Portal:Current events/2023 July 12

July 12, 2023 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
  - Russian forces strike a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, injuring 18 civilians, including six children. (Reuters)
  - An 81-year-old man is killed and his wife is injured due to Russian shelling in Kherson. (The Guardian)
Israeli–Lebanese conflict
- 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)
Insurgency in Balochistan
- Nine soldiers, five Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan gunmen, and a civilian passerby are killed in a shootout at a security checkpoint in Zhob, Balochistan, Pakistan. Five other soldiers are injured. (AP)

Arts and culture

Censorship in the Philippines
- The Philippines' film review board requests that American film distributor Warner Bros. Pictures 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)

Business and economy

2022–2023 Pakistani economic crisis
- The International Monetary Fund approves a US$3 billion bailout deal for Pakistan to avert its potential debt defaults and regain economic stability. (AP)
2022–2023 food crises
- 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)
Tourism in Indonesia
- 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)

Disasters and accidents

Tornadoes of 2023
- A series of tornadoes strike Chicago, Illinois, United States, prompting complete ground stops at O'Hare and Midway International Airports. (WFLD-TV)
Three people are killed and 14 others are injured when a Greyhound passenger bus crashes into three parked trucks at a rest area off Interstate 70 in Madison County, Illinois, U.S. (AP via The Guardian)

International relations

Iran–Russia relations
- Iran summons the Russian ambassador over a joint statement issued by Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council over three islands disputed by the United Arab Emirates. (Reuters)
Japan–North Korea relations, North Korea–United States relations
- 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)
Myanmar–Thailand relations, Myanmar civil war
- 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)
2023 Vilnius summit
- At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, G7 officials announce that they have unveiled an international framework for Ukraine’s long-term security in a effort to boost their defense against Russia and deter them from any future aggression. The measures will include bilateral talks, military hardware, training, intelligence-sharing, and other plans to rebuild the country’s economy. (Politico EU) (Reuters)
Serbia–United States relations
- The United States imposes sanctions on Aleksandar Vulin, a top Serbian official considered "Moscow's man". (Yahoo! News)
UNESCO accepts the U.S. as a member after it withdrew from the organization in 2018. (Euronews)

Law and crime

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 Iswaran and other individuals. (Reuters)
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)

Politics and elections

Aftermath of the 2023 Guatemalan general election
- At the request of the Guatemalan Public Ministry, a judge orders the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to suspend the legal personality of candidate Bernardo Arévalo's Movimiento Semilla party, which went on to the second round of elections on 20 August. The legal measure would leave Arévalo out of the election. (The Guardian)
- After several days of delay, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal makes the electoral results official and calls for the second round of elections between Sandra Torres and Bernardo Arévalo. (AP via ABC News)
Aftermath of the 2023 Thai general election
- 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)
LGBT rights in Indonesia
- 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)