Portal:Current events/2012 April 22

Current events of April 22, 2012 (2012-04-22) (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks Bahraini uprising: Renewed protests against the regime break out overnight with police firing tear gas and stun grenades at civilians. Chants of "Down with Hamad," calling for the King of Bahrain to be ousted from power, are reported by witnesses. (RTE) King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa issues a pledge of "reform and reconciliation" ahead of the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix. (Sky News) Despite calls for the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix to be cancelled following the death of a man, the race is staged, under armed guard. (BBC) Turnout is reported to be low, though Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, heir apparent to the Bahraini throne, is seen smiling and shaking hands with other spectators at the finish. (Reuters) It is revealed that Force India tried to pull out of the race and return to Britain but, after the team's refusal to take to the circuit, there was a confrontation between Bernie Ecclestone and the Force India team. (Daily Mirror) The Sunday Telegraph's chief foreign correspondent Colin Freeman and his fixer and translator are arrested. Activist Ala'a Shehabi is arrested after reporting the arrest of Colin Freeman. The Guardian reports the arrest of Ala'a Shehabi. (The Guardian) Calls for afternoon protests at the destroyed Pearl Roundabout, the original site of the uprising against the ruling Al Khalifa family, get underway as the race ends, while protests are also held outside the London offices of Formula One chief, Bernie Ecclestone, with demonstrators chanting "down, down Bernie" and "shame on you Bernie". (Al Jazeera) Anonymous, which last week took out the official website of Formula One, posts partially redacted data concerning dozens of race ticket holders found on Formula One servers. The international group also posts a statement online saying it intends to carry out further action if imprisoned hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja or his family are harmed, promising to "respond with fury and rage the likes of which have never been seen." (NPR) British politician Peter Hain expresses dismay that the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix has been allowed to take place. (ITV News) A United Kingdom Channel 4 news team is arrested with a Bahraini driver reported as having been assaulted. (Channel 4) One RKK (Runda Kumpulan Kecil) separatist group member and a Thai policeman are killed in a firefight in the village of Ruso in Thailand's Narathiwat Province. (Bangkok Post) Sudan launches a fresh incursion into South Sudan. (Al Jazeera) Health In response to an outbreak of an unidentified fatal disease in Quang Ngai province, Vietnam, the Vietnamese government asks for help from the World Health Organization. (USA Today) A 30-year-old woman collapses and dies while running in the London Marathon. (BBC) International relations Egyptian officials scrap a deeply unpopular agreement to supply Israel with natural gas. Former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak, ousted in last year's revolution, had been accused of selling the gas too cheaply. (BBC) (Reuters) U.S. and Afghan negotiators finalise an agreement concerning the continuing U.S. presence in Afghanistan after the U.S. withdraws its troops at the end of 2014. (BBC) The United States investigates dozens of its troops in Afghanistan in relation to use and distribution of heroin, morphine or other opiates during 2010 and 2011 as the U.S. military struggles to watch its far-flung troops and monitor for substance abuse. (AP via The Sydney Morning Herald) Russia and China begin naval exercises in the Yellow Sea. (CNN) Politics and elections Voters in France go to the polls for the first round of the French presidential election with François Hollande of the French Socialist Party and incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy through to the second round. (AFP via News Limited) (AFP via Sydney Morning Herald) The Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Peter Slipper steps aside while allegations of sexual harassment and fraud against him are investigated. (Sydney Morning Herald) Fan protests at a Serie A match between Genoa and Siena disrupt play. (BBC)