Portal:Current events

Edit instructions

Worldwide current events
Sports events

Topics in the news

Emirates A6-EMW in 2009

An Emirates airliner (pictured) crash-lands and catches fire in Dubai. All the 300 passengers and crew escape but a firefighter is killed.
Flooding in Assam, India, kills 28 people, affects 1.6 million others and submerges Kaziranga National Park, a World Heritage Site.
In golf, Jimmy Walker wins the PGA Championship.
American skydiver Luke Aikins performs a 25,000-foot (7,600 m) free fall from an aircraft and lands on a ground net.
A hot air balloon catches fire and crashes near Lockhart, Texas, United States, killing 16 people.

August 5, 2016 (Friday)

edit

history

watch

Law and crime

A Swedish court orders the owner of the luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Gala that was due to house 1,800 asylum seekers before the Swedish Migration Agency pulled the plug to immediately leave its port. The local County administration says it intends to forcefully execute the ruling of the court if the vessel has not left the port by Monday morning. (Local)

Politics and elections

British activists with the Black Lives Matter movement from America block the road to Heathrow Airport and to streets in Manchester, Birmingham, and Nottingham, marking the fifth anniversary of the deadly police shooting of Mark Duggan in north London. Ten protestors are arrested. (NBC News) (Reuters)

Sports

The 2016 Summer Olympics held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro are scheduled to officially start with the Opening Ceremony at Maracanã Stadium. (BBC)

August 4, 2016 (Thursday)

edit

history

watch

Business and economy

As markets have expected, the Bank of England cuts the key interest rate to 0.25, the first cut since 2009. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Earl makes landfall in Belize near Belize City early today. (NHC)

2016 Nevada wildfire
- Wildfires in seven U.S. states are keeping thousands of firefighters at bay. (Fox News)

International relations

China bans K-pop stars and South Korean actors from attending promotional events in retaliation for Seoul's deployment of the U.S. THAAD anti-ballistic missile system. (The Wall Street Journal)
Cross-Strait relations
- China is blocking Taiwan's efforts to join the International Civil Aviation Organization despite 58 million air passengers passing over Taiwan's flight information region annually, citing the One-China principle. (Focus Taiwan) (Taipei Times)

Law and crime

Philippine Drug War
- Rodrigo Duterte says that the Sinaloa cartel and the Chinese Triad are active in the Philippine narcotic trade. (The Manila Standard)

Politics and elections

South African municipal elections, 2016
- With more than half the vote counted, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is ahead on 53.2 percent of the vote which, if this trend continues, will be the first election since the end of apartheid in 1994 that the ANC receives less than 60 percent. The opposition Democratic Alliance, with about 28 percent of the vote nationally, has gained the lead in three major cities: Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Port Elizabeth. Final results are expected Friday. (Press TV) (Financial Times)
In Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal takes the oath of office and secrecy as the country's 39th Prime Minister. (The Himalayan Times)

Science

China's unmanned lunar rover Yutu shuts down after exploring the Moon for 31 months. (BBC)

Sport

2016 Summer Olympics
- The International Olympic Committee rules that 271 of the 389 athletes nominated by the Russian Olympic Committee will be eligible to participate in the 2016 summer Olympics. (IOC)

August 3, 2016 (Wednesday)

edit

history

watch

Business and economy

The European Banking Authority supports retaining a 3% leverage ratio for most banks within the European Union. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The search continues for survivors of a bridge collapse on the Mumbai-Goa highway over the flooded Savitri River in western India. Twenty two people and two buses are believed to be missing. (AP via The Washington Post), (Times of India)
Emirates Flight 521
- An Emirates Boeing 777-300, flight EK521 from Thiruvananthapuram in India, crash lands at Dubai International Airport and bursts into flames. All 282 passengers and 18 crew evacuate safely, although 1 firefighter is killed during the rescue. (BBC) (CNN) (Al Jazeera)
2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Tropical Storm Earl, now about 265 miles (425 km) east-southeast of Belize City with top sustained winds of 70 mph (110 KM/H), becomes Hurricane Earl that could produce up to 16 inches of rain by the time it hits Belize. On Sunday, then a tropical wave, Earl was responsible for nine deaths, with four people still missing, in the Dominican Republic. (NBC News) (NHC public advisory)
2016 Pacific typhoon season
- Nida, the strongest typhoon to hit the Chinese coast in 33 years with winds of up to 145 kilometers per hour (90 mph), affects about 500,000 people; led to the cancellation of over 180 flights at the Hong Kong International Airport; caused 2,100 people to need emergency living assistance; destroyed over 300 houses; and, damaged about 2,400 houses and 19,600 hectares (48,433 acres) of crops. (News Nation) (CNN)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea launches two ballistic missiles, one of which explodes immediately after its launch while the main part of the other lands in Japan's economic exclusion zone. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Manus Island
- A court in Papua New Guinea orders the closure of the facility housing migrants. (The Guardian)
The United States Supreme Court grants a Virginia school board's emergency request to stop implementation of the federal government policy that calls for student use of the bathroom consistent with their gender identity in order to allow the board to appeal the Fourth Circuit Court ruling that upheld this policy. (Reuters) (The Wall Street Journal) (Los Angeles Times) (Metro Weekly)
2016 Russell Square knife attack
- At least one person is dead and several injured as a result of a knife attack in London's Russell Square. (BBC)

Science and technology

The United States Federal Aviation Administration approves private startup company Moon Express landing a robotic craft on the Moon, according to the Mountain View, California, company. (The New York Times) (SpaceNews)

Sports

2016 Summer Olympics
- Competition begins with six matches in women's football. (ESPN)

August 2, 2016 (Tuesday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts

Syrian Civil War
- A Syria Civil Defence volunteer search and rescue team says 33 people, mostly women and children, were affected by toxic gas dropped from a helicopter on Saraqeb in rebel-held Idlib Governorate. (Reuters)
Libyan Civil War
- A car bombing in the Al-Quwarsha area on the outskirts of Benghazi claims at least 23 lives. The Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries says it is responsible. (AP via The New York Times) (The Irish Times)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Nida makes landfall near Hong Kong with Category 1 hurricane strength. (Weather.com)
At least five people are killed and dozens injured when a charter bus swerved into a support pole on California Highway 99 near the town of Livingston in Merced County. The bus was headed to Pasco, Washington. (NBC News) (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

Three top staffers leave the Democratic National Committee 100 days before elections in early November as a result of the email leak. (Washington Examiner)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- The Chinese Supreme Court warns people caught fishing in Chinese waters could be jailed for up to a year. (Reuters)
United States elections, 2016
- Incumbent Republican congressman Tim Huelskamp, an active Tea Party favorite with a confrontational, anti-establishment approach running for a fourth term, is defeated (56.5 - 43.5 percent) in the Kansas primary by obstetrician Roger Marshall. (AP) (McClatchy Washington Bureau via The Wichita Eagle)
South Sudan President Salva Kiir fires six ministers allied to his long-time rival Riek Machar, replacing them with people linked to a breakaway faction of Machar's SPLM-IO party. (Reuters)

August 1, 2016 (Monday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The Taliban claims responsibility for a truck bombing in a military complex in Kabul. (Reuters)
Syrian civil war
- A Russian Mil Mi-8 military helicopter carrying humanitarian aid onboard is shot down by rebels in northern Syria. All five members of the crew die in the crash. (BBC) (AP)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Sirte offensive (2016)
  - The United States launches airstrikes on ISIL positions in the Libyan city of Sirte following a request from the UN-backed Government of National Accord. Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, in a televised address, says the strikes have caused "heavy ISIL losses". (BBC)

Business and economy

Uber announces plans to merge its China operations with rival Didi Chuxing with the merge company valued at $35 billion. (Reuters)
Tesla announces plans to acquire Solar City in a $2.6 billion deal. (Reuters via CNBC)

Law and crime

The Malaysian National Security Council Act comes into effect giving the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak sweeping new powers. (ABC News PM)
Venezuelan protests, 2016 state of emergency in Venezuela
- Venezuela's National Electoral Council says the opposition successfully met the one percent of voter signatures in every state requirement for a referendum to recall President Nicolás Maduro. Council head Tibisay Lucena did not name a date for the next phase of the referendum process: collect 20 percent of voters' signatures. (Reuters)

Sports

In auto racing, the 2016 Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway is won by Chris Buescher, the first rookie to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race since 2009. Adverse weather plagued the event, causing it to start a day later than planned, and end 22 laps shorter than the scheduled distance. (ESPN)

July 31, 2016 (Sunday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- 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)
War in Somalia (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 30, 2016 (Saturday)

edit

history

watch

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)

More July 2016 events...

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 2016 Atlantic hurricane 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 (map) 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 Summer Olympics 2016 Formula One season 2016 ATP World Tour 2016 Major League Baseball season 2016 WTA Tour edit sidebar

Recent deaths
August 4: Jean Antoine 4: David Dudley Dowd, Jr. 4: Albert Nicholas 3: Chris Amon 3: Mel Hurtig 2: Forbes Carlile 2: David Huddleston 2: Franciszek Macharski 2: Ahmed Zewail 1: Queen Anne of Romania 1: Frank Blas 1: Dai Dower 1: Andre Hajdu 1: Jim Northrup July 31: Fazil Iskander 31: Bobbie Heine Miller 31: Chiyonofuji Mitsugu 31: Seymour Papert 31: Sylvie Roy 30: Patrick Lalor 29: Antonio Armstrong 29: Lucille Dumont 28: Mahasweta Devi 28: Vivean Gray 28: Doug Griffin 27: Piet de Jong 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 26: Sylvia Peters 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: Goldie Michelson 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 edit sidebar

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 Moro conflict 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 edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent July 9: Nauru, Parliament 10: Japan, House of Councillors 17: São Tomé and Príncipe, President (1st round) Upcoming August 7: São Tomé and Príncipe, President (2nd round) 7: Thailand, Constitutional referendum 11: Zambia, National Assembly, President, Constitutional referendum 27: Gabon, President edit sidebar

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, Ling Jihua, 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, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, 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, Yang Weize, 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 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, Rick Perry, Bill Cosby International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo edit sidebar