Visa card payments are disrupted throughout
Europe due to a network failure. The disruption results in large queues at supermarkets and petrol stations.
Mastercard and
American Express say they were not affected.
(BBC)
Federal prosecutors in
Germany apply in a
Schleswig-Holstein court for the extradition of
Carles Puigdemont to
Spain, arguing that the
treason charges are valid according to
German law, because, according to the prosecutors, "the violence in Catalonia on election day can be attributed to the wanted individual".
(Al Jazeera)
The funeral of a 21-year-old medic, Razan al-Najjar, draws thousands of
Palestinians. Witnesses say that Razan was killed while trying to evacuate a wounded protester lying on the
Israeli side of the fence.
(UPI)
A migrant boat capsizes near the
Kerkennah Islands off the coast of
Tunisia, killing at least 35 people, while 67 others are rescued by the Tunisian coast guard.
(BBC)(Reuters)
About 200 prisoners escape in a jailbreak at the
Minna Medium Security Prison. One prison officer was killed and seven prisoners rearrested.
(Premium Times)
A suicide bombing at a gathering of clerics in
Kabul leaves seven people dead. The religious gathering had earlier issued a
fatwa against suicide bombings.
(Time)
The U.S. Supreme Court dismisses a lower court's ruling allowing a teenage immigrant woman access to abortion, and a government request to discipline
ACLU lawyers representing this woman.
(The Washington Post)
The Peruvian Prosecutor's Office finds the skeletal remains of 18 people, who are suspected to have been victims of torture, extrajudicial executions and forced disappearances committed in the Madre Mía military base, in the
Huánuco Department. This and other alleged massacres happened during the 80s and 90s government crackdown on the
Shining Path terrorist organization. The case involves former president
Ollanta Humala, who was in command of the base during that time.
(Diario Correo)(BBC News)(RPP Noticias)
According to multiple sources,
North Korea has fired its top three military officials and replaced them with younger loyalists. One of the three new appointees, general
Ri Yong-gil, was inaccurately "reported" in 2016 as having been executed.
(WTVA)(BBC)
Ethiopia agrees to "fully accept" the outcome of the
Algiers Agreement of 2000, which ruled that disputed areas, including the border town of
Badme which Ethiopia currently occupies, are
Eritrean territory.
(BBC)
A woman in
Australia is reported dead from
hepatitis after consuming frozen
pomegranate. Health authorities have stated that 24 such cases were related to products by Entyce Food Ingredients.
(BBC)
NASA announces the discovery of preserved
organic matter in an ancient lake bed on
Mars by its
Curiosity rover. It has not been determined if the matter was potentially related to past life on Mars or not.
(The Guardian)
Facebook reports an error in privacy settings that has affected 14 million users.
(BBC)
The
United States expand their health alert from
Guangzhou to all of
China, after it repatriated multiple employees with symptoms resembling a brain injury.
(Reuters)
A U.S. federal judge blocks until June 20 the release in
Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled territory of a dual-nationality
Saudi-
American citizen alleged to have joined
ISIL. The man, who is now held for nine months in
Iraq, was planned to be released by the U.S. military – with a new cell phone, some food and water and $4,210 in cash, but with no identification – as soon as tomorrow.
(AFP via The Daily Star)(AP via WLNS)
Ali Bashar, the main suspect in the murder and rape case of a 14-year-old German-Jewish girl in
Wiesbaden, Germany is arrested by
Kurdish forces in Northern
Iraq.
(Times of Israel)
U.S. PresidentDonald Trump calls for "fair and reciprocal" trades between the
United States and other countries, claiming that the United States is a "piggy bank that everyone keeps robbing".
(VOA)(BBC)
Trump retracts his endorsement of the summit's final communiqué.
(CBS News)
Politics and elections
Over 100,000 people participate in a large protest in
Bucharest,
Romania, against apparent judicial abuses and "illegitimate interference" of the secret services in the political and judicial systems. The protest was organised by the governing
Social Democratic Party and supported by other political parties.
(The Washington Post)
A warehouse holding ballot boxes from elections last month burns down in
Baghdad. Several politicians say the fire was a criminal act aimed at destabilising the state following a disputed election result.
(BBC)
Authorities in
Afghanistan announce the seizure of 156 sacks of
ammonium nitrate being imported on a truck from
Pakistan. This is one of the largest seizures of the compound, most commonly used as a fertilizer, but also used to manufacture explosives.
(Reuters)
Police in
Assam arrest 18 people in connection of lynching two youths following rumors on
WhatsApp and social media that they were child traffickers.
(Al Jazeera)
Tesla announces that it intends to cut 3000 jobs in an attempt to improve profitability. Many of those workers will be offered alternative jobs under the same employer.
(BBC)
Greece and the
Republic of Macedonia reach a deal to end a 27-year naming dispute between both countries, which would result in Macedonia being officially renamed the Republic of North Macedonia.
(BBC)
Japan lowers the
age of adulthood from 20 to 18, with the changes coming into effect in 2022. The revision to Japan's civil code means that 18-year-olds will be able to marry without their parents' consent, apply for
credit cards and loans, and
transgender people will be able to have their new gender officially recognised. The change causes confusion and concern regarding the
kimono industry and
Coming of Age Day.
(The Guardian)
Cardinal
Pietro Parolin addresses participants in the Second
Holy See – Mexico Conference on International Migration. The Vatican
Secretary of State assesses the current political climate, calls for the humane treatment of migrants and discusses the “primary right” to live with dignity in one’s home country.
(Holy See Press Office)
The value of the
euro falls by one percent after the
European Central Bank announces it expects to halve net bond purchases to €15 billion per month from October to December, then end "
quantitative easing" by the close of the year, while not raising interest rates.
(CNBC)(Reuters)
AT&T completes its acquisition of
Time Warner. The announcement comes two days after a judge ruled that the deal does not violate
antitrust laws.
(CNN)
The
Senate of
France approves a bill to reform the
SNCF railway company. The French state writes off
€35 billion of SNCF's €47 billion debt, but remains the sole owner of the joint-stock company with two subsidiaries: operator SNCF Mobility and
infrastructure manager SNCF Network.
(International Railway Journal)(Reuters)
China responds with an additional tariff of 25% on $34 billion of U.S. goods, to come into effect on July 6, and tariffs on other goods to be announced at a later date.
(BBC)
The
Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency states that the eruption of lower Puna has destroyed 467 homes in total.
(Upi)
At least 17 people are killed in
a stampede at a nightclub in
Caracas,
Venezuela. The stampede was reportedly triggered when a tear-gas canister was set off during a brawl. Seven people have been arrested.
(BBC)
A missing
Indonesian woman's body is found inside a
python, being one of only two fully documented cases of a human being consumed by a snake.
(The Hindu)
First time qualifier
Iceland holds off a late charge from two-time champion
Argentina and comes away with a 1–1 draw in the opening World Cup matches for both countries.
(ESPN)
Twin suicide bombings in
Damboa,
Nigeria, leave at least 31 people dead. The explosions are reportedly followed by rockets fired from outside the town.
(BBC)
Law and crime
Wynn Resorts Ltd. says that two board members, including one investigating sexual misconduct allegations against former Chief Executive
Steve Wynn, will leave their posts after
Elaine Wynn, the company's largest shareholder, presses for additional board changes.
(The Wall Street Journal)
A
FUNCINPEC party SUV's head-on collision in southwest
Cambodia with a taxi seriously injures former
Prime MinisterPrince Norodom Ranariddh and kills his wife Ouk Phalla; both were standing as candidates in the upcoming election. Seven other people were also injured.
(AP via Stuff)
Eight
Kenyan security forces officers are killed after their vehicle hits a bomb in the country's east. Local authorities ascribe the killings to
al-Shabaab.
(teleSUR)
A
magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes
Osaka,
Japan, at 7:58 a.m.
local time (22:58
UTC, June 17). At least five people have been killed and several are transported to hospitals with injuries. Electrical services are disrupted citywide, affecting 170,000 buildings.
(NHK)
A second attempt is made to extinguish burning
container ship MV SSL Kolkata in the
Bay of Bengal off
India after rough conditions prompted an abandonment of yesterday's efforts.
(Telegraph India)
Audi CEO
Rupert Stadler is arrested in
Ingolstadt,
Germany, over "clear signs that there was to be an effort to influence people and other suspects". Stadler is being investigated for suspected fraud and false advertising.
(Reuters)
The
United States Supreme Court sidesteps two major partisan gerrymandering cases, allowing challenged voter redistricting maps to be used in this year's midterms.
(CNN)
Canadian ship MV Iron Chieftain burns for a second day off the coast of
New South Wales,
Australia. The freighter, carrying
dolomite, was partially extinguished yesterday, but fire remains in the hold.
(SBS)
U.S. PresidentDonald Trump signs an executive order to "maintain family unity", amid global outrage over the separation of migrant children from their families, reversing the administration's policy. It affirms the U.S. policy of "detaining alien families together where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources".
(BBC)(Boston Globe)
The terror trial of accused
ISIL recruiter Awso Peshdary is adjourned after three days of hearings in which the court hears testimony about the path to
jihad allegedly taken by two of his associates,
Ottawa students John Maguire and Khadar Khalib.
(Ottawa Citizen)
Following a battery short circuit causing an explosion a
London Underground station last night, a 26-year-old man is arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing it deliberately to cause damage or endanger life.
Metropolitan Police counterterror investigators hand the probe back to
British Transport Police, concluding the incident which injured five was not a
terror attack.
(The Guardian)
The
United States Supreme Court allows states to collect sales taxes from online retailers that do not have a "physical presence" in that state.
(Politico)
Malaysian authorities announce the reopening of investigations into the murder of a
Mongolian model by two police officers associated with former Prime Minister
Najib Razak. Who ordered the killing has never been determined.
(Reuters)
Police say the safety driver of an
Uber self-driving car that fatally struck a pedestrian in
Arizona was distracted by watching a TV show on her phone.
(Reuters)
The
United NationsHuman Rights Council issues a condemnation of the separation of migrant children from their parents, saying it "may amount to torture", and the recent executive order "does not address the situation of those children who have already been pulled away from their parents."
(The Independent)
The
U.S. Supreme Court, by a 5–4 vote, rules law enforcement are required to obtain a search warrant to gather location data from cell phone companies.
(Gizmodo)
French police arrest ten members of the far-right group Action des Forces Operationnelles (Operational Forces Action) across the nation, questioning them on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack against
Muslims.
(The Local)
Two ships, MV Lifeline and MV Alexander Mærsk, carrying hundreds of rescued migrants, await a port to disembark. The commercial
Maersk ship rescued migrants following a request from
Italian authorities but Italy and
Malta have refused permission to dock.
(Deutsche Welle)(euronews)
Politicians from
Germany,
Spain, and
Portugal visit MV Lifeline amid negotiations for the ship to dock in
Malta or
Italy, both of which have refused permission.
(CNN)
Harley-Davidson, a US
motorcycle manufacturer, states that it intends to shift export production for the EU overseas. The company reports that the decision is related to rocky trade relations between the
European Union and the
United States.
(BBC)
Greek offshore gas extraction firm
Energean, which is already developing gas fields off
Israel, is revealed to be contemplating an
initial public offering to raise
US$1.5 billion in order to develop
Gaza Marine, a gas deposit off
Gaza. Shell, who own a 55% stake in Gaza Marine, have been attempting to sell their share as ongoing conflict prevents production.
(Haaretz)
International mining firm
BHP Billiton signs an agreement with
Brazilian authorities over criminal culpability and civil compensation liability over a mine site collapse that killed nineteen. The deal halts litigation for up to two years but does not confirm a final amount for a settlement.
(Reuters)
Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad announces his intention to renegotiate a 1962 water agreement with
Singapore, which the latter country regards as sacrosanct.
(CNA)
Law and crime
The
Ethiopia Federal Police Commission announces the arrests of 30 people suspected of involvement in a bombing of a rally for
Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed. The attack killed two and injured 156. The
United States announces the deployment of
FBI specialists to assist the probe.
(Reuters)
Mexican authorities arrest the entire police force of
Ocampo, Michoacán, on suspicion of murdering a mayoral candidate.
(BBC)
A judge in
Nauru declares the Civil Procedures Amendment 2018 unconstitutional and strikes it down. The act restricted the ability of those facing prosecution to obtain legal representation. The court orders Nauru's government to pay
Australian lawyers acting for those who brought the legal challenge.
(Radio NZ)
A ban on
single-use plastics including cups, bags, and bottles in
Mumbai,
India, comes into effect. Mumbai is the nation's largest city with such a law, and those in violation face fines and up to three months in prison.
(The Guardian)
A
U.S. judge dismisses legal action brought by two
Californian cities against oil companies, regarding their contributions towards
climate change.
(The Hill)
Protests in
Iran, particularly the capital,
Tehran, enter their second day as thousands of protestors demand action following a collapse in the value of the
Iranian rial.
PresidentHassan Rouhani takes to live TV to call the protests "foreign media propaganda" and says the United States is waging "psychological, economic and political war" with Iran. Protestors blame the Iranian government for the crisis, saying billions are being wasted on expensive conflicts. Iran blames sanctions imposed by
US PresidentDonald Trump.
(The Times of Israel)
A van is driven into the headquarters of De Telegraaf in
Amsterdam, Netherlands. The building is severely damaged in an ensuing fire. Terrorism has not been ruled out.
(NL Times)
Navy divers attempting to rescue a children's
football team and their adult coach after they became trapped in Tham Luang Nang Non cave in
Chiang Rai,
Thailand, on Saturday resume searching after rising waters earlier hampered efforts. They report finding fresh footprints in the cave.
(BBC)
Latvia opts to describe an ongoing drought as "a natural disaster of a national scale" that can be dealt with using normal laws, in preference over declaring a
state of emergency.
(LSM)
Container ship MV Alexander Maersk is allowed by
Italian authorities to dock in
Pozzallo,
Sicily, after several days. There, it discharges over 100 rescued migrants.
Prime MinisterGiuseppe Conte says
German migrant rescue ship MV Lifeline will be permitted to dock in
Malta in a deal that will see some of the migrants on board come to Italy.
(Al Jazeera)
An
Israeli official says that the nation has asked
Cyprus to consider allowing Israel to set up a shipping point on the island for goods destined for
Gaza.
(Reuters)
The
Palestinian Authority rejects proposals from
Israel and the United States to reduce sanctions that the PA has imposed on
Hamas-controlled
Gaza. The PA says that there is a "conspiracy" afoot to create a "humanitarian issue" out of the disagreements.
(The Jerusalem Post)
French police continue questioning ten suspected far-right terrorists arrested on Saturday over an alleged plot to attack
Muslims. An extension to their detention was authorised late last night.
(The Local)
Eighteen attorneys general, representing seventeen U.S. states and
Washington DC, sue the
Trump administration over migrant family separations at the U.S. border with
Mexico. The litigants demand around 2,000 migrant children be reunited with their families.
(The Independent)
Shares in
African international airline
Fastjet fall by 72% amid equity talks amongst shareholders, with the airline warning that trading may be suspended entirely and the company liquidated if a solution is not found.
(BBC)
A large
wildfire has broken out in
Glenshane Pass in
County Londonderry,
Northern Ireland, rapidly growing to cover around one square mile of dry
gorse. High temperatures hamper efforts to tackle the wildfire, and firefighters have to be airlifted close to the front line.
(BBC)
An explosion at a hospital in the U.S. state of
Texas kills one person and injures multiple others.
Search dogs are brought in to search the rubble; the building and nearby care homes are evacuated.
(BBC)
A
federal judge in
California orders a halt to most family separations at the US-Mexico border and the reunification of all families.
(WAVY-TV)
At appeal,
Australian actress
Rebel Wilson is ordered to pay back
A$4.7m that she won in damages and interest from
Bauer Media Group in what was Australia's largest ever
libel payout. Wilson is also ordered to pay 80% of the group's appeal costs. The case stemmed from allegations that libelous articles portraying her as a serial liar had resulted in her losing acting jobs. The
Victorian Court of Appeal finds that Wilson has not proved a connection between the libel and any failure to land roles. The case prompted national discussion over potential
chilling effects on legitimate journalism.
(BBC)
Police in
New South Wales,
Australia, reclassify 27 murders from 1976 to 2000 as possible homophobic hate crimes following a review prompted by an
Australian Institute of Criminology report that suggested crimes against
LGBT victims had been insufficiently investigated.
(BBC)
The
Supreme Court of Spain confirms the prosecution of the independentists leaders accused of the crime of rebellion, embezzlement and disobedience.
(El País)
MaltesePrime MinisterJoseph Muscat says that migrant rescue ship MV Lifeline, stranded in international waters with over 200 rescued people on board for five days, has been granted permission to dock on the island and will do so later today. Muscat says that those on board will be split among Malta and seven other
European Union nations.
(BBC)
Austrian troops and police conduct a border exercise simulating a possible mass arrival of migrants similar to one in 2015, amid tensions within the
European Union over migrant rescue ships and fears that
Germany may close its borders.
(Sky News)
Enceladus, a
moon of
Saturn, is reported to host complex carbon-based molecules. Considered a precursor to life, the compounds were only previously known to exist on
Earth and some
meteorites.
(BBC)
FIFA World Cup title-holders
Germany's
football team are knocked out of the
2018 competition in the group stage for the first time since 1938 after losing to
South Korea. This is the fourth time that the reigning champions have been knocked out in the group stage in the last five tournaments.
(BBC)
The Prosecutor's Office of
Peru opens a preliminary investigation to determine if there were alleged political benefits – among them
the humanitarian pardon granted to former
PresidentAlberto Fujimori – offered by former President
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to avoid being removed from his office during the first impeachment process against him in December 2017. Three months later, in the middle of a similar scenario, Kuczynski resigned, seeing that Congress would no longer favor him.
(Perú 21)
A 22-year-old man from
Bolton is arrested on suspicion of arson in relation to a large wildfire that is now burning on
Winter Hill in Lancashire. The fire has now destroyed four square kilometres of moorland close to a radio transmission mast and is continuing to spread.
(BBC)
Ash from
Mount Agung's first volcanic eruption since late-2017 results in the closure of
Bali's
Ngurah Rai International Airport until at least 7 pm local time (11:00 UTC). The ash cloud cancels 48 flights, affecting 8,334 passengers.
(Reuters)
Eighteen people were killed and 14 others injured in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a truck on a highway in central
China.
(IOL)
The
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital rights organization, files a legal challenge to the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), claiming it trespasses on free speech laws and hinders attempts to help victims and prosecute traffickers.
(BBC)
A NASA study finds exoplanets
Kepler-186f and
Kepler-62f have stable axial tilts to allow for moderate seasons, making it more likely that the planets are habitable.
(CNET)
Two persons are killed, and one injured, in a shooting in downtown
Toronto. These are the 49th and 50th murders this year, marking a surge of violence in the city.
(CBC)