Portal:Current events/2011 October 9

October 9, 2011 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

2011 Libyan civil war: ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's stronghold of Sirte is reportedly close to being conquered by the forces of the National Transitional Council, who have captured the city's airport, hospital, university and conference centre. (BBC)
At least 25 people are killed and many more injured after protesters and security forces clash in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, during a protest in response to an attack on a Coptic church. (BBC) (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney marries American heiress Nancy Shevell at a ceremony in London. (BBC)

Disasters

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake hits the southern coast of El Hierro in the southwestern Canary Islands of Spain, the strongest such earthquake to occur in an earthquake swarm on the island. The quake is believed to have been caused by rising magma, which has forced evacuations amid fears of an impending volcanic eruption, which last occurred on El Hierro in 1793. (Irish Weather Online) (Daily Mail) (Philippine Star)^{[permanent dead link‍]}

Politics and elections

Voters in Cameroon go to the polls for a presidential election, with incumbent President Paul Biya likely to be re-elected. (AFP via Fen)
Voters in Poland go to the polls for a parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform – Polish People's Party coalition becoming the first government to be reelected since Poland transitioned to democracy in 1989. (AFP via Google News) (Reuters)
The French Socialist Party holds a nationwide primary election to choose its candidate for the 2012 presidential election, with over 1 million voters participating and François Hollande and Martine Aubry entering a run-off election. (France24) (Bloomberg via Business Week)
Having spread across the United States, anti-corruption Occupy Wall Street protests reach Canada, London, and The Hague. (Radio Netherlands)

Sport