Portal:Current events/2018 August 28

• Moro conflict
  • A suspected improvised explosive device planted by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters explodes at a town festival in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines, killing two people and injuring 35 others. (Rappler)
  • A Catholic priest held hostage for almost four months by Muslim militants in Marawi city in the southern Philippines says he still believes in inter-religious dialogue despite experiencing horrors that included seeing a fellow captive gunned down in crossfire and another one killed during an airstrike. (BenarNews)

• The European Space Agency (ESA) unveils two titanium plaques etched with artwork, which will be part of the outside of the CHEOPS exoplanet-characterization satellite during its orbit around Earth. (Phys.org)

• Irish paper production and packaging firm Smurfit Kappa release a statement explaining that one of its production facilities was seized a week earlier on August 21 by the Venezuelan government and its managers were arrested, with the company accused of not setting their prices at government-approved levels and smuggling. It says that the government have taken over operation of the plant. (BBC)

• Hurricane Maria death toll controversy
  • A study from the Milken Institute School of Public Health finds that a total of 2,975 people died in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria, bringing the official death toll up from 64. (ABC News)
• Seven states in Venezuela are affected as the Orinoco River floods. (Voice of America)

• Water supply and sanitation in Iraq
  • Health officials state that the Iraqi city of Basra has recorded 17,000 infection cases due to water contamination. A cholera outbreak is feared as salinity rates continue to increase in the unprocessed water. (Iraqi News)
• Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags
  • Anchorage, Alaska, passes a strict ban on plastic shopping bags, and imposes a fee on the use of store-issued paper bags. The law goes into effect on March 1, 2019. (Anchorage Daily News)

• Bolivarian diaspora
  • The Brazilian government sends armed forces to be stationed along its Venezuelan border for two weeks, due to a large increase in migrants from Venezuela. (BBC)
  • Peru declares a 60-day public health crisis in its northern provinces, with concern of the Venezuelan migrants spreading diseases. (BBC), (Bloomberg)

• Former Texas police officer Roy Oliver is found guilty in the murder of 15-year old Mesquite High School freshman Jordan Edwards. (NBC News) (Star Local Media)

• Politics of France
  • Nicolas Hulot resigns as Minister of Ecology during a live interview on France Inter radio, citing French President Emmanuel Macron's record on environmental issues and his own frustration over feeling alone in prioritizing reform. (The Independent)
• Politics of Iran
  • The Parliament of Iran questions President Hassan Rouhani on weak economic growth, banking restrictions and rising prices. It is not satisfied by four of his five answers and refers the case to the judiciary. He chiefly blames the United States' sanctions, and vows the "plot" will not succeed. (Reuters) (Tehran Times}

• The world's first autonomous taxi service begins operating in Tokyo, Japan. The pilot project will run until September 8, with full commercial operations expected to start in 2020, when the city hosts the 2020 Summer Olympics. (The Guardian) (Reuters)
• For the first time, scientists observe the Higgs Boson decay into bottom quarks. This supports a prediction in the Standard Model of particle physics. (Phys.org)