Thursday, July 13th, 2023 

The Philippines’ film review board requests American film distributor Warner Bros. Pictures to censor a scene in the upcoming film Barbie that includes a map displaying the internationally contested nine-dash line in the South China Sea before releasing the film in the country. (BBC News) 

In a study published in PLOS One, researchers identify subtle modifications to ancient Egyptian funerary artworks, such as the repositioning of Ramesses II‘s sceptre and changes in the pigmentation used for skin color, using portable imaging and chemical analysis techniques. These findings suggest a higher degree of creativity among ancient Egyptian artists than was previously recognized. (AFP via The Manila Times) 

North Korea fires a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile into waters near Japan. This comes a day after North Korea threatened the United States, claiming that an American spy plane entered the country’s exclusive economic zone multiple times on Monday. (AP) (CNN) 

India’s food ministry reports a 341% surge in tomato prices from ₹24.68 (US$0.30) to ₹108.92 ($1.33) per kilogram, attributed to extreme weather and the tomato mosaic virus affecting major tomato-producing states. Farmers have reported incidents of tomato theft in response to the report. (CNBC) 

A Russian drone attack on Kyiv kills one civilian and injures two others, as well as damages infrastructure. (BBC News) 

New Delhi is in flood by Yamuna and many were evacuated. (Al-Arabiya) (NDTV) 

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023 

Russian forces strike a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, injuring 18 civilians, including six children. (Reuters) 

Three Hezbollah members are injured by Israeli strikes near the Blue Line with the Israel Defense Forces accusing Hezbollah of attempting to destroy the border barrier. (AFP via France 24) 

The International Monetary Fund approves a US$3 billion bailout deal for Pakistan to avert its potential debt defaults and regain economic stability. (AP) 

Bali announces the imposition of a IDR 150,000 (US$10) tourist tax for foreign visitors from 2024, aiming to preserve the island’s culture and environment. (AFP via Arab News) 

A series of tornadoes strike Chicago, Illinois, United States, prompting complete ground stops at O’Hare and Midway International Airports. (Fox News) 

Thai deputy prime minister and foreign minister Don Pramudwinai announces that he visited jailed Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week, becoming the first known foreign representative to meet with the deposed state counsellor since the 2021 coup d’état. (AFP via CNA) 

Six people are killed during protests in Nairobi, Kenya, against tax increases imposed by President William Ruto‘s government, in which the police have employed tear gas and heightened security measures. (AFP via France 24) 

Thailand’s election commission petitions the Constitutional Court to suspend leading prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat, alleging his violation of campaign laws due to prior share ownership in a media company, iTV. (AFP via Le Monde) 

An ASEAN LGBT event scheduled in Indonesia is relocated to an undisclosed location due to received security threats and anti-LGBT rhetoric from various groups. (Reuters) 

The End Thursday 

Iran summons the Russian ambassador over a joint statement by Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council over three islands disputed by the United Arab Emirates. (Reuters) 

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong places Transport Minister S. Iswaran on an immediate leave of absence amid an ongoing corruption investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau into him and other individuals. (CNA) 

North Korea fires intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-18 into waters near Japan after threatening the US. (CNN) 

Tuesday,  July 11th, 2023 

Russian Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov is reportedly killed by a missile strike near Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. (CNN) 

Stanislav Rzhitsky, deputy chief in charge of military mobilization in the Russian city of Krasnodar and commander of the Russian Navy submarine B-265 Krasnodar, is shot dead near the city’s sports complex. (Reuters via The Jerusalem Post) 

Three people are killed and ten others are injured after suspected drug cartel members sets off bombs targeting police officers in Jalisco, Mexico. (Reuters) 

United States judge Jacqueline Scott Corley approves technology company Microsoft‘s $69 billion acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard, the largest video game acquisition in history, dismissing the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust injunction request. (Reuters) 

A Manang Air helicopter touring the Himalayas crashes near Solukhumbu, Koshi Province, Nepal, killing six people. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and eleven others are injured when an elevated road collapses in Bangkok, Thailand. (AP) 

Montpelier, Vermont, United States, receives extensive flooding after the Wrightsville Dam exceeds capacity. (Reuters) 

Azerbaijan’s State Border Service temporarily closes the Lachin corridor, the only road between Armenia and the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, alleging smuggling by the Armenian Red Cross Society. (AFP via Al Arabiya) 

The Hong Kong government threatens to ban marine products from multiple prefectures if Japan pursues its plan to discharge treated radioactive waste water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. (AP) 

The Vietnamese government releases Australian democracy activist Chau Van Kham from a 12-year prison sentence on terrorism charges following an appeal by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese. (AP) 

The Supreme Court overturns the restroom use restrictions that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry imposed on a trans woman employee, marking the court’s first ruling on LGBT working conditions. (AP) 

Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announces his retirement from political office. (CNA) 

The Anthropocene Working Group identifies Crawford Lake near Milton, Ontario, Canada, as the origin of the proposed Anthropocene epoch due to its varves which provide a comprehensive geologic record of recent environmental change. (AFP via Daily Tribune) 

The European Court of Human Rights rules in favour of South African runner Caster Semenya, stating that Semenya’s previous appeals against World Athletics’ testosterone regulations were inadequately reviewed, potentially enabling her to recontest these rules due to her hyperandrogenism. (Reuters) 

Monday,  July 10th, 2023 

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence says that Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon. However, it also warned that Iran has ramped up activities that could help develop one. (AP) 

Russian forces strike a residential area in Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing seven civilians and injuring 11 others, according to Governor Yuriy Malashko. (Reuters) 

The European Commission and the U.S. government sign a new data communication agreement aimed at resolving legal uncertainties that European and American companies face when transferring personal data. However, non-profit organization NOYB plans to challenge the agreement. (Reuters) 

Spain’s Maritime Safety and Rescue Society rescues 86 people from a pirogue off the Canary Islands as human rights defender Helena Maleno reports that three boats carrying around 300 people from Senegal have gone missing since June. (AP via VOA) 

Six people are killed and three others are reported missing after heavy rains trigger landslides in Kyushu and Chūgoku, Japan. (The Guardian) 

Two people are killed and six others are injured after a building caught fire in Leishan County, Guizhou, China. (The Guardian) 

The World Meteorological Organization reports that the Earth experienced its hottest week on record at the beginning of July, attributing the unprecedented temperatures to climate change and the early stages of El Niño. (AFP via RFI) 

In a study published in the medical journal Nature Medicine, researchers from the Barcelona Centre for International Health Research and Inserm estimate that Europe’s record heat waves in 2022 resulted in 61,672 deaths. (AP) 

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agrees to send Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly. (AP) 

China and the Solomon Islands sign a cooperation agreement between the People’s Police and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force during Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare‘s official visit to Beijing in an effort to strengthen their “comprehensive strategic partnership”. (Reuters) 

North Korea threatens to shoot down any U.S. reconnaissance aircraft breaching its airspace following U.S. plans to deploy a ballistic missile submarine near Korea. (AFP via France 24) 

Six people, including three children, are killed and another person is injured in a mass stabbing at a kindergarten in Lianjiang, Guangdong. The suspect is detained by the police. (India Today) 

Uzbek authorities announce that incumbent president Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been re-elected with 87.1% of the votes. (Reuters) 

The End Wednesday 

The World Meteorological Organization reports that Earth experienced its hottest week on record at the start of July, attributing the unprecedented temperatures to climate change and early stages of El Niño. (AFP via RFI) 

In a study published in the medical journal Nature Medicine, researchers from the Barcelona Centre for International Health Research and Inserm estimate that Europe’s 2022 record heat waves resulted in 61,672 deaths. (AP) 

The European Commission and the U.S. government sign a new data communication agreement aimed at resolving legal uncertainties that European and American companies face when transferring personal data. However, non-profit organization NOYB plans to challenge the agreement. (Reuters) 

Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte resigns following the collapse of his cabinet.  Campaigns are announced by other Dutch parties, a push for general election is also put on by opposition of Rutte’s administration. (EuroNews) 

Russian forces strike a residential area in Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing four civilians and injuring 11 others, according to governor Yuriy Malashko. (Reuters) 

Six people, including three children, are killed during a mass stabbing at a kindergarten in Lianjiang, Guangdong, China. The suspect is detained by the police. (India Today) 

The End