• Pro-government militiamen kill six mediators in the Syrian province of Homs. (BBC)

• Unions in Greece call a general strike over new austerity measures. (France 24)
• McDonald's announces that it will open its first outlet in Viet Nam early next year, which will be in Ho Chi Minh City, and will be operated by Henry Nguyen, a Vietnamese businessman and the son-in-law of Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. (Marketwatch)

• The British Columbia coroner's office reports that actor Cory Monteith died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol. (MSN)

• As many as 27 children die and 25 others are hospitalised after eating lunch served at their school in eastern India. (AFP via News24) (Times of India) Initial indications are that a jar previously used to hold an insecticide was reused for cooking oil and was thus thereby contaminated by organophosphorus. (CNN)

• Panamanian authorities seize North Korean bulk carrier Chong Chon Gang after a missile is found on board. The captain of the ship, which was en route from Cuba, attempted to commit suicide. (BBC News) (USA Today)
• South Korea blames North Korea for cyberattacks on government websites last month. (Wall Street Journal)

• Clashes continue between Egyptian police and supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi in central Cairo with 22 people injured. (Reuters)
• Norwegian black metal musician, Kristian "Varg" Vikernes, and his wife are arrested in France on suspicion of alleged plans for a terrorist act after buying 4 rifles at the same time. (BBC)

• Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano almost drowns while undertaking a spacewalk on the International Space Station. (ABC News America)

• In baseball, the American League defeats the National League 3–0 in the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game played at Citi Field in New York City. New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, in his final MLB season, is named MVP. (Detroit Free Press)