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British bank Standard Chartered agrees to pay the US state of New York a $340 million fine to settle money laundering charges.
The closing ceremony (pictured) of the Summer Olympics is held in London.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy wins the PGA Championship by a record eight strokes.
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi orders Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi to resign and cancels military-declared constitutional amendments.
In the Olympics, Jamaica and the United States set world records in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay and the women's 4 × 100 metres relay, respectively.

Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...

August 15, 2012 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- A huge explosion hits a military compound near a hotel in which the UN observers are staying in Damascus. (BBC)
- In response to the Syrian Civil War, the Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit organized by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation begins in Makkah Al Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia, for two days. (CNN)
- According to the UN investigation report, Syrian troops and Shabiha militia are responsible for the Houla massacre that took place on 25 May 2012. (BBC)
- At least 80 people are killed in the town of Azaz, Aleppo province, after the Syrian government launches airstrikes on homes in the area. (Reuters)

International relations

Two Japanese cabinet ministers, Jin Matsubara and Yuichiro Hata, visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine amid territorial disputes with both the People's Republic of China and South Korea. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

The High Court of Australia upholds legislation providing for plain packaging of cigarettes. (ITV News)
Four suspects are arrested in Germany for their alleged involvement in illegally providing Iran with necessary technical parts to build a nuclear reactor. (BBC)

Sports

Rafael Nadal is not to take part in the US Open due to knee injury. (The New York Times)

August 15, 2012 Wikinews articles

August 14, 2012 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- One journalist, three lieutenant colonels and one auditor defect to and participate in the Free Syrian Army (FSA). (Anadolu Agency via The Journal of Turkish Weekly)
Mexican Drug War:
- Alleged members of the Gulf Cartel storm a bar in Monterrey and kill 10 people. (Fox News)
A series of suicide bombings across Afghanistan kill at least 46 people and injure up to 80 others. (BBC) (CBS)
Turkish lawmaker Hüseyin Aygün, who was kidnapped by Kurdish rebels on 12 August 2012, is released. (AP via The Washington Post)

Law and crime

Kariem McFarlin, 35, of Alameda, California, is arrested and charged with residential burglary and selling stolen property from the Northern California home of the late Steve Jobs. (MSN)
Eleven bodies of individuals stabbed to death are found in the mountainous Ile Alatau national park, near Kazakh capital Almaty. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Mohamed Salem, an Egyptian lawyer, files a lawsuit over President Morsi's removal of Hussein Tantawi and Sami Anan. (Reuters)

August 14, 2012 Wikinews articles

August 13, 2012 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Syrian forces kill at least 10 people at the entrance of Jdeidet Artouz district of Damascus according to opposition sources. (CNN)
- Opposition forces in eastern Syria report downing a fighter jet; the Syrian government denies this claim, stating that the plane crashed due to technical problems. (The Telegraph)
- Danny Al Baaj, Syria’s representative at the UN Human Rights Council, defects to Switzerland. (Arab News)
WikiLeaks revelations and attack:
- WikiLeaks reveals data showing that the U.S. government has been secretly spying on the public using civilian security cameras with Trapwire. (Wired) (Daily Mail) (PC Mag)
- The Wikileaks website is targeted by a sustained online attack. (Sky News)

Arts and culture

American publisher and editor Helen Gurley Brown, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and a leader of 1960s sexual revolution dies at the age of 90 in New York City. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)
Two new potential pyramid sites are discovered in Egypt. (Daily Mail)

Disasters

Iran announces that the death toll from the 2012 Ahar-Varzaqan earthquakes is 306 with 3,037 injured. (AP via Sydney Morning Herald)

Law and crime

The Vatican orders Pope Benedict XVI's former butler to stand trial for his alleged involvement in leaking allegations of corruption in the Holy See. (Reuters)
Two Egyptian journalists, critics of President Mohammed Mursi, are to be put on trial for their alleged incitement to murder Mursi and lead sectarian discord. (BBC)
Three people are found dead in a burning car in a parking lot in Maine, in the United States. (AP via ABC)

Politics and elections

Thousands of Tunisians, mostly women, protest in Tunis against attempts by the Islamist-led government to reduce women's rights. (BBC)

Sports

2012 Summer Olympics:
- Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus is stripped of her shot put gold medal after failing a doping test. (BBC Sport)
- Boxing gold medallist Katie Taylor arrives back in her hometown Bray, where thousands of people flock to the seafront to see her. (Irish Independent)

August 13, 2012 Wikinews articles

August 12, 2012 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The meeting of the Arab Foreign ministers in Jeddah to tackle Syria conflict is postponed. (BBC)
- Syrian opposition reports that ten men are killed by pro-regime forces in Homs. (CNN)
- Renewed violence is reported in the Syrian cities of Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Idlib, as Syrian state television reports the death of one of its reporters. (Al Jazeera)
Mexican Drug War:
- Edgar Morales Pérez, the mayor-elect of Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, is shot to death by gunmen while riding his vehicle. (The Huffington Post)
- The state police commander of the Mexican state of Chihuahua is gunned down and killed in Ciudad Juárez. (KTSM Channel 9)
Egyptian forces kill six suspected militants in a village near the city of el-Arīsh in northern Sinai. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Billy Graham, who had recently suffered from pneumonia in November 2011, is hospitalized again, likely for several days, at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, due to bronchitis, and is being treated with antibiotics. (NBC News)

Business and economy

Qatar is to deposit US$2bn at the Egyptian Central Bank in an effort to help support an economy battered by a year and a half of political turmoil, an Egyptian presidency statement reports. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi fires Mohamad Hussein Tantawi, head of the country's armed forces. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

2012 Summer Olympics:
- The 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony is held, featuring a celebration of British pop music and the handover of the Olympic Flag to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro in preparation for the 2016 Games. (BBC)
- Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda wins the Olympic men's marathon in London, beating the Kenyan pairing of Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang. (BBC Sport)
Golfer Rory McIlroy wins the 2012 US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. (BBC)

August 12, 2012 Wikinews articles

August 11, 2012 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Istanbul for talks on the Syrian civil war with Turkish leaders. (AAP via The Daily Telegraph)
- Gunmen detonate roadside bombs as they clash with police in central Damascus. (ABC)
- Britain plans to give 5-million-pounds worth of equipment to Syrian rebels trying to topple President Bashar Al-Assad, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) says. (SBS)
- One of Syria’s state news agency (SANA) reporters is assassinated at his home in Damascus. (AP via Boston.com)
Mexican Drug War:
- A total of 12 decomposing bodies are found inside an abandoned vehicle in Zacatecas. (Global Post)
- At least five people are killed as suspected gang members go on rampage in drug-violence-ravaged western state of Michoacan. (Al Jazeera)
An Afghan policeman kills ten of his colleagues at a checkpoint in southwestern Afghanistan. (AP via The Wall Street Journal)
At least two people are killed and 18 others injured as protests held in Mumbai, India, against religious riots in Assam and Myanmar turn violent. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters

Two earthquakes, the strongest a magnitude 6.4, strike near the northwestern Iranian cities of Tabriz and Ahar, killing at least 250 people and injuring up to 1,800 others. (BBC)
At least 52 people are killed and 46 wounded in a bus crash in Himachal Pradesh state of India. (Hindustan Times)
At least 13 people are killed and 15 injured as a result of a lightning strike at a mosque in a remote village in northeast Bangladesh. (Al Ahram)

Politics and elections

Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican Party nominee for the United States presidency, names Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as the Republican Party's vice presidential candidate in the presidential election in November. (BBC)

Sports

2012 Summer Olympics:
- In the association football final, Mexico defeats Brazil 2–1 and wins the gold medal. This victory marks the first medal in association football for Mexico. (The New York Times)
- Usain Bolt wins his third gold medal of the 2012 Olympics as he anchors Jamaica's sprint relay team to a world record. (BBC)

August 11, 2012 Wikinews articles

August 10, 2012 (Friday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

Mexican Drug War:
- Four suspected drug traffickers of the Sinaloa Cartel, including the cousin of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, Mexico's most-wanted drug lord, are captured in Spain. (BBC News)
A Libyan army general Mohammed Hadia al Feitouri is shot dead in Benghazi. (BBC)

Disasters

The death toll from recent floods in the Philippines capital Manila and surrounding regions rises to 60. (AAP via SBS)
The United States says they are planning to help clean up herbicide Agent Orange from areas of Vietnam, the first time since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. (CNN)

International relations

The South Korean Yonhap news agency reports that the President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak is considering visiting the disputed Liancourt Rocks, which are also claimed by Japan. (Yonhap)

Politics and elections

Tens of thousands of people attend the state funeral for President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana. (BBC)

Law and crime

Disappearance of Tia Sharp: A body is discovered in Tia Sharp's grandmother's house, and police announce that they are looking for the girl's step-grandfather. (Sky News)

Sports

2012 Summer Olympics:
- Colombia's Mariana Pajón wins gold at the Women's BMX final, making it the second gold medal in the history of the South American country. (El Tiempo)
Juventus coach Antonio Conte is banned for 10 months due to his alleged role in match-fixing. (BBC)

August 10, 2012 Wikinews articles

Ghana buries late President Mills

August 9, 2012 (Thursday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian Army claims success in its major ground offensive against the opposition-held neighborhoods of Aleppo. (Reuters)
- Tehran, Iran, hosts a foreign ministers' conference on Syria, but the attendees remain unknown. Russia is to be represented by its ambassador to Iran. (Reuters) (The Voice of Russia)
- A White House government official says the United States may consider a no-fly zone over the rebel-held territory in Syria. (Reuters)
- Retired Major-General Vladimir Kuzheyev, a Russian military adviser to the Syrian government, rejects the rebel claims of his death in clashes outside Damascus. (The Moscow Times)
Mexican Drug War:
- Fourteen bodies are abandoned inside a van on a major avenue in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí. It is the fifth time this year drug traffickers leave 14 bodies as a message to their rivals, signaling that the number may be some sort of code. (Chicago Tribune)
North Caucasus insurgency:
- At least 5 police officers and 3 militants are killed in clash in the Botlikhsky District in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan. (RIA)
A gunman in Afghan military uniform kills three U.S. soldiers in the southwestern Afghan province of Helmand. (BBC)

Business and economy

Barclays appoints Sir David Walker as its new chairman following the Libor scandal. (BBC)

Disasters

The death toll from floods in the Philippines over the past ten days rises to 70. (CNN)
Hurricane Ernesto makes landfall in the Mexican state of Veracruz causing at least three deaths. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

The trial of Gu Kailai, wife of former Communist powerbroker Bo Xilai, for the alleged murder of British businessman Neil Haywood begins in the Chinese city of Hefei. (ABC News Australia)
The female Mexican drug lord Sandra Ávila Beltrán is extradited to the United States from Mexico. (The New York Times)
Two journalists are arrested for posing for photographs holding teddy bears in a pro-democracy stunt in Belarus. (Reuters)

Sport

2012 Summer Olympics:
- Ireland's Katie Taylor wins gold by defeating Russia's Sofya Ochigava in the women's boxing event at ExCeL London. (BBC) (RTÉ)
- Great Britain's Nicola Adams becomes the first female boxer to win an Olympic gold medal after defeating China's Ren Cancan in the flyweight final. (BBC Sport)
- Kenya's David Rudisha becomes the first athlete to set a new world track record at London 2012 as he claims the 800m gold at the Olympic Stadium. (BBC Sport)
- Jamaica's Usain Bolt becomes the first person to win the 100m and 200m events in back-to-back Summer Olympics. (Los Angeles Times)

August 9, 2012 Wikinews articles

More August 2012 events...

Ongoing events
Political Arab Spring Libyan factional fighting Syrian Civil War Bahraini uprising Saudi Arabian protests Mexican Anti-Imposition Protests Economic Barclays LIBOR manipulation Global financial crisis European sovereign-debt crisis Greek economic crisis Environmental 2012 North American drought Musical The Stone Roses Reunion Tour Sports 2012 Summer Paralympics

Recent deaths
August 13: Ray Jordon 13: Helen Gurley Brown 13: Johnny Pesky 12: Sid Waddell 11: Michael Dokes 10: Suresh Dalal 9: Carl Davis 8: Sancho Gracia 8: Jairo Varela 7: Anna Piaggi 7: Judith Crist 6: Marvin Hamlisch 6: Robert Hughes 5: Chavela Vargas 4: Con Houlihan 4: Metin Erksan 3: Paul McCracken 2: Marguerite Piazza 2: John Keegan 1: Keiko Tsushima 1: Abel Salinas July 31: Gore Vidal 30: Maeve Binchy 30: Chris Marker 27: Tony Martin 27: R. G. Armstrong 27: Geoffrey Hughes 27: Jack Taylor 27: Darryl Cotton 26: Pat Porter 26: Mary Tamm 25: Franz West 24: Chad Everett 24: Sherman Hemsley 24: John Atta Mills edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Global War on Terror Terrorist incidents Operation Active Endeavour Operation Enduring Freedom War on Drugs Africa Maghreb insurgency OEF - Trans Sahara Casamance conflict Niger Delta conflict Nigerian Sharia conflict Sudan internal conflict South Sudan internal conflict South Sudan–Sudan border conflict 2012 East DR Congo conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Somalia: Civil war War 2009- Piracy OEF - Horn of Africa Tuareg rebellion Americas Colombian armed conflict (1964–present) Mexican Drug War War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan War Military operations Taliban insurgency Pakistan: Terrorism North-West War Drone attacks Sectarian violence India: Terrorism Jammu and Kashmir insurgency Naxalite-Maoist insurgency Northeast India insurgency Nagaland ethnic conflict Kashmir conflict Siachen conflict Korean maritime border incidents Southeast Asia: Laos insurgency South Thailand insurgency Cambodian–Thai border dispute Territorial disputes in the South China Sea Islamic insurgency in the Philippines Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines Papua conflict Europe North Caucasus insurgency Dissident Irish Republican campaign Middle East Iraqi insurgency Arab–Israeli conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Palestinian political violence and rocket attacks Yemen: Terrorism al-Qaeda crackdown South Yemen insurgency Shia insurgency Kurdistan: Turkey–PKK conflict Syrian Civil War edit sidebar

Elections
Recent: July 1: Liechtenstein, Constitutional referendum 1: Mexico, General 1: Senegal, Parliament 7: East Timor, Parliament 7: Libya, General National Congress 15: Republic of the Congo, Parliament (1st round) 18: Cayman Islands, Electoral system referendum 19: India, President (indirect) 19: Nagorno-Karabakh, President 20: Samoa, O le Ao o le Malo (indirect) 29: Republic of the Congo, Parliament (2nd round) 29: Romania, Presidential impeachment referendum Upcoming: August 31: Angola, Parliament edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Canada: Michael Rafferty Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Alaa Mubarak, Gamal Mubarak Germany: Breno Borges Indonesia: Abu Bakar Bashir Sierra Leone: Charles Taylor (SCFSL) South Africa: Chris Mahlangu Tunisia: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Ukraine: Yulia Tymoshenko United Kingdom: Levi Bellfield, Robert Black, Vincent Tabak, Ali Dizaei, Antoni Imiela, Brian Regan, Donna Air, Ched Evans, Clayton McDonald, Titus Bramble, Dan Penteado, John Terry, Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed United States: Noshir Gowadia, Buju Banton, Barry Bonds, Raj Rajaratnam, Casey Anthony, Conrad Murray, George Huguely, Allen Stanford, William Balfour, Roger Clemens, Jerry Sandusky Ongoing Cambodia: Khmer Rouge Tribunal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Organized crime in Chongqing France: Church of Scientology Iraq: Supreme Criminal Tribunal Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Netherlands: Thomas Lubanga (ICC), Radovan Karadžić (ICTY), Ratko Mladic (ICTY) Norway: Anders Behring Breivik Palau: Tommy Remengesau Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr. Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev, Pussy Riot Singapore: Tak Boleh Tahan Sudan: Lubna al-Hussein Thailand: Thaksin Shinawatra Turkey: Ergenekon network, Kenan Evren United States: Ahmed Ghailani, David Headley, Jared Lee Loughner, Charles P. White, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Viktor Bout, John Edwards, Lauryn Hill Upcoming Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo United Kingdom: Justin Lee Collins, Chris Huhne, Vicky Pryce United States: Nidal Malik Hasan, Javaris Crittenton, Bradley Manning, Robert Bales, George Zimmerman, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Peter Madoff, Christian Gerhartsreiter, Crystal Mangum edit sidebar

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