Portal:Current events/2022 August 18

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Southern Ukraine campaign, 2022 Western Russia attacks
      • Explosions are reported at military facilities in Crimea and Belgorod Oblast, Russia, and are believed to have been launched by Ukraine. An explosion and large fire occur at an arms depot near Timonovo. Explosions are also reported at Stary Oskol Airport and in Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast. (Forbes)
      • Explosions are reported at Sevastopol International Airport. The Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev says that Russian air defences have shot down a Ukrainian Air Force drone near the airport. (Reuters)
      • Residents of Kerch and nearby villages in eastern Crimea report multiple explosions. Crimean officials say that air defences were activated near the city but that "there is no danger to the town or the Crimean Bridge". (Yahoo! News)
• Mali War
  • France–Mali relations
    • Mali accuses its former ally France of arming jihadist terrorist groups in order to destabilize the country. Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop tells the United Nations that French aircraft are violating the country's airspace and dropping "arms and ammunition" to terrorist groups on the ground. France denies the accusations. (DW)
• Insurgency in Northern Chad
  • Timane Erdimi, leader of the Chadian rebel group Rally of Forces for Change and nephew of slain Chadian president Idriss Déby, returns to the country from his 17-year exile in Qatar to participate in a peace process between the government and numerous rebel groups. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• 2021–2022 inflation surge
  • The European Union statistics office reports that inflation in the Eurozone increased to a record 8.9% in July. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 European derecho
  • Six people are killed and 12 others are injured by strong winds on the island of Corsica, France. (AP)
  • Two people are killed and 20 others are injured by flooding in the region of Tuscany, Italy. (Rai News)
  • Five people are killed by storms in Austria. (BBC News)
• 2022 European and Mediterranean wildfires
  • The death toll from wildfires in Algeria increases to 38 with 200 others suffering from burns and respiratory problems. Firefighters are still trying to contain 39 forest fires in the north of the country, according to officials. (BBC News)
• Sixteen people are killed and 36 others are reported missing after heavy rain causes flooding in Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Qinghai, China. (Reuters)

International relations

• Taiwan–United States relations
  • Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi and Taiwanese minister John Deng announce that Taiwan and the United States will seek formal trade relations with each other, including cooperation on agricultural and digital trade, harmonizing anti-corruption standards, and addressing "significant distortions" caused by state-owned enterprises. (BBC News)
  • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin says that China will oppose any trade deals with the Taiwanese government and also told the U.S. government to "stop making misjudgements". Commerce Ministry spokesperson Shu Jueting also says that China will take steps to safeguard its interests. (Bloomberg) (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2021 Hong Kong democrats mass arrests, Hong Kong national security law
  • As the trial against 47 pro-democracy activists begins in Hong Kong, it is announced that 29 activists, including Joshua Wong and Benny Tai, will plead guilty and 18 activists, including Leung Kwok-hung, will plead not guilty. (Time)
• A political organization in Guinea accuses military president Mamady Doumbouya of being behind the killings of two youths during anti-government protests yesterday. (Guinee28)

Politics and elections

• President of Vanuatu Nikenike Vurobaravu dissolves the Parliament to prevent a no-confidence motion being debated against Prime Minister Bob Loughman. A snap election is expected to be called. (The Guardian)