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Gary Woodland

Former President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi dies during his trial at the age of 67.
In golf, Gary Woodland (pictured) wins the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
In basketball, the Toronto Raptors defeat the Golden State Warriors, becoming the first Canadian team to win the NBA Finals.
Two oil tankers are attacked in the Gulf of Oman, amidst heightened tensions between Iran and the United States.

June 18, 2019 (Tuesday)

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June 17, 2019 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram
- Three Boko Haram suicide bombers detonate their devices among a group of football fans, killing 30 people and wounding 40 others, in Konduga, Nigeria. (BBC)
- Boko Haram terrorists engage troops in a gun duel in the Nganzai local government area of Borno State, a security source says. (Sahara Reporters)
Iran–United States relations
- Acting United States Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan authorizes the deployment of approximately 1,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East region "for defensive purposes to address air, naval and ground-based threats" amid increased tensions with Iran. The move comes four days after two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman incident. (NBC News) (CBS News)

Arts and culture

Japanese anime developers report that the industry is in crisis, even as its popularity soars in its native country. Among the reasons are low pay, long hours, and a huge shortage of artists – just as its global popularity reaches record levels. (Japan Today)

Disasters and accidents

List of earthquakes in 2019
- A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hits Sichuan, China, killing 11 people and injuring 122 others. (Straits Times)

International relations

Iran nuclear deal
- Iran announces that within ten days, it will stop abiding by the agreement and will exceed the limit on its stockpile of uranium. (NPR)
- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tells the Fars News Agency "the time is short for Europe to save the international nuclear deal", and calls on France to take the lead. Reuters reports that Rouhani added the collapse of the nuclear deal would not be in the interests of the region and the world. (BBC) (NPR)
Ecuador–United States relations
- Ecuador agrees to allow U.S. military planes fighting drug trafficking to operate from San Cristóbal Airport in the Galápagos Islands. National Assembly legislators call on Defense Minister Oswaldo Jarrin and Environmental Minister Marcelo Mata to explain the scope of co-operation. (BBC)

Law and crime

Twelve people are killed and dozens more injured when a passenger grabs the steering wheel of a bus in West Java, Indonesia, causing it to crash. (BBC)
A gunman opens fire on Dallas police before being shot and killed near a federal building. (CNN)
A man identified as Yujiro Iimori, who allegedly stabbed and robbed a police officer of his gun, is arrested in Osaka, Japan. He presents a mental health certificate as defense. (The Japan Times)
Gerrymandering in the United States
- The U.S. Supreme Court rules, in a 5–4 decision, the Virginia legislative districts that the court previously said were racially gerrymandered, have to remain in their redrawn form. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch make up the majority, not the usual conservative-liberal grouping. (NPR)
Criminal charges are stayed against Jaspal Atwal, the central figure of controversy that surrounded Justin Trudeau's trip to India. He was charged in May 2018 with uttering threats against a Punjabi radio host. (CBC News)
Four people are shot and injured at a parade celebrating the 2019 NBA Finals in Toronto. (Global News)

Politics and elections

Former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in a coup in 2013 and has been detained in jail since then, dies after fainting during an espionage court hearing. (CNN) (KNIF) (BBC)
Crisis in Venezuela
- The Venezuelan government releases deputy Gilber Caro, who had been illegally detained and disappeared for three months as a political prisoner. (VOA)

June 16, 2019 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Northwestern Syria offensive (April 2019–present)
- The Syrian Army and the Turkish Land Forces exchange heavy fire in the northern Idlib Governorate, in what Turkish officials described as a deliberate mortar attack on one of their observation posts in Murak that wounded three Turkish troops. (Al Jazeera) (Daily Sabah)
- At least 12 people are killed after jihadists shelled a village in Aleppo Governorate with mortars. (Business standards)
In the past week, over 160 people have been killed and 40 villages destroyed in attacks between tribes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

2019 South American blackout
- A massive blackout hits Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, leaving millions without power. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

A group of bandits attack a village in the Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara State, Nigeria, killing at least 34 civilians. The gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire on civilians indiscriminately, later burning down homes. (Reuters)

International relations

Israel–United States relations
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally unveils Trump Heights, a new settlement in the Golan Heights, named after U.S. President Donald Trump for his decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the disputed territory. (BBC)
Japan–Mongolia relations, Japan–North Korea relations
- Foreign Minister of Japan Tarō Kōno seeks cooperation from Mongolia over efforts to settle the issue of past abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea, as Mongolia maintains friendly ties with Pyongyang. Japan has no ties with North Korea and pushes for further sanctions. (The Japan Times)

Politics and elections

2019 Guatemalan general election
- Citizens of Guatemala head to the polls to vote for their next president and new members of the country's congress. (BBC)
2019 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election
- The first televised debate between Conservative Party candidates for Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom takes place in London. Frontrunnner Boris Johnson refuses to attend. (BBC)
2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests
- The scheduled peaceful mass protest, despite bill suspension yesterday, of nearly 2 million people gather in Victoria Square demanding the legislation be withdrawn. If the organizers numbers are confirmed, this is the largest protest ever. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam apologizes for proposing the bill. Police say turnout was 338,000 at its peak. (BBC)

Sports

Toyota Gazoo Racing wins the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans. (The Guardian)
2019 U.S. Open (golf)
- Gary Woodland wins his first major championship, finishing three shots ahead of two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka at Pebble Beach, California. (AP via ESPN)

June 15, 2019 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- Yemen-based Houthi forces launch drone strikes on Jizan Regional Airport and Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi Arabian-led coalition spokesperson says a Houthi drone has been shot down near the Saudi city of Abha. (Reuters)
12 Kenyan police officers are killed when their car hits a roadside bomb in east Wajir County, near the Somali border. No one has claimed responsibility, though the police had been pursuing suspected al-Shabab militants fighting Somalia's government and its backers. (BBC) (Region week)
Twin explosions rock Mogadishu killing 11 and injuring over 25. The first bomb went off near a checkpoint for the presidential palace killing nine and the other bomb killed the two occupants in the vehicle. Al Shabbab claimed responsibility. (Time) (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

The Notre Dame Cathedral holds its first mass since the April 15 fire. (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

Seven people—four sanitation workers and three staff members—die after inhaling toxic fumes from a Darshsan Hotel sewer cleaning in the village of Fartikui in western India. The hotel owner is charged with the fatalities. (BBC)

Health and environment

The Ministry of Health of Peru reports that so far this year, 548 people have contracted the Guillain–Barré syndrome in an outbreak which is registered in the country. It also clarified that in the five cases in which patients died, death was caused by complications with other serious diseases. (Perú 21)

International relations

Japan–United States relations
- U.S. President Donald Trump thanks Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe by phone for his effort to mediate between the U.S. and Iran. (The Rahuma Daily)
India–United States relations
- India announces that effective Sunday it will impose tariffs, some as high as 70 percent, on 28 United States products, including almonds and apples, in response to the U.S. government's refusal to exempt India from higher taxes on steel and aluminum imports. (BBC)

Politics and elections

2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests
- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces that the government has suspended its plan to allow extraditions to mainland China. (BBC)
U.S. President Donald Trump confirms he has been briefed on a spike of UFO sightings in Earth's atmosphere by United States Navy pilots, saying "people are saying they're seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly". The U.S. Navy recently updated its guidelines for how its pilots can report "unidentified aircraft". (ABC News) (USA Today) (Fox News)
Slovakia inaugurates Zuzana Čaputová as its first female elected President. (Euronews)

June 14, 2019 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

June 2019 Gulf of Oman incident
- An unnamed United States official claims that, just prior to the attack on two merchant vessels, an Iranian vessel launched a surface to air missile at a MQ-9 Reaper drone in the vicinity of the attack. An additional MQ-9 Reaper is reported to have been shot down by Houthi rebels several days prior in the Red Sea. (CNN)
- The president of the Japanese shipping company offers a different account of the attack than that provided by the United States. Yutaka Katada says the Filipino crew of the Kokuka Courageous oil tanker said their vessel was apparently first hit by an artillery shell rather than a mine. The United States said the tanker was attacked by limpet mines and released a video it says shows Iranian special forces removing an unexploded mine from the oil tanker's side. (The Washington Post) (BBC)
- A U.S. official says Iranian Navy gunboats are preventing the damaged Norwegian-owned Front Altair oil tanker from being towed away by two private tugboats in the Gulf of Oman. (Reuters)
- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres calls for an independent investigation to establish the facts and responsibility for the oil tankers attacks in the Gulf of Oman. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 61 people have been killed and 356,000 evacuated from their homes as heavy rain and floods swept through large parts of southern and central China this week. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Iran–Japan relations, Iran–United States relations
- Kyodo News Agency reports that during his visit to mediate between the U.S. and Iran, Japanese PM Shinzō Abe asked Iran to release American prisoners held by Iran, though the response is "unclear" to the press. But Iran says it will not negotiate with the United States, rejecting Abe's bid to broker dialogue between the two countries amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accuses the "B-Team" (Mohammed bin Salman, John Bolton and Benjamin Netanyahu) of sabotaging diplomacy, including Abe's meeting, to hide its "economic terrorism" by accusing Iran of attacking oil tankers. (The Washington Post) (Kyodo News)
Cyprus—Turkey relations
- European Union Mediterranean state leaders offer full support to fellow EU member Cyprus in its dispute with Turkey over offshore natural gas deposit ownership. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking for the EU, urges Turkey to stop “illegal activities” in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone. (Reuters) (Reuters²)

Law and crime

Transgender personnel in the United States military
- The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, without ruling on the merits, orders U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman (Seattle) to reconsider her ruling against the ban of most transgender people from the military, stating she did not give the military’s judgment enough deference. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro
- In response to a controversial pension reform proposal and cuts in the education budget, a general strike by over 40 million workers takes place in Brazil. Demonstrations are held in over 80 cities across the country. (France24)

June 13, 2019 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

June 2019 Gulf of Oman incident, Iran–United States relations, Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
- Two oil tankers, one Norwegian and one Japanese, are damaged and abandoned after being attacked in the Gulf of Oman, with all crew members aboard both ships safely rescued. (BBC)
- The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir directly blame Iran for being behind the attacks on both ships. Iranian officials deny the U.S. claims. (BBC) (Reuters)
- The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) releases a video showing what CENTCOM spokesperson says, is an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' patrol boat approaching the Kokuka Courageous "and was observed and recorded removing an unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous." Iran denies involvement. (Associated Press) (Reuters)
A suicide bomber kills eleven and injures thirteen in an attack in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. (Reuters) (News18)

Disasters and accidents

One of the towers of the centuries-old Citadel of Ghazni, Afghanistan collapses amid heavy rainfall. (BBC)

Law and crime

Flint water crisis
- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announces that charges will be dropped against eight people in the Flint water crisis and investigations will be restarted in the scandal, which has plagued the city since 2014. (Wall Street Journal) (The Hill)

Politics and elections

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) recommends that the Trump administration remove Kellyanne Conway from her office as senior aide to President Trump because of her repeated violations of the Hatch Act of 1939. The Trump administration rejects the OSC's recommendations, saying they "are deeply flawed and violate [Conway's] constitutional rights to free speech and due process." (USA Today)
List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations
- White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announces she will resign at the end of June. (CBC)

Science and technology

Twitter suspensions
- Twitter says it has removed thousands of accounts that were being run by the Iranian government, to spread propaganda and fake news on the social media platform. It has also removed over a hundred accounts linked to the Catalan independence movement, and dozens of accounts related to Venezuela. (Reuters)

Sports

2019 NBA Finals
- In basketball, the Toronto Raptors defeat the Golden State Warriors four games to two to win their first NBA championship. The Toronto Raptors are also the first NBA team outside of the United States and the first from Canada to win the NBA Finals. (Los Angeles Times) (Business Insider)

June 12, 2019 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

Abha International Airport attack
- A ballistic missile fired by Houthi forces strikes the arrivals hall at Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia, injuring 26 people. (CNN)
Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Militants kill five Indian paramilitary police in Anantnag district. Three paramilitaries, a local policeman and a woman bystander are wounded, and one militant is killed. (NDTV)
Sudanese protests
- Sudanese military and opposition leaders agree to resume talks that broke down after a violent crackdown on protesters earlier in June. The military also agrees to release political prisoners, while the opposition agrees to end its campaign of strikes and civil disobedience. (BBC)
Terrorism in Australia
- Clavell brothers rammed a police car and then lunged at police with a knife and a tomahawk before they were shot on Wednesday afternoon by Victorian police. (9News)

Business and finance

China–United States trade war
- Chinese telecommunications and electronics company Huawei cancels its new laptop launch. A Huawei executive said the company has been "unable to supply the PC" because of the U.S. trade blacklist and may have to scrap the project. (BBC) (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Bolivarian diaspora
- A speedboat carrying migrants reportedly sinks off the coast of Venezuela en route to Curaçao, making it the third migrant boat leaving Venezuela to sink in as many months, with over 50 people missing. (BBC)

Health and environment

Kivu Ebola epidemic
- Wellcome Trust director Dr. Jeremy Farrar says the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has killed 1,400 people since August 2018, is the worst since the 2013–2016 outbreak in West Africa and shows "no sign of stopping". Uganda reported its first two deaths. (BBC)

International relations

Japan–United States relations, Iran–Japan relations, Iran–United States relations
- Japan offers to mediate between Iran and the U.S.; officials say the Japanese government hopes to rescue the landmark 2015 international nuclear deal. (Financial Tribune) (Reuters)

Law and crime

Reuters reports, on the basis of an unnamed "senior administration" source, that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring the government of Saudi Arabia to show some progress in its investigation of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi before the one-year anniversary in October. (Reuters)
Trial of Catalonia independence leaders
- The trial of the leaders involved in the Catalan declaration of independence ends and is remitted to decision. A verdict is not expected until after August. (Euronews)
Two Canadian women who were abducted in Ghana are rescued by Ghanaian police. (CTV News)
Aftermath of the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal
- Former Stanford University sailing coach John Vandemoer is sentenced to two-years probation, with the first six months to be served under house arrest. Vandemoer is the first person to be sentenced among the 50 individuals indicted on federal charges related to the U.S. college admissions bribery scheme. (Los Angeles Times) (USA Today) (The New York Times)
Same-sex marriage in Ecuador
- The Supreme Court of Ecuador legalizes same-sex marriage. (France24)
Abortion in the United States by state
- Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker signs abortion rights law making the procedure a "fundamental right" for pregnant individuals in the state. (Chicago Tribune)

Politics and elections

Hong Kong extradition law controversy
- The Legislative Council delays "to a later time" the second reading of the new legislation on extradition as thousands of protesters, who blocked key roads around government buildings, were confronted by police in riot gear using pepper spray. Despite widespread opposition, the government had said it will continue to push for passage. (BBC)
Media freedom in Russia
- Russian authorities detain hundreds of protesters, including Novaya Gazeta journalist and protest organizer Ilya Azar and other reporters, at an "unauthorized march" in Moscow demanding punishment for police who detained anti-corruption journalist Ivan Golunov. Golunov's charges were dropped and he was released yesterday at which time Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said some officers who had taken part in his detention were suspended pending an investigation. (BBC) (Reuters)
The House Oversight Committee votes to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt after U.S. President Donald Trump asserted executive privilege over materials related to the committee's census investigation. (ABC News)
Operation Car Wash
- More text messages between judge Sérgio Moro and prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol are leaked, implicating Vice-President of the Supreme Federal Court Luiz Fux in illicit collaboration between Brazilian judges and Car Wash's team of prosecutors. (Veja)
Bolivarian diaspora
- The Peruvian Catholic Church urges the government of that country to continue receiving Venezuelan immigrants. He also expressed concern about the "increase in the negative perception of migrants." This, after the president Martín Vizcarra decided to demand visa and passport for Venezuelan citizens who wish to enter Peru. (Gestión)