Portal:Current events/2012 September 8

• Bahraini uprising (2011–present):
  • The Interior Ministry moves to sue the Al Wefaq main opposition party. On Friday, police have fired tear gas at anti-government protesters in the capital Manama. The protestors allegedly have defied a ban on demonstrations. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters) (The Jerusalem Post)
• Afghanistan commemorates Ahmad Shah Massoud, assassinated today eleven years ago according to the Afghan calendar, with a ceremony in Kabul on the national holiday of Haftai Shahid (Martyr Week). (Sina) (Bokhdi) (The Frontier Post)
• A suicide bombing by the Taliban near the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force in the Afghan capital of Kabul kills at least six people. (BBC)
• For the first time in nearly eighteen months, a sign of life appears of four French nationals kidnapped by Al-Qa'eda in Arlit, Niger. A videotape shows them healthy; they ask France to negotiate their release. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

• Kim Ki-duk's violent tale Pietà wins the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Kim thanks the audience and the jury by singing a song. (AFP via Google News) (Korea Times)

• A tractor is hit by a train in central Romania, killing eight passengers in the tractor trailer. (Bucharest Herald)

• A spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry calls Canada's Friday decision to sever all diplomatic ties "hasty" and "radical". A senior Islamic Consultative Assembly member describes the decision as "hostile". (CBC) (Communiqué) (The Jerusalem Post) (Xinhua)
• It is announced that Pakistan and India are planning to mutually ease visa requirements. (Reuters)

• R.E.M. has its publisher Warner-Tamerlane issue a cease and desist order against Fox News. The channel allegedly made "unlicensed and unauthorized" use of their song "Losing My Religion" in coverage of the Democratic National Convention. (Rolling Stone)

• The Hong Kong government backs down on plans to introduce Chinese patriotism classes in its schools after weeks of protests. (Radio Television Hong Kong) (BBC)

• India's Vice president Ansari says, despite "significant progress", India has the largest number of illiterates in the world, marking the point at a speech for International Literacy Day. (India Blooms)

• At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, Oscar Pistorius storms to the 400 metres (T44) gold medal. (AFP via The Daily Telegraph)