Portal:Current events/2019 July 1

July 1, 2019 (Monday)

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Afghanistan; 1 July 2019 Kabul attack
- 40 people are killed and over 100 injured by a car bombing and shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban claims responsibility and loses five gunmen. (New York Times)
- Taliban militants overran the Qush Tepa district of Jowzjan Province, resulting in the deaths of over 50 Afghan soldiers. Many others were captured. (ATNNews)
Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
- Israel strikes multiple Iranian and Syrian military targets outside Damascus and Homs, killing 16 people and wounding 21. (Haaretz)
- A stray Syrian S-200 missile fired in response to the Israeli strikes crashes and explodes on a mountain near Vouno in Northern Cyprus, located 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Nicosia, causing no injuries but starting a fire. (Reuters)
Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present), Iran–Iraq relations
- Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi signs a decree ordering all Iranian-backed Shia militias to integrate into the Iraqi Armed Forces by the end of July. The decree will change the names of the militias such as the Popular Mobilization Forces to new divisions and brigades within the military. (Reuters) (Rudaw)
Nine people were injured in a Houthi drone attack on Saudi Abha International Airport. (Haaretz)

Business and economy

Whaling in Japan
- Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years following the country's withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission. At least 227 whales are expected to be killed through to December. (The Guardian)
Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags
- A ban on single-use plastic shopping bags comes into force in New Zealand. Businesses that break the ban will face fines of up to $100,000NZD. (Gulf Today)
2019 Japan–South Korea trade dispute
- Japan announced tightening of chemical exports to South Korea that are crucial for semiconductor industry. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 16 people are killed and 45 injured when a bus rolls over on a road in Tucumán Province, Argentina. (Clarín)
In Lower Saxony, Germany, a Bundeswehr helicopter crashes, killing one of the pilots. (DW)
In Mexico, a storm drops over a metre of hail over parts of Guadalajara, damaging hundreds of houses. (CBC)

International relations

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Nuclear program of Iran
- Iran announces that it has enriched more than 300 kilograms (660 lb) of uranium to 3.67%, contrary to previous agreement. This is still highly insufficient to produce one nuclear weapon. (Deutsche Welle)
Japan–United States relations, Japan–North Korea relations, 2018–19 Korean peace process
- After speaking by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno says "he hopes the meeting adds momentum to efforts toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula". Kōno also says that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe "wants to meet Kim Jong-un to solve the issue of North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens". (Japan Today)
Libya–Turkey relations
- After political pressure from Turkey, six Turkish sailors are released from detention by the Libyan National Army under general Khalifa Haftar. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

France's interior minister, Christophe Castaner, has asked the Paris police chief to provide explanations about a video that went viral on social media, where law enforcement officers are seen spraying with pepper spray and dragging protesters from the Extinction Rebellion anti-climate change movement. Although the police needed to evict the protesters, who obstructed a transit route, the mechanisms that they used generated negative reactions. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections