Portal:Current events/2015 August 12

{{Current events|year=2015|month=8|day=12|content=

;Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
Artillery strikes in Damascus during a visit by the Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif kill at least 40 people and wound more than 180. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150815072052/https://www.the-newshub.com/international/iranian-fm-visits-damascus-amid-massive-killings-in-the-city (The News Hub)]

;Arts and culture

New Zealand flag debate
A government appointed panel chooses 40 finalist flag designs out of more than 10,000 submitted. [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article30831906.html (Miami Herald)] [https://nypost.com/2015/08/12/new-zealand-will-select-new-flag-from-these-40-designs/ (The New York Post)]

;Business and economy

Pearson PLC agrees to sell its share in the Economist Group to Exor controlled by the Agnelli family for £469m. [https://www.bbc.com/news/business-33878566 (BBC)]
2015 Chinese stock market crash
The People's Republic of China devalues the yuan (Renminbi) by 1.62 percent after devaluing by 1.92 percent yesterday. This comes in the wake of a 30% drop of Chinese stocks last month. [https://www.bbc.com/news/business-33875061 (BBC)], [https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2015/08/12/stocks-wednesday/31526667/ (USA Today)], [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/china-devalues-yuan-even-further/story-e6frg926-1227480128740 (The Australian)]

;Disasters and accidents

2015 Tianjin explosions
A massive explosion in the Chinese city of Tianjin results in at least 17 deaths, 11 people seriously injured, and hundreds of people being hospitalised. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33896292 (BBC)], [http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/blast-rocks-chinese-city-tianjin-dozens-reported-injured-n408626 (NBC News)], [http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/08/12/explosion-reported-in-tianjin-china (CCTV)]
A U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashes while landing on a U.S. Navy cargo vessel near the Japanese island of Okinawa, with seven people injured. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085900/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-army-chopper-crashes-in-japan-7-injured/ar-BBlFBUF?ocid=spartanntp (AP via MSN)]
The death toll from a heat wave in Egypt this week rises to 60. [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e2184745aed3478b89148ab0d1bbcd42/death-toll-egypts-scorching-heat-wave-rises-over-60 (AP)]

;Law and crime

Kasur child sexual abuse scandal
In a two year period, 280 to 300 children have been sexually abused and filmed doing forced sex acts in Pakistan by a gang consisting of 20 to 25 culprits. [http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/10/asia/pakistan-child-abuse/ (CNN)], [http://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/572735--growing-child-abuse-scandal-in-pakistani-village (Anadolu Agency)], [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33843765 (BBC)]

;Politics and elections

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, aged 90, announces that recent liver surgery revealed that he is suffering from an as-yet unspecified form of cancer which has spread to other parts of his body. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160131010603/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/former-us-president-jimmy-carter-says-he-has-cancer/ar-BBlGLk4?ocid=spartanntp (Reuters via MSN)]
North Korea's vice premier Choe Yong-gon is believed to have been executed by firing squad this year for voicing frustration at the policies of leader Kim Jong-Un. [https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/12/us-northkorea-execution-idUSKCN0QH18C20150812 (Reuters)], [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-12/north-korean-vice-premier-choe-yong-gon/6693190 (AFP)]
A South Korean man is seriously injured after self-immolation during a protest against Japan's use of South Korean women as sex slaves during World War II. [https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/12/world/asia/ap-as-skorea-anti-japan-rally-.html?_r=0 (The New York Times)]
Dési Bouterse is sworn in for a second term as President of Suriname. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150814215019/http://www.startribune.com/bouterse-inaugurated-for-2nd-term-as-suriname-s-president/321599931/ (AP via The Star Tribune)]

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