Portal:Current events/August 2015

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August 2015 was the eighth month of that common year. The month, which began on a Saturday, ended on a Monday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from August 2015.

Current events of August 1, 2015 (2015-08-01) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Operation Martyr Yalçın Turkey has killed around 260 members of the Kurdistan Workers Party in recent bombing campaigns in Turkey and northern Iraq. Officially the operation was started to attack ISIL but over 90% of attacks were against the PKK. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Arab–Israeli conflict Israeli forces in separate incidents in violent riots protesting an arson attack that burned an infant to death result in the death of two 17-year-old Palestinians. (Reuters), (RT) Internal conflict in Peru The Peruvian Army rescues 15 people from Shining Path guerillas. (AFP via France 24) Arts and culture The speech by Japanese Emperor Hirohito announcing the unconditional surrender of Japan is released in digital form. (AP) The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, places the ancient historic site of Chersonesus under the control of the Russian federal government after a local government made a controversial appointment as site manager. (AP via The Republic) Business and economy Puerto Rico fails to make a $58 million bond repayment due today. Gubernatorial Chief of Staff Víctor Suárez said the government still hopes to reach an agreement with creditors on renegotiating its debts. (AP via MyWay), (Analyst Rating Reports) Disasters and accidents Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Debris suspected to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared last year arrives in France for investigation in Toulouse. (Reuters) The President of Myanmar Thein Sein declares a state of emergency in four regions, Chin State, Magwe Region, Sagaing Region and Rakhine State, after floods kill at least 27 people. (BBC) A landslide in India's Manipur state near the border with Myanmar buries a village and kills at least twenty people. (The Times of India) Current events of August 2, 2015 (2015-08-02) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen A projectile fired from Yemen into the city of Najran kills a Saudi Arabian citizen. (Al-Arabiya) Turkey–PKK conflict A suicide attack by the PKK kills two Turkish Army soldiers and injures 24 others in the Turkish town of Doğubeyazıt in Ağrı Province near the Iran border. (BBC) General Adolphe Nshimirimana, former chief of staff of the Burundi Army, is assassinated in Bujumbura. (RFI original in French) Boko Haram Nigerian Army soldiers rescue 178 people from Boko Haram camps including 101 children. (AP) Law and crime A court in Egypt postpones a verdict in the prominent trial of two journalists with Al-Jazeera, who have been charged with aiding the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters) A Catholic and a Baptist church in Las Cruces, New Mexico are rocked by explosions at a mailbox and a trash can. (USA Today) Services are held outdoors after Dustin Connor allegedly stole a computer, discharged fire extinguishers, and damaged a cross and other structures at a church in Piqua, Ohio. He is aleady a person of interest in similar vandalism to another church in the town.(The Washington Times and The Dayton Daily News) Authorities jail a man in Melbourne, Florida, after he tries to rob the church during a sermon with an airsoft gun before being subdued by the Pastor. (The San Francisco Chronicle and Florida Today) In an apparent road rage incident in Reedley, California, an 18-year-old pregnant woman is shot in the left eye after passing a slow-driving SUV which subsequently pulls up alongside and opens fire.(Sky News) Politics and elections Bronwyn Bishop resigns as the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives following an expenses scandal. (The Australian) Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirms that he has asked Governor General David Johnston to dissolve the Canadian Parliament and set a general election for October 19. This will be the longest election campaign for Canada in recent history, since voting was once staggered over months to accommodate people travelling from remote regions of the country using archaic means of transportation. (CBC) Current events of August 3, 2015 (2015-08-03) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War A Syrian fighter jet crashes into a marketplace in the town of Ariha leaving at least 31 people dead and dozens injured. (TC via AP), (ABC), (YNET News) Business and economy British bank HSBC agrees to sell its Brazilian banking business to Banco Bradesco for $5.2 billion. (AFP via Yahoo) Nokia sells its mapping application Here to German car makers BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz for 2.8 billion euros. (AFP via Yahoo) The Athens Stock Exchange reopens after more than a month with share values falling by 22 percent in early trading. (AP) Puerto Rico fails to make a scheduled payment of US$58 million to service its debts of $72 billion. Moody's considers the commonwealth in default. (BBC) Disasters and accidents Flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains has caused over 100 deaths in India over the past week with tens of thousands of people taking shelter in refugee camps. (BBC) Two cranes overturn on several houses while installing a part of the Julianabrug at Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands leaving twenty people injured. (The Netherlands Times), (BBC) After days of heavy rain, a fifty-year-old building collapses in the Indian city of Thane killing at least twelve people with many more feared trapped in the rubble. (NDTV), (AP) Law and crime 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting In a unanimous decision, the jury rules that James Holmes, having already been convicted for the shooting, is still eligible for the death penalty. (CNN) Sports 2015 World Aquatics Championships Katie Ledecky of the United States breaks her own world record for the 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) freestyle clocking 15:27.71 in the final in Kazan, Russia. (Sportsmole) Current events of August 4, 2015 (2015-08-04) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen (2015-present) Roughly 1,500 United Arab Emirates Army troops deploy with tanks and heavy equipment to the strategic southern Yemeni city of Aden which has been the scene of heavy fighting between Houthi militants and fighters loyal to the previous regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Previous attempts by the Saudi Arabian Army and Royal Saudi Air Force to defeat the Houthis were unsuccessful. (AFP via Yahoo) Business and economy The U.S. Navy's newest submarine, the 12th in the Virginia-class submarine line, the USS John Warner, joins the fleet in a commissioning ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia. (CNN) The Government of the United Kingdom sells 5.4% of the Royal Bank of Scotland raising £2.1bn. (ITV) Disasters and accidents A street-corner sized sinkhole forms at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 64th Street in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York City, ruining the street corner. The northbound N Broadway Local train undergoes delays; there is at least one disconnected pipe and some gas lines requiring repair by National Grid workers. Local police cordon off the area. No fatalities or injuries are reported. (Business Insider, via MSN) Two express passenger trains (12 coaches of the Kamayani Express; to Varanasi from Mumbai, or Bombay) derail, after being partially swept off a bridge while crossing flooded tracks in India's Madhya Pradesh state leaving at least 31 people killed and about 100 others injured. Related to this incident are monsoon rains and the end of a cyclone which have killed more than 100 people in India. (NDTV), (Reuters via MSN) Two boats collide between Kiwa and Remba Islands on Lake Victoria leaving several people dead. (The Nation) Health Researchers from the University of California, Riverside discover that soybean oil and corn oil increase diabetes rates in mice more than coconut oil and fructose. (UCR Today) Religion The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to its Archbishop, Jerome Listecki, reaches a collective settlement agreement of $21 million for its sex abuse claims, meaning it could emerge from its January 4, 2011 Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Archdiocese of Milwaukee),(AP) Current events of August 5, 2015 (2015-08-05) (Wednesday) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Soudelor (Hanna) strengthens to the strongest storm of 2015; it is expected to be equivalent to a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane when it hits Taiwan. (The Independent) (Free District) Malaysian Airlines Flight 370: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirms that the plane debris recovered from Reunion Island on July 29 is from Flight 370. This is the first direct evidence that the missing March 2014 flight crashed. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says that the search for MH370 will continue. (BBC), (Reuters via MSN), (Nine News - Australia) Examination of the debris is being carried out, under the direction of a judge, at the Balma, France, aeronautical test facility in the Toulouse area to identify everything they can from the metal: damage, barnacles, etc. (UPI), (Deutsche Welle), (Reuters via MSN) The Italian Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard and Irish Navy rescue 367 people as a boat carrying migrants founders off the coast of Libya with 25 people dying. (AP) The Gold King Mine waste water spill releases 3 million gallons of heavy metal toxin tailings and waste water into the Animas River in Colorado. (Newsweek) Health and medicine Researchers based at the University of Helsinki, using data from Statistics Finland, suggests that fathers live longest when having children around the age of 25 to 30, rather than prior. (The Chicago Tribune) The death toll from an outbreak of legionnaires disease in New York City rises to eight with 97 people sick. (NBC New York) International relations The Government of Cambodia claims that the Royal Thai Army has killed five Cambodians since January. (The Bangkok Post) Law and crime Police claim that a triple murder in Pensacola, Florida is linked to witchcraft and the blue moon. (The Washington Post) Politics and elections The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down a state law in Texas that had required that voters show identification before casting ballots. (Reuters) Current events of August 6, 2015 (2015-08-06) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) A suicide bomber kills at least eight people and injures twelve in the city of Pul-i-Alam in Logar Province. (AP via ABC News) 2015 Abha mosque bombing, Terrorism in Saudi Arabia, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant A suicide bomb attack kills at least 15 people at a mosque in the south-western Saudi city of Abha. IS claims responsibility. (Reuters), (AFP via Yahoo) Syrian Civil War Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant conquers the key transport hub Al-Qaryatain, allowing its forces in the Qalamun region to be supplied through this city. (The News Hub) Russian hackers are suspected of infiltrating the U.S. Pentagon e-mail system last week. (The Daily Telegraph) Arts and culture American news satire program The Daily Show airs its last broadcast with comedian Jon Stewart as host. (The New Yorker) Many people throughout the world commemorate the 70th anniversary of the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. (Reuters via The Melbourne Age) Disasters and accidents A helicopter crash in the southern province of Zabul kills at least 17 people, including 12 Afghan army soldiers. (Al-Jazeera) A Pakistani military helicopter crashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province resulting in at least 11 deaths. (AP) International relations Yemeni Civil War: Saudi Arabia sends new military equipment including tanks from Sharura into northern Yemen to support government forces fighting Iran-backed Houthi militants. (Voice of America) Politics and elections The Republican Party candidates for President of the United States debate, in two events (top tier candidates and lower-tier candidates separated) in an informal kick-off event for the 2016 campaign. (The Los Angeles Times) Current events of August 7, 2015 (2015-08-07) (Friday) Armed conflict and attacks Suspected Islamist militants stormed two hotels in central Mali where UN peacekeepers were housed, seizing at least ten hostages and killing three Malian soldiers and a U.N. peacekeeper. (The Times of Oman), (Reuters) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) A truck bomb explodes in Kabul leaving at least fifteen people dead and 400 more injured. (BBC) A bombing outside the Kabul police academy kills at least 20 people with the Taliban claiming responsibility. (AFP via ABC News) Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Tadmur offensive (July–August 2015), Syrian Civil War The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that ISIL has kidnapped at least 230 people, including at least 60 Christians, from Al-Qaryatayn in the Homs Governorate. (Reuters), (RFERL) Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants execute 19 women in Mosul, Iraq, for refusing to have sex with the group’s fighters. Arts and culture North Korea will change its time zone to UTC+08:30 on August 15, returning to the time used by the Korean Empire until Japanese occupation in 1910. (BBC) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Taiwan evacuates hundreds of people ahead of Typhoon Soudelor (2015). (Reuters via WA Today) International relations Syrian Civil War The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopts a resolution aimed at identifying those responsible for deploying chlorine and other chemical weapons in attacks in Syria. (The Hindustan Times), (VOA) Law and crime Attacks on secularists in Bangladesh A Bangladeshi blogger known for his atheist views is hacked to death by a gang armed with machetes, the fourth such incident this year, in the capital Dhaka. (BBC), (The Telegraph), (The Hindu) 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting The jury in the penalty phase of the trial of Aurora theater shooter James Holmes reaches a verdict to sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. (Reuters), (AP), (WABC) Sports 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup FIBA announces that China will host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. China is chosen over the Philippines, the only other candidate nation, for the hosting rights of the tournament. (The Japan Times) Current events of August 8, 2015 (2015-08-08) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) An overnight attack on Camp Integrity in Kabul leaves one NATO service member killed, along with eight support staff and two Taliban insurgents. (Reuters via Yahoo News), (AFP) A hostage rescue operation in central Mali is successfully performed by British SAS forces after gunmen attack a hotel with at least seven people dead. (The Daily Star) Civil war in the Central African Republic A Rwandan soldier attached to MINUSCA goes on a shooting spree in Bangui, killing four fellow UN peacekeepers and injuring another eight before turning the gun on himself. (The Guardian) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Soudelor makes landfall in Taiwan killing at least four people with four people missing and 64 injured. (CNA via Focus Taiwan), (AP via The New York Times) Typhoon Soudelor makes landfall in mainland China in Fujian province with 250,000 having been evacuated from that province and Zhejiang province. (AFP via ABC News) Law and crime A man is in custody in Harris County, Texas, after six children and two adults are found dead near the U.S. city of Houston. (KHOU) Sports In cricket, England regains The Ashes after taking an unbeatable lead of 3–1 in the 2015 Ashes series. Australian captain Michael Clarke announces his retirement. (BBC) In rugby union, Australia wins the 2015 Rugby Championship with a 27–19 win over the New Zealand All Blacks. (WA Today) Current events of August 9, 2015 (2015-08-09) (Sunday) Arts and culture Japan commemorates the 70th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped over the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II. (BBC) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season The death toll in China from Typhoon Soudelor rises to at least 22 people with more missing and millions without power. (USA Today) Law and crime An arrest warrant is issued for the cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Suleiman Hilal Al-Assad, who is accused of shooting and killing Colonel Hassan Al-Sheikh of the Syrian Armed Forces at what can be described as a traffic dispute. (The News Hub), (France 24) Ferguson unrest Tyrone Harris, Jr is shot in Ferguson, Missouri after allegedly firing shots at police. He is in a critical condition.(The St Louis Post-Dispatch) Politics and elections The Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi calls for abolishing the positions of Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister and says he is opening graft investigations. The previous vice president Tariq al-Hashimi was sentenced in absentia to death over political murders. (Bloomberg) Haitian parliamentary election, 2015 Voters in Haiti go to the polls for the first election in four years with some polling places in the capital Port-au-Prince forced to close due to violence. (Reuters) Sports NFL player and sportscaster Frank Gifford dies at the age of 84. (NBC) Current events of August 10, 2015 (2015-08-10) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Two women attack the U.S. consulate in Istanbul with automatic rifles. No fatalities are reported, and one of the attackers, wounded during the exchange of fire, is captured. The Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C) claims responsibility. (The News Hub), (The Hürriyet Daily News) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) A suicide bomb blast kills at least five people at the entrance to the Kabul International Airport. The Taliban claim responsibility. (BBC) A stabbing at an Ikea store in Västerås, Sweden reslults in two people killed, and a third person seriously injured. (BBC News via MSN) Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant ISIL claims responsibility for a bombing in central Iraqi city of Baquba that killed at least 30 people and injured 40 more. (CNN) Business and economy Google creates a new holding company called Alphabet Inc. containing Google Inc. and Calico containing Google Ventures, Google Capital, Google X, and other subsidiaries. (Bloomberg) Disasters and accidents The death toll from floods in Myanmar tops 100 with more than a million people affected. (AAP via Sky News Australia) Politics and elections Voters elect Tony Smith as Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives replacing Bronwyn Bishop who resigned as a result of an expenses scandal. (The Sydney Morning Herald) Science and technology A night parrot is captured for the first time in over a hundred years in Australia's outback. (The Guardian), (The Australian) A study, part of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, examined huge blocks of space as distant as several billion light years away and concluded that the universe is "slowly dying" as more stars gradually go out faster than they are being replaced by light-emitting active ones. In cosmological terms, the demise of the universe (the current age calculated at approximately 13.8 billion years) is billions, perhaps trillions of years away. (The Guardian via MSN), (CNN), (The South African Times Live) Current events of August 11, 2015 (2015-08-11) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency A bomb attack consistent with Boko Haram kills 50 people in Nigeria's Borno State. (Reuters) Business and economy The People's Bank of China devalues the Chinese yuan by two percent in an attempt to boost its economy, a move which could spark a currency war. (The Guardian) Disasters and accidents Debris from a Buk surface-to-air missile is found at an unspecified location in eastern Ukraine. According to the Dutch Safety Board and the Dutch prosecutor overseeing the criminal investigation, it may have come from a Buk (possibly of Russian origin) fired by rebel fighters, accidentally or purposefully, in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The investigation remains classified. (AFP via MSN) A heatwave in Egypt has killed at least 42 people. (AP) Flooding in Argentina kills at least three people and 11,000 are made homeless. (AFP via ABC News) Japan's Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Satsumasendai in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu restarts reactor no. 1. This is the first of 50-plus shut-down nuclear reactors to go back online since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The problems discovered in the reactor model after the disaster have not been fixed. (UPI), (CNN) International relations In talks held regarding the course of the Syrian Civil War, Russia and Saudi Arabia fail to reach agreement over cooperation in the fight against ISIL, with the Saudi representative refusing any common struggle with Assad's regime. (The News Hub) Georgia accuses Russia of cutting off its citizens from their farmland by installing border signposts demarcating the breakaway South Ossetia region, calling on Moscow to refrain from "escalation". (The Daily Star) Law and crime In Puyallup, Washington, a gunman on a mass shooting spree kills a man, then fired at homes and people before driving a stolen SUV through the garage door, crashing into several cars, and shooting at police until stopped when his SUV was rammed by a police car. (KIRO) Politics and elections The Parliament of Iraq approves a package of measures proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to tackle corruption and to abolish senior posts. (Radio Free Europe) Current events of August 12, 2015 (2015-08-12) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War Artillery strikes in Damascus during a visit by the Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif kill at least 40 people and wound more than 180. (The News Hub) Arts and culture New Zealand flag debate A government appointed panel chooses 40 finalist flag designs out of more than 10,000 submitted. (Miami Herald) (The New York Post) Business and economy Pearson PLC agrees to sell its share in the Economist Group to Exor controlled by the Agnelli family for £469m. (BBC) 2015 Chinese stock market crash The People's Republic of China devalues the yuan (Renminbi) by 1.62 percent after devaluing by 1.92 percent yesterday. This comes in the wake of a 30% drop of Chinese stocks last month. (BBC), (USA Today), (The Australian) Disasters and accidents 2015 Tianjin explosions A massive explosion in the Chinese city of Tianjin results in at least 17 deaths, 11 people seriously injured, and hundreds of people being hospitalised. (BBC), (NBC News), (CCTV) A U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashes while landing on a U.S. Navy cargo vessel near the Japanese island of Okinawa, with seven people injured. (AP via MSN) The death toll from a heat wave in Egypt this week rises to 60. (AP) Law and crime Kasur child sexual abuse scandal In a two year period, 280 to 300 children have been sexually abused and filmed doing forced sex acts in Pakistan by a gang consisting of 20 to 25 culprits. (CNN), (Anadolu Agency), (BBC) Politics and elections Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, aged 90, announces that recent liver surgery revealed that he is suffering from an as-yet unspecified form of cancer which has spread to other parts of his body. (Reuters via MSN) North Korea's vice premier Choe Yong-gon is believed to have been executed by firing squad this year for voicing frustration at the policies of leader Kim Jong-Un. (Reuters), (AFP) A South Korean man is seriously injured after self-immolation during a protest against Japan's use of South Korean women as sex slaves during World War II. (The New York Times) Dési Bouterse is sworn in for a second term as President of Suriname. (AP via The Star Tribune) Current events of August 13, 2015 (2015-08-13) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2015 Baghdad market truck bomb, Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) A truck bombing in Baghdad, Iraq kills at least 76 people and wounds 212 others. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attack. (Reuters), (The Daily Mail) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Rojava Revolution The United States believes that ISIL used a sulfur mustard agent against Kurdish forces in Iraq earlier this week. Business and economy The New Zealand government-owned, coal-mining company, Solid Energy, goes into temporary voluntary administration, asking creditors to freeze most of its debt. (Radio New Zealand) 2015 Chinese stock market crash The People's Republic of China further devalues the yuan (Renminbi) by 1 percent after two previous devaluings. (BBC) Disasters and accidents 2015 Tianjin explosions The death toll rises to 50. (AP) An unspecified-type Egyptian military aircraft crashes due to a 'technical failure' near the Libyan border killing four crew members and injuring two others. (ABC via AP) Law and crime Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority Swedish prosecutors drop some charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange as the statute of limitations expire but will continue to investigate rape claims. (Sky News) Politics and elections Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri pledges allegiance to the new Taliban chief Akhter Mansour in an audio message posted online. (BBC) (Reuters) Current events of August 14, 2015 (2015-08-14) (Friday) Business and economy Greek government-debt crisis The Hellenic Parliament approves (with 222 yes votes) Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras's bailout package, despite opposition by almost one-third of his Syriza party. This third bailout plan is almost identical to the one rejected by the Greek people in the referendum. Tsipras will seek a vote of confidence following the country's August 20th payment to the European Central Bank. (The Guardian), (The International New York Times) Ministers at Eurogroup's lengthy meeting today approve Greece's 85 billion euro bailout. (Forex), (The Guardian) International relations Cuban Thaw, Cuba–United States relations U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry officially reopens the American embassy in Havana. Eight congressional lawmakers involved in the policy change also attend. (AP via Global News), (CNN), (The Washington Post) The United States flag is raised at the embassy for the first time in 54 years. (NBC) Disasters and accidents A road accident near the Indian city of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand state kills thirteen pilgrims and leaves 11 injured. (The International Business News Live) Law and crime Masked gunmen kill 19 people and wound seven others at multiple locations of São Paulo's suburbs Thursday night. (BBC), (ABC) Science and technology Mathematicians at the University of Washington Bothell discover a new type of pentagon tiling, the first new type of "tiling the plane" with a single polygon since 1985. (NPR) Current events of August 15, 2015 (2015-08-15) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) ISIL bombings kill 21 and wound more than 100 others in Shia neighborhoods of Baghdad. (The News Hub) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Saudi-backed forces loyal to the former Government retake the Shabwah Governorate from the Iran-backed rebels. (AFP via Maktoob Yahoo) Syrian Civil War, Battle of Zabadani (2015) Fighting resumes in Syria near the Lebanese border and Idlib Governorate as a temporary ceasefire between the Syrian government, its ally Hezbollah and an alliance of insurgent groups ends. (Reuters) Boko Haram insurgency A suicide bomber kills at least three people in an attack on a marketplace in Borno state. (Reuters via The New York Times) 2015 Burundian unrest Jean Bikomagu, a leader of the military during the Civil War is assassinated, heightening fears of another civil war developing. (AFP via The Daily Star) Arts and culture Victory over Japan Day Countries around the world commemorate the end of World War II. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia), (ABC News Australia) North Korea moves its clock back half an hour to introduce Pyongyang Time 8.5 hours ahead of UTC in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean peninsula. (The South China Morning Post) Disasters and accidents 2015 Tianjin explosions The death toll from the explosions in Tianjin rises to at least 85. In a further update, Chinese state media says that the death toll is at least 104. (AP via MSN), (AFP, AP, via The Daily Telegraph) Police order further evacuations near the blast site following reports of more explosions. (The Guardian) Suffocation in the hold of a boat in the Mediterranean Sea near the Libyan coast kills at least 40 migrants. (Reuters) Ecuador evacuates several villages around the Cotopaxi volcano ahead of a possible eruption. (AFP via Makhtoob Yahoo) Current events of August 16, 2015 (2015-08-16) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2015 Douma market air strikes, Syrian Civil War According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a series of air-raids by the Syrian Arab Air Force on the rebel-held market town of Douma kills at least 110 people and leaves hundreds injured. (BBC), (The International Business Times), (Reuters), (Xinhua), (Al Jazeera) 2014–15 India–Pakistan border skirmishes, Kashmir conflict India and Pakistan trade gunfire over the border in the disputed area of Kashmir leaving eight people killed in the past week. (AP via Fox News) Turkey–PKK conflict A clash in Turkey's Kars Province kills a Turkish Army soldier and three PKK militants. (The Daily Star via Reuters) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIL militants execute 15 women in Mosul. (Al-Manar) A parliamentary report on the causation for Mosul's fall to ISIL with so little resistance includes former Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki among dozens of officials named. (The Washington Post) Disasters and accidents 2015 Tianjin explosions The death toll from the explosions rises to 112 with 95 people missing including 85 fire fighters. (Reuters), (Al Jazeera) An Indonesian plane (Trigana Air Service Flight 257) with 54 people on board goes missing in Papua. There are later reports that the remains of the aircraft have been found in the Oksibil district. (BBC), (AFP via Yahoo) Ecuador declares a state of emergency over increased activity at the Cotopaxi volcano near the capital of Quito. Its last major eruption was in 1877. (BBC), (Dalje.com), (Al Jazeera) International relations North Korea–South Korea relations South Korea establishes a surveillance center on its northernmost island of Baengnyeongdo to better deter North Korean threats. (The Korea Times), (Yonhap) Politics and elections Crowds gather throughout Brazil to demand the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff due to a bribery and corruption scandal involving senior members of the governing Workers' Party. Recent polls show her approval ratings below 10%. (France 24) Sports 2015 Netball World Cup In netball, Australia defeats New Zealand 58–55 in the final of the Netball World Cup in Sydney. (Fox Sports Australia) 2015 PGA Championship In golf, Jason Day of Australia wins the PGA Championship on the Straits Course of the Whistling Straits complex in the American village of Kohler, Wisconsin. (ABC News Australia) Day's 20-under-par is the lowest score in relation to par at a major championship, beating Tiger Woods' previous record of 19-under at the 2000 Open Championship. (ABC News Australia) Jordan Spieth of the United States finishes second and by doing so becomes the number-one-ranked golfer in the world ahead of Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland. (ABC News Australia) Current events of August 17, 2015 (2015-08-17) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2015 Attock bombing The U.S. offers to assist Pakistan with its investigation into the suicide bombing attack on Sunday that killed at least 19 people, including Shuja Khanzada, the interior minister of the Punjab Province. (The Daily Pakistan) 2015 Ratchaprasong bombing A bomb explodes near the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least 19 people and injuring 123 others. No one claims responsibility. Thai Society president Songvut Manoonpong says that parties opposing the Thai military government are responsible. (Sky News), (Reuters), (The Bangkok Post), (The New Zealand Herald), (Al Jazeera) Disasters and accidents 2015 Tianjin explosions Protesters in Tianjin demand answers and compensation from the government. (Radio New Zealand Online), (Al Jazeera), (BBC) A heat wave affecting the Middle East causes almost 100 deaths in Egypt. (Al Jazeera) Trigana Air Service Flight 257 Indonesian authorities reveal that the crashed plane was transporting $US470,000 in cash for the poor. (The Telegraph) Health Experiments at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory map brain signalling processes at an atomic level, in this case, the SNARE complex (neuronal SNAREs and synaptotagmin-1), which influences the control and release of neurotransmitters.(Science Daily) International relations South Korea and the United States commence a joint military exercise despite threats from North Korea. (AFP via Yahoo) The United Arab Emirates approves plans for the construction of the first Hindu temple in that country, after a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Al Jazeera) The United Nations Security Council unanimously approves a statement backing intensive talks on key issues aimed at restoring peace in Syria. (AP via SFGate) Law and crime The U.S. Internal Revenue Service, which announced an extensive computer data breach in May 2015, reveals that the breach is much deeper and more serious, exposing an additional 220,000 individuals. The thieves had infiltrated a now-deactivated online system called "Get Transcript." (AP via MSN), (USA Today) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi approves a controversial anti-terrorism law. Proponents say it will help fight terrorism, and opponents say the legislation will jeopardize civil rights including freedom of the press. (Al Jazeera), (BBC) Authorities charge a former police officer with second degree murder, in connection with the on-duty shooting death of John Geer in Fairfax, Virginia, U.S., in August 2013. (NBC Washington) American actor Emile Hirsch takes a plea for 15 days in jail for an assault on a Paramount Pictures executive at the Sundance Resort in Utah. (Deadline) Politics and elections Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 2015 Voters in Sri Lanka go to the polls for a general election with the ruling United National Party holding on to power. (BBC) (Al Jazeera), (AFP via Yaho) Current events of August 18, 2015 (2015-08-18) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Donbass Fighting intensifies near the ceasefire line in eastern Ukraine with both the Government of Ukraine and the rebels blaming each other. The separatist-held cities of Donetsk and Horlivka have been bombed with hundreds of shells and rockets in the last 72 hours. (The New York Times) Arts and culture Two women pass the United States Army's Ranger School becoming the first to do so, and earning Ranger tabs on their uniforms. (AP via MSN) Business and economy The Obama administration, through the United States Environmental Protection Agency announces new regulations on emissions of the greenhouse gas methane. (The New York Times), (NPR), (The Atlantic), (EPA) Disasters and accidents Trigana Air Service Flight 257 Indonesian crews locate the bodies of all 54 people aboard the wreckage of Trigana Air Service Flight 257 in a remote area of Papua. (The New York Times), (CNN via Twitter) Health The US Food and Drug Administration approves the use of Flibanserin to help women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder. (The Washington Post) Politics and elections The Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoğlu returns his mandate to form a government to the President after failing to form a coalition government. This means that a new election is likely. (BBC), (The News Hub) Current events of August 19, 2015 (2015-08-19) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency A Boko Haram attack last week on a northeastern Nigerian village, Yadin Kukuwa killed at least 151 people. News of the attack was slow to emerge because the militants destroyed telecom masts around the village. (The Independent), (AFP via Times Live) ISIL beheading incidents, Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL, Syrian Civil War Islamic State militants behead 82-year-old antiquities scholar Khaled Asaad, who worked for over 50 years as head of antiquities in Palmyra. (Reuters), (BBC) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) A suicide bomber kills at least 20 Iraqi Army troops in the city of Baiji. (Al-Arabiyah) South Sudanese Civil War Fighting resumes in South Sudan after the failure to reach a deal between tribes loyal to the president and tribes loyal to the former vice-president. (AP via Fox News) Turkey-PKK Conflict A bomb detonated by Kurdish militants kills at least eight soldiers. (The New York Times), (The Independent) Business and economy Greek government-debt crisis The Bundestag votes to approve a third bailout for Greece. (The Guardian) Samsung Bioepis Co., a drug development arm of global giant Samsung, picks four banks to manage an IPO it plans for the United States in 2016. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents A brush fire burning near the American town of Twisp, Washington, kills three firefighters, injures as many as four others, and forces the evacuation of the towns of Twisp and Winthrop. (KREM), (The Seattle Times) International relation Estonian-Russian relations A court in Russia sentences Estonian security official Eston Kohver to 15 years in prison for espionage. (BBC) South Sudan–United States relations The United States announces that it is proposing sanctions against those connected to the South Sudan conflict, unless a ceasefire is reached promptly. (Al Jazeera) Law and crime Following a July 15 hacking, user data of the infidelity-promoting dating website Ashley Madison is leaked with over 30 million users having their information compromised. (BBC) Police in the U.S. city of St. Louis, Missouri make nine arrests and use tear gas to disperse protesters after a killing of an armed man allegedly aiming a gun at police officers earlier in the day. (CNN) A drive by shooting outside of a Boys & Girls Club in Rochester, New York leaves three people killed and four injured. (WGRZ) Politics and elections The United States Navy SEALs announce a plan to allow women to register, the first time in history. (The Navy Times) Sports The International Association of Athletics Federations elects former British Olympic champion runner Lord Sebastian Coe as its new President, replacing Lamine Diack of Senegal. Ukrainian pole vault champion Sergey Bubka was the other contender for the position. (BBC), (Al Jazeera) Current events of August 20, 2015 (2015-08-20) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Macedonia declares a state of emergency and deploys police units on its borders as immigrants from the Middle East, mainly from Syria and Iraq, block the railway line between Thessaloniki and Skopje. (The News Hub) August 2015 Egypt bombings Large blasts occur in Cairo and Giza, Egypt, targeting the State Security agency and leaving six police officers injured. (Al Jazeera via Twitter), (Al Jazeera), (The Washington Post) North Korea–South Korea relations, Korean Demilitarized Zone North and South Korea exchange artillery fire over the border at Yeoncheon, prompting South Korea to order evacuations of its citizens in the area. (Sky News), (BBC) Spillover of the Syrian Civil War, Israel–Syria relations The Israeli Army fires Spike missiles on Syrian Army positions in the Golan Heights' Quneitra area in response to several rockets fired from Syria which landed in villages in northern Israel, about 20 km from the border. (BBC) Arts and culture Archaeologists find a skull rack used by the Aztecs to display victims in the ruins of the Templo Mayor in Mexico City. (AP via ABC News) Business and economy Within hours of a government announcement that Kazakhstan will abandon its currency-band exchange-rate system to implement a free-floating exchange rate, the tenge loses 26% of its value against the US dollar. (Radio Free Europe/Radio liberty) Disasters and accidents A mid-air collision between two aircraft near Bratislava, Slovakia leaves at least seven people killed. (The Independent) International relations The President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro orders the border with Colombia at the town of San Antonio del Táchira closed for three days after three soldiers are attacked while looking for smugglers. (AP via ABC News) Law and crime An unknown shooter kills a newspaper publisher in Mindanao, Philippines. (ABC News) 2015 Bangkok bombing Thai police say that they suspect that at least 10 people were involved in planning the attack on the Erawan Shrine, but that international terrorists were unlikely to have been involved. (BBC) Operation Car Wash In Brazil, prosecutors lodge corruption charges against Speaker of the Lower House Eduardo Cunha and former President Fernando Collor de Mello, alleging illegal activities involving the state-owned oil company, Petrobras. (Al Jazeera), (BBC), (The Guardian) Former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle reaches a plea deal with U.S. federal prosecutors in Indianapolis. Fogle will plead guilty to possessing and distributing child pornography and traveling across state lines to have sex with at least two teenage girls. Under the deal, he will serve from 5 to 12½ years in prison, and will also pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 victims. (CNN) Politics and elections Pierre Nkurunziza is sworn in for a third term as President of Burundi. (BBC) The Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, announces his resignation and calls a new election for September 20. (The Telegraph), (BBC), (Al Jazeera) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter announceds that his liver cancer (melanoma) has spread to his brain. In addition to radiation, Carter will be treated with a new drug, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), that boosts the immune system without the debilitating side effects of older treatments. (The Washington Post), (WRDW-TV GA), (OncLive) Science and technology The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that July was the hottest month globally since record keeping began in 1880. Global temperatures were 1.46°F (0.81°C) warmer than the 20th century average. NOAA scientists expect 2015 will go down as the warmest year on record. (CBS News), (NOAA) Current events of August 21, 2015 (2015-08-21) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant destroys the historic Mar Elian monastery near the town of Al-Qaryatayn in the Homs Governorate in Syria. (AP) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Saudi-led coalition air-strikes on the Yemeni city of Taiz leave at least 65 civilians killed. (BBC) Doctors Without Borders makes a dramatic appeal to Yemen's warring factions to halt civilian attacks, especially on hospitals, ambulances, and densely populated neighborhoods. (U.S. News & World Report) A gunman opens fire on an Amsterdam to Paris train leaving four people wounded. (The Guardian), (NBC news) Arts and culture A bottle with a letter left inside by British marine biologist George Parker Bidder III is discovered by a woman vacationing in Germany. The bottle dating from 1906, if confirmed, would be the world's oldest message in a bottle found to date. (The International Business Times via MSN) Britain's Information Commissioner's Office orders Google, Inc. to remove, from its search engines, links to news stories about Google's implementation of a "right to be forgotten" request, that include identifying information about a decade-old shoplifting conviction, which the Information Commission's Office considers as being no longer relevant. The order applies only in the United Kingdom. (Irish Examiner) Business and economy The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops and closes down 530.94 points, or 3.12 percent, with the NASDAQ and S&P 500 also down more than 3%. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Goni kills two people in the Philippines with thousands of people evacuated in the Philippines and Taiwan. (AFP via ABC Australia) 2015 Atlantic hurricane season The season's first hurricane, Hurricane Danny, is upgraded to Category 3, as its winds strengthened to 115 mph. On its current track, the hurricane will move across the Leeward Islands by Monday but may weaken when it reaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. (USA Today), (Weather Channel updated) 2015 Washington state wildfires President Barack Obama declares a state of emergency across northeastern and central Washington as the amount of burned land in the state reaches nearly a half-million acres. (FEMA), (The Seattle Times) International relations Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un orders the Korean People's Army to be on a war footing following the exchange of artillery fire with South Korea yesterday. (BBC), (Al Jazeera) The United States halts, then resumes its annual military exercise with South Korea, Foal Eagle, amid rising tensions. (CNN), (The Washington Post) Politics and elections Ranil Wickremesinghe is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka following a strong performance by his United National Front for Good Governance in last Monday's election. (AP via The Star Tribune) Greek legislative election, September 2015 Twenty-five parliamentarians from the governing Syriza party announce plans to form a new party, the Popular Unity, led by former energy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis. (BBC), (To Vima) Turkish general election, November 2015 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calls for a snap election for November 1st after the previous election resulted in a hung parliament unable to form a coalition government. (BBC) Sports South Korean teenagers participated in an under-15 international football tournament in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. In its first game, the South Korean team defeated a Chinese team at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. Current events of August 22, 2015 (2015-08-22) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks South Korea evacuates residents near the North Korean border as tension escalates. High level talks in Panmunjom attempt to defuse tensions. (Yonhap), (Yonhap) Somali Civil War (2009–present) An al-Shabaab suicide bomber attacks a Somali military training base in Kismayu with at least 16 people dead. Another suicide bombing in Mogadishu leaves five people killed. (Reuters) Iran launches a new surface-to-surface missile called the Fateh 313. (Haaretz) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) An Afghan suicide bomber attacks a NATO convoy in Kabul killing at least twelve people and injuring 66 others. (CBS) Syrian Civil War Missile strikes by pro-Assad forces leave over 50 people killed in the Syrian rebel-held town of Douma, near the capital Damascus. (Reuters) Arts and culture Mei Xiang, a female giant panda at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., delivers two cubs. The identity of the father is not known. (The Washington Post), (Zoo's Facebook page) The Hugo Award committee announces their choices for the 2015 winners in Spokane, U.S. (The Hugo Awards) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Goni leaves seven people dead and two people missing as it moves from the Philippines towards Taiwan and Okinawa, Japan. (AP via The Hindustan Times) 2015 Tianjin explosions The State Council of the People's Republic of China orders a thorough investigation of the explosions as the death toll rises to 121. (Xinhua via icrossChina), (AP via Fox News) Shoreham Airport disaster A Hawker Hunter aircraft crashes during an airshow after failing to pull out of dive at Shoreham Airport, West Sussex, United Kingdom, leaving seven people killed with 15 injured. (BBC), (News24) An explosion occurs at a chemical warehouse in China's Shandong province, with nine people injured according to Chinese media. (RT) A landslide in China's Yunnan Province leaves three people dead and eight missing. (Xinhua) International relations The Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev visits the disputed Kuril Islands prompting a protest from Japan. (Reuters via Yahoo) Law and crime Indian police arrest Jammu and Kashmir separatist Shabir Shah ahead of a meeting with Pakistani National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz. (The Indian Business News Live) An unknown attacker kills a second journalist in the Philippines in a week. (CNN Philippines) An incident in the Quetzaltepeque penitentiary in El Salvador leaves fourteen members of the Barrio 18 street gang killed; the killings are believed to be a result of a power struggle within the gang. (Reuters via Yahoo) Politics and elections President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas resigns from the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation along with 11 ministers to force an election. The last time there were elections in the Palestinian authority was in 2005. (The Jerusalem Post) Current events of August 23, 2015 (2015-08-23) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Al-Qaeda militants take over parts of the strategic southern Yemeni port city of Aden. The militants reportedly raised their black flag above the city's port and government buildings. The city was recaptured by pro-government forces last week. (Reuters) Cross-border fire from Yemen kills a Saudi general making him the highest-ranking officer to be killed in border attacks by Houthi militants since March. (AFP via Yahoo) A United Arab Emirates military intelligence operation in Yemen frees a British hostage. (BBC) Arts and culture Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is reported to have blown up the ancient Baalshamin temple in Palmyra, Syria. (BBC) Disasters and accidents The death toll from floods in the Indian state of Assam rises to seven, with 650,000 people displaced. (The Hindustan Times) 2015 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Goni leaves the Philippines with 15 dead and 12 people missing. (AP) The number of fatalities in the 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash is "highly likely" to have risen to 11. (BBC) International relations Britain and Iran reopen embassies in each others' capitals that had been closed after Iranian protesters stormed the British embassy on November 29, 2011. (Reuters) North and South Korea resume talks in the border village of Panmunjon in efforts to defuse recent tensions. (AP) Law and crime Malaysia finds the bodies of more than 20 people believed to be victims of human trafficking in mass graves buried near the border with Thailand. (Reuters via The Guardian) Authorities arrest two Iowa men in Saugus, Massachusetts after heavy firearms are discovered in their hotel room. The two men had made threats on social media stating their targeting of the 2015 Pokemon Video Game World Championships that are being held in Boston. (CNN) Current events of August 24, 2015 (2015-08-24) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Turkey–PKK conflict A roadside IED near the town of Şemdinli in Hakkari Province kills two Turkish Army soldiers and injures three others. (Reuters via LBC Group) PKK insurgents blow up a natural gas pipeline in Turkey's southeastern Kars Province near the Armenian border. (The Daily Sabah) 2015 Thalys train attack The President of France, François Hollande, presents the Légion d'honneur to four people, three of them Americans, Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler; and Briton Chris Norman, for foiling a suspected terrorist act last Friday. (BBC) A bomb explodes on a bus carrying Egyptian police killing one of them and injuring 29 others in the Nile delta. (AFP via NDTV) Clashes at a government protest in Kailali kill eight people in Nepal, including seven police officers. (BBC) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Rockets fired by Houthi militiamen reportedly kill 14 people as fighting intensifies in the city of Taiz. (Reuters) ISIL Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, says that Turkey and the U.S. will launch a "comprehensive" campaign to flush out ISIL from a zone in northern Syria near the border. In effect, this means creating a "security zone" by sending foreign soldiers into Syrian territory. (Reuters) Business and economy 2015 Chinese stock market crash Stock markets around the world fall as a result of fears about China's economy with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 1000 points at the opening of trading on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Index closes down 588.40 points, or 3.6 percent. (The New York Times), (The Guardian) The South African rand hits an all-time low against the US dollar as a result of worries regarding China's economy. (BBC) American utility Southern Company buys natural gas company AGL Resources for $12 billion. (The New York Times) Disasters and accidents 2015 Washington state wildfires The Okanogan Complex fire grows to 256,500 acres (103,800 ha), surpassing the previous year's Carlton Complex fire as the largest in Washington state history. (KOMO-TV), (NBC) Floods kill 8 in Turkey's Artvin Province. (BBC) A sightseeing seaplane crashes on Quebec's North Shore killing all six people aboard. (The Toronto Sun) International relations North and South Korea agree to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula after marathon talks. (CNN) Law and crime South Africa convicts Czech fugitive Radovan Krejčíř of kidnapping, attempted murder, and drug dealing charges. (The Independent Online) La Linea corruption case Former Vice President of Guatemala Roxana Baldetti appears in court to face corruption charges as finance minister Dorval Carías resigns. (BBC), (Reuters) Politics and elections Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau Baciro Djá sacks the chiefs of Guinea-Bissau National Radio and Television, Muniro Conte and Paula Mielo, over political "bias". (AFP via Yahoo) The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calls for new elections after a deadline to form a new government following an inconclusive election in June. (AP via Hawaii News Now) Science and technology Jakobshavn Glacier sheds and creates an iceberg 12.4 square km in size. (BBC) Sports 2015 World Championships in Athletics Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce narrowly defeats Dafne Schippers in the Women's 100 metres finals in Beijing. (BBC) Kenya moves into first place on the leaderboard with gold medals earned today by Vivian Cheruiyot (in 10,000 metres) and Ezekiel Kemboi (in 3000 metres steeplechase). (The Star), (The Star) In motorsport, IndyCar driver Justin Wilson dies at the age of 37 one day after being struck in the head by debris from another vehicle's crash during Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway. (ESPN) Current events of August 25, 2015 (2015-08-25) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram A teenage girl suicide bomber kills five people and injures fourteen others in the Damaturu area in northeast Nigeria. (AP via Fox News) Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Fourteen people are arrested in Spain and Morocco for allegedly trying to recruit people to ISIL. (The Times of Israel) North Korea and South Korea agree to stop airing propaganda at the border and stand down preparations for war. (NPR) Arts and culture Almost four years of renovations at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City are nearly complete prior to Pope Francis' visit in September. Cardinal Timothy Dolan leads a brief tour of the cathedral. (CBS) Business and economy The People's Bank of China cuts interest rates and lowers minimum requirements for bank reserves for the second time in two months. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Goni makes landfall in southwestern Japan with at least 26 people injured but no people killed. The death toll in the Philippines rises to 21 while South Korea is on alert. (AP), (Yonhap) A gas explosion in the Afghanistan city of Herat kills eleven people and injures 18 others. (AP via Ahram) International relations A record number of migrants crossing the Balkans results in a record number of people in Hungary despite the government building a wall on the border with Serbia. (AP via The Columbian) Law and crime A Federal Security Service court in Russia sentences Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov to 20 years in prison for plotting terrorist acts in Crimea, amid allegations of torture and U.S. claims that he is being held hostage in Russia after having been abducted from Ukraine by Russian-backed separatists. (BBC) A shooting at a Romani camp in Roye, Somme, France, by a suspect from the same community leaves four people killed and three others severely injured. (The Irish Times), (L'Express) Protests by the Patidar community in Ahmedabad turn violent, sparking violence across the state of Gujarat, India. (DNA India) Politics and elections The Parliament of Singapore is dissolved with a general election to be held on September 11. (AFP/Reuters via ABC Australia) Current events of August 26, 2015 (2015-08-26) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Two NATO soldiers are shot dead by two men in Afghan military uniforms. (AFP via France24) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIL has destroyed two historic Muslim shrines in Palmyra. (CNN) A U.S. drone strike in Syria kills Junaid Hussain, dubbed "Mr. Terror" - a British hacker for the Islamic State. (The Telegraph) Arts and culture The smallest of mother Mei Xiang's two giant panda cubs born on Saturday at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. dies. (The Smithsonian Magazine) Business and economy Oshkosh L-ATV The U.S. Army awards the $6.7 billion contract for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, the replacement for the Humvee, to the Wisconsin-based company Oshkosh Corporation. (AP via FOX News) Disasters and accidents European migrant crisis A Swedish rescue crew finds 51 dead migrants in the hold of a boat off the coast of Libya during a rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea that has saved 439 other people. In addition, three women are found dead in another migrant boat and another corpse is found during ten rescue operations on Wednesday that have saved around 3,000 people, according to the Italian coast guard. (Reuters), (AP via The Columbus Republic) Law and crime Anti-corruption campaign in China, 2015 Tianjin explosions The People's Republic of China sacks its workplace safety chief Yang Dongliang for alleged corruption following an investigation triggered by the Tianjin explosions. (Reuters) Murders of Alison Parker and Adam Ward A U.S. television reporter and her cameraman, Alison Parker and Adam Ward, are shot dead during a live broadcast in Moneta, Virginia; the woman they were interviewing, Vicki Gardner, is wounded. The alleged shooter, Vester Lee Flanagan II, later uploads a video of the murder and commits suicide. (WTKR) 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting James Holmes is formally sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences plus 3,318 years for the murder of 12 people and injury of 70 others at a Century movie theater in the U.S. city of Aurora, Colorado. (AP via U.S. News & World Report), (CNN) Current events of August 27, 2015 (2015-08-27) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraq War (2014–2017) Two generals of the Iraqi Army and three soldiers are killed and ten wounded when an Islamic State suicide bomber detonates in northern Ramadi. (The Los Angeles Times) Gaza–Israel conflict In retaliation to a rocket attack on Southern Israel, Israel Defence Forces destroy a Hamas weapons manufacturing facility located within the Gaza Strip. (Haaretz) The Government of India deploys the Army to the state of Gujarat after two days of caste-related violence results in seven deaths. (Reuters via The Daily Mail) War in Donbass Seven Ukraine servicemen have died and 13 were wounded in skirmishes with pro-Russian separatists in the past day. (Reuters) Business and economy Walmart will stop selling the AR-15 and other semi-automatic rifles allegedly because of sluggish customer demand. (Reuters) Panasonic will stop making lithium-ion batteries for phones and cameras in Beijing, China, with a cut of 1,300 jobs. The company will instead refocus on higher-margin products such as electric car batteries. (Reuters) The Obama Administration, through its appointment of a majority of board members on the Democratic-controlled U.S. National Labor Relations Board's 3–2 ruling in the Browning-Ferris case uses an expanded definition of joint employer when determining if a parent company shares responsibility for workers hired by a subcontractor or franchisee. The Republican-controlled US Congress responded to arguments from businesses such as the International Franchise Association by adding another NLRB-related rider to the budget to block implementation of this latest ruling. Browning-Ferris can appeal the decision to a federal appeals court. The ruling could affect current unionization and pay efforts at McDonald's franchises. (The International Business Times), (Forbes), (The Chicago Tribune), (The Washington Post) Oilfield services provider Schlumberger agrees to acquire construction company Cameron International in a $12.71 billion deal. (AP via The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Disasters and accidents European migrant crisis Two boats carrying migrants capsize off of the coast of Zuwarah, Libya, with hundreds feared dead. (BBC) Austrian police discover as many as 50 dead refugees in a truck. (Reuters) A sinkhole in China swallows five people. (AP) 2015 Atlantic hurricane season Four people are killed on the Caribbean island of Dominica as a result of floods and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Erika. (WRAL) Law and crime David H. Murdock, the CEO and chairman of Dole Food Company, along with a fellow confidant, are ordered to pay $148 million for misleading directors and shareholders. (AP via The Washington Post) Politics and elections Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou, the head of the Court of Cassation, is appointed as interim Prime Minister of Greece for the duration of the upcoming election. She is the first woman to hold the post. (AP via Roanoke) Thousands of protesters joined a Guatemalan national strike Thursday demanding the resignation of President Otto Pérez Molina for corruption. Five of 13 cabinet ministers have resigned since Friday, and Tuesday, the Supreme Court unanimously approved a motion to impeach the president. (Bloomberg), (The Bayou Buzz), (The Weather Space) Current events of August 28, 2015 (2015-08-28) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks South Sudanese Civil War Rebels and the Sudan People's Liberation Army trade accusations of violations of recently-signed peace accords. (Reuters) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) A car bomb detonates in the parking lot of a Baghdad police station while police attempt to defuse it, killing six officers and injuring another ten. (AP via The St. Louis Post-Dispatch) 2015 India-Pakistan border skirmishes, Kashmir conflict Indian and Pakistani border guards exchange gunfire over the disputed Kashmir border with nine civilians killed and 63 injured. (AP via KSL) Arts and culture The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommends that Costa Rica remove Cocorí from schools because of its perceived racial connotation. (The Tico Times) Disasters and accidents European migrant crisis The body count from a van found on an Austrian highway carrying migrants yesterday rises to at least 71. Three people are arrested in Hungary in relation to their deaths. (AP via The New York Times), (ITV) 2015 Atlantic hurricane season Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit reports that Tropical Storm Erika has left at least 12 dead and more than 20 missing. Erika deposited almost 12 inches of rain in less than 10 hours and caused extensive damage across the island as floods wiped out roads, swamped villages, and started mudslides. (CNN) Florida Governor Rick Scott declares a state of emergency as Erika is forecast to hit the Gulf Coast of Florida on Monday. The storm is over Hispaniola with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, but is expected to weaken this weekend. Of particular concern is Tampa Bay, which has had historic rainfall in late July and early August. (The Tampa Bay Times), (The Miami Herald) 2015 Pacific hurricane season Hawaii Governor David Ige signs an emergency proclamation in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Ignacio on Monday. Ignacio is expected to strengthen to Category 2 this weekend. The state is still recovering from precipitation from Tropical Storm Kilo which skirted the islands earlier this week. In addition, Hurricane Jimena, which is expected to intensify to near category 5 strength on Saturday, is trailing Ignacio and also heading toward Hawaii. (Hawaii News Now), (AP via The Washington Post), (Maui Now), (The Honolulu Star-Advertiser) Exposure to toxic chemicals at a paper mill in central China kills seven people are and injures two others. (AP) Thirty-eight girls and young women die in a crash and twenty others on board the truck receive injuries while travelling to the traditional Umhlanga ceremony in Swaziland. (AP) International relations Colombia–Venezuela relations Colombia and Venezuela recall their respective ambassadors amid rising tensions after a Venezuelan crackdown on Colombian migrants. (BBC) Turkey–PKK conflict Turkish police detain two British journalists from Vice News covering unrest in southeastern Turkey. (ABC Australia) Law and crime Authorities arrest two French journalists for allegedly attempting to blackmail King Mohammed VI of Morocco. (AP via The New York Times) President Trương Tấn Sang of Vietnam signs two directives granting amnesty to 18,539 prisoners including murderers, rapists, human traffickers, and other criminals, but no political prisoners were released. (AP via The New York Times) Authorities charge New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran with 64 counts including fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. (The Albuquerque Journal) Politics and elections Greek government-debt crisis Interim Prime Minister of Greece Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou, the country's first female prime minister, was sworn in Thursday. The PM named her caretaker government cabinet that will oversee implementation of austerity measures required by the latest debt bailout with Eurogroup. Elections, required after Alexis Tsipras resigned last week, are scheduled for September 20, 2015, the third time Greeks will be going to the polls this year. (AP via The New York Times), (The Irish Examiner), (CTV News) Sports 2015 World Championships in Athletics Dafne Schippers defeats Elaine Thompson in the Women's 200 metres finals in Beijing. (The NL Times) Current events of August 29, 2015 (2015-08-29) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks South Sudanese Civil War A ceasefire starts between the forces of President Salva Kiir and rebel forces with claims of breaches already being made. (AFP via The Times Live), (AFP via The Daily Star) Syrian Civil War Turkey launches its first air strikes against ISIL in Syria. (The Daily Sabah) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Roadside bombings in Iraq leave at least 10 people killed. (al-Arabiyah) Disasters and accidents A bus traveling between Butterworth and Willovale in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, drives off a cliff killing thirty-five people. (News 24) A Pacific Northwest windstorm, with winds of up to 87 miles per hour (140 km/h), leaves two dead and over 450,000 people in the Seattle metropolitan area without power. (The Seattle P-I) A man, who fell from the upper deck of Atlanta's Turner Field during Saturday night's Braves-New York Yankees baseball game, dies. (CNN) 2015 Atlantic hurricane season Five deaths occurred in Haiti as Tropical Storm Erika dumped heavy rains there, on the Dominican Republic, and on Puerto Rico. The storm weakened to a Tropical Depression before it hit Cuba (max winds 56 kph (35 mph), heading to the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. (WTSP), (Relief Web), (Deutsche Welle), (NHC) International relations 2015 Thalys train attack European interior ministers and transport officials hold emergency talks in Paris following the recent attack on the Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris. (BBC) European migrant crisis The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon calls for a "collective political response" to the crisis as the death toll from the latest boat to sink in the Mediterranean Sea rises to 171. (BBC), (CTV News) Law and crime 2013-15 detention of Al-Jazeera journalists by Egypt An Egyptian court sentences Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, and Baher Mohamed each to three years jail for "aiding a terrorist organization" and falsifying news. Greste, who earlier was deported to Australia, was tried in absentia. Mohamed, an Egyptian, was sentenced to an additional six months for possession of a spent bullet casing; Fahmy is a Canadian national. (ABC Australia), (Al Jazeera) 2015 Bangkok bombing Thai police report a man with a fake passport has been arrested in a Bangkok suburb in connection with the Erawan Shrine bombing. The man was allegedly in possession of bomb making material and dozens of passports. (AP), (The Banjkok Post), (BBC) U.S. police in Harris County, Texas, arrest Shannon Miles for the alleged murder of Sheriff Deputy Darren Goforth on Friday. (ABC 13) Politics and elections Bersih 4 rally, 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal Tens of thousands of Malaysians rally in the capital Kuala Lumpur calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down over a financial scandal where a MYR 2.672 billion (USD 700 million) payment was made to his bank account from unnamed foreign donors. (BBC News) A legislative commission urges the Congress of Guatemala to remove President Otto Pérez Molina's immunity from prosecution over a corruption scandal that has caused former Vice President Roxana Baldetti to be jailed and much of the Cabinet to resign. (ABC News) Climax of the 2015-16 Lebanese protests: Around 150 000 protest against the Garbage Crisis, sectarianism, corruption and police brutality. Sports 2015 World Championships in Athletics American athlete Ashton Eaton sets a new world record in the decathlon on the penultimate night of competition at Beijing. (ABC Australia) Current events of August 30, 2015 (2015-08-30) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen An air strike from a Saudi-led coalition kills 36 civilians working in a bottling plant in the northern Hajjah Governorate. (Reuters) Arts and culture The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that ISIL has blown up the ancient Temple of Bel in Palmyra. (Fox News) Disasters and accidents A fire at an Aramco housing complex in the Saudi Arabian city of Khobar kills at least two people and injures 105 others. (BBC) 2015 Atlantic hurricane season Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit declares disaster status for nine local areas where access by road is impossible after flooding and mudslides from Tropical Storm Erika which killed at least 20 people and left more than 50 missing. Skerrit also appealed for international aid. (Fox News) 2015 Pacific hurricane season Hurricane Ignacio, which has weakened to a Category 3 (115 mph) storm, is expected to side-step Hawaii this week though will still generate high surf, rain and powerful winds. The Big Island and Maui remain on a tropical storm watch. Ignacio may re-strengthen to a hurricane when he clears Oahu on Wednesday. (The Inquisitr), (Reuters) European migrant crisis Hungary makes a fifth arrest in relation to the death of seventy-one migrants in a truck in Austria. (CNN) An open truck smashes into the back of a van near Mbabane, Swaziland killing 65 girls and young women traveling to an annual dance festival. (RT), (The Telegraph) Politics and elections 2015 Lebanese protests Protestors in Beirut continue their protests against the government due to a lack of effective garbage collection in the city during one of the hottest summers on record. (NPR) 2015 Iglesia ni Cristo protests Practitioners of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) Christian sect in the Philippines rally in the capital Manila against the Department of Justice for its ongoing investigation of INC leaders. (Channel News Asia), (The Philippine Star) Bersih 4 rally There is a second day of rallies in Malaysia calling on Prime Minister Najib Razak to resign over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. (BBC) Japanese anti-militarism protests Students and activists protest in Tokyo against a proposal to amend Japan's pacifist constitution. (U.S. News and World Report) Egyptian parliamentary election, 2015 Voters in Egypt will go to the polls for parliamentary elections starting in October 2015. (Reuters via Mix Fargo) Current events of August 31, 2015 (2015-08-31) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2015 Bangkok bombing Thai police say they have discovered bomb-making material in a raid in an apartment in an outer side of Bangkok. (AP) Arts and culture Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, officially regains its original Alaska Native name through an executive order issued by American President Barack Obama. Previously, since 1917, it had been known as Mount McKinley. (The New York Times) Disasters and accidents 2015 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Fred hits Cape Verde causing flooding and the closure of airports. (AP via The New York Times) International relations Turkey–PKK conflict A judge in Turkey charges two reporters and a support worker for Vice News with being members of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, following their arrest a few days prior. (Al Jazeera) Minsk II implementation Riot police clash with protesters armed with firecrackers and petrol bombs outside the parliament building, in Kiev, Ukraine, leaving one national guardsman dead and around 100 people injured. (Al Jazeera), (The News Hub), (BBC) Syria–North Korea relations Syrian authorities name a park in Damascus after the North Korean founding leader Kim Il-Sung. (Al Jazeera) Law and crime Czech authorities extradite from the United States Kevin Dahlgren, who is suspected of killing four Czech family members. (AP via Yahoo), (AP via Fox news), A Kansas court convicts white supremacist Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. (also known as Frazier Glenn Cross) of three counts of murder outside two Jewish centers. (AP via Yahoo) Riots in the Churachandpur district of India's Manipur State after the passage of three bills in the Manipur Legislative Assembly yesterday leave at least three people dead and three people injured. (New Delhi TV) Science and technology Conservationists report in Oryx, the International Journal of Conservation that the Sumatran Rhino is now considered extinct in the wild in Malaysia. No new wild animals have been spotted since 2007, elsewhere fewer than 100 Rhinos remain in the wild. (MSN)

August 2015 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31  Ongoing events Economic Chinese stock market crash Greek government-debt crisis Political Anti-corruption campaign in China Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger Malaysian protests against corruption Russian military intervention in Ukraine Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Second Libyan Civil War Sinai insurgency South China Sea disputes Syrian and Iraqi civil wars Military intervention against ISIL More details on ongoing conflicts below  Recent deaths August 31: Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu 30: Wes Craven 30: Bart Cummings 30: Marvin Mandel 30: Oliver Sacks 29: Wayne Dyer 29: Luo Lan 29: Graham Leggat 28: Al Arbour 28: Kyle Jean-Baptiste 28: Nelson Shanks 28: Józef Wesołowski 27: Kazi Zafar Ahmed 27: George Cleve 27: Darryl Dawkins 27: Teresa Gorman 26: Vester Flanagan 26: Allison Parker 26: Amelia Boynton Robinson 26: Adam Ward 25: James "Red" Duke 25: Frank E. Petersen 25: Francis Sejersted 24: Cees van Kooten 24: Joseph F. Traub 24: Justin Wilson 23: Augusta Chiwy 23: Mark Costello 23: Guy Ligier 23: Paul Royle 22: Mariem Hassan 22: Arthur Morris 22: Merl Reagle 22: William L. Rowe 22: Ieng Thirith 22: Lou Tsioropoulos 21: Wang Dongxing 21: Anna Kashfi 21: Gerry Steinberg 20: Egon Bahr 20: Veronica Brady 20: Melody Patterson 19: George Houser 19: Doudou N'diaye Rose 19: Suharno 19: Sanat Mehta 18: Khaled al-Asaad 18: Suvra Mukherjee 18: Roger Smalley 18: William Jay Smith 18: Louis Stokes 18: Bud Yorkin 17: Yvonne Craig 17: Eduardo Guerrero 17: László Paskai 16: Jacob Bekenstein 16: Shuja Khanzada 16: Kitty McGeever 16: Mile Mrkšić 15: Julian Bond 15: Hamid Gul 15: Geoff McGivern 14: Agustín Cejas 14: Bob Johnston 14: Lavanam 14: Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano 13: Om Prakash Munjal 13: John A. Nerud 12: Jaakko Hintikka 12: Stephen Lewis 12: Chris Marustik 12: Ihor Yeremeyev 11: Nour El-Sherif 11: Harald Nielsen 11: Magomed Suleimanov 10: Buddy Baker 10: Boris Gostev 9: Frank Gifford 9: David Nobbs 9: John Henry Holland 9: Jonathan Ollivier 9: Susan Sheridan 8: Samuil Lurie 8: Ann McGovern 8: Gus Mortson 8: Sean Price 7: Sólveig Anspach 7: Manuel Contreras 7: Terrence Evans 7: Wei Jianxing 7: Frances Oldham Kelsey 7: Jerome G. Miller 7: Niloy Neel 7: Neville Neville 7: Louise Suggs 7: Uggie 6: Frederick R. Payne, Jr. 6: Orna Porat 5: George Cole 5: Tony Millington 5: Svetlana Boym 5: Ellen Vogel 4: Elsie Hillman 4: Chris Hyndman 4: Les Munro 4: Billy Sherrill 3: Robert Conquest 3: Mel Farr 3: Coleen Gray 3: Margot Loyola 3: Johanna Quandt 3: Giovanni Riggi 3: Arnold Scaasi 2: Forrest Bird 2: Cilla Black 2: Giovanni Conso 2: Sammy Cox 2: Tyler Drumheller 2: Piet Fransen 1: Stephan Beckenbauer 1: Bernard d'Espagnat 1: Chiara Pierobon  Ongoing conflicts Africa Algeria, Tunisia and Niger Maghreb insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Katanga insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Boko Haram insurgency Somalia Civil war South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Chechen-Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency War in Ingushetia Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey-PKK conflict Yemeni crisis Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency  Elections Recent August 9: Haiti, Senate, Chamber of Deputies 17: Sri Lanka, Parliament 20: Iraqi Kurdistan, President Upcoming September 1: Faroe Islands, Løgting 6: Guatemala, President (1st round), Congress 6: Poland, Referendum 7: Trinidad and Tobago, House of Representatives 11: Singapore, Parliament 20: Greece, Hellenic Parliament 27: Catalonia, Parliament  Trials Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Michael Thomas Rafferty, Luka Magnotta China: Ji Jianye, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff, Breno Borges Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Italy: Silvio Berlusconi Jordan: Abu Qatada Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Vladimir Kvachkov, Pussy Riot South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius, Chris Mahlangu Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Ali Dizaei, Antoni Imiela, Brian Regan, Donna Air, Ched Evans, Clayton McDonald, Titus Bramble, Dan Penteado, John Terry, Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed, Asil Nadir, Justin Lee Collins, Kweku Adoboli, Tony McCluskie, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Chris Huhne, Nicola Edgington, Vicky Pryce, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Kevin Liverpool, Junior Bradshaw, Aggro Santos, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Michael Le Vell, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, George Huguely, Allen Stanford, Roger Clemens, Jerry Sandusky, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias, Anas al-Libi Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga, Thomas Lubanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir SCFSL: Charles Taylor Ongoing China: Jiang Jiemin, Yao Mugen, Li Chuncheng, Guo Youming, Zhu Zuoli France: Dominique Strauss-Kahn Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr., Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan, Joseph Scott Pemberton Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu, Relu Fenechiu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members International ICTY: Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladic PCA: China Upcoming China: Wu Changshun Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Spain: Lionel Messi United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Dylan Quick, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo