Portal:Current events/2011 October 12

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;Arts and culture

• Burmese comedian, actor and dissident Zarganar is released as part of an amnesty by the government of Myanmar for over 6,000 dissidents. [http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gdW_olhO1nvn2U63SCri1hmZq7Bw?docId=7f4b0e3f1a854707be1ab046f5cb405b (AP via Google News)]

;Disasters

• The Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key warns that the container ship {{MV|Rena}} which ran agound on Astrolabe Reef a week ago could break up as oil slicks have appeared on beaches near Tauranga. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/5770592/Rena-disaster-Ship-could-break-up-PM-says (New Zealand Stuff)]
• The death toll from the 2011 United States listeriosis outbreak reaches a total of 23 dead with 116 affected, making it the deadliest outbreak of foodborne illness in the U.S. in 25 years. [https://web.archive.org/web/20111019090940/http://www.startribune.com/nation/131626378.html (Minneapolis Star Tribune)]

;Law and crime

• At least eight people are killed and one is seriously injured in a shooting at a hair salon in Seal Beach, California, USA. [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/six-apprently-dead-in-seal-beach-shooting.html (Los Angeles Times)] [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SALON_SHOOTING?SITE=LABAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-10-12-17-29-59 (Associated Press)]
• Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian man also known as the "underwear bomber", pleads guilty to attempting to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day 2009 in a trial in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. [http://www.smh.com.au/world/underwear-bomber-pleads-guilty-to-attempted-murder-of-289-plane-passengers-20111013-1llr0.html (AFP via Sydney Morning Herald)]

;Politics and elections

• Carbon tax in Australia:
• The House of Representatives of Australia passes the Gillard government's carbon tax legislation. [http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/carbon-tax-bill-passes-into-law-20111012-1ljtf.html (Sydney Morning Herald)]
• More than 85 people are removed from the Parliament during Question Time while protesting at the passage of the legislation. [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/carbon-tax-bills-pass-lower-house-of-federal-parliament/story-e6frf7jx-1226164980494 (Herald-Sun)]

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