June 8, 2012 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Arab Spring:
- Syrian uprising:
- United Nations monitors reach the site of the massacre in Mazraat al-Qubeir, where up to 78 people are reported to have been killed. (Daily Star Lebanon)
- One person is shot dead and three others wounded by gunfire in clashes in a pro-Syrian government neighbourhood of Tripoli, Lebanon. (France 24)[permanent dead link]
- Bahraini uprising: Bahraini authorities tear gas and sound bomb a pro-democracy rally, among the largest such rallies there in recent weeks. Meanwhile, a defence lawyer confirms that a court hearing is scheduled for next week in the case of a jailed 11-year-old boy accused of protesting against the regime. (Al Jazeera) (Press TV)
- Egyptian protestors rally on the streets of Cairo to demand the ban of the ousted regime's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq from standing in the country's presidential run-off election. (Press TV)
- The people of Jordan rally in Amman against their government's decision to raise fuel and electricity prices to ease budget deficit. (Press TV)
- Syrian uprising:
- 7 United Nations peacekeepers from Niger are killed in an ambush in Ivory Coast. (Al Jazeera)
- Mexican Drug War: At least 14 mutilated corpses are abandoned inside a vehicle in Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas, about 250 miles from the Texas border. The bodies are accompanied by a banner taking credit for the killings. (Los Angeles Times)
- A bomb targeting a bus carrying Government of Pakistan employees kills 32 people. (AP via Newser)
- Amnesty International issues a report claiming that Israel is guilty of torture and human rights violations, but the report is criticised as biased because of the alleged involvement of an anti-Israel activist in its writing. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Arts and culture
- The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, North London, vows to recognise Amy Winehouse's contribution to music by erecting a statue to her. (The Guardian)
- Booker Prize winning writer of historical fiction Barry Unsworth dies in Italy. (The Guardian) (The New York Times)
- The Commonwealth Writers prizes are handed out at Hay: Shehan Karunatilaka from Sri Lanka wins the £10,000 Commonwealth Book Prize for his debut novel Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, while Emma Martin from New Zealand wins the £5,000 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for "Two Girls in a Boat". (BBC)
Business and economy
- Chesapeake Energy shareholders, at their annual meeting, reject two incumbent directors in a vote widely regarded as a repudiation of CEO Aubrey McClendon. (BusinessWeek)
International relations
- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ends talks with Iran, with IAEA chief inspector Herman Nackaerts claiming "There has been no progress". (Al Jazeera)
- Malawi cancels its hosting of the African Union summit after disagreements over the attendance of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. (Capital FM Kenya)
Law and crime
- A military judge at Fort Meade in Maryland rejects dropping charges against imprisoned U.S. serviceman Bradley Manning and says his trial would likely be delayed by two months until November. (Press TV) (The Guardian) (Voice of America)
- Chuck Blazer, the FIFA official who blew the whistle on corruption within the governing body last year, faces accusations by Jack Warner of secretly funding the rent on a luxury New York apartment using funds from the football federation he ran. (BBC)
- Jamaican "drug lord" Christopher "Dudus" Coke is sentenced to 23 years in a U.S. prison. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- The Parliament of Albania fails without a vote in the third round to elect the President of the Republic of Albania. (Top Channel)
- UK Home Secretary Theresa May announces plans to introduce new laws to jail parents who force their children into arranged marriages. (BBC)
Sport
- UEFA Euro 2012:
- The UEFA European Football Championship gets underway in Poland. (BBC)
- UEFA confirms incidents of racist chanting were aimed at Netherlands players during an open training session ahead of the tournament. (BBC) (The Guardian)
- An Irish fan becomes the target of a World Wide Web hunt after leaving his tickets in an airport shop. (BBC)
- Co-hosts Poland take on 2004 champions Greece in the opening match at the National Stadium in Warsaw. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
- Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer in straight sets to reach his first French Open final. (BBC)