August 25, 2012 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- At least 330 people are killed in Syria, marking the highest single-day death toll in the uprising according to the opposition. (CNN)
- According to activists, at least 79 dead bodies are found in Daraa. (Reuters)
- Syrian opposition forces free one of eleven Lebanese Shiite pilgrims abducted three months ago in Syria; according to rebels, at Turkey's request. (AP via The Miami Herald)[permanent dead link] (Huffington Post)
- Libya: Unnamed organized assailants bulldoze a Sufi mosque with graves, in broad daylight in the centre of the Libyan capital Tripoli. It is the second such razing of a Sufi site in two days. De facto head of state Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf tells reporters: "What is truly regrettable and suspicious is that some of those who took part in these destruction activities are supposed to be of the security forces and from the revolutionaries." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Arts and culture
- Neil Armstrong, the first person on the Moon, dies at age 82. (The Telegraph) (The Guardian)
Disasters
- A historic drought develops in the Balkans causing severe losses to agriculture. Towns in Serbia introduce water restrictions while scorching temperatures fuel hundreds of fires. Russia stations a second fire fighting aircraft to help in Niš. (AFP via FOCUS) (RIA Novosti)
- Tropical Storm Isaac causes floodings and kills at least three people in Haiti, a nation still recovering from the 2010 earthquake. The storm moves Northwest over east Cuba. (CBS) (NHC)
- At least 85,000 people are displaced in Myanmar as weeks of heavy rain contribute to severe flooding in the Irrawaddy Delta. (Al Jazeera)
- A gas-leak blast at the Paraguaná Refinery Complex in Amuay, in north Venezuela kills at least 39 people and injures more than 80. (AP via WVEC)
Law and crime
- Thirty-seven Chinese nationals, arrested in Angola due to their alleged involvement in criminal acts, are extradited and due to be tried in China. (BBC)
Politics
- Voters in Australia's Northern Territory elect the Country Liberal Party. (Sky News)
Science and technology
- The Voyager 1 space probe becomes the first human-made object to successfully exit the Solar System and enter Interstellar space, and to an extent, becoming the first Interstellar probe, pioneering Interstellar exploration. (NASA)
Sports
- The 2012 Rugby League Challenge Cup is won by Warrington Wolves, defeating Leeds Rhinos by 35 points to 18. (BBC)