Portal:Current events/2012 November 21

Current events of November 21, 2012 (2012-11-21) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Operation Pillar of Defense:
  • A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, announced by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, comes into effect at 7:00 pm local time. (CBC News) (The Jerusalem Post) (CNN)
  • Over 160 rockets were fired into Israel on Tuesday killing one Israeli soldier and a civilian. One of the rockets fired from Gaza landed near Bethlehem, in the West Bank. Israel drones and airstrikes also kill 31 Palestinians, including civilians. (The Jerusalem Post)
  • At least 28 are wounded after a bomb is thrown onto a bus in Tel Aviv, including three seriously wounded. Hamas claims responsibility for the explosion and there are widespread celebrations in the streets of Gaza. (Al Jazeera) (The Jerusalem Post)
  • The Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts of Israeli Deputy Premier Silvan Shalom are hacked and filled with pro-Palestine status updates. ZCompanyHackingCrew claims responsibility for the act. (RT)
• Syrian civil war:
  • Turkey asks for Patriot missiles to be deployed on its territory at the border with Syria. (Reuters)
  • Syrian warplanes bomb the suburbs of the capital Damascus as fighting continues. (RTÉ) (Times Live South Africa)
  • In Aleppo, a hospital was bombed by an airstrike, killing 40. (CNN)
• 2012 East DR Congo conflict:
  • Hundreds of government soldiers and policemen surrender to M23 rebels at a stadium in the city of Goma, which fell to rebel forces on November 20. (Al Jazeera)
• 2011–2012 Libyan factional fighting:
  • Unidentified gunmen shoot and kill Benghazi's police chief Faraj al-Deirsy in front of his home in the latest attack against security officials in Libya's second largest city. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• The United States bans Tim Pat Coogan, one of Ireland's most recognisable historians and a leading authority on Éamon de Valera and Michael Collins. As a result his book tour is cancelled. The decision is described as a major shock and blot against United States Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney. (Irish Central)
• Will Rogers World Airport in the U.S. state of Oklahoma is shut down over the discovery of a painted golden object with a hole in the bottom in the luggage of musician Wayne Coyne. The object is mistaken for a live grenade by frightened staff. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• Mount Tongariro, a volcano on the North Island of New Zealand, erupts for the second time in four months, with efforts underway to rescue people on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. (News Limited)
• An Antonov military plane crashes in the Sana'a, capital of Yemen, killing all 10 people on board included five military officers. (BBC)

Law and crime

• India executes Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunmen in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He is hanged after his mercy petition is rejected. (ABC News Australia)
• Puerto Rican professional boxer Héctor Camacho is shot multiple times in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The driver of Camacho's car is killed in the attack. Camacho was shot in the neck and face and taken to St. Paul's Hospital in Río Piedras, where he was pronounced to be in critical condition shortly thereafter. (El Nuevo Herald)

Politics and elections

• President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins calls for an investigation into the death of Savita Halappanavar to meet the needs of a "concerned public" as Savita's husband Praveen continues his battle against Ireland's government and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to hold a sworn, public inquiry into her death, which he believes occurred due to her being denied an abortion. (Irish Independent)
• Jesse Jackson, Jr. resigns from U.S. Congress due to health problems and federal criminal investigation of his activities. (Chicago Tribune)

Science and technology

• Toshiba Corporation unveil a robot that they believe will help in nuclear disasters and could enter the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant damaged during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. (Daily Record)

Sport

• Roberto Di Matteo is sacked by Chelsea F.C. after a 2012–13 UEFA Champions League defeat 0-3 to Juventus F.C. left them in danger of becoming the first title holders to exit the competition in the group stage. Di Matteo managed Chelsea to their first ever Champions League title in Munich last May. Rafael Benítez appointed Chelsea interim manager until end of season. (ESPN) (The Guardian)
• The 2012–13 UEFA Europa League game between Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona F.C. and Athletic Bilbao which was scheduled to take place on 22 November at the Kiryat Eliezer Stadium in Haifa is postponed by UEFA due to the tense security situation in the region. (UEFA)