Portal:Current events/August 2013

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- NATO forces in Afghanistan launch an investigation after a US airstrike in Nangarhar Province kills five Afghan policemen and injures another two. (ABC News Australia)

Business and finance

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 hit record highs. (Marketwatch)

International relations

American National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden is granted a one-year temporary political asylum in Russia and leaves Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. (RT) (CNN)
In talks in Manila, the Philippines and Vietnam agree to work together on a framework for resolving maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

Russian police detain 1,200 illegal Vietnamese migrants in raids in Moscow. (ABC News)
Eight people are arrested in Greece for allegedly trying to smuggle weapons into Turkey. (IANS via Vancouver Desi)
The U.S. states of Minnesota and Rhode Island begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. (MSNBC)
The Dhaka High Court rules the registration of Bangladesh's largest Islamic group Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party illegal making it potentially ineligible to contest elections. (Bloomberg)
The government of Uruguay legalizes the medical usage of marijuana, restricting legal purchases to Uruguayans in that country. (New York Times)
Former school bus driver Ariel Castro is sentenced to life plus a thousand years for kidnapping three women and holding them hostage for a decade in Cleveland, Ohio. (ABC News Australia)
Italy's top court confirms that former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will serve a prison sentence for a tax fraud conviction. (Al-Jazeera via Yahoo!)

Politics

The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Willy Telavi, is removed from office by Governor General Iakoba Italeli after accusations that he allegedly tried to replace Italeli as Governor General. Opposition leader Enele Sopoaga is appointed as the country's acting Prime Minister. (Islands Business)
Geoff Thorn, the General Manager of Parliamentary Service in the Parliament of New Zealand, submits his resignation to the Speaker David Carter after phone and other data belonging to Fairfax New Zealand journalist Andrea Vance were released to an inquiry without her permission. (TV New Zealand)
Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party claims victory in yesterday's Zimbabwean general election as the opposition Movement for Democratic Change alleges "massive fraud". (News Limited)

August 2, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War:
- An ammunition depot explodes in Homs, Syria, killing at least 40 people and critically injuring many more. (Sentinel Source)

Disasters and accidents

The United States Food and Drug Administration names Taylor Farms as the source of cyclospora parasite tainted salads that sickened 223 diners in the US states of Nebraska and Iowa. (NBC News)

International relations

The United States Department of State announces a worldwide travel alert for U.S. citizens and some embassies throughout Southwest Asia and North Africa will be closed following an al-Qaeda threat. (CNN) (AP via Washington Post)
The UK Foreign Office has warned its embassy staff in Southwest Asia to be vigilant as Eid al-Fitr approaches. British embassies remained open. (WSJ)
In his Ramadan message to Muslims, Pope Francis calls for mutual respect. The message is timed for the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr, Since 1967, the Vatican has issued an annual greeting to the world’s Muslims on that date. (CNN)

Politics and elections

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission says that Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has won 142 seats of 210 seats in the general election. (BBC)
Samantha Power is sworn in as the new United States Ambassador to the United Nations by Vice President Joe Biden. (Wall Street Journal)
There will be a run-off election on August 11 in the Malian presidential election between Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Soumaïla Cissé as no candidate could achieve a majority in the election held earlier this week. (Reuters)

Science and technology

A new primate, the Lavasoa dwarf lemur, is discovered in Madagascar. (Sci-News.com)

August 3, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Nine children die in a suicide bombing near the Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Jalalabad. (CNN)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- At least eight people have been killed in violence across Iraq. (AFP via Al-Aribya)
Syrian civil war:
- Syrian rebels capture an ammunition depot with anti-tank missiles and rockets north of Damascus. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A man crashes his car into a crowd of pedestrians in Venice Beach, California, U.S., injuring eleven people and killing one. The driver fled the scene and was being sought by authorities, but later turned himself in. (CNN) (CBS Los Angeles)

Crimes

16-year-old Hannah Anderson was abducted after cheerleading practice from Sweetwater High School in National City, California. The suspect was later identified by authorities as 40-year-old James Lee DiMaggio, owner of a home in Boulevard, California. The bodies of her mother Christina and brother Ethan Anderson and the family's dog, Cali, were found in DiMaggio's burned home. DiMaggio was later killed by FBI agents during a shootout at the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho, where he had been camping with Hannah Anderson.

Politics and elections

Hassan Rouhani receives his presidential precept and enters to the Sa'dabad Palace to begin his work as President of Iran. (BBC) (theGuardian) (CNN)
Zimbabwean general election, 2013:
- Robert Mugabe is declared the run-away winner of Zimbabwe's controversial presidential election by a 61% majority, extending his 33-year rule. (AFP via News24)
- Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai promises legal challenges to the results and the refusal of the MDC-T party to cooperate with Mugabe's Zanu-PF. (The Independent)
- A commissioner of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission resigns, citing the conduct of the election process. (AllAfrica)

Sport

In rugby union, the Chiefs win the 2013 Super Rugby Final, defeating the Brumbies 27-22 at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Bleacher Report) (Sky News Australia)

Television

YTV Premiere of Oh No! It's an Alien Invasion

August 4, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Worldwide embassy closings
- The United States closes 22 embassies in the Middle East and North Africa due to intelligence of an Al-Qaeda attack. (CNN)
- Canada closes its embassy in Bangladesh amid terror threats. (Toronto Sun)
- Britain, France and Germany close their embassy in Yemen amid terror threats. (BBC)
Tunisia kills one suspected terrorist and captures another six in an early morning raid in Tunis' El Ouardia [fr] neighbourhood. (AP via Philly)

Arts and culture

Scottish actor Peter Capaldi is announced to portray the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor on the long-running British science fiction show Doctor Who. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Hassan Rouhani is officially inaugurated as President of Iran in the House of the Parliament and announces the members of his cabinet to the parliament. (Aljazeera) (Dailystar) (Reuters)
Voters in Australia will go to the polls on September 7 for a federal election. (The Age)

August 5, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A bomb explodes at a market in the Afghan city of Kandahar, killing at least four people. (BBC)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- 35 people - mostly Boko Haram militants - are killed in separate attacks on security forces in Borno State. (Reuters)
A bomb rigged to a vehicle kills eight people in Cotabato, Philippines. (ABC News via AP)

Disasters and accidents

US military helicopter crashed at a US Marine Camp Hansen in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, killing 4 people and injuring 3 others. (NHK World)
More than 160 people are killed in flash floods across Afghanistan and Pakistan. (The Independent)
55 people are hospitalized following a truck fire 3.5km into the Gudvanga Tunnel in Norway. (AP via News24)

Law and crime

Two people are killed and five are wounded in a shooting outside a taco restaurant in Salinas, California, U.S. It is believed to be gang-related. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Three people are killed and five are wounded in a shooting at a town hall meeting in Ross Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. (CNN)

Media

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos purchases The Washington Post for $250 million.

Politics and elections

Opposition leader Enele Sopoaga is sworn in as Prime Minister of Tuvalu by Governor-General Iakoba Italeli after winning a secret ballot held in parliament. (Islands Business)

Science

The world's first bovine stem cells lab-grown burger is cooked and eaten at a news conference in London. (BBC)

Sports

In Major League Baseball, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees is banned for 211 games for his role in the Biogenesis baseball scandal with 12 other players given bans of 50 games. (Reuters via the Sydney Morning Herald)

August 6, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2013 India–Pakistan border incidents: Five Indian Army soldiers are killed in an attack near the Pakistan border in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. (Reuters)
Danish police evacuate part of central Copenhagen after a parked car is found with wires attached to it. (Reuters Trust)
2013 embassy closures:
- The United States Department of State evacuates staff from the United States Embassy in Yemen due to an al-Qaida threat. (AP via NPR)
Ten people are killed in a clash between rival drug cartels in Honduras. (BBC)
Syrian civil war:
- Syrian rebels capture Menagh Military Airbase in Aleppo near the Turkish border. (BBC), (CNN)
- A car bomb kills 18 people and wounds 55 in a suburb in Damascus. (USA Today)
- A chemical attack on Adra and Houma in the Damascus Suburbs is reported. (Israel National News)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- 25 people are killed and 60 are wounded by car bombs near markets in Baghdad in Iraq. (Reuters)
Yemeni tribesman shoot down an army military helicopter killing eight soldiers. (The Times of India)
Four suspected Al-Qaeda militants are killed in a drone strike. (Reuters)
Tunisian police shoot dead an Islamist Militant on the outskirt of the capital Tunis in a raid. (Reuters) (Daily Telegraph)

Disaster and accidents

A gas explosion in an apartment block kills five people and injures a dozen in the Argentine city of Rosario. (USA Today)
A hot Air Balloon carrying an American family crashes killing one person and injures four in the Swiss town of Montbovon. (Huffington Post)

Law and crime

The trial of Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a former United States Army Medical Corps officer and the Gunman during the Fort Hood shooting, begins. (Washington Post)
The first execution by lethal injection is officially implemented in Viet Nam when 27-year-old Nguyễn Anh Tuấn is executed in Hanoi. (Vietnamnet)

Politics and elections

Tunisia's constituent assembly is suspended until the Islamist-led Government and secular opposition begin talks to resolve a Political crisis. (BBC)
Saudi king Abdullah appoints Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud as deputy Defense Minister. (Jerusalem Post)

August 7, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian Army launches a large missile on the southern Damascus neighborhood of Yarmouk, largely inhabited by Palestinian refugees. (Now Lebanon)
Six suspect Al-Qaeda militants are killed in a drone strike in Southern Yemen. (Reuters)
Yemen authorities foil an Al-Qaeda plot to blow up the oil pipelines and seize some of the country's main ports. (BBC) (Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty)
Four Israeli soldiers are wounded by a landmine near the Lebanese border. (Al Jazeera) (Xinhua) (The Times of Israel)
One person is killed and 62 are injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsi (Xinhua)
A bombing in a market in Karachi, Pakistan, kills eleven people, mostly teenagers. (Reuters)

Business and economy

President Barack Obama affirms that the US will attend the upcoming G-20 meeting, despite differences with the Russian government and the cancellation of bilateral talks between Obama and President Putin. (BBC)
Bank of England governor Mark Carney says the Bank will not consider raising United Kingdom interest rates until the unemployment rate has fallen to 7% or below. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A large fire breaks out at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. (BBC)

International relations

North Korea and South Korea agree to resume talks on reopening the Kaesong industrial zone. (BBC) (Sky News)

Politics

The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Jiří Rusnok announces his resignation after his caretaker government loses a vote of confidence. (China Daily)
Portugal's treasury secretary Joaquim Pais Jorge resigns after media reports and opposition politicians questioned his previous role at Citigroup. (Reuters)

August 8, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Balochistan conflict:
- A suicide bombing at a funeral in the Pakistani city of Quetta kills at least 28 people. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A bomb explodes at a cemetery in the Afghan province of Nangarhar, killing at least 14 people. (BBC)
Three U.S. drone strikes in central and southern Yemen kill 12 suspected al-Qaida militants. (AP via Arizona Daily Star)
African Union troops kill 24 militants in a foiled Al-Shabaab planned attack in southern Somalia city of Afmadow. (Xinhua)

Disasters and accidents

A bus carrying 31 passengers, while crossing the Truc Khe Bridge that was under repair in Cam Lộ (Quảng Trị, Viet Nam), falls into a river, leaving 17 passengers injured. (Tuoitrenews)

International relations

The Republic of China lifts sanctions imposed on the Philippines after president Benigno Aquino apologized to the family of a Taiwanese fisherman shot dead in disputed waters. (BBC)

Law and crime

A shooting spree in Dallas, Texas, U.S., kills 4, wounds 4 and the gunman is subsequently arrested. (CNN)

Business Environmental

Yasser Yehia initiate 1st Whatsapp group to be used in business management (Huawei Optimization Team)

August 9, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflict and attacks

An American drone strike kills five suspected Al Qaeda terrorists in eastern Yemen. (Reuters)
The United States withdraws diplomats from its consulate in the Pakistani city of Lahore due to terrorist threats. (CNN)
Gunmen open fire at a Sunni mosque in the city of Quetta killing at least eight people and injuring 24. (Al Jazeera)
Two Turkish Airlines pilots are abducted by a previously unknown Shiite militia, Zuwwar al-Imam Rida, in Beirut, Lebanon. (BBC News)
An Israeli drone strike coordinated with the Egyptian Army kills five suspected Al Qaeda militants in the Sinai Peninsula. (AP via ABC News)
Clashes erupted between two communities after Eid prayers, in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, leaving two dead and several other injured. (The Hindu)

Disasters and accidents

Taiwan's Control Yuan investigatory agency reports that the Taiwan Power Company's Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant has been leaking radioactive water for three years. (Reuters)
Three people are missing after a Rockwell Turbo Commander turboprop plane crashes into two homes in East Haven, Connecticut, United States. (NBC News)
An Ethiopian Air Force cargo plane carrying ammunition for international forces fighting Islamist militants in Somalia crashes and catches fire on landing at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, killing four of the six crewmembers. (BBC News), (Xinhua)

Law and crime

Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was convicted for the 1985 murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Enrique Camarena, is ordered released from prison. (The Guardian)
Liu Tienan, the deputy head of China's National Development and Reform Commission, is expelled from the Communist Party for corruption. (BBC)
A 31-year-old Florida man kills his wife and posts a picture of her corpse with a confession onto Facebook. The picture is removed and the man is arrested. (CNN)

Politics and elections

President Boni Yayi of Benin dismisses his entire Cabinet. (Reuters)
Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change files papers with the Constitutional Court in Harare arguing that the recent elections be annulled because of widespread allegations of illegalities and intimidation of voters by Robert Mugabe's ZANU–PF party. (Reuters via News24)

Sports

At the FIBA Asia Championship, the Chinese Taipei men's national basketball team knocks defending champion China out of the tournament during a quarterfinal match. (Yahoo! Sports)

August 10, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Gunmen kidnap four Thai tourists traveling in Nigeria's Rivers State. (Reuters)
A bomb kills four people and wounds 16 in a park south of Baghdad, Iraq. (ABC News)
An American drone strike kills two suspected Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula militants in southern Yemen. (BBC News)
Saudi authorities arrest two men suspected of planning suicide attacks. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

The volcano Paluweh erupts on Palu'e island in Indonesia killing at least six people. (BBC News), (AP)
A bus accident in Al Hoceima, Morocco, kills at least 16 Royal Guardsmen. (BBC News)
Floods and mudslides in Manitou Springs, Colorado, United States leave at least three people missing and one dead. (CNN)

Law and crime

A total of 56 police officers are injured in Belfast, Northern Ireland after a night of Ulster loyalism rioting. (BBC News)
James Lee DiMaggio, a suspect in the Boulevard, California murders of Christina and Ethan Anderson, and the abduction of Hannah Anderson, is shot to death by an FBI agent in Ada County, Idaho. Hannah Anderson was unharmed. (CNN)

Sports

The 2013 World Championships in Athletics start in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

August 11, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Three U.S. soldiers are killed in an attack in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province. (Al Jazeera)
Suspected Al-Qaeda militants kill five Yemeni soldiers in an attack on a gas terminal in Southern Yemen. (BBC)
Syrian civil war
- Syrian officers reports that Syrian Army kills senior Saudi Arabian al-Qaeda commander Abu Malik al-Shahri, who is known as 'Bin Laden of Syria', in outskirt of Latakia. (PressTV)

Disasters and accidents

Flash floods in Afgahanistan's Kabul province kill 22 people. (BBC)
A coach crash in southern France kills two tourists and injures 30. (Euro News)

Politics and elections

Voters in Mali go to the polls for the second round of a presidential election. (BBC)
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott participate in the first of three televised leaders debates ahead of September's federal election. (BBC)
Argentina held the first round of legislative elections to renew half the Chamber of Deputies and one third of the Senate. The final round will be held October 27. (Buenos Aires Herald) (Wall Street Journal)

Sport

American golfer Jason Dufner wins the 2013 PGA Championship played at the Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. (The Australian)
Iran wins the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship over Philippines, 85-71. (Yahoo! Sports)

August 12, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Eight people are killed and 25 are injured in a suicide bomb attack on a cafe in Balad north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. (Reuters)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Gunmen kill 30 people in northeastern Nigeria. (Reuters)
The Tunisian Armed Forces launch air strikes on Islamist militants near the Algerian border. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Colombia announces that the capital city of Bogota will be the site of the third World Apostolic Congress on Divine Mercy, to be held Aug. 15-19, 2014. (Catholic News Agency)

Disasters and accidents

Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, brother of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, dies aged 44 following complications from a skiing accident in 2012 which left him comatose for a year and a half. (CNN) (BBC) (Huffington Post) (ABC)

International relations

India launches its first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. (The Times of India)
The UK government threatens Spain with legal action over the imposition of additional border checks in Gibraltar. (BBC)

Law and Crime

American mob boss Whitey Bulger is convicted of racketeering. (Boston.com)
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in a major policy shift in the War on Drugs, announces that the federal government, following some states' stances, will direct its prosecutors to no longer insist on automatic mandatory minimum prison sentences for non-violent, low-level, non-repeat offender drug offenses where the defendant is not involved with gangs and/or cartels. (MSN)

Politics and elections

Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta is elected as President of Mali. Although results have not yet been made official, his opponent Soumaïla Cissé has conceded defeat in the election. (BBC)

Sports

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirms that it will punish athletes who support Russian LGBT rights at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games (instinct)

August 13, 2013 (Tuesday)

Arts and culture

Footage of the isolated and previously unseen Kawahiva tribe is recorded for the first time in the Amazon rainforest, in Brazil. (GloboNews)
Frank DeAngelis, the longtime Columbine High School principal who led the school through the April 1999 Columbine High School massacre announces he will retire at the end of the 2013-14 school year. (MSN)

Attacks and conflicts

Sinai insurgency: Israel intercepts and destroys a Grad rocket fired by Mujahideen Shura Council al-Qaeda members from Egyptian territory at the Red Sea town of Eilat. (Daily Telegraph)

Law and crime

American politician and former House Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. is sentenced to 30 months in prison for spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items, and will serve his sentence first before his wife, former Chicago alderman Sandi Jackson, who was given a one year term for tax fraud. (NBC)

Business and finance

The United States Department of Justice and six states file an antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways. (CNN)

International relations

Israeli–Palestinian peace talks start amid controversy over Israeli settlement expansion and the release of 26 Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. (Reuters)

August 14, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Aftermath of the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état:
- Hundreds are reported dead - including 43 police - across Egypt as security forces disperse two pro-Morsi sit-ins; one at Rabaa Square and one at al-Nahda Square. (Al Jazeera) The civilian death toll according to Human Rights Watch was a minimum of 817. (The Guardian)
- Egypt declares a one month state of emergency. (BBC)
- Egyptian Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns to protest the killing of protesters by security forces. (Associated Press)
Bahrain police fire tear gas to disperse protesters in response by activist for pro-democracy demonstrations. (Reuters), (Ahram)^{[clarification needed]}
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Two Boko Haram commanders Mohammad Bama and Abubakar Zakariya Yau are killed by the Nigerian army in a gun battle in the north-east Adamawa State. (Sky News)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Two roadside bombs explode in the Iraqi city of Baqubah killing 14 and wounding 26 people. (Reuters)
Rockets are fired from Gaza at civilians in the Sha’ar HaNegev regional council, in response an Israeli Air Force airstrike targeted concealed rocket launchers in the Northern Gaza Strip.(The Australian)(The Times of Israel) (International Business Times)

Business and economy

The Eurozone moves out of 18 months of recession because of Germany and France. There was a growth rate of 0.3% in the June quarter. (BBC) (The Guardian)
American networking equipment Cisco Systems announces plans to cut 4000 jobs. (Reuters) (Fox News)

Disasters and accidents

The Indian submarine INS Sindhurakshak (S63) sinks in Mumbai following a pair of onboard explosions killing 18 Indian Navy sailors. (Washington Post)

A UPS cargo plane crashes at Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama, killing both the pilot and co-pilot. (Alabama 13) (Reuters)

International relations

2013 Korean crisis: North and South Korea agree to reopen the jointly-operated Kaesong Industrial Region. (Reuters)

Law and crime

San Francisco police seize $1.5 million in ecstasy in one of the largest busts in department history.(San Jose Mercury News)

Health

A group of researchers led by a team at the University of Milan unveils a device which uses a magnetic pulse to stimulate the brain and measure the resulting electrical waves in order to more accurately assess the remaining level of brain function and consciousness in brain-damaged individuals. (NBC) (Bloomberg)

Science and technology

Nova Delphinus 2013, now visible to the naked eye in dark sky conditions, is reported in the constellation Delphinus by amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki. (Sky and Telescope)

August 15, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Aftermath of 2013 Egyptian coup d'état:
- The death toll from the previous day's clashes climbs to 638. (Washington Post)
- A government building is stormed and set on fire by the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. (Sky News) (The Independent)
- President Barack Obama cancels joint military exercises between the United States and Egypt. (New York Times)
At least 20 people are killed and 200 injured in an explosion in southern Beirut near a complex used by Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. A previously unknown Syrian Sunni group claims responsibility in an online video. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Hundreds of Palestinians are stranded by Egypt's "indefinite" closure of Rafah border crossing with Gaza Strip. (Huffington Post)(Times of Israel)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his wife, Queen Silvia of Sweden, are criticised after they received and wore, on their trip to Härnösand, Palestinian keffiyehs with a message in Arabic language purportedly meaning "Our Aqsa and not their temple". (Dagens industri via TT)

Law and crime

Aleksandar Cvetković is extradited to Bosnia-Herzegovina for trial regarding the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. (Jerusalem Post)

Politics and election

The Parliament of Iran confirms Hassan Rouhani's cabinet. However, three designated ministers did not receive a vote of confidence, including Mohammad-Ali Najafi who was the Minister of Education-nominate. (Yahoo! News) (Reuters)
The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies passes a controversial bill regulating the allocation of royalties derived from that country´s oil exploration, when 75% of the money will only go to education and the other 25% only for health. (R7) (BBC)

Sports

Darren Young comes out as the first Openly gay wrestler in WWE. (WWE)

August 16, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Aftermath of 2013 Egyptian coup d'état:
- Security in Cairo is tightened amid Friday prayers and protest marches called by the Muslim Brotherhood nationwide. (AlJazeera)
- Ammar Badei, son of Mohammed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood's leader, is killed in the clashes in Cairo.(NBC News) (Egypt Independent)

Arts and culture

Yemen changes its weekend from Thursday and Friday to Friday and Saturday. (Yemen Post)

Business and economy

The Indian rupee hits new record low against the US dollar. The rupee fell to 62.03 rupees against the dollar. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes near Seddon, New Zealand, causing moderate damage in the wider Marlborough region and national capital Wellington. (Fairfax NZ)
The ferry MV Thomas Aquinas collides with a cargo ship and sinks at Cebu, Philippines, with 200 missing and least 26 dead. (World Maritime News) (BBC)

International relations

The Ministry of External Relations of Brazil rejects John Kerry´s official statement concerning that the electronic surveillance by the National Security Agency was part of a strategy to “combat terrorism”. (The Hindu)

Politics and election

Ali Akbar Salehi, former Iranian foreign minister, is appointed as head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. (IRNA)

Technology and science

The infamous Area 51 is officially acknowledged by the United States. (CNN)

Law and crime

Australian native and East Central University (Oklahoma) Tigers senior baseball player Christopher Lane, 22, is shot and killed in Ada, Oklahoma, while jogging during a visit to his girlfriend. Two teenagers, James Francis Edwards, Jr., 15, and Chancey Allen Luna, 16, were then arrested and charged with first-degree murder with no bail; Michael Dewayne Jones, 17, was charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact. They stated they did it purely out of boredom. (NBC)

August 17, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Mexican Drug War:
- Gulf Cartel leader Mario Ramírez Treviño is arrested in the state of Tamaulipas. (Reuters)
Political violence in Egypt:
- Egyptian security forces clear a Cairo mosque after a long stand-off with the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters), (BBC)
- Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Al Beblawi proposes the legal dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters)
Syrian civil war:
- Syrian rebels attack a militia checkpoint in Homs, killing 5 from the NDF militia but 6 civilians nearby as well. (Reuters)
- A Syrian government warplane attack in Aleppo leaves at least 15 civilians dead. (New York Times)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Clashes between Nigerian soldiers and Boko Haram Islamists kill 18 people in northeast Nigeria. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- 10 people are killed in a camp by insurgents in western Afghanistan. (BBC)

Business and economy

The Indian rupee hits new record low against the US dollar. The rupee fell to 62.85 rupees against the dollar. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Residents evacuated from Greenhorn Gulch area in Idaho from the Beaver Creek fire. (CNN)
31 people dead and at least 170 are missing as a ferry sinks after colliding with a cargo ship in Philippines.(BBC)
A wildfire erupts near Yosemite National Park, growing to 25 square miles (~65 square kilometers) overnight.(KTVU)

Law and crime

While they are not yet ready to say they are reopening the case after the 2008 inquiry jury's final verdict and report (faulty driving and unlawful killing), the Metropolitan Police Authority Specialist Crime and Operations Command in London is investigating the credibility and accuracy of supposedly new information from an unspecified source regarding the August 1997 Death of Diana, Princess of Wales. (NBC)

August 18, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war
- A team of twenty UN weapons inspectors arrives in the capital, Damascus, to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict. (BBC)
Political violence in Egypt:
- Israel to call on US, EU to support Egyptian army (Haaretz), (New York Times)
- Dozens of Muslim Brotherhood supporters are killed in prison while attempting to escape police custody. (Reuters), (Al Jazeera)
Six people are injured in a bomb explosion on a bus in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. (Deccan Herald)

Arts and Culture

Chiribiquete National Park, in Colombia, is expanded from its previous 1.2 Million Hectares to 3 Million Hectares becoming one of the largest protected zones in the Amazon. This announcement was made by the Colombian government after Ecuador decided to open up Yasuni National Park to oil drilling after a six year initiative to protect the rain forest.^{[citation needed]}

Law and crime

Bo Xilai, a former member of Politburo of the Communist Party of China, charged with bribery and corruption, will go on trial on August 22 in the city of Jinan. (BBC)
The lawyer of two Norwegians who have been imprisoned in the Congo since 2009 says one of the two, Tjostolv Moland, is found dead in his prison cell. (Business Week) (NRK)

August 19, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency:
- At least 24 Egyptian policemen are killed in an attack near Rafah in the Sinai peninsula. (BBC) (Reuters)

Business and economy

An agrarian strike is planned for today in Colombia to demand labor rights. (Voice of Russia)

Disasters and accidents

A train accident in India kills at least 37 pilgrims and injures over a dozen. (The Times of India) (BBC) (Reuters)
Torrential rain and floods in north-east China, together with Typhoon Utor-triggered floods in southern China, jointly result in at least 91 people dead and 111 missing. (BBC)
The 500th eruption this year of Mount Sakurajima in Southern Japan covers the major city of Kagoshima in a cloud of ash. (BBC)
A B-1B Lancer with the United States Air Force's 28th Bomb Wing crashes near Broadus, Montana during a routine training mission. (USAF)

International relations

Russia and Japan begin discussing the main starting points and modality of the upcoming talks on a peace treaty. (ITAR-TASS)
The British warship HMS Westminster arrives in Gibraltar amid tensions with Spain. (Reuters)

Law and crime

South African track star Oscar Pistorius is officially charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home earlier this year, with the trial due to start on March 13. (Voice of America)
The first same-sex marriages take place in New Zealand, following the passage of the Marriage Equality Bill in April. (BBC)

Politics and election

Attorney general Mohammad Ishaq Aloko is fired by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, over an unsanctioned meeting with Taliban peace negotiators in the United Arab Emirates. (Reuters via Yahoo!)

August 20, 2013 (Tuesday)

Attacks and conflicts

Insurgency in the North Caucasus:
- Russian police kill nine suspected Islamist militants in the North Caucasus region. (Reuters)
Narendra Dabholkar, a rationalist from India, is assassinated while out walking. (The Hindu)

Disasters and accidents

The Whakaari / White Island volcano in the Bay of Plenty off New Zealand's North Island erupts. (Radio New Zealand)

International relations

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accuses American and Israeli influence of being the ouster of Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi; which are denied by both. (The Washington Post) (The Times of Israel)

Law and crime

Three male youths are implicated in the murder of Australian baseball player Chris Lane in Duncan, Oklahoma. (news.com.au)
A Pakistani court indicts former President Pervez Musharraf for his alleged involvement in the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. (Washington Post)
Six gunshots are fired from an AK-47 at an elementary school in Decatur, Georgia, U.S. No one was injured, and premises were evacuated. Suspected gunman, a 20-year-old man arrested. (CNN)
Alan Rusbridger, the editor of The Guardian, reveals that the British authorities forced the newspaper to destroy computer hard disk drives containing material leaked by Edward Snowden. (BBC) (The Guardian)
Egyptian authorities arrest Muhammad Badie, the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, in Cairo. Mahmoud Ezzat, deputy leader of the Brotherhood, becomes temporarily the new Supreme Guide. (BBC)

Politics

United States Senator Ted Cruz of Texas announces that he wants to renounce his Canadian citizenship, fueling speculation about a presidential run in 2016. (Washington Post)

August 21, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Syrian activists claim that chemical weapon attacks have killed over 600 people in the outskirts of Damascus. (The Guardian) (Today's Zaman)

Business and economy

JC Penney reports a notable decrease in third quarter income. (Forbes)

Disasters and accidents

Japan upgrades the recent leak of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site to Level 3, a "serious incident," on the International Nuclear Event Scale. (Reuters India)
2013 China–Russia floods: Twenty one people are killed in a flash flood in Qinghai province. (AP via ABC Local News)
37 killed, 16 injured in a bus crash in Malaysia, near the Chin Swee Temple. (AP via The Globe and Mail)
18 schoolgirls from Pembroke Hill School, and driver injured in bus crash near Bonner Springs, Missouri. (USA Today)

International relations

David Miranda, journalist Glenn Greenwald's partner in covering United States and British mass surveillance programmes, arrives in Brazil, after being released from detainment at Heathrow airport, London. (GloboNews)
The Nigerian army officially claims the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, is dead from a gunfight, although others claim Shekau is alive. (The Globe and Mail)

Law and crime

A Cairo criminal court releases former President Hosni Mubarak, initiating further investigation of corruption. (BBC)
United States v Bradley Manning: United States Army private Chelsea Manning (legally Bradley Manning) is sentenced to 35 years in jail for providing classified material to WikiLeaks. (ABC News America)
British businessman Gary Bolton is sentenced 7 years for selling fraudulent bomb detectors. (BBC)

August 22, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan:
- 5 Taliban militants are killed in bomb attack in South Waziristan. (The News Pakistan)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Fourteen people are killed by a suicide bomber in a military headquarters in Western Iraq. (Reuters)
Five civilians are wounded by mortar fire in the Congo city of Goma. (ABC News)

Business and economy

The American electronic stock exchange NASDAQ shuts down for 3 hours due to a computer problem. (FOXBusiness)

Disasters and accidents

Severe tropical storm Trami arrives in southern China after killing seventeen people in the Philippines. (AP via Charlotte Observer)^{[permanent dead link]}
At least 50 are injured in bus crash in Monterey Park, California. (NBC)
The Rim Fire, in Yosemite National Park forces evacuations. (NBC)

Law and crime

The UK government's independent reviewer of terrorism laws is to probe the arrest of David Miranda. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Tunisian Islamists agree in principle with a transition plan to hold new elections. (Reuters)
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mobarak is released from Tora prison and transferred to a military hospital. (Los Angeles Times)

Sports

Russian adventurer and priest Fyodor Konyukhov announces plans to cross the Pacific Ocean in a rowing boat from Valparaíso, Chile to Australia’s eastern coast. (Voice of Russia)
Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is indicted for the murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd. (ESPN)

August 23, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The United Nations reports that there are a million child refugees. (AP via Fox News)
- The Syrian government prevents UN inspectors from visiting the site of the reported chemical massacre. (Reuters)
Explosions occur outside mosques in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. Over 50 are reported killed. (Al-Jazeera)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- 26 people are killed and 55 wounded by a suicide bomber in a park in northern Baghdad (FOX News)
UN troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo launch an offensive, shelling positions held by rebels near the eastern city of Goma. (BBC)
Israeli warplanes strike Na'ameh, Lebanon in response to rocket attacks. (CBS News)

Arts and culture

Real estate developers are reported to have severely damaged the UNESCO world heritage site of Cyrene, Libya. (France 24)

Business and economy

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announces that he will retire within the next 12 months. (Wall Street Journal)

Law and crime

Former U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan is convicted of multiple murder and attempted murder counts in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. (CNN)
Former U.S. Army Sergeant Robert Bales is sentenced to life in prison without parole for the killing of 16 Afghan civilians in March 2012. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

Bob Filner, mayor of San Diego, California, due to resign on August 30 over sexual harassment allegations. (Los Angeles Times)

August 24, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Médecins Sans Frontières report treating 3,600 cases of "neurotoxic symptoms", with 355 fatalities. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The United States commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. (CNN)
- The United States Postal Service introduces a commemorative stamp for the event. (USPS)

Disasters and accidents

4 people are confirmed killed in Friday's Super Puma L2 crash near Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Islands. Operation of the helicopter model is globally suspended. (BBC)
150 cases of food poisoning are confirmed to be cronuts contaminated with S. aureus at the CNE in Toronto, Ontario. (CBC)
2013 Sudan floods: The WHO reports that floods in Sudan have affected 320,000 people and killed almost 50 people. (al Jazeera)
The Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park is reported as having grown to nearly 200 square miles (~520 square kilometers). (Los Angeles Times)

Law and crime

30 people are killed in gang battle in Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz, Bolivia from flame throwers used. (AP via News24)
A shooting spree in Gainesville, Florida kills 3 people, including the gunman, and injures 2 others. (CBS Sports)

Sports

The African Diaspora Maritime Corp. withdraws from the America's Cup amid controversy over being denied an opportunity to be the American defender in the competition based on ethnicity. (San Francisco Appeal)

August 25, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian government allows UN inspectors to visit the site of suspect chemical weapons attack outside the outskirt of Damascus. (BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- A wave of bomb attacks kill 41 people in Iraq. (BBC)
A bomb explodes in a bus carrying Yemeni Air Force personnel to a base near the capital Sana'a, killing at least one officer and injuring others. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) begins an investigation into a 6:30 AM EST crash of a small plane that caught fire in Taunton, Massachusetts, that is believed to have killed two people. (NBC)
Four people die and 35 are injured when the notorious tren de la muerte train derails in Huimanguillo, Tabasco, Mexico. (Russia Today) (El Universal)
The Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park is now estimated to have grown to the size of Chicago. (CBS News)

August 26, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Newly declassified CIA documents show that top officials in the Reagan administration agreed to give Iraq information on the location of Iranian troops during the Iran-Iraq War despite awareness of Saddam Hussein's intention to use chemical weapons. (Daily Mail) (New York)
Syrian civil war:
- The U.N team in charge of the investigation on the alleged recent chemical attacks in Syria comes under fire from snipers; none of the U.N. delegates are injured and the team reaches one of the alleged hit sites. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry describes the attack as "a shame and an offense to the world and humanity that deserves the proper punishment". (CNN)
- Khalaf Muftah, a former Syrian assistant information minister, warns that if Syria was attacked, his country would retaliate against Israel. (Times Of Israel)
- The Guardian newspaper raises the 1999 NATO Kosovo intervention as a precedent for humanitarian intervention into Syria, given the absence of a UN Mandate. (The Guardian)
Clashes erupt in the West Bank after three Palestinian men are shot dead during an early morning raid by Israeli troops in the Palestinian refugee camp of Qalandia. (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

Nationwide protests are held across the Philippines over the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. (Rappler)
The Supreme Court of Iraq overturns term limits for senior governmental positions, allowing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to seek a third term in 2014.(Middle East Online)

Education

All 25,000 applicants to the University of Liberia fail their entrance exams. (BBC News)

August 27, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war
- The Russian foreign ministry warned that an attack on the Syrian government could be "catastrophic" and told Western countries to show "prudence" over the crisis happening there. (France 24)
- Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said he rejects "utterly and completely" that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons, while the U.S. and its allies prepare their forces for an alleged imminent attack, which is said to be "well defined in time and space", limited to targeting command and control, airfields and artillery. (BBC) (NBC)
- French President François Hollande says France is "ready to punish" those responsible for the chemical attacks. (Fox News)
- The Syrian government is believed to be behind the recent Tripoli bombings in Lebanon after a suspect confesses to Lebanese police. (Daily Star)
- British Prime Minister David Cameron recalls the UK Parliament from its summer recess to discuss the UK's response to the chemical weapons attack. (BBC)
- Russia has begun to evacuate its citizens from Syria. (Telegraph)

Disasters and accidents

The Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park has now grown to about 281 square miles. (Southern California Public Radio)

Law and crime

The riots between two religious communities started at Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.Biharprabha

August 28, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Moscow evacuates nationals; Iran dismisses "ridiculous" reports of Assad in Tehran; UN inspectors return to site of alleged chemical attack. (The Times Of Israel)
- The Saudi army is on full alert after the US-led West increased the level of its threats and said a strike on Syria may come within the next few days. (Fars News)
- Russia: UN response to alleged attack still premature; Jordan says no Syria strike from its soil. (Haaretz)
- United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi says any military action against Syria in response to apparent chemical attacks must be taken after a decision by the United Nations Security Council. "What they [American administration] will decide I don't know, but certainly international law is very clear," he adds. (Reuters)
- US Vice President Joe Biden says there "is no doubt that Syria's government was responsible for a recent chemical attack in Damascus". (Al Jazeera)
- British Prime Minister David Cameron says the UK's National Security Council has agreed that the "world should not stand by" after the "unacceptable use" of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. However, a full report from the UN investigation on the chemical attack is expected before taking any measure. (BBC)
- Syrians in the capital Damascus race against time to prepare for a foreign strike, with many hoarding supplies and others scrambling to find accommodation further away from potential military targets. (Reuters)
- Russian and Chinese officials walk out of the UN Security Council meeting in New York after U.S. Permanent Representative Samantha Power calls for immediate action on Syria. (Itar Tass)
- Downing Street publishes the UK government's motion on Syria, which proposes waiting for a UN Security Council decision before MPs vote on any military action. (BBC)
- UN chemical weapons inspectors resume their investigations in Syria (BBC)
- Syria's deputy foreign minister says that the United States, Britain and France helped "terrorists" use chemical weapons in Syria, and that the same groups would soon use them against Europe. (Reuters)
- Syria's ambassador to the United Nations accuses Britain of conspiring with rebel forces to carry out the chemical attack that killed hundreds of Syrian civilians last week. (Telegraph)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- At least 51 people are killed and dozens wounded in a series of bombings and attacks in and around Baghdad. (Sky News)

Arts and culture

The eastern span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge closes forever as construction crews finish the replacement. The new span is scheduled to open Tuesday. (ABC)

International relations

Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak warns foreign leaders not to use protecting Christians as an excuse to intervene in the current political violence in Egypt. (Catholic News Service)

Law and crime

Former U.S. Army Major and psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan is sentenced to death for the November 5, 2009, Fort Hood massacre that killed 13 and wounded 32 others. He will be granted an automatic appeal; the Army general (convening authority) who will review the case can grant him life without parole; any eventual military execution would need presidential approval. (CNN)
Iran pursues the 1953 Iranian coup d'état case, which was orchestrated by US and Britain, in the international courts at The Hague. CIA officially admitted role in the coup on 20 August 2013. (Fars News)

August 29, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The French frigate Chevalier Paul leaves the port city of Toulon, though the shipping authorities declined to confirm a media report that it was headed to Syria. (Reuters) (Voice of Russia)
- The Parliament of the United Kingdom defeats a government motion supporting intervention in the war by 13 votes, effectively ruling out British military involvement in an international response to the chemical attacks. (BBC)
- French President François Hollande says "political solution" is the ultimate goal for Syria, sounding more cautious than earlier. "Everything must be done for a political solution but it will only happen if the coalition is able to appear as an alternative with the necessary force, notably from its army," he said. (Reuters)
- Russia sends two warships to the eastern Mediterranean. (Reuters)
- Lebanon and Jordan say the Lebanese air space and the Jordanian territories would not be made available for military intervention in Syria. (Xinhua)
- Allegations are made that the lines between Hezbollah and the Syrian regime are so blurred that Israel will hold Damascus responsible if Hezbollah bombards Israel in the coming days. (Jerusalem Post)
- A Kuwaiti newspaper reports that Gulf leaders have been in touch with Israel, and have asked that Israel act “with restraint” in the event of an attack by Western nations on Syria. (Israel National News)
- Britain is sending six Typhoon fighter jets to Cyprus to guard against potential retaliation by the Assad regime in the event of air strikes against Syria. (The Telegraph)
- Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee concludes it is "highly likely" that the regime of Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attacks in Syria last week that have prompted moves towards launching military strikes. (The Guardian)
Aftermath of the 2013 Korean crisis:
- North Korea warns against an underway joint military drill by South Korea and the United States, stating that the exercise could jeopardize a recent easing of tension on the Korean Peninsula. (Bloomberg)

Business and economy

Zurich Insurance Group chairman Josef Ackermann steps down after the CFO Pierre Wauthier committed suicide earlier this week. (Reuters)
NASDAQ OMX issues a preliminary report on the halt in NASDAQ-listed equities and options that took place on August 22. (NSADAQ website)^{[permanent dead link]}

Disasters and accidents

A bus accident kills 41 people and injures 33 in Kenya. (MSN Kenya)

Health

8.6 million Americans take prescription sleeping pills to catch some sleep, according to the first federal health study to focus on actual use. (NBC)
Scientists at Vienna's Institute of Molecular Biotechnology and Edinburgh University's Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland, clone a human mini-brain (a cerebral organoid), using stem cells; the first time brain tissue development has been replicated in three dimensions – which could help with schizophrenia and autism neurological research. (MSN)

Law and crime

The head of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), Yasin Bhatkal, is arrested by police. (BBC)

Natural disasters

The Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park, now 30% contained, has grown to about 300 square miles. (NBC Bay Area)

Politics and elections

Members of the UK's Fire Brigades Union vote to take industrial action in a dispute over pensions, threatening the country's first national firefighters' strike since 2002. (BBC)

August 30, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- British Prime Minister David Cameron says that a "robust response" to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria is needed despite UK military action being ruled out. (BBC)
- Defence Secretary Hagel says US still building "international coalition", despite UK and Germany ruling out action. (Al Jazeera)
- The United Nations team of chemical weapons inspectors has headed out on the last day of its probe into a deadly poison gas attack in Syria. (The Guardian)
- U.S Secretary of State John Kerry has said Syrian government forces killed 1,429 people in the chemical weapons attack last week. (BBC)
- Damascus said Friday that a US intelligence report concluding that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons in an onslaught that killed close to 1,500 people was "entirely fabricated". (France 24)
- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the five permanent Security Council members that it may be two weeks before final results of an analysis of samples experts collected at the site of a chemical weapons attack last week in Syria are ready, diplomats said on Friday. (Yahoo! News)
Political violence in Egypt (July 2013–present):
- Protests in Cairo and other cities, led by supporters of deposed President Morsi, follow Friday prayers. (Al Jazeera)
M23 rebellion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- M23 rebel chief says fighters to withdraw from frontline of fighting in country's east, as violence spikes. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Poet Seamus Heaney from Northern Ireland, recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, dies aged 74. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake is recorded off the coast of the Aleutian Islands. (Huffington Post)

Law and crime

Indonesia's highest court has upheld the death sentence for Lindsay Sandiford, a British woman convicted of smuggling $2.5 million worth of cocaine into the resort island of Bali, a court official has said. (Al Jazeera)
Lebanon has charged five men, including a Syrian army officer and a Sunni cleric close to the Syrian government, over bomb attacks on two mosques in the northern city of Tripoli last week that killed at least 47 people (Al Jazeera)
A 15-year-old student is shot and wounded at Carver High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. An 18-year-old student is arrested and charged. (Huffington Post) (Winston-Salem Journal)

Science

Scientists discover an 800km long canyon that is up to 800m deep in places beneath the ice sheet that covers Greenland. (BBC)

August 31, 2013 (Saturday)