June 23, 2016 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Boko Haram insurgency
- According to Médecins Sans Frontières, more than 1,200 people have died of starvation and illness at a refugee camp for those fleeing Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria. (The Guardian)
Disasters and accidents
- 2016 Jiangsu tornado
- A tornado, accompanied by heavy rainfall and hailstones, kills at least 98 people and injures 800 in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu (JSTV). One-hour rainfall reached 102 millimeters (about four inches) in Lianshui County. (Reuters) (China Radio International)
International relations
- Holy See–Turkey relations
- Pope Francis's visit to Armenia this weekend may stress relations with Turkey. The Pope is seeking to avoid reigniting the diplomatic dispute that arose last year when he described the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as a genocide. The Vatican prefers the Armenian phrase "Medz Yeghern," which roughly translates as "the great evil or calamity." (Reuters), (PanARMENIAN.Net) (NBC News)
- South Sudanese Civil War
- The United Nations announces that peacekeepers in the country will be sent home over a "lack of responsiveness" during an attack on a UN-run refugee camp last February in Malakal that killed at least 40 people. (Al Jazeera)
- European migration crisis
- The Italian Coast Guard rescues 4,500 migrants at sea. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- The United Nations Security Council condemns North Korea's most recent ballistic missile launches as a grave violation of the international ban, and urges all countries "to redouble their efforts" to fully implement the March sanctions. (Reuters) (AP)
Law and crime
- Supreme Court of the United States
- The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 4–3 decision, upholds the University of Texas's practice of considering race in college admissions. Justice Elena Kagan recused herself for prior work on the case as United States solicitor general. (Reuters) (AP) (The New York Times)
- The Supreme Court deadlocks (4–4) in the challenge to President Barack Obama's executive order that set up the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans plan, which could have shielded up to five million illegal immigrants. The tie leaves in place an earlier ruling against the plan. (NBC News) (The New York Times)
- 2016 Summer Olympics
- The government of Kuwait sues the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for US$1.3 billion in damages over the suspension of its Olympic committee last October due to the government's interference in sports. (Al Jazeera)
- Death of Freddie Gray
- Viernheim shooting
Politics and elections
- United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
- Voters in the United Kingdom go to the polls to vote in a referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union. (The Telegraph) (BBC)
- Polling stations are closed, and ballots are being counted in centres around the UK with the result expected Friday morning. (BBC)
- Colombian conflict
- 2016 United States presidential election
- A federal district judge, in a suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, rules Cleveland's regulations governing protests and marches during next month's Republican National Convention infringe on the right of free expression. Judge James Gwin orders both sides into mediation to begin negotiating new rules with another federal judge overseeing those talks. (AP)
Science and technology
- Solar Impulse 2, a plane powered only by the Sun, lands safely in Seville, Spain, shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time after a flight of just over 71 hours. The 15th leg of the round-the-world journey had been expected to take up to 90 hours. (Reuters) (Reuters²)
Sport
- 2016 NBA draft
- In basketball, the NBA draft is held with the Philadelphia 76ers choosing Australian Ben Simmons as the number one pick. (ESPN)