Portal:Current events/2016 July 27
July 27, 2016 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- At least 44 people are killed in a twin bombing in the Kurdish-controlled city of Al-Qamishli on the Syria–Turkey border. ISIL claims responsibility for the attack. (The Guardian)
Arts and culture
- Ramon Magsaysay Award
- The six Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for 2016 are: Indian Dalit activist Bezwada Wilson, Ombudsman of the Philippines Conchita Carpio-Morales, Indian Carnatic musician T.M. Krishna, Indonesian charity organization Dompet Dhuafa, Lao humanitarian group Vientiane Rescue, and the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. (Times of India) (AP via The Jakarta Post)
- 2016 MTV Video Music Awards
- Taylor Swift is snubbed while Adele and Beyoncé lead in nominations. (The Washington Times), (Billboard)
- Barack Obama chooses his home city of Chicago for his presidential library. (The Hill)
- Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who served as Pope John Paul II’s personal secretary is the principal celebrant at the World Youth Day opening Mass on July 26th evening in Kraków, Poland. Pope Francis is to arrive in Poland on July 27th afternoon. (Catholic World News)
Business and economy
- British Chancellor Philip Hammond reports that the British economy grew in the last quarter immediately before Brexit, though economists warn that the economy is probably shrinking. (The Guardian)
- China claims to have discovered the largest undersea hole dubbed "The Dragon's Hole" in the disputed Paracel Islands. (Business Insider)
- Facebook beats earnings expectations. (CNBC)
- The Coca-Cola Company beats expectations for its earnings. (CNBC)
- In Indonesia, Sri Mulyani Indrawati assumes office as the new Finance Minister. (Reuters)
- Tesla motors opens a 'Gigafactory' near Reno in the middle of the Nevada desert. (BBC)
- Samsung has its biggest profits in two years after the success of the Galaxy S7 phone. (CNET)
Disasters and accidents
- Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
- Investigators hypothesise that the plane may be further to the north than the current search area. (BBC)
Health
- Two years after its launch, supporters of the Ice Bucket Challenge to bring awareness to ALS celebrate scientific discovery regarding NEK1. (CNN)
- 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
- Four Florida residents may have been infected by the virus locally. (The Independent)
International relations
- The regional Parliament of Catalonia defies the Constitutional Court of Spain by holding an informal and unilateral vote for secession.(The Guardian)
- 2016 United States presidential election, Hillary Clinton email controversy
- During a press conference, Republican nominee Donald Trump calls on Russia to find Hillary Clinton's 30,000 missing emails. (BBC) (Reuters) (The New York Times)
Law and crime
- Capital punishment in Indonesia
- The United Nations urge Indonesian president Joko Widodo to halt all executions. (Al Jazeera)
- A federal judge, Paul L. Friedman, rules that John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981, is to be released after 35 years at St. Elizabeths Hospital as he no longer poses a danger to himself or others. (The Washington Post)
- Baltimore prosecutors drop all charges against the final three police officers with pending cases in the death of Freddie Gray. None of the six cases resulted in a conviction. (Baltimore Sun)(NBC News)
Politics and elections
- 2016 Democratic National Convention
- U.S. President Barack Obama's advocates for Hillary Clinton stating there has never been anyone more qualified than Hillary to serve as president. (ABC News) (Irish Mirror)
- Notable speakers include Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Former Defense secretary Leon Panetta, California governor Jerry Brown, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Chris Murphy, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, Detroit mayor Mike Duggan, Flint, Michigan mayor Karen Weaver, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, Former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, U.S. representative Ruben Gallego, former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, Vice President Joe Biden, and longtime politician/activist the Reverend Jesse Jackson. (Fox)
- Celebrity appearances include Angela Bassett, Lee Daniels, Huey Dunbar, Raúl Esparza, La India, Star Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Sigourney Weaver, and will.i.am. (Fox)
- Former representative and gun violence victim advocate Gabby Giffords and her husband astronaut Mark Kelly will make an appearance. (Fox)
- Virginia Senator and vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine will speak. (Fox)
- 2016 Zimbabwe protests
- Robert Mugabe says that his former supporters are to suffer severe punishment for supporting the protests. (Fox News)
- 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal
- Prime Minister Najib Razak gets emergency powers amid a widening scandal about corruption. (The Guardian)
Science and technology
- Scientists have discovered that the region directly above the Great Red Spot on the planet Jupiter is about 700° F (370° C) warmer than the surrounding upper atmosphere. (Space)
- Researchers have discovered that orangutans can control their vocal pitch, a link to human speech. (Christian Science Monitor)
- Biologists have determined that the only 'true' species of wolf in North America is the gray wolf while the red wolf is a wolf hybridized with a coyote. (The New York Times)