Portal:Current events/2010 December 17

Current events of December 17, 2010 (2010-12-17) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Maoist rebels abduct seven villagers in the Purulia district of India's West Bengal state. (NDTV)
• American missile attacks kill 57 suspected militants in a region in northwest Pakistan. (Washington Times) (Associated Press) (CNN)

Business and economy

• Suncor and Total SA sign a deal to develop in the Alberta tar sands for bitumen extraction, while a procedure to clean up tailings ponds by multiple companies is approved by an energy watchdog. (Globe and Mail) (Reuters Africa) (Calgary Herald)

Disasters

• The death toll from the Christmas Island wreck rises to 30 with many still missing. (AP via Yahoo! News)
• Further disruption is caused by blizzards and widespread ice in many parts of the United Kingdom, with more wintry weather forecast for the weekend. (BBC)
• Cuba is hit by a cold wave, and some locations register 50-year record low temperatures. (Cuban News Agency) (Radio Cadena Agramonte)

International relations

• Bolivia recognizes the State of Palestine. (Ynetnews)

Politics

• The United Kingdom government announces plans to make prisoners serving less than four years eligible to vote. (BBC)
• Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire in protest of harrassment by municipal officials. This act becomes the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution which in turn led to protests and revolutions in several other Arab countries.

Science

• The Cook Islands announces the country's first ever HIV infection. (ABC Radio Australia)
• China launches 7th Beidou navigation satellite. (Kunming via Xinhua)