Portal:Current events/2012 May 8

Current events of May 8, 2012 (2012-05-08) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Arab Spring:
  • Libyan civil war: The office of the interim prime minister comes under attack in Tripoli. Most people inside the building flee, including the finance minister and the deputy prime minister. Prime minister Abdurrahim El-Keib is unaccounted for. (BBC)
  • Syrian uprising: Opposition fighters say they are amassing weapons amid a lull in fighting. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Paul Simon and Yo-Yo Ma are awarded the Polar Music Prize. (BBC)
• A court in Beijing intends to hear artist and dissident Ai Weiwei, held and gagged on charges of alleged tax evasion by the Chinese regime. (BBC)

Business and economics

• lowcostholidays.com is involved in controversy over the use of an image of disappeared little girl Madeleine McCann to promote its holidays in Portugal. (BBC)

Law and crime

• Al Jazeera closes its English-language bureau in China after its reporter Melissa Chan is expelled from the country. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Next Israeli legislative election: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reachs an agreement with the Head of Opposition Shaul Mofaz for Kadima to join the current government, thus canceling the early election supposed to be held in September. (Ynetnews)