Portal:Current events/2011 January 22

January 22, 2011 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Malaysian navy commandos foil a ship hijack attempt by Somali pirates, rescuing 23 crew and capturing 7 pirates in the Gulf of Aden. (BBC)
One person is killed and two others are injured in alleged Israeli tank shelling in the Gaza Strip, though the Israel Defense Forces denied they attacked and estimated that the blast was a failed rocket launch. (Al Jazeera) (Ynet)
Several people are injured and others are arrested as police break up a pro-democracy march in Algiers. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
Mexico says 10 suspected drug gang members were killed in shootout with soldiers in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

At least two people are killed in a blaze at a shopping centre in the southwest Russian city of Ufa. (RIA Novosti) (UPI)
The death toll from flooding in South Africa rises to 70 and more than 8,000 families are homeless. Five other nearby countries - Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - are threatened by killer heavy rains. (BBC)

International relations

Moqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi Shia leader, returns to Iran. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Dutch national Vincent Tabak is charged with the murder of Joanna Yeates, and will make his first court appearance on 24 January. (Sky News) (BBC)

Politics and elections

Opposition supporters are arrested in Belarus after the swearing-in of President Alexander Lukashenko. (Al Jazeera)
A civil society report reveals that more than a quarter of Zimbabweans on the voters' roll are deceased. (Times Live South Africa)
Albania's prime minister Sali Berisha vows there will be no Tunisia-style uprising in his country after three people are killed for protesting against the government's rule. (BBC)
Tunisia's prime minister Mohamed Ghannouchi promises in a TV interview to leave politics "in the shortest possible timeframe" after elections to be held following President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's recent fall. (BBC)
Situation in Ireland:
- Taoiseach Brian Cowen announces he is to make a "significant" statement on his leadership of the ruling Fianna Fáil party in Dublin at 14:00, to be broadcast on television and radio. (Reuters) (RTÉ News)
- Brian Cowen resigns as leader of Fianna Fáil on what he describes as being "on my own counsel". (Reuters) (The Guardian) (The Irish Times) (BBC) (RTÉ) (Brisbane Times)
- Enda Kenny, leader of the opposition party Fine Gael, announces the party's intention to put forward a motion of no confidence in Brian Cowen on Tuesday if Cowen does not seek the immediate dissolution of Dáil Éireann. Labour also has a motion of no confidence in the Government scheduled for Wednesday, while Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams requests an immediate election. (The Irish Times)
- Shadow finance spokesperson Michael Noonan promises that, if the Irish government resigns, the opposition Fine Gael party will give quicker support for the Finance Bill intended to impose harsh austerity measures upon the country. He offers to facilitate the Green Party in getting out of the Irish government coalition. (RTÉ)

Science

An unmanned Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle HTV-2 Resupply Craft was launched atop the H-IIB rocket Saturday on a mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. (CNN)