Portal:Current events/2015 June 27

Current events of June 27, 2015 (2015-06-27) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks Suspected Islamist militants attack an army base in Nara, Mali leaving three soldiers and eight attackers dead. (Voice of America) (Reuters via News24) 2015 Kuwait mosque bombing Kuwait declares a day of mourning for the victims of the bombing of a Shia mosque yesterday. (AFP via Melbourne Age) A mass funeral for the victims of the bombing draws thousands of mourners in Kuwait City. (Brisbane Times) 2015 Sousse attacks Tunisia announces plans to close down 80 "propagandist" mosques following yesterday's attacks in which 39 people died. (BBC) Nineteen victims have so far been identified with fifteen from the United Kingdom and one each from Belgium, Germany, Ireland and Portugal. (Boston Herald)(BBC) Arts and culture Tonga begins an 11 day coronation ceremony of King Tupou VI. (ABC Australia) Business and economy The People's Bank of China cuts interest rates for a fourth successive time to help stabilize growth. (Wall Street Journal) Greek government-debt crisis Eurozone finance ministers reject a request by Greece to extend debt negotiations past Tuesday's deadline. (New York Times) Disasters and accidents Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Malaysia announces that they will host a memorial for the victims of MH17 on July 11 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. (Channel NewsAsia) 2015 Taiwan water park explosion A midair explosion from flammable powder at a recreational water park in Taiwan injures at least 510 people with about 183 in serious condition in intensive care. (CNN) A sandstorm and a magnitude-5.2 earthquake centered in Sinai peninsula hit Egypt. There are no reports of deaths or injuries. (AP via MSN) Politics and elections The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees claims that instability ahead of Burundi's Legislative and presidential elections is creating a refugee crisis. (Al-Jazeera) Greek economy referendum, 2015 The Hellenic Parliament approves the holding of a referendum on a proposed bailout on Sunday 5 July 2015. (AP, Reuters via Breaking News) Religion Pope Francis, in an Apostolic Letter, done "Motu Proprio" (Latin: "On his own initiative"), creates the Secretariat for Communications, the second such Secretariat he has created, after the earlier Secretariat for the Economy, as part of a reform of the Roman Curia (Secretariats are the highest level of Curial dicastery, or department). It will incorporate Vatican Information Service (VIS), the News.va and Pope apps, the Vatican Television Center, the Vatican.va website and .va domain name, the L'Osservatore Romano newspaper, the Holy See Press Office, Vatican Radio, and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. He named the Reverend Monsignor Dario Edoardo Vigano, formerly the Vatican Television Center Director, as the first Prefect. (English translation of Vatican's text of the document), (English translation of the appointment), (Catholic News Agency)