Sunday, June 19th, 2022 

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia would only use nuclear weapons if the sovereignty of the country is threatened. (Ukrinform) 

Ukrainian delegate Davyd Arakhamia says that Ukraine is planning to resume ceasefire negotiations with Russia this August. (Finger Lake Times) 

The European Commission recommends that the European Council grant Ukraine candidate status for accession to the European Union. (The Washington Post) 

The U.S. CDC unanimously votes to approve COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of five, including babies. (NBC News) 

Lithuania bans the transit of goods that are under EU sanctions through their territory to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. (Reuters) 

Ukraine says that Russian forces are advancing on the city of Kharkiv. (Reuters) 

Russia says that its forces captured a district in the outskirts of Sieverodonetsk and that it launched Kalibr cruise missiles against a command centre in Dnipro, killing several Ukrainian generals and officers. (Reuters) 

Russian tennis player Natela Dzalamidze changes her nationality to Georgian and will participate in the upcoming Wimbledon tournament after Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players from participating in the tournament. (Eurosport) 

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 News) 

The Czech Republic records its highest temperature for the month of June, 39.0 °C (102.2 °F), in Řež. Parts of Austria, Germany and Poland also report record high temperatures. (Axios)

The European Union condemns the “structurally deficient” justice system in Bolivia and lack of “due process” in the trial of Jeanine Áñez and asks for her release. (RPP) 

Citizens go to the polls to vote in the second round of the Colombian presidential election. (elDiario.es) 

Left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro wins the presidential election with 50.44% of the vote, beating his opponent Rodolfo Hernández who received 47.31% of the vote, according to preliminary results. (elDiario.es) 

Former state commissioner Abiodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress defeats former Governor Olusegun Oni of the Social Democratic Party in the gubernatorial election. Oyebanji’s win means that the APC has become the first party ever to win consecutive Ekiti gubernatorial elections. (Daily Trust) 

Ruling People’s Party of Andalusia wins a historic absolute majority, the first for a conservative party in Andalusia. Citizens, whose leader was the vice-president of the region, loses all the 21 deputies it had. (The Guardian) 

French voters head to the polls to vote in the second round of the latest legislative election. (Euronews) 

It is announced that French President Emmanuel Macron’s party Renaissance and its allies will not repeat an absolute majority in the National Assembly. (elDiario.es) 

Four civilians and three soldiers were wounded in protest over gasoline shortage when the army opened fire for the first time to quell unrest, as Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since independence. (News.am) 

FINA, during its general congress, votes to disallow trans women swimmers from competing in high-level competitions. However, the body will convene a working group to develop a separate “open” category for them in select competitions. (CNN) 

Saturday, June 18th, 2022 

Donetsk People’s Republic authorities accuse Ukrainian forces of shelling the Zasyadko coal mine and trapping 77 miners. (Al Arabiya) 

At least 20 people die in an attack in Anchawadi commune, Mali. (Voice of America) 

Wildfires spread across northeastern Spain amid a heatwave, with the highest temperatures expected to be between 40 to 42 °C (104 to 108 °F) in the region of Zaragoza. (NDTV) 

President of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso declares a state of exception in Quito and other parts of the country amid ongoing protests. (Reuters via SwissInfo) 

Voters in Ekiti State, Nigeria, head to the polls to vote for their next governor. (BBC Pidgin) 

France sees several June all-time temperature records beaten by over 1 °C (1.8 °F) in an exceptionally strong heat wave. Biarritz’s temperature rises to 42.9 °C (109.2 °F), the absolute record for the seaside resort and 2.3 °C (4.1 °F) above the previous all-time record set in August. (L’Indépendant)

A Congolese soldier crosses the border into Western Province, Rwanda, and is shot dead by a Rwandan Police officer. Rwandan officials say that the soldier had been attacking people and had injured two officers before he was killed. (AP) 

The DRC closes its border with Rwanda in response to the killing of its soldier. (Al Jazeera) 

M23 movement militants seize the town of Tshengerero, North Kivu. (The National Post) 

Israel intercepts a rocket fired by suspected Hamas militants over Ashkelon. The Israel Defense Forces respond by launching airstrikes on military targets in Gaza. (AP) 

Security forces and armed locals kill 70 al-Shabaab members in Bahdo, Somalia. Two local children and a cleric are also killed in the fighting. (Reuters) 

The United Kingdom is asked to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after its organisers concluded that Ukraine is not capable of hosting the competition. (The Guardian) 

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon voluntarily steps down from his executive roles while WWE’s Board of Directors investigates alleged misconduct over a $3 million “hush pact” with a former employee. McMahon’s daughter Stephanie is appointed to serve as interim CEO and Chairwoman, with Vince retaining his roles related to WWE creative content. (The Wall Street Journal) 

Estonia removes all of its COVID-19 entry restrictions for non-EU travellers after the Estonian Health Board concluded that the situation is under control and that third-country nationals are unlikely to affect the epidemiological situation in the country. (Schengenvisa Info) 

The End

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

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022 

Whisky War The Danish Foreign Ministry announces that it has reached a deal with Canada to divide the long-disputed Hans Island in the Arctic in half between Canada’s Nunavut territory and Greenland. (Reuters) 

The Federal Reserve raises its benchmark interest rate by 0.75% to a target range of between 1.5% and 1.75% amid surging inflation. It is the largest interest rate increase in the United States since 1994. (BBC News) 

The United States announces a new $1 billion military aid package to Ukraine that includes 18 howitzers, artillery rockets, night vision devices, and for the first time, two Harpoon anti-ship missile units. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and seven others are injured in a Turkish military action against the Sinjar Resistance Units in Sinjar District, Iraq. A 12-year-old child is reported to be among the deceased. (Reuters)  

The European Union launches legal action against the United Kingdom, alleging a breach of post-Brexit agreements regarding the Northern Ireland Protocol. (CNN) 

Opposition parties in Thailand file a no-confidence motion in prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and 10 of his ministers, accusing them of “graft, economic mismanagement and of undermining democracy and clinging to power”. (Reuters) 

FIFA announces the names of the cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States that will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026. (ESPN) 

The Federal Ministry of Health says that it will hold consultations with over 200 representatives from medical, legal and other fields on legalizing the sale of cannabis in licensed shops for recreational purposes. (ABC News) 

Tuesday,  June 14th, 2022 

The World Health Organization announces plans to officially rename the monkeypox virus in order to combat stigma and racism surrounding the disease. (Bloomberg) 

The European Union removes Russia’s largest bank Sberbank, the Russian Agricultural Bank and the Credit Bank of Moscow from the SWIFT international payments system as part of another round of economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. (Ukrinform) 

Six people are reported injured in an alleged shelling attack on Klintsy, Bryansk Oblast, Russia. (Reuters) 

Finnish authorities remove the country’s last remaining monument of Soviet Union founder and leader Vladimir Lenin in Kotka, Kymenlaakso, relocating the 1979 gift from the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic to a museum. (Yle) 

In a joint operation, the Oromo Liberation Army and the Gambela Liberation Front launch an attack on the regional capital of Gambela city. The fighting lasted for several hours before security forces were able to recapture the city from the rebels, with heavy casualties reported on both sides. (BBC News)  

Ten people are killed and three others are injured in a shootout between security forces and suspected criminals in Texcaltitlán, State of Mexico. (Reuters) 

A Tajik border guard is killed and three others are injured in a clash with Kyrgyzstan border troops. (Reuters) 

An explosion at a chemical factory in Firouzabad, Fars, Iran, injures 103 people. (AP) 

Spain removes all COVID-19 entry requirements for anyone arriving into the country from the European Union or the Schengen Area. However, travellers from outside the EU will still need to be fully vaccinated or provide proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours before departure in order to enter Spain. (Euronews) 

The World Health Organization announces plans to officially rename the monkeypox virus in order to combat stigma and racism surrounding the disease. (Bloomberg) 

The Danish Foreign Ministry announces that it has reached a deal with Canada to divide the long-disputed Hans Island in the Arctic in half between Canada’s Nunavut territory and Greenland. (Reuters) 

The Federal Ministry of Health says that it will hold consultations with over 200 representatives from medical, legal and other fields on legalizing the sale of cannabis in licensed shops for recreational purposes. (ABC News) 

A Cambodian court convicts 60 members of the former Cambodia National Rescue Party of treason, including Cambodian-American lawyer Theary Seng. (ABC News) 

Police in Ecuador arrest an indigenous leader after incidents that occurred during recent protests against the economic policies of president Guillermo Lasso. (Reuters) 

Monday,  June 13th, 2022 

Russian forces destroy the last remaining bridge leading to Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine, trapping all remaining Ukrainian civilians in the city, according to regional governor Serhiy Haidai. (Reuters) 

The Donetsk People’s Republic says that five people have been killed and 22 others injured in an artillery attack on a marketplace in central Donetsk. Pro-Russian media accuses NATO of supplying the munitions used in the attack. (Reuters) 

The Wikimedia Foundation files an appeal against a Russian court order demanding the removal of certain Russo-Ukrainian War-related information from the Russian-language Wikipedia, which is one of the few remaining fact-checked sources still available to the general Russian public. (Reuters)  

Global stocks and government bonds plunge with the MSCI World Index dropping by 2.95%, the DOW by 4.68%, the S&P 500 by 3.88%, STOXX Europe 600 by 2.41%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 by 3.01%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng by 3.99%, and South Korea’s KOSPI by 3.52%. Bitcoin drops by 12.1% and Ethereum by 13.6%. (Reuters)  

The S&P 500 closes more than 20% below its January 3 record closing high, confirming that the index is in a bear market. (Reuters) 

Taiwan reports their first cases of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in five Taiwanese citizens who arrived overseas. (The Straits Times) 

M23 rebels capture the town of Bunagana. The Congolese military accuses Rwanda of assisting the rebels in the capture of the town. (Al Jazeera) 

The British government confirms that it will go ahead with plans to terminate the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to make it easier for goods to flow between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The European Union accuses the UK of breaking international law by reneging on the agreement made during Brexit negotiations. (BBC News) 

Indigenous peoples in Ecuador block highways leading to the capital Quito, to protest president Guillermo Lasso’s policies and to call for economic reforms. (Reuters) 

The End