July 12, 2012 (Thursday)
Armed conflict and attacks
- Syrian uprising (2011-present):
- Battle of Tremseh
- At least 200 people are reportedly killed by the Syrian army in the Syrian village of Tremseh, in Hama province. (BBC)
- Battle of Tremseh
- 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)