August 23, 2008 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Somalia (2006–09)
- Two journalists and three other people are abducted by gunmen near Elasha, Somalia. (CTV News)
- War in North-West Pakistan
- A suicide bomber attacks a police station in Swat, NWFP, killing at least six officers and injuring several more. (AP via Contra Costa Times)[permanent dead link]
- 2008 South Ossetia war
- Russia announces that its military has pulled out of Georgia, although reports indicate that it has not complied with the cease-fire agreement. (BBC News) (The Independent) (Globe and Mail) (The New York Times) (BBC News) (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
- The death toll from Tropical Storm Fay in Florida rises to 11. (AP via Los Angeles Times)
- A King Air A-100 crashes near Moab, Utah, United States, resulting in the death of the pilot and nine passengers. (AP via Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Health
- The United States Department of Health and Human Services announces plans to implement a rule that would protect healthcare workers from being fired or otherwise penalized for refusing to provide services they find morally objectionable, such as performing abortions or dispensing contraception. (The Washington Post)
Politics and elections
- U.S. presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama picks Senator Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate. (CNN)