NEWS OF THE DAY
1 Finland stabbings: A man stabbed eight people Friday in the western city of Turku, killing two of them, before police shot him in the thigh and detained him, officials said. A suspect — who police said was “a youngish man with a foreign background” — was being treated in the city’s main hospital but was in police custody. Security was increased across the Nordic country, said Interior Minister Paula Risikko. Police said the man is likely to have acted alone though it was not possible to completely rule out that other people were involved. Finland’s top police chief said it was too early to link the attack to international terrorism.
2 Nazi rally: Police in the German capital of Berlin are bracing for a protest by far-right supporters Saturday, intended to commemorate the death of Adolf Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess. Police said organizers expect 500 people to attend the neoNazi march in the city’s western district of Spandau. Hess received a life sentence at the Nuremberg trials for his role in planning World War II and died at Spandau prison on Aug. 17, 1987. Allied authorities ruled his death was suicide, but Nazi sympathizers have long contended he was killed and organize annual marches in his honor. Saturday’s march and the police preparation have drawn greater attention after last weekend’s violence at a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Va.
3 Severe storm: Authorities in the eastern Caribbean warned residents to stay indoors as Tropical Storm Harvey brought heavy winds and rain to the region Friday on a path expected to take it to Central America next week. Harvey is forecast to cross through St. Vincent and the Grenadines and then over the Caribbean Sea. A tropical storm warning was also in effect for Martinique and St. Lucia.
4 Child marriage: El Salvador and Guatemala have clamped down on child marriage by passing legislation that would outlaw unions with minors. Legislation passed in both countries Thursday to ban such unions even in cases of parental consent or pregnancy. The United Nations’ children’s advocate UNICEF and other supporters applauded the changes. In July, Honduras’ legislature also unanimously passed a change that would prohibit the marriage of anyone younger than 18 even if there is parental consent or a pregnancy.
5 Dengue outbreak: Vietnam is battling a dengue fever outbreak with more than 10,000 new infections reported over the past week. The number of admitted patients represents a 42 percent increase over the same period last year along with seven more deaths, the Ministry of Health said Friday. A total of 90,626 people have been infected, of whom 76,848 have been hospitalized and 24 have died. There is no cure for any of the four strains of the mosquito-borne virus that causes high fever, exhaustion and in some cases a serious skin rash. Patients most at risk of dying are the elderly, children or those with other medical complications. 6 Syria fighting: Russian warplanes are supporting a government offensive against the Islamic State group in the central Syrian town of Akerbat, the military said Friday. The Russian Defense Ministry said the Syrian army was completing the drive to encircle the militants. Syrian troops have seized key heights in the area, cutting off avenues of supply for the militants, according to the Russian statement. The militants have started fleeing the area in small groups, making their way toward Deir el-Zour, the largest city still under Islamic State control, it said.