Portal:Current events/2014 August 29
August 29, 2014 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War:
- The United Nations estimates that three million Syrians live as refugees overseas while another 6.5 million are displaced within Syria. (Reuters)
- Syrian rebels attack the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights and capture 42 Fijian peacekeepers while surrounding a base manned by 75 Filipino soldiers. (The Guardian)
Business and economy
- Brazil's economy falls into recession. (BBC)
- Malaysian Airlines announces plans to lay off 6000 staff as a result of a restructuring following the loss of two aircraft in disasters this year. (Bloomberg)
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sues Valve and video game giant Steam over its policy of not giving refunds. (Sydney Herald Sun)
Disasters and accidents
- Mount Tavurvur, part of the Rabaul caldera near the town of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea's East New Britain province, erupts. (ABC News Australia)
- The death toll from a landslide in a village near Fuquan in Guizhou province on Wednesday rises to 15. (AFP via Business Recorder)
Health
- 2014 West Africa Ebola virus outbreak
- The first case of Ebola virus is reported in Senegal. (AP)
International relations
- The United Kingdom raises its terror threat level from "substantial" to "severe" in response to conflicts in Iraq and Syria. (BBC)