Portal:Current events/2014 August 9
August 9, 2014 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Donbass:
- Rebel commander Igor Girkin confirms that Ukrainian government forces have recaptured control of the strategic town of Krasnyi Luch from pro-Russian insurgents, effectively closing in the Donetsk People's Republic rebellion. (BBC)
- Alexander Zakharchenko, self-proclaimed prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic rebellion, calls for a truce on humanitarian grounds after admitting Ukrainian government forces had surrounded the main insurgent stronghold of Donetsk. (Rappler)
- 2014 Iraq conflict:
- Iraqi Kurdish security forces report they have opened a road to Sinjar, rescuing over 5,000 Yazidis besieged by the IS group. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- A bus crashes into a ravine in Tibet, killing at least 44 people. (Fox News)
International relations
- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict:
- Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev declares a ‘state of war’ with Armenia on Twitter saying “We are not living in peace, we are living in a state of war". (The Independent)
Law and Crime
- Michael Brown incident in Ferguson, MO: 18-year-old Michael Brown is fatally shot by Ferguson Policeman Darren Wilson. Shooting of Michael Brown
Politics and elections
- An Egyptian court dissolves the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. (BBC)
- Primary elections in Hawaii:
- Incumbent Governor Neil Abercrombie loses to challenger David Ige, becoming the first sitting Governor to be defeated in a primary election. Ige, a Democrat, will face Republican Duke Aiona and independent Mufi Hannemann in the gubernatorial general election. (Hawaii News Now)
- U.S. Senator Brian Schatz leads Democratic primary challenger, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, by less than 2,000 votes in the United States Senate special election in Hawaii. (Hawaii News Now)
- Incumbent Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Shan Tsutsui wins the primary, defeating state Sen. Clayton Hee.(Hawaii News Now)
Sports
- In association football, 2014-15 domestic competitions for England and Scotland start today. (BBC)
- In auto racing, NASCAR driver Tony Stewart runs over 20-year-old driver Kevin Ward, Jr. during a sprint car race in Canandaigua, New York. Ward was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. (Sporting News)