Portal:Current events/2018 August 7
August 7, 2018 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Caracas drone explosions, Colombia–Venezuela relations
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says that he has "hard evidence" that the Colombian government planned and executed an attempted assassination attack on him on Saturday, and that he will release it later in the day. (Al Jazeera)
- Oromo conflict
- The government of Ethiopia signs a deal with Oromo Liberation Front rebels in an attempt to end long-running hostilities. (Al Jazeera)
- A police officer dies and five people are injured in three separate FARC attacks in Colombia. (El Español)
Arts and culture
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics says the total population of Australia has hit 25 million. (BBC)
International relations
- Crisis in Venezuela (2012–present), Colombia–Venezuela relations
- Newly inaugurated Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez announces that he will not have an ambassador in neighboring Venezuela. (Diarios Las Américas)
- Brazil re-opens its northern border with Venezuela which was briefly closed in response to refugees from Venezuela. (BBC)
- 2018 China–United States trade war
- The Office of the United States Trade Representative publishes its finalized list of 279 Chinese goods, worth $16 billion, to be subject to a 25% tariff from August 23. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Crime in Germany
- A German couple is jailed for twelve years each for selling the woman's son to a Spanish pedophile on the dark web, who repeatedly abused him. The couple themselves previously abused the boy and a three-year-old girl, whom they are ordered to pay €42,500 in compensation. The Spaniard is sentenced to ten years. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- Ohio's 12th congressional district special election, 2018
- A special election for Ohio's 12th congressional district is held following the resignation of Republican Representative Pat Tiberi. The Republican candidate is Troy Balderson and the Democratic candidate is Danny O'Connor. (Politico)
- Politics of Colombia
- Iván Duque Márquez is sworn in as new President of Colombia. (BBC News)
- Arrest of Juan Requesens, Caracas drone explosions
- Venezuelan politician Juan Requesens is arrested for alleged crimes related to the supposed Maduro assassination attempt, despite having political immunity. (BBC News)