Today's Top 3 News: Claims of 9-Day Global Blackout Starting July 18

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Blackout in Suak Raya Village, Johan Pahlawan, West Aceh, Aceh, May 23, 2026. ANTARA/Syifa Yulinnas

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo English compiled the top 3 news on Saturday, July 18, 2026. Here are the highlights: Fact Check: Is a 9-Day Global Blackout Starting on July 18?; What We Know So Far About Mexico's Strong M7.3 Earthquake; and Fact Check: No, LGBT Community Is Not the Cause for HIV/AIDS Surge.

The following is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today:

1. Fact Check: Is a 9-Day Global Blackout Starting on July 18?

A number of posts on Facebook [archive] and Instagram claim that there will be a global power outage or blackout for nine days starting July 18, 2026. But is there really going to be a global power outage for nine days? Click here for the full report.

2. What We Know So Far About Mexico's Strong M7.3 Earthquake

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Mexican state of Chiapas in the Gulf of Tehuantepec on Friday, July 18, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS stated the quake struck at 14:48 GMT (8:48 a.m. Mexico central time) at a shallow depth of 9.4 miles (about 15 kilometers).

The epicenter was approximately 29.8 miles (about 48 kilometers) southwest of the city of Aquiles Serdán, in Chiapas state, along the border of Mexico and Guatemala. Read more here.

3. Fact Check: No, LGBT Community Is Not the Cause for HIV/AIDS Surge

Several Facebook posts [archive] link the surge in cases of human immunodeficiency virus, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

"Data shows that the largest contributor to HIV is the LGBT community. It's reasonable to classify them as a non-military threat to the state," wrote one account on Monday, July 13, 2026.

These social media narratives not only cite nationwide-scale data but also link the LGBT community to the rise of HIV/AIDS cases in a number of regions. For example, in Sidoarjo, Malang, Probolinggo, Samarinda, Balikpapan, Palu, and Tarakan. Other posts also cite data from West Java and West Sumbawa.

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Today's Top 3 News: Is the LGBT Community Causing Surge in HIV/AIDS?

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