Top News Stories –

Miley Cyrus: Hannah Montana caused body image issues –
Miley Cyrus has spoken about how growing up as Hannah Montana led to body image issues. “I was made to look like someone that I wasn’t,” Miley told Marie Claire, “which probably caused some body dysmorphia.” The 22-year-old explained: “I had been made pretty every day for so long and then when I wasn’t on that show, it was like, who … am I?” Miley starred in Hannah Montana TV series from 2006 to 2011. [BBC Newsbeat] In April 2015 Cyrus revealed she wanted to have sex with Joan Jett.
Miley Cyrus

Michael Sam, first openly gay American Football player, leaves sport after mental health concerns –
The first openly gay professional American football player is taking a break from the game, after a difficult year that saw him dropped by two NFL clubs. Michael Sam made history when he was drafted by the St Louis Rams last year, sparking a flurry of media interest. However, he failed to gain a place in the team and recently made his debut in Canada with the Montreal Alouettes. He announced his decision on Twitter. [Daily Telegraph]
Michael Sam on Twitter

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Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iraq War (2014–present)
  • ISIL bombings kill 21 and wound more than 100 persons in Shia neighborhoods of Baghdad. (The News Hub)
• Yemeni Civil War (2015)
  • Saudi-backed forces loyal to the former Government retake the Shabwah Governorate from the Iran-backed rebels. (AFP via Maktoob Yahoo!)
• Syrian Civil War, Battle of Zabadani (2015)
  • Fighting resumes in Syria near the Lebanese border and Idlib Governorate as a temporary ceasefire between the Syrian government, its ally Hezbollah and an alliance of insurgent groups ends. (Reuters)
• Boko Haram insurgency
  • A suicide bomber kills at least three people in an attack on a marketplace in Borno state. (Reuters via New York Times)
• 2015 Burundian unrest
  • Jean Bikomagu, a leader of the military during the Civil War is assassinated, heightening fears of another civil war developing. (AFP via Daily Star)

Arts and culture

• Victory over Japan Day
  • Countries around the world commemorate the end of World War II. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia), (ABC News Australia)
  • North Korea moves its clock back half an hour to introduce Pyongyang Time 8.5 hours ahead of UTC in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean peninsula. (South China Morning Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2015 Tianjin explosions
  • The death toll from the explosions in Tianjin rises to at least 85. In a further update, Chinese state media reports are now saying that the death toll has now risen to at least 104. (AP, via MSN), (AFP, AP, via The Daily Telegraph)
  • Police order further evacuations near the blast site following reports of more explosions. (The Guardian)
• At least 40 migrants die of suffocation in the hold of a boat in the Mediterranean Sea near the Libyan coast. (Reuters)
• Ecuador evacuates several villages following the Cotopaxi volcano showing signs of life. (AFP via Makhtoob Yahoo!)

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