Portal:Current events/July 2018

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July 2018 was the seventh month of that common year. The month, which began on a Sunday, ended on a Tuesday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from July 2018.

July 1, 2018 (2018-07-01) (Sunday)

Disasters and accidents

• A bus skids off a mountain road into a 700-foot (210 m)–deep ravine in Uttarakhand, India, killing at least 48 people. (Sky News)
• A road accident in Tanzania leaves 20 dead and 45 others injured. (Xinhua)

International relations

• North Korea–United States relations
  • U.S. President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor John R. Bolton states that the United States has a plan to dismantle the nuclear weapons program of North Korea in a year. (Time)

Law and crime

• List of helicopter prison escapes
  • Three heavily armed gunmen who hijacked a helicopter help Rédoine Faïd, one of France's most notorious gangsters, escape from a prison in Réau, Île-de-France. Police later discovered the abandoned helicopter in Gonesse. Faïd previously escaped prison in 2013 and was briefly France's most wanted criminal. (BBC)
• Cannabis in the United States
  • Cannabis in Vermont
    • Vermont legalizes recreational marijuana, becoming the ninth U.S. state to do so. (SFGate)
• Crime in Idaho
  • A man stabs multiple people celebrating a three-year-old's birthday party at an apartment complex housing refugees in Boise, Idaho. Nine people are injured, including the birthday girl and five other children; the birthday girl dies the next day. (Reuters)
• Terrorism in the United States
  • FBI agents arrest a Cleveland man they say told an undercover agent he was planning to bomb a July 4^th celebration. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2018 German government crisis, European migrant crisis
  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces resistance by the Bavarian CSU over the result of the EU asylum policy summit last week. (Bloomberg) (Frankfurter Allgemeine)
  • Interior minister Horst Seehofer offers his resignation citing a conflict with Angela Merkel over her refugee policy. (Sky News)
• 2018 Mexican general election
  • Voters in Mexico elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador as their new President in a landslide victory. Additionally, 128 senators and 500 deputies were also chosen. (Politico) (BBC)

Sports

• 2018 FIFA World Cup
  • Russia knocks out Spain from the World Cup after winning a penalty shootout. (The Denver Channel)
• 2018 Mediterranean Games
  • The closing ceremony of the 18th Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, Spain, takes place. (Mundo Deportivo)

Health and environment

• Pimachiowin Aki, a large area of Boreal Forest that spans parts of the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, and includes the lands of four First Nations, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (CBC)

July 2, 2018 (2018-07-02) (Monday)

Arts and culture

• Crossing the Ditch
  • New Zealander Scott Donaldson becomes the first solo kayaker to successfully cross the Tasman Sea. After 62 days at sea, he landed in Ngāmotu Beach, New Plymouth, at 8.44 p.m. local time (08:44 UTC). (The New Zealand Herald)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue
  • Rescue teams find all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive in Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai, Thailand, after being trapped for 10 days. (CNN)
• European migrant crisis
  • Malta detains German migrant rescue boat MV Sea Watch 3, which had been docked in Valletta for repairs, as it attempts to head into the Mediterranean Sea to rescue migrants off the Libyan coast. (Reuters)
  • The captain of MV Lifeline, a German migrant rescue ship that docked in Malta last week with 130 rescued migrants after Italy refused access, makes an initial court appearance in Valletta. He is charged with operating his ship illegally. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Crime in the Philippines and Philippine Drug War
  • Antonio Halili, the mayor of Tanauan, Philippines, is shot dead by a sniper during a flag raising ceremony outside the city hall. Halili was known for parading people arrested on drug offenses through the city's streets. (CNN)
• Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations
  • Harvey Weinstein is expected to face additional sexual assault charges in connection with a third woman in a July 2006 incident. (WSJ)
• Terrorism in Pakistan
  • Militants ambush a paramilitary convoy in Awaran, Baluchistan, Pakistan and kill six people. (Associated Press via NewsOK)
• Terrorism in the United States
  • Demetrius Pitts, accused of planning an al-Qaeda bombing in Cleveland, makes his first court appearance. (Reuters)
• Terrorism in Belgium, Terrorism in France
  • Belgian authorities announce the arrest and charge of a Belgian man and his Iranian wife suspected of plotting a bomb attack against a Mujahedeen Khalq rally in France. (The New York Times)
• Economy of the United States
  • A US federal judge orders PricewaterhouseCoopers to pay US$625.3 million compensation to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The judge rules PwC negligently caused losses to F.D.I.C. by failing to uncover fraud during audits of Colonial BancGroup. Colonial, one the nation's 25 largest banks, and Taylor, Bean & Whitaker, the 12th-largest mortgage broker in the US, both collapsed in August 2009 as a result of fraud between the two. F.D.I.C. was the receiver for Colonial. (Reuters)
• The Bataan Coast Guard detains cruise ship MV Forever Lucky on suspicion of involvement in human trafficking. The National Bureau of Investigation rescues 139 alleged victims from the vessel and charges Johnny Cabrera, the alleged lessor of the ship. (Inquirer)

Politics and elections

• 2018 German government crisis, European migrant crisis
  • Chancellor Angela Merkel and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer agree on a migration compromise; talks with the SPD coalition partner are following. (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

• 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification (Asia)
  • Philippines-Australia basketball brawl
    • A brawl breaks out during a 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifier match between the Philippines and Australia at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue. (BBC)

July 3, 2018 (2018-07-03) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian Civil War
  • The son of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is killed in a suicide attack mission in Homs, western Syria, or in a Russian bombing of a cave. (VOA News)

Disasters and accidents

• Shipwrecks in 2018, Disasters in Indonesia
  • Sinking of MV Sinar Bangun
    • Authorities call off the search for 164 missing after the ferry sank in Lake Toba. Only three bodies have been recovered after the disaster. Although the wreck has been located, rescuers lack the equipment to raise it or attempt to retrieve any bodies inside. (Inquirer)
  • Ferry MV KM Lestari Maju sinks while en route to Pamatata in Selayar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, with 48 vehicles and 139 passengers on board. At least 12 fatalities are reported. (Channel NewsAsia)
• Major power outages
  • Azerbaijan's largest blackout since 1991 affects most of the country. (AP)
• A pedestrian bridge collapses onto railway lines in Mumbai, injuring five. An approaching train is able to perform an emergency stop before colliding with the wreckage. Thousands of commuters are left stranded throughout the city. (BBC)

Health and environment

• Seattle becomes the first major U.S. city to ban plastic straws and utensils in all bars and restaurants. (CBC)
• 2018 Eastern Canada heat wave
  • A heat wave throughout Eastern Canada kills six people in Montreal. (CTV)

Law and crime

• Catholic sexual abuse cases in Australia
  • Roman Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, is sentenced to 12 months in detention for covering up child sexual abuse in the 1970s. Pope Francis appoints Port Pirie Bishop Gregory O'Kelly as Apostolic Administrator, but with special near-full powers to govern the Archdiocese, though for now Wilson is still the Archbishop. (BBC)
• LGBT rights in the United Kingdom
  • Theresa May announces a ban on gay conversion therapy. (BBC)
• Economy of the United Kingdom
  • The UK's Financial Reporting Council launches an investigation into financial services provider KPMG over its most recent audit of Convivality, the defunct owner of retail chain Bargain Booze. (ITV)
• 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal
  • Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is arrested for allegedly misusing state funds. (CNN)
• A bomb kills three oil survey workers and injures five more near Dera Bugti in Baluchistan, Pakistan. (AP via NewsOK)
• Cheshire Police in England arrest a female healthcare professional on suspicion of murdering eight babies and attempting to murder six more at Countess of Chester Hospital. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market
  • The Italian Wikipedia blocks all articles in protest of the European Union's copyright law. (BBC) (The Local)
• Tunisian local elections, 2018, Women in Tunisia
  • Souad Abderrahim becomes the first woman to be elected as Mayor of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. (The New York Times)

Science and technology

• Discoveries of exoplanets
  • The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope captures an image of PDS 70b, making it the first clear image of a planet forming from the disk of gas and debris surrounding its host star. (NBC News)

Sport

• 2018 FIFA World Cup
  • England beats Colombia 4–3 in penalty shoot-out to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition. It is the first time England has won a penalty shootout in a World Cup match. (The Independent)

July 4, 2018 (2018-07-04) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Clashes break out between Israeli security forces and Bedouin residents in Khan al-Ahmar, West Bank, as Israeli bulldozers prepare to demolish the village. The Supreme Court of Israel ruled that its residents could be evicted on May 24, while such relocation is considered illegal under international humanitarian law. (Reuters)
• 2018 Amesbury poisonings
  • Police determine two British nationals found unconscious at a property in Amesbury, Wiltshire, on Saturday were poisoned using Novichok nerve agent of the same kind used in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, seven miles from Amesbury, almost four months ago. (BBC)
  • A major incident has been declared in Amesbury and several areas of the town have been evacuated as the National Counter Terrorism Policing Network investigate the attack. (BBC)
• Moro conflict
  • Philippine soldiers clash with militants from the ISIL-affiliated Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), in the southern province of Maguindanao. The fighting began when BIFF militants attempted to occupy a town center, and lasted for 12 hours until the BIFF militants withdrew to the hills. Four militants were killed, while two militants, a Philippine soldier and a local militiaman were wounded. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Survivors trapped overnight on a stricken ferry are rescued off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi after the ferry began sinking the day before. Out of the 139 passengers aboard, 31 have been confirmed dead, while three remain missing. (AP via ABC News)

Health and environment

• 2018 Eastern Canada heat wave
  • The death toll from a heat wave in Quebec rises to 17. (CNN)

Law and crime

• Rise and Resist
  • At least six people are arrested for hanging a sign that read "Abolish ICE" from the base below the Statue of Liberty, where no banners are permitted hung under federal law. Another is arrested after scaling the base of the statue, prompting an evacuation of the island on the busy Fourth of July holiday. (The Washington Post) (ABC News)

Politics and elections

• Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market
  • The Polish, Spanish, Estonian and Latvian Wikipedias shut down in protest of the European Union's proposed copyright reform, blocking access for all users. This follows identical actions taken by Italian Wikipedia the previous day. (ERR) (TechCrunch)
• 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal
  • Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is charged with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust. He pleads not guilty to all charges and accuses the government of seeking "political vengeance." (Channel NewsAsia) (NBC News)

July 5, 2018 (2018-07-05) (Thursday)

Disasters and accidents

• Fireworks accidents and incidents
  • Two explosions at fireworks workshops in Tultepec, Mexico, kill at least 19 people, including rescue workers, and injure dozens more. Tultepec is home to a major fireworks industry. (Reuters)
• 2018 Phuket boat capsizing
  • At least 33 are dead and 23 missing after two passenger boats capsize off Phuket, Thailand. All are Chinese tourists. (The New York Times)

Health and environment

• 2018 Eastern Canada heat wave
  • The death toll from the worst heat wave in decades in Quebec rises to 34. (CBC)

International relations

• United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
  • Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz to shipping if the U.S. re-applies sanctions to the country after the U.S withdrew from the JCPOA deal earlier in the year. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market
  • The European Parliament votes against the proposed copyright reform. (BBC)
• Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration
  • U.S. President Donald Trump announces the resignation of Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Former coal lobbyist Andrew R. Wheeler will act as a temporary replacement. (CNBC)

July 6, 2018 (2018-07-06) (Friday)

Arts and culture

• The wreckage of Nazi German submarine U-966, which was sunk in November 1943, is discovered off the coast of Galicia, Spain. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• Tham Luang cave rescue
  • A former UDAU diver dies from lack of oxygen while delivering supplies to a group of boys and a man trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non. (ABC)
• 2018 Japan floods
  • Heavy rain in Japan prompts the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. At least 38 people have died in landslides. (BBC)

Health and environment

• 2018 Eastern Canada heat wave
  • As the heat wave in Quebec comes to an end, the death toll rises to 54. (CBC)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Japan
  • Japan executes former Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara and six other main members of Aum Shinrikyo, who led the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, by hanging. (BBC)
• Humboldt Broncos bus crash
  • The driver of the tractor-trailer that collided with the Humboldt Broncos team bus is arrested and is expected to face 29 charges. (CBC)

Politics and elections

• Corruption in Pakistan
  • In the Avenfield corruption case, the court announced a 10 year sentence and 8 million pound fine for the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. His daughter and political heir, Maryam Nawaz, was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and a 2 million pound fine. Sharif's son-in-law, Muhammad Safdar Awan, received a one-year sentence. (DAWN)
• Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales is accused of sexual abuse of ten public officials by former Foreign Minister Edgar Gutierrez. (TeleSUR)

July 7, 2018 (2018-07-07) (Saturday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Phuket boat capsizing
  • The death toll from a tourist boat accident off the coast of Thailand's Phuket Island climbs to 41, with 15 people still missing. (Reuters)
• 2018 Japan floods
  • The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rises to 49. (BBC)

Health and environment

• 2018 North American heat wave
  • High electricity demand during a heat wave in Los Angeles leaves 34,500 residents without power, some for up to 24 hours. (CNN)

International relations

• North Korea–United States relations, 2017–18 North Korea crisis
  • North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency calls high-level talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "regrettable" and criticizes the United States' "unilateral and gangster-like" demands for denuclearization. (AP via AL.com)

Law and crime

• Crime in the Philippines
  • Alexander Lubigan, Vice Mayor of Trece Martires, Philippines, is assassinated in an ambush. (The Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Politics and elections

• 2018 United States gun violence protests
  • Demonstrators protesting against gun violence block Interstate 94 in Chicago. (CNN)

July 8, 2018 (2018-07-08) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian Civil War
  • The Syrian Air Defense Force damages an Israeli aircraft and thwarts an Israeli missile strike on the Tiyas Military Airbase (T-4 Airbase) in the Homs Governorate. (Reuters)
• 2018 Amesbury poisonings
  • A British woman dies after being exposed to the Novichok nerve agent several days earlier in Amesbury. (CBS News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Japan floods
  • The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rises to 94, with over 50 people still reported missing. (Japan Today)
• Tham Luang cave rescue
  • Four boys are rescued from the cave. (The Guardian) (CNN)
• Çorlu train derailment
  • A train en route to Istanbul from Bulgaria derails in Tekirdağ Province, Turkey, killing 24 people and injuring 73. (Star Tribune) (BBC)

International relations

• North Korea–United States relations
  • U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls for North Korea to follow Vietnam's path in overcoming past hostilities with the United States. (The Guardian)
• 2018 Eritrea–Ethiopia summit
  • Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed meets with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara and they pledge to restore diplomatic relations. (CBC)

Law and crime

• Human rights in Iran
  • Iranian police arrest a number of users for posting illegal content on Instagram, including a famous blogger named Maedeh Hojabri. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• Politics of the United Kingdom
  • David Davis resigns as the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union amid disagreements with Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit negotiations. (BBC)
• Purges in Turkey
  • Turkey purges more than 18,500 government workers a day before Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is sworn in as executive president. (Bloomberg)

July 9, 2018 (2018-07-09) (Monday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Japan floods
  • The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rises to 126, with over 86 people still reported missing. (Japan Today)
• Tham Luang cave rescue
  • Divers in Thailand rescue four more boys from the cave Tham Luang Nang Non bringing the total to eight rescued. (ABC News)
• About 50 students are poisoned by inhaling a toxic gas, due to an explosion near their school of the locality of Chosica, in Lima, Peru. Spokespeople from local municipality say that this poisoning is due to the leakage of gas from a chlorine cylinder, although the place where the explosion began and the origin of the product has yet to be determined. (El Comercio) (La República)
• 2018 lower Puna eruption
  • The number of homes destroyed by lava from the latest eruption reaches 700. (The Business Journals)

International relations

• 2018 Eritrea–Ethiopia summit
  • Leaders from Eritrea and Ethiopia officially declare an end to their countries' 20-year border conflict. (Deutsche Welle)
• Sanctions against Iran, Iran–United States relations
  • The U.S. Treasury Department announces sanctions for a Malaysia-based sales agent for Mahan Air in connection with Iran's alleged support for international terrorism. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Inn Din massacre § Arrest of Reuters journalists
  • A court in Myanmar charges two Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents in violation of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, taking the landmark press freedom case to trial after a period of preliminary hearings that lasted six months. The two journalists were investigating mass graves in the village of Inn Din in northern Rakhine State prior to their arrest and imprisonment on 12 December 2017. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
• Weinstein effect
  • Eugene Gu, a doctor famous for successfully suing President Donald Trump for blocking him on Twitter, has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who says she’s his ex. (Daily Dot)

Politics and elections

• 2017–18 Iranian protests, Human rights in Iran
  • Iranian women post videos of themselves dancing to protest the arrest of Instagram blogger Maedeh Hojabri. (Time)
• 2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis
  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Quim Torra, meet officially in Moncloa. It is the first time since the beginning of the crisis that a Spanish Prime Minister and a Catalan President meet. (El País)
• Politics of the United Kingdom
  • Boris Johnson resigns as the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs amid disagreements with Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit negotiations. Johnson is the second member of May's cabinet to resign in two days. (BBC)
• 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election
  • Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear announces that he will run for Kentucky Governor in 2019 against incumbent Matt Bevin. (Courier Journal)
• Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination
  • U.S. President Donald Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Reuters)

Sports

• Former NFL cornerback Brandon Browner is arrested after allegedly breaking into a home of an ex-girlfriend who has a restraining order against him. (UPI)

July 10, 2018 (2018-07-10) (Tuesday)

Arts and culture

• Television in Iran
  • A film on IRIB TV1 showing social media users being scolded and tearfully apologizing for promoting dance online angers reformists. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Japan floods
  • The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rises to 155 while several other people are still missing. (Japan Times)
• 2018 Phuket boat capsizing
  • The death toll from a tourist boat accident off the coast of Thailand's Phuket Island climbs to 44, with five people still missing. (Business Insider)
• Tham Luang cave rescue
  • Divers in Thailand rescue the remaining four boys and their coach from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave. (Channel NewsAsia)

Health and environment

• 2018 North American heat wave
  • The heat-related death toll in the Canadian province of Quebec rises to 70, with 34 of those occurring in Montreal. (CBC)

International relations

• Human rights in China
  • Liu Xia, widow of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, is allowed to leave Beijing, China, for Berlin, Germany. (BBC)
• 2018 China–United States trade war
  • The Office of the United States Trade Representative releases a list of approximately $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to be affected in its next round of tariffs. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Women's rights in Iran
  • Shaparak Shajarizadeh, one of the Iranian women in the Girls of Enghelab Street protest against the hijab rule, says that she has left Iran after being sentenced to two years in prison and an 18-year suspended prison term. (RFE/RL)
• 2018 Peshawar suicide bombing
  • A suicide bombing at an Awami National Party campaign rally in Peshawar kills twelve people, including the provincial assembly candidate, Haroon Bilour, and wounds 35. Bilour was the son of Bashir Ahmad Bilour, who was also assassinated by a bomber in 2012. (APA)
• Trump administration family separation policy
  • The Trump Administration misses a court mandated July 10th deadline to reunite some of the youngest of the separated children with their families, citing "legitimate logistical impediments". (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis
  • The Supreme Court of Spain suspends from public office the deputies to the Parliament of Catalonia prosecuted for rebellion (Romeva, Turull, Rull, Sànchez, Junqueras, Puigdemont). The pre-trial phase is finished. (El País)

Sports

• 2018 FIFA World Cup
  • France knocks out Belgium from the World Cup, with France moving on to the final against either Croatia or England. (New York Times)

July 11, 2018 (2018-07-11) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • According to officials, an attack by the Taliban near Kunduz kills 29 Afghan Army soldiers. Air strikes kill dozens of militants elsewhere in the country. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Japan floods
  • The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rises to 179 while 67 other people are still missing. (Channel NewsAsia)
• Traffic collisions (2000–present)
  • At least 27 people are killed in an overnight bus crash in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, Iran. (Charlotte Observer)
• 2018 lower Puna eruption
  • Ahalanui Park and Kua O Ka La School are overtaken by lava. (Big Island Now)

International relations

• 2018 Brussels summit
  • Accession of Macedonia to NATO
    • NATO formally invites Macedonia to begin membership talks to join the organization. (RFE/RL)

Law and crime

• National Socialist Underground trial
  • In Germany, the accused members and supporters of the Neo-Nazi terrorist group National Socialist Underground are found guilty of the murders of nine immigrants and one policewoman, assistance in said murders, bomb attacks, attempted murders, and robbery. The main defendant and last surviving member of the terrorist group, Beate Zschäpe, is sentenced to life imprisonment. (Deutsche Welle)
• Murder of XXXTentacion
  • A second suspect is arrested in connection with the murder of rapper XXXTentacion. (NBC News)

Sports

• 2018 FIFA World Cup
  • Croatia defeats England 2–1 after extra time, advancing to their first-ever World Cup final, which will be against France on July 15. (CNN)

July 12, 2018 (2018-07-12) (Thursday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Japan floods
  • The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rises to 209 and 28 missing. (Reuters)
• 2018 Phuket boat capsizing
  • The death toll from a tourist boat accident off the coast of Thailand's Phuket Island climbs to 46. (The Straits Times)
• At least ten people are killed and many others still missing after a landslide breaks the banks of a natural dam in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan. (TOLO News)
• The Artz Pedregal shopping centre in Mexico City collapses. (Reuters)

International relations

• Iran and state-sponsored terrorism
  • Argentina petitions Russia to arrest former Iranian foreign minister and Ali Khamenei's advisor Ali Akbar Velayati, who is currently in Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, over his alleged role in the 1994 Jewish center bombing. (The Times of Israel)
• International presidential visits made by Donald Trump, United Kingdom–United States relations
  • U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in the UK for his presidential trip to the country amid widespread protests. (BBC)

Science and technology

• The Haida Nation calls for tighter restrictions around the Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area, a site of an ancient submarine volcano. (CBC)

July 13, 2018 (2018-07-13) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2018 Mastung suicide bombing; 2018 Pakistani general election
  • A suicide bomb attack near Mastung, Pakistan, kills 129 people, including political party candidate Siraj Raisani, during a political campaign. This is the third consecutive attack on a political rally. (RTÉ.ie)
• International military intervention against ISIL, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  • Pakistan, Iran, China, and Russia agree on joint efforts against the Islamic State group in Afghanistan, in an effort to ensure peace and eliminate terrorism from the region. (The Nation)

Disasters and accidents

• An explosion at a chemical plant near Cairo, Egypt, injures 12 people. (BBC)
• An explosion at a chemical plant in Sichuan, China, kills 19 people and injures 12 others. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Mueller special counsel investigation
  • Twelve Russian intelligence officers are indicted for hacks in connection with hacking of the Democratic National Committee, the Hillary Clinton campaign, and state election systems during the 2016 presidential election. (NPR) (NBC News)

July 14, 2018 (2018-07-14) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
  • Iran's Revolutionary Guards kill three would-be saboteurs and wound another in Kermanshah, near the Iraq border, before seizing their equipment. A volunteer on Iran's side is also killed. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
• 2015–2018 Iraqi protests
  • Widespread unrest erupts in southern Iraq as protesters, frustrated by shortages of electricity, water and jobs vent their anger, setting fire to political offices, attacking government infrastructure and deepening uncertainty about the country’s shaky political future. (Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

• A landslide at a jade mine in Kachin State, Myanmar, kills at least 15 people and injures 45 others. (Channel NewsAsia)

Science and technology

• In data collected by NASA's Juno spacecraft, an INAF team discovers suggestions of a new volcano close to the south pole of Jupiter's moon Io. (Tribune)

Sports

• 2018 FIFA World Cup
  • Belgium defeats England 2–0 to finish at third place—its best ever result at a World Cup. (Reuters via Radio New Zealand)

July 15, 2018 (2018-07-15) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2015–2018 Iraqi protests
  • Demonstrations in Muthanna Province, Iraq, leave 16 protesters killed or injured and 33 others arrested. (Iraqi News)

Business and economy

• Flights from Iran to Najaf, Iraq, are diverted to Baghdad due to anti-government protests. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude strikes off Yemen, but there are no reports of any damage or casualties. (The New York Times)
• MV Shunqiang 2 collides with another ship off Shanghai, causing thirteen to fall overboard and the ship to sink. Search and rescue operations commence for the missing seafarers. (Xinhua)
• A fire in a copper mine in Limpopo, South Africa kills five and traps a sixth. (CNN)

International relations

• Iran and weapons of mass destruction, Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • New details from Iranian nuclear documents stolen by Israeli spies show that Tehran obtained weapons-design information from a foreign source and was on the cusp of mastering key bombmaking technologies when the research was ordered halted 15 years ago. (The Washington Post)

Law and crime

• Murder of April Tinsley
  • Police in Allen County, Indiana arrest a suspect in the 1988 murder of the 8-year-old April Tinsley. (CBS News)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Haiti
  • Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigns after deadly protests against fuel price rises. (BBC)

Science and technology

• 2018 lower Puna eruption
  • A tiny island of lava forms north of the Kapoho ocean entry on Hawaii island. (Star Advertiser)

Sports

• Manny Pacquiao vs. Lucas Matthysse
  • In boxing, Manny Pacquiao knocks out Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round to win the WBA welterweight championship. (Reuters)
• 2018 FIFA World Cup Final
  • In football, France defeats Croatia 4–2 to claim its second World Cup championship. (BBC Sport)
  • Celebrations across France see two killed, 45 injured, and 292 arrested. (A.A.)
• 2018 Wimbledon Championships
  • In men's professional tennis, Novak Djokovic defeats Kevin Anderson in three sets to win his fourth Wimbledon championship. (BBC Sport)

July 16, 2018 (2018-07-16) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2015–2018 Iraqi protests
  • Demonstrations across Iraq leave dozens of people dead and cause mass unrest. (Iraqi News) (The Jerusalem Post) (The Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 lower Puna eruption
  • 23 passengers on a tour boat in Hawaii are injured after a lava bomb from the Kīlauea volcano punctures the roof of the vessel. (KABC-TV)
• An intense heatwave kills at least 14 people in Japan. (Reuters)
• Heavy flooding in Nigeria kills 44 people and 20 others are missing. (All Africa)
• Five bodies are recovered from MV Shunqiang 2, which sank the day before after colliding with another ship near Shanghai. (Xinhua)
• A ship catches fire at the Gadani ship-breaking yard in Pakistan, trapping four workers inside. (The Tribune)
• A road collision involving a broken-down bus kills at least 17 people and injures at least 11 others in Hyderabad, Pakistan. (The Tribune)
• Two vessels deliver 25 survivors and one Peruvian corpse from Spanish ship MV Dorneda to ports in Argentina and Patagonia. One crewman remains missing after the fishing trawler sank off Argentina. (The Journal du Cemron)
• An explosion in a coal mine in Tkibuli, Georgia, kills four people and injures six others. (A.A.)
• A gas explosion at a hotel in Multan, Pakistan, kills three people and injures 25 others. (The Nation)

International relations

• 2018 Russia–United States summit
  • United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Helsinki. (Huffington Post)
  • Trump reiterates his position that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 US presidential election. (BBC)

Law and crime

• Communications in Iran
  • Iranian police arrest 46 people in fresh crackdowns on models and associated colleagues posting "immoral images" on Instagram. (Washington Post)
• Russian espionage in the United States
  • The US government charges Maria Butina, a 29-year-old Russian woman with conspiracy to act as a Russian government agent while infiltrating political groups. (The Guardian)
• Finbar Charles, a 62-year-old citizen of Saint Lucia, pleads guilty to bribing US Army officers for military contracts during the Iraq War. (AL)

Politics and elections

• Khoisan § Declaration of sovereignty
  • King Khoebaha Calvin Cornelius III declares independence from South Africa to form the "Sovereign State of Good Hope", encompassing the states of Northern Cape, Western Cape, and the western parts of Eastern Cape. The state raised their own flag after taking down the South African flag. (The Citizen)

Science and technology

• British space programme
  • The UK Space Agency announces that the country's first spaceport will be located in Sutherland, northern Scotland, with the first launches potentially taking place in the early 2020s. (BBC) (The Guardian)

July 17, 2018 (2018-07-17) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Gaza–Israel conflict, 2018 Gaza border protests
  • The Israel Defense Forces are instructed to prepare for a large-scale military offensive in Gaza if demands for Hamas to halt the launches of flaming kites, incendiary devices and rocket attacks are not met by Friday. (The Times of Israel)
• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  • An ISIL suicide bomber killed 20 people in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, including a Taliban commander. In southern Kandahar province, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint in Arghistan district late on Monday night, killing nine policemen and wounding seven. 25 Taliban fighters were killed and 15 were wounded in the ensuing battle. (AP)

Business and economy

• All flights from Iran to Najaf, Iraq, resume following recent disturbances at Al Najaf International Airport. (Anadolu Agency)

International relations

• United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
  • Iran files a lawsuit against the United States in the International Court of Justice alleging its decision in May to impose sanctions after pulling out of a nuclear deal violates the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights between the two countries. (Reuters)
• Japan–European Union relations
  • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker hold a summit in Tokyo and sign a deal creating an open trade zone between their states. (NPR)
• Russia–Tajikistan relations
  • Russia and Tajikistan begin joint military exercises near the Afghan–Tajik border to deter potential Taliban attacks. (Yahoo!)

Politics and elections

• 2015–2018 Iraqi protests
  • About 250 protesters gather at the main entrance to Iraq's giant Zubair oilfield. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Moons of Jupiter
  • Ten new moons are discovered around Jupiter, raising the count to 79 confirmed moons. One of these new moons, S/2016 J 2, nicknamed Valetudo, is notable for orbiting backwards compared to the other moons in its vicinity, and may collide with one of them in the future. (Science Magazine)
• Archeologists in Jordan find baked flatbread dating to 12,500 BC, making it the oldest surviving bread ever discovered, surpassing a Turkish loaf which was estimated to be 9,100 years old. The bread was found in a stone oven which was apparently built during the formative years of the Natufian culture. The bread is also notable for predating the Neolithic Revolution by 4,000 years. (Reuters)
• Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announces plans to open the Technological University Dublin, a new university in Dublin, Ireland, in January 2019. The new university will be an amalgamation of three existing institutes of technology – DIT, ITB, and IT Tallaght. (RTÉ)

July 18, 2018 (2018-07-18) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian Civil War
  • Siege of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya
    • The evacuations of Shia towns Al-Fu'ah and Kafriya in the northern Idlib Governorate begin, as part of a deal between rebel forces and the Syrian government. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• A joint-team of South Korean, British, and Canadian explorers announce the discovery of the wreck of Russian cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi, off the coast of Ulleungdo island. Dmitrii Donskoi was scuttled in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War. (BBC) (The New York Post)

Business and economy

• European Union competition law
  • The European Commission fines Google €4.34 billion for breaching EU antitrust regulations, claiming that Google abused the dominant position of Android to promote their search product. Google announces it will appeal the ruling. (European Commission) (NPR)

Disasters and accidents

• European migrant crisis
  • A migrant boat capsizes off the northern coast of Cyprus, killing at least 19 people, while 25 are reported missing, and the Turkish coast guard rescues 103. (AP)

International relations

• Eritrea–Ethiopia relations
  • International air travel resumes between Eritrea and Ethiopia for the first time since 1998. (France 24)

Law and crime

• Terrorism in the United Kingdom
  • Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, is convicted of terror offences after attempting to kill guards, attack Theresa May, and blow himself up on Downing Street using fake explosives provided to him in a sting operation. (The Independent)
  • Far-right terrorism in the United Kingdom
    • The leader of the banned British far-right designated terrorist group National Action, Christopher Lythgoe, is jailed for eight years for being a member. (Sky News)

Politics and elections

• Cal 3
  • The Supreme Court of California blocks Tim Draper's proposition to break California into three states, stating that "significant questions have been raised regarding the proposition's validity". (NBC News)

Science and technology

• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iran starts work at a factory that can produce rotors for up to 60 centrifuges a day. (Reuters)
• Discoveries of exoplanets
  • Astronomers discover a giant gaseous planet orbiting a pair of brown dwarfs. (Sci News)
• Environmental issues in the United States
  • Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler announces coal-burning power plants may dispose of fly ash in unlined ponds for another 18 months beyond a previously-set April 2019 deadline. Testing standards for hazardous elements in adjacent waters are also weakened. While the move would theoretically save an estimated $28-31 million annually in regulatory costs, there are concerns drinking water could be affected. (NBC News)

Sports

• Formula 2 driver Santino Ferrucci is sacked by Trident Racing for deliberately crashing into Arjun Maini at a race in Silverstone earlier this month and for his sponsor's non-payment. He was previously fined for a number of other incidents, including holding a mobile phone as he drove from a paddock. (ESPN)

July 19, 2018 (2018-07-19) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2015–2018 Iraqi protests
  • Protests that began last week in Iraq continue amid widespread anger over poor public services, high unemployment, and pollution. (CNBC)
• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  • Fourteen civilians are killed in an airstrike near Kunduz. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• A 5.7 magnitude earthquake is felt in Mexico City as buildings shake mildly and some residents evacuate homes and office buildings. (NASDAQ)
• Table Rock Lake duck boat accident
  • At least 17 people are killed and an unknown number of others missing after a duck boat carrying 31 people capsizes and sinks on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, United States. (News 5 Cleveland)

International relations

• Equipment of the Iranian Army
  • Iran states that it intends to manufacture and upgrade up to 800 tanks. (Business Insider)

Law and crime

• Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People
  • The Israeli Parliament passes a Basic Law declaring that the Land of Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people and that the right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people, and also removes Arabic as an official language. (NPR) (The Times of Israel)

Politics and elections

• The head of Peru's Supreme Court resigns amid allegations of accepting bribes. (BBC)

Science and technology

• Airbus transport aircraft Airbus Beluga XL makes its maiden flight in France. (Euronews)

July 20, 2018 (2018-07-20) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2018 Gaza border protests
  • The Israel Defense Forces engage in a gunfight with Hamas' military wing after an Israeli soldier is killed by a Palestinian sniper; four Hamas members are killed. Israel responds to the incident with strikes on Hamas targets across Gaza. (BBC) (The New York Times)
  • Three rockets are fired at Israeli communities from Gaza. Two of them are intercepted by the Iron Dome. (CNN)

Arts and culture

• Weinstein effect
  • James Gunn is fired as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after the emergence of old tweets where he joked about subjects like pedophilia and rape. (Time)

Disasters and accidents

• Marine accidents in 2018
  • An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation into the collision between container ship MV Beijing Bridge and trawler FV Saxon Onward concludes both vessels saw each other in the lead-up to the collision but neither took appropriate avoiding action in time, with evasive manoeuvres by the cargo ship increasing the collision risk. (The Maritime Executive)
• Smoke from a brush fire reduces visibility and the OPP temporarily closes a 130-kilometre section of Ontario Highway 17 between Mattawa and Petawawa, the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the province. (Ottawa Citizen)

Law and crime

• Impeachment of Park Geun-hye
  • Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye is sentenced to an additional eight years for abusing state funds and violating election laws. (CBC)
• A man attacks people on a bus in Lübeck, Germany, prompting an evacuation of the vehicle. Six people are hurt by a knife, one is punched and two fall down; three are critically wounded. Police find a smoldering non-explosive backpack at the scene. The Iranian-born suspect is arrested. (BBC) (CBC) (RFERL)
• Hackers steal the personal data of 1.5 million Singaporeans through the national public health care system. Officials say Prime Minister Hsien Loong Lee's data is the target of the breach. (Channel NewsAsia)
• Microsoft reports that at least three United States congressional candidates have been targeted by hackers in the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2017–18 Iranian protests
  • Outside President Hassan Rouhani's office in Tehran, a group of Iranian girls severely burned in a 2012 school fire protest unequal diyah by the government toward their medical bills, which some say is an inalienable right. Their lawyer says Iran's policy of paying half diyah to women is "unfair and discriminatory". (PayvAnd)
• People's Party (Spain) leadership election, 2018
  • The XIX Congress of the People's Party begins, which will elect the new party leader and successor of former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The candidates are former Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría and the party's deputy secretary of communication, Pablo Casado. (Reuters)

July 21, 2018 (2018-07-21) (Saturday)

Business and Economy

• Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne resigns due to failing health and is replaced by Jeep CEO Mike Manley. (The New York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Western Iran clashes (2016–present)
  • PJAK militants blow up an ammunition dump and kill eleven Iranian border guards stationed at an Iran–Iraq border post in Marivan County. Several militants are killed in return. (Reuters)
• Syrian Civil War
  • Israel Defense Forces extract 98 White Helmets and 324 others from recently recaptured southwestern Syrian territory into Jordan, at the request of Canada and the United States. Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany offer refuge to some of them. Two other groups intended for rescue, comprising about 800 people, do not escape. (CBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Vietnam floods
  • Tropical Storm Son-Tinh kills 20 people, injures 14 more and leaves at least 16 missing in Vietnam. (Reuters)
• The death toll from a heatwave in Japan rises to 30. (BBC)

Law and crime

• Crime in South Africa
  • Gunmen attack a minibus of people returning from a funeral between Colenso and Weenen in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Eleven people are shot dead and four others are critically injured. (The Evening Standard)
• 2018 Los Angeles hostage incident
  • A gunman is arrested for one count of murder after killing a woman then taking dozens of people hostage at a Trader Joe's in Los Angeles, California. (CBS News)

Politics and elections

• People's Party (Spain) leadership election, 2018
  • Pablo Casado is elected leader of Spain's centre-right People's Party after defeating former Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría in a run-off. (BBC)
• Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte
  • The Philippines immigration authority has ordered the deportation and blacklisting of an Australian nun who was investigated, under instruction from President Rodrigo Duterte, for her political activism. (Business Insider)

Sports

• 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens – Women's tournament
  • New Zealand defeats France 29–0 in the final to win the 2018 women's Rugby World Cup Sevens. (Radio New Zealand)

July 22, 2018 (2018-07-22) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  • An ISIL suicide bomber kills 14 people and wounds over 60 others at a police checkpoint near Hamid Karzai International Airport. The attack coincides with Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum returning to Afghanistan after more than a year in exile in Turkey. Dostum and his entourage are unhurt. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
  • A suspected U.S. drone strike kills four alleged al-Qaeda militants in Ma'rib. (AP)
• 2018 Toronto shooting
  • A mass shooting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, occurs, leaving two people dead and 13 others injured. The shooter is found dead nearby after exchanging gunfire with police and fleeing. (AP)

Law and crime

• Protests against Emmanuel Macron, Benalla affair
  • A French judge hands preliminary charges to one of French President Emmanuel Macron's top security aides after video surfaced showing him attacking a protester at a May Day demonstration. (Canoe.com)

Sports

• 2018 Open Championship
  • Francesco Molinari wins the British Open at Carnoustie for his first major title by two strokes over a group including past major winners Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose. Tiger Woods, Molinari's playing partner for the final round, finishes one shot further back in a tie for sixth. (CBS News)
• 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens – Men's tournament
  • New Zealand defeats England 33–12 in the final to win the 2018 men's Rugby World Cup Sevens. (Radio New Zealand)
• Football in Germany
  • Arsenal and German professional footballer Mesut Özil announces his retirement from international football, citing racism and disrespect. (The Guardian)

July 23, 2018 (2018-07-23) (Monday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Attica wildfires
  • Wildfires in east and west Attica, Greece, kill at least 76 people, leave another 172 injured, and burn hundreds of houses and vehicles, prompting a state of emergency. The Greek government requests help from European Union countries. (Reuters) (Sky News)
• 2018 Laos dam collapse
  • Heavy rains cause the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in southern Laos to collapse, releasing a reported five billion cubic metres of water. As a result, 20 people are confirmed dead, over a hundred are missing, and 6,600 have been displaced. (BBC) (The Guardian)
• 2018 lower Puna eruption
  • Geologists monitoring the eruption of Kīlauea warned it could continue to spout lava for a long time. (WRAL)
• The death toll from an intense heat wave in Japan rises to 77. (The Straits Times)

International relations

• North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
  • Photos taken on July 20 and 22 and published by 38 North appear to show North Korea dismantling a ballistic missile launchpad and engine testing stand at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. (UPI)

Law and crime

• 2018 Toronto shooting
  • Police identify the gunman in a deadly mass shooting in Toronto, Canada. Investigators are still determining a motive. His family claims he had severe mental health problems. (CBC)
• Femen co-founder and activist Oksana Shachko is found dead in her Paris apartment in an apparent suicide. France granted her political refugee status in 2013. (RFE/RL)

Politics and elections

• Protests against Rodrigo Duterte
  • Protesters take to the streets around Manila as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte prepares for his State of the Nation Address (SONA). (Time)
• 17th Congress of the Philippines
  • Majority of the House of Representatives of the Philippines elects Former President and current House Representative, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as House Speaker of the lower congress replacing Pantaleon Alvarez. (Reuters)

July 24, 2018 (2018-07-24) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli–Syrian military incidents during the Syrian Civil War
  • The Israel Defense Forces shoot down a Syrian Air Force jet near the Golan Heights after it reportedly crosses into the UNDOF zone near Israeli border. (BBC)

Business and economy

• 2018 lower Puna eruption
  • Hawaii cancels a grant funding the island government's purchase of a recreational land parcel that is now covered by fresh lava. (WRAL)
• Trump tariffs
  • The White House announces $12 billion in bailouts for farmers and ranchers affected by recently imposed retaliatory tariffs. (Sacramento Business Journal)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Vietnam floods
  • The death toll from heavy floods in Vietnam rises to 27, while seven other people are missing. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• 2018 in paleontology
  • Researchers at the Imperial College London report the discovery of the Lingwulong genus, a subgroup of Sauropods that lived in China about 174 million years ago, which is 15 million years earlier than any previously-known member of the group. (BBC) (ABC News)

July 25, 2018 (2018-07-25) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian Civil War
  • 2018 As-Suwayda attacks
    • Coordinated suicide bombings and shootings carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in As-Suwayda, Syria, kill 215 people and injure more than 200 others. (Reuters)
• 2018 Quetta suicide bombing
  • A blast outside a polling station in Quetta, Pakistan, kills 31 people and wounds several more on election day. (Hindustan Times)

Business and economy

• United States–European Union relations, Trump tariffs
  • U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders agree to halt their trade war over vehicles and say they will open talks on removing trade barriers between the United States and the European Union. (AP via Yahoo! Finance)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Attica wildfires
  • The death toll from the wildfires in Greece rises to 80 people while many others are still missing. (BBC)
• 2018 Laos dam collapse
  • The death toll from a dam collapse in Laos that caused heavy floods rises to 26, while more than 130 remain missing. (Channel NewsAsia)
• A Legionella outbreak in Bresso, Italy, kills three people while 17 others are hospitalized. (Corriere Della Sera)
• Paraguay's Minister of Agriculture, Luis Gneiting, and three others are killed in a plane crash near Ayolas. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Kidnapping of Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman
  • Caitlan Coleman, the wife of former Taliban hostage Joshua Boyle, returns to the United States with her children after a family law court in Ottawa approved her request. (CTV News)

Politics and elections

• Pakistani general election, 2018
  • Voters in Pakistan go to the polls to elect the members of the National Assembly and the four Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Water on Mars
  • Scientists at INAF announce the discovery of a liquid water lake beneath a polar ice cap on Mars. The discovery was made using MARSIS, a radar instrument on board the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. (BBC)

July 26, 2018 (2018-07-26) (Thursday)

Business and economy

• Facebook stocks drop 20% (US$118 billion), setting a record as the biggest single stock market loss in one day, and marking the first time that a stock lost over $100 billion in one day. (CNBC)
• Disney announces plans to eliminate all plastic straws and plastic stirrers from their parks by mid-2019. (NOLA)

International relations

• European migrant crisis
  • Hundreds of Sub-Saharan African migrants storm a border fence in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, using home-made flamethrowers and other improvised weapons. The Spanish Civil Guard reports that 602 people succeeded in reaching Ceuta, of whom 586 were taken to a temporary reception centre, while 16 others are being treated in a hospital. Fifteen border guards were also hurt. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Japan
  • The six remaining cult members of Aum Shinrikyo who perpetrated the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack and were on death row are executed by hanging. (Japan Today)
• Cannabis in the United Kingdom
  • The UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid announces that medicinal cannabis products are to be legalized by the end of this year, allowing cannabis treatments to be legally prescribed by specialist doctors following several high profile cases. (BBC) (Reuters)
• A bomb explodes outside the U.S. Embassy in China, wounding the lone assailant. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• A team of Russian scientists in collaboration with Princeton University announce in a new report that they have brought two female nematodes frozen in permafrost from around 42,000 years ago back to life. The two nematodes are now the oldest confirmed living animals on the planet. (The Siberian Times)
• Astronomers say they have observed Albert Einstein's theory of gravitational redshift for the first time while observing a star known as S2 interact with a supermassive black hole using the Very Large Telescope (VLT). (BBC)

July 27, 2018 (2018-07-27) (Friday)

Business and economy

• Proposed acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney
  • 21st Century Fox share holders approve a $71.3 billion merger with The Walt Disney Company. (Variety)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 California wildfires
  • The Carr wildfire threatening Redding, California, U.S., kills two firefighters, as many residents flee their homes. (New York Times)

International relations

• North Korea–United States relations
  • North Korea returns what it says are the remains of 55 U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War on the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. The repatriation was agreed at the June summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a bid to improve relations. (Sky News) (Vox)

Science and technology

• July 2018 lunar eclipse
  • The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century colours the moon reddish orange in parts of Africa, Asia and Europe for about one hour and 42 minutes. (ABC News)

July 28, 2018 (2018-07-28) (Saturday)

Arts and culture

• Ground breaking on the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, Illinois, is pushed back again until all federal approvals are completed, which will not be until 2019. (Chicago Sun Times)

Disasters and accidents

• July 2018 Lombok earthquake
  • A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Lombok, Indonesia, destroying several houses. At least 16 people are killed and 160 others are injured. (BBC)
• Heavy monsoon rains in northern India leave 58 people dead. (ABC)
• A bus crashes in Dapoli, India, killing thirty people and leaving one sole survivor. (Bendigo Advertiser)

Law and crime

• Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is arrested and taken into police custody on charges of being involved in the crackdown on protests in 2008 that resulted in ten deaths following a disputed presidential election. (RFE/RL)
• A court in Egypt sentences 75 supporters of former president Mohammed Morsi to death, as part of a trial of more than 700. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Australian federal by-elections
  • Five separate by-elections are held for five seats in the Australian House of Representatives, namely Braddon, Fremantle, Longman, Mayo and Perth, four of which were triggered by the dual citizenship crisis. (The Guardian)
• Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People
  • Israeli Arab MP Zouheir Bahloul resigns over the "nation-state" law. (BBC)

July 29, 2018 (2018-07-29) (Sunday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 Pacific typhoon season
  • Typhoon Jongdari hits central and western Japan, injuring at least 21 people and cutting power to tens of thousands of homes. The typhoon is the latest in the series of weather events to affect the country, following devastating floods and a fatal heat wave earlier in the month. (BBC)
• 2018 Attica wildfires
  • The death toll from the fires in Greece rises to 91 while 25 other people are still missing. (AP)
• List of people who disappeared mysteriously
  • TeNiya Elnora Jones, a University of Kentucky student studying abroad in the Middle East, is reported missing after a swimming accident over the weekend in Tel Aviv, Israel. (USA Today)

International relations

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict, 2018 Gaza border protests
  • Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi is released from an Israeli prison. (NBC News)

Law and crime

• Four cyclists, two Americans, one Dutch national and one Swiss national, are killed in the Khatlon Region, Tajikistan by a hit-and-run driver while three others are injured. A 21 year old male suspect has been arrested. (RFE/RL) (NU.nl)

Politics and elections

• Malian presidential election, 2018
  • Malians go to the polls to elect a president. (The Globe and Mail)

Sports

• 2018 Tour de France
  • Geraint Thomas of the United Kingdom wins the Tour de France. (BBC)

July 30, 2018 (2018-07-30) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian Civil War
  • 2018 Southern Syria offensive
    • The Syrian Army seizes control of Al-Shajara, described as ISIL's "main bastion" in the Daraa Governorate. (The New Arab)
  • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports that ISIL militants are holding more than 30 Druze women and children hostage following last week's attacks on Druze villages in the As-Suwayda Governorate. (BBC)

Business and economy

• Economy of Iran
  • The Iranian rial hits another record low against the US dollar ahead of August 7, when the first round of fresh United States sanctions against Iran begin. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• 15 people are killed and over 25,000 are affected after heavy floods hits Nigeria. (All Africa)
• 11 people died and 54,000 others are displaced when floods hits Myanmar. (DNA India)
• 13 people are killed and four others are injured in a road accident involving a car and a truck in Quang Nam, Vietnam. (VietnamPlus)
• A man died and 12 others were hospitalized when the West Nile virus spread across Italy. (Fidelity News)

International relations

• Italy–United States relations
  • U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House. (USA Today)
• North Korea–United States relations
  • Intelligence officials in the United States share evidence that North Korea has continued to develop nuclear weapons, despite promises made at the 2018 North Korea–United States summit. (Washington Post)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in Georgia
  • Following a campaign led by Georgian politician Zurab Japaridze, the Constitutional Court of Georgia legalizes cannabis for recreational use. Georgia is the first former Soviet Republic to fully legalize the drug, with it also being decriminalized in Russia, Ukraine and Estonia. (Georgia Today) (RFE/RL)
• Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb calls for the General Assembly to pass a hate crimes bill after a suburban Indianapolis synagogue is defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti. (SFgate)
• Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson announces his resignation after being convicted for his role in covering up sexual abuse. He is the most senior Roman Catholic official convicted to date. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Zimbabwean general election, 2018
  • Voters in Zimbabwe go to the polls to elect a new president and members for both houses of the Parliament, the first election to not involve longtime former president Robert Mugabe. (The Guardian)
• Macedonian constitutional referendum, 2018
  • Lawmakers in Macedonia approve a government proposal to set September 30 as the target date of a referendum to change the country's name. (RFE/RL)

July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Terrorism in Tajikistan, Terrorist incidents linked to ISIL
  • ISIL claims responsibility for an attack in Tajikistan that occurred two days prior and left four cycling tourists dead. (CBS News)
• Malian presidential election, 2018
  • Gunmen attack a convoy carrying election materials in the Ségou Region. The attack and the ensuing shootout kill four soldiers and eight attackers. (SBS News)
• Three people are killed and robbed in an ambush near Sibut, Central African Republic. The Mikhail Khodorkovsky-financed Investigations Management Center says that they were Russian journalists who worked with them on a documentary about Wagner Group mercenaries and Russian mining interests in the country. (TASS) (Reuters) (CBS News)
• Moro conflict
  • 2018 Lamitan bombing
    • A van loaded with an improvised explosive device explodes in an army checkpoint in Lamitan, Basilan, in the Philippines, killing 11. (Manila Bulletin)

Business and economy

• Economy of the United States
  • Worker pay rate in the United States hits its highest level since 2008 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Employment Cost Index, which tracks worker compensation, has been steadily increasing since just prior to Donald Trump taking office. (CNBC) (Bloomberg) (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Disasters and accidents

• 2018 California wildfires
  • Fires across California kill at least eight people. One month into the fiscal year, the state's emergency fund is about one quarter spent. (UPI)
• Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431
  • An Aeroméxico Embraer 190 crashes shortly after taking off from Durango International Airport in Durango, Mexico, injuring around 85 people, two critically. (BBC)
• In Peru, two trains collide en route to Machu Picchu, injuring 15. (BBC)
• Popocatépetl, a stratovolcano that is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, releases a large quantity of ash. (BBC)

International relations

• Russia–European Union relations
  • The European Union imposes sanctions on six Russian companies involved in the construction of the bridge connecting mainland Russia to the annexed Crimea peninsula. (The Moscow Times)

Law and crime

• Mueller special counsel investigation, Trials of Paul Manafort
  • The former campaign chairman of U.S. President Donald Trump, Paul Manafort, appears in court for the opening day of his criminal trial on 18 bank and fraud charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. (The Hill)
• A shooting at a billiard hall in El Tarra, Colombia, kills nine people. Local media blames a feud between two left-wing rebel groups, who both deny responsibility. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Facebook announces that it has suspended 32 accounts it believes intended to influence the 2018 mid-term elections in the United States. The company says while it is uncertain who operated these accounts, at least one is linked to the Russian-based Internet Research Agency. (BBC)

Sports

• In baseball, the New York Mets suffer the worst loss in franchise history after being defeated by the Washington Nationals, 25–4. (USA Today)

July 2018

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

• 1MDB scandal
• Turkish currency and debt crisis

Culture

• Weinstein effect

Disasters

• 2018 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
• 2018 Pacific hurricane season
• 2018 Pacific typhoon season
• 2018 California wildfires
• 2018 East Africa floods
• 2018 lower Puna eruption
• 2018 United Kingdom wildfires

Politics

• Brexit negotiations
• European migrant crisis (timeline)
• Iranian protests
• Iraqi protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Qatar diplomatic crisis
• Rohingya persecution in Myanmar
• Spanish constitutional crisis
• Trump administration family separation policy
• Turkish purges
• U.S. political sex scandals
• U.S. Special Counsel investigation (timeline)

Sports

• NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal

More details – ongoing conflicts

Elections and referendums

Recent

• July
  • 25: Pakistan, National Assembly
  • 29: Cambodia, National Assembly
  • 29: Mali, President (1st round)
  • 30: Comoros, Referendum
  • 30: Zimbabwe, President and Parliament

Trials

Recently concluded

• Australia: Philip Wilson
• Germany: Beate Zschäpe
• Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif
• Philippines: Maria Lourdes Sereno
• Spain: Gürtel case
• United Kingdom: John Leslie
• United States: Sheldon Silver, Frank Salemme, Dean Skelos

Ongoing

• Cambodia: Kem Sokha, Mu Sochua
• Estonia: Edgar Savisaar
• Guatemala: Otto Pérez Molina, Roxana Baldetti, Juan Carlos Monzón and others
• Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum
• Malaysia: Siti Aisyah and Đoàn Thị Hương
• Philippines: Leila de Lima
• Spain: Bárcenas affair
• United States: Fat Leonard scandal, Paul Manafort
• International
  • ICC: Laurent Gbagbo

Upcoming

• Australia: George Pell
• Canada: Alek Minassian
• Egypt: Mohamed Morsi
• Guatemala: Alvaro Colom, Manuel Baldizón, Juan Alberto Fuentes
• Iran: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
• Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr., Jovito Palparan
• Romania: Liviu Dragnea
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: Jordi Pujol
• Ukraine: Roman Nasirov
• United Kingdom: Football sex abuse scandal
• United States: Patrick Ho, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Sayfullo Saipov, Turpin case
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2018 UEFA Super Cup
  • 2018 MLS season
  • 2018–19 UEFA Champions League
  • 2018–19 UEFA Europa League
• Women's association football
  • 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.
  • 2018 NWSL season
• Baseball
  • 2018 MLB season
  • 2018 NPB season
• Basketball
  • 2018 WNBA season
• Golf
  • 2018 PGA Tour
  • 2018 European Tour
  • 2018 LPGA Tour
  • 2018 PGA Tour Champions
  • 2018 Ladies European Tour
• Motorsport
  • 2018 Formula One Championship
  • 2018 World Rally Championship
  • 2018 MotoGP
  • 2018 IndyCar Series
  • 2018 NASCAR Cup Series
  • 2018 Supercars Championship
• Rugby league
  • 2018 NRL season
  • 2018 Super League
• Rugby union
  • 2018 Super Rugby season
• Tennis
  • 2018 ATP World Tour
  • 2018 WTA Tour
  • 2018 Davis Cup (World Group)
  • 2018 Fed Cup (World Group)
• Other sports seasons
  • 2018 AFL season
  • 2018 CFL season
  • 2018 international cricket season
  • 2018–19 figure skating season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

July 2018

• 31: Brian Christopher
• 29: Ron Dellums
• 29: Tomasz Stańko
• 29: Nikolai Volkoff
• 25: Sergio Marchionne
• 25: Guy Molinari
• 24: Mary Ellis
• 23: Roh Hoe-chan
• 23: Oksana Shachko
• 22: Rene Portland
• 22: Tony Sparano
• 21: Jonathan Gold
• 20: Mitsuo Matayoshi
• 20: Thaddeus Radzilowski
• 19: Shinobu Hashimoto
• 19: Jon Schnepp
• 19: Denis Ten
• 18: Adrian Cronauer
• 18: Burton Richter
• 18: Geoffrey Wellum
• 17: Gary Beach
• 17: Yvonne Blake
• 15: Ray Emery
• 14: Theo-Ben Gurirab
• 14: Masa Saito

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

• Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
  • Maghreb insurgency
• Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
  • Boko Haram insurgency
• Central African Republic
  • Civil War
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Kivu conflict
  • ADF insurgency
  • Ituri conflict
  • Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
• Ethiopia
  • Oromo Conflict
• Libya
  • Civil war
• Mali
  • Northern Mali conflict
• Nigeria
  • Communal conflicts in Nigeria
• Somalia
  • Civil war
• South Sudan
  • Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War)
• Sudan
  • War in Darfur
  • South Kordofan conflict
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts

Americas

• Colombia
  • Colombian conflict
• Mexico
  • Mexican War on Drugs
• Peru
  • Internal conflict in Peru

Asia

• Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan War
• China
  • Xinjiang conflict
• India
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
• India and Pakistan
  • Kashmir conflict
• Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
  • Moro conflict
    • Cross border attacks in Sabah
• Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
  • Papua conflict
• Myanmar
  • Internal conflict in Myanmar
    • Kachin conflict
    • Karen conflict
    • Northern Rakhine State clashes
• Pakistan
  • War in North-West Pakistan
  • Balochistan conflict
• Philippines
  • CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion
• Thailand
  • South Thailand insurgency

Europe

• Armenia and Azerbaijan
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
• Georgia
  • Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
  • Georgian–Ossetian conflict
• Russia
  • Chechen–Russian conflict
  • North Caucasus insurgency
• Ukraine
  • War in Donbass
    • Russian military intervention in Ukraine

Middle East

• Egypt
  • Sinai insurgency
• Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria
  • Arab–Israeli conflict
• Iran
  • Iran–PJAK conflict
• Iraq
  • American-led intervention in Iraq
  • Iranian intervention in Iraq
• Iraq and Syria (map)
  • Military intervention against ISIL
• Israel and Lebanon
  • Israeli–Lebanese conflict
• Israel and Palestine
  • Gaza–Israel conflict
  • Israeli–Palestinian conflict
• Syria
  • American-led intervention in Syria
  • Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  • Turkish military intervention in Syria
  • Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
• Turkey
  • Turkey–PKK conflict
• Yemen
  • Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • Al-Qaeda insurgency