Portal:Current events/2012 October 31

October 31, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- A Syrian Air Force commander is assassinated by opposition forces in Damascus. (The New York Times)
- Leaders of the rebel Free Syrian Army and Kurdish representatives begin negotiations to end the clashes between Kurds and the Free Syrian Army in northern Syria, in which scores of hostages have been seized and more than 40 fighters on both sides killed. (The Washington Post)

Business and economy

The New York Stock Exchange reopens following a two-day closure due to Hurricane Sandy, with stocks trending lower. (CNN Money) (Reuters)
Barclays plc says that it is the subject of two new regulatory probes after a series of scandals. The bank also announces it made a loss in the third quarter of 2012. (BBC)

Disasters

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the death toll rises to over 60 in the Mid-Atlantic states of the United States, while electric power for millions is still out, and mass transportation is crippled. (The Vancouver Sun) (CNN)
Five thousand people are evacuated from low-lying areas off the coast of Tamil Nadu state in India and two sailors die in heavy seas before Cyclone Nilam hits the coast. (CNN) (The Times of India)
An electrical fire at a Saudi wedding kills 25 people in a courtyard of a home in the village of Al Badr in the Abqaiq region. (BBC)

Law and crime

International relations

Politics

The UK government is defeated in the House of Commons over its negotiating position on the EU budget, with MPs calling for a cut in spending. (BBC)
The government of Bahrain defends its decision to impose a ban on all public protests and demonstrations, following calls from Amnesty International to lift the ban immediately as it breaches the rights to free speech and assembly. (CNN)