August 31, 2020
The mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, launched a searing attack against Donald Trump, saying the US president is inciting violence in his city.
He called Mr Trump ‘divisive’ and asked that the president ‘either support us or stay the hell out of the way’
The US President responded to the comments with a series of counterattacks on Twitter, labelling Mr Wheeler as a weak and pathetic Democrat Mayor, adding ‘Portland is a mess, and it has been for many years. If this joke of a mayor doesn’t clean it up, we will go in and do it for them!’
Protests have been running for more than 90 consecutive nights, denouncing police brutality and racial injustice.
They were spurred by the killing of George Floyd in May and gained momentum after last weekend's shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
August 31, 2020
The U.S. has now topped six million cases of the novel coronavirus, as many states in the Midwest report increasing infections.
Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota have recently reported record one-day increases in new cases while Montana and Idaho are seeing record numbers of currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Many of the new cases in Iowa are in the counties that are home to the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, which are holding some in-person classes.
Colleges and universities around the country have seen outbreaks after students returned to campus, forcing some to switch to online-only learning.
August 31, 2020
India's former president Pranab Mukherjee has died, 21 days after confirming that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
The discovery was made after the 84-year-old was in hospital to remove a clot in his brain.
Before serving as president between 2012 and 2017, Mr Mukherjee held several important portfolios during his 51-year political career.
These included the finance, foreign and defence ministries.
Mr Mukherjee also served on the boards of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
August 31, 2020
Thousands of passengers were trapped on trains in south west France overnight due to electrical problems.
Travellers expressed frustration on social media, posting images of children sleeping on floors and describing the challenge of wearing a mask for more than 20 hours.
Broadcaster France-Info reported some pleaded for water, food or fresh air, while several people were evacuated for medical reasons,
National rail authority SNCF apologised for "a series of electrical supply incidents" which started on Sunday afternoon and halted traffic in south-western France and disrupted travel to Paris.
August 31, 2020
The tweet confirming the death of Chadwick Boseman has become the most-liked post in Twitter history.
The statement, which was posted from the Black Panther actor's account on Saturday, has been liked more than 7.3m times.
Announcing the news on its official account, Twitter shared the original post, adding: "Most liked tweet ever. A tribute fit for a king."
The previous most-liked tweet was posted by Barack Obama in 2017 and included a quote by Nelson Mandela.
Boseman’s family announced on Friday that the 43-year-old star had died following a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
August 31, 2020
Andy Murray is bracing himself for the “weird” experience of playing at the US Open without any fans.
The first grand slam since the coronavirus pandemic struck gets under way in New York on Monday and is being played behind closed doors.
Murray, playing his first major since January 2019, takes on Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka on Arthur Ashe on Tuesday.
It is a court where some of his best moments have occurred, memorably winning the 2012 title.
August 31, 2020
The UK’s first black chief constable has warned a George Floyd-style killing could happen in Britain, if people are not being treated with “due courtesy and respect”.
Michael Fuller, who was Kent Police chief constable from 2004 to 2010, said there is no evidence to prove that stop and search is effective in controlling or reducing crime, pointing out that 80% of people stopped are innocent.
He also said there is a perception within black communities that the whole community is being profiled by the police..”
Black Lives Matter protests have been held around the world, sparked by the May 25 killing of Mr Floyd, a black man in the US state of Minnesota, when a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest.
August 31, 2020
Emma Roberts confirmed she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend Garrett Hedlund on Sunday night.
The 29-year-old American Horror Story star shared the news in a Instagram post.
The actress was first reported to be pregnant back in June, but the post was the first confirmation of the news.
Emma's 13.8 million followers were quick to share their congratulations, with the star's famous aunt, Julia Roberts, wrote: 'Love you' followed by a kiss emoji.
August 31, 2020
A man who was seen saving people from the 1994 genocide in the film Hotel Rwanda is being held in the country on terror charges.
Paul Rusesabagina was in exile abroad.
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau says he was arrested on an international warrant for forming and leading "terrorist movements" operating in the region.
Mr Rusesabagina was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, among other human rights awards.
He has not commented on the current charges.
August 31, 2020
A coronavirus patient in China has recovered after more than three months of treatment on an artificial lung machine, according to state media.
The 62-year-old man was admitted to hospital in Guangzhou in southeast China in January.
In February he was put on the ECMO - an invasive and expensive treatment that is often in short supply - for 111 days.
It's not the longest course of ECMO treatment, however as, in the US, a seven-year-old girl was treated for 551 days with the machine, as reported in 2016.
