Portal:Current events/2013 April 11

April 11, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Mexican Drug War:
- At least 14 people are killed in a series of clashes between alleged drug traffickers and police in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The government states that a high-profile drug lord was killed in the battle. (AP via The Washington Post)
South Thailand insurgency:
- Two soldiers are killed and six security officers are wounded as insurgents mount dozens of coordinated bombing, shooting and arson attacks in the Pattani region of Thailand. (AFP via Channel NewsAsia)
Syrian civil war:
- At least 57 people are killed by the Syrian Army in the towns of Sanamayn and Ghabaghib, Daraa Governorate, Syria. (Al Jazeera)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Boko Haram rejects the idea of an amnesty offer for militants by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. (BBC)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- A candidate for election in Pakistan is attacked and killed by assumed Taliban militants. (AP via Hindustan Times)

Arts and culture

Singer Madonna is accused by the office of Malawi President Joyce Banda of "bullying state officials" after she reportedly exaggerated her charity's contribution and complained about her treatment on a recent visit to the country. (BBC)
An episode of the American TV show Glee causes controversy by featuring a school shooting scene. (USA Today)
American comedian Jonathan Winters dies at the age of 87 in Montecito, California. (AP via Entertainment Weekly)
Maria Tallchief, the first Native American to achieve the rank of prima ballerina at a major ballet company, dies at the age of 88. (The New York Times)

Business and economy

Japanese automakers Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Mazda recall around 3.4 million cars due to airbag defects. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

International relations

2013 Korean crisis:
- North Korea renews a threat to permanently close its Kaesong joint industrial zone with South Korea, blaming the "confrontation" policies of the South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye. (AFP via Channel NewsAsia)
- The United States military places a Sea-based X-band Radar in a position where it can detect any possible missile launches by North Korea, while President Barack Obama vows to protect both the U.S. and its allies. (AFP via Channel NewsAsia)
- The G8 foreign ministers condemn "in the strongest way" North Korea's recent threats and vow to apply stronger measures if the country does not step down its rhetoric. (CNN)
- According to a released incorrectly declassified U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report, North Korea may have the technology to miniaturize, mount, and deliver a nuclear warhead with a long-range missile. The accuracy of the system should, however, be low. (CNN)
The top foreign affairs officials of the G8 group of nations meet in London, where the Korean crisis, Syrian conflict and Iran's nuclear threats are expected to be major talking points. (BBC) (Reuters)
Former Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl blames recently deceased former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's hostility towards a closer Europe as the cause for ongoing tensions between the United Kingdom and the European Union. (Sky News)

Law and crime

Two women are beheaded while another woman and her two daughters await the same fate as they are held captive on accusations of sorcery in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. (The New Zealand Herald)
Thirty-six policemen in Mumbai, India are suspended after they are filmed allegedly taking bribes. (BBC)
The Bangladesh Police hold editor Mahmudur Rahman from Amar Desh, an opposition newspaper, in custody on charges of sedition, illegal publication of Skype conversations of a judge in Bangladesh's ongoing war crimes trial, and inciting violence in recent protests. (AP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

Religion

France's top rabbi, Gilles Bernheim resigns after admitting he does not hold a philosophy degree as claimed and had engaged in plagiarism. (The Jerusalem Post)

Science and technology

Scientist find a rare dinosaur egg with the remaining fossil of an embryo in China. (The Register)
A study finds that carefully timed sounds played during sleep can enhance memory. (The Telegraph)

Sport