Top News Stories –

Democrats stage sit-in on House floor to force gun vote –
Dozens of House Democrats staged a sit-in on the House floor Wednesday in protest of the GOP leadership’s refusal to allow a vote on a gun control measure following the Orlando massacre. Led by Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon, and John Larson (D-Conn.), more than 40 Democrats walked into the chamber just before noon and pledged to “occupy” the House floor until GOP leadership allowed a vote. In one hour, their numbers more than tripled — even as Republicans recessed the House, turning off C-SPAN cameras and the video feed to the public. Democrats countered the TV camera blackout by streaming everything on their cellphones, which ended up on C-SPAN anyway. [Politico]

Mark Zuckerberg masks Mac webcam and microphone –
A photograph of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg shows tape has been used to cover his MacBook Pro’s webcam and mic. Facebook has not responded to requests for comment about the picture, shared to celebrate Instagram reaching its 500 million monthly user milestone. FBI director James Comey has previously said he also covers his laptop’s webcam to prevent hackers spying on him. And digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said it regularly sold its webcam “stickers”. [BBC]
Mark Zuckerberg

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World’s LARGEST NERF GUN!!

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Moro conflict
  • The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant declares war on the Philippines. (The Philippine Star)
• Syrian Civil War
  • According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, airstrikes on ISIL-held Al-Raqqah kill at least 18 civilians. The group was unable to determine who carried out the airstrikes. (BBC)
• Battle of Fallujah (2016)
  • The United Nations reports 80,000 civilians have fled Fallujah, as Iraqi Army and Shia militias retake most of the city from ISIL. (The Christian Science Monitor)
• Sectarianism in Pakistan
  • Gunmen kill Sufi devotional singer Amjad Sabri in Pakistan with a faction of the Pakistani Taliban claiming responsibility. (New York Times)
• Gunmen kill a Nigerian driver and kidnap seven people near Calabar, Nigeria. The group, which was escorted by a security pickup that reportedly had four armed policemen, includes five expatriate and two Nigerian contractors working for Macmahon Holdings’ United Cement Company plant in the Akpabuyo district. Police report two of the workers escaped. Police commissioner Jimoh Ozi-Obeh says no ransom has been received. (Times Media Group) (Daily Post)

Disasters and accidents

• Lightning strikes in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh kill at least 70 people, mostly farm labourers. (Al Jazeera)
• A severe thunderstorm and tornado near Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China, kills at least 51 people. (BBC)(The Seattle Times)

International relations

• North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
  • South Korea claims that North Korea has tested two BM25 Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles. (CNN)
• Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
  • Jordan declares its borders with Syria and Iraq are to be closed military zones following yesterday’s suicide bomb attack in Rukban, Mafraq Governorate, that killed six soldiers. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016:
  • European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker warns the British voters, saying that there would be no re-negotiations with Britain whatever outcome of its membership referendum. (Independent)
• 2016 House Democrats sit-in
  • Georgia Representative John Lewis leads about 40 U.S. House of Representatives Democrats in a sit-in after the U.S. Senate failed to approve any of four gun control measures Monday night. (NBC News) (Politico)
• United States President Barack Obama signs the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act into law. The legislation is the first major overhaul of toxic chemicals rules in America in 40 years. (The Washington Post) (AP via The New York Times)
• Greek debt crisis
  • The European Central Bank reinstates the waiver that enables Greek banks to use the country’s bonds as collateral for regular loans, for the first time in more than a year. (AP) (Reuters)

Science and technology

• India’s ISRO successfully launches 20 satellites in a single mission. (Times of India)

Sport

• In ice hockey, the NHL awards Las Vegas an expansion team to begin play in the 2017–18 season. The Board of Governors defers Quebec City‘s bid with the league, citing factors such as conference imbalance, difficulty of bringing two teams at the same time, and the weakening Canadian dollar. (NHL)

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