Portal:Current events/2011 November 2
Appearance
November 2, 2011
(Wednesday)
Arts and culture
- French author Alexis Jenni wins France's literary Prix Goncourt for his novel L'Art français de la guerre. (BBC) (Bloomberg)
Disasters
- Eight people are killed and dozens injured after a freight train collides with a bus at a level crossing in central Argentina. (AFP via Sydney Morning Herald)
Law and crime
- Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange loses his appeal in England's High Court against extradition to Sweden to face questioning over sexual assault allegations. (The Guardian)
- Four men are arrested in the U.S. state of Georgia for plotting to kill government officials with explosives and the toxic substance ricin. (Washington Post)
- Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is convicted in New York City for conspiracy to smuggle weapons to the Colombian terrorist group FARC. (The Guardian)
- American actress Lindsay Lohan is sentenced to 30 days in a Los Angeles jail for breaching the terms of her parole. (E! Online)
International relations
- Gaza aid flotilla:
- An international flotilla of ships makes its way to the Gaza Strip on a purported humanitarian mission, with participants including Irish MEP Paul Murphy and former Irish parliamentarian Chris Andrews. (The Guardian) (RTE)
- Israel vows to stop the flotilla from reaching its destination. (Reuters)
- Russia and Georgia strike a deal that will allow Russia to enter the World Trade Organization. (The Moscow Times)
Politics and elections
- Greek economic referendum:
- The Greek Cabinet unanimously supports plans by Prime Minister George Papandreou to hold a referendum on the European Union's proposed economic rescue plan. (AP via Newser)
- The President of France Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel warn that a sixth tranche of financial aid will not be paid to Greece unless the referendum is successful. (Market Watch) (Wall Street Journal)
Science
- China's unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft successfully docks with the orbiting Tiangong 1 space station module, marking China's first orbital docking. (BBC) (China.org)
Sport
- In baseball, the Chicago Cubs fire their manager Mike Quade. (ESPN)