Portal:Current events/2011 November 2

November 2, 2011 (Wednesday)

Arts and culture

Disasters

Eight people are killed and dozens injured after a freight train collides with a bus at a level crossing in central Argentina. (AFP via Sydney Morning Herald)

Law and crime

Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange loses his appeal in England's High Court against extradition to Sweden to face questioning over sexual assault allegations. (The Guardian)
Four men are arrested in the U.S. state of Georgia for plotting to kill government officials with explosives and the toxic substance ricin. (Washington Post)
Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is convicted in New York City for conspiracy to smuggle weapons to the Colombian terrorist group FARC. (The Guardian)
American actress Lindsay Lohan is sentenced to 30 days in a Los Angeles jail for breaching the terms of her parole. (E! Online)

International relations

Gaza aid flotilla:
- An international flotilla of ships makes its way to the Gaza Strip on a purported humanitarian mission, with participants including Irish MEP Paul Murphy and former Irish parliamentarian Chris Andrews. (The Guardian) (RTE)
- Israel vows to stop the flotilla from reaching its destination. (Reuters)
Russia and Georgia strike a deal that will allow Russia to enter the World Trade Organization. (The Moscow Times)

Politics and elections

Greek economic referendum:
- The Greek Cabinet unanimously supports plans by Prime Minister George Papandreou to hold a referendum on the European Union's proposed economic rescue plan. (AP via Newser)
- The President of France Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel warn that a sixth tranche of financial aid will not be paid to Greece unless the referendum is successful. (Market Watch) (Wall Street Journal)

Science

China's unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft successfully docks with the orbiting Tiangong 1 space station module, marking China's first orbital docking. (BBC) (China.org)

Sport