September 4th, 2023 – Labor Day 

India launches Aditya-L1, its first solar observation mission to observe the solar corona, photosphere, and chromosphere and to study solar winds and solar flares, and their effect on Earth and near-space weather. (BBC News) 

Roscosmos head Yury Borisov announces that the RS-28 Sarmat ICBM has been deployed for combat duty. (The Moscow Times) 

The Supreme Court of Japan formally orders Okinawa to allow the United States Armed Forces to expand its runways and military infrastructure on the island despite protests from locals who oppose the American military’s presence. (AP) 

American consumer packaged goods holding company Conagra Brands recalls over 245,000 pounds of Banquet frozen chicken over concerns of plastic contamination. (Fox Business) 

An SDF counterattack recaptures all areas lost to tribal fighters and the SNA with the exception of one town. (SOHR) 

Displacement of civilians is reported in Northeastern Syria amid intense multi-sided clashes that have been ongoing since last week. (SOHR) 

The 13-kilometre-long (8-mile) Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line rapid transit system begins service in Lagos, Nigeria, after being delayed since 1983. (Al Jazeera) 

The parliament of Vanuatu chooses Sato Kilman as the new prime minister, replacing Ishmael Kalsakau. (Reuters) 

Sunday, September 3rd, 2023 

Max Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix, winning his 10th straight race, breaking the record for the most consecutive wins by a single driver in Formula One’s history. The win also extends Red Bull’s consecutive win streak to 15 wins in a row, dating back to the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

Heavy flooding at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, United States, kills one person and leaves tens of thousands of people stranded in the Black Rock Desert. (AP) 

Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne says that France will ban disposable electronic cigarettes as part of an effort to combat smoking. (The Guardian) 

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismisses Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov amid graft allegations within the Ministry of Defence. The head of the State Property Fund, Rustem Umerov, is expected to replace Reznikov. (Reuters) 

Eighteen fighters of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army are killed after attempting to break through the front lines in Northeastern Syria. (SOHR) 

The Syrian Democratic Forces kill and injure eight tribal gunmen who were attempting to cross to Syrian government-held territory. (SOHR) 

The Syrian Democratic Forces recapture two towns after having lost them in an earlier offensive by factions of Deir ez-Zor Military Council and Arab tribes. (SOHR) 

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says that Iran has started talks to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. (Tehran Times) 

Five civilians are killed in airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces in Khartoum, a continuation of bombings that killed twenty civilians yesterday. (The Guardian) 

Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal temporarily reinstates President-elect Bernardo Arévalo‘s Semilla party, which had been suspended pending an investigation into alleged registration irregularities. (AFP via France 24) 

Saturday, September 2nd, 2023 

A Ukrainian court places billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskyi under arrest over fraud and money laundering charges as part of corruption related activities. (Al Jazeera) 

The Russian Defense Ministry says that it has destroyed 281 Ukrainian drones in the past week, including 29 over western Russia. (South China Morning Post) 

The Russian Defense Ministry says that it has thwarted attacks on the Crimean Bridge by destroying a Ukrainian boat. (Reuters) 

Belarus says a Polish military Mi-24 military helicopter breached its airspace, flying 1.2 km into its territory. (Reuters) 

More than 2,000 troops from the CSTO security alliance begin military exercises in Belarus. (AP) 

Clashes occur in Tel Aviv, Israel, between Eritrean asylum seekers, including supporters and opponents of the government of Isaias Afwerki, and police, resulting in 114 injuries, including 30 police officers. (BBC News) 

Greek firefighters rescue a group of 25 migrants trapped in a forest in the Evros region as flames from a wildfire approached. (AP) 

The Greek Coast Guard rescue more than 150 people, including several children, who were heading in small boats from Turkey to the nearby eastern Aegean Sea islands. (AP) 

Two people are killed and six others are wounded in a shooting at a wedding reception in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Ottawa Citizen) 

Cypriot police arrest 13 people after a mob smashes storefronts and set numerous trash bins on fire during an anti-immigration march in Limassol. (AP) 

Gabon’s military government reopens the country’s borders, three days after they were closed. (AFP via Manila Bulletin) 

Friday,  September 1st, 2023 

Five people are killed when an outdoor lift cable snaps and falls into a ravine at a resort in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. (DPA via The Star) 

Hong Kong raises its typhoon warning signal to level 10, the highest level, as Super Typhoon Saola approaches. Over 880,000 people in the Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong have been evacuated. (AFP via France 24) 

Pope Francis arrives in Mongolia, marking the first papal visit to the country, which has a small Catholic population. (NCR) 

Twenty-five people are arrested after a riot at a kok-boru event in Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan. (The New York Times) 

Sudanese Armed Forces capture El Obeid, pushing the Rapid Support Forces out of the city, although skirmishes continue on the outskirts of the city. (Dabanga Sudan) 

A Palestinian man is killed and several others are injured, a building is destroyed and ambulances are obstructed and shot at, during a raid by Israeli soldiers in Aqabah, in the occupied West Bank. (Al Jazeera) 

Armenia says that shelling by Azerbaijani forces in the town of Sotk killed four of its soldiers and injured another. (Reuters) 

Arab tribesmen briefly take control of two villages in Aleppo Governorate in order to support fellow tribesmen fighting the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria, as the battle enters its third day with at least 45 people killed. (Al Jazeera) 

Gunmen kill nine people including seven in a mosque in Ikara Local Government Area in Nigeria‘s Kaduna State. (Reuters) 

The Philippines imposes price ceilings on rice in order to counter increasing costs and alleged market manipulation, setting the maximum prices for regular-milled and well-milled rice, at ₱41 (US$0.72) and ₱45 ($0.80) per kilogram, respectively. (Reuters) 

Eighteen people are killed and 13 are injured after two minibuses carrying mostly Iranian Shia pilgrims collide between Dujail and Samarra in Saladin Governorate, Iraq. (AFP via Barron’s) 

Six people are killed when a train collides with a minibus in San Pedro de la Paz, Bío-Bío Region, Chile. (Xinhua) 

Two people are killed and at least 12 others are injured in an explosion at a metal factory in Cabreúva, São Paulo, Brazil. (ABC News) 

Two Moroccan-French tourists are shot dead and another is injured by the Algerian National Navy after being lost on a jet ski near Saïdia and accidentally crossing the border into Algerian waters. (BBC) 

Eighteen people are killed during a shootout between robbers and police in Limpopo, South Africa. (Al Jazeera) 

Former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is elected as the 9th president of Singapore with over 70% of the valid votes. (Reuters) 

The End Monday 

below posted z

Friday,  September 1st, 2023 

Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs is sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the planning of the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (NBC News) 

Friday,  September 1st, 2023 

Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs is sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the planning of the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (NBC News) 

The Philippines imposes price ceilings on rice to counter increasing costs and alleged market manipulation, setting the maximum prices for regular-milled and well-milled rice, at ₱41 (US$0.72) and ₱45 ($0.80) per kilogram, respectively. (Reuters) 

440 people were killed in Syria during August 2023, making it the highest death toll in 19 months. (SOHR) 

A Palestinian man is killed and others are injured, a building is destroyed and ambulances are prevented to reach the scene and shot at, during a raid by Israeli soldiers in Aqabah, in the occupied West Bank. (Al Jazeera) 

Pope Francis arrives in Mongolia, marking the first papal visit to the country, which has a small Catholic population. (NCR) 

Singaporeans vote for their 9th president. (CNA) 

Armenia says that shelling by Azerbaijani forces kills two of its soldiers and wounds another in the town of Sotk. (Reuters) 

Thursday, August 31st, 2023 

Nine soldiers are killed and five more injured during a suicide bombing against a convoy in Bannu District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Ary News) 

Fifty-seven police and prison officers are taken hostage in six different prisons in Quito as explosive attacks occur in Ecuador’s capital targeting the country’s prison authority. (AFP via Malay Mail) 

An Israeli soldier is killed and two more injured during a vehicle-ramming attack at a checkpoint in Beit Sira, in the occupied West Bank. The perpetrator is shot dead. (Al Jazeera) 

At least 73 people are killed in a fire at a block of flats in Johannesburg, South Africa. (CNBC) 

Fifteen people are killed in a fire at a clothing factory in Quezon City, Philippines. (AP) (The New York Times) 

Five people are killed and two others are injured when a passenger train collides with track workers doing maintenance work in Brandizzo, Piedmont, Italy. (BBC News) 

The African Union announces the suspension of Gabon’s membership after the country’s military instigated a coup d’état. (AFP via The Peninsula) 

The Korean Central News Agency reports that North Korean forces has conducted drills simulating a missile strike on South Korea, in protest of ROKAF–USAF military drills. (Reuters) 

The Brazilian Federal Police questions former President Jair Bolsonaro in an investigation in which he is accused of smuggling $3 million in diamond jewelry from Saudi Arabia. (AP) 

2 killed, 1 injured in a shooting at a shopping center in Austin, Texas. (People) 

The End 

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2023 Wednesday, August 30th, 2023 

Officers of the Gabonese military depose president Ali Bongo and annul the results of the general election in which he was declared the winner. They also dissolve the government and close all borders. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and three others are injured in a Russian drone and missile strike on Kyiv. Ukraine says that it shot down missiles and drones during the strike. (Reuters) 

Russia says its aircraft destroyed four military boats carrying up to 50 members from landing groups of the special forces of Ukraine operating in the Black Sea. (Al Jazeera) 

Russia says its warplanes destroyed two Ukrainian military speedboats carrying military personnel east of Snake Island in the Black Sea. (Reuters) 

Clashes in Deir ez-Zor between Arab tribal fighters and Kurdish-led fighters leaves several people dead and others wounded. (Al Jazeera) 

Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in the U.S. state of Florida as a category 3 hurricane. Flooding is reported in the Tampa Bay area including Tampa and other parts of Hillsborough County. Two deaths are reported with both being due to vehicle accidents. (The Washington Post) (Spot On Florida) 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum will be held in October. (ABC News) 

President of Congress Shirley Rivera dissolves the parliamentary group of Movimiento Semilla and declares them “independent“. President-elect and member of Congress Bernardo Arévalo is also affected by the decision. (La Hora) 

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy announces that Kyrgyzstan will ban the TikTok platform in an effort to protect the health of young children. (RFE/RL) 

Tuesday,  August 29th, 2023 

The United Nations reports that at least 183 people have been killed during recent clashes between Fano militiamen and security forces in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. (Reuters) 

At least four transport planes in Pskov are damaged in a drone attack. Explosions were also reported in Bryansk and Tula oblasts. (The Guardian) 

The government of Kyrgyzstan says 95 wives and children of Islamic State fighters have been repatriated from internment camps in Syria. (Al Jazeera) 

Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida, United States, closes ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Idalia. (WFOR-TV) 

Widespread flooding and power outages are reported as Idalia makes landfall in Cuba. (Reuters) 

In a study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, Australian doctors report the removal of an eight-centimeter Ophidascaris robertsi roundworm from the brain of a 64-year-old woman. This is the first documented case of such a parasite in any mammalian brain. (AFP via Bangkok Post) 

Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape announces that his country will open its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem. (RNZ) 

The Islamabad High Court in Pakistan reverses a lower court‘s three-year imprisonment verdict against former prime minister Imran Khan for graft, while also granting Khan bail. (AFP via CNA) 

Cyprus police arrest 21 people after violent clashes between refugees and residents of Chloraka village in the west of the island which has a large population of asylum seekers. (Al Jazeera) 

Mayor of Miami Francis Suarez suspends his campaign for President of the United States, becoming the first Republican candidate to do so. (The Guardian) 

The End Wednesday 

Tuesday,  August 29th, 2023 

The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape announces that his country will open their Israel embassy in disputed Jerusalem. (RNZ) 

The Islamabad High Court in Pakistan reverses a lower court‘s three-year imprisonment verdict against former prime minister Imran Khan for graft, while granting him bail. (AFP via CNA) 

Monday,  August 28th, 2023 

Head of the Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo publishes a 10-point plan that proposes a non-symmetrical federal system and a new apolitical Sudanese Army. (Al Jazeera) 

Military forces clash with the insurgent Ta’ang National Liberation Army in northern Shan State, Myanmar, following reinforcements to the area in recent days. (The Irrawaddy) 

Russia says that it shot down two aerial drones over the north and west of Crimea. (Al Jazeera) 

The International Atomic Energy Agency warns that Ukraine‘s offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast has increased the risk of damage to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. (Al Jazeera) 

Ukraine claims they retook the village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast from the Russian forces. Russia says they have repelled attacks in the area. (Reuters) 

Russia’s Federal Security Service charges Robert Shonov, a former U.S. consulate employee, with passing information on Russia’s mobilization campaign to U.S. embassy staffers in Moscow. (Al Jazeera) 

Trading of Evergrande resumes on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after a 17-month suspension with the company confirming its compliance with financial information disclosure and listing regulations. (AFP via The Philippine Star) 

Iraq announces the execution by hanging of three members of the Islamic State for the 2016 Karrada bombing which killed hundreds of people. (AFP via Barron’s) 

A Chilean court upholds the prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years for seven former soldiers involved in the 1973 murder of singer Víctor Jara, which occurred after the coup d’état that ushered in Augusto Pinochet‘s dictatorship. (AFP via CNA) 

The Registry of Citizens of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal suspends the legal personality of Movimiento Semilla, the party of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo. (Prensa Libre) 

Foxconn founder Terry Gou announces that he will run as an independent in next year’s presidential election on a platform of restoration of positive Cross-Strait relations and closer business ties. (Al Jazeera) 

Cape Verde and South Sudan, who both make their World Cup debut, score their first-ever wins at the tournament. After first-round losses to Georgia and Puerto Rico, the African teams defeat Venezuela and China. (AP) 

Sunday, August 27th, 2023 

Ten Yemeni soldiers from a southern separatist faction are killed and twelve others are injured in an attack by Houthi militants at the border between Al Bayda and Lahij. (AFP via VOA) 

Russia‘s Investigative Committee confirms the identities of the bodies recovered at crash site corresponds to the names on the flight list. (The Moscow Times) 

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh suspends Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush for administrative investigation following reports of an unauthorized meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. (AFP via France 24) 

Police arrest two male Polish citizens suspected of hacking into the national railway communication system, disrupting rail traffic in Poland and issuing false signals. (AFP via Al Arabiya) 

In golf, Norway‘s Viktor Hovland wins the U.S. PGA Tour‘s season-ending Tour Championship and secures the FedEx Cup championship trophy, finishing five strokes ahead of the United States‘ Xander Schauffele. (AFP via France 24) 

In artistic gymnastics, Simone Biles sets a new record for the most all-around titles by a gymnast of either gender, surpassing the previous record set by Al Jochim in 1933, after winning her eighth title at the individual all-around event of this year’s USA Gymnastics National Championships. (AFP via Manila Bulletin) 

The End Tuesday 

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Sunday, August 27th, 2023 

Officials in Boston, Massachusetts, announce police will remove tents and other makeshift shelters at the Mass and Cass tent city, an encampment for the homeless, many of whom struggle with mental health issues and substance abuse disorder. (AP) 

U.S. Rep. Cory Mills introduces articles for impeachment against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, accusing Austin of ignoring key intelligence during the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan that caused the deaths of 13 soldiers and the surrender of Kabul to the Taliban. (The Hill) 

Three US Marines are killed and 20 others are injured when their MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor crashes in Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia. (BBC News) 

Ten Yemeni soldiers from a southern separatist faction are killed and twelve others are injured in an attack by Houthi militants at the border between Al Bayda and Lahij. (AFP via VOA) 

Russia’s Investigative Committee confirms the identities of the bodies recovered at crash site corresponds to the names on the flight list. (The Moscow Times) 

Russia confirms Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has died in a plane crash on an Embraer Legacy 600. (The Moscow Times) 

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh suspends Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush for administrative investigation following reports of an unauthorized meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. (AFP via France 24) 

Police arrest two male Polish citizens suspected of hacking into the national railway communication system, disrupting rail traffic in Poland and issuing false signals. (AFP via Al Arabiya) 

Tropical Storm Idalia forms in the Gulf of Mexico as the tenth tropical storm or subtropical storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. (The New York Times) 

The North Korean government announces the lifting of certain pandemic-era travel restrictions, allowing citizens abroad to return to the country provided that they quarantine for one week. (AFP via WION) 

In golf, Norway’s Viktor Hovland wins the U.S. PGA Tour‘s season-ending Tour Championship and secures the FedEx Cup championship trophy, finishing five strokes ahead of the United States’ Xander Schauffele. (AFP via France 24) 

In artistic gymnastics, Simone Biles sets a new record for the most all-around titles by a gymnast of either gender, surpassing the previous record set by Al Jochim in 1933, after winning her eighth title at the individual all-around event of this year’s USA Gymnastics National Championships. (AFP via Manila Bulletin) 

Saturday, August 26th, 2023 

The Alabama attorney general’s office makes a filing with the Supreme Court of Alabama indicating plans to carry out a death penalty by nitrogen hypoxia, an execution method that is authorized in three US states but has never been used. (AP) 

Three people are killed in a racially motivated mass shooting at a store in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. The perpetrator, who killed himself after the attack, released a manifesto against black people. (AP) 

The ruling Nigerien military government orders the Niger Armed Forces to go on maximum alert, citing an increased threat of attack. (Al Jazeera) 

Seven people are killed after gang members open fire on a protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (BBC News) 

Four people are killed and twenty are injured in a grenade attack by a former TPLF combatant in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia.(Borkena) 

The governor of Belgorod Oblast says that Ukrainian shelling and usage of cluster munitions injured six civilians in Urazovo. (Al Jazeera) 

Russian forces shell the front-line city of Kupiansk, killing two people and injuring another. (AP via MSN) 

Russia’s Northern Fleet conducts navy exercises in the Barents Sea aimed at preventing the passage of unauthorised and foreign ships. (Al Jazeera) 

British Museum chair George Osborne announces that the museum has begun the process of recovering 2,000 stolen artifacts. (The Guardian) 

Director of the British Museum Hartwig Fischer resigns, claiming responsibility for insufficient investigation of the recent series of thefts and disappearances of hundreds of items from its collection, including gold jewelry, semi-precious gems and antiquities. (AFP via RTÉ) 

British Museum director Hartwig Fischer res

Ukraine’s foreign ministry expresses opposition to a continuation of European Union import restrictions on its grain after member states including Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary supported an extension. (Al Jazeera) 

The Panama Canal imposes a one-year restriction on ship passage due to severe drought conditions, leading to delays and decreased maritime traffic. (AFP via ABS-CBN News) 

A new brush fire in Maui, United States, burns up to 10 acres in a Kaanapali neighborhood located a few miles from the Lahaina area damaged by wildfires, prompting evacuations. The evacuation order is lifted after the fire was contained. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) 

Fire department officials in Greece arrest two men on suspicion of setting fires amid ongoing wildfires in the country. (AP) 

Nine people are killed and nine more are injured when a gas canister explodes on a train in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. (BBC News) 

Two people were killed and 46 others were injured in series of explosions at a liquefied petroleum gas station in Crevedia, Romania. (Reuters via RTÉ) 

Three Ukrainian Air Force pilots are killed when two L-39 trainer aircraft collide in midair in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. (Al Jazeera) 

American food delivery platform DoorDash announces that it will pay $1.6 million to its workers after a Seattle Office of Labor Standards investigation finds that the company failed to implement the city’s required sick and safe time policy. (AP) 

Gabonese citizens vote for a president and members of the parliament. (AFP via France 24) 

The government imposes a nightly curfew and suspends internet access following the closure of polls, citing the need to prevent violence and misinformation. (AFP via Le Monde) 

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is re-elected to a second term with 52.6% of the vote, defeating main challenger Nelson Chamisa who garners 44%. Mnangagwa’s ZANU–PF also wins a majority in the National Assembly elections. Chamisa’s Citizens Coalition for Change rejects the results, alleging electoral irregularities. (AFP via SCMP) 

FIFA suspends Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales for 90 days for kissing player Jennifer Hermoso after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final. Hermoso says that Rubiales acted without her consent, which Rubiales denies. (AFP via France 24) 

American triathlete Taylor Knibb wins her second consecutive Ironman 70.3 World Championship title with a time of 3:53:02, five seconds ahead of runner-up Kat Matthews. (Tri247) 

Friday,  August 25th, 2023 

Yale University and a student group announce they have reached a settlement in a U.S. federal lawsuit that accused the Ivy League school of discriminating against students with mental health disabilities, including pressuring them to withdraw. (AP) 

George Soros founded Grantmaking network Open Society Foundations plans to significantly reduce their activities in Europe and lay off much of their staff. The change coincides with Alex Soros‘s announcement of a shift to a new operating model. (AP) 

Yan Petrovsky, one of the leaders of the Russian far-right paramilitary Rusich Group, is detained in Finland. Ukraine has sent a request for Petrovsky’s extradition. (Meduza)

Estonia‘s pro-Ukrainian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, comes under pressure to resign after it was revealed her husband’s company indirectly undertook business in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. (AP) 

Norway announces that it will spend 63 million kroner (US$6 million) each year on grain reserves due to environmental and geopolitical concerns. (AP) 

Two telecommunication companies in Haiti, Digicel and Access Haiti, said their fiber optic cables were severed this week, temporarily disrupting service in suspected acts of sabotage by criminal gangs. (AP) 

The United Auto Workers of the United States vote to call a strike if contract negotiations with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis are not finalized by the stated deadline. (AFP via RFI) 

A U.S. federal control board files a new plan for restructuring $10 billion in debt owned by Puerto Rico’s power company in an attempt to end bankruptcy negotiations. (AP) 

At least 12 people are killed and 80 are injured in a human crush during the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Antananarivo, Madagascar. (Reuters) 

The Somali National Army reports the killing of 27 al-Shabaab militants near Awdheegle, Lower Shabelle, along with the destruction of militant hideouts, as part of an ongoing campaign to secure areas previously under al-Shabaab control. (Xinhua) 

The ruling Nigerien military junta orders the ambassadors of France, Germany, Nigeria, and the United States to leave the country. France rejects the ultimatum, claiming they do not recognize its authority, while the US claims it has received no request to withdraw its personnel from Niger. (Reuters) (AFP via SCMP) 

Monaco’s judicial authorities announce they have closed a probe against Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati and his family over corruption allegations due to lack of evidence. (AP) 

A Pakistani doctor and former Mayo Clinic research coordinator who sought to join the Islamic State terrorist group to fight in Syria and expressed interest in carrying out attacks in the U.S. is sentenced to 18 years in prison. (AP) 

Sandra Torres, who lost Guatemala’s presidential election, files a complaint alleging fraud in the way the votes were counted. (AP) 

The 19th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup opens, with the Philippine Arena setting a World Cup attendance record of 38,115 during the co-hosts‘ opening game against the Dominican Republic. (AP) 

Norway announces it will spend 63 million kroner ($6 million) per year until the end of the decade stocking up on grain due to environmental and geopolitical reasons. (AP) 

The 19th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup opens, with the Philippine Arena setting a World Cup attendance record of 38,115 during the co-hosts‘ opening game against the Dominican Republic. (AP) 

Colombia introduces passports with a non-binary option, following a 2022 court ruling that permitted such identification on official documents. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

The End