Current events: 2024-08-15

[Wikipedia Current Events]

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israel–Hamas war
  • Casualties of the Israel–Hamas war
    • The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 40,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed due to the ongoing Israeli invasion and blockade. The ministry reported that 16,456 fatalities were children, and that 10,000 people not included in the total were still missing. (Al Jazeera)
  • Evacuations during the Israel–Hamas war
    • Peter Dutton, the leader of Australia’s Liberal Party, calls on the Australian government to ban the entry of Palestinian refugees fleeing from conflict in the Gaza Strip, which is met with significant condemnation from several politicians and organizations as promoting racial stereotypes. (ABC Australia) (Al Jazeera)
    • SBS World News reports that the Australian government has rejected the majority of Palestinian visa applications, accepting 2,922 and rejecting 7,111 compared to its granting of 8,746 visas to Israeli citizens while rejecting only 235. (Al Jazeera)
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • August 2024 Kursk Oblast incursion
    • Ukraine establishes a military administration in Sudzha with general officer Eduard Moskalyov appointed as its senior commander. General Oleksandr Syrskyi says the administration will "maintain law and order" in the Russian region. (BBC News)
    • Russia announces the mandatory evacuation of all civilians from Glushkovsky District in Kursk Oblast. (Reuters)
    • The Russian Defence Ministry claims that Russian forces have retaken the settlement of Krupets. (Anadolu Agency)
    • The Security Service of Ukraine captures 102 Russian servicemen as prisoners of war, marking the largest single group of Russian soldiers to surrender during the conflict. (Bloomberg)
  • Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • The United Kingdom says Ukraine can use British weaponry, including Challenger 2 tanks, for its military operations inside Russia. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

• A Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-22 crashes due to a "technical malfunction" in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. The pilots were able to safely eject, according to Russian media. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Health and environment

• African mpox epidemic
  • Sweden reports the first mpox case of the new variant outside Africa in a patient in Stockholm. (Arab News) (Reuters)
  • Pakistan reports its first case of mpox in the year. (First Post)

Law and crime

• 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage
  • Ukraine denies its involvement in explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in 2022 and accuses Russia of causing the explosions, following Germany issuing its first arrest warrant on the case towards a Ukrainian man. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2024 United States presidental election
  • 2024 United States presidential debates
    • The Democratic Party candidate for vice president Tim Walz and the Republican Party candidate for vice president JD Vance agree to a debate on October 1 on CBS. (Reuters)
• 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election
  • Sri Lanka receives a record number of presidential candidates for the upcoming election with 39 applications accepted, passing 2019's record of 35 candidates. (Al Jazeera)
• 2024 Venezuelan presidential election
  • The Presidents of Brazil, Colombia, and the United States call for new elections in Venezuela. (Reuters)

Continue reading...