Portal:Current events

Worldwide current events | Sports events

Topics in the news

The English Wikipedia, along with many other websites, takes part in a 24-hour shutdown in protest against U.S. bills SOPA and PIPA. In the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ma Ying-jeou (pictured) is re-elected as president and the Kuomintang retains its majority in the Legislative Yuan. The cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground and capsizes off the coast of Tuscany, with at least eleven fatalities. Anote Tong is re-elected President of Kiribati. Rauf Denktaş, the founder and the first president of Northern Cyprus, dies at the age of 87.

Current events of January 20, 2012 (2012-01-20) (Friday) Romanian protests: Thousands of people demonstrate demanding the resignation of president Traian Băsescu and the Boc II Cabinet. (BBC) Writer Salman Rushdie withdraws from the Jaipur Literature Festival in India due to new concerns about his possible assasination. (BBC) January 20, 2012 Wikinews articles Wikinews Shorts: January 20, 2012 Current events of January 19, 2012 (2012-01-19) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011–2012 Syrian uprising: The Arab League observer mission ends, with its report to be reviewed at the weekend. (CBC) Business and economy Kodak files for bankruptcy protection. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Five people are killed and thousands of others are affected following the first tropical storm to hit Mozambique since 1984. (AFP via Google News) Law and crime The FBI shuts down Megaupload. In response, hacker group Anonymous shuts down the United States Department of Justice website and many websites of the government and entertainment industry. (Washington Post) (CNET) News International pays out compensation to 37 people, including the actor Jude Law and politician John Prescott over phone hacking by the News of the World. (BBC) Politics and elections Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye and several others are arrested. (Al Jazeera) The army of Bangladesh says it has foiled a military coup. (BBC) Rick Perry drops out of the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries and endorses rival candidate Newt Gingrich. (CBS News) Science A decision by the International Telecommunication Union on whether to abolish the leap second is postponed until 2015 pending the results of further studies. (Time) Sports Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke dies from complications of injuries she received in a skiing accident nine days earlier. (BBC) January 19, 2012 Wikinews articles Rick Perry withdraws from U.S. presidential race, endorses Gingrich US government, music industry websites taken offline in web attack Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi to contest in by-election Current events of January 18, 2012 (2012-01-18) (Wednesday) Disasters Italian cruise ship captain Francesco Schettino admits having made navigational errors that led to the capsizing of the Costa Concordia in Italian waters on January 13, killing at least 11 people. (BBC) Law and crime Severed human hands and feet are found near the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California, close to where a man's severed head was recently discovered. Los Angeles police continue their search for more body parts connected with the case. (Huffington Post) Federal prosecutors in the United States charge seven people with insider trading in shares of computer firm Dell Inc., alleging that the ring made a criminal profit of nearly $62 million. (Reuters) Politics and elections Protests against Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act: Several major websites, including Reddit and the English Wikipedia, undergo blackouts in protest against controversial internet legislation proposed by the United States Congress. The two pieces of legislation in question are designed to combat online piracy, but are feared to inadvertently threaten online innovation and freedom of speech. (New York Times) A number of American lawmakers, including SOPA co-sponsor Marco Rubio, withdraw their support for the SOPA proposal. (BBC) (Washington Post) The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani, appears before Pakistan's Supreme Court, facing contempt proceedings that could see him barred from holding public office if found guilty. (BBC) Science A new Neptune-sized exoplanet is discovered by an amateur astronomer in Peterborough, England. (BBC) January 18, 2012 Wikinews articles Salman Rushdie may not attend literature festival in India following widespread protests Meteorites in Morocco found to be from Mars Wikinews interviews Sue Gardner on Wikipedia blackout India and China to develop friendly relations Current events of January 17, 2012 (2012-01-17) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Unknown assailants kill 2 Hungarians, 2 Germans and an Austrian in northeastern Ethiopia. (Al Jazeera) 2011–2012 Syrian uprising: Syria rejects calls for Arab troops to intervene in the country's conflict. (News24) 25 people are killed by Syrian security forces in the latest violence. (Voice of America) Officials in Burma order the military to stop offensives in ethnic minority areas. (Bangkok Post) 2011–2012 Yemeni uprising: Vice President Abdurabu Hadi says that presidential and parliamentary elections planned for next month will go ahead. (CNN) Business and economy Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang resigns as chief executive officer. (San Jose Mercury News) Disasters and accidents At least 26 people are killed after a truck's brakes fail along a busy street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (BBC) International relations India and China agree to establish a working mechanism to deal with border issues. (The Hindu) Politics Crackdown on dissidents in the People's Republic of China: Authorities in China charge dissident Zhu Yufu for "subverting state power". (The New York Times) Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of new North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, predicts the regime will fall if reforms are not made soon. (UPI) Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng orders an investigation into a guerrilla-style standoff with farmers who laid land mines and firing improvised shotguns amid a land eviction. (Straits Times) Science Abdollah Jassbi resigns as President of Islamic Azad University after near thirty years in position. (Tabnak) January 17, 2012 Wikinews articles Online retailer Zappos.com hit by hackers Wikipedia, Reddit in 'blackout' against SOPA, PROTECT IP laws Woman gives birth on New Jersey PATH train Jon Huntsman ends U.S. presidential campaign, endorses Mitt Romney Current events of January 16, 2012 (2012-01-16) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Romanian protests: Demonstrations continue for the fifth consecutive day against president Traian Băsescu and the Emil Boc government in more than 60 cities across the country. (Realitatea TV) Culture John Burnside wins the T. S. Eliot Prize. (The Guardian) The King Center publishes online 200,000 personal papers belonging to Martin Luther King, Jr. to mark his birthday. (BBC News) Business and economy European sovereign debt crisis: The Standard & Poors credit rating agency lowers its long-term credit rating on the EFSF, the eurozone's bailout fund to help indebted European countries with their finances, from AAA to AA+ following the downgrade of France and Austria, who are two of the fund's backers. (FT) The online shoe retailer Zappos reports that up to 24 million customer accounts may have been accessed by hackers, and has warned its customers to change their passwords. (The Guardian) Seán Quinn, Ireland's richest person as recently as 2008, is declared bankrupt at the High Court. (RTÉ News) Politics Proinsias De Rossa announces his decision to resign as MEP for the Dublin constituency. (RTÉ News) Technology The English Wikipedia will be shut down on Wednesday in protest against anti-piracy legislation proposed by the United States Congress. (Wikimedia Foundation)(The Guardian) January 16, 2012 Wikinews articles Russian spacecraft Phobos-Grunt falls in Pacific Ocean Dozens killed, injured after blast hits Shias in Punjab, Pakistan Current events of January 15, 2012 (2012-01-15) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks A bomb detonates near a Shia Muslim procession in the Pakistani town of Khanpur, killing at least 18 people and wounding 30. (The Guardian) Insurgents trigger bombs and storm a police station in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, with six people reportedly killed and 14 injured. (BBC) Clashes continue between demonstrators and riot police in Romania, after thousands take to the streets for a third day of protests. (BBC) 2011–2012 Bahraini uprising: Opposition leaders and activists say reforms proposed by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa are "cosmetic" and will do little to stop the uprising. (Al Jazeera) 2011–2012 Syrian uprising: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls on the Syrian regime to "stop killing its own people". (Daily Star Lebanon) President Bashar al-Assad offers a general amnesty for crimes committed since the uprising began. (The Independent) Business and economy The Russian tanker Renda, accompanied by the US Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy, prepares to deliver fuel to Nome, Alaska. A fall storm had blocked an earlier fuel delivery, leaving the city facing fuel shortages. (AP via Google) Disasters A fuel freighter, the Doola No. 3, explodes near the South Korean port city of Incheon, killing at least three crew members. (CNN) (Los Angeles Times) (MSNBC) Three trapped survivors are rescued from the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia, over 24 hours after it ran aground off the coast of Italy. Two corpses are also found, bringing the known death toll of the incident to five. (BBC) International relations South Sudan accuses neighboring Sudan of "stealing" its oil exports. (Al Jazeera) Politics and elections Jon Huntsman will drop out of the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries and will endorse rival candidate Mitt Romney, according to media reports. (CNN) (BBC) Science Russia's unmanned Fobos-Grunt space probe re-enters the Earth's atmosphere after a failed mission to the Martian moon Phobos. The 13-ton spacecraft disintegrates over the southern Pacific Ocean at approximately 16:45 UTC. China's first Mars probe, Yinghuo-1, which was launched together with Fobos-Grunt, is also destroyed. (BBC) (Spaceflight 101) Sports Finnish enduro rider and five-time world champion Mika Ahola dies from injuries sustained during training in Girona, Spain. (The Daily Mirror) January 15, 2012 Wikinews articles Current events of January 14, 2012 (2012-01-14) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks A suicide bomber kills at least 53 people and injures more than 130 in the Iraqi city of Basra. (CNN) Violent protests occur in Bucharest, Romania, as two-day-old demonstrations continue against President Traian Băsescu's economic austerity measures. Clashes are reported in numerous Romanian cities between protesters and law enforcement officers. (Antena 3) (Washington Post) Disasters A power transformer malfunction in Bursa, Turkey, leaves millions without electricity, including the metropolis of Istanbul. (Washington Post) Rescue teams find two survivors trapped inside the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia, which ran aground off the coast of Tuscany on January 13, killing at least three people. The ship's captain is detained by police for questioning. (New Zealand Herald) International relations The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, proposes that Arab League troops be sent to Syria to end ongoing violence in the country. (VoA) Politics and elections Voters in the Republic of China go to the polls for the 2012 presidential election. Incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou ultimately wins re-election with 51% of the vote, defeating Democratic Progressive Party chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen. (MSNBC) (China Post) January 14, 2012 Wikinews articles Man killed in police shooting in Brooklyn, New York More January 2012 events...

Time: 16:22 UTC  |  Day: 20 January  |   << January 2012 >> S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31    More January 2012 events... About this page • Suggest a headline News about Wikipedia  Ongoing events 2011 East Africa drought 2011 Southern US drought 2011 Tuvalu drought Economic Global financial crisis European sovereign debt crisis Greek economic crisis Smartphone patent wars Medical HIV/AIDS in Africa 2011 United States listeriosis outbreak Political Occupy movement — anti-corruption 2011 United States public employee protests 2011 Chilean protests Anti-austerity protests Greek protests 2011 Spanish protests Israeli social protests Arab Spring Post-Tunisian revolution Post-Egyptian revolution Post-Libyan civil war Syrian uprising - ongoing Moroccan protests - reforms Yemeni uprising - transition Bahraini uprising - repressed Jordanian protests - reforms News International phone hacking scandal Scientific Expedition 30  Recent deaths January 19: Sarah Burke 17: Aengus Fanning 14: Pearse Hutchinson 13: Rauf Denktaş 11: Frank Cook 11: Edgar Kaiser 10: Mary Raftery 9 : Bridie Gallagher 9: Malam Bacai Sanhá 8: John Madin 6: Bob Holness 6: Bob Weston 4: Eve Arnold 4: Harry Fowler 2: Gordon Hirabayashi 1: Gary Ablett 1: Bob Anderson 1: Kiro Gligorov 1: Ed Jenkins  Ongoing conflicts Global War on Terror Terrorist incidents Operation Active Endeavour Operation Enduring Freedom War on Drugs Africa Maghreb insurgency OEF - Trans Sahara Casamance conflict Niger Delta conflict Nigerian Sharia conflict South Kordofan conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Somalia: Civil war War 2009- Piracy OEF - Horn of Africa Europe North Caucasus insurgency Ingushetia civil war Dissident Irish Republican campaign Middle East Iraqi insurgency Iran-Jundallah conflict Arab–Israeli conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Palestinian political violence and rocket attacks Yemen: Terrorism al-Qaeda crackdown South Yemen insurgency Shia insurgency Kurdistan: Turkey–PKK conflict Asia Afghanistan War Military operations Taliban insurgency Pakistan: Terrorism North-West War Balochistan conflict Drone attacks Sectarian violence India: Terrorism Jammu and Kashmir insurgency Naxalite-Maoist insurgency Northeast India insurgency Nagaland ethnic conflict Kashmir conflict Siachen conflict Korean maritime border incidents Southeast Asia: Laos insurgency South Thailand insurgency Cambodian–Thai border dispute Territorial disputes in the South China Sea Islamic insurgency in the Philippines Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines Papua conflict Americas Colombian armed conflict (1964–present) Mexican Drug War  Elections Recent: January 3–4/10–11: Egypt, Parliament (3rd phase) 13: Kiribati, President 14: Republic of China (Taiwan), President and Legislative Yuan (Parliament) 15: Kazakhstan, Parliament Upcoming: January 22: Finland, President (1st round) 22: Croatia, Referendum 29–30 January/5–6 February: Egypt, Shura Council (1st phase) Upcoming: February 2: Kuwait, Parliament 12: Turkmenistan, President 14–15 February/21–22 February: Egypt, Shura Council (2nd phase) 21: Yemen, President 26: Senegal, President  Trials Recently concluded Cambodia: Kang Kek Iew France: Jacques Chirac, John Galliano Germany: John Demjanjuk Italy: Amanda Knox, Raffaele Sollecito Indonesia: Abu Bakar Bashir Netherlands: Geert Wilders Peru: Joran van der Sloot Russia: Bhagavad Gita As It Is Ukraine: Yulia Tymoshenko United Kingdom: Levi Bellfield, Robert Black, Vincent Tabak United States: Faisal Shahzad, Noshir Gowadia, Buju Banton, Barry Bonds, Raj Rajaratnam, Rod Blagojevich, Casey Anthony, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Conrad Murray Ongoing Cambodia: Khmer Rouge Tribunal Canada: Russell Williams China: Organized crime in Chongqing France: Church of Scientology, Carlos the Jackal Germany: Heinrich Boere Iraq: Supreme Criminal Tribunal Iran: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Netherlands: Thomas Lubanga (ICC), Radovan Karadžić (ICTY) Palau: Tommy Remengesau Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr. Russia: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev Sierra Leone: Charles Taylor (SCFSL) Singapore: Tak Boleh Tahan South Africa: Chris Mahlangu Sudan: Lubna al-Hussein Thailand: Thaksin Shinawatra Tunisia: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Turkey: Ergenekon network United States: Roger Clemens, Ahmed Ghailani, David Headley, Jared Lee Loughner, Charles P. White, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Viktor Bout Upcoming Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Alaa Mubarak, Gamal Mubarak Norway: Anders Behring Breivik United States: Allen Stanford, Nidal Malik Hasan, John Edwards, Javaris Crittenton

Events by month

2011

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Content listings

Lists

• Featured content
• Overviews
• Portals
• Lists
• Outlines
• Glossaries
• Indexes

• Reference
• Culture
• Geography
• Health
• History
• Mathematics
• Nature
• People
• Philosophy
• Religion
• Society
• Technology

• Academic disciplines
• Anniversaries (today)
• Countries and territories
• Current events
• People (deaths this year)
• Timelines (centuries · decades)

Indices

• A–Z index
• Categories
• Dewey Decimal classes
• Library of Congress Classification
• Roget's Thesaurus
• Spoken articles
• Wikipedia books