Portal:Current events/July 2012

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Syrian opposition groups reject a UN-brokered peace plan accepted yesterday in Geneva for a political transition in Syria, arguing that it is ambiguous and a waste of time, and vowing not to negotiate with President Bashar Assad or members of his regime. (AP)
- Turkey scrambles a total of six F-16 fighters jets near its border with Syria in response to three cases of Syrian military helicopters approaching the Turkish border, although there is no border violation. (BBC)
At least 17 people are killed and 45 injured in an attack on two churches in the eastern Kenyan town of Garissa. (BBC) (MSNBC)
Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan:
- At least five people are killed and 11 injured after a bomb strikes a bus near the Afghan city of Ghazni. (AP via Winnipeg Free Press)
- A gunman wearing Afghan National Police uniform kills three members of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in southern Afghanistan. (RTE)

Business and economy

Barclays chairman Marcus Agius is to resign following the Libor interest rate scandal. (BBC)
Japan provokes protests from its people by restarting the first nuclear reactor since last year's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. (BBC)

Disasters

Colombia evacuates towns near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano over concerns about a possible eruption. (AP via Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Politics and elections

Voters in Mexico go to the polls for a general election with Institutional Revolutionary Party presidential candidate Enrique Pena Nieto claiming victory. (The New York Times) (Reuters)
Hong Kong:
- Protesters throng the streets of Hong Kong, hours after President Hu Jintao of China swore in Leung Chun-ying as new Chief Executive and the Executive Council for the territory.(The New York Times)
- Hong Kong marks the fifteenth anniversary of the handover from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. (BBC)
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph British Prime Minister David Cameron says he is prepared to consider a referendum on the UK's relationship with the European Union, but only when the time is right. (BBC)

Science

A Soyuz space capsule containing Oleg Kononenko (Russia), André Kuipers (Netherlands) and Don Pettit (United States) lands safely in Kazakhstan. (Sky News Australia)

Sport

UEFA Euro 2012:
- The Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kiev prepares to host the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, contested by Spain and Italy. (National Post via Calgary Herald)
- Spain defeat Italy, with a record-breaking scoreline to win their third consecutive major trophy. David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata all score goals, with Torres becoming the first footballer to score in two UEFA European Championship Finals and ending up as the tournament's Golden Boot winner, based on assists and minutes spent on the pitch. (Al Jazeera) (RT) (Sky Sports)
In golf, Tiger Woods wins the AT&T National passing Jack Nicklaus for PGA Tour wins and is now second behind Sam Snead. (USA Today)

July 2, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Four foreign aid workers held hostage inside Somalia are rescued by Somali forces after they were kidnapped from a Kenyan refugee camp on June 29. (BBC) (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Children in Jaʿār, Yemen, accidentally set off a shell, killing one and wounding seven others. (AP)
Officials in Kenya say that two Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards arrested with explosives planned to attack Israeli, American, British and Saudi Arabian targets inside Kenya. (AP via Washington Post) (AP via The Spec)

Business and economics

Finland says it will block the euro zone's permanent bailout fund (ESM) from buying government bonds in the open market, while The Netherlands also indicates opposition to the bond-buying idea. (Reuters)
Airbus says it plans to open a $600 million assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama, USA. (MSNBC)
GlaxoSmithKline settles the largest healthcare fraud case in US history for $3 billion dollars. (Reuters)
Despite early frustration and strife about their IPO, Facebook decides to remain on the Nasdaq. (Wall Street Journal)
The British government announces a parliamentary investigation into the Barclays Libor scandal, with reports hoped to be filed by the end of the year. (Reuters)
Some, but not all, of Chicago's taxi drivers go on strike during the morning rush hour to protest a new set of city regulations that took effect. (NBC Chicago)

Disasters

At least 79 people are killed and 2.2 million rendered homeless as torrential monsoon rains trigger floods in Northeast India. (Sky News)
A USA C-130 crashes fighting a wildfire near Edgemont, South Dakota, USA. (Reuters)
At least 2 million throughout the Eastern United States are still without power due to strong storms and a heat wave that killed 19 people. (CNN)

International relations

Four officials from the International Criminal Court, including Melinda Taylor, are released after they were held in the Libyan city of Zintan for four weeks on suspicion of spying. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Power broker Ichiro Ozawa announces that he is leaving the ruling Democratic Party of Japan along with 51 other lawmakers with anticipation that they will form a new party. (BBC)
The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, Heinz Fromm, resigns due to a series of blunders in an investigation about a neo-Nazi cell. (BBC)
Miguel Ángel Mancera wins the 2012 Mexico City head of state (mayoral) election. (FoxNews Latino)
Hamas suspends voter registration in the Gaza Strip, stalling Palestinian plans for parliamentary and presidential elections and thwarting moves towards reconciliation with the rival Fatah party. (Reuters) (The New York Times)

Science and technology

NASA and Lockheed Martin unveil the first space-bound Orion spacecraft in Cape Canaveral. (Florida Today)

July 3, 2012 (Tuesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011-present):
- A Human Rights Watch report claims that Syrian intelligence agencies are running 27 torture centers across Syria. (Reuters via Yahoo! News) (CNN)
At least 25 people are killed and 40 wounded in a truck bombing in the market place of the Iraqi city of Diwaniyah. (AP via Google News)

Business and economy

Bob Diamond resigns as the Chief Executive of British bank Barclays following a scandal in which the bank tried to manipulate the Libor and Euribor interest rates systems. (BBC)

Disasters

A major earthquake strikes New Zealand with minor damage reported. (The New Zealand Herald) (ABC News)

International relations

Pakistan decides to reopen key NATO supply routes into Afghanistan after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologized for a NATO airstrike that killed 26 Pakistani soldiers and officials in November 2011. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Police search the home and offices of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy as part of a judicial investigation into financial relations between his political camp and L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. (Reuters)
The current governing coalition in Romania, the Social Liberal Union, starts a fast-paced parliamentary offensive against President Traian Basescu by dismissing the leaders of both chambers of Parliament. (Reuters)
Hundreds of activists demonstrate in Ramallah to protest against the violent dispersal of two similar rallies at the weekend in a rare expression of public discontent with the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority headed by Mahmud Abbas. (AFP)

Sport

American gambler Antonio Esfandiari wins the 2012 World Series of Poker $1,000,000 Buy-In "The Big One for One Drop" with the highest prize money in poker of $18.3 million. (AP via NBC Sports)

July 4, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- Syrian President Bashar al Assad accuses neighboring Turkey of supporting "terrorists" and contributing to the bloodshed in Syria. (Voice of America)
A gunman, who was facing eviction from his apartment, is believed to have seized and killed four hostages in the German city of Karlsruhe before turning the gun on himself. (BBC)
Eleven people are killed in further unrest in Iraq, including eight people in a bombing of a Baghdad marketplace. (The Times of India)

Arts and culture

China accuses the Vatican of obstructing the development of Catholicism after the latter threatens to excommunicate new bishops ordained without papal approval. (Washington Post)
British broadcaster George Entwistle is named as the next Director-General of the BBC, beginning in autumn 2012. (BBC)
Archaeologists in Israel discover a mosaic floor depicting the biblical figure of Samson and a Hebrew inscription in an ancient synagogue in the Galilee region. (CNN)

Business and economy

Libor inter-bank interest rate:
- Bob Diamond, former CEO of Barclays, gives evidence to the Parliament of the United Kingdom's Treasury Select Committee on the bank's manipulation of Libor and Euribor interest rates. (RTÉ) (BBC)
- Chancellor George Osborne accuses ministers in Gordon Brown's government of attempting to manipulate interest rates during the recession. (The Guardian)
Standard & Poor's raises the credit rating of the Philippines to BB+. (Reuters)

International relations

Egyptian officials deny that newly elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi will visit Iran to attend a conference. (The Times of Israel)

Law and crime

Two Iranian suspects held by Kenyan police reportedly confess that they planned to detonate a series of 30 bombs simultaneously across Kenya. (Kenya Standard Media)
The Qatari-owned satellite channel, Al Jazeera, reports that traces of radioactive polonium-210 have been found in some personal effects of former PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004; the PLO and Arafat’s widow agree to his exhumation to investigate if he had been poisoned. (Huffington Post) (CNN) (YNet News)
Spain's national court opens a criminal investigation into last year's listing of Bankia SA on the stock market, with former chairman Rodrigo Rato and 32 others listed as suspects. (Wall Street Journal)

Politics and elections

Hundreds of protesters clash with police in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the parliament speaker offers to resign over moves to boost the status of the Russian language in the country. (Al Jazeera)
The Chinese city of Shifang cancels the planned development of a copper plant after thousands of people demonstrated. (CBC)
The European Parliament rejects the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement in a session with more than 470 votes against the treaty. (CNet)
Mexican general election, 2012: Over half of the ballot boxes in the Presidential election will have to be recounted following the discovery of voting irregularities. (AP via Fox News)
Palestinians in Ramallah protest outside the offices of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas against the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and the PLO. (The Media Line)

Science and technology

CERN scientists present recent results from CMS and ATLAS experiments consistent with the existence of a Higgs boson particle. (BBC) (CERN press release)

Sport

The Scottish Premier League refuses to admit Newco Rangers, the team that emerged from the ashes of Rangers F.C. following its disintegration. (BBC)

July 5, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present)
- The bodies of two Turkish pilots of a F-4 Phantom jet shot down by Syria on 22 June 2012 are recovered in the Mediterranean Sea. (CNN)
- It is reported by Syrian Security apparatus that Manaf Tlass, a senior officer in the Syrian Republican Guard and a son of Mustafa Tlas, fled to Turkey with his wife. (Reuters)(The Guardian)
- The opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria report that at least 31 people are killed across Syria. (CNN)
- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari declares that al Qaida insurgents are streaming out of Iraq to carry out attacks in Syria. (The Washington Post)

Arts and culture

The Shard, the tallest building in Europe and the tallest habitable free-standing structure in the UK at 309.6 metres (1,016 ft), is officially opened. (LondonSEI) (Gulf Times)

Business and economy

Libor inter-bank lending rate
- Moody's and Standard and Poor's lower their rating for Barclays from stable to negative in the wake of the Libor scandal. (BBC)
- MPs vote for a government proposal to establish a Parliamentary Committee to investigate the scandal, but an opposition motion for a judge-led inquiry is rejected. (BBC)
The central banks of the European Union, Great Britain, and the People's Republic of China, in what appears to be a co-ordinated action, each loosen their respective monetary systems. (Reuters)

Disasters

Torrential rain in Northern Ireland causes flooding in the towns of Newry and Newcastle in County Down. (BBC)
France's Bureau of Investigation and Analysis issues its final report on the crash of Air France Flight 447, determining that a series of errors by pilots and a failure to react to technical problems led to the disaster that killed all 228 people on board. (CNN)

International relations

South Korea announces plans to start "scientific" whaling of minke whales at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Panama City. (BBC)

Law and crime

A high-ranking drug boss in the Mexican criminal group known as Gulf Cartel is apprehended in the country of Costa Rica. (Fox News)

Politics and elections

WikiLeaks begins publishing the Syria Files, more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012, which WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claims are embarrassing to Syria, but also to Syria’s opponents. (BBC News) (CNN)
A recount of ballot papers in the 2012 Mexican presidential election confirms Enrique Pena Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party as the winner. (AP via Washington Post)

July 6, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011-present): French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius states that a Syrian commander in the National Guard, Manaf Tlass who fled to Turkey some days ago, is on his way to Paris. (BBC)
A United Nations peacekeeper from India is killed in the eastern Congo. (AP via San Jose Mercury News)
A US drone missile strike kills four suspected militants near Miran Shah, Pakistan. (AP)
About 10 aid workers, some working for the United Nations, are arrested by authorities in western Myanmar where sectarian clashes killed dozens of people last month. (CNN)
Gunmen fire at a helicopter carrying voting material for tomorrow's election, killing one person in Libya. (BBC)

Business and economy

Associated Press reports that Yahoo! and Facebook have resolved a patent dispute. (AP via The Digital Times)
The United States Department of Labor monthly jobs report shows that the US economy added 80,000 jobs in June. (MSNBC)

Disasters

More than 80 flood alerts are issued in the United Kingdom as the north of England and East Anglia prepares for torrential rain. (Sky News)

Law and crime

Former de facto President of Argentina Jorge Videla and General Reynaldo Bignone are found guilty of overseeing the systematic theft of at least 400 babies from political prisoners during military rule's Dirty War. (BBC)
British police arrest six men from the West Midlands and one from South Yorkshire on suspicion of terrorist offences. (AP via Google)
Gunmen kill 18 people and injure another two in an attack on a roadside restaurant in the Pakistani town of Turbat in Balochistan province. (AP via Washington Post)
Britain's Serious Fraud Office launches a criminal investigation into the Libor scandal. (BBC)

Politics and elections

For the second time in history and with the same person, the Parliament of Romania votes to suspend President Traian Băsescu from office. On 29 July 2012 he will face a national referendum for his dismissal. (BBC)
After a partial vote recount, Enrique Peña Nieto is confirmed as the winner of the 2012 Mexican presidential election (BBC)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., announces his resignation from the United States House of Representatives. (Washington Post)
The California State Senate votes to approve funding for a bullet train between Los Angeles and San Francisco. (BBC)

Sport

Major League Soccer star David Beckham, the former English soccer team captain, is banned for one match after committing an act of violence on the pitch. (BBC)
Andy Murray makes it to the final of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles, becoming the first Briton to do so in 74 years. (BBC)
Jonny Marray makes it to final of the men's doubles at Wimbledon, becoming the first Briton to do so in 52 years. (BBC)
Louis van Gaal is selected as the new manager of the Netherlands football team, replacing Bert van Marwijk who resigned after increasing criticism of his team's performances during the UEFA Euro 2012. (FIFA)

July 7, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

The Lebanese army in Wadi Khaled is placed on alert after rockets from Syria kill two people in its territory. (Now Lebanon) (Lebanese News Agency)

Arts and culture

Jaime García Márquez tells his students that his brother Gabriel García Márquez, the Colombian writer and recipient of the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature, suffers from dementia that has ended his writing career. (BBC) (The Guardian)
The 2012 World Karl Popper Debate Championships are held in León, Mexico from 2 to 6 July. The results, announced on the WKPDC official website on 7 July, declare Pakistan the winner of the championship and Zainab Hameed best speaker and debater.

Disasters

More than 140 people are killed after torrential rains leading to heavy floods sweep through parts of the south Russian Krasnodar region. (BBC)
A bus crash in northeastern Ukraine kills at least 14 Russian pilgrims. (BBC)
Up to 13 million in West Africa are at risk in a food crisis caused by a prolonged drought. (The Journal)
The UK's Environment Agency issues a severe flood warning for part of south-west England following torrential rain. (BBC)

International relations

The United States declares Afghanistan one of its major non-NATO allies, a designation that permits it to buy advanced U.S. weaponry. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) (The New York Times)
Cuban leader Raúl Castro makes his first visit to Beijing since succeeding Fidel Castro in 2008; trade deals are signed between China and Cuba. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

A 22-year-old woman is arrested in east London in connection with an ongoing counter-terrorism operation. (BBC)
More than twenty student leaders are arrested across Burma. (BBC)
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office re-categorizes Natalie Wood's 1981 drowning as "undetermined" on her death certificate, replacing the previous finding of an "accident". (CBS)
Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz, daughter of Prince Talal, claims political asylum in the UK over fears for her safety in Saudi Arabia.(The Telegraph)
Hong Kong police seize 649 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of US$98 million, in an anti-drug operation that began in April. (CNN)

Politics and elections

The lower house of parliament in Russia gives initial backing to a bill forcing internationally-funded non-governmental organisations to carry a "foreign agent" tag. (Al Jazeera)
Voters in Libya go to the polls for a General National Congress election with those elected responsible for appointing a Prime Minister, cabinet and establishing a new constitution. (Reuters)
Voters in East Timor go to the polls for a parliamentary election. (ABC News)
American politician Barney Frank marries his long-time partner James Ready, becoming the first member of the United States House of Representatives to enter into a same-sex marriage. (Reuters via MSNBC)

Sport

2012 Wimbledon Championships in England:
- Serena Williams of the United States beats Agnieszka Radwańska of Poland in the final of the Women's Singles. (BBC)
- Britain's Jonathan Marray and Denmark's Frederik Nielsen win Wimbledon's men's doubles final by three sets to two. Marray becomes the first Briton to win such a match since 1936. (BBC)

July 8, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- United Nations and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan arrives in the Syrian capital Damascus for talks. (Al Jazeera)
- In an interview for German TV, Syrian President Bashar Assad states that the US is trying to destabilise Syria by providing political protection for "gangs", and that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were arming "terrorists" in Syria. (BBC)
- Kofi Annan says peace proposals have failed as the Syrian army allegedly kills 60 civilians across Syria. (Dawn)
Nigeria violence:
- Gunmen attack Christian villages in northern Nigeria, killing dozens of people. (Daily Times Nigeria)
- Two politicians are killed at a funeral for some of the victims of the violence. (BBC)
Rebels from the March 23 Movement seize three more towns in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AFP via Google News)
Roadside car bombs kill 14 civilians travelling in two vehicles in Afghanistan's Kandahar Province. (AFP via Google News)
A roadside bomb kills six NATO soldiers in eastern Afghanistan. (Reuters)
The Saudi Ministry of Interior reports that a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Sheikh Nimr al Nimr, is arrested in the Qatif region of the Eastern Province after being shot in the leg by police in an exchange of fire. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

American actor Ernest Borgnine, winner of an Academy Award in the film Marty, dies at the age of 95. (CBS News)

Disasters

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin orders an inquiry into flash floods that have claimed at least 150 lives in the Krasnodar region. (BBC) (CNN)

International relations

Anti-China protests take place in Vietnam amid tensions over the disputed Spratly Islands part of the South China Sea dispute. (China Post)

Law and crime

Taliban gunmen shoot a woman accused of adultery to death while men watching the execution cheer, in a village near Kabul, Afghanistan. (CNN)
In two separate incidents in the current U.S. heat wave involving two different vehicles, both in the Greater Indianapolis area, a baby girl dies in Greenfield, Indiana (in the east of the area), and a toddler from Fishers, Indiana (in the northeast of the area) is left in critical condition after being left in overheated vehicles by their parent caretakers (the internal temperature in one was at 124° F (51° C); both have been charged with felony child neglect resulting in death. (MSNBC)

Politics and elections

Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Mexico City over alleged vote buying in the country's presidential election, which saw Enrique Peña Nieto elected. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

Cambodian health officials identify Enterovirus 71 as a possible cause for an outbreak in which at least 64 children have died. (CNN)

Sport

In tennis, Roger Federer of Switzerland defeats Andy Murray of the United Kingdom three sets to one at the men's singles final of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships in England. (BBC) (The Telegraph) (ESPN)
In mixed martial arts, the UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, retains his belt after defeating Chael Sonnen via TKO in the second round on UFC 148. (USA Today)

July 9, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Mexican Drug War:
- Ten decapitated bodies are discovered inside an abandoned vehicle along a roadside in the Mexican city of Torreón, Coahuila. Reportedly, a written message was left behind by the perpetrators. (BBC)
- A gunbattle breaks out near Choix, Sinaloa, after alleged drug traffickers ambushed and killed seven police officers; upon the aggression, the officers gunned down four cartel members. The area is a stronghold of the Sinaloa Cartel, a powerful drug trafficking organization. (BBC)
Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, states that talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus are "constructive". (BBC)
- The death-toll from the uprising reportedly surpasses 17,000, mostly civilians. (Al Arabiya)
- 31 people are reportedly killed by the Syrian army, primarily in Homs. (Yahoo! News)
Gunmen open fire at a Pakistan Army training camp near the city of Wazirabad resulting in seven deaths and five people being injured. (AFP via ninemsn)
Two men are killed after protests in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, following the arrest of a Shi'ite cleric, Nimr al Nimr yesterday.(Reuters)

Business and economy

Thousands of computer users around the world lose Internet access as a result of the expiration of a Federal Bureau of Investigation temporary fix to the Internet Doomsday virus. (Yahoo! News) (The Guardian)
Oil and gas companies in Norway lock out workers as a result of an ongoing industrial dispute over pensions. (BBC)
Rolling blackouts hit Alberta, Canada in response to record heat taking multiple power plants offline. The Alberta Electric System Operator coordinates the effort. (Edmonton Journal)

Law and crime

More than $200 million in customer funds is reportedly missing from the accounts of U.S. futures broker PFGBest, after the firm's founder Russell Wasendorf attempted suicide outside the company's Iowa headquarters. (The Guardian)
The Mexican drug cartel known as Los Zetas laundered millions of dollars through accounts at Bank of America; that money was then used to finance a horse racing business in the United States, allegedly ran by José Treviño Morales. (The Huffington Post)
The United States Department of Justice unseals an indictment charging five people for their alleged involvement in the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry and offers up to $1 million reward for information leading to their arrest. (Fox News)

Politics and elections

Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi's order to reopen parliament is rejected by the highest court, stating that its ruling dissolving the assembly is binding. (BBC)
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez says that he has completely recovered from cancer in the pelvic region. (Reuters)

July 10, 2012 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A gunman holds a parent hostage at a school in Vitry-sur-Seine, France, on the outskirts of Paris. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The Episcopal Church is poised to become the first major religious denomination in the United States to approve a rite for blessing gay marriages this December, just after its bishops approved such a liturgy. (The Guardian)

International relations

Iran's military continues to improve its long- and short-range ballistic missiles and other aspects of its armed forces, according to a Pentagon report to the US Congress. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga is sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, after Lubanga's conviction of recruiting and using child soldiers and other human rights violations during the Ituri conflict on March 14. (BBC)
A court in Jerusalem convicts the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert on one count of "breach of trust" and acquits him on two fraud counts. (New York Times) (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
A New Zealand court delays hearings on the extradition of Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom to the United States until 2013 due to concerns about the search and seizure of documents. (Reuters)
Israel releases hunger-striking Palestinian footballer and Islamic Jihad member, Mahmoud Sarsak, who was detained without formal charges since 2009 for alleged involvement in a bomb attack. (Bloomberg) (CBC)
Eva Rausing, wife of Tetra Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing, is found dead in west London and a man arrested in connection to her death. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The Russian Wikipedia goes blank for 24 hours in a protest over legislation before the State Duma that would allow the creation of a unified digital blacklist of all websites containing banned content. (RIA Novosti) (Russian Wikipedia)
Britain's Trades Union Congress confirms the appointment of its first female General Secretary. Frances O'Grady will take up the role at the end of the year. (BBC)
The UK's coalition government drops plans for a crucial House of Commons vote on its plans to reform the House of Lords after it faced likely defeat over the issue with as many as 100 Conservative MPs planning to oppose the plans. (BBC)
The US city of San Bernardino becomes the third city in the state of California to file for bankruptcy protection. (Los Angeles Times)

Sport

Luis Garcia del Moral, Michele Ferrari, and Jose "Pepe" Marti, who were former staff members and consultants for Lance Armstrong's winning Tour de France teams, are banned for life from sports by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). (ABC)
The Olympic torch arrives at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, where the bearer is greeted by Queen Elizabeth II before taking off for the next leg of the torch's journey to London. (CNBC)
South Africa cricket player Mark Boucher ends his career after sustaining an eye injury during the tour of England. (BBC)
In baseball, the National League defeats the American League 8-0 in the All-Star Game played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (SB Nation)

July 11, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Mexican Drug War: The Mexican newspaper El Mañana from the northern city of Nuevo Laredo will stop reporting on Mexico's drug-related violence after a second grenade attack at its installations. (Huffington Post)
Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- 56 people are reportedly killed by the Syrian army, including a Red Crescent worker. (Naharnet)
- Syria's ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf al Fares, defects. (CNN) (Reuters)
- Syrian opposition figures arrive in Russia for talks with the Russian government. (Ghana Broadcasting Corporation)
United Nations peacekeepers are redeployed to the Congolese city of Goma to protect it from March 23 Movement rebels. (UPI)
A suicide bombing at a police academy in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a kills at least 20 people. (BBC)
An ambush by suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels kills 6 rubber plantation workers and injures a further 22 in the southern Philippines. (AP via Washington Post)
520 men and boys killed in the Srebrenica massacre in 1995 are buried in Potočari, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (IOL)

Arts and culture

Artists sign a letter accusing the European Commission of "breaking promises" on the matter of missing royalties. (BBC)
A rare giant panda born naturally in captivity at a Tokyo zoo dies after only six days, prompting widespread mourning in Japan. (National Post)

Business and economy

Bolivia revokes a mining concession to Canada's South American Silver Corporation after violent protests by Quechua people. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Japan lodges a formal protest with China after the presence of the latter's patrol boats near the disputed Senkaku Islands. (BBC)
ASEAN nations and China fail to agree on a code of conduct designed to ease tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. (Al Jazeera)
The Canadian government warns Iran not to use its embassy in Ottawa to recruit expatriates in Canada to serve the Islamic Republic’s interests. (National Post)

Law and crime

Court documents reveal former FIFA president João Havelange had accepted bribes upwards of 1.5m Swiss francs. (BBC)
Lee Sang-deuk, the elder brother of South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, is arrested in Seoul on bribery charges. (AP via The Washington Post)
British police widen their phone-hacking inquiry with new arrests of journalists from newspapers not owned by News Corporation, which previously has been the focus of the investigation. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

Russia's lower parliament approves a bill creating a list of blacklisted websites, amid fears of censorship. (AFP via Google News) (Russia Today)
Chinese authorities order internet video providers to prescreen all videos before making them available. (Times of India)
The Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives votes for the thirty-third time to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare; the measure is not likely to pass the Democratic-controlled United States Senate. (USA Today) (CBS News)
Police clash with demonstrators in Madrid as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy introduces new widescale cuts. (BBC) (Reuters)
Police clash with Chilean fishermen opposed to a new law said to favour larger companies; Chilean police use tear gas and water cannon to break up demonstrations in Valparaíso. (BBC)

Science

Astronomers announce the discovery of S/2012 P 1, the fifth moon of Pluto. (Fox News)

Sport

British Armed Forces are on standby to provide an extra 3,500 troops to help with security at the 2012 Olympics. (BBC)

July 12, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011-present):
- At least 200 people are reportedly killed by the Syrian army in the Syrian village of Tremseh, in Hama province. (BBC)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- Gunmen kill nine police officers and injure others in an overnight raid in the Pakistani city of Lahore. (AFP via Yahoo! News), (AP)

Arts and culture

Tongan Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala marries Sinaitakala Fakafanua in a wedding ceremony in Nukuʻalofa. The marriage, the first for a Crown Prince of Tonga in 65 years, sparks controversy as the couple are second cousins. (The Daily Telegraph)
English rock group, The Rolling Stones, celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their first performance at the Marquee Club in Oxford Street, London. (Herald Sun)

Business and economy

French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen announces that it will cut 8000 jobs from its domestic operations as a result of a downturn in Europe. (AAP via News Limited)
Wells Fargo decides to pay a $175 million settlement in a subprime mortgage compensation case. (Chicago Tribune)

International relations

The US Treasury announces that sanctions on Iran due to its nuclear program are further tightened. (BBC)

Disasters

At least nine mountaineers are killed and eight injured in an avalanche on Mont Maudit near Mont Blanc in the French Alps. (Daily Mail)
An oil tanker in Okogbe, Rivers State, Nigeria, explodes after crashing, leaving around 90-115 dead. (BBC)
Buildings shake in Kabul as tremors from magnitude 5.8 earthquake in the Hindu Kush region are felt. (Shanghai Daily)
Heavy rain leads to flash floods and mudslides and causes at least 15 deaths and 11 more people missing in southern Japan. (Washington Post)

Law and Crime

The two men on trial for the murder of Michaela McAreavey are found not guilty by a court in Mauritius.(Sky News)
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh's report into the Penn State sex abuse scandal is released, alleging that late head football coach Joe Paterno and other school officials covered up child sexual abuse by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. (ESPN) (CNN)
A 38-year-old seller of antiquities attacks and beheads two people in the Chilean town of Lolol (El Mercurio)

July 13, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Delta Air Lines flight 126 en route to Madrid turns around and lands back at JFK following a security problem with some cut wires being discovered in the plane's bathroom. (NBC)
Bedouin men kidnap two tourists from the United States and their guide in Egypt's Sinai region and demand the release of a jailed tribesman for their return. (CBS)
Cambodian troops aim machine gun fire at a Thai passenger jet, saying they believed it to be a spy plane, but do not hit the plane. (RNW)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- A suicide bomber kills 5 at a mosque in Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A female Afghan politician, Hanifa Safi, dies in a bomb attack in eastern Afghanistan. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Carol Ann Duffy, the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, is announced as the winner of the 2012 PEN/Pinter Prize. (BBC)
Jennifer Lopez reveals she is leaving the hit American talent show American Idol. (Billboard)
Academy Award winning producer Richard D. Zanuck dies in Los Angeles of a heart attack. (Variety)

Business and economy

Moody's Investor Services downgrades Italy's government rating from A3 to Baa2. (Dow Jones via The Australian)
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is set to release documents outlining what it knew about the Libor scandal and what action it took. (The Washington Post)
The economic growth rate for the People's Republic of China falls to 7.6 per cent, its lowest level in three years. (Bloomberg via Sydney Morning Herald) (Xinhua)
The Federal Aviation Administration fines Boeing $13.5 million for failing to provide fuel tank flammability instructions by designated deadline. (Komo News)

Disasters

Between 19 and 30 people are killed after a train crashes into a truck carrying farm labourers near the South African town of Malelane. (AFP via Google News) (BBC)
Three Americans die in a Mystere-Falcon 20 after it crashes on the runway at Le Castellet Airport (fr), between Toulon and Marseille. (CNN)
More than 1,000 counties in the United States are declared natural disaster areas after a drought spreads throughout the country. (CNN)
Parts of Wales are hit by flash floods following torrential rain. (BBC)
52 people are injured following a collision between a car and a coach on the A11 in the English county of Suffolk. (BBC)

International relations

Canada announces it will establish an embassy in Myanmar after the country's widespread democratic reform, says Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. (CBC)
Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is appointed United Nations special envoy for education. (The Guardian) (The Independent)

Law and crime

Tetra Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing is arrested on suspicion of involvement in the death of his wife, Eva Rausing. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for war crimes against Sylvestre Mudacumura, the commander of the Congolese rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. (France 24)
A federal judge in Alabama sentences Ulugbek Kodirov, an Uzbek national, to 15 years in prison for plotting to kill Barack Obama. (ABC)(Fox News)

Politics and elections

Mexico's presidential runner-up and PRD candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, files a lawsuit against Enrique Peña Nieto for alleged vote-buyings, biased media coverage, and manipulated opinion polls in the recent Mexican elections. (The Guardian)

Sport

A convention of Scottish football clubs vote to demote the financially stricken Rangers into the Third Division. (BBC)
John Terry is found not guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. (The Guardian)

July 14, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Arab Spring:
- Syrian uprising (2011-present):
  - A suicide bomber blows up his car in a central Syrian town, Mhardeh, killing three civilians and one security officer. (AP via ABC)
  - Hundreds of Syrian soldiers, along with helicopter gunships, attack Khirbet Ghazaleh in the Daraa province. (AFP via Arab News)
  - United Nations observers say the assault on the village of Tremseh targeted army defectors and opposition activists. (Al Jazeera)
- Bahraini uprising (2011–present):
  - Fresh anti-government protests take place in Bahrain, sparking confrontations with riot police. (Washington Post)
A suicide bomber kills 22 people and injures 22 at a wedding reception in northern Afghanistan, including prominent lawmaker Ahmad Khan Samangani who was the father of the bride. (Reuters)
Ten Turkish policemen are injured by a roadside bomb explosion in Van. (AP via The Sacramento Bee)
North Caucasus insurgency: The Russian military kill 8 militants, including two regional commanders, in Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The musical Chicago is to close after a run of 15 years on London's West End, the longest run for a revival in British theatre. (The Scotsman)

Accidents and disasters

Italian and French rescue crews recover the bodies of two climbers on Mont Blanc in the Alps, two days following an avalanche that swept away nine climbers. (AP via USA Today)
About a quarter of a million people are asked to leave the southern Japanese island of Kyushu after flooding caused by days of heavy rain leaves 20 people dead. (Al Jazeera)
A surfer is killed by a shark off near Wedge Island, about 160km (100 miles) north of Perth in Australia. (BBC)
A fire onboard the German container ship MSC Flaminia forces the crew to abandon ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. (TradeWinds)

International relations

Shipper International Port Corp, with permission from the United States, delivers the first shipment of humanitarian aid to Cuba, the first time in 50 years. (Al Jazeera)
The Philippines states that a Chinese warship entered its territory in the South China Sea. (AP via ABC)

Law and crime

The US' 15th most wanted fugitive, Vincent Walters, is apprehended in Cancún, Mexico. (NBC San Diego)

July 15, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011-present):
- The Red Cross (ICRC) says the conflict is now in effect a civil war, meaning combatants will now be officially subject to the Geneva Conventions. (BBC)
- Opposition fighters battle Syrian government forces in poor districts of Damascus. (Reuters)
The President of Libya's Olympic committee, Ahmed Nabil al Taher al Alam, is abducted in Tripoli. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Organisers pull the plug on a duet between Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney at Hyde Park, London, after it breached its legal curfew. (Philadelphia Daily News) (Irish Independent) (Scottish Daily Record) (The Daily Telegraph)

Business and economy

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates open new pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane that Iran has repeatedly threatened to close. (The Financial Times)

Disasters and accidents

A bus crash kills at least 39 pilgrims in the southern Nepali town of Parasi. (BBC)
Hand, foot and mouth disease kills 149 people in Hunan, China. (Bangkok Post)
One person is killed and ten are injured by a tornado in north west Poland (BBC)

International relations

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo agree an international border force to patrol their mutual border. (BBC)
Saudi Arabia decides to donate $100 million to the Palestinian Authority. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia criticises comments by Russia about the human rights situation in the country, calling them "hostile". (Al Jazeera)
The African Union choose Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa as its leader, making her the first woman to occupy the post, in a hard fought battle with incumbent Jean Ping of Gabon. (BBC)
Egyptian protesters throw tomatoes and shoes at US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's motorcade during her first visit to the country since the election of President Mohamed Morsi. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Jason Kidd is arrested by Southampton Town police for alleged drunken driving. (USA Today)

Politics and elections

Hundreds of Israeli protesters gather in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba to show their solidarity with the man who self immolated on 14 July 2012. (The Jerusalem Post)

Science

A Russian Soyuz rocket begins its mission to the International Space Station with three international crew members. (AP via The Washington Post)

July 16, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Mexican Drug War: The Mexican Federal Police arrested one of the three ringleaders responsible for the deadly shootout last month in the Mexico City International Airport's busy food court. An anonymous tip-off led police to his whereabouts. (Global Post)
Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- Heavy fighting is reported in the capital Damascus overnight with claims of at least five deaths and dozens of injuries. (Reuters via The Irish Times)
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argues that Western nations are using blackmail to secure a new UN Security Council resolution in order to make the use of force in Syria legitimate. (CBS)
Pakistani Taliban attack an office of the security force's intelligence agency in Bannu and take several hostages. (USA Today)
Two American tourists who were kidnapped in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt on 13 July 2012 are freed. (CBS)
Thailand's security forces kill seven alleged drug smugglers from Myanmar in a gunbattle. (AP via Arab News)

Arts and culture

American director William Asher who directed the tv show "Bewitched" dies.
English composer and pianist Jon Lord dies after suffering a pulmonary embolism. (BBC) (NME)
American singer Kitty Wells, the "Queen of country music" and the first female singer to have a number one song on the country charts with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", dies of complications of a stroke. (Los Angeles Times)

Business and economy

The United States Senate accuses the HSBC bank of laundering Mexican drug money. (BBC News)
The launch of a flagship nuclear power station in Finland is delayed for a third time. (BBC)
NBCUniversal buys full control of the US news website MSNBC.com and rebrands it as NBCNews.com. (NBC News)
Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, businessman and motivational speaker dies. (AP via Newsday)

Disasters

Japan Self-Defense Forces airlift supplies to thousands of people isolated by flooding in southwest Japan, as the death toll rises to 24. (AAP via SBS News)

Law and crime

Former National Rugby League player Craig Field is charged with murder following the death of a man allegedly assaulted in the Australian town of Kingscliff, New South Wales. (Sydney Morning Herald)
A "multiple shooting" incident at Scarborough, a major district in Toronto, Canada, results in at least one death and 19 injured. (National Post)

Politics and elections

North Korea announces that Ri Yong-ho, a senior military figure and a member of the central presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea, is relieved of all duties due to illness. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Science, medicine and technology

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Truvada as the first drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection. (CBS News)(USA Today)

Sports

Thousands of athletes and officials start arriving in the United Kingdom for the London Olympics. (BBC)

July 17, 2012 (Tuesday)

Business and economy

Marissa Mayer, who was a top executive at Google for the past 13 years, is appointed Yahoo! Inc.'s CEO. (AP)

Law and crime

The Syrian consulate in Almaty, Kazakhstan, is seriously damaged by a fire which its staff blame on an arson attack. (AFP via Radio Free Europe)
An Afghan soldier, Abdul Saboor, who killed five French soldiers in a remote part of Kapisa province in January 2012, is sentenced to death by an Afghan military court. (BBC)
Several 1-inch needles are found in sandwiches on multiple Delta Air Lines flights from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to the United States. The FBI and Dutch authorities launch a criminal investigation. (CNN)
A pilot for SkyWest Airlines on administrative leave attempts to steal a Bombardier CRJ200 at St. George Municipal Airport in the U.S. state of Utah, killing himself after. (CNN)
Seventeen people are wounded after being shot in a bar in Alabama, United States. (SMH)

Disasters

A train derails south of Egypt's capital Cairo, injuring at least 15 people. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The National Forces Alliance, led by interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, wins 39 out of 80 seats reserved for political parties in the Libya's first elections. (BBC)
North Korea announces the appointment of Hyon Yong-chol as the new head of the Korean People's Army, replacing Ri Yong-ho. (BBC)
Kadima party leaves Netanyahu's government due to a dispute concerning military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel. (BBC)

Science

Three astronauts, Sunita Williams of the United States, Yuri Malenchenko of Russia and Aki Hoshide of Japan, arrive at the International Space Station for a three month visit. (Space.com)

Sport

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announces that Fränk Schleck failed a drugs test at the Tour de France; he withdraws from the event. (BBC)

July 18, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

2012 Burgas bus bombing:
- At least 6 Israeli tourists, men and women, are killed and more than 25 others are injured after a bomb explodes on an Israeli tourism bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria. (Times of Israel)
- Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu blames Iran for the explosion. (CNN)
- President of the United States Barack Obama condemns the bombing calling it "a barbaric terrorist attack and Israel has tragically once more been a target of terrorism." "The United States reaffirms our unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people." (Washington Post)
A bomb explodes in Pakistan's Orakzai Agency, killing at least 14 people. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- 97 people are reportedly killed across Syria by the Syrian army. (The Daily Star)
- A bomb explodes in the National Security Building in Damascus during a meeting of Cabinet ministers and senior security officials. (The Daily Telegraph)
  - Syrian media report that Minister of Defense Dawoud Rajiha is killed along with deputy vice president General Hasan Turkmani, interior minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar and Assef Shawkat, Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law and deputy defense minister. Several other senior officials are also seriously injured, including the country's intelligence chief Hisham Bekhtyar. (AP via Washington Post) (BBC)
- Fahd Jassem al-Freij is appointed as Minister of Defense by President Bashar al-Assad. (BBC)

Business and economy

The US city of San Bernardino, California, declares that it has an "immediate and severe" fiscal emergency allowing it to declare bankruptcy without negotiating with creditors. (Bloomberg)

Arts and culture

Indian actor Rajesh Khanna dies at 69 in Mumbai after a prolonged illness. (The Times of India) (rediff.com) (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

78 people are killed and 66 are reported missing after the MV Skagit, a ferry carrying 280 people sinks off the coast of Zanzibar on its way from Tanzania. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Italian police arrest buffalo mozzarella maker Giuseppe Mandara over alleged links to organized crime groups in Naples, Italy. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Pressure is raised in Hungary for authorities to arrest alleged former Nazi war criminal László Csatáry, 97, who was discovered living in Hungary. Csatáry is wanted in connection with his role in the deportation of Jews to death camps during the Second World War. (Sydney Morning Herald)
The monumental municipal building in Waalre, a town in the southern Netherlands, is destroyed in an attack after two cars purposefully rammed the building. (DutchNews)

International relations

The Indonesian Air Force will for the first time send 4 Sukhoi Su-27 jet fighters to participate in war games alongside Australian F/A-18 Hornets and U.S Fighter jets from the 27 July 2012 to 17 August 2012.(Sydney Morning Herald)

Politics and elections

In Mexico, the PRD candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, accuses the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of using illicit funds and laundering money to finance the campaign of Enrique Peña Nieto, the president-elect in the recent presidential elections. The PRI denies the claims and retorts that López Obrador is acting out of desperation and irrationality. (The Guardian)
Kim Jong-un is officially announced as the Supreme Leader of North Korea, a position that he occupied de facto since his father's death. He also gains the rank of Marshal in the Korean People's Army. (News Limited) (BBC)

July 19, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- Clashes intensify in the Syrian capital Damascus. (Newstrack India)
- Rebels seize crossings on the border with Turkey and Iraq. (Al Arabiya)
- Russia and China veto a United Nations Security Council resolution threatening sanctions against Syria. 11 nations vote in favour while Pakistan and South Africa abstain. (UN News Centre) (Al Jazeera)
Russian Muslim leader Valiulla Yakupov is shot dead and the Mufti of Tatarstan, Ildus Fayzov, is wounded in two separate attacks in Kazan in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan. (BBC)

Business and economy

Economy of the United Kingdom:
- In an interview published by The Daily Telegraph, British Prime Minister David Cameron suggests that government spending cuts will need to continue until the end of the decade. (The Independent)
- The International Monetary Fund urges the UK government to slow the pace of its budget cuts in 2013 if economic growth does not recover. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Bangladeshi writer and film director Humayun Ahmed dies at 63 in New York while undergoing a treatment for colorectal cancer. (Bangladesh News 24) (BBC Bangla)

International relations

China summons a Russian diplomat after the latter country opened fire on a fishing boat and detained the Chinese crew. (Xinhua)
Omar Suleiman, the former police and intelligence chief under ousted Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, dies suddenly during medical tests in the United States. (BBC)
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, condemns yesterday's bombing that killed the Syrian defence minister and other senior officials. (Reuters)
Syrian leaders' assets with the worth of £100m are located and frozen in the United Kingdom. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Six people are killed and one is injured in Antwerp, New York when a tractor trailer carrying yogurt rear-ends a vehicle that had slowed for construction work. (MSNBC)

Law and crime

Eight men are found not guilty of the murder of three friends in Birmingham during last year's riots in England. (BBC)
PC Simon Harwood is cleared of the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson during protests at the 2009 G20 London summit. (BBC)
One person is killed and 40 injured in clashes at a car plant in New Delhi, India, after workers attacked managers at the site. (Bangkok Post)

Politics

O le Ao o le Malo Tufuga Efi is re-elected unopposed by the Parliament of Samoa. (RNZI)
Burma's state television airs the first memorial ceremony in over 20 years for Aung San – the father of Aung San Suu Kyi – who led the country to its independence. (The Hindu)
Several thousand UK Home Office workers belonging to the Public and Commercial Services Union are to stage industrial action throughout the 2012 Summer Olympics over wages and employment issues. (BBC)
Bandar bin Sultan is appointed Director General of the Saudi Intelligence Agency. (Wall Street Journal)

July 20, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- Major General Hisham Ikhtiyar, the head of Syrian national security, dies of wounds he received from a bombing in the capital Damascus on July 18. (BBC)
- Thousands of people flee the country. (Financial Times)
- Fighting continues in Damascus and other cities. (Al Jazeera)
- The United Nations Security Council extends the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria for 30 days. (Al Jazeera)
A gunman opens fire at a movie premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, killing at least 12 people and injuring 59 others. (BBC) (CNN)
- South Thailand insurgency:
Bomb and shooting attacks kill two people and wound four in southern Thailand. (Naharnet)
At least 13 people are killed in clashes in Duékoué and a camp for displaced people in Ivory Coast. (IOL)
Amnesty International says Muslim Rohingyas in western Burma have been subject to attacks and arbitrary arrests. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The Olympic Torch arrives in London for the final stages of the UK-wide relay ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics. (BBC)

Business and economy

DirecTV and Viacom agree to a long-term deal for DirecTV to carry Viacom channels. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

21 people were killed and 29 others were injured in bus accident in the Mexican state of Nayarit. (Fox News)

Law and crime

The custody of three anti-Putin protesters from the Pussy Riot group is extended for another six months before their trial begins. (RIA Novosti) (AP via Google News)
David Burgess, already serving life imprisonment on two counts of murder, is given a fresh life sentence after being convicted of the 1966 murder of Yolande Waddington, a nanny from Berkshire, England. (BBC)

July 21, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- Heavy fighting continues in the Syrian capital Damascus and the largest city of Aleppo. (CBC)
- Three more Syrian generals defect to Turkey. (Now Lebanon)
- Rebels take control of a second border crossing with Iraq. (AFP via Google News)
A suicide bomb attack kills at least nine people at the entrance to an anti-Taliban commander's compound in Kurram in northwestern Pakistan. (BBC)
South Sudan accuses Sudan of bombing its territory along a disputed border. (Reuters)
Two Russian soldiers and several militants are killed in clashes in Ingushetia in the North Caucasus; several militants are also killed in Dagestan. (Kuwait News Agency)

Arts and culture

Rights campaigners criticise the authoritative Contemporary Chinese Dictionary for excluding the definition of colloquial Chinese characters for "gay." (BBC)
Illegally excavated Buddhist relics are stolen from a police station in Karachi, Pakistan. (Bangkok Post)

Business and economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a federal law "On ratification of the Protocol on the Accession of the Russian Federation to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization on April 15, 1994" that authorizes Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) after almost 18 years of negotiations. (RIA Novosti) (The Washington Post) (Kremlin.ru)
Rupert Murdoch resigns from a number of directorships, including that of News International. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A helicopter carrying military personnel crashes killing 12 people in Brunei. (Reuters)
One hundred and forty six people are presumed dead in the Tanzania ferry disaster. (USA Today) (AP)
A subcontractor at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant reportedly told workers to lie about possible high radiation exposure in an apparent effort to keep its contract. (Asahi Shimbun) (Oman Daily Observer)

Law and crime

Sixty-one schools in Chile's capital Santiago are to be investigated for possible child sex abuse. (Al Jazeera)
Pope Benedict XVI's butler, Paolo Gabriele, is placed under house arrest while awaiting trial for allegedly leaking confidential papers revealing fraud and disputes within the Vatican. (AFP via Google News)

Politics

President of Russia Vladimir Putin signs the bill branding non-governmental organizations, which receive funding from abroad, as "foreign agents" into law, criticized by opponents as part of a campaign to suppress dissent. (Reuters) (Gulf News)

July 22, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- Turkey dispatches reinforcements at its border with Syria as another border crossing is captured by rebels. (Kuwait News Agency)
- Clashes take place between Syrian troops and armed Kurdish fighters in Qamishli. (Rudaw)
- Fighting continues in Damascus and Aleppo. (The Guardian)
- After a four day siege by the opposition forces, the 4th Armoured Division, commanded by Maher Assad sweeps through three rebel-held districts of Damascus. (The Daily Telegraph via The Vancouver Sun)
- Four Turkish security forces and four refugees are injured in a riot at a Syrian refugee camp in southern Turkey. (Reuters)
- The Arab League calls on President of Syria Bashar al-Assad to resign quickly to end the bloodshed. (Al-Jazeera)
The Madagascan Army clashes with mutinous soldiers near the airport in the capital Antananarivo. (Al Jazeera)
Car bombs kill 20 people and wound 80 in Mahmudiye, Madaen and Najaf in Iraq. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 37 people are killed in torrential rains in the Chinese capital Beijing. (Xinhua)
A moderately strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 hits Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. (The Republic)
A military helicopter crashes in Hakkari province, Turkey, killing three soldiers and injuring four others. (AP via The Republic)
Thirteen are killed and another 10 are injured when a pickup truck crashes in Texas. (CNN)

Law and crime

The Libyan Olympic committee chief kidnapped a week ago, Ahmad Nabil al-Alam, is released unharmed. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Pranab Mukherjee is elected as the new President of India. (Hindustan Times)
U.S. President Barack Obama visits the town of Aurora, Colorado, to console the families of victims of the recent shooting that left 12 dead and dozens injured. (AP via Fox News)

Sports

Pennsylvania State University says that the on-campus statue of former Nittany Lions football coach Joe Paterno will be taken down as a result of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. (CNN)
Bradley Wiggins becomes the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France after coming first in this year's race. (BBC)
In golf, Ernie Els wins the 2012 Open Championship. (ESPN)

July 23, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian uprising (2011–present):
- Syria Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi declares that Syria has stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and that it plans to use them in case of a foreign attack, but never against its own citizens. (AP via ABC News)
- The European Union tightens sanctions on Syria, adding 29 more names to the existing list of 170 Syrian individuals and companies. (AP via ABC news)
One hundred three people are killed in attacks across Iraq. (AP via Los Angeles Times)
Fighting between indigenous tribes and Muslim settlers in Assam, northeast India kills at least 19 people, causing 50,000 people to flee. (Reuters) (Times of India)

Arts and culture

The Olympic torch features in a special live section of the British soap EastEnders when actor Perry Fenwick, in character as Billy Mitchell, carries it through the fictional London borough of Walford as part of the 2012 Olympic torch relay. (BBC)

Business and economics

Hamburg-Köln-Express, the second open-access train operating company to challenge market leader Deutsche Bahn AG for its lucrative long-distance business, launches a route in Germany connecting the northern city of Hamburg with Cologne in the west. (AP via ABC News)
Talks between Apple and Samsung aimed at resolving patent law disputes deadlock over a dispute over the valuation of each other's patents. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

After the heaviest rains in 60 years kill 37 in Beijing, 9 million microblog users criticise the government for the lack of warning and poor infrastructure. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)
Forest fires in Catalonia, Spain kill four people, with fires also in France, Portugal and Romania. (EuroNews) (Romania Insider)

Law and crime

James Eagan Holmes, the suspect of the 2012 Aurora shooting, makes his first court appearance. (The New York Times)

Science

Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, dies of pancreatic cancer at the age of 61. Her obituary acknowledges her 27-year relationship with a woman. (CNN)

Sport

The NCAA announces severe penalties against Penn State's football program as a result of the school's child sex abuse scandal. (ESPN)

July 24, 2012 (Tuesday)

Disasters

Hong Kong and China's Guangdong Province is hit by Category 4 Typhoon Vicente, resulting in scores of people injured, cancellation of flights and closure of businesses. (Reuters) (AAP via Herald Sun)

Law and crime

Four barrels containing 248 human fetuses are found in a forest in Russia's Sverdlovsk region. (USA Today)
A man with a gun crawls beneath a dock and enters the grounds of the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus. The man later commits suicide. (MSNBC)
Britain's Crown Prosecution Service confirms that eight people, including Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, will face charges relating to the News International phone hacking scandal. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The President of Ghana, John Atta Mills, dies and is replaced by Vice-President John Dramani Mahama. (Euronews), (Reuters)
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi appoints the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hisham Qandil, to the position of Prime Minister and asks him to form the new government. (BBC)

July 25, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian Army reportedly fires rockets and artillery barrages at the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Al-Tall. (Al-Jazeera)
- Lamia al-Hariri, Syrian ambassador to Cyprus, and her husband Abdelatif al-Dabbagh, Syrian ambassador to the UAE, defect to Qatar. (Al Jazeera)(Al Arabiya)
Nine people are killed overnight in ethnic clashes in the Indian state of Assam with the total death toll since last Friday being 35. (AFP via New Straits Times)

Business and economy

Egan-Jones Ratings Company downgrades Italy to CCC+ from B+, saying the country has a one-year default probability of 22%. (MarketWatch)
Official figures indicate economic output in the United Kingdom fell by 0.7% between April and June, meaning the recession has deepened in the country. (BBC)

Disasters

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurs off the Indonesian island of Sumatra with one man dying while fleeing his home. (AFP via Google News)

Law and crime

The court hearings are rescheduled for Leonid Khabarov, an alleged mastermind behind the new Russian revolution. (ITAR-TASS)
A private South Korean committee announces that it plans to file a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court against North Korea over repatriation of prisoners of war and remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War. (Yonhap)

Politics and elections

Guo Jinlong resigns as the Mayor of the Chinese capital Beijing with Wang Anshun appointed as the acting mayor. (Xinhua)
Pranab Mukherjee is sworn in as the President of India. (IBN Live).
North Korea state media declares the marriage of Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-ju. (BBC)
Union officials call off a public sector strike in the United Kingdom scheduled for the eve of the 2012 Olympics. (BBC)
The Scottish Government announce plans to legalise same-sex marriage, prospectively becoming the first part of the United Kingdom to do so. (BBC)
Ivica Dačić is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Serbia.

Sports

The 2012 Summer Olympics commences in Great Britain with the Women's football tournament. (CNN-IBN)

Transport

The UK's Manchester Airport launches an inquiry after an 11-year-old boy boarded a plane to Rome unaccompanied, and without passport, tickets or boarding pass. (BBC) (The Guardian)

July 26, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian Army is reportedly preparing for a large-scale offensive in Aleppo, with the US State Department citing credible reports of tank columns moving into the city, backed by special forces, helicopter gunships and fixed-wing aircraft. (Al-Jazeera)
  - The pro-government newspaper Al-Watan calls the incoming operation 'the mother of all battles'. (Al-Jazeera)
- At least 200 people are killed in violence throughout the country according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria. The toll is highest in Aleppo and the capital Damascus, where a total of 94 are killed. Dozens of casualties are reported from Idlib, Daraa and Homs as well. (CNN)
- Ikhlas al Badawi, Aleppo MP, a Baathists and an Assad loyalist, defects to Turkey with her six children. (Albawaba) (Reuters)

A bomb explosion in a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan close to the Afghan border kills at least seven people. (USA Today)
Insurgents attack an Iraqi Army checkpoint north of Baqubah, downing a helicopter and sparking an intense firefight. At least 19 people are reported killed, including 11 policemen and a soldier. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Business and economy

Japanese businessman Kenichi Watanabe resigns as the CEO of financial company Nomura Holdings following a series of insider trading scandals. (Reuters)
President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara meets with his French counterpart François Hollande in Paris to finalize a deal that will forgive a debt of nearly 4.7 billion dollars owed to the former colonial power.(Al Jazeera)

Disasters

Sixteen thousand people become homeless in North Korea after Tropical Storm Khanun hit last week. (BNO News)
Officials in Beijing raise the death toll from weekend flooding to 77 after rescuers located additional bodies. This follows criticism, including from the Chinese state media, of the city's handling of the storm.(Wall Street Journal)

Law and crime

Former Chinese political leader Bo Xilai's wife, Gu Kailai, and their employee Zhang Xiaojun are charged with murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. (BBC)(Reuters)
Four men are arrested for the murder of Saudi Arabian diplomat, Khalaf Ali, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 6 March 2012. (Chicago Tribune)

July 27, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian Armed Forces renew a bombardment of the city of Aleppo. (Reuters)
- Sixteen civilians, including five children and four women, are killed in bombing attacks of the Syrian army in Yalda village, south of Damascus. (Albawaba)
- The former head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria says the fall of Assad is only a "matter of time". (Al Jazeera)
Saudi security forces arrest a number of protesters in Qatif. (BBC)

Disasters

Landslides and flooding caused by Typhoon Vicente kill seven people in northern Vietnam. (AAP via Herald-Sun)

International relations

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges countries to bridge differences ahead of a deadline for a draft of a new global agreement to control international arms sales. Despite this, no agreement is reached. (BBC), (Miami Herald)

Law and crime

Lawyers for imprisoned disabled Chinese rights activist Ni Yulan challenge her convictions for fraud and "picking quarrels" in court. (Bangkok Post)

Arts and culture

Multi-platinum recording artists and American girl-group Fifth Harmony were put together on this very day on the The X Factor USA. (Bustle)

Politics and election

Suspended Romanian President Traian Băsescu urges his supporters to boycott this Sunday's referendum on his dismissal. (Reuters)
Mali's interim President Diouncounda Traore returns to the country after a two-month absence. (BBC)

Religious affairs

Pope Benedict XVI appoints bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone ninth Metropolitan Archbishop of San Francisco (Archdiocese of San Francisco)

Sports

The opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics takes place at the London Olympic Stadium with Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom declaring the Games open. (CNN), (BBC)

July 28, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Tanks of the Syrian Army commence attacks against the rebel-held city of Aleppo. (BBC)
Two NATO service members are killed in an attack in eastern Afghanistan. (USA Today)
Ethnic clashes in southern Ethiopia lead to the killing of at least 18 people and wounding of 12 others. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The sunken German U-Boat U-550 is discovered off the coast of Massachusetts, United States. (Der Spiegel)

Politics and elections

Andriy Shevchenko announces his retirement from football in order to go into politics. (BBC)

Sport

2012 Summer Olympics:
- In archery, Im Dong-Hyun of South Korea sets a new world record at Lord's Cricket Ground. (AP via New Zealand Herald)
- In swimming, Ye Shiwen of China sets a new world record in the women's 400 individual medley. (AP via ABC News)
- In swimming, Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa sets a new Olympic Record at the men's 100m breaststroke. (Chicago Tribune)
- In swimming, Australia sets a new Olympic Record in the women's 4× 100m freestyle relay. (Sport Live)

July 29, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Fierce fighting continues in Syria's second city of Aleppo. (Al Jazeera)
- Jordan opens its first camp for refugees fleeing Syria. (Petra News Agency)
A security agent serving for the Italian embassy in Sana'a is kidnapped by gunmen in Yemen. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Tropical Storm Khanun kills 88 people and leaves 60,000 homeless in North Korea, according to state media. (Business Week)

International relations

The Democratic Republic of the Congo accuses Rwanda of backing rebels hostile to the Congolese government. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Ten more Islamists are arrested in the United Arab Emirates as part of a crackdown on dissidents, according to activists. (Times of India)

Politics and elections

Thousands of anti-nuclear protesters form a human chain around the Japanese parliament in Tokyo. (Radio Television Hong Kong)
Thousands of people protest against plans to introduce national patriotism lessons in Hong Kong schools, calling it Chinese propaganda. (Bangkok Post)
Voters in Romania go to the polls for an impeachment referendum against the President of Romania Traian Băsescu. (BBC)

Science

New research published in this week's Nature Geoscience details a mechanism by which carbon is drawn down from the surface of the Southern Ocean to deeper water below. (France 24) (Phys.org)

July 30, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- 200,000 people flee intense fighting in Syria's largest city Aleppo. (BBC)
- Syria's chargé d'affaires in London, Khaled al-Ayoubi, resigns in protest over "oppressive acts" by the Syrian regime. (USA Today)

Arts and culture

Three women from Russian feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot go on trial in Moscow for holding an "unsanctioned performance" which called for the ouster of Vladimir Putin at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral in February. (BBC)
The sudden death of writer Maeve Binchy, who sold more than 40 million books worldwide, is announced on Irish television by Vincent Browne. (The Journal) (RTE)

Disasters and accidents

A train fire kills 32 passengers and injures 27 on the Tamil Nadu Express in Andhra Pradesh, India. (BBC) (Times of India)
A power grid failure in Delhi leaves more than 300 million people without power in northern India. Minister for Power Sushilkumar Shinde announces that all those affected should have power restored within "hours". (Reuters)
Nine people are killed after a train crash in Bratoszewice in Poland. (BBC)
A fire ignites at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati during pyrotechnic testing before WWE Raw. No one was injured. (WWE)

Law and crime

Four people are sentenced to death for their involvement in a bank fraud scandal in Iran. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff convenes a truth commission to investigate Brazil's military dictatorship. (Tagesschau)
Romanian President Traian Băsescu could survive the referendum on his impeachment that shows a massive vote against him but under 50% turnout.The Constitutional Court of Romania will give the final word on whether to validate the referendum later this week.(BBC)

Sport

2012 Summer Olympics:
- 15-year-old Rūta Meilutytė wins Lithuania's first ever Olympic gold in the pool. (BBC)
- In weightlifting, Kim Un-Guk of North Korea sets a new world record in winning a gold medal in the 52 kg class. (Reuters)
- In swimming, Dana Vollmer of the United States sets a new world record in the 100 meter butterfly. (CBS News)

July 31, 2012 (Tuesday)