Portal:Current events/2018 October 8

October 8, 2018 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Second Libyan Civil War; Terrorism in Egypt
- A Libyan National Army operation in Derna results in the capturing of Hesham Ashmawy, one of Egypt's most wanted militants. (BBC)

Business and economy

Google announces that it is shutting down its Google+ network for consumers after seven years due to "very low usage" and a software error, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, that potentially exposed the data of 500,000 users. Google+ will fully shut down in August 2019. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

2018 Haiti earthquake
- The death toll of a magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck Haiti rises to 15. At least 333 others are injured. (The Punch)
2018 Atlantic hurricane season
- A hurricane watch is issued for the Florida Panhandle as Hurricane Michael begins moving toward the Yucatan Channel. (Upi)
- Tropical Storm Michael becomes Hurricane Michael and is upgraded to a category 1 storm. (NBC News)

Law and crime

Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal
- Investigative website Bellingcat identifies the second suspect involved in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal as Alexander Mishkin, a doctor who works for the Main Intelligence Directorate. (The Guardian)
Death of Fernando Albán, Caracas drone attack
- The Justice First politician Fernando Albán, who was arrested on Friday related to an alleged assassination attempt in August, dies whilst in custody of the Venezuelan intelligence service. The state reports his death as suicide, which is disputed by all other reports. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

Moons of Jupiter, Colonization of Europa
- New research suggests Europa, a moon of Jupiter, may be covered in tall, jagged ice spikes, presenting a problem for any potential landing on its surface. (The Verge) (The Washington Post)

Sports