Portal:Current events/2011 November 9

November 9, 2011 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A British soldier is killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan. (BBC)
A U.S. Federal investigation finds gross mismanagement of the remains of servicemen and women at the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at Dover Air Force Base. (Washington Post)

Arts and culture

A survey of businesses and consumers in Wales indicates widespread support among both groups for the country to have its own top-level domain name. (BBC)
Taylor Swift wins Entertainer of the Year at the American Country Music Association Awards. (USA Today)

Business and economy

Italy's cost of borrowing reaches a record high, with interest rates on 10-year loans rising to 7%, as fears grow of an escalating economic crisis. (BBC)

Disasters

2011 Thailand floods:
- The death toll from the ongoing flooding in Thailand reaches 529. (AFP via Google)
- Floods are predicted to enter the centre of Bangkok early next week, and have already affected nearby roads and sewage systems, according to the Thai Flood Relief Operations Command (FROC). (The National) (Bangkok Post)
The British Ministry of Defence suspends training flights in aircraft with ejector seats similar to that which killed a Red Arrows pilot on Tuesday. (BBC)
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake hits Van, Turkey, leading to the collapse of numerous buildings. The tremor comes in the wake of last month's destructive 7.1 magnitude earthquake. (USA Today) (BBC)

Emergency Alerts

The first ever national test of the Emergency Alert System occurred on this date, at 2:00 p.m. EST. This test was transmitted with the Emergency Action Notification code, and was testing the ability to transmit a national-level emergency alert, such as a nuclear attack. This test failed, with 2 other Primary Entry Point (PEP) radio stations relaying the alert over the original alert itself, creating an echo effect. One of the overlaying PEP stations were WCCO (AM), and the other one cannot be determined. However, the issues in this alert have (mostly) been fixed.

International relations

Response to IAEA report on Iran's nuclear program:
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the International Atomic Energy Agency report is based on "empty claims" and that Iran would not budge from its nuclear program despite allegations it may be trying to develop nuclear weapons; European countries and the US say they will consider fresh sanctions against Iran. (BBC) (Reuters Africa) (Bloomberg)
- Russia dismisses calls for further sanctions against Iran in the aftermath of the report on suspect Iranian nuclear activities. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Thousands of students march in central London over a rise in university tuition fees. (BBC)
Members of the UK's National Association of Head Teachers vote to take strike action for the first time over planned changes to their pensions. (BBC)
Voters in San Francisco, California, elect Ed Lee as the city's interim Mayor. Lee is the first Asian-American to become Mayor of San Francisco. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Science

Russia's Fobos-Grunt mission to the Martian moon of Phobos runs into problems shortly after its launch, with no telemetry reported from the spacecraft. (MSNBC)
Dutch scientists build a nanoscopic electric car made of a single complex molecule. Currently the world's smallest vehicle, the nanocar is capable of travelling small distances when an electric current is applied to it. (BBC) (AdelaideNow)

Sports

The trustees of Pennsylvania State University sack the coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Joe Paterno, and the University president, Graham Spanier, following allegations of a coverup of sexual abuse by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. (Los Angeles Times)