January 3, 2012 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Aftermath of 2011 Libyan civil war: elements of former anti-Gaddafi forces from Tripoli and Misrata clash in the center of Tripoli, with five people reportedly killed. (The Huffington Post)
- War in Afghanistan:
- A suicide bomber kills four civilians and a police officer in the Afghan city of Kandahar. (AP via USA Today)
- At least twelve people are killed in three bombing attacks in southern Afghanistan. (BBC)
Business and economy
- Unemployment in Spain reaches a record high. (The Guardian)
- Germany's unemployment rate reportedly reaches its lowest level since 1991. (BBC)
Disasters
- The Met Office issues a storm warning for the entire United Kingdom, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland reportedly the worst-affected areas. Two people are later reported killed in separate weather-related incidents. (Belfast Telegraph) (BBC)
International relations
- Negotiators from Israel and the Palestinian Authority meet in the Jordanian capital, Amman, for the first time in 16 months. (Jerusalem Post)
- Iran:
- The value of the Iranian rial hits a record low, following the announcement by the United States of further economic sanctions against Iran. (RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty)
- Iran warns the United States not to send any more aircraft carriers into the Persian Gulf. (Reuters)
- South Korea lifts a temporary ban that it placed on travel to North Korea after the death of Kim Jong-Il. (Yonhap)
Law and crime
- After 18 years of investigations and inquests, Gary Dobson and David Norris are convicted of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in the London suburb of Eltham on 22 April 1993. Dobson and Norris are later sentenced to 15 years and 14 years' imprisonment, respectively. (BBC) (The Independent)
- An Ecuadorean appeals court upholds an $18 billion judgement against the US oil company Chevron Corporation. (Reuter via Yahoo! News)
Politics and elections
- Voters in the U.S. state of Iowa go to the polls for electoral caucuses, with Mitt Romney defeating Rick Santorum by 8 votes in the Republican Party contest, and Ron Paul following in third place. (BBC) (Los Angeles Times) (Wall Street Journal)
- Voters in Egypt go to the polls for the third round of voting for the lower house of the national parliament. (Reuters via The Irish Times)
- Libya appoints Yousef al-Manqoush as the new head of its armed forces. (Reuters)