Portal:Current events/2012 February 9

February 9, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syria:
- Syrian Army troops continue to pour into Homs as part of the latest offensive, with scores of civilians and anti-government protesters reported as having been killed in the past day. (Reuters)
- Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, condemned the "appalling brutality" of the operation with estimates as high 110 people dead today. (Reuters)
The United States Department of Defense issues new guidelines removing restrictions on use of women in combat. (MSNBC News)

Business and economy

Greek government debt crisis:
- Talks continue in order to resolve the debt crisis with a tentative agreement made. (AP) (AP via Sydney Morning Herald)
- Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the Euro Group, gives the Hellenic Parliament a deadline of Sunday to pass legislation. (BBC)
Eastman Kodak Co. announces that it will no longer make digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames in an effort to save money during bankruptcy. (Reuters)

Disasters

Another 6000 Australians in northern New South Wales are expected to become isolated over the next few days as a result of flood waters including residents of Goodoga and Lightning Ridge. (Daily Telegraph)
The New Zealand Department of Building and Housing issues a report saying that the CTV Building that collapsed during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake killing 115 people did not meet relevant building standards when it was built in 1986. (Fairfax New Zealand via New Zealand Stuff)

International Relations

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper goes on an official visit to China, meeting with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, and Vice-Premier Li Keqiang. The two countries sign trade deals worth over $3 billion. (CBC)

Law

Spain's best-known judge Baltasar Garzón, who helped arrest Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and was charged with attempting to investigate Franco-era crimes against humanity, is banned from the legal profession for 11 years, without appeal, for illegal wire-tapping. (Aljazeera) (BBC) (The Guardian)

Sport

Analyst Roland S. Martin is suspended from CNN over numerous offensive comments he made about gay men on Twitter during the broadcast of Super Bowl XLVI. (TIME)
In football, UEFA suspends Czech defender David Bystroň of Viktoria Plzeň for two years for testing positive for a banned substance after a Champions League match against Belarus side BATE Borisov. (AFP via Google News)