Author: Reuters
Islamic State militants blow up temple in Palmyra
Islamic State militants on August 23 blew up the temple of Baal Shamin, one of the most important sites in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, said Maamoun Abdul Karim, the country's antiquities chief.
Beirut protests turn violent for second day as PM threatens to quit
Protests against the Lebanese government turned violent for a second day on August 23, and Prime Minister Tammam Salam threatened to resign as public discontent brought thousands into the streets.
DPRK, the Republic of Korea on alert as talks resume in bid to end standoff
Top aides to the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea resumed talks on August 23 after negotiating through the night in a bid to ease tensions involving an exchange of artillery fire that brought the peninsula to the brink of armed conflict.
Over 50 people killed in Syrian missile strikes at rebel areas near Damascus
At least 50 bodies were retrieved from buildings leveled to the ground after Syrian army missiles hit residential areas in the rebel-held northeast of Damascus on August 22, rescue workers said.
China rocked by second deadly chemical plant blast in two weeks
A huge explosion ripped through a chemical plant in eastern China, killing one person and injuring nine, Xinhua news agency said, less than two weeks after two deadly blasts destroyed a warehouse storing chemicals in the northeast.
Kabul bomb targets foreign contractors, kills mostly Afghans
A car bomb targeting a convoy carrying civilian NATO contractors killed 12 people outside a Kabul hospital on August 22, part of a wave of attacks in the capital since news broke last month of the death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
Oil ends down more than 2% as US drilling points to glut
US oil prices traded below US$40 a barrel for the first time since the 2009 financial crisis, ending 2 percent lower on August 21 on signs of US oversupply and weak Chinese manufacturing and notching the longest weekly losing streak in almost three decades.
US soldier wounded helping to overpower gunman on train in France
A machine gun-toting attacker wounded three people on a high-speed train in France on August 21 before being overpowered by passengers who included an American soldier.
Tsipras resigns, paving way for snap Greek election
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras recently resigned, hoping to strengthen his hold on power in snap elections after seven months in office in which he fought Greece's creditors for a better bailout deal but had to cave in.
DPRK goes on war footing against RoK as deadline looms
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) put its troops on a war footing on August 21 as the Republic of Korea (RoK) rejected an ultimatum to stop propaganda broadcasts or face military action, prompting China to voice concern and urge both sides to step back after an exchange of artillery fire.
