Portal:Current events/2011 August 22
August 22, 2011 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2011 Libyan civil war, 2011 Battle of Tripoli:
- Mustafa Abdul Jalil, Chairman of the National Transitional Council, announces that Muammar Gaddafi's regime has collapsed. (TABNAK)
- National Transitional Council forces take control of Tripoli as Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is reported captured by rebels. (ABC News Australia) (Washington Post)
- The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague call for Saif al-Islam to stand trial for his role in the civil war. (Evening Standard) (Huffington Post) (TABNAK)
- In an audio message, Gaddafi urges the people of Tripoli to "purge the capital" even as fighters sweep through the city and take control of the symbolic Green Square, which is subsequently renamed Martyrs' Square. (Press TV) (TABNAK)
- Heavy fighting is reported near Gaddafi's residence in southern Tripoli, while reports claim that Gaddafi and his family are moving to the Park Hotel in Tunisia. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Online) (Farsnews)[permanent dead link]
- Anti-Gaddafi forces capture the house of Gaddafi's daughter, Ayesha Gaddafi. (TABNAK)
- People celebrate their victory in the streets of Tripoli by saying Shahada, ending to 42 years of dictatorship. (TABNAK)
- Large anti-Gaddafi protests take place, with some coming under fire from snipers perched on rooftops. (Yahoo! News)
- France announces plans to host a summit on Libya as early as next week. (Reuters)
- South Africa is reported to be involved in negotiations with Muammar Gaddafi's camp to offer him a place of refuge, though the government denies reports a plane has been sent for him. (Press TV) (The Daily Telegraph)
- More than 900 people are released from Ain Zara jail in Tripoli. (TABNAK)
- Iran's Foreign Ministry calls for the release of Musa al-Sadr, who they claim has been held in Libya since 1978. (IRNA)
- Palestinian militants on the Gaza Strip fire rockets and mortars into Israel despite a truce. (AP via Google) (Reuters)
- Pakistan announces it will send more troops to Bahrain in support of the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. (The Nation)
- The Australian Army reports that another Australian soldier has been killed by an improvised explosive device lost in fighting in Afghanistan. (The Courier Mail) (The Australian)
- The UN says 600 people have been killed in clashes in South Sudan. (New York Times)
Arts and culture
- Jerry Leiber, the American lyricist of the Leiber and Stoller duo that wrote many of the most popular songs in the early years of rock and roll, dies at the age of 78 in Los Angeles. (New York Times)
- Nick Ashford, American R&B singer-songwriter and one half of the husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson, dies from throat cancer aged 69. (The Telegraph)
Business and economy
- Australia's BlueScope Steel announces the loss of a thousand jobs with 800 jobs lost in Port Kembla and 200 jobs in Western Port. (AAP via Sydney Morning Herald)
- The price of crude oil falls on world markets due to the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi and bleak global economic outlook. (Reuters)
Disasters
- Hurricane Irene:
- Twenty people including British billionaire Richard Branson and actress Kate Winslet have to be rescued after Hurricane Irene destroys Branson's mansion on Necker Island in the Caribbean Sea. (Winnipeg Free Press)
- Hurricane Irene reaches hurricane strength over Puerto Rico, becoming the first of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Prosecutors in New York City ask for charges against former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn to be dropped. (ABC Online)
Politics
- Jack Layton, leader of Canada's New Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition, dies from cancer at age 61. (CTV)