Portal:Current events/August 2014

Armed conflicts and attacks

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- At least eight Azeri soldiers are killed following clashes with Armenian troops on the border and near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan said Armenia had also suffered losses, although it did not provide any details. (Yahoo News)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine: War in Donbass:
- Vladimir Antyufeyev, a Russian citizen and veteran of the pro-Russian separatist rebellion in Moldova, takes over as head of Donetsk People's Republic rebellion after self-labeled "prime minister" Alexander Borodai reportedly disappeared for Russia. (BBC)
Operation Protective Edge
- A 72-hour ceasefire brokered by the UN and USA which began at 08:00 falls apart with each side accusing the other party of breaching the ceasefire. An Israeli soldier is kidnapped and several killed during a suicide bomber attack at 09:30, according to Israeli officials. 91 Palestinians were killed in the city of Rafah south of Gaza according to the Gaza Officials since the Israeli soldier was captured. The UN and USA strongly condemn the attack. The ceasefire was cancelled. (Times of Israel) (Global Post)
- 2 Palestinians are shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes in the West bank. (The New York Times)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak
- Liberia and Sierra Leone declare a state of emergency in response to the Ebola virus disease by sending in troops and ordering the closure of schools and markets and the quarantining of affected communities. (Reuters) (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014
- The Constitutional Court of Uganda rules the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 invalid on a technicality. (BBC News) (The Times) (The Guardian)
Disgraced Australian former entertainer Rolf Harris has applied for permission to appeal against his conviction for indecent assault. Eighty-four-year-old Harris was sentenced to 5 years and 9 months in prison in July on 12 counts of indecent assault against 4 girls between 1968 and 1986. (BBC News)

August 2, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine: War in Donbass:
- Ukrainian forces retake control of the towns of Krasnohorivka and Staromykhailivka, outside the pro-Russian rebels' stronghold of Donetsk. (Reuters via New York Times)
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, 2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani line of contact clashes:
- Five more Azeri troops are killed in overnight fighting with ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The casualties bring the death toll to at least 13 in a flare-up of violence over the last few days around Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia has said that any further escalation is unacceptable. (Reuters)
2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- Israel Defense Forces declare that the Israeli soldier previously believed to have been captured by Hamas fighters in Rafah had in fact been killed in battle that day and his body taken. (CBC)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Kunshan explosion
- At least 68 people were killed and more than 180 injured in an early morning explosion at a factory near Shanghai that makes automobile parts for General Motors. The factory produces aluminum alloy tire rims. (LA Times)
Landslides in Sun Kosi river of Nepal
- At least 8 killed, hundreds missing in massive landslides fueling flash flood fears downstream, as entire Itani and Kagu settlements in Ramche VDC-5 are swept away and about 1 km Araniko Highway is destroyed. (Ekantipur)

August 3, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine: War in Donbass:
- The pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk, who are now in great danger of being encircled by the Ukraine government forces, renew their calls for Russia to send troops and arms to their aid. (AP via Guardian)
- A military spokesman of the Ukrainian government forces says the army has now recaptured three-quarters of the territory the pro-Russian rebels once controlled in their self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic rebellion. (Reuters via New York Times)
2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- A UNRWA-run school in Rafah is hit by an Israeli air strike. At least seven people are thought to have been killed, and at least 30 injured. (The Guardian). UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon condemns in strong terms the attack as 'moral outrage and criminal act'. (UN News Centre)
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, 2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes:
- Four Azerbaijani soldiers are killed in fresh clashes with Armenian groups near the border of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Syrian Civil War
- The Islamic State loses control of three towns in the area around Al-Asharah to local tribesmen. (BBC)
2014 Northern Iraq offensive
- The Islamic State seizes the Yazidi-dominated town of Sinjar. (BBC) It also seized control of the Mosul Dam, which is Iraq's biggest dam, the Ain Zalah oil field, and two more towns. (Reuters)

Business and economy

The Bank of Portugal takes control of Banco Espirito Santo SA in a 4.9 billion bailout package. (Bloomberg via Business Week)

Disasters and accidents

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake kills at least 367 people and injures more than 1,700 in Yunnan, China. (BBC)

International relations

In a joint ceremony at the Hartmannswillerkopf cemetery, French President François Hollande and his German counterpart, Joachim Gauck, commemorate the 100th anniversary of Germany's declaration of war on France in the beginning of World War I. (France24)

Science and technology

Danish scientists find a genetic variant among Greenlanders that dramatically increases the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. (ScienceNordic)

August 4, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine: War in Donbass:
- Ukrainian government forces recapture control of Yasynuvata from pro-Russian insurgents; government troops have now all but encircled the rebels' second-largest stronghold of Luhansk, and rebels declared a "state of siege" in Donetsk. (Reuters)
- The Ukrainian military urges residents of Donetsk to evacuate amid reports of "increased rebel attacks" on civilians and to clear the way for government troops to advance on one of the insurgency’s biggest stronghold. (Washington Post)
2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- Israel and Hamas enter a 72-hour ceasefire brokered by Egypt. (Reuters) (NBC News)
- Daniel Mansour, the commander of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine in the northern Gaza Strip is killed in an Israeli Air Force strike. (AP via Buffalo News)
- Human Rights Watch has found that Israeli forces have deliberately killed Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including ones fleeing the conflict. (Human Rights Watch)
- A Palestinian drives a tractor down a crowded street into a bus in Jerusalem killing one and injuring six before being shot dead by a police officer. (Times Of Israel)
- A Palestinian shoots and critically injures an Israeli soldier in Jerusalem and escapes on a motorcycle hours after a trailer terrorist attack. (Times of Israel)
Syrian Civil War
- The Lebanese Army states that 14 soldiers have been killed and 22 are missing after alleged clashes with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters on the Syrian border. (First Post)

Arts and culture

The United Kingdom commemorates the 100th anniversary of its declaration of war against Germany in the First World War. (The Independent)

Business and economics

Russian low-cost Dobrolet Airlines, Aeroflot's 100% subsidiary, suspends all flights, including to Crimea, over sanctions introduced by the European Union. (RIA Novosty)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Ludian earthquake
- China dispatches 2,500 People's Liberation Army soldiers to Yunnan province to search for hundreds of people missing after the earthquake. (BBC)
The death toll from an explosion at an auto parts factory on Saturday in the Chinese city of Kunshan rises to 75 with investigators blaming faulty safety measures. (AP via Daily Mail)
Rescuers in Nepal find another two victims of Saturday's landslides bringing the official death toll to ten with none of 159 people missing expected to be found alive. (AP via Buffalo News)
A ferry carrying about 200 passengers capsizes on the Padma River in Bangladesh's Munshiganj District. (BBC)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak
- The World Health Organisation estimates that the death toll from the Ebola virus outbreak has risen to 887. (AP via Washington Post)

International relations

The first US–Africa Leaders Summit begins today in Washington, D.C. (VoA News)

August 5, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- A U.S. major general Harold J. Greene is killed, and a German brigadier general and several American troops are among the 15 wounded, in a attack by an Afghan soldier gunman - who was killed by Afghan soldiers - at Kabul's Marshal Fahim National Defense University. (MSN)(CNN), (AP)

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine: War in Donbass:
- Ukrainian government forces recapture control of Marinka on the western edge of the pro-Russian rebel-held city of Donetsk. (AP)

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- Israeli ground forces will leave the Gaza Strip ahead of an Egyptian mediated ceasefire starting at 0500 GMT today. (Reuters)

Business and economics

The Russian consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, adds Kentucky Gentleman to a growing list of imports banned, saying that this Bourbon whiskey includes "additives that can cause functional and eventually organic changes in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the endocrine system, as well as cause cancer and problems with infertility in men and women." (Los Angeles Times)
Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox withdraws its $80 billion bid to take over Time Warner. (ABC News Australia)

Disasters

Rescuers struggle to locate a sunken ferry in the Padma River in Bangladesh leaving at least two people dead and many more missing. (AP via Yahoo!)
A 5.5 magnitude earthquake strikes near Johannesburg, in the town of Orkney, South Africa, killing one person and injuring 17. (ABC News)

Science and technology

Renowned Japanese scientist Yoshiki Sasai commits suicide, after the discrediting of certain experimental results he supervised, regarding stem cells. (Reuters)

Sports

In basketball, the NBA's San Antonio Spurs announce that they have hired Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, effective with her retirement as a player at the end of the current WNBA season. Hammon will become the first full-time female coach in any of the four major U.S. professional leagues. (ESPN)

August 6, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Saudi Arabia grants Lebanon US$1 billion to help the country in its conflict with self-declared jihadist fighters on the border with Syria. (Al Jazeera)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)
- Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria clash with Iraq's Kurdish minority in the north of the country. (Reuters)
- Iraq government television reports that an Iraqi Air Force strike has killed 60 militants. (AP via Yahoo! News)
- At least 51 people are killed in a series of car bombings in Baghdad. (AP via Modesto Bee)

Business and economy

Russia bans all United States agricultural products, European Union fruit and vegetable imports in response to Western sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis. (RT) (BBC)

American electronics company Apple Inc. and Korean company Samsung Electronics agree to end their patent litigation outside the United States. (IDG via Network World)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Ludian earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake in China's Yunnan province rises to 589 with nine people still missing. (CNN)
2014 Pacific hurricane season
- The US island state of Hawaii prepares for the potential impact of Hurricane Iselle on Thursday and Tropical Storm Julio on Sunday. (AP)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak
- The World Health Organisation reports that 932 have died from the latest outbreak of the Ebola virus with a man reportedly dying of the disease in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after a business trip to Sierra Leone. (CNN)

Law and crime

Officials in Karamay in Xinjiang, western China, places a temporary ban on Islamic headscarves, clothing and those with beards from using public transport, following violence in the region. (BBC)
Two medical students Neil Dalton, 23 and Aidan Brunger completing their exchange from Newcastle University to a hospital in Malaysian Borneo were murdered after 4 men followed them after an argument over singing in a bar and stabbed them from behind. (Telegraph)

Science and technology

Europe's Rosetta space probe reaches the distant 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko to orbit it and eventually land. (BBC)

August 7, 2014 (Thursday)

Conflicts and attacks

2014 Northern Iraq offensive:
- The Islamic State captures a range of cities inhabited primarily by Assyrian/Chaldean Christians in Northern Iraq, notably Bakhdida, Bartella, Qaraqosh, Tel Keppe, Karamlish and Tel Isqof; thousands flee, while many Yazidis are caught in the newly-captured city of Sinjar. (BBC) (Al-Jazeera)
- The President of the United States, Barack Obama, delivers a statement promising increased humanitarian and military assistance including air strikes. (NBC News) (Washington Examiner)
Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen:
- Yemeni forces kill at least seven al-Qaeda militants in the Wadi Hadramout region. (Reuters)

Health

2014 West Africa ebola outbreak:
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the President of Liberia, declares a state of emergency over the outbreak which has claimed the lives of 282 Liberian people so far. (BBC)

Disasters

2014 Pacific hurricane season:
- Residents in the US state of Hawaii prepare for the impact of Hurricane Iselle expected to hit the island of Hawaii as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm when it hits the islands of Maui and Oahu. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

A United Nations backed war crimes tribunal sentences former Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea to life imprisonment for their roles in the Cambodian genocide that claimed a quarter of the population between 1975 and 1979. (AP)

August 8, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict:
- Hamas rejects the continuation of a 72-hour ceasefire and has shot over 60 rockets since 8:00 into southern Israel. Israel launches air strikes in response. (AP) (CNN)
2014 Iraq conflict:
- U.S. F/A-18 fighters bomb ISIS artillery units and a military convoy. (CNN)
- Iraqi airstrikes kill 45 Islamic State fighters and injure 60. (CNN)
- The United Nations says the persecution of the Yazidi by ISIS may be genocide. (Christian Science Monitor)

Arts and culture

The DotA 2 tournament, "The International 4" begins, the biggest e-sports event of all time with a prize pool of $10,930,698 ^[1]

Business and economy

Ukraine’s government picks 172 individuals and 65 companies that will face sanctions for "support and financing of terrorism" or responsible for crimes on country’s territory during the pro-Russian unrest. (Kyiv Post)
Malaysia's state investment company Khazanah Nasional announces plans to delist Malaysia Airlines and make it fully state-owned while the business is overhauled. (AP)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak:
- The World Health Organisation states that the Ebola virus outbreak is an international public health emergency. (AP via Fox News)
- Nigeria becomes the third African nation to declare a state of emergency over the outbreak. (ABC News Australia)

Law and crime

The recent death of James Brady, former press secretary to Ronald Reagan, is classified as a homicide 33 years after Brady was shot by John W. Hinckley. (Washington Post)
In a case brought by a group of former NCAA athletes, U.S. District Court judge Claudia Wilken rules that the NCAA violated antitrust law by restricting the compensation that college athletes can receive for their publicity rights. (ESPN)

Politics and elections

The Italian senate votes in favor of a dramatic reduction of its own size and powers to challenge laws proposed in the lower house, and for turning itself into an unelected body. (BBC)
Juan Manuel Santos is sworn in for a second term as President of Colombia. (Today Colombia)

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. [1]

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 northern New York. Ward was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. (Sporting News)

August 10, 2014 (Sunday)

Conflicts and attacks

2014 Israel-Gaza Conflict
- Israel and Palestinian factions agree to a fresh 72-hour ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, which is due to begin at 21:00 GMT. (BBC) (Reuters)
2014 Iraq conflict:
- The President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, appeals for international military aid to help defeat Islamist militants. (BBC)
- The US launches a fourth round of air strikes targeting Islamic State fighters near Erbil, and Kurdish forces regain control of two towns in Nineveh province after heavy fighting. (BBC) (New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

Typhoon Halong makes landfall on Shikoku in Japan with warnings of the potential of flooding and landslides with at least 39 people killed and nine injured. (AFP via SBS) (AP via Townhall)
Iran's IRNA reports that a plane with 40 passengers has crashed at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. (Agencies via Sydney Morning Herald)

Law and crime

Michael Brown incident in Ferguson, MO: Protests about police shooting a teenager on Saturday in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson turn ugly with looting and vandalism. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Voters in Turkey go to the polls for the first round of voting in a presidential election with current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan poised for a first round victory. (BBC), (Sydney Morning Herald)

Sports

In golf, world number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland wins the PGA Championship. It is his second consecutive major championship win, following The Open Championship, his second PGA Championship win, and fourth major overall. (AP via ESPN), (AAP via Sydney Morning Herald)
In motorsports, American NASCAR driver Tony Stewart withdraws from the race in Watkins Glen International, New York following an incident on Saturday night where he struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr in a dirt track race on Saturday night. (ABC News America)

August 11, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- A 72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas begins, and talks aimed at finding a long-term solution to the conflict commence in Cairo. (Haaretz) (BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)
- Iraq's embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says that he will file a legal complaint against President Fuad Masum for opposing Maliki's reappointment. (AP)
War in Donbass:
- Five artillery shells fired by Ukrainian government forces hit a high-security prison in outskirts of Donetsk, sparking a riot in which 106 inmates escape; the shelling also resulted in the death of one prisoner and the injury of five other prisoners and two guards. (BBC)
  - The State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine issues a statement confirming the shelling, and also states that 34 of the 106 escaped inmates were returned to the prison. (BBC) (State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine)

Arts and culture

Oscar-winning American comedic actor Robin Williams is found dead at age 63 by asphyxiation. (MSN) (CNN) (New York Times)

August 12, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass:
- Ukrainian government forces recapture control of the city of Vuhlehirsk, Donetsk Oblast, from pro-Russian insurgents. (Kyiv Post)
2014 Israel-Gaza Conflict
- The Foreign Press Association issues a statement condemning Hamas for intimidation and censorship and not allowing an objective reporting of events. (YNet)

Business and economy

The Natural Development and Reform Commission, an economic planning agency of the People's Republic of China, announces an increase in the price of natural gas sold to non-residential buyers. (Dow Jones)

Disasters

A shallow 5.1 magnitude earthquake near Quito's capital region kills four with another three missing in a landslide. (AAP via News Limited)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola virus outbreak
- The death toll from the Ebola virus outbreak passes 1,000. (Reuters via Hindustan Times)
- A Spanish priest dies of the virus in Spain despite being treated with ZMapp, an experimental treatment. (CNN)

Law and crime

Former Philippine Army general Jovito Palparan, known as "The Butcher" for his involvement in the disappearance of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno, is arrested in Manila. (The New York Times)

Science

Artur Avila, Manjul Bhargava, Martin Hairer, and Maryam Mirzakhani are awarded Fields Medals. Mirzakhani became the first female and the first Iranian Fields medalist. Fields Medals 2014 (IMU) Nature New Scientist

Sports

The sale of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team to ex-CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer has been completed. (Huffington Post)

August 13, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- Associated Press journalist Simone Camilli, a freelance translator and four Gaza police officers are killed when police tried to defuse unexploded ordnance. (AP)
- Two hours before the end of a 72-hour ceasefire, rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel. One rocket landed in Egypt and one child died and several were injured. Despite the violations, the cease-fire has been extended. (The Daily Mail)
- An interview with Fatah militants in the Gaza Strip was aired on Lebanon TV in which they claim to be planning a "high profile" attack and claim to be moving rockets in order to be fired into Israel. (Memri)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that 52 people have died as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamists gain control of eight villages between Aleppo and the Turkish border. (AFP via First Post)

Disasters

Governor Eduardo Campos, a candidate in the upcoming Brazilian presidential election, dies in a plane crash in Santos, São Paulo, together with six other people on board the aircraft. It also sparks a large fire (Reuters), (AFP via Yahoo! News)
The bodies of five missing climbers are found on Mont Blanc in France. (BBC)
Three train cars derail and 11 people are injured after a landslide hits a mountain train in the Swiss Alps. (AP via Yahoo News)

International relations

Solomon Islands recognize Kosovo. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo)

Law and crime

Shooting of Michael Brown
- Protests against the shooting of Michael Brown by the Ferguson Police Department in the US state of Missouri turn violent. (AP)

Politics and elections

Slovenian parliamentary election, 2014
- Miro Cerar secures an absolute majority of votes in parliament to become new prime minister of Slovenia after receiving an endorsement by the Pensioner's Party DeSUS, as well as by the outgoing PM Alenka Bratušek and her Alliance. (Slovenia Times)

August 14, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass:
- Igor Girkin, a Russian citizen from Moscow and military commander of the Donetsk People's Republic rebellion, resigns, making it the third change at top of the rebel leadership of the past week. (Reuters)
2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- Israel and Hamas agree upon a fresh five-day ceasefire. (BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)
- The United Nations declares its highest state of emergency in Iraq following the advance of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. (BBC)
- Sunni militants and the Iraqi Army clash west of Baghdad, Iraq leaving 4 children dead. (AP via Standard Journal)
- President Obama announces that U.S airstrikes broke the IS siege of Mount Sinjar, allowing thousands of Yazidi refugees to escape, and declares plans for further airstrikes against IS forces. (BBC)
Taliban insurgency:
- A roadside bomb detonates next to a police car in Laghman Province, Afghanistan killing 3 police officers and injuring another 4. (AP via The World (Coos Bay))

International relations

Pope Francis begins a five day visit to South Korea. (AFP, Reuters via Sydney Morning Herald)

Law and crime

Shooting of Michael Brown
- The President of the United States Barack Obama orders an independent inquiry by the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown by the Ferguson Police Department. (Washington Post)
Police search a Berkshire property belonging to Cliff Richard in relation to an alleged historical sex offense. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Philippines President Benigno Aquino III announces that he plans to run for a second term in the 2016 election contrary to provisions on term limits in the constitution of the Philippines set up by his mother, Corazon Aquino. (Reuters)
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki withdraws both his candidacy and his complaint against President Fuad Masum for allegedly violating the Iraqi constitution. (AP via Fox News) (BBC)

Sports

In Major League Baseball, current MLB chief operating officer Rob Manfred is elected as the 10th Commissioner of Baseball. He will succeed the retiring Bud Selig in January 2015. (ESPN)

August 15, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Suspected Islamist Boko Haram fighters have abducted dozens of boys and men in Doron Baga, a remote, sandy fishing village in the northeast, in Borno State, near Lake Chad. (MSN)

War in Donbass:
- A column of at least 23 Russian armoured vehicles and military trucks crosses the border from Russia into Ukraine, in the first confirmed sighting of such an incident by Western journalists. (Daily Telegraph)
  - According to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian artillery destroyed a large part of the column of armored vehicles that had crossed into Ukraine from Russia during the night. (The Wall Street Journal)

2014 Israel-Gaza conflict:
- An Egyptian newspaper leaks the proposed plan for a long lasting truce compromising 11 articles which is now being reviewed by both sides. (Times of Israel)

Arts and culture

A ceremony is held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal. (BBC)

Business and economy

Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd., a unit of the giant Chinese e-commerce firm, finds accounting irregularities in its books. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Texas Governor Rick Perry is indicted on felony charges for abuse of power. He is accused of coercing a District Attorney who had been convicted of drunk driving to resign by threatening to veto funding for state public corruption prosecutors. (ABC News)

International relations

Two Japanese cabinet ministers Keiji Furuya and Yoshitaka Shindo visit the Yasukuni Shrine to mark the 69th anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. This visit upsets China and South Korea as the shrine contains the graves of war criminals. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front reach a consensus regarding the creation of Bangsamoro. (Bloomberg)
Several influential Iraqis, including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Ali Hatem al-Suleiman, and a group of six leaders from Sunni provinces, state that they are willing to work with the new Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider Al-Abadi, if certain conditions are met. (BBC)

August 16, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass:
- Ukrainian government forces recapture control of the city of Zhdanivka from pro-Russian insurgents. (Kyiv Post)

Arts and culture

Pope Francis beatifies 124 Korean Catholics who died for their beliefs in the 19th century in Seoul. (New York Times)

Law and crime

Shooting of Michael Brown:
- Governor Jay Nixon declares a state of emergency and curfew in the town of Ferguson, Missouri following nights of rioting. (USA Today)

Sports

The 2014 Summer Youth Olympics open in the Chinese city of Nanjing. (Reuters)

August 17, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Chadian troops rescue 85 hostages from Boko Haram who had been kidnapped in Nigeria and taken over the border into Chad. (CNN)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present):
- Kurdish forces, supported by U.S. airstrikes, retake control of the Mosul Dam after its capture by IS militants. (BBC)
A suicide bombing at a UN patrol base in Mali results in the deaths of 2 UN peacekeepers and the injury of at least 7 others. (BBC) (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

A tourist boat sinks near the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, with at least 10 foreign tourists and 5 Indonesian crew members missing. (BBC)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola virus outbreak:
- Protesters loot an Ebola quarantine centre in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, resulting in the escape of 17 patients and the theft of blood-stained bedding and medical equipment. (BBC)

Law and crime

Death of Michael Brown:
- A private autopsy shows that Michael Brown was shot six times as violent protests continue in Ferguson, Missouri. (NBC News)

Sports

Rwandan international footballer Daddy Birori is found to be a Congolese player using a fraudulent passport. Rwanda is disqualified from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification competition as a result. (CAF)
Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene plays his final test innings for Sri Lanka, scoring 54. Upon retirement, he has a total of 11814 test runs, and is 6th on the all time run-scorer's list. (BBC)

August 18, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass:
- Ukrainian forces say they recapture control of Mala Ivanivka and Andrianivka from pro-Russian insurgents, effectively isolating the rebel controlled city of Horlivka. (Reuters)
2014 Israel–Gaza conflict:
- Israeli Defence Forces destroy the homes of the three suspected murderers of the kidnapped teenagers on the West Bank. (Jerusalem Post)

Disasters

At least 160 people are reported dead in floods and landslides following days of heavy rain in northern India and Nepal. (BBC)

Law and crime

Death of Michael Brown:
- The Governor of the US state of Missouri, Jay Nixon, dispatches the Missouri National Guard to the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson following a week of often violent protest after the shooting of Michael Brown. (Washington Post)
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden, says that he will leave his refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London "soon". (The Guardian)
Jackie Chan's son Jaycee and Taiwan star Kai Ko are arrested and detained in Beijing over drug-related charges. (The Straits Times) (New York Times)

August 19, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass:
- An American volunteer in the Donbas Battalion, identified only under his nom de guerre of "Franko", becomes the first officially acknowledged foreign casualty on the Ukrainian side of the military conflict against pro-Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine. (Kyiv Post)
- Ukrainian government forces enter the center of Stanytsia-Luhanska after having recaptured full control of a strategically important section of the M-04 highway near Luhansk from pro-Russian insurgents. (Interfax)
2014 Israel-Gaza conflict
- Hours before the expiration of the latest cease-fire Hamas claims responsibility for firing over 29 rockets into Israel reaching Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel responds with airstrikes as the peace talks break down. (CNN)
2014 American intervention in Iraq and Syrian civil war:
- American journalist James Wright Foley, kidnapped in 2012, has reportedly been beheaded by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. (News Limited via Daily Telegraph)

Arts and culture

Iranian poet and one of the most prominent figures of modern Persian literature, Simin Behbahani dies at the age of 87. (IBNA)

Disasters

Four Italian Air Force crew members are missing after two Tornado jets collide in central Italy. (Euro News)

Politics and elections

Pakistan protests
- The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the third largest party in Pakistan, announces that it will resign its seats in the National Assembly in order to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign. (Reuters via Radio Australia)
- Imran Khan and cleric Tahir ul-Qadri lead protest rallies containing tens of thousands in Islamabad as 150 supporters are arrested in towns in Punjab province. (LBC)

August 20, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- In response to rocket fire six hours before the end of a cease-fire, Israeli airstrikes kill 11 Palestinians including the wife and infant son of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif - the first deaths in a week - while Hamas launches over 130 missiles at Israel during the day. This is the 11th cease-fire broken by rocket fire from Hamas. (BBC), (AP via Fox News) (Reuters)
War in Donbass
- Dozens of people die in heavy fighting between Ukrainian government forces and rebels in eastern Ukraine. (AFP via Arab News)

Business and economy

Glencore announces a share buyback program returning $1 billion to its investors, while reporting above-expectations first-half profit. (Reuters)

Disasters

At least 27 people have been pronounced dead after landslides in Japan's Hiroshima prefecture with another ten missing. (BBC), (CNN)

International relations

IAEA reports that Iran is continuing to meet its commitments under the interim accord that it reached with the P5+1. (Reuters)

Science and technology

A new species of tarsier is discovered in Dinagat, Philippines. (National Geographic)

Sports

Seventeen past and present players with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks National Rugby League team have been issued with doping show-cause notices after participating in a controversial supplements program in 2011. (AAP via Sports Fan)

August 21, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflict and attacks

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
- Israeli airstrikes kill three senior military commanders of Hamas. (AP)
- A senior Hamas official speaking in Turkey praises the Al-Qassam Brigades for the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers. In response an Israeli NGO calls on the United States Attorney General to force Turkey to extradite the official as one of the teenagers was an American citizen. (Israel National News)
Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian opposition accuses the Syrian army of launching a chemical attack on the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus, killing at least six people. (Arabnews)

Disasters and accidents

A Bell 206 helicopter carrying 5 Guatemalan Military officers crashes in Huehuetenango department, killing all on board. (Reuters)
36 people are killed by landslides in Hiroshima, Japan, after a night of heavy rain. (Reuters)

International relations

The governments of Romania and Hungary sign a framework agreement for opening 20 cross-border roads, strengthening traffic links with the entire European Union. (Nine O'Clock)

Law and crime

The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau in Taiwan is investigating former deputy minister Chang Hsien-yao of the Mainland Affairs Council on suspicions of treason for allegedly leaking classified information to China. (Taipei Times)

Politics and elections

Brazilian presidential election, 2014
- The internationally-acclaimed environmental campaigner Marina Silva replaces Eduardo Campos, who died in a plane crash on August 13, as the presidential candidate of the Brazilian Socialist Party, with polls suggesting she could surpass Aecio Neves in the first round and current president Dilma Rousseff in the second. (BBC)
Slovenian parliamentary election, 2014
- The outgoing prime minister Alenka Bratušek and her alliance is barred from entering the new government due to "ethical concerns", notably her self-nomination as the country's EU commissioner, a decision currently being investigated by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. (Slovenia Times)
2014 Thai coup d'état
- The National Assembly of Thailand elects coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha as Prime Minister. (Sky News Australia)
The Turkish Justice and Development Party chooses foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu as its leader meaning that he will become the new Prime Minister. (New York Times)

August 22, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The United Nations estimates that the death toll in Syria has doubled to at least 191,000 in the past year. (Bloomberg via Business Week)
2014 Israel-Gaza conflict
- At least 18 people are executed in public by Hamas after being accused of "collaborating" with Israel. Al Majd, a Hamas website, warns that future suspects will be dealt with "in the field" rather than the courts. (AP),(NY Times)
- A 4-year-old boy is killed in a mortar attack on a southern Israeli village near the Gaza border; Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vows that military operations will "intensify" because of his death. The IDF claims the mortar was fired from a school used as a shelter by Hamas. (BBC)(Times of Israel)

War in Donbass:
- Russian aid convoys enter eastern Ukraine without permission from the Ukrainian government, sparking condemnation from the US, the EU, and NATO, and prompting the UN to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the action. No other country sent humanitarian aid to the region. (BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present):
- A suicide bomber and multiple gunmen, suspected to be Shia militiamen, attack a Sunni mosque in the Diyala province, killing at least 65 people. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

The death toll from landslides in Japan's Hiroshima prefecture rises to 39 with 26 missing. (Boston.com) (Bloomberg)
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
- The bodies and ashes of twenty Malaysian victims who died when the flight was shot down over Ukraine in July have been returned to Kuala Lumpur. (AP)
44 people are killed and 41 injured after two buses crash in the south of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. (Al-Ahram)(RT) (BBC)

Law and crime

The murder conviction of David Eastman for allegedly killing former Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester is quashed after Eastman has served a 19-year prison sentence. (Brisbane Times)

August 23, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 Israel-Gaza conflict
- Four additional Palestinians charged with collaborating with Israel are publicly executed outside of the Jabalia refugee camp by Hamas; the killings are denounced by the secretary-general of the PA, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, who compared them to ISIS. (Times of Israel)
- The IDF retracts claims that the mortar shell that killed an Israeli child was fired near or from a school run by UNRWA, saying that the shell was fired from a school used as a shelter run by Hamas. (The Guardian)
2014 Libyan conflict
- Warplanes of an unknown nationality bomb Islamist forces, killing ten fighters. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- Tripoli International Airport is captured by Islamist militias following days of clashes with nationalist militias. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present):
- The UN calls for action to prevent what it suspects may become a massacre in the northern Iraqi town of Amirli, which has been besieged by IS forces since June. (BBC)
- At least 30 people are killed in bombings in Baghdad and Kirkuk. (Sky News)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
- Thirty-five Nigerian police officers are missing following an attack on a training school in Borno state. (CNN)

Business and economics

Goldman Sachs agrees to buy back $3.15 billion in low quality mortgage bonds that it dumped on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preceding the financial crisis of 2007–08. (New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

Iceland issues a red alert warning for the Bárðarbunga volcano meaning significant emissions are likely. (BBC)
A oil tanker carrying 5,000 liters of oil explodes while docking at the Lach Bang port, Thanh Hoa, Viet Nam killing two people and injuring four others. The fire is ignited either in the oil compartments or from the cooking gas cylinder. (Thanh Nien News)

Politics and elections

Afghan presidential election, 2014
- A recount of votes begins after contenders Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani reach a deal with the assistance of United States Secretary of State John Kerry. (BBC)

Sports

2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
- American swimmer Katie Ledecky breaks her own world record for the 400 metres freestyle. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

August 24, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- After more than 18 months of requests, Turkey comes under heavy international pressure to secure its borders to the influx of foreign fighters, oil, and weapons crossing into Syria to fight for ISIS. ISIS fighters have been moving towards the Turkey-Syria border using armored cars looted from Iraqi military bases. (The Guardian)
- Fighters from the Islamic State seize Al-Thawrah airbase, the last remaining stronghold of Bashar al-Assad's government in Ar-Raqqah Governorate. (BBC)
- Peter Theo Curtis, an American citizen, is released by an al-Qaida-linked group after two years in captivity. (AP)
2014 Israel-Gaza conflict
- Four Arab-Israeli taxi drivers are injured, two seriously, after they came under mortar and rocket attack at the Erez border crossing while waiting to transport critically injured Palestinians for treatment at Israeli hospitals. (Times of Israel)
- An Israeli airstrike levels a seven story apartment building in Gaza, injuring 20 people and displacing over 40 families. Due to warnings by the IDF to evacuate the building, there were no fatalities in the strike. (Fox News)
- The Palestinian Authority confirms earlier reports that Fatah activists were shot in the legs and arms after being placed under house arrest by Hamas. Hamas alleges the attacks were carried out by members acting on their own. (Jerusalem Post)
- During an interview with Iranian TV, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, rejects resuming negotiations for a cease-fire while saying resistance is the only way of achieving demands. (Times of Israel)
An Israeli-made drone is shot down near the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility by Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. (Reuters) (BBC News) (Aljazeera)

Arts and culture

British actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur Richard Attenborough dies, aged 90. (BBC)

Business and economy

Swiss drugmaker Hoffmann-La Roche agrees to acquire American drugmaker InterMune for $8.3 billion. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Disasters and accidents

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Napa, California, in the northern San Francisco Bay area of the United States. It is the largest earthquake to strike Northern California in 25 years since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. (Los Angeles Times) (MSN)

Health

The Democratic Republic of Congo confirms two deaths from Ebola in the north of the country, the first cases reported from the current outbreak. (Xinhua)

Sports

Association footballer Albert Ebossé dies after being struck by a projectile thrown by a fan just hours after a matchup between his home team JS Kabylie and USM Alger. The match ended in a 2-1 defeat and the Cameroonian died of head injury due to the strike. He was aged 24. (The Guardian)
In baseball, South Korea beats Illinois to win the 2014 Little League World Series. (AP via CTV News)

August 25, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Donbass:
- Ukrainian forces say they managed to stop a larger part of a convoy of around 50 armoured vehicles, which entered Ukraine from the border with Russia near Novoazovsk. ('Reuters)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Boko Haram declares an Islamic state in areas of Nigeria under its control. (BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present):
- A suicide bomber detonates his vest inside of a Shiite mosque in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 13 people. (New York Times)
2014 Libyan conflict:
- Twice in the last seven days, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have secretly teamed up to launch airstrikes against Islamist-allied militants battling for control of Tripoli according to senior American officials. (New York Times)

Arts and culture

66th Primetime Emmy Awards:
- The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards for American television shows are held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. (News Limited)
- Modern Family wins the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series tying with Frasier at most wins in that category with five each. (Washington Post)
- Breaking Bad wins the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. (The Wrap)

International relations

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Russia now formally recognizes Petro Poroshenko as the legitimate President of Ukraine in the hope that Poroshenko will "live up to Russia's trust." (Kyiv Post)

Politics and elections

The Prime Minister of France Manuel Valls presents President François Hollande with the resignation of the cabinet, with a new cabinet to be appointed tomorrow. (CNN)
The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko dissolves the Parliament and calls new elections for October 26. (CNN)
Miro Cerar is appointed Prime minister-designate by the Slovenian National Assembly. (Slovenia Times)

August 26, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Donbass:
- Russia says that the 10 armed Russian paratroopers captured during the night in the village of Dzerkalne, Donetsk Oblast, roughly 20 kilometers from the Russian border, only entered Ukraine by "mistake". (RIA Novosty via Kyiv Post)
2014 Israel–Gaza conflict:
- On the 50th day of the conflict, an internationally supported long-term truce is reached where the borders of Gaza, Egypt, and Israel are opened for humanitarian and reconstruction supplies and the Gaza fishing zone is extended to 6 km. Other issues such as an airport/seaport and the Israeli demand for demilitarization will be negotiated within a month. (Times of Israel)
- Hamas fires over 100 rockets into Israel, causing over 30 injured and 2 dead. The Israeli Air Force strikes over 50 targets on the Gaza Strip causing casualties. (Jerusalem Post)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present):
- A car bomb explodes in a mainly Shi'ite section of Baghdad, killing at least eight people and wounding 20. (Reuters)
Taiwan scrambles fighter jets to intercept two Chinese military aircraft that breached Taiwanese airspace. (Voice of America)(Reuters)

Arts and culture

British singer Kate Bush stages a comeback concert at London's Hammersmith Apollo, her first live performance since 1979. (BBC)

Business and economy

Fast food giant Burger King agrees to acquire Canadian coffee giant Tim Hortons for $11.4 billion and move its headquarters to Canada. (Bloomberg via Washington Post)

International relations

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- The President of Russia Vladimir Putin meets with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Minsk, Belarus, as disputes in eastern Ukraine continue. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

At least 5 people die in a prison riot in the Brazilian city of Cascavel. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Three impeachment complaints against Philippines President Benigno Aquino III are deemed by the Philippine House of Representatives as "sufficient in form", paving the way for possible legal proceedings against him. (GMA Network) (The Philippine Star)
François Hollande, the President of France names a new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Manuel Valls with ministers who rebelled against spending cuts dropped. (BBC)
Two high-ranking officials in China's Shanxi province, Chen Chuanping and Nie Chunyu, are placed under a corruption investigation by Chinese Communist Party authorities. Chen Chuanping was the CPC party chief of Taiyuan, the provincial capital. The president of China Resources Power, Wang Yujun, is also detained. (Bloomberg) (SCMP)
Klaus Wowereit makes it official that he will resign as the mayor of Berlin on 11 December, after having held the post for nearly 14 years, making him Germany's current longest-serving head of a state government. (Deutsche Welle)
Michael Spindelegger resigns as vice-chancellor and finance minister of Austria; as leader of the Austrian People's Party, he is replaced by Reinhold Mitterlehner. (Wall Street Journal) (Kurier)

August 27, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass:
- Russian journalists say they have been attacked at a cemetery in Pskov while investigating reports that Russian soldiers were secretly buried after being killed in Ukraine. (BBC)
- Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine push their way into the port of Novoazovsk, threatening to open up a new front in the war. (Miami Herald) (BBC)
Syrian Civil War:
- The UN Human Rights Council issues a report accusing both IS militants and Syrian government forces of committing war crimes in Syria. (BBC) (UN Human Rights Council)
- The US government confirms that an American man believed to have been fighting alongside Islamist militants in Syria has been killed; the total number of Americans killed while taking part in the civil war rises to three. (BBC)
- Syrian rebels take over the border Quneitra crossing between Israel and Syria after heavy fighting. Mortar rounds and rockets were launched into Israel. One IDF soldier is wounded by a bullet just days after rocket attacks from Lebanon. (Times of Israel)

Disasters and accidents

An F-15 Eagle from the Massachusetts Air National Guard crashes in Deerfield, Virginia. (NBC News)
The UN Refugee Agency announces that over 2000 migrants from Africa and the Middle East have drowned this year while trying to reach Europe by boat, a record number. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Christine Lagarde, the Chief of the International Monetary Fund, is placed under investigation in France for alleged negligence dating back to her time as Minister of Finance. (AP via Washington Post)

August 28, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts

Syrian civil war:
- A Syrian tribe in Deir Ezzor province faces genocide from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and appeals for the world to help. (The Times)
- Syrian Air Force jets bomb rebel-held positions near the Israel-Syria border on the Golan Heights with heavy fighting on the ground and the IDF claims that members of a UNDOF peacekeeping force were abducted. (Reuters via Globe and Mail)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that dozens of Syrian government forces, captured after the loss of the Tabqa air base, were executed by IS militants. (BBC)
- The United Nations says that 43 Fijiian peacekeepers have been captured on the Golan Heights with another 81 trapped. (Reuters), (AP)
War in Donbass:
- The Armed Forces of Ukraine claim that pro-Russian separatists backed by Armed Forces of Russia tanks and armored personnel carriers are fighting its forces on two fronts. (CNN)
- The NATO officials state more than 1,000 Russian troops are operating in Ukraine as more air-defence systems, artillery, tanks and armoured personnel carriers are being delivered to pro-Russian insurgents. (Financial Times)
- The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Ukraine at the request of Lithuania. (CTV News)
- Russian troops capture the key town of Novoazovsk, opening a new front that threatens to encircle and capture the port city of Mariupol. (Washington Post)

Arts and culture

American comedian Joan Rivers is rushed to the hospital after she stopped breathing during throat surgery. (TMZ)

Business and economy

The Philippines economy grows by 6.4% in Q2 showing signs of recovery after it was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. (Washington Post)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola virus outbreak:
- Health Ministers from the Economic Community of West African States will meet in Accra, Ghana to discuss the crisis. (BBC)

International relations

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370:
- Australia, Malaysia and the People's Republic of China reach an agreement about the costs and direction of the ongoing search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean southwest of Western Australia. (AP)
Australia and Indonesia sign a code of conduct to govern diplomatic ties following revelations in late 2013 that Australia's Defence Signals Directorate had tapped the phones of the President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (Channel News Asia)

Law and crime

Sound supervisor Bryce Dion is accidentally shot and killed by police after being caught in the crossfire while working to film an episode for the reality series Cops. (New York Times)

Sport

In association football, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid wins the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award ahead of Manuel Neuer and Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich. (Daily Mail)

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 Corporation 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)

August 30, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Prime Minister Tom Thabane of Lesotho flees to South Africa as the army allegedly stages a coup. (BBC)
Taliban insurgency
- Taliban insurgents attack the National Directorate of Security building in Jalalabad resulting in at least six deaths. (CNN)
At least 230 people have been injured in clashes between opponents of Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and police in Islamabad. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)
Somali Civil War:
- Somali government and African Union troops oust al-Shabab Islamic militants from a southern town of Bulo Marer. (ABC News)

Disasters

Twenty gold miners are rescued from a collapsed mine in Nicaragua but five are still missing. (Reuters, AFP via ABC News Australia)
A Ukrainian Antonov An-12 aircraft with seven people on board crashes in the Sahara Desert in Algeria. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Six people are found dead after a fire in a mobile home in the American town of Clinton, North Carolina. (CNN)
Nine tourists are killed as a bus crashes returning from Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni salt flats to La Paz. (AAP via The Australian)

International relations

Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, is chosen as the President of the European Council, while Federica Mogherini is chosen as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. (France 24), (ITV)

Politics and elections

Judith Collins resigns from the New Zealand Cabinet following allegations that she undermined the head of the Serious Fraud Office in 2011 when she had ministerial responsibility. (New Zealand Herald)
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2014
- United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign manager Jesse Benton resigns after being involved in an alleged bribery scandal involving Iowa state Senator Kent Sorenson switching his support from Michele Bachmann to Ron Paul in the United States presidential election, 2012. (The Huffington Post)
Brazilian general election, 2014
- Environmentalist Marina Silva widens a sudden lead in opinion polls over current president Dilma Rousseff to 10 percentage points. (Reuters)

Sports

In motor sports, Australian driver Will Power wins the drivers championship while Team Penske wins the teams championship in the 2014 IndyCar Series season. (AP)

August 31, 2014 (Sunday)