June 12, 2011 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2011 Syrian uprising:
- Syrian forces raid the town of Jisr al-Shugur where troops allegedly fought army defectors. (Al Jazeera) (Today's Zaman)[permanent dead link]
- 2011 Iranian protests:
- Iranian authorities disperse and arrest protesters in the capital Tehran marking the second anniversary of the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President. (AFP via Google News)
- A second opposition activist and journalist on hunger strike dies in prison. (CBC)
- 2011 Libyan civil war:
- Fighting erupts in the west of the country, as rebels attempt to take more towns from forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. (Daily Star Lebanon) (Al Jazeera)
- 2011 Yemeni uprising:
- Talks to end the political crisis in the country fail as the deputy to wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh refuses to speak to those demanding he cede power. (Reuters)
- Clashes between Islamist militants and government forces kill 40 in southern Yemen. (Arirang News)
- The International Monetary Fund is hit by a major cyber attack. (The Telegraph)
- A bomb is detonated outside a local government headquarters in Tianjin, northeastern China. This is the third explosion outside government facilities in three weeks. (Wall Street Journal)
Business and economy
- The leaders of the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the East African Community signed an agreement in South Africa to develop a joint free trade bloc to stretch from Cape Town to Cairo, to encompass 26 countries. (Reuters) (Business Week)
Disasters and accidents
- Ash clouds from the erupting Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in Chile disrupt and cancel international flights, leaving thousands stranded. (CNN) (Financial Times)
- Over 600 people are poisoned by lead in Zhejiang, eastern China. (Xinhua) (Indian Express)
- A series of moderate magnitude 4-5 earthquakes hit eastern Eritrea, preceding reports of a possible volcanic eruption. (The Lincoln Tribune) (Earthquake Report)
International relations
- Italian MEP and diplomat Mario Borghezio is expelled and given a bloody nose during an attempt to access the Suvretta House luxury hotel hosting the Bilderberg Group's secretive annual conference in the Swiss resort of St. Moritz. (Business Insider)
- An anti-China protest takes place in Hanoi, Vietnam, for the second weekend in a row, amid a territorial dispute between the two countries. (Voice of America) (AFP via Google News)
- The United Nations Security Council reports that Iran is buying foreign banks and money-exchange bureaus to sidestep economic sanctions. (Jerusalem Post)
Politics and elections
- Indian activist Swami Ramdev ends a hunger strike against corruption. (Times of India)
- A second nationwide strike takes place in Bangladesh over changes to the electoral system. (Straits Times)
- Voters in Turkey go to the polls for a general election. (Today's Zaman)[permanent dead link] (PressTV)
Sports
- The Dallas Mavericks win their first NBA title 4-2 over the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.