ONS: 23 August 2012

by TRG Alerts Admin on August 23, 2012

KEY STORYLINES

AFRICA: Eastern Kenyan ethnic clashes killed dozens.
AMERICAS: Colombia’s cabinet resigned as part of President Santos’s plan to shuffle the government.
ASIA: Former Pakistani envoy to the US Husain Haqqani stated the two countries should end their alliance in an “amicable divorce.”
EUROPE: Clashes in Turkey’s southeast between Kurdish rebels and military forces left 16 militants and five soldiers dead.
MIDDLE EAST: Fresh fighting in Lebanon’s Tripoli killed at least one, despite a ceasefire between clashing Sunni and Alawite groups.
TECHNOLOGY: American authorities seized three domain names involved in distributing pirated material.

TOP STORY

Syria: Heavy fighting in Damascus; government using terror tactics; US, UK warn against chemical weapons

Opposition forces reported an intensified counter-insurgency program by government forces designed to spread fear in rebel-held or dominated neighborhoods.
Syrian army forces struck southern Damascus, killing at least 47.
The UK joined the US in issuing a warning to the Syrian government not to use chemical weapons.
Coverage: BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters, NYT

AFRICA

Ethiopia: A government spokesman stated that interim PM Desalegn will remain head of the country’s government until 2015. (Reuters)
Kenya: Ethnic clashes in the eastern part of the country killed over 50. (NYT)
Nigeria: Authorities raided two bomb factories in Kogi state, arresting five. (Reuters)
Nigeria: Four foreign oil and gas contractors kidnapped in early August were freed. (AP)

AMERICAS

Colombia: The cabinet resigned as part of President Santos’s plan to shuffle the government. (Reuters)
Mexico: The National Human Rights Commission opened a probe into violence in a Michoacan religious community. (EFE)
Venezuela: President Chavez reportedly has a substantial money edge over opposition candidate Henrique Capriles. (AP)

ASIA

Afghanistan: Authorities killed 15 Taliban militants and detained 11 during operations across the country. (Xinhua)
Korea, North: State news reported the country’s figurehead leader Kim Yong-nam, not Kim Jong-Un as previously reported, would attend the NAM conference. (Reuters)
Pakistan: Former envoy to the US Husain Haqqani stated the two countries should end their alliance in an “amicable divorce.” (Reuters)
Philippines: Authorities arrested 357 foreigners accused of involvement in online fraud. (AP)

EUROPE

Greece: PM Samaras warned that if his country was ejected from the Eurozone it could trigger a wider domino effect of fiscal crisis. (AP)
Spain: The government will reportedly grant greater power to banking authorities to deal with troubled lenders. (AFP)
Turkey: Clashes between Kurdish rebels and military forces in the country’s southeast left 16 militants and five soldiers dead. (AP)

MIDDLE EAST

Iran: Despite American and Israeli pressure not to attend, UNSG Ban Ki-Moon will attend the NAM summit in Tehran. (Bloomberg)
Iraq: Al-Qaeda front group Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for dozens of deadly attacks in Anbar province in June and July. (AP)
Lebanon: Fresh fighting in Tripoli killed at least one, despite a ceasefire between clashing Sunni and Alawite groups. (AFP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

United States: Authorities seized three website domain names involved in distribution of pirated Android phone apps, in the first such action involving mobile app marketplaces. (AFP)

WORLD

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (24AUG)

Americas: Organization of American States (OAS) foreign ministers meet to discuss Julian Assange’s asylum in Ecuador.
Brazil: Anniversary of the death of President Vargas – 1954.
Iran: Senior IAEA officials meet Iranian officials in Vienna.
Russia: Independence Day celebrated – 1991.
Russia: Anniversary of Moscow airplane bombings – 2004.
Ukraine: Independence Day celebrated – 1991.

END