January 15, 2011 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2010–2011 Tunisian protests:
- Former President of Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali flees with his family to Saudi Arabia, after being rejected by France. (BBC)
- Saudi Arabia confirms it is welcoming ousted Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family into the kingdom due to "exceptional circumstances" in Tunisia; people in Saudi Arabia and people elsewhere criticise the decision to offer sanctuary to "the dictator" on the Internet. (Al Jazeera)
- At least 42 people are killed during one fire in the city of Monastir in the central east of the country, the current deadliest single incident of the month-long protests. (Ennahar) (Ynetnews) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
- Imed Trabelsi, a wealthy nephew-in-law of ousted President of Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who was "elected" mayor of La Goulette, is slain. (ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs)
- Tunisia gets another new Acting President, its second in two days, as 78-year-old speaker of parliament Fouad Mebazaa is sworn in. He claims all Tunisians "without exception" are now to be allowed participate in national politics. (Oneindia) (BBC)
- Members of the Tunisian Armed Forces are stationed in the centre of Tunis following outbreaks of random shootings. (Reuters)
- A night curfew is back in force in Tunisia. (ABC News)
- International response to events in Tunisia:
- Jordanians echo events in Tunisia by staging their own protests against soaring food prices. (The Guardian)
- Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi describes himself as "very pained" by events in the neighbouring country. (Reuters Africa)
- Tunisian communities across Canada rally in support of the uprising that ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali yesterday. (Toronto Star)
- A US marine shoots and kills an Afghan police officer after the officer advanced on him with his weapon raised. (Reuters)
- An Iraqi soldier opens fire on U.S. troops at a training centre, killing two and injuring another before being killed himself.(Reuters)
Arts and culture
- The online encyclopedia Wikipedia celebrates the tenth anniversary of its founding. (CBC) (Al Jazeera)
- Advocates of free speech march through the streets of Sydney in support of WikiLeaks spokesperson Julian Assange, who is in England battling attempts by Sweden to have him extradited. Greens MP David Shoebridge addresses the crowd and calls for support from the Australian government. (Herald Sun)
- In Westminster Cathedral, three Anglican bishops are ordained as Catholic priests. (The Guardian)
Business and economy
- Rafael Ramírez, energy minister for Venezuela, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, played down concern that rising oil prices may choke off the world's still-tentative recovery, and said there is no need of an emergency meeting of OPEC. (Reuters)
Disasters
- Brazilian soldiers arrive in Teresópolis as the death toll from floods and mudslides during Brazil's deadliest disaster passes 600. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (Xinhua)
- The United Nations seeks emergency aid for Sri Lanka: as many as 390,000 people are made homeless and thousands of houses are destroyed in the disaster there. (The Guardian)
- The South Africa government is to declare parts disaster areas: 40 people have died in floods. (BBC)
- 13,000 properties in rural Victoria in Australia are flooded. (ABC News Australia)
International relations
- British police undercover spy ring operating across Europe:
- Veteran Labour Party TD Michael D. Higgins writes to the Irish Department of Justice regarding the activities of undercover British police officer Mark Kennedy, who infiltrated protest movements across Europe, including several on Republic of Ireland territory. He describes it as "of grave concern" and that "this type of activity undermines respect for the law and it is very sinister in that it can damage good causes." (The Irish Times)
- A third British police spy is identified as the revelations continue. This one, a 44-year-old male officer, infiltrated a group in Cardiff, Wales. (The Guardian)
- Iranian diplomatic tour and medical discovery:
- A group of international diplomats begins a two-day tour given by Iran as a gesture of goodwill and transparency in response to foreign concerns over its nuclear program. The European Union, Russia, and the People's Republic of China refuses its invitation. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
- Iran unveils domestically-produced deuterated compounds to the international diplomats at Arak heavy water plant; Ali Akbar Salehi, acting Iranian Foreign Minister and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), hails the achievement for its use in medical research. (Xinhua)
- The Southern Sudanese independence referendum, 2011 ends. (Al Jazeera)
Politics
- French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand vows to revamp France's medical regulatory system after an official report said the diabetes drug Mediator, which killed 2,000 people, should have been banned 10 years earlier. (BBC)
- China may station troops in North Korea to protect its investment projects and citizens.(Yahoo News)(Press TV)
Sports
- 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar:
- The 2011 Dakar Rally's 13th and final stage concluded in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (dakar.com)
- Truck: Vladimir Chagin of Russia, in a Kamaz, won the truck division for the record-breaking seventh time. Chagin is the most successful driver in any category. (RIA Novosti)
- Car: Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar, with co-driver Timo Gottschalk of Germany, won in their Volkswagen. This is the first Dakar win by an Arab and third in a row for VW. (IOL Motoring)
- Motorcycle: Spain's Marc Coma posted his third straight title in the motor bike division on a KTM. Coma is the first Spaniard to record three wins at Dakar. (gizmag.com) (TypicallySpanish.com)
- Quad: Argentina's Alejandro Patronelli, the 2010 runner-up, won the three-year-old quadbike class on a Yamaha. His brother, Marcos Patronelli, was the 2010 champion. (New York Times) (Momemento24.com)