August 15, 2011 (Monday)
Armed conflict and attacks
- 2011 Syrian uprising:
- The Syrian navy shells the city of Latakia, killing as many as 26 people, including Palestinian refugees from Ramel refugee camp in southern Latakia. (Al Jazeera) (The Daily Telegraph) (Los Angeles Times) (CNN) (VOA) (Jerusalem Post)
- Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoğlu says that unspecified "steps" would be taken by Turkey if Syria fails to end the crackdown. (Al Jazeera)
- Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi gives a live address to the nation after rebels claim a number of victories in the 2011 Libyan civil war. (CNN)
- A double bombing in the Iraqi city of Kut kills at least 34 and injures 68 people. (CNN)
Business and economy
- Japan's economy shrinks by 0.3% in the April-June quarter confirming the country is in a recession caused in part by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. (Market Watch)
- Authorities in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dalian order a petrochemical plant, which produces paraxylene (PX), to be shut down and relocated, after tens of thousands of local residents protested through the streets on Sunday, fearing potential pollution. The protests resembled to a similar case, when citizens went on a protest "stroll" in the southeastern city of Xiamen in June 2007. (China Daily) (The Guardian) (The Atlantic) (The Wall Street Journal)
- Google announces a proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility. (Reuters)
Disasters
- Tropical Storm Gert passes Bermuda. (National Hurricane Centre)
- A cold snap in New Zealand causes widespread snow on both the North and South Islands, disruption to power supplies and the closures of roads and Wellington International Airport. (TV New Zealand) (The Guardian)
Politics
- Japan's Cabinet approves a plan to establish a new energy watchdog under the Environment Ministry. (Japan Today)
- Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appears in court for the second session of his trial with his two sons Alaa and Gamal who share corruption charges with him; the trial is subsequently adjourned and ordered to be merged with that of former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly. (PressTV) (BBC)
Sport
- In baseball, Jim Thome of the Minnesota Twins becomes the eighth player in the history of North American Major League Baseball to hit 600 career home runs. (MSNBC)
- In motorsport, Marcos Ambrose wins the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, becoming the first Australian ever to win a race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. (Australian Associated Press via The Sydney Morning Herald)