Current events: 2024-01-11

[Wikipedia Current Events]

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Red Sea crisis
  • Operation Prosperity Guardian
    • The UK Cabinet formally authorizes British military action against Houthi militants in Yemen. (Bloomberg)
• Seizure of the St Nikolas
  • The Iranian Navy seizes control of the Marshall Islands-flagged, United States-controlled and Greek-operated civilian oil tanker St Nikolas. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Google lays off hundreds of its core engineers and others working on Google Assistant and its hardware products. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

• A flight from The Gambia to the Ivory Coast, carrying the Gambia national football team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, makes an emergency landing due to a loss of oxygen for over nine minutes, leading to all passengers suffering carbon monoxide poisoning including loss of consciousness. (Hindustan Times), (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• South Africa v. Israel (Genocide Convention)
  • A two-day public hearing begins at the Peace Palace in The Hague regarding alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention and international law in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. (CNN)
• Tobacco politics
  • Latvia bans the sale and use of tobacco and nicotine products for those under 20 years of age, effective from 1 January 2025. (ERR)
• 2024 Papua New Guinean unrest
  • Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape declares a state of emergency and suspends various officials following yesterday's riots which left 16 people dead. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• 2022-2024 Southern Africa cholera outbreak
  • Around 300 people are confirmed dead in a outbreak of cholera in Zambia. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of 2023 Guatemalan general election
  • The former Minister of the Interior Napoleón Barrientos was captured, accused by the Public Ministry of failing to comply with his duties for not using force to evict the blockades and demonstrations that occurred in October 2023, which called for the resignation of Attorney General María Consuelo Porras. (The Washington Post)
  • The Public Ministry also ordered the capture of four magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, who are currently out of the country since they lost their immunity in November 2023. (Prensa Libre)
  • Vice President-elect of Guatemala Karin Herrera presented a legal appeal before the Constitutional Court due to the risk of a possible arrest warrant against her, thus violating her immunity. (Prensa Libre)

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