Euronews

Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, 63, is standing trial in Las Vegas on charges of murder with a deadly weapon and gang enhancement in the 1996 drive-by shooting death of Tupac Shakur. Davis has pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison without parole if convicted. Opening statements began this week, with prosecutors alleging he planned the attack even though he did not fire the weapon.

Three Iranian military aircraft crashed in Qatari airspace in March 2023. Qatar returned remains of one pilot in April and denies holding any pilots in custody. Iran claims the pilots survived and were captured.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on August 18 that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States lifts port blockades, oil sanctions, and releases frozen Iranian assets. Reports from center-leaning outlets also reference a June 17 interim memorandum between Iran and the US that collapsed in July, alongside a lower-quality report of an unidentified projectile striking a vessel in the strait on August 18. Coverage is limited to three center-rated sources with no left- or right-leaning outlets represented.

Multiple outlets reported Russian strikes using ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles plus drones on Kyiv early Thursday, damaging residential buildings, a children's hospital, a medical facility, and an educational institution in three districts. At least 33 people were wounded and power was cut to tens of thousands of homes, while Ukrainian defenses intercepted many drones and cruise missiles but no ballistic missiles. A claim of at least 12 deaths was contradicted by one source.

A steam tug built in 1913 in Budapest as Vag and later renamed Slovenac sank in April 1945 after striking a German mine. Record-low water levels have exposed much of the hull, drawing local interest and the nickname 'Sava’s Titanic.' Reports conflict on whether the wreck lies on the Sava or Danube River.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the presidential office responsible for legal affairs, on Wednesday via a decree published on the presidential website. The action occurred on the same day NABU and SAPO launched an operation targeting an alleged criminal organization involving senior officials and a current or former MP, with searches conducted at premises linked to Mudra and MP Vadym Stolar. No public statements from the agencies have identified Mudra or detailed specific allegations against her.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on August 18 against ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye under a 2025 executive order. The measures follow the ICC's November 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The ICC described the sanctions as undermining the rule of law.

Leaders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada issued a joint statement condemning Israel's decision to open bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the E1 area of the West Bank. The project, green-lit last year, has drawn criticism for its potential impact on territorial contiguity between East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. Diplomatic actions included summons of Israeli officials by the United Kingdom.

Spanish authorities began clearing El Trampolín beach in Ceuta on Thursday, moving hundreds of migrants to formal shelters with capacity for 1,800 people. The action follows a July mass crossing from Morocco involving tens of thousands of people, during which at least 90 deaths occurred. Most of those who crossed have since returned to Morocco, though thousands remain in Ceuta including unaccompanied children.

At least eight Israeli strikes targeted runways and facilities at Abu al-Duhur airbase on Tuesday, causing damage but no casualties according to Times of India and Euronews. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office cited a breached security status quo involving potential Turkish deployment, while Syria condemned the action. US envoy Tom Barrack described the strikes as an unnecessary escalation.

Erin Patterson was convicted of murdering three relatives by serving death cap mushrooms in a Beef Wellington lunch in 2023 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a 33-year non-parole period. She is appealing the conviction while the prosecution seeks a harsher sentence; the two-day hearing before three judges began this week. Key appeal issues include jury lodging arrangements and the sufficiency of evidence linking Patterson to online mushroom research.

Demonstrators in New Delhi shaved their heads, chanted against Xi Jinping, and called for UN intervention while mourning Lobsang Palden, who died on 2 July after setting himself on fire outside UN headquarters. China's ethnic unity law took effect on 1 July, banning acts deemed to encourage ethnic divisions and requiring institutions to promote national unity, with provisions extending to overseas actions. Beijing states the law advances development and cohesion among 56 ethnic groups.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Fedorov was dismissed and subsequently called for presidential elections during the ongoing war with Russia. Protesters who had rallied behind him for weeks rejected the election proposal. Available reporting comes exclusively from two left-center sources.

A Eurocopter EC130 B4 helicopter crashed on Wednesday at 9:13 a.m. local time near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya, killing all seven people on board during a scenic flight from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy. Kenya Red Cross teams responded to the site amid difficult terrain and an active fire, with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department leading the inquiry. Available reporting is limited to two left-center sources, restricting perspective diversity.