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Wildfire locations in Brazil and the Amazon

Brazil's National Institute for Space Research announces that it has detected more than 75,000 wildfires in the country (satellite rendering shown) since January, at least 40,000 of which have occurred in the Amazon rainforest.
At least 80 people are killed and 160 others injured in a bombing at a wedding in Kabul, Afghanistan.
All 233 people on board Ural Airlines Flight 178 survive a crash following bird strikes in both engines of an Airbus A321.

August 29, 2019 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Papuan conflict
- Tensions escalate between Indonesia and Pacific Island nations as the situation in the province of West Papua worsens after an Indonesian soldier and a West Papuan are killed in clashes. Vanuatuan Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu said "something must be done", amid calls to invite United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to investigate murders and torture in the area. (Radio New Zealand)
Hamas claims to have captured an Islamic State cell responsible for suicide bombings earlier this week that killed three policeman. Hamas says ten are in custody. (The Times of Israel)

Crime and law

The Supreme Court of Thailand upholds death sentences against two migrant workers convicted of murdering two UK tourists and raping one. Rights groups claim the men were scapegoats and tortured into false confessions by police under pressure to solve the crimes, which attracted international attention. (The Guardian)
2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests
- Hong Kong police ban a planned Saturday march by the Civil Human Rights Front, saying there is "a high chance that certain violent protesters will hijack this event". The CHRF plans to appeal. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires
- Brazil bans land clearance fires for sixty days in response to the ongoing disaster. (BBC)
The Japan Transport Safety Board concludes its investigation into a fatal collision between USS Fitzgerald and Filipino container ship ACX Crystal. The board's final report concludes distraction and incomplete radar information aboard the US Navy vessel caused the accident. (The Japan Times)
A volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupts, an event described as "high intensity" by the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology. (The Independent)
The death toll in a building collapse in Drohobych, Ukraine yesterday rises from one to eight. A child is among the fatalities. (Reuters)

International relations

China–United States trade war
- China announces that it will not immediately retaliate on the latest U.S. import tariffs, but is instead "lodging solemn representations". (Bloomberg)
Poland states the nation will sign a 5G cooperation deal with the United States when US President Donald Trump visits on Saturday. The Trump administration has been lobbying European nations to avoid Huawei, a major international 5G supplier, over security concerns. (euronews)

Politics and elections

Politics of Italy
- President of Italy Sergio Mattarella tasks demissionary Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte with the formation of a new cabinet, a coalition of Five Star Movement and Democratic Party. The premier-designate reserves the right to accept the mandate, pending further talks with both parties. (ANSA)
Brexit
- The Court of Session in Edinburgh begins hearing arguments in a case challenging UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend the UK Parliament. The challenge, seeking an interdict, the Scottish equivalent to an injunction, to prevent the move, is being brought by Members of the Scottish Parliament. (BBC)
- Ruth Davidson steps down as leader of the Scottish Conservatives. She has been a critic of Johnson, himself a Conservative, especially his approach to Brexit. (BBC)

August 28, 2019 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Three Palestinian police officers are killed and several wounded in two separate suicide attacks on police checkpoints. ISIL's affiliate in Gaza, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, are the suspected perpetrators. (BBC)
Border Police announce they have detained an unnamed man who tried to bring a pipe bomb into Samaria Military Court in Salim, Nablus, on the West Bank. (The Times of Israel)

Disasters and accidents

Three people are killed amidst heavy rains in southwestern Japan. Authorities ask almost one million people to evacuate, warning "unprecedented" levels of rainfall could cause the flooding of rivers, trigger landslides, and submerge houses. (BBC)
2018 Pretoria Convair 340 crash
- The Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa concludes its investigation with a final report indicating the accident was caused by poor maintenance and errors by unqualified pilots. (The Aviation Herald)
2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announces all Amazon-region nations except Venezuela will meet to discuss a coordinated response to the disaster. He also reiterates rejection of G7 money to assist the efforts unless French President Emmanuel Macron issues him an apology, but after meeting with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera accepts an offer of four firefighting aircraft from Chile. (BBC)
- Finland, current chair of the European Union, writes to the body's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, urging the use of the EU's "full toolkit" including foreign and trade policy to counter the use of deliberate fires as a means of deforestation in Brazil. (Bloomberg)
Hurricane Dorian
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declares a state of emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall in the state on September 2. (WOFL)

Health and environment

New Zealand bans tourists from swimming with bottlenose dolphins, saying dwindling numbers are caused by excessive interaction with tourists, as the animals choose socialising with people over necessary biological functions. Authorities say the species risks "being loved into extinction". (The Independent)

International relations

Foreign relations of Tonga
- Through a spokesman Lopeti Senituli for the government, Tonga blames the World Bank over the situation of their schools in Tongatapu, which are still in tents 17 months after Cyclone Gita. (Radio New Zealand)

Law and crime

At least 25 people are killed and 11 injured in a bar fire in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, that police believe followed an attack linked to drug cartels. Mexican media reports that the bar was peppered with gunfire and Molotov cocktails were thrown inside. (BBC)
Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, experiences widespread looting and violent attacks by rioters focused on foreigners. Police are currently outnumbered and many businesses have been set on fire. The riots follow the death of a taxi driver reportedly shot by Nigerian drug dealers after they realized he'd seen them complete a drug deal and had also seen their supplier. Bus services are suspended and authorities say the capital is currently unsafe. (Radio 702) (ZimEye)
LGBT rights in the United States
- Forty-eight members of Congress from the Republican Party – eight from the Senate and 40 from the House of Representatives – file a joint amicus brief with the Supreme Court arguing that the Civil Rights Act does not protect LGBT+ people from discrimination. They argue the law "does not prohibit discrimination because of an individual’s actions, behaviours, or inclinations". (The Independent)

Politics and elections

Politics of the United Kingdom, Brexit
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson asks Queen Elizabeth II to suspend Parliament until October 14. Following precedent, the constitutional monarch approves the request. (CNN) (CBC)
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand drops out of the presidential race. (The New York Times)
Politics of Italy
- The Five Star Movement and Democratic Party agree to form a new coalition. The move comes weeks after Deputy Prime Minister and Northern League secretary Matteo Salvini unsuccessfully pushed for a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Therefore, Conte remains Prime Minister. (BBC)

Science and technology

Archaeologists in Huanchaco, Peru unearth 227 sets of human remains aged between five and fourteen, and believed to be sacrificed over 500 years prior. The discovery is the largest known child sacrifice in history. (BBC)

August 27, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Kurdish–Turkish conflict
- YPG units withdraw from Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ayn as the first stage of the Northern Syria Buffer Zone agreement enters into effect. (Reuters) (Kurdistan 24)

Disasters and accidents

Tropical Storm Dorian
- Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to grow stronger as it reaches Puerto Rico, the National Hurricane Center says. (Sun-Sentinel)
2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires
- The Brazilian government through President Jair Messias Bolsonaro is open to accepting financial aid from organizations and foreign countries to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest on the condition that the funds must be under the country's control. (Gulf News)
An Air China Airbus A330 preparing to takeoff as Flight 183 catches fire during boarding at Beijing International Airport. Passengers and crew successfully evacuate, but the aircraft is severely damaged. (Simple Flying)
A Spanish C-101 military jet crashes into the sea near La Manga, killing its pilot. (The Independent)

Law and crime

Abortion in Missouri
- A U.S. federal judge blocks a Missouri law banning abortions eight weeks after conception from going into effect. (The Daily Beast)
Illegal immigration to the United States
- The Donald Trump administration is in the process of shifting at least $155 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the Department of Homeland Security, in order to fund the return of some migrants to Mexico. The move comes as Tropical Storm Dorian nears hurricane status as it approaches Puerto Rico. (CNN)
Boeing 737 MAX groundings
- Russian aircraft leasing firm Avia Capital Services, which has ordered 35 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, sues Boeing in an Illinois court in the first legal action taken by a 737 MAX customer in the wake of the groundings. Avia seek damages and a cancellation of the order, claiming Boeing were fraudulent, breached their contract with Avia, and negligently introduced design flaws to the aircraft and made negligent representations to the Federal Aviation Authority seeking the plane's certification. With nearly 400 jets grounded worldwide since March, lawyers representing Avia say they are discussing the possibility of joining the litigation with other companies. (CityNews Vancouver)
2013 Via Rail Canada terrorism plot
- An appeals court in Ontario, Canada overturns the terror convictions of Raed Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier, citing an error by the trial judge regarding jury selection. A new trial is expected to take place. (BBC)

Politics and elections

2019 Nauruan parliamentary election
- Lionel Aingimea is sworn in as the President of Nauru, replacing Baron Waqa. (Radio New Zealand)
Poland anounces a planned national budget with zero deficit for the first time in 30 years. (Yahoo! Finance)

Science and technology

The uncrewed Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft successfully docks with the International Space Station on its second attempt, with the Zvezda module. The docking follows the failure of the automated systems aboard the Poisk module with which the spacecraft was originally intended to dock on 24 August. MS-14 carries supplies for the ISS, along with a humanoid robot named Fedor. (SpaceNews, Space.com)
SpaceX executes a successful test of its Starhopper vehicle at Boca Chica. The vehicle was raised 150 metres (490 feet) into the air by its methane-fueled Raptor engine. The engine is planned for use on SpaceX's Starship vehicle – a crewed spacecraft capable of interplanetary flight. (Forbes, Los Angeles Times)

Sports

2019–20 in English football
- English association football club Bury F.C., who were in EFL League One, are expelled from the English Football League (EFL) after a takeover bid to save the club collapses. Fellow EFL League One club and local rivals Bolton Wanderers F.C. are given an extra 14 days to avoid being expelled due to financial difficulty. EFL executive chair Debbie Jevans calls the expulsion of Bury F.C. "one of the darkest days in the league's recent history". (BBC)

August 26, 2019 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Qousaya attack, Israel–Lebanon relations
- Lebanese media claims Israeli aircraft targeted a PFLP-GC military site in Qousaya town, making it the second attack in Lebanon since the 2006 war after the alleged attack in Beirut yesterday.
- Lebanese President Michel Aoun accuses Israel of a "declaration of war", and asserts the right of the country to defend itself from aggression in response to Israeli strikes in the Beqaa Valley. (Al Arabiya)

Business and economy

The Federal Cartel Office in Germany announced that it will appeal a decision by a regional court that suspended its restrictions on Facebook's activities. The appeal will bring the dispute, over underlying privacy issues, to the attention of the country's highest court. (Reuters)
Opioid epidemic in the United States
- An Oklahoma district court finds Johnson & Johnson liable for exacerbating opioid addiction in the state, and fines them US$572 million. The company announces it will appeal. (Reuters)

International relations

45th G7 summit
- Group of Seven leaders hold their yearly meeting in Biarritz, France. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Politics of Indonesia
- Indonesian President Joko Widodo announces North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara regencies as location of the future capital of Indonesia. He says government will prepare a bill to submit in the House of Representatives as soon as possible. (The Jakarta Post) (The Washington Post)

August 25, 2019 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli–Lebanese conflict
- 2019 Beirut drone crash
  - Hezbollah says two Israeli drones went down in the Moawwad neighborhood of Dahieh (South Beirut), Lebanon, and they did not shoot them. A small reconnaissance drone fell on the roof of the Hezbollah media building, then another drone exploded nearby, causing damage to the building. Residents report a loud blast. The Israeli Army says it does not comment on "foreign reports". The Lebanese Army confirms the drones as Israeli. (AP News) (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)
Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
- Iran denies attacks in southern Syria by Israel hit their installations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-aligned medium, claims the missiles killed one Iranian and two people from Hezbollah. (Times of Israel)
2019 Israeli airstrikes in Iraq
- Alleged Israeli airstrikes hit a Iran backed Popular Mobilization Forces convoy near Al-Qa'im, Iraq. (Al-Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

A helicopter and an ultralight airplane plane collide near the town of Inca, on the island of Mallorca, Spain, killing seven people including two children, according to regional government officials. (Sky News)

Lightning strikes on at least two Alaska Airlines planes force them to make emergency landings in Southeast Alaska. Lightning also knocked out electrical service to the state capital, Juneau. (Kfsk)

Politics and elections

Rohingya crisis
- At Kutupalong, the world's largest refugee camp, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, 200,000 people gather peacefully to remember the day, in 2017, when a violent crackdown by Myanmarese security forces compelled 740,000 Rohingya to flee over the border. (France24)
2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Conservative radio host and former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh announces his run for president, becoming only the second Republican to challenge incumbent President Donald Trump. (CNN)

August 24, 2019 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Papuan conflict
- Crowds gather in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to show solidarity and to campaign for the freedom of West Papua, which is under Indonesian control. Meanwhile, churches push the government of Papua New Guinea to take a firm stand on the situation. (Radio New Zealand)
Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
- The Israel Defense Forces say their Air Force strikes multiple Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Aqraba near the Syrian capital Damascus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims an Iranian attack on Israel using armed drones to be imminent. Syria says it repels the attack and shoots down most of the attackers' rockets. (The Jerusalem Post) (SANA)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Brazil wildfires
- Brazil readies its military to fight wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, but does not deploy troops. (CNBC) (CBC)

Politics and elections

2019 Nauruan parliamentary election
- Voters in Nauru go to the polls to elect new members of parliament. President Baron Waqa loses his parliamentary seat so he is not able to be re-elected in the office he has been holding since 2013. (ABC News) (ABC News)

August 23, 2019 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, 2019 Northwestern Syria offensive
- The Syrian Army captures the entire northern Hama-southern Idlib rebel pocket, asserting control over the strategic towns of Kafr Zita, Al-Lataminah and Murak, as well as numerous villages and an archaeological site, following the withdrawal of rebel forces. (Reuters) (Al Masdar)
- The Turkish observation post near Murak is encircled by government forces. (Asharq Al-Awsat) (Ansamed)
Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- U.S. officials confirm that an airstrike on an Iranian weapons depot in Amirli, Iraq on July 19 that killed two Iranian military commanders was conducted by Israel. The strike is the first known Israeli attack inside Iraq since Operation Opera in 1981. (Voice of America)
Al-Qaeda accuses "treacherous Pakistani forces" of detaining the wife and two other relatives of the group's leader Ayman al Zawahiri for over a year. (Al Arabiya)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Brazil wildfires
- Finland, current chair of the European Union, asks the bloc to contemplate a ban on beef from Brazil in response to the ongoing disaster. (Reuters)

International relations

China–United States trade war
- China retaliates on the United States' latest tariff decisions by imposing tariffs of up to 25% on some American goods. (CNBC)
- U.S. President Donald Trump states on Twitter that he has "hereby ordered" that U.S. companies find an alternative for manufacturing in China and relocate "HOME." (Barron's) (The Guardian)
- President Trump announces an increase in the tariffs set to take effect on September 1, October 1 and December 15, from 10% and 25% to 15% and 30%, respectively. The Office of the United States Trade Representative says it will "begin the process of increasing the tariff rate to 30% effective October 1 following a notice and comment period". (CNN)