Portal:Current events/2012 August 23

August 23, 2012 (Thursday)

Disasters

Tropical Storm Isaac (2012): The U.S. National Hurricane Center lowers its previous hurricane warning threat level for Hispaniola island in the Caribbean Sea to a storm warning and hurricane watch in its 23.00 PM bulletin. (NHC)
Typhoon Tembin (2012): Taiwanese authorities evacuate almost 5,000 people ahead of the typhoon. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
At least 30 people are killed as a result of heavy monsoon rain in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. (BBC)
A hot-air balloon crashes near the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, killing four people and injuring 28 others. (BBC) (STA)

Environment and health

A new, seemingly chronic but non-contagious, immunodeficiency disease is diagnosed since 2004, affecting mainly people of Asian genotype aged around 50. Most patients create interferon-gamma-blocking autoantibodies more frequently. Genetic factors are suspected but it would not "run in families". Also, something in the environment may trigger the disease. (The Washington Post) (The Voice of Russia)
The Waddenvereniging in the Netherlands expects the human-friendly starry smooth-hound shark to return to the Wadden Sea in a few years, after specimina were marked in the Oosterschelde and in another Zeeland part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. (HLN) (Waddenvereniging, in Dutch)
Israel's President Shimon Peres stresses that circumcision is "at the core of Jewish identity", in a letter on a controversy in Germany over circumcision. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

International relations

Baltasar Garzón promises he has a surprise in the case against his client Julian Assange. The Swedish prosecutor refuses to travel to London. (De Standaard, in Dutch) (MSN Malaysia)
Russia says that it is working closely with the Syrian government to establish guarantees that Assad won't move or use Syria's chemical weapons. (AP via Haaretz)
Pakistan again officially protests against the U.S. drone strikes, calling them unlawful, against international law and a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. Pakistan states emphatically that the attacks are "unacceptable". (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Law and crime

Former Polly Peck tycoon Asil Nadir is jailed for 10 years for stealing £29m ($46m) from the company. (BBC)
The 7th parole request of Mark David Chapman, murderer of former Beatle John Lennon, is denied. (Chicago Tribune)

Sport

American cyclist Lance Armstrong announces that he will not contest United States Anti-Doping Agency charges of doping paving the way for him to be stripped of his titles including seven Tour de France victories. (USA Today) (AP via Washington Post)

Technology

The U.S. tests helium-filled surveillance balloons on the Mexican border. The two airships float about 800 meter high and are equipped with very advanced cameras. It is said that the balloons will not watch too far into Mexican territory. (Associated Press via Google)