July 20

Politics and elections

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung withdraws the nomination of Lee Jin-sook as the Education minister due to allegations surrounding plagiarism of student theses and early overseas studies for her children.

Cabinet of Lee Jae Myung

Source: The Hankyoreh

July 19

Law and crime

At least 30 people are injured, including seven critically, in a vehicle-ramming attack at a night club in Los Angeles, California, United States.

2025 Hollywood car attack

Source: Los Angeles Fire Department

The Puntland Maritime Police Force confiscates a Turkish vessel illegally transporting high-grade weaponry, including armoured personnel carriers and crates of weapons, to Mogadishu in Bareeda, Ras Aseir region.

Turkish involvement in the Somali civil war

Source: Marine Insight

At least twelve people are killed in a mass shooting at a pool hall in Playas, Guayas Province, Ecuador.

Source: Diario Extra

Sports

In boxing, Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk defeats British challenger Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium via a fifth-round knockout to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.

Source: BBC Sport

Disasters and accidents

At least 34 people are killed, eleven are rescued and eight others are reported missing, including children, when tourist boat in the Hạ Long Bay in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam.

Source: News18

At least 21 people are killed and 34 others are injured after a bus overturned and crashed in Kavar, Fars province, Iran.

Source: The New Arab

Armed conflicts and attacks

At least 32 Palestinians are killed trying to reach Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food distribution sites.

Gaza war 2025 Gaza Strip aid distribution killings

Source: AP

Street-to-street fighting in Suwayda, Syria, is reported between local Druze forces and pro-government Bedouin tribesmen.

Syrian civil war Southern Syria clashes (July 2025–present)

Source: i24

An Agence France-Presse war correspondent reports witnessing armed men looting and setting fire to Druze-owned shops in Suwayda.

Syrian civil war Southern Syria clashes (July 2025–present)

Source: BBC News

The M23 paramilitary group and the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo sign a declaration of principles stating that a full ceasefire and final peace agreement will be signed no later than August 18, and that it will be aligned with the earlier DR Congo–Rwanda agreement.

M23 campaign (2022–present)

Source: CNN

July 18

Politics and elections

The Trinidad and Tobago government declares a state of emergency after uncovering a plot by criminal organizations to allegedly target and kill government officials.

Source: AP

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israel and Syria agree to a ceasefire, following a de-escalation of the conflict after Syrian government troops withdrew from Sweida.

Israeli invasion of Syria (2024–present)Southern Syria clashes (July 2025–present)

Source: Reuters

Israel intercepts a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis, who say it was targeting Ben Gurion International Airport.

Red Sea crisis

Source: Reuters

International relations

Russia withdraws from its military technical cooperation agreement with Germany.

Germany–Russia relations

Source: The Kyiv Independent

Disasters and accidents

Three people are killed in a stampede during a public celebration in Garut, West Java, Indonesia.

Source: Jakarta Globe

At least three people are killed in an explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department training facility in Monterey Park, California, United States.

Source: KABC-TV

Four people are killed and over a dozen are injured in a multiple-vehicle collision on Interstate 35 in San Antonio, Texas, United States.

Source: AP

Law and crime

The Seoul Central District Court rejects former president Yoon Suk Yeol's petition to release him due to an unreasonable request more than a week after he was re-arrested on charges related to a failed martial law attempt on December 3, 2024.

2024 South Korean martial law crisis

Source: The Korea Herald

The governments of El Salvador, the United States, and Venezuela conduct a prisoner swap involving over 200 Venezuelans incarcerated at the Terrorism Confinement Center in exchange for the release of ten Americans from Venezuelan custody.

March 2025 American deportations of Venezuelans

Source: Reuters

The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil orders former president Jair Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and places him on nightly house arrest, and forbids him from approaching embassies, foreign ambassadors, and diplomats.

Political ineligibility of Jair Bolsonaro

Source: AP

The United States government declares the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba a terrorist group after it committed an attack in Pahalgam in April.

Source: DW

July 17

Politics and elections

The Ukrainian parliament appoints Yulia Svyrydenko as the new prime minister, succeeding Denys Shmyhal.

Source: Reuters

The British government announces it will lower the voting age to 16, allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the upcoming general election.

Source: NPR

Armed conflicts and attacks

Three people are killed and nine others are injured when Israeli forces strikes the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, the only Catholic church in Gaza.

Gaza war

Source: BBC News

At least six people are killed and ten others are injured after a fresh outbreak of tribal violence in the Galgaduud region of Somalia.

Somali Civil War

Source: Hiiraan Online

Disasters and accidents

At least 69 people are killed, 11 are reported missing, and 43 others are injured in a fire at a shopping mall in Kut, Wasit Governorate, Iraq. The Iraqi government declares three days of mourning and the provincial government files lawsuits against the owners of the mall.

2025 Kut shopping mall fire

Source: NDTV

At least four people are killed, two others are seriously injured and more than 1,000 others are evacuated after torrential rainfall submerges buildings and causes a landslide in Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong provinces, South Korea.

Source: The Korea Herald

A child is killed and 21 people are injured when a coach bus crashes in Somerset, England.

Source: BBC News