Portal:Current events/2012 February 15

February 15, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2011–2012 Syrian uprising:
- The Syrian Army launches an offensive against Hama and continue the bombardment of Homs. (Reuters)
- Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, calls on the international community to rule out military intervention in Syria. (AP via MSNBC)
- 25 people are killed across Syria by security forces, primarily in the cities of Homs and Idlib. (Al Arabiya)
2011–2012 Bahraini uprising:
- Over 120 protesters are injured and some arrested in clashes with police who prevented protesters from celebrating the first anniversary of the uprising. (Reuters)
- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expresses concern over recent violence between security forces and demonstrators, urging authorities to exercise maximum restraint. (United Nations)
- Al Wefaq confirms informal contacts between senior officials and the government. (The Washington Times)

Arts and culture

The Portrait of Henrietta Moraes, a painting by Francis Bacon, sells at Christie's for £21.3 million, the second most valuable work of post-war contemporary art sold at the London auction house. (RTÉ)
Sony admits it increased the price of two Whitney Houston albums hours after she was found in the bathtub of her hotel room last Saturday. Fans react with outrage. (BBC)

Business and economy

Approximately 3000 coal miners working for BHP Billiton in the Australian state of Queensland commence a week-long strike. (Business Day)
The UK unemployment rate reaches a 17-year high. (The Guardian)
The Kellogg Company purchases snack maker Pringles from Procter & Gamble for US$2.7 billion. (BBC)

Disasters

Comayagua prison fire:
- 358 people perish in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of Comayagua. Many others are injured. (AP via Washington Post) (BBC) (AP via MSNBC)
- The President of Honduras Porfirio Lobo pledges a "full and transparent inquiry" into the events and suspends local and national prison officials. (BBC)

Law and crime

It is revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service and Met Police paid a family more than £600,000 in damages and costs in 2008 after a child witness was identified to a gang. It is believed to be one of the largest of its kind. (BBC) (Press Association via The Guardian)
Seventeen students at Texas Christian University in the U.S., including four members of the school's football team, are arrested on drug charges. An arrest warrant for one of the players alleges that drug use was rampant on the team and that at least three of the players were dealing drugs. (ESPN)

Politics

ACTA loses further support in Europe as Bulgaria and the Netherlands join Poland and Germany in declining to ratify it due to privacy and human rights concerns. (Reuters via The Guardian)
A giant statue of Kim Jong-il is unveiled in North Korea ahead of the 70th anniversary of his birthday. (BBC)