Portal:Current events/2012 June 29

{{Current events|year=2012|month=06|day=29|content=

;Armed conflicts and attacks

Mexican drug war: A car bomb explodes outside the city hall in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo, injuring 7 bystanders. This is the third car bomb in Nuevo Laredo this year, and much of the violence is blamed on the country's most powerful cartels: Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel. [http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Car-bomb-rocks-Nuevo-Laredo-3673813.php (San Antonio Express-News)]
Syrian uprising (2011–present):
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad states that Syria will not accept a foreign solution to their problem. [http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/06/201262817158947278.html (Al Jazeera)]
Syrian helicopter gunships reportedly bombard a strategic town in northern Syria overnight and tanks move close to Aleppo. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120701112156/http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12479205-assad-forces-bombard-northern-towns-as-170-tanks-mass-near-major-city-syrian-rebels-say?lite (MSNBC)]
A man self-immolates in Birmingham city centre in a case reminiscent of Mohamed Bouazizi. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/29/man-on-fire-birmingham-job-centre (The Guardian)]
The GPS system of a flying drone is "hacked" in Texas, USA. [https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18643134 (BBC)]
Sixteen Naxalite Maoist insurgents are killed by Central Reserve Police Force in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. [http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_16-maoists-killed-in-encounter-with-crpf_1708119 (DNA)]
Rampant sexual abuse is uncovered in the British police, with victims of crime among those targeted by sexual predators. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/29/guardian-investigation-abuse-power-police (The Guardian)]
Three bombs in the Iraqi city of Balad kill at least six people and injure 45. [https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/29/us-iraq-violence-balad-idUSBRE85S18S20120629?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews (Reuters)]

;Arts and culture

A controversial beauty pageant for survivors of The Holocaust is held for the first time in the Israeli city of Haifa. Critics describe it as "offensive" and "macabre." [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18638941 (BBC)] [http://www.timesofisrael.com/miss-holocaust-survivor-crowned/ (The Times of Israel)]
The sunken Italian World War II flagship Roma is discovered off the coast of Sardinia. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180623194348/https://www.zeit.de/news/2012-06/28/italien-italienisches-weltkriegs-schiff-vor-sardinien-gefunden-28144225 (Die Zeit)]
Alternative rock band The Flaming Lips set a new Guinness World Record for performing the most live shows in different cities over 24 hours. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18641351 (BBC)]
People magazine reports that American actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have announced they will be getting a divorce after five years of marriage. [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/06/29/tom-cruise-katie-holmes-divorcing-after-five-years-marriage-report-says/ (Fox News)] [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18653268 (BBC)]
Pop star Adele is pregnant with her first child. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18648924 (BBC)]

;Business and economics

Bob Diamond, the chief executive of Barclays bank, refuses to resign over the bank's role in manipulating interest rates. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18638357 (BBC)]
British tax payer funding to support Prince Charles rose by 11% during the past financial year, it is disclosed. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/29/prince-charles-public-funding (The Guardian)]
Crisis in the European Union:
European Union leaders agree to use a bailout fund to recapitalise struggling banks and to work on a plan for tighter budgetary and political union. [https://www.usatoday.com/money/world/story/2012-06-28/eurozone-leaders-emergency-measures/55903702/1 (AP via USA Today)]
World stock markets soar over news of European Union members agreeing on a deal to help some struggling Eurozone members. [http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/29/investing/stocks-markets/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2 (CNN)]

;Disasters

A fast-moving line of storms knocks out power to nearly four million people in the Mid-Atlantic states of the US and kills one person in Springfield, Virginia. [http://www.nbcwashington.com/weather/stories/Records-Could-Be-Broken-as-DC-Heats-Up-160732845.html?update (NBC Washington)], [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUMMER_STORMS?SITE=WVEC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (AP via WVEC)]

;International relations

The South American trade bloc Mercosur suspends Paraguay's membership following the impeachment of Fernando Lugo but will not impose sanctions. [http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-06-29/paraguay-will-not-face-mercosur-economic-sanctions (AP via Business Week)]
A petition objecting to the extradition of Richard O'Dwyer to the United States garners 160,000 signatures in less than five days. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/29/richard-odwyer-160000 (The Guardian)]
A representative for WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange declines a Metropolitan Police order to surrender himself at a police station, instead electing to remain in Ecuador's London embassy until he is granted asylum. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18648922 (BBC)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jun/29/julian-assange-ecuadorean-embassy-statement (The Guardian)]
South Korea abruptly postpones signing a military treaty with Japan after opposition parties in Seoul accuse the government of trying to rush it without proper discussion. [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/world/asia/south-korea-postpones-military-data-pact-with-japan.html?_r=1&hp (The New York Times)]
Mohammed Morsi, the president-elect of Egypt, vows to free Omar Abdel-Rahman who was jailed for plotting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in the United States. [http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57463933/egypt-leader-mohammed-morsi-vows-to-free-omar-abdel-rahman-infamous-blind-sheik-jailed-in-u.s/ (AP via CBS News)]
Uzbekistan quits the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization. [http://en.ria.ru/world/20120629/174303976.html (RIA)]

;Politics and elections

Over 15000 Japanese protest against nuclear power. [http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABRE85S0QM20120629 (Reuters)]

;Science

The Chinese Shenzhou 9 space capsule lands safely with all three astronauts aboard. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/chinese-capsule-with-3-astronauts-aboard-returns-to-earth-from-space-module-mission/2012/06/28/gJQAYobHAW_story.html (AP via Washington Post)]

;Sports

Sweden's Moa Hjelmer wins the 400 metres final at the 2012 European Athletics Championships and breaks the national record on the distance. [http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/friidrott/article15053315.ab (Aftonbladet)]
Oscar Pistorius misses the qualifying time required for him to become the first amputee sprinter to compete individually at an Olympics. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18651778 (BBC)]

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