politics and elections Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Philippines v. China Vietnamese police bus away about two dozen would-be protestors who gathered at Hoàn Kiếm Lake in central Hanoi to rally in support of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's South China Sea decision, and against China's rejection of the tribunal's ruling. This preemptive action, in effect, squashed the No-U group protest. (AP) (AAP via News.com.au) São Tomé and Príncipe presidential election, 2016 Voters in São Tomé and Príncipe go to the polls for a presidential election with former Prime Minister Evaristo Carvalho elected in the first round. (Africa News) The Bahrain High Civil Court in Manama dissolves Al Wefaq, Bahrain's main Shia opposition group, accusing it of helping to foster violence and terrorism in the Sunni-led, Shia-majority island country. The Bahraini court previously issued a three-month suspension of the group last month. (Al Jazeera) (JURIST) Sport 2016 Open Championship In golf, Henrik Stenson wins the 2016 Open Championship defeating Phil Mickelson after a closely fought battle in the final round at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Stenson's total of 264, 20 under par, is the lowest stroke total ever recorded in any major championship and ties Jason Day's performance at last year's PGA Championship for the lowest score in relation to par at a major. It is also Stenson's first victory in a major tournament. (The Guardian) Current events of July 18, 2016 (2016-07-18) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War At least six Yemeni soldiers are killed in suicide bombings near the city of Al Mukalla. (Reuters) 2016 shooting of Almaty police officers Three policemen and one civilian are killed in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in an attack on a police station by a radical Islamist. One gunman is reportedly still at large. (RT) 2016 Würzburg train attack Four people have been injured after a man with an axe attacks people on board a train near Würzburg in Germany. The axeman has reportedly been shot by police and is reportedly a 17-year-old Afghan man who pledged allegiance to ISIL before the attack. (BBC), (Indian Express), (Daily Mail) Indonesian police kill two militants in a clash in a remote jungle area on Sulawesi island. One may be Abu Wardah Santoso, leader of ISIL-connected Mujahidin Indonesia Timur, and the country's "most wanted man." Forensic tests will be carried out. Three others, including two women, escaped. (AP) (Reuters via Euronews) 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt General Akın Öztürk, Turkish Air Force chief until August 2015, confesses to planning last week's attempted coup d'état, according to the state-run Anadolu News Agency. (UPI) Arts and culture Netizens launch a satiric contest for apologizing to China on social media after numerous artists apologized online. (BBC) (Channel Newsasia) (Taipei Times) (The New York Times) Business and economy Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank agrees to buy British IT company ARM Holdings for more than $32 billion. (Wall Street Journal) (TechCrunch) International relations North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction South Korea warns that North Korea could hold another nuclear test at any time. (Yonhap News) Turkey–United States relations The United States Secretary of State John Kerry warns Turkey it could lose its NATO membership if it fails to uphold the principles of democracy. Around 8,000 police officers have been sacked in the country following the attempted coup, with more than 6,000 people in the army, the judiciary and other state bodies detained as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's crackdown. (The Independent) Morocco formally announces it wishes to rejoin the African Union 32 years after leaving over its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Western Sahara. (BBC) Politics and elections 2016 United States presidential election The 2016 Republican National Convention gets underway in Cleveland, Ohio. With the day's theme being national and local security, notable speakers include reality television star Willie Robertson, actor Scott Baio, former Governor of Texas Rick Perry, former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke, retired United States Army lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn and Melania Trump, wife of presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States Donald Trump. (ABC News) Opposing protests and rallies in Cleveland on the first day of the convention remain peaceful. (UPI) After giving her speech, Melania Trump is accused of plagiarizing parts of Michelle Obama's speech that she gave during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The Trump campaign quickly responded to the controversy saying that the whole thing was "absurd". (CNN) Sport The World Anti-Doping Agency finds that the Government of Russia was involved in an intensive doping program including at the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi. (ABC News) Current events of July 19, 2016 (2016-07-19) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports U.S.-led coalition airstrikes on the Islamic State-held city of Manbij in northern Syria kill at least 56 civilians, including 11 children, and injure dozens more. (Reuters) Northern Mali conflict 2016 Nampala attack: At least 12 soldiers are killed and 27 others injured after unidentified militants briefly overrun a government base in central Mali, near the border with Mauritania. The attackers also burn and loot the adjacent village of Nampala. (Reuters) Three people, including the perpetrator, are killed in a shooting in the town of Spalding, Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. Lincolnshire Police have ruled out a potential link to terrorism. (BBC) An unidentified senior Indonesian official says the government is "99 percent" certain Abu Wardah Santoso, leader of ISIL-connected Mujahidin Indonesia Timur, was killed in Monday's clash with security forces on Sulawesi island. (Reuters) Arts and culture Fox News Channel controversies Roger Ailes is reported to be leaving Fox News after charges of sexual harassment are filed against him by former Fox and Friends host Gretchen Carlson. (Variety) Disasters and accidents 26 people who were mainly from China and aboard a tour bus die after it crashes into a highway railing while en route to Taoyuan International Airport and bursts into flames. (Reuters) A crane collapses across the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York. No vehicles are hit, but several contractors suffer minor injuries. (ABC News) International relations North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States Strategic Command report North Korea fires three ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. The short-range ballistic missiles flew about 500 to 600 kilometers (310 to 375 miles) before crashing in the sea, sufficient to target the southern part of South Korea where the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is set to be installed. (AP) (BBC) Law and crime Former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been acquitted of plunder. (BBC) Three people are killed, including the male attacker, in a shotgun shooting outside a swimming pool in Spalding, Lincolnshire, U.K.. The victims are reported to be a 40-year-old mother and her 20-year-old daughter; both apparently knew the suspect. (Daily Mirror) A Kansas City police captain has been shot dead in Kansas City, Kansas. One suspect is in custody and two others are possibly at large. (Breaking 911) Politics and elections 2016 United States Senate election in California United States president Barack Obama and his vice president Joe Biden endorse Kamala Harris over Loretta Sanchez, both of whom are Democrats. (The Los Angeles Times) 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election Angela Eagle drops out of the race and announces her endorsement of Owen Smith, the last remaining candidate to challenge incumbent party leader Jeremy Corbyn. (BBC) 2016 Republican National Convention Donald Trump is nominated as the Republican Party candidate for this year's presidential election. (NBC News) Current events of July 20, 2016 (2016-07-20) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Ukrainian crisis Prominent Ukrainian-based journalist Pavel Sheremet of the Ukrayinska Pravda is killed in a car bombing in Kiev. (The Guardian) Libyan Civil War (2014–present) At least three French Armed Forces soldiers are killed after their helicopter is shot down near the city of Benghazi, Libya. The soldiers were killed while carrying out "dangerous intelligence operations", according to French President François Hollande. (BBC) Northern Mali conflict Following the Nampala attack, the government of Mali declares a three-day mourning period for the 17 soldiers killed in the attack, as well as a state of emergency for three months across the country. (Reuters) 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, 2016 Turkish purges Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declares a state of emergency for three months following Friday night's failed coup. (BBC News) Business and economy Unilever buys Dollar Shave Club for US$1 billion. (BBC) Breitbart tech editor and outspoken conservative gay activist Milo Yiannopoulos with more than 338,000 registered followers is "permanently" banned from Twitter. (Guardian) Disasters and accidents European migrant crisis A Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) ship rescues 209 people, including 50 children, from two dinghies in distress in the Mediterranean Sea but finds 22 dead bodies, 21 women and a child, lying in a pool of fuel in the bottom of one of the boats. The dinghies were 17 miles east of Tripoli, Libya. Cause of death is unknown, though an MSF official says it could be that fumes from mixed fuel and water rendered the people unconscious. The MSF ship is expected to arrive in the Sicilian port of Trapani on Friday.(Reuters) Law and crime Three high-ranking officers of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Moscow are detained for accepting bribes from a crime lord. (RT) 2016 United States presidential election The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirms previous rulings that Texas' 2011 voter ID law is discriminatory and does not comply with the Voting Rights Act, and orders a lower court to resolve the problem in time for the November elections. (Reuters) (The Texas Tribune) Politics 2016 Republican National Convention Senator Ted Cruz, the runner-up in the race for the Republican Party nomination, is booed off stage after giving a speech and refusing to endorse Donald Trump. (Vox) Current events of July 21, 2016 (2016-07-21) (Thursday) Business and economy Fox News Channel controversies 21st Century Fox announced that the head of Fox News, Roger Ailes, is resigning. Rupert Murdoch will replace him as interim Chief Executive and Chairman. (Mediaite) (CNN) (New York Post) Disasters and accidents July 2016 North China cyclone Torrential precipitation and widespread flash floods from an extratropical cyclone resulted in at least 78 deaths over North China and nearby regions. (Xinhua) International relations International reactions to Philippines v. China Waves of Chinese protestors gather outside of KFC restaurants and Apple Stores across China to express their anti-U.S. sentiments after the ruling, while Chinese state media asks for calm. (AP via ABC News) (BBC) (USA Today) Law and crime Philippine Drug War The Philippines' current crackdown on controlled substances passes a death toll of 500. (Abscbn) Politics 2016 Republican National Convention Donald Trump accepts the nomination of the Republican Party in the 2016 US Presidential election. (New York Times) Sports 2016 Summer Olympics Russia's track and field athletes will not be allowed to compete in the Rio Olympic Games, even if they did not fail drug tests, after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is rejected. (BBC) Current events of July 22, 2016 (2016-07-22) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, 2016 Turkish purges Thousands gather in Istanbul's Taksim Square in a show of support for the new powers that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has received in order to crackdown on dissent following the attempted coup. (The Telegraph) 2016 Munich shooting Ten people, including the gunman, are killed and 21 wounded in a shooting in and around the Olympia-Einkaufszentrum shopping mall in the Moosach district of Munich, Germany, next to the Olympic stadium.(CNN) (Reuters) (AP via KMGH-TV) (The New York Times) (BBC) Arts and culture China begins demolishing buildings and evicting residents at Larung Gar in Tibet, one of the largest religious institutes in the world. Officials put forward overpopulation and security as the leading reasons for the planned action. (BBC) (AP via ABC News) Disasters and accidents An Indian Air Force AN32 carrying 29 people on board has gone missing over the Bay of Bengal while en route to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Indian Navy has launched a search and rescue operation. (BBC) The municipality of North Battleford, Saskatchewan shuts off its main water supply following an oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River the previous day, of up to 250,000 litres, from a pipeline owned by Husky Energy. (The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix) International relations Cross-Strait relations Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen rejects a supposed deadline set by Mainland China's leader Xi Jinping for accepting the 1992 Consensus, saying such a deadline is against the will of the people. (Focus Taiwan) (The Washington Post) Politics and elections 2016 United States presidential election Presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton selects Senator Tim Kaine (Virginia) as her vice-presidential running mate. (Fox News) Sport Sam Allardyce is appointed as the new England national football team manager by The Football Association following the resignation of Roy Hodgson in June. (BBC) American hurdler Kendra Harrison sets a new world record in the women's 100 meters hurdles with a time of 12.20 seconds in the London Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium. (Daily Mail) Current events of July 23, 2016 (2016-07-23) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Munich shooting Munich Police Chief Hubertus Andrae identifies the attacker as a dual national, 18-year-old Iranian-German who apparently acted alone. He was found dead of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. (Reuters) Chief Andrae reports there are "no indications" the teenage gunman, who killed nine people and apparently himself, had links to ISIL or any other terror group. The attack injured 27. (NBC News) July 2016 Kabul bombing Afghan officials report at least 80 people are killed and more than 230 injured as twin suicide blasts hit a large demonstration of the Shiite Hazara community over a power route line at Dehmazang Circle, Kabul, Afghanistan. The Islamic State claims responsibility. (Reuters) (News World India) (India Today) (Pakistan Today) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani declares Sunday, 24 July 2016, a day of national mourning.(BBC) Arts and culture Rihanna has been announced to play the iconic role of Marion Crane from the 1960 classic horror film Psycho for the final season of the American television series Bates Motel. (Rolling Stone) (CNN) Wikileaks reveals that Ariana Grande was prevented from performing in the White House because of the July 2015 donut-licking incident. (Billboard) Disasters and accidents July 2016 North China cyclone Floods kill at least 154 in China and 300,000 people are being evacuated in Hebei province. Villagers have accused local officials of covering up the extent of the damage. (AP via The Daily Mail) Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 An article in New York magazine speculates that the pilot may have deliberately crashed the plane into the Southern Ocean. (New York magazine) 2016 Pacific hurricane season Hawaii Governor David Ige declares a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Darby is on track to reach the U.S. state's Big Island today with maximum sustained winds approaching 50 mph (80 kph). The storm, which previously was a Category 3 hurricane, could produce up to 15 inches (40 cm) of rain. (Reuters) (NHC) A bus from Wales carrying 50 people, including 41 teenagers, tips over in eastern France, injuring 13, two seriously. (Reuters) A seventeen-square mile fire continues to burn in Santa Clarita, California, near Los Angeles. (ABC News) 2016 Indian Air Force An-32 disappearance The search intensifies for the Indian Air Force Antonov An-32 military transport with 29 people aboard that went missing over the Bay of Bengal shortly after its Friday morning takeoff from Tambaram. (UPI) International relations Philippines v. China Cambodia and Laos cause discord at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting after they block a joint statement by the group regarding the South China Sea. (Reuters), (The New York Times) Law and crime California governor Jerry Brown rejects a parole for Leslie van Houten, a cult follower of Charles Manson. (Fox News) Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announces Indian charity worker Judith D'Souza (Aga Khan Foundation), who was kidnapped in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2016, is free. (AP via The New York Times) Politics and elections 2016 Democratic National Committee email leak Emails released by Wikileaks show that the Democratic National Committee (DNC), led by Debbie Wasserman Schultz, supported the candidacy of Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. (ABC News), (The Washington Post), (CNN), (Al Jazeera) Influential UC Berkeley professor Robert Reich calls on the DNC to fire Schultz. (Mediaite) Jeff Weaver, the campaign manager of Bernie Sanders, says that someone, alluding to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, must be held accountable for the revelations in the leaks. (ABC News) 2016 Zimbabwe protests Robert Mugabe calls war veterans, who are calling for him to resign, traitors. (The Washington Post) Turkish state of emergency President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's order under the state of emergency declared Wednesday after the failed military coup calls for closure of thousands of private schools, charities, and other institutions suspected of having links to Fethullah Gülen. (Reuters) Sport Russian balloonist Fyodor Konyukhov breaks the world record of American Steve Fossett for the fastest hot air balloon ride to circumnavigate the globe. (BBC) Current events of July 24, 2016 (2016-07-24) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL At least 21 are killed and more than 35 people injured in a suicide attack at one of the residential entrances to district Kadhimiyah, in northern Baghdad, Iraq. ISIL claims responsibility, as published in its official media. (CNN) (Iraqi News) 2016 Ansbach bombing Fifteen people are injured following a suicide bombing in Ansbach, Germany. (BBC) Syrian Civil War Syrian opposition activists report government airstrikes on Aleppo Province kill at least five people and hit at least five medical facilities. (AP via The New York Times) Arts and culture Thousands of people in Cambodia attend the funeral of Kem Ley, a critic of the perceived corrupt and authoritarian rule of Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), (Fox News), (ABC News) Disasters and accidents 2016 California wildfires A dead body is found in the area of the Sand Fire near Santa Clarita that has doubled in size to more than 22,000 acres. Officials order mandatory evacuations for 1,500 homes in Little Tujunga, Sand, and Placerita canyons. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issues an alert for unhealthy air quality in affected areas. (NBC News) (Los Angeles Times) The death toll from the two-mile high Mount Sinabung ash eruption Saturday has risen to seven, with two others in critical condition. All victims were working farms in the village of Gamber in the Karo Regency of North Sumatra, within the volcano's "red zone" that Indonesian authorities have declared off-limits. (Weather Channel) (Bangkok Post) Health 2016 Summer Olympics The leader of the Australian delegation says the country's athletes would not be checking in at the athletes' village because it's unsafe for human habitation. Australian athletes have been staying at nearby Rio de Janeiro hotels. (The New York Times) International relations Philippines v. China Cambodia continues to block consensus in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting. The country has political and economical dependencies with China. (BBC) Law and crime A machete attack in the German city of Reutlingen by a Syrian asylum-seeker leaves one woman dead and two others injured. (BBC) Politics and elections 2016 Democratic National Convention Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigns from her position as Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee. Wasserman Schultz had reportedly been removed from a speaking role after a WikiLeaks email leak proved her implicit support of Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primaries. Her resignation will take effect upon the close of the convention. Donna Brazile will serve as interim chair. (Reuters) (The Washington Post) (CNN) (Fox News) Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli resigns minutes before parliament was to vote on a no confidence motion he was likely to lose, after allies of his multi-party coalition leave the government accusing him of not honoring power sharing deals that helped him assume office in October 2015. (The Hindu) (Reuters) 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt In an unusual show of unity, tens of thousands of supporters of Turkey's ruling party and the country's main opposition parties hold a cross-party "Republic and Democracy" rally in support of democracy in Istanbul's central Taksim Square. (Reuters) Sport 2016 Summer Olympics The International Olympic Committee states it considers all Russian athletes tainted by the country’s state-run doping scheme but individual athletes can compete in 2016 Games if they are able to convince individual sports federations of their innocence. A daunting task for these organizations to handle hundreds of appeals just 12 days before the start of the Rio Games on 5 August. (The New York Times) (AP & NBC News) (rt.com) Current events of July 25, 2016 (2016-07-25) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) A suicide car bomb kills at least 21 people and wounds more than 32 at the entrance to Al Khalis, northeast of Baghdad. Most died inside their vehicles while waiting to enter the town. (Al Jazeera) Conflict in Najran Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry says five border guards have been killed following clashes with Houthi militants on the border with Yemen. (The New York Times) Business and economy Verizon Communications buys Yahoo! for $4.83 billion in cash, ending the latter's over 20-year run as an independent corporation. (Los Angeles Times) (Reuters) Disasters and accidents At least 39 people are killed, including 16 children, in a fire at a residential compound in Mangidy, Madagascar. (Reuters) International relations Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen refutes accusations that she would have interpreted the 1992 consensus differently. (Straits Times) Law and crime 2016 Fort Myers nightclub shooting At least two people are killed after as many as 17 people are injured during a mass shooting at Club Blu, a nightclub in Fort Myers, Florida, with most of the victims reportedly minors. Two suspects and a person of interest have been detained in connection with the shooting. (BBC), (News-Press) 2016 Turkish purges Turkey orders the detention of 42 journalists including well-known writer Nazli Ilicak. Earlier, Turkish satirical magazine LeMan was prevented from publishing its post-coup edition—a cartoon on the cover showed Turkish soldiers facing off against anti-coup protesters, both pushed toward each other by giant hands. (Reuters) (CNN) Amnesty International reports detainees in Turkey are being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, in official and unofficial detention centres in the country. (NPR) (AI) Politics and elections 2016 Democratic National Convention High profile speakers include Senator Cory Booker, Senator Al Franken, Senator Kristen Gillibrand and Senator Jeanne Shaheen. (The Washington Post) Headliners include Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders and First Lady Michelle Obama. (Los Angeles Times) Senator Bernie Sanders is booed by his own supporters during his keynote speech after telling them, "We must elect Hillary Clinton." (ABC News) Celebrity appearances and performances include the boyband Boyz II Men, singer/songwriter Paul Simon and singer/actress Demi Lovato; among the speakers include Sanders supporter/comedian Sarah Silverman and Latina activist/actress Eva Longoria. (Variety), (CNN) Opposition leader Sam Rainsy criticizes Cambodian autocrat Hun Sen for trying to split up the Cambodian National Rescue Party, the second largest party in parliament. (The Phnom Penh Post) Current events of July 26, 2016 (2016-07-26) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Somali Civil War (2009–present) Al-Shabaab claim responsibility for a double suicide car bombing attack in Mogadishu near an African Union base at the city's airport. At least 13 people are killed, including seven UN guards. (AP) (Al-Jazeera) 2016 Normandy church attack Two men armed with knives take a priest, two nuns and two parishioners hostage in a church near Rouen in the French region of Normandy. French police kill the hostage-takers after the 86-year-old priest, Jacques Hamel, was killed by slitting his throat. (NBC News) (BBC), (Haaretz) Following the murder of the Catholic priest, French President François Hollande vows to wage war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant "by every means". The organization released a video showing the attackers pledging allegiance to ISIL during the attack. (Local) Disasters and accidents 2016 California wildfires Sand Fire A state of emergency is declared in Los Angeles County, California, due to the threat posed by the Sand Fire. (Los Angeles Daily News) Officials evacuate 10,000 homes as the blaze grows to more than 35,000 acres. (Los Angeles Times) Soberanes Fire California officials declare a state of emergency for this Garrapata State Park blaze in Monterey County that, in its fifth day, has grown to 23,500 acres, and is only 10 percent contained. Six major Big Sur State Parks remain closed. (San Francisco Chronicle) (AP) Two nearby boats, responding to a Coast Guard emergency broadcast, rescue 46 people from the sinking 220-foot Alaska Juris fishing boat in the Bering Sea off Alaska's Aleutian Islands. There are no reports of injuries; all on board were wearing survival suits. (AP) Landslides from torrential rain that pounded North Korea's North Pyongan Province this weekend kills 10 people and injures 55 with four others missing. (UPI) International relations Palestine–United Kingdom relations The Palestinian National Authority says it is planning to sue the United Kingdom over the 1917 Balfour Declaration. Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad al-Maliki says the document led to mass Jewish immigration to British Mandatory Palestine, "at the expense of our Palestinian people". (BBC) Law and crime Sagamihara stabbings At least 19 people are killed and 26 others are injured in a knife attack at a care centre for disabled people in the city of Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. A man has handed himself in to the police, according to local media. (BBC) The children's music group USA Freedom Kids plans to sue the campaign of Donald Trump. (The Washington Post) New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton announces the arraignment of three suspects in the theft of more than $5 million in cash and valuables, including jewelry and baseball cards, from banks in Brooklyn and Queens, in April and May of this year. (Reuters) Politics and elections The Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull announces that a Royal Commission will be held into the Northern Territory youth justice system after the Australian Broadcasting Commission's Four Corners program shows footage of juvenile Aboriginal Australians being tortured at the Don Dale Juvenile Detention Centre. John Elferink has been sacked as the Northern Territory's Minister for Justice and Corrections following the report. (ABC News), (The Guardian) The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, removes Riek Machar from his post as deputy leader and as vice president, and installs Taban Deng Gai in his place. (BBC) 2016 Democratic National Convention Hillary Clinton is nominated as the Democratic Party candidate for this year's presidential election. She becomes the first woman ever to be nominated for president by a major party in the United States.(CNN)(The Guardian) (NBC News) Former president Bill Clinton, husband of Hillary Clinton, describes Hillary as a fighter who works relentlessly to make the world better. (The Sacramento Bee), (Time) (NPR) Other Democratic leaders speaking include Donna Brazile, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Harry Reid, Senator Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. (The Chicago Sun Times), (CBS) Celebrity appearances include Elizabeth Banks, Andra Day, Lena Dunham, America Ferrera, Tony Goldwin, Alicia Keys, Debra Messing, Meryl Streep, and Mallory Weggemann. (The Chicago Sun Times), (CBS) Science and technology Solar Impulse 2 becomes the first solar-powered aircraft to travel around the world without fuel after it returns to Abu Dhabi. (Deutsche Welle) Every square inch of the United States is forecasted to have hotter-than-normal temperatures for the first time in recorded history.(USA Today) Sport Serie A defending champions Juventus break the Italian transfer record fee after completing the signing of Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuaín from Napoli for €90M (£75.3m) on a five-year-deal. (Sky Sports) Current events of July 27, 2016 (2016-07-27) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian civil war At least 44 people are killed in a twin bombing in the Kurdish-controlled city of Al-Qamishli on the Syria–Turkey border. ISIL claims responsibility for the attack. (The Guardian) Arts and culture Ramon Magsaysay Award The six Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for 2016 are: Indian Dalit activist Bezwada Wilson, Ombudsman of the Philippines Conchita Carpio-Morales, Indian Carnatic musician T.M. Krishna, Indonesian charity organization Dompet Dhuafa, Lao humanitarian group Vientiane Rescue, and the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. (Times of India) (AP via The Jakarta Post) 2016 MTV Video Music Awards Taylor Swift is snubbed while Adele and Beyoncé lead in nominations. (The Washington Times), (Billboard) Barack Obama chooses his home city of Chicago for his presidential library. (The Hill) Business and economy British Chancellor Philip Hammond reports that the British economy grew in the last quarter immediately before Brexit, though economists warn that the economy is probably shrinking. (The Guardian) China claims to have discovered the largest undersea hole dubbed "The Dragon's Hole" in the disputed Paracel Islands. (Business Insider) Facebook beats earnings expectations. (CNBC) The Coca-Cola Company beats expectations for its earnings. (CNBC) In Indonesia, Sri Mulyani Indrawati assumes office as the new Finance Minister. (Reuters) Tesla motors opens a 'Gigafactory' near Reno in the middle of the Nevada desert. (BBC) Samsung has its biggest profits in two years after the success of the Galaxy S7 phone. (CNET) Disasters and accidents Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Investigators hypothesise that the plane may be further to the north than the current search area. (BBC) Health Two years after its launch, supporters of the Ice Bucket Challenge to bring awareness to ALS celebrate scientific discovery regarding NEK1. (CNN) 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic Four Florida residents may have been infected by the virus locally. (The Independent) International relations The regional Parliament of Catalonia defies the Constitutional Court of Spain by holding an informal and unilateral vote for secession.(The Guardian) 2016 United States presidential election, Hillary Clinton email controversy During a press conference, Republican nominee Donald Trump calls on Russia to find Hillary Clinton's 30,000 missing emails. (BBC) (Reuters) (The New York Times) Law and crime Capital punishment in Indonesia The United Nations urge Indonesian president Joko Widodo to halt all executions. (Al Jazeera) A federal judge, Paul L. Friedman, rules that John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981, is to be released after 35 years at St. Elizabeths Hospital as he no longer poses a danger to himself or others. (The Washington Post) Baltimore prosecutors drop all charges against the final three police officers with pending cases in the death of Freddie Gray. None of the six cases resulted in a conviction. (Baltimore Sun)(NBC News) Politics and elections 2016 Democratic National Convention U.S. President Barack Obama's advocates for Hillary Clinton stating there has never been anyone more qualified than Hillary to serve as president. (ABC News) (Irish Mirror) Notable speakers include Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Former Defense secretary Leon Panetta, California governor Jerry Brown, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Chris Murphy, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, Detroit mayor Mike Duggan, Flint, Michigan mayor Karen Weaver, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, Former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, U.S. representative Ruben Gallego, former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, Vice President Joe Biden, and longtime politician/activist the Reverend Jesse Jackson. (Fox) Celebrity appearances include Angela Bassett, Lee Daniels, Huey Dunbar, Raúl Esparza, La India, Star Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Sigourney Weaver, and will.i.am. (Fox) Former representative and gun violence victim advocate Gabrielle Giffords and her husband astronaut Mark Kelly will make an appearance. (Fox) Virginia Senator and vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine will speak. (Fox) 2016 Zimbabwe protests Robert Mugabe says that his former supporters are to suffer severe punishment for supporting the protests. (Fox News) 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal Prime Minister Najib Razak gets emergency powers amid a widening scandal about corruption. (The Guardian) Science and technology Scientists have discovered that the region directly above the Great Red Spot on the planet Jupiter is about 700° F (370° C) warmer than the surrounding upper atmosphere. (Space) Researchers have discovered that orangutans can control their vocal pitch, a link to human speech. (Christian Science Monitor) Biologists have determined that the only 'true' species of wolf in North America is the gray wolf while the red wolf is a wolf hybridized with a coyote. (The New York Times) Current events of July 28, 2016 (2016-07-28) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian civil war Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Russia and Syria will open humanitarian corridors to Aleppo, and will provide a way for rebel fighters to lay down their arms. (CBS News) The Syrian government offers an amnesty for rebels who surrender within three months. (Huffington Post) Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of Al-Nusra Front, announces that the group is splitting from Al-Qaeda with their approval and that new operations will be carried out under the name Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. (The Guardian) Disasters and accidents At least 64 people die in Nepal after heavy monsoonal rain triggers floods and landslides. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) Around 1.8 million people are affected, and the Kaziranga National Park is submerged, due to heavy rains causing flooding in Assam. (The Guardian) International relations North Korea–United States relations North Korea says the United States has "crossed the red line in our showdown" after placing sanctions on its leader Kim Jong-un over human rights abuses, and considers the sanctions to be a "declaration of war" by the United States. (Sky News) Politics and elections 2016 Democratic National Convention Hillary Clinton accepts her party's nomination as the candidate for this year's presidential election. (The New York Times) Notable speakers include Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, retired General John R. Allen and Chelsea Clinton. (Fox) Celebrity appearances include singer Carole King, basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, actress Chloë Grace Moretz and singer Katy Perry. (Fox) Science and technology Kīlauea, a shield volcano on the island of Hawai'i, erupts lava into the ocean for the first time since 2013. (The Weather Channel) (Christian Science Monitor) Current events of July 29, 2016 (2016-07-29) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks The Nigerian military commences bombing militants in Lagos and Ogun States with many militants reported dead. (The Eagle) Boko Haram insurgency The United Nations suspends aid to dangerous areas of Nigeria's northeastern Borno State following Thursday's attack by Boko Haram (ISIL in Africa) on a humanitarian convoy where two soldiers and three civilians were wounded. However, UNICEF noted, aid will continue to the capital Maiduguri. (AP via The New York Times) Syrian civil war British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports a Save the Children maternity hospital in Kafr Takharim in rebel-held Idlib Governorate is hit by airstrikes. No report on casualties. SOHR also says at least five people are killed and more than 25 injured from airstrikes in another part of the northern Idlib countryside. (Reuters) Cabinda War The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) says it has killed nine Angolan soldiers and wounded 14 others in recent clashes in the oil-rich Cabinda Province. (Reuters) Business and economy The Bank of Japan announces a 6 trillion yen stimulus package to help invigorate the Japanese economy. (Marketwatch) Disasters and accidents The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports a 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck off the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there is no tsunami threat because the quake was very deep in the earth. (Pacific Daily News) International relations Japan–United States relations The United States military says it will shortly return 4,000 hectares of its Okinawa military installation, 17 percent of the area it controls, to the Japanese government. (Reuters) Law and crime Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette files criminal charges against six state employees in connection with the Flint water crisis. (Detroit Free Press) (Reuters) Former President of Brazil Lula da Silva will stand trial on obstruction of justice charges relating to the Petrobras scandal. (The Guardian) Politics The American Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating claims that the Hillary Clinton campaign has been hacked as part of recent cyber-attacks on the Democrats. (Washington Examiner), (Fox News) Current events of July 30, 2016 (2016-07-30) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) The Turkish military kills 35 Kurdistan Workers' Party militants after they attempt to capture a base in Turkey's Hakkâri Province. (Reuters via ABC News Australia) Boko Haram insurgency Niger, following attacks by Boko Haram on Bosso and Yebi in the Lake Chad region, extends for three months a state of emergency in Diffa. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash At least 16 people are killed after a hot air balloon catches fire and crashes near Lockhart, Texas. (BBC) 2016 California wildfires The deadly, nine-day old Soberanes Fire, blazing south of Carmel-by-the-Sea, has destroyed 57 homes and is expected to grow to 170,000 acres (265 square miles) before it's done. It is 15 percent contained. Six major Big Sur State Parks remain closed through August 6. (Reuters) (Los Angeles Times) Politics and elections Tunisian lawmakers, dissatisfied with the lack of progress on a financial reforms package, vote (118-3) to dismiss Prime Minister Habib Essid from office. (Reuters) Sport In skydiving, American Luke Aikins sets a world record for jumping from a height of 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) without a parachute or wing suit. (NPR) (AP via CBS News) (BBC) Current events of July 31, 2016 (2016-07-31) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Islamic State militants attack two gas facilities northwest of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, killing at least five people and wounding six policemen. Three assailants detonated their explosive vests and a fourth was killed in clash with security forces. (Reuters) Somali Civil War (2009–present) An Al-Shabaab attack on the Central Investigations Department kills at least nine people. (AP via The New York Times) 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis A two-week standoff comes to an end in Yerevan, Armenia, after the remaining gunmen holed up in a police station surrender to police. The National Security Service says "twenty terrorists have been arrested" following the "complete liberation" of the police compound. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Disasters and accidents Typhoon Nida (2016) Hong Kong braces for the storm. (Reuters) At least five people are killed and 10 injured after a building collapses in the Indian city of Bhiwandi amid heavy rain. (Press Trust of India via Business Standard) Law and crime 2016 Turkish purges The Turkish government dismisses nearly 1,400 military personnel for alleged links to exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen. (Reuters) Politics and elections Tokyo, Japan, gubernatorial election, 2016 Yuriko Koike, of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) but not their preferred candidate, is elected the Tokyo prefecture's first female governor, replacing Yoichi Masuzoe who resigned last month. The former Minister of Defense defeated the LDP-Komeito ruling coalition's Hiroya Masuda and the opposition bloc's Shuntaro Torigoe. Turnout is over 40 percent. (Japan Times) Democratic National Committee cyber attacks Democratic presidential election nominee Hillary Clinton accuses Russian intelligence services of being behind recent hacks into Democratic National Committee computers, while also accusing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump of supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters) Democratic Republic of the Congo general election, 2016 Thousands of people protest in the capital Kinshasa after the national electoral commission decides to postpone the election. (France 24) (AP via The Washington Post) Sport 2016 PGA Championship American Jimmy Walker wins the 98th PGA Championship, his first major championship. (BBC) 2016 Women's British Open Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand wins the Women's British Open for her first major championship. (AP via ESPN)

July 2016 S M T W T F S             1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16     17     18     19     20     21     22     23     24     25     26     27     28     29     30     31                Ongoing events Business Bangladesh Bank heist Brexit Panama Papers Venezuelan protests State of emergency in Venezuela Culture Pokémon Go phenomenon Disasters 2016 California wildfires 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire 2016 Pacific typhoon season Health Flint water crisis Zika virus outbreak Law Philippines v. China Political War in Afghanistan Boko Haram insurgency Brazil protests Burundian unrest European migrant crisis (timeline) Iraqi and Syrian Civil War Military intervention against ISIL Israeli–Palestinian conflict Lebanese political deadlock Libyan Civil War Macedonia protests Moldova protests Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenian–Azeri border conflict Nepal blockade Philippine Drug War PKK rebellion Sinai insurgency South China Sea disputes Turkish coup d'état attempt Turkish purges War in Donbass Yemeni Civil War Zimbabwe protests More details on ongoing conflicts below Sports 2016 Formula One season 2016 ATP World Tour 2016 Major League Baseball season 2016 WTA Tour  Recent deaths July 31: Fazil Iskander 31: Mike Mohede 30: Patrick Lalor 29: Antonio Armstrong 29: Lucille Dumont 28: Mahasweta Devi 28: Vivean Gray 28: Doug Griffin 27: Jack Davis 27: Jerry Doyle 27: James Alan McPherson 27: Einojuhani Rautavaara 27: Richard Thompson 26: Miss Cleo 26: Jacques Hamel 26: Mohamed Khan 26: Per G. Malm 26: Forrest Mars Jr. 26: JT McNamara 26: Sandy Pearlman 25: Artur Correia 25: Halil İnalcık 25: Dwight Jones 25: Tim LaHaye 25: Mollie Lowery 25: James M. Nederlander 25: Tom Peterson 24: Frank Hodsoll 24: Marni Nixon 24: Chris Costner Sizemore 23: Carl Falck 23: Thorbjörn Fälldin 23: Kate Granger 22: S. H. Raza 22: Bernard Dufour 22: Ursula Franklin 22: Walid Juffali 22: Shawshank tree 22: Luo Yinguo 20: Radu Beligan 20: György Kéri 20: Pavel Sheremet 20: Mark Takai 20: Betsy Bloomingdale 19: Carlos Gorostiza 19: Garry Marshall 18: Bloeme Evers-Emden 18: Billy Name 18: Chief Zee 17: Wendell Anderson 17: Gary S. Paxton 16: Robert Burren Morgan 16: Nate Thurmond 16: Alan Vega 15: Qandeel Baloch 15: Karl E. Case 15: Erik Petersen 14: Michael J. Elliott 14: Péter Esterházy 14: Lisa Gaye 14: Sharon Runner 13: Héctor Babenco 13: Garry N. Drummond 13: Bernardo Provenzano 13: Carolyn See 12: Goran Hadžić 12: Peter Johnson 11: John Brademas 11: Sally Beauman 9: Gladys Hooper 9: Maralin Niska 9: Silvano Piovanelli 9: Sydney Schanberg 8: Abdul Sattar Edhi 8: William H. McNeill 8: Sally Beauman 7: Tom Marr 6: Bukky Ajayi 6: Marian Bergeson 6: Larry Bock 6: Philando Castile 6: John McMartin 5: Sayed Hussein Anwari 5: Beatrice De Cardi 5: Alirio Díaz 5: Alton Sterling 5: Brian White 4: Abbas Kiarostami 4: Abner J. Mikva 3: Michael Beaumont 3: Jimmy Frizzell 3: Noel Neill 3: Clifford Vaughs 3: Markus Werner 2: Rudolf E. Kálmán 2: Caroline Aherne 2: Roscoe Brown 2: Michael Cimino 2: Robert Nye 2: Michel Rocard 2: Elie Wiesel 1: Yves Bonnefoy  Ongoing conflicts Africa Algeria and Tunisia Maghreb insurgency ISIL insurgency in Tunisia Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Boko Haram insurgency Somalia Civil war South Sudan Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War) Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemeni Crisis Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency  Elections and Referendums Recent June 29: Mongolia, State Great Khural July 2: Australia, Senate, House of Representatives 9: Nauru, Parliament 10: Japan, House of Councillors 17: São Tomé and Príncipe, President Upcoming August 7: Thailand, Constitutional referendum 11: Zambia, National Assembly, President, Constitutional referendum  Trials Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes, Roger Rogerson, Glen McNamara Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Ji Jianye, Li Chuncheng, Jiang Jiemin, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Jordan: Abu Qatada Philippines: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Eston Kohver, Vladimir Kvachkov South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Kweku Adoboli, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot, Adam Johnson United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Jesse Jackson Jr., Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, Jared Lee Loughner, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias, Anas al-Libi, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Sheldon Silver, Dylan Quick International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir, Radovan Karadžić Ongoing China: Yao Mugen, Guo Youming, Zhu Zuoli Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr., Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu, Relu Fenechiu Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members Spain: Lionel Messi United States: Dean Skelos International ICTY: Ratko Mladić Upcoming China: Wu Changshun, Ling Jihua Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi United Kingdom: Max Clifford, Rolf Harris, Ched Evans United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry, Bill Cosby International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo