Portal:Current events/2019 August 29
August 29, 2019 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Papua 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 says it has captured an ISIL cell responsible for Tuesday's suicide bombings that killed three policemen. Hamas says ten are in custody. (The Times of Israel)
Disasters and accidents
- 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires
- Brazil bans land clearance fires for 60 days in response to the ongoing disaster. (BBC News)
- At least seven spectators have died after a flash flood swept across the pitch at a local match in the village of Tizert, Morocco. (Sky News)
- The number of people killed in the collapse of an apartment building yesterday in western Ukraine rose to eight, including one child. (Reuters)
- USS Fitzgerald and MV ACX Crystal collision
- 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)
- The volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupts, an event described as "high intensity" by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. (The Independent)
- 2019 Atlantic hurricane season
- Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declares a state of emergency for several counties in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall in the upcoming days. (WJXT)
Health and environment
- Ethiopia plants 350 million trees in 12 hours, breaking the previous world record held by India since 2016 of 50 million trees planted in the same time. (United Nations Environment Programme) (Office of the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia)
International relations
- China–United States trade war, China–United States relations
- China announces that it will not immediately retaliate on the latest U.S. import tariffs, but is instead "lodging solemn representations". (Bloomberg)
- The U.S. officially reestablishes Space Command. (ABC)
- Status of Jerusalem, Status of East Jerusalem
- Israel announces that, on 16 August, Nauru officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (Jewish News Syndicate)
- The Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority announces that it will file a complaint to the United Nations after Honduras' recognition of the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the capital of the future State of Palestine. (AFP via The Daily Star)
Law and crime
- Capital punishment in Thailand
- The Supreme Court of Thailand upholds death sentences against two migrant workers convicted of murdering two UK tourists and raping one. Rights groups say that the men are 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)
- The Office of Inspector General of the Federal Bureau of Investigation releases its final report in which former director James Comey is criticised for his leaking of documents regarding U.S. President Donald Trump. However, it does not recommend he be prosecuted. (BBC News)
- Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal
- Six Pakistani men are found guilty of abusing and raping teenage girls between 1998 and 2002 in Rotherham, England. The National Crime Agency believes as many as 1,510 teenagers were sexually exploited in the town during the same period. (BBC News)
- Identitarian movement
- A French court jails several members of Generation Identity and fines the organisation over an anti-immigration operation in the Alps. They were found guilty of "exercising activities in conditions that could create confusion with a public function". The case was that the operation could be mistaken for a government action. (The Independent)
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)
- Politics of Ukraine
- Oleksiy Honcharuk becomes the new Prime Minister of Ukraine. (Al Jazeera)
- Politics of the United Kingdom, 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. The judge announces he will consider his position overnight and give his judgement tomorrow at 10:00 local time. (BBC News)
- 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 News)
Science and technology
- An Iranian Space Agency Simorgh carrier rocket explodes on the launch pad at Imam Khomeini Spaceport in southeastern Iran. This is Iran's third failed attempt to reach orbit this year following launches in January and February. (NPR)