Portal:Current events/2016 October 4

October 4, 2016 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sectarianism in Pakistan
- An apparent sectarian attack by two motorcyclists who open fire on a bus traveling to Hazara Town, Quetta, Pakistan, kills four women from Pakistan's Shia Hazara and injures two other people. (The Daily Mail), (Dawn), (Firstpost)
Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- A security operation by the Somali Army in Lower Shabelle region kills 14 al-Shabaab fighters. (World Bulletin)

Business and economy

Following the June 23 Brexit vote, the exchange rate for the British pound reaches a 31-year low against the United States dollar. (BBC)
Poland's Development Ministry cancels the April 2015 tender contract for the purchase of 50 Caracal helicopters from Airbus Helicopters, worth US$ 3.5 billion. (Deutsche Welle), (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Weather forecasters track Hurricane Matthew as it makes landfall in Haiti and issue hurricane warnings for Cuba and the Bahamas. (The National Hurricane Center)
- A bridge in Haiti connecting Port-au-Prince with southern Haiti collapses. The storm has killed at least nine people in the Caribbean. (CNN), (AP via WTVD)
- Hurricane Matthew makes landfall near the eastern tip of Cuba. (The National Hurricane Center)
- Governors in four American states, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, issue states of emergency orders with Matthew expected to reach Florida on October 7. (CNN)
  - South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley urges 1.1 million coastal residents to evacuate before Matthew hits this weekend. (UPI)
European migrant crisis
- Authorities find at least 28 migrants dead off the coast of Libya in a day of frantic rescues. (AFP via France 24)^{[permanent dead link]}
A series of explosions in an apartment building in Harbin, China, kills at least three people and injures dozens more. (UPI)

Health

The journal JAMA Neurology publishes findings from the Medical Research Council of a simple urine test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (known as the human variant of mad cow disease), which is caused by deposits of prions. The current testing protocol is to obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue, or wait for a post-mortem after death. (BBC), (UPI)
Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson warns that one of its Wi-Fi enabled insulin pumps for diabetics (OneTouch Ping pump) is at risk of being hacked, causing an overdose. (BBC)

International relations

Philippines–United States relations
- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte tells U.S. President Barack Obama to "go to hell" after the United States refuses to sell some weapons to his country, while also acknowledging the cooperation of Russia and China. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2016 Turkish purges
- Turkish authorities suspend nearly 12,800 police officers from duty over their suspected links with U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. (Reuters)
- Turkish security forces raid the headquarters of IMC TV in Istanbul, cutting its transmissions while it was live on air, for allegedly broadcasting "terror propaganda". (Gulf News)
German prosecutors drop a case against comedian Jan Böhmermann, who had been indicted for a satirical poem about Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (BBC)
The scandal over improper practices of unauthorized accounts at Wells Fargo extends to thousands of small-business owners. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Science and technology

Sports

In an appeals review, the International Tennis Federation states that tennis players will not be able to plead ignorance if they test positive for banned substances. The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduces Maria Sharapova's two-year ban to 15 months. She tested positive for meldonium. (BBC)