Friday,  June 17th, 2022 

Ukrainian authorities say that its forces hit Russian tugboat Vasiliy Bekh transporting soldiers, weapons, and ammunition to Snake Island with Harpoon missiles. (Al Arabiya) 

China launches its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during a ceremony in Shanghai, further enhancing its ability to project military abroad. It now has the second most aircraft carriers of any country; behind only the United States’ eleven aircraft carriers but ahead of the two operated by the United Kingdom, Italy and India. (Reuters) 

The Japanese Supreme Court acquits the state of any responsibility to compensate around 3,700 people affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster. (Reuters) 

The UK’s Home Office approves the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. Assange’s lawyers announce that they will appeal the decision. (BBC) 

The English men’s cricket team acheive the highest ever One-Day-International score of 498 against The Netherlands.(BBC) 

England beat their previous world record against Australia of 481. (BBC) 

Thursday, June 16th, 2022 

The mayor of Melitopol claims that Ukrainian farmers caused “mass illness” in Russian troops by poisoning cherries. (The Daily Beast) 

The United States announces the capture of a senior ISIL leader in Syria. (Al Jazeera) 

European benchmark natural gas prices increase by around 30% after Russia’s Gazprom reduced Nord Stream 1’s gas supply to Germany to 40% of the pipeline’s capacity. Russia blames maintenance problems resulting from Canada’s refusal to return equipment that was sent for repair and warns that usage of the pipeline could be completely suspended. (Reuters) 

Oil prices increase in the United States after the Biden administration announces new sanctions against Iran’s petrochemical industry in an effort to force Iran to comply with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that the United States unilaterally withdrew from in 2018. (Reuters) 

Sergey Cherkasov, a Russian military intelligence official, is expelled from the Netherlands for attempting to begin an internship at the International Criminal Court in The Hague using a fake Brazilian identity. Cherkasov will now face a criminal trial in Brazil. (The Guardian)  

One person is killed and two are injured in a shooting at an Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, United States. (The Independent) 

In basketball, the Golden State Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics in six games to win their fourth NBA championship in eight years. Stephen Curry is named NBA Finals MVP. (The Washington Post)  

The End