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Worldwide current events
Sports events

Topics in the news

France national football team

In association football, the FIFA World Cup concludes with France (team pictured) defeating Croatia in the final.
At least 154 people are killed and more than 220 others are injured in multiple bombings in Mastung and Bannu, Pakistan.
Scientists announce the discovery of stone tools dating to 2.1 million years ago in Shangchen, China, the oldest evidence of hominins outside Africa.
In Germany, the National Socialist Underground trial ends after more than five years with the sentencing of the main defendant, Beate Zschäpe, to life in prison.

July 20, 2018 (Friday)

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July 19, 2018 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2015–2018 Iraqi protests
- Protests that began last week in Iraq are continuing amid widespread anger over poor public services, high unemployment and pollution (CNBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- 14 civilians are killed in an air strike 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)
At least 11 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, USA. (News 5 Cleveland)

International relations

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. (NPR) (The Times of Israel)

July 18, 2018 (Wednesday)

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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)

History

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, saving an estimated $28-31 million annually in regulatory costs. Environmentalists claim 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 17, 2018 (Tuesday)

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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–present)
- 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 16, 2018 (Monday)

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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 belief that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 US presidential election. (BBC)

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)

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)

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 15, 2018 (Sunday)

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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)

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 14, 2018 (Saturday)

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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