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As Palestinian civilians continue to seek shelter from new Israeli military actions, the armed group Hamas urged mediators in the Gaza conflict on the 11th to implement the ceasefire plan proposed by U.S. President Biden, rather than engage in further negotiations.

Hamas issued this statement a day after an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City housing displaced Palestinians, resulting in 93 deaths. This was the deadliest incident since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7 last year. The strike, along with the assassination of a leader of a militant group allied with Iran, has raised concerns about the potential escalation of the Middle East conflict. International mediators have invited Israel and Hamas to resume talks, aiming to reach a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of hostages.

Israel has accepted invitations from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt to participate in a new round of negotiations on the 15th. On the 11th, Hamas expressed a preference for implementing the ceasefire plan that Biden proposed on May 31, which was later endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, "rather than holding further rounds of negotiations or considering new proposals." Hamas "calls on mediators to present an implementation plan based on Biden’s vision and the United Nations Security Council resolution... and to force the [Israeli] occupiers to comply."

When Biden announced the plan, he described it as a three-phase "roadmap toward a lasting ceasefire and the release of all hostages," stating that it was proposed by Israel. However, subsequent mediation efforts have failed to reach an agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been accused of prolonging the war for political gain.

Deutsche Welle Chinese reports: The Gaza health ministry stated that an Israeli airstrike on a school resulted in at least 100 deaths. At the time of the strike, approximately 6,000 refugees were housed in the school. Al Jazeera, citing the Palestinian Civil Defense, reported that many people were burned alive in the attack. However, these casualty figures have not been independently verified by third parties.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed that from Friday night to early Saturday morning, they carried out an airstrike on a Hamas command center located within a school in northern Gaza, and they asserted that "terrorists" were successfully targeted. The IDF stated that this command center was situated next to a mosque within the school grounds, and multiple measures were taken before the strike to minimize civilian harm, including the use of precision-guided munitions.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the strike, labeling it a "horrific massacre" and accusing Israel of aiming to kill as many civilians as possible, including the elderly and children. The Egyptian government also condemned the airstrike, arguing that Israel has no intention of reaching a ceasefire agreement or ending the conflict.

Meanwhile, the United States urged all parties to avoid further escalation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call with Israel's defense minister, emphasized the urgency of a ceasefire, stating that it would aid in the release of hostages and the restoration of broader regional stability.

On the afternoon of August 8, at around 4:42 PM Japan time (3:42 PM Taiwan time), a magnitude 7.1 earthquake was detected in southern Miyazaki Prefecture, with the epicenter located off the coast in the Hyuga-nada Sea. The Japan Meteorological Agency subsequently issued its first-ever "Temporary Information on South China Sea Trench Earthquake," warning of the potential for a major earthquake within the next week. The Japanese government had previously estimated in 2019 that if a magnitude 9.1 earthquake were to occur in the South China Sea Trench, the number of casualties could reach up to 231,000, which is 13 times the number from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.

In 2012, an expert panel from the Cabinet Office predicted that a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake could occur in the South China Sea Trench, exceeding the magnitude 9.0 of the 311 earthquake. The likelihood of such an event occurring within 30 years is estimated at 70% to 80%, affecting areas including Shikoku, Kinki, and Tokai. The South China Sea Trench refers to the approximately 700 square kilometers of seabed from Suruga Bay to the waters east of Kyushu, a zone where the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet, making it a frequent site of major earthquakes. Experts believe that a magnitude 9 earthquake similar to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake could occur in the South China Sea Trench.

To prevent potential tsunamis from recent large aftershocks, swimming bans and beach closures have been implemented at coastal bathing areas across Japan starting on August 9. According to Asahi Shimbun, the Aoshima Beach in Miyazaki City and four beaches in Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, have been closed for safety reasons.

The Japan Meteorological Agency noted that between 1904 and 2014, there were 1,737 earthquakes with a magnitude (Mw) of 7 or higher worldwide. Of these, six had a magnitude 8 or higher within seven days in the same region. Naoto Hirata, chairman of the expert review committee and emeritus professor at the University of Tokyo, stated that the likelihood of a major earthquake occurring now is several times higher than usual compared to before unusual phenomena were observed. Areas around the epicenter and its vicinity should remain vigilant.

In response to the situation, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has canceled his planned trip to Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia, from August 9 to 12, to remain in the disaster-affected region.

During last year's election period, the Move Forward Party advocated for amending Section 112 of the Penal Code, known as the "Lèse-Majesté Law." The Thai Constitutional Court ruled that this caused a rift between the public and the monarchy, threatening national security. In January of this year, the court decided that such actions violated Article 49 of the Constitution and ordered that any further proposals to amend Section 112 should not be made. Subsequently, the Election Commission requested the Constitutional Court to dissolve the Move Forward Party under Section 92 of the Political Parties Act. On the 7th of this month, the Constitutional Court ruled to dissolve the Move Forward Party. Additionally, 11 senior members of the party, including Pita Limjaroenrat, who nearly became Prime Minister, have been banned from participating in politics for 10 years. In the May elections last year, the Move Forward Party won 151 of the 500 parliamentary seats, making it the largest party in the legislature.

Pita expressed disappointment at a press conference and urged the public to use the next election to effect change. The 143 legislators who are not affected by the political ban are expected to form a new party on the 10th, with the political agenda of the Move Forward Party "moving forward in another vehicle." Sirikanya Tansakul, the deputy leader of the Move Forward Party, stated that the new party will remain the largest in parliament and continue the same core principles as the Move Forward Party. "As long as the people stand with us and support our efforts to change this country, we will continue to move forward."

Chaithawat Tulathon, the leader of the Move Forward Party, condemned this interpretation of the Constitution as setting a dangerous precedent. Both the United States and the European Union have expressed that this move is inconsistent with democratic principles and deprives the Thai people who support the party of their rights. They also urged the Thai government to ensure inclusive political participation and freedom of speech.

On August 6, Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidential election, officially announced her running mate as Tim Walz, the current Governor of Minnesota. With the election campaign in full swing, the Democrats quickly addressed the crisis following Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race and boosted their poll numbers. The gap between them and Donald Trump has now narrowed to 0.5%, restarting the two-party showdown in the election.

Walz, 60, has been in politics for over 18 years and is considered a moderate rather than a headline-making political star. He served as a U.S. Representative from 2006 to 2018 and has been the Governor of Minnesota since then. Before his political career, he served for 24 years in the Army National Guard and was a high school social studies teacher and football coach. His background and experience are expected to attract some voters from the Midwest, rural areas, and the middle class. Additionally, he has taught as an "exchange teacher" in a high school in Guangdong, China, for a year, complementing Kamala Harris's profile.

However, Walz's major political weakness stems from the death of George Floyd and the ensuing riots in Minnesota. During that period, extreme left and right-wing protesters flooded the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, causing widespread looting and destruction of the city. The delay in deploying the National Guard, which Walz was responsible for, led to nearly two weeks of unrest, with street battles and police precincts being overrun.

In contrast to J.D. Vance, the millennial senator nominated as Trump's running mate, Walz's candidacy as a 60-year-old makes him the only vice-presidential candidate from the Midwest. Vance's unique background of growing up in a working-class town is no longer singular, and Walz's pro-union stance is influential among Midwest states and blue-collar voters. His experience as a two-term governor further underscores Vance's relative lack of experience.

At the end of July, an incident in Liverpool involving the murder of three young girls sparked anti-immigration protests across several major cities in the UK, resulting in the most severe riots in thirteen years. On the 5th, Prime Minister Skelter convened an emergency meeting with cabinet members and senior law enforcement officials in an attempt to quell the ongoing violence. He warned far-right protesters that they would "regret" their involvement.

A 17-year-old male suspect has been charged with stabbing and killing three girls from a children's dance class in Southport, north of Liverpool. Although the suspect was born in the UK, false online rumors claimed he was a recently arrived radical Islamist, leading to anti-immigration demonstrations in several towns, which resulted in clashes with the police.

According to foreign reports, several anti-immigration and anti-Muslim groups have taken advantage of the incident to cause disturbances, posing a significant challenge for Skelter, who has been in office for just a month. In a televised speech, he warned those participating in the unrest that they would regret it.

On the 4th, the police reported that a hotel near Birmingham, which provides temporary accommodation for asylum seekers, had been attacked. Rioters threw objects, broke windows, set fires, and attacked police officers, injuring one. Prior to this, anti-immigration protesters broke the windows of a hotel in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and pushed in a burning trash can, injuring ten police officers.

The police attributed the riots to false information spread online, and UK Home Secretary Cooper stated that the government would discuss the issue with social media companies. This is the most severe riot in the UK since the summer of 2011.

Student protests against the civil service quota system in Bangladesh have now escalated into anti-government riots, resulting in at least 300 deaths and posing a severe challenge to the 15-year autocratic rule of 76-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On the 5th, Prime Minister Hasina resigned and fled the capital Dhaka in a hurry. A large number of protesters stormed and vandalized her residence. Army Chief of Staff Salman announced the formation of an interim government.

According to Reuters, Bangladesh has been engulfed in anti-government protests and violent unrest since student groups demanded the abolition of the civil service quota system last month. This turmoil has not only resulted in at least 300 deaths but also forced Sheikh Hasina to step down amid strong calls for her resignation. The 76-year-old "Iron Lady" of Bangladesh has held power for 15 years and won her fifth term as Prime Minister in January, but the opposition boycotted the election, claiming it was neither free nor fair.

Salman, 58, was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 23, a position with a typical tenure of three years. Born in Dhaka in 1966, Salman holds a Master's degree in Defense Studies from the National University of Bangladesh and a Master's degree in Defense Studies from King's College London. Throughout his nearly 35-year military career, he has closely worked with Hasina and previously served as the Chief of Staff in the Bangladeshi Armed Forces.

With protests shaking Bangladesh once again this month, Salman announced that the military would form an interim government following Hasina's resignation. He assured that the military would do its utmost to meet the students' demands, calling for students to maintain peace and avoid violence. Orders have also been given to military and police personnel not to open fire, urging them to ensure the safety of citizens, property, and major national facilities.

On August 2, 2024, Washington time, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris successfully secured enough party delegate support to be confirmed as the Democratic presidential candidate. She will compete against Republican candidate Donald Trump for the U.S. presidency in November.

In her statement, Harris expressed pride in receiving broad support and looked forward to formally accepting the nomination. She stated, "Tonight, I am proud to announce that I have garnered the broad support necessary to become our party's candidate." This announcement will be officially confirmed in the Democratic National Committee's virtual roll-call vote scheduled for August 7 and at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22, where Harris and her vice-presidential candidate will be formally nominated.

Harris emphasized her commitment to building a future where everyone has the opportunity not just to live but to succeed. On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), she stated that Trump wants to take America back to a time when many Americans did not fully enjoy freedom and rights, but she believes in a bright future that provides space for all Americans.

Additionally, Harris highlighted her policy goals, including paid family leave, affordable childcare and healthcare, and strengthening the middle class as the main goals of her presidency. This nomination marks Harris as the first woman of African and Asian American descent to receive a major party's presidential nomination, a significant milestone for the Democratic Party and American history.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on the 1st, stating that the Venezuelan presidential election had serious flaws and that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia should be declared the winner. Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico support the U.S. stance and urge the Venezuelan government to promptly release detailed voting statistics.

In his statement, Blinken noted that the election results reflect the will of the Venezuelan people. He congratulated opposition candidate Gonzalez, who won the majority of the votes, and called on Venezuelan authorities to respect public opinion and facilitate a peaceful transfer of power. He emphasized support for restoring democratic norms in Venezuela and pledged to work with the international community to achieve this.

Venezuela held its presidential election on the 28th of last month, with over 12 million voters casting their ballots. Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro declared himself the winner, sparking widespread protests. After the election, the electoral commission announced that Maduro had won 51% of the votes but did not release detailed vote counts. The opposition gathered information from polling stations nationwide, showing that Gonzalez had more than twice the support of Maduro, consistent with pre-election polls, and thus should be declared the winner.

Foreign ministers of the G7, including representatives from the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Japan, and the EU, issued a joint statement supporting the Venezuelan people. Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico also joined the call for the Venezuelan authorities to promptly release detailed voting results and resolve issues peacefully and democratically.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of being the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, along with two other co-conspirators, has been imprisoned at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since 2003. On the 31st of last month, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the suspects had reached a plea deal with the prosecution to avoid the death penalty and receive other sentences instead. Mohammed, who was bin Laden's deputy and studied in the United States, agreed to plead guilty, admitting that he planned the entire 9/11 incident.

A spokesperson for the Office of Military Commissions (OMC), which is prosecuting the case, confirmed that besides the accused mastermind Mohammed, the other two defendants, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, also signed plea agreements.

The 9/11 attacks over 20 years ago resulted in 2,976 deaths. In a letter to the victims' families, the OMC's chief prosecutor stated, "The three defendants agreed to plead guilty to planning the 9/11 attacks, including the murder of 2,976 people. They are expected to plead guilty at a plea hearing as soon as next week." While this outcome may not fully satisfy the victims' families, the OMC believes it is the best way to achieve justice in a case that has been delayed for two decades. This is due to the fact that the three were subjected to torture by the CIA after being captured in Pakistan, and the admissibility of evidence obtained through torture in court has been a major issue. The plea deal is seen as the best way for both parties to achieve their goals.