WORLD AGENDA
AUGUST 2018

1 Aug 6, U.S.: Washington reimposes sanctions on Iran, targeting the automotive sector and metals trade, 90 days after President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal.
The EU has responded with measures to preserve economic ties with Iran in a bid to uphold the multilateral accord 

2 Aug 1, U.S.: 3D-printed automatic weapons could flood the streets after gun rights activists won the right to post detailed instructions, including plans, files and 3-D drawings of so-called “ghost guns” online

3 Aug 22-29, Russia: Shanghai Cooperation Organization states stage multi-nation military exercises in the Ural Mountains. The drills place armed forces from arch-rivals India and Pakistan on the same side for the first time

4 Aug 20, Greece: Athens will be free to borrow money on the bond market and set its own economic policy after eight years of being forced to implement highly unpopular reforms

5 Aug 18-Sep 2, Indonesia: Twin hosts Jakarta and Palembang welcome 10,000 participants for the four-yearly Asian Games. New events among the 40-plus sports include rock
climbing and bridge

6 Aug 21-26, Irish Republic: The World Meeting of Families will bring Pope Francis to Dublin, the first papal trip to Ireland in nearly 40 years

7 Aug 4, U.S.: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe blasts off to the sun for the closest-ever look at a star. The spacecraft’s observations should answer decades-old questions about the
physics of stars

8 Aug 24-31, U.S. & Canada: Christopher Nolan’s 2008 movie The Dark Knight, the first feature film shot in Imax format, returns for its 10th anniversary. Heath Ledger, who played Batman’s arch-enemy, The Joker, won a posthumous Supporting Actor Oscar


Sources: NewsAhead, Julie Mullins 
Pictures: Getty Images, Newscom, NASA, Warner Bros 
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