1. New Van Gogh painting fo

A new painting by Vincent Van Gogh, who was not well-renowned when he was alive, was discovered in a Norwegian attic. Named ‘Sunset at Montmajour’, this painting is the first to be found since 1928.

‘Sunset at Montmajour’ was originally not given much attention, since many did not consider it authentic from the fact that it was not signed. However, with modern technology and research into Van Gogh’s style and technique, it has been confirmed that this is an original Van Gogh work. The painting has even been traced back to an exact date: July 4, 1888, from a letter that Van Gogh had written to his brother Theo.
Depicting a scene from the landscape of the Arles, where Van Gogh was speculated to be, in the south of France, ‘Sunset at Montmajour’ has bushes, trees, and similar painting style as seen in Van Gogh’s many other famous works.

2. Tokyo announced to host the 2020 Summer Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has announced that Tokyo has officially won the bid to host the 2020 Olympics. Istanbul and Madrid were among the two other candidates.

Winning this bid could be monumental for Japan. This proved true when the summer Olympics were hosted in Tokyo in 1964. Recovering from the carnage of World War II, the Olympics gave an immense resurrection and recovery to their failing country. The 2020 Summer Olympics could mean the same situation: the 2011 earthquake and tsunami cost over 19,000 lives in people dead or missing.

The Japanese government has budgeted 400 billion yen (~4,000,000 USD) for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

3. Newlywed pushes husband of eight days off cliff 

Jordan Linn Graham faces up to life in prison if found guilty of her charge of second-degree murder of her husband, Cody L. Johnson.

The couple, who had been arguing and fighting, went hiking to Glacier National Park in Flathead County, Montana. Text records have shown that Graham was texting a friend about having second thoughts and being unsure about the marriage. According to Graham, as they were disputing, her husband grabbed her, causing her to be even more enraged, and she therefore pushed him with both hands back when he fell off the cliff face first. His body has been retrieved.

4. Feud continues over Gibraltar’s concrete blocks

The Spanish Foreign Minister announced last week that he might attempt to lodge a complaint with the United Nations concerning the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.

The dispute, already involving European Union mediators, kindled in July after Gibraltar began expanding an artificial reef consisting of concrete blocks off its coast. Spain complained that the reefs interfered with the local fishing industry and were placed outside of British territory.
The feud continued to escalate through the summer, with the Spanish implementing thorough border checks and the British dispatching warships to the port.

Gibraltar, a 2.6 square mile rocky outcropping strategically located at the entrance to the Mediterranean, was ceded to Britain 300 years ago after the Treaty of Utrecht. The rock has been a source of conflict and a thorn in Spain’s side since.

Recent resentment can be traced to Gibraltar’s rapidly growing economy, which contrasts sharply with Spain’s shrinking economy and debt crisis.