WORLD AGENDA August 2016

August 5-21, Brazil: Rio de Janeiro hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics, the first Games staged in South America, amid what has been an ever-widening array of setbacks including economic crisis and political upheaval, high profile withdrawals due to fears over the Zika virus, and the Russian doping scandal

Aug 4, London: The Bank of England has signalled that it will consider measures to boost the economy to counter the impact of the Brexit vote. The Bank is expected to revive its bond-buying
programme as well as cut interest rates below their already record low level of 0.5 percent

Aug 1, U.S.: From today, concealed guns may be carried on the campuses of all public and private universities in Texas. The controversial new law coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first recorded mass shooting in the U.S., which killed 16 people on the campus of the University
of Texas

Aug 7, Thailand: Thais vote on a new constitution, the country’s 20th. The junta that took power in 2014 has made a new charter a prerequisite for an election but critics say the latest version will produce weak civilian government under the sway of the military

Aug 3, U.S.: Las Vegas hosts the Official Star Trek 50th Anniversary Convention. Time has carried away several of the original USS Enterprise crew, but Captain Kirk, William Shatner, 85,
is still on the bridge

August, Bahrain: Leading Shia cleric Ayatollah Isa Qassim is expected to go on trial on
charges of money laundering and collecting funds illegally. The case has revived fears of fresh
protests in Bahrain, where the Shia Muslim majority complains of discrimination

August, Argentina: Two pilots will attempt to reach 90,000 feet (27.4km) above Patagonia in
Airbus Perlan II, a height that would break the 2006 record of 50,726 feet (15.5km) set by the
late aeronaut Steve Fossett in Perlan I

Aug 3, Johannesburg: Local elections take place in South Africa, with the ruling African National Congress under increasing pressure over its handling of the economy and failure to tackle corruption. President Jacob Zuma is facing mounting calls to quit after a series of scandals and court rulings against him

Sources: Newsahead, Julie Mullins

Pictures: Associated Press, Getty Images