Portal:Current events/2012 February 4

February 4, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Arab Spring:
- 2011–2012 Syrian uprising:
  - The United Nations Security Council votes on an Arab League proposal to resolve problems in Syria with reports of hundreds of people dead in the past couple of days as a result of shelling in Homs - the People's Republic of China and Russia veto the resolution. (BBC) (Al-Arabiya) (Reuters via the Hindustan Times)
  - Twelve people are arrested at the Syrian Embassy in London as part of a worldwide protest against the shelling. (BBC), (The Telegraph)
  - Protesters are also reported to have stormed Syrian embassies in Kuwait, Egypt, Australia, Germany and Greece. (AP via Google News) (The Telegraph) (ABC News Australia)
  - Tunisia is to withdraw its recognition of the Syrian government. (Reuters)
  - The Arab Parliament calls for Arab countries to sever relations with Syria. (IOL)
- 2011–2012 Bahraini uprising: An increasing number of anti-government protests take place in Bahrain in the build up to the first anniversary of the start of the protests. (Al Jazeera)
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan estimates that civilian deaths in the war in Afghanistan rose to a record level in 2011 of 3021 with insurgents responsible for most of the deaths. (AAP via Merald-Sun)
Iran starts new military exercises as tensions rise over its nuclear program. (Washington Post)
Egypt's tax authority building in Cairo is set alight as protests against the continuation of military rule carry on. (Al-Jazeera)
Florence Green, the last known veteran from World War I, dies at the age of 110 in the United Kingdom. (Atlantic Wire)

Disasters

Tens of thousands of people are stranded by floods in the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland. (AFP via The West Australian)
Filmmakers Mike deGruy of Santa Barbara, California and Andrew Wight of Victoria die in a helicopter crash in the Australian town of Berry, New South Wales. (The Daily Telegraph)

Law and crime

Charlie White, the Secretary of State of the US state of Indiana, is convicted of multiple voter fraud related offences. (AP via Mercury News)

Politics and elections

Three more Tibetan protesters set themselves on fire in Sichuan, China. (Straits Times)
2011–2012 Russian protests: Over 100,000 people protest for and against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. (RIA Novosti)
Julius Malema, formerly of the African National Congress Youth League, loses an appeal against a decision by South Africa's ruling African National Congress party to suspend him. (IOL)
2012 United States presidential election:
- Republican Party voters gather in Nevada for the party caucuses with Mitt Romney projected as the winner. (The Guardian) (NBC News)
- Republicans in the state of Maine start caucuses which will go on for a week. (WLBZ)