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Worldwide current events
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Proxima Centauri

The Iraqi Armed Forces capture Qayyarah from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The exoplanet Proxima Centauri b is discovered in the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri (pictured), the closest star to the Sun.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits central Italy, killing more than 260 people.
The Summer Olympics conclude in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At least 54 people are killed when a wedding is attacked by a suicide bomber in Gaziantep, southern Turkey.

August 27, 2016 (Saturday)

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August 26, 2016 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)
- Eight Turkish police officers are killed and 40 are injured in a bombing at a police checkpoint in the town of Cizre, with the PKK believed to be responsible. (CNN)
Syrian civil war
- Following a ceasefire agreement with the government, Syrian rebels begin evacuating the war-torn suburb of Darayya, near Damascus, ending a four-year-long siege by government forces. Under the terms of surrender, the 8,000 civilians who reside in the suburb will be moved to regime-controlled areas while several hundred rebel fighters will be given passage to the Idlib Governorate. (The Telegraph)

Arts and culture

U.S. President Barack Obama expands the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawai'i, making it the largest national park on the planet. (The Washington Post)

Business and economy

Turkey opens the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in Istanbul, one of the world's biggest suspension bridges. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Southeast Asian haze
- Fires in Indonesia burn and blow smoke into Singapore, engulfing the city-state into darkness. (ABC News)
An explosion at a sports centre in the Belgian town of Chimay kills one person and injures another four. A gas explosion is suspected to be the cause. (CBC)
2016 Central Italy earthquake
- A state of emergency is declared in Italy following several strong earthquakes. (CNN)
- The official death toll rises to 278. (Radio New Zealand)

Law and crime

Bolivia's deputy interior minister, Rodolfo Illanes, is kidnapped and beaten to death by striking miners. (BBC)
An assassination attempt against Angela Merkel is foiled by Czech police. (The Daily Mail)
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte unintentionally reveals that a US$1 million ransom was given to the Abu Sayyaf terror group in exchange for a Norwegian hostage. (IBTimes) (Rappler)
Trial of Oscar Pistorius
- The Johannesburg High Court rejects an appeal against the sentencing of Oscar Pistorius. (The Telegraph)
The France Conseil d'État suspends Villeneuve-Loubet commune's ban on on full-body burkini swimsuits. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2016 Zimbabwe protests
- Police and protesters clash in Harare after a court ruled that protests against Robert Mugabe can continue. (ABC News)

Science and technology

A newly-discovered galaxy known as Dragonfly 44 appears to be made up mostly of dark matter. (IBTimes)

August 25, 2016 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Philippine Drug War
- The death toll in Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs reaches 1,900 people killed. (Al Jazeera)

Syrian Civil War
- Turkey sends more tanks into northern Syria to continue its offensive against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. In reality ISIL forces retreated almost without a fight and most of the attacks target Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). (Reuters)

Business and economy

Miners in the Philippines criticize the government after a crackdown on mining closed more nickel and copper mines. (Gulf Times), (Jakarta Globe)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Central Italy earthquake
- The search continues for survivors in central Italy with the death toll now 241. An aftershock of 4.7 MMS hits further east in the province near Norcia. (AFP via ABC News Australia) (USA Today) (USGS) (Financial Times)

Health

2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
- Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection confirms Hong Kong's first case of Zika virus in a 38-year-old woman and says it will report the case to the World Health Organization (WHO). (Channel News Asia)

Law and Crime

Scarborough crossbow attack
- Three people are killed and two are injured after a crossbow attack in Scarborough, Toronto. A suspicious package was also found in another linked event.(CBC)

Politics and elections

Impeachment process against Dilma Rousseff
- Brazil's Federal Senate begins the impeachment trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff. (Reuters)

August 24, 2016 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war
- Battle of Jarabulus (2016)
  - The Turkish Armed Forces and US-backed Syrian rebels launch an initially successful campaign to capture the town of Jarabulus from ISIL. The Turkish Land Forces are also shelling YPG positions to prevent them from capturing areas that ISIL will retreat from. (AP via NBC News) (AP) (ABC News)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The American University of Afghanistan in Kabul is attacked by suspected Taliban militants, resulting in at least 13 deaths and 30 injured. (CNN) (Fox News)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Central Italy earthquake
- A 6.2 magnitude earthquake occurs in central Italy near the city of Perugia. The mayor of the town of Amatrice reports that residents are buried under rubble. (The Telegraph) (USGS) (AP via San Diego Union Tribune)
- At least 159 people have been reported dead. (BBC News), (ANSA) (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)
August 2016 Myanmar earthquake
- A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits central Myanmar, 25km west of the town of Chauk, and was also felt in Thailand, Bangladesh and India, according to reports. At least three people are killed. (BBC)
The world's largest aircraft, Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV 304 Airlander 10, crashes at RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire, during its second test flight. (The Guardian)

International relations

Japan–North Korea relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea launches a missile from a submarine off the port city of Sinpo in the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. This missile, the third sub-based attempt this year, flew about 500 kilometers (311 miles) and landed in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The first test exploded and the second traveled 30 km (18½ miles). (NBC News) (AP)

Law and crime

2016 Home Hill stabbings
- One British woman is killed and two others are wounded in a stabbing attack on a North Queensland backpacker hostel, Australia. (News.com) (ABC News Australia)

A police officer from Bethel, Alaska, will be sentenced to prison for charges related to police brutality in a 2014 case involving an intoxicated man. The charges followed an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations civil rights division. The former officer, Andrew Reid, was found to have used excessive force and lying on official police reports. The victim suffered a separated shoulder and other injuries. (Alaska Dispatch News)

Politics and elections

Colombian conflict
- The government of Colombia and FARC finalise a peace deal ending 50 years of conflict. (Xinhua)

Science and technology

Proxima Centauri b is discovered as the closest exoplanet to Earth that may be habitable. (BBC)

August 23, 2016 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- In a raid on Boko Haram Islamists' northeast heartland, Nigeria’s air force kills senior militants and possibly fatally wounds their leader, Abubakar Shekau. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A U.S. service member becomes the first U.S. military combat casualty in Afghanistan since January 2016 when he is killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol near the city of Lashkar Gah in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province. Another American service member and six Afghan soldiers were also injured in the blast. (NBC News)
August 2016 Thailand bombings
- Two bombs explode at the Southern Hotel in Pattani killing one person and injuring 30. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Philippine officials believe they may have recovered biggest natural giant clam pearl in the world — weighing 34kg. Officials are awaiting confirmation from gemologists that the find is indeed the world's largest pearl. If confirmed, it will beat the current record holder, the Pearl of Lao Tzu, which weighs 6.4kg. (BBC)

Business and economy

Former presenter Andrea Tantaros sues Fox News by accusing the network of being a "sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult." (The Washington Post)
New U.S. single-family home sales unexpectedly rose in July, reaching their highest level in nearly nine years as demand increased broadly. (Reuters)

Health

2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
- The first infection outside Miami in Florida is discovered in Pinellas County. (Fox News)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korea–United States relations
- In response to the annual military drills, North Korea threatens to destroy Seoul and Washington, D.C. through nuclear weapons if provoked. Both South Korea and the United States insist the drills are for defense. (News.com.au)
- According to South Korean officials, North Korea has laid landmines on the northern side of the so-called Bridge of No Return near the village of Panmunjom in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to block potential defection by its own soldiers. (Yonhap) (Reuters)
Turkey–United States relations, Turkish government – Gülen Movement conflict
- The United States Department of State says Turkey has formally requested the extradition of Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gülen and is now considering the merits of the request. (Sky News)

Law and crime

2015 Bangkok bombing
- A Thai military court commences the trial of two Uighurs from the People's Republic of China with the bombing of a popular shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people. (AP via Star Tribune)
Philippine Drug War
- The Philippine human rights commission says that the International Criminal Court may have jurisdiction over the mass killings. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The New York Times reports its Moscow bureau was targeted this month by hackers, believed to be Russian. While there is no evidence that the hackers were successful, the FBI is investigating. (Reuters) (AP via The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Melania Trump plans to sue The Daily Mail and Politico after the publications allege that she worked as an escort. (CNN)

Sports

2016 Summer Paralympics
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds a ban of Russian athletes from next month's Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping program. (BBC)(CNN)

August 22, 2016 (Monday)

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Disasters and accidents

2016 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Mindulle is forecast to make landfall near the Japanese capital Tokyo with flights and train services being cancelled. It arrives one day after Typhoon Kompasu. (Bloomberg), (CNN)
At least 40 people are killed and hundreds of thousands are evacuated due to flooding caused by days of heavy rain in central and eastern India. (ABC News)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korea and the United States start annual military drills despite North Korea's threats of nuclear attacks. (AP)
Iran–Russia relations
- Iran confirms that Russia will stop using its Hamadan Airbase to launch attacks in Syria, saying Russia's use of Hamadan Airbase was "temporary, based on a Russian request," and that Russian operations are "finished for now". Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan earlier criticized Russia's announcement of its use of the base in Iran, saying "There has been a kind of showing-off and inconsiderate attitude behind the announcement of this news." (The Washington Post)

Law and crime

Ahmad al-Mahdi pleads guilty at the start of his trial before the International Criminal Court for the war crime of destroying cultural sites in Timbuktu. (BBC News)
Philippine Drug War
- The death toll estimates for the crackdown on recreational drugs in the Philippines reaches 1,800 amid a senate investigation of the killings. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte fires thousands of former president Benigno Aquino III appointees from the government. (Time magazine)
French presidential election, 2017, The Republicans (France) presidential primary, 2016
- Former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy officially declares his candidacy for president in 2017. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

Microsoft acknowledges that a Windows 10 update has stopped millions of webcams from working. (BBC)

August 21, 2016 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Somalia (2009–present)
- An al-Shabaab suicide car bomb kills at least 20 people in the town of Galkayo in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region. (Reuters)
Gaziantep bombing
- The death toll from the Turkish wedding bombing rises to 50 with up to 94 people injured. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is suspected of conducting the attack. (Daily Sabah)

International relations

Philippine Drug War
- Rodrigo Duterte threatens to withdraw the Philippines from its founding membership of the United Nations after the international body criticized him over alleged human rights violations. (BBC)

Law and crime

Iraqi Civil War
- Iraq hangs 36 men convicted of taking part in the Islamic State group's massacre of hundreds of soldiers in 2014. (AP)
A shooter wounds at least 13 people at a house party in Bridgeport, Connecticut. (AP via Fox News)

Politics and elections

Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 2016
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan calls on fellow Labour Party members to remove Jeremy Corbyn in the upcoming party leadership election. (Reuters) (The Observer via The Guardian)

More August 2016 events...

Ongoing events
Business Bangladesh Bank heist Brexit Panama Papers Venezuelan protests State of emergency in Venezuela Culture Pokémon Go phenomenon Disasters Atlantic hurricane season California wildfires Fort McMurray wildfire Pacific hurricane season Pacific typhoon season Philippine southwest monsoon floods Portugal wildfires Health Flint water crisis Zika virus outbreak Law Philippines v. China Political War in Afghanistan Boko Haram insurgency Brazil protests Burundian unrest Ethiopian protests European migrant crisis (timeline) Iraqi and Syrian Civil War (map) Military intervention against ISIL Mosul offensive Israeli–Palestinian conflict Lebanese political deadlock Libyan Civil War Moldova protests Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenian–Azeri border conflict Philippine Drug War PKK rebellion Polish Constitutional Court crisis Sinai insurgency South China Sea disputes Turkish coup d'état attempt Turkish purges War in Donbass Yemeni Civil War Zimbabwe protests More details on ongoing conflicts below Sports 2016–17 Premier League 2016 Formula One season 2016 ATP World Tour 2016 Major League Baseball season 2016 WTA Tour Technology Democratic National Committee email leak Philippine Commission on Elections data breach edit sidebar

Recent deaths
August 26: Peter Barry 25: Davoud Rashidi 25: Marvin Kaplan 25: Sonia Rykiel 25: Rudy Van Gelder 24: Walter Scheel 23: Esther Jungreis 23: Evita Muñoz 23: Steven Hill 22: S. R. Nathan 22: Toots Thielemans 21: Antony Jay 20: Harry Gilmer 20: Nina Ponomaryova 20: Brian Rix 19: Donald Henderson 19: Lou Pearlman 19: Jack Riley 19: Horacio Salgán 19: Mohammad Ali Samatar 18: Machali 18: John William Vessey Jr. 17: Arthur Hiller 16: Mauril Bélanger 16: João Havelange 16: John McLaughlin 16: Gurdial Singh 15: Dalian Atkinson 15: Bobby Hutcherson 14: Fyvush Finkel 14: Robert Goff 13: Kenny Baker 13: Pramukh Swami Maharaj 12: Ruby Wilson 11: Hanif Mohammad 11: Glenn Yarbrough 10: Neill Armstrong 10: John Saunders 9: Gerald Grosvenor 9: Aftab Ghulam Nabi Kazi 9: Ernst Neizvestny 9: Kalikho Pul 8: Edward Daly 7: John Boreland 7: Bryan Clauson 6: Helen Delich Bentley 6: Philip Bialowitz 6: Pete Fountain 5: Shamim Ara 4: Jean Antone 4: Patrice Munsel 3: Shahram Amiri 3: Chris Amon 3: Mel Hurtig 2: Forbes Carlile 2: David Huddleston 2: Franciszek Macharski 2: Ahmed Zewail edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria and Tunisia Maghreb insurgency ISIL insurgency in Tunisia Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Boko Haram insurgency Somalia Civil war South Sudan Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War) Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Moro conflict Moro conflict in Sabah Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemeni Crisis Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent August 7: São Tomé and Príncipe, President (2nd round) 7: Thailand, Constitutional referendum 11: Zambia, National Assembly, President, Constitutional referendum Ongoing 27: Gabon, President Upcoming September 4: Hong Kong, Legislative Council 8: Seychelles, National Assembly 11: Belarus, House of Representatives 11: Croatia, Parliament 18: Russia, State Duma 20: Jordan, House of Representatives edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes, Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Ji Jianye, Li Chuncheng, Jiang Jiemin, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Ling Jihua, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan, Yao Mugen, Guo Boxiong Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Jordan: Abu Qatada Philippines: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Eston Kohver, Vladimir Kvachkov South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot, Adam Johnson United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Jesse Jackson Jr., Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, Kermit Gosnell, Chelsea Manning, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Sheldon Silver, Dylan Quick International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir, Radovan Karadžić Ongoing China: Bai Enpei, Guo Youming, Pan Yiyang, Wan Qingliang, Yang Weize, Zhu Zuoli Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members Spain: Lionel Messi United States: Dean Skelos International ICTY: Ratko Mladić Upcoming China: Wu Changshun Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi United Kingdom: Max Clifford, Rolf Harris, Ched Evans United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Rick Perry, Bill Cosby International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo edit sidebar