Portal:Current events/2012 October 12

Current events of October 12, 2012 (2012-10-12) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Arab Spring:
  • Syrian civil war: Rebels capture an air base east of Aleppo. (Al Jazeera)
  • Bahraini uprising (2011–present): Police fire tear gas and stun grenades at anti-government protesters in the capital Manama. (Reuters)
  • Egypt: Supporters and opponents of president Mohamed Morsi clash in Tahrir Square, leaving more than 100 people injured. (AFP via Google News) (The Irish Times)
• 2012 Northern Mali conflict: The United Nations Security Council unanimously passes a resolution approving an African-led force to assist the army of Mali in ousting Islamist militants who have seized the north of the country. (Daily Star of Lebanon)

Business and economy

• Standard & Poor's downgrades South Africa's long-term foreign currency sovereign credit rating from 'BBB+' to 'BBB' and the long-term local currency rating from 'A' to 'A-'. (RIA Novosti)

International relations

• The European Union wins the 2012 [[Nobel Peace Prize]; "for over six decades [having] contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe". (The Telegraph)

Law and crime

• The British government is dragged into the nationwide scandal surrounding former BBC presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile, who faces hundreds of allegations surrounding his conduct in the presence of teenage girls. (The Guardian)
• The UK's largest independent investigation into police wrongdoing will be conducted following a damning report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. (BBC)
• The high court of Botswana overturns a customary law which prevented women from inheriting the family home. (IRIN)

Sport

• In 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group C, Republic of Ireland lose 6–1 to Germany, their joint worst ever competitive defeat and their worst home defeat since 1931. Calls increase for the removal of manager Giovanni Trapattoni. (ESPN) (The Irish Times) (Deutsche Welle) (The Times of India)