TRT World - World in Two Minutes, 2015, August 21, 09:00 GMT

Greek Prime Minister Resigns
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has submitted his resignation and called for a snap election. He’s due to meet President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and his Syriza party on Friday. Tsipras says he feels a ‘deep ethical and political responsibility to the Greek people. He came to power in January on an anti-austerity platform. And while opinion polls suggest most Greek people support staying in the eurozone, he has faced a backlash for accepting austerity reforms that international creditors demanded in exchange for a third bailout. Tsipras has said these conditions were the only way to avoid an exit from the eurozone.

Israel Launches Strikes After Attack
Syrian state media has reported the Israeli miltary launched a helicopter missile attack on government buildings in Quneitra.It says the attack only caused damage to buildings and that no one was injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported casualties among Syrian troops, but no numbers were provided. The Israeli military says it launched the attack after Northern Israel and the Occupied Golan Heights were hit by rockets on Thursday. No injuries were reported

Border Closed Due to Refugee Crisis
The government has declared a state of emergency at the border with Greece. It is increasing security to deal with an influx of refugees entering from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Police and the army will be deployed along a 50 kilometre stretch of the border to control the entry from Greece of asylum seekers. Closing the border is an attempt to cut off the so-called ‘Balkan corridor’. In the last month, almost 39 thousand refugees have used use the route to get to the European Union.

Carter Receives Brain Cancer Treatment
Former US President Jimmy Carter has revealed he has brain cancer. He says he is to begin radiation treatment on Friday. He says he will cut back on his schedule to make time for his treatment. Carter was president from 1977 to 1981. When his term ended, he became active in humanitarian causes.