World

International news, diplomacy, Geneva-based organisations.

World

Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland: brief thunderstorms this weekend, then clearing skies

The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany's official meteorological service, forecasts progressive weather stabilization in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland for the weekend of July 18, 2026, despite brief thunderstorms still possible. On Sunday, July 19, after the last storms, the sky will become clear to cloudy. Temperatures will drop noticeably by the end of the weekend. These forecasts come from a news agency report by dpa.

18 July 2026 at 11:57

World

NRW: sharp temperature drop this weekend following heatwave

After several days of extreme heat, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) will experience a sharp drop in temperatures this weekend, according to the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany's national meteorological service. On Saturday, the sky will be partly to heavily cloudy, with highs between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius. Isolated showers are possible in the mountainous areas of the state (Bergland), but conditions will remain mostly dry overall. Strong wind gusts are expected at times throughout the weekend.

18 July 2026 at 11:43

World

Japan: Parliament expands imperial succession without opening the throne to women

On July 17, 2026, Japan's Parliament approved legislation expanding imperial succession rules, according to La Repubblica. This reform addresses the progressive shortage of male heirs to the throne. Female members of the imperial household will now be able to retain their title even if they marry someone without nobility rank. Members from eleven cadet branches of the extended imperial family will also be integrated into the main imperial family. However, women remain explicitly excluded from the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

18 July 2026 at 11:23

World

NPR Publishes Tips for Handling Awkward Moments With Grace

NPR, the American public media outlet, published an article on July 18, 2026 dedicated to gracefully handling embarrassing moments. The article offers concrete tactics to quickly defuse awkward situations. It illustrates its points with everyday examples, including the case of walking in public with spinach stuck between your teeth.

18 July 2026 at 11:20

World

Piusbrüder Contest Excommunication as Rome Deems Appeal Doomed to Fail

Four bishops of the Piusbrüder fraternity, consecrated on July 1, 2026, in Écône, have been automatically excommunicated. The fraternity has filed an appeal (Einspruch) with the Vatican, invoking the right to contest an ecclesiastical administrative act. However, Rome deems the appeal doomed to fail: the excommunication results from an automatic penalty under canon law, and Pope Leo XIV had explicitly warned the fraternity of the consequences before the ceremony. Should the appeal be rejected, the Piusbrüder could as a last resort petition the Apostolic Signatura, the Church's supreme judicial authority.

18 July 2026 at 11:08

World

Iqaluit Inaugurates Its First Bus Line, a First in the Canadian Arctic

Iqaluit, Canada's northernmost city and the only city in the Canadian Arctic, has inaugurated its first bus line, according to the New York Times. The service is managed by Jacinto Marques, who is originally from Angola. This marks a significant transportation milestone for the remote Arctic community.

18 July 2026 at 11:06

World

Salzgitter AG CEO Criticizes European Carbon Market Reform Plans

Gunnar Groebler, CEO of Salzgitter AG, publicly criticized the European Commission's proposed reforms to the EU emissions trading system on July 18, 2026. In a LinkedIn post, he argued that these proposals threaten climate investments and penalize companies already committed to climate transformation. Salzgitter AG is currently replacing its blast furnaces with carbon-neutral steel production facilities. Groebler called on the European Parliament and member states to strengthen the legislative text currently under discussion in the reform process.

18 July 2026 at 10:33

World

Two queerphobic assaults in Frankfurt during Christopher Street Day

A 62-year-old man was injured in a queerphobic assault in Frankfurt during the night of July 17-18, 2026. He was struck with a glass bottle in the city center (Innenstadt). Frankfurt police classified the attack as queerphobic. Two assaults against queer individuals were recorded by Frankfurt police on the same night, occurring in the context of Frankfurt's Christopher Street Day (CSD), according to a report from Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) cited without editorial modification by Die Zeit.

18 July 2026 at 10:13

World

CJEU Validates 10% Cap on FIFA Football Agent Commissions

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled in favor of FIFA, validating the essential provisions of the FIFA Football Agents Regulation (FAR), which caps agent commissions at 10% of transfer values. The court confirmed that the FAR's main provisions—mandatory agent licensing, commission ceiling, and prohibition of multiple representation—are justifiable under EU law. This ruling closes a legal challenge launched in 2023 by Spanish agencies and supersedes a non-binding opinion from the European Commission that had already concluded the FAR was legal.

18 July 2026 at 10:07

World

Zenia Mertens joins RB Leipzig: third signing from OH Leuven this summer

RB Leipzig has signed Belgian international defender Zenia Mertens, 25, from OH Leuven — Oud-Heverlee Louvain, a Belgian football club based in Leuven and the current Belgian champions. Her contract runs until summer 2029. Announced on July 18, 2026, this transfer marks Leipzig's third signing from the Belgian champions this summer transfer window, following Linde Veefkind and Sara Pusztai.

18 July 2026 at 09:28

World

Laos: Authorities Unable to Establish Cause of Tourist Deaths in 2024 Despite Methanol Detection

Laotian authorities have failed to establish the official cause of death for six foreign tourists who died in November 2024, according to Le Monde on July 18, 2026. The victims—two Danes, one American, one British national, and two Australians—were initially suspected of poisoning from adulterated alcohol containing methanol. However, authorities acknowledge that excessive levels of methanol, a toxic alcohol lethal in small quantities, were found in a local vodka brand. The official cause of the deaths remains undetermined.

18 July 2026 at 08:59

World

US and Iran Exchange Strikes on July 18, 2026, Escalating Tensions at Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran exchanged strikes targeting infrastructure and military installations on July 18, 2026, according to NPR. The confrontation between the two countries is intensifying around the Strait of Hormuz. Casualty figures, the full extent of destruction, and which side struck first have not yet been confirmed by available sources.

18 July 2026 at 07:49

World

July 2026 wildfires: 13 dead in Spain, record fires in France, smoke reaches New York

A triple heat wave fueled deadly forest fires across Western Europe in July 2026. France, Portugal, and Spain each recorded the highest number of forest fires for this time of year. Spain's death toll reached 13. French firefighters battled between 250 and 300 simultaneous fires over three weeks. In Canada, smoke from approximately 100 wildfires in northern Ontario made Toronto the world's most polluted city on July 15, before the plume crossed the U.S. border and reached New York. Experts warn of operational collapse risk for firefighting services facing hotter, more unpredictable fires.

18 July 2026 at 06:40

World

Heat in Madrid: A week without air conditioning to test alternatives

In Madrid, where maximum temperatures reached around 37°C in the two weeks leading up to July 18, 2026, a journalist spent an entire week without turning on her air conditioning at her news outlet's request. The test aimed to evaluate alternatives to artificial cooling. Three solutions were tested: a desk fan, applying cold water to pulse points, and a cooling blanket. The first two proved effective; the third disappointed, producing a sensation of heat rather than coolness.

18 July 2026 at 06:06

World

Israeli Army Destroys Three More Schools in Southern Lebanon, at Least 20 Total

The Israeli military destroyed three schools in southern Lebanon by explosives on July 18, 2026, bringing the total number of educational institutions destroyed since the conflict began to at least 20, according to Lebanon's Education Minister Rima Karami. Over 100 additional schools have been damaged. UNESCO warned in June 2026 that approximately 500,000 Lebanese children remain out of school. Since the escalation in March 2026, Israeli strikes have killed at least 4,324 people in Lebanon, including 250 children. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) documents over 11,000 buildings destroyed in the country's south.

18 July 2026 at 04:20

World

Venezuela: Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 5,000, IMF Releases $346 Million

The death toll from the double earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026, has officially exceeded 5,000 as of July 18, according to Le Monde. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released $346 million to finance reconstruction efforts, targeted at housing, infrastructure, and essential public services. Approximately 21,000 disaster victims were still living in makeshift shelters as of July 15. Fifteen civil society organizations have called on U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio to demand transparency regarding the management of humanitarian aid.

18 July 2026 at 04:10

World

Iran Threatens 'Full-Scale Offensive' If US Strikes Continue

On the evening of July 17, 2026, Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, declared via state television that Iran would launch a 'full-scale offensive' if US strikes continued for more than two to three days, adding that 'no border will be safe.' This statement comes on the sixth day of a conflict that has caused, according to Tehran, more than 35 deaths and over 300 wounded. The memorandum of agreement intended to end hostilities is considered entirely collapsed. Brent crude now exceeds $85 per barrel, up 15% since pre-war levels.

17 July 2026 at 21:42

World

Palestinian Statehood: Prospects Are 'Disappearing,' Warn Two Former World Leaders

Mary Robinson, Ireland's first president, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, warned on July 17, 2026, that prospects for a Palestinian state are "disappearing." Both are members of the Elders, a group of former political leaders and Nobel Prize laureates founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela. They recently completed a tour through Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and occupied West Bank. They point to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and incitement to violence against Palestinians by Netanyahu government ministers. The UN recorded over 760 settler violence incidents in the West Bank from January to May 2026.

17 July 2026 at 21:36

World

Mexico: 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Chiapas, Tsunami Alert Lifted

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded on July 17, 2026, approximately 135 kilometers southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo in Mexico's Chiapas state. A tsunami alert was promptly issued for the country's Pacific coast. Mexico's Ministry of the Navy subsequently lifted the alert the same day, stating that no significant sea level variation was expected. The Mexican Navy continues permanent monitoring of marine conditions.

17 July 2026 at 20:31

World

U.S.: DHS Repeats Unsubstantiated Election Claims Amid Expert and Official Pushback

On July 17, 2026, Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), claimed during a press conference that 250,000 non-citizens are registered to vote across four U.S. states. He acknowledged these identities have not yet been verified. A nonpartisan expert and a Pennsylvania Republican official disputed the figures, pointing to their small scale and lack of transparency about methodology. Mullin also threatened to cut federal funding to states that refuse to cooperate with Washington.

17 July 2026 at 20:20

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