Portal:Current events/2012 January 13

Current events of January 13, 2012 (2012-01-13) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2011-2012 Syrian uprising: Security forces kill at least 13 protesters, including three children, amid ongoing protests in Syria. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• European sovereign debt crisis:
  • The Standard & Poor's credit rating agency lowers its long-term credit ratings on the eurozone countries of Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, and Spain by two notches each and Austria, France, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia by one notch each. (Standard & Poor's)
• Lions Gate Entertainment, the largest independent studio in the United States, purchases Summit Entertainment for US$412.5 million. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Costa Concordia disaster: The cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground at Isola del Giglio in the Mediterranean Sea, with 32 passengers dead, 2 missing and presumed dead, and 64 injured. (Sky News) (CNN)

Politics and elections

• Kiribati President Anote Tong is re-elected to a third (and final) term in the 2012 presidential election. (Radio Australia News)
• Reforms in Burma: Burma announces a mass pardon for political prisoners, including student leader Min Ko Naing. (BBC)