Current Events for the Week of 12 April 2010

Current Events for Monday, 12 April 2010

Pakistani security forces kill up to forty militants in Orakzai counter-offensive
Provincial Afghan official: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) International Security Assistance Force—Afghanistan (ISAF-A) soldiers killed four civilians on bus
Iran to take main focus in Chinese President Hu Jintao, United States (U.S.) President Barack Obama meeting
Kyrgyz interim government announces plan against ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, he vows bloodshed if anyone attempts to capture him
Thai Red Shirts walks the streets of Bangkok with empty coffins to commemorate the twenty-one dead from this weekend’s violence, Thai stock market down five percent, Thai government suggests early elections as way to diffuse situation
Yemen trying to detain American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, not getting U.S. military intelligence
Polish President Lech Kaczynski, much of Polish political and military elite killed in plane crash on way to Russian village of Katyn for memorial service
Viktor Orban declares sweeping victory in Hungarian elections, vows center-right Fidesz party will govern correctly
British author, atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins to seek Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI’s arrest when he visits England later this year
Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Associate Justice John Paul Stevens announces end-of-term as retirement date, Republicans already warning U.S. President Obama over “non-mainstream” nominees
U.S. officials try to soothe aching ties with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, calling him “reliable partner”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates: watching Apache attack video “difficult,” but investigation was thorough
Coalition of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claims fraud in recent elections may have cost 750,000 votes
U.S. Senate to begin debate on compromise bill on climate change
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit off-coast of Solomon Islands, no immediate reports of casualties or damage
Iranian Foreign Ministry to formally complain to United Nations (U.N.) over language by U.S. President Obama it views as a thinly-veiled nuclear threat
Sudan begins first multi-party elections in more than a quarter-century amid confusion and lack of participation by main opposition parties
Explosive device tossed at U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo, no casualties and only minor damage reported
The Miami Herald: Cuban diplomat who worked in Mexico and husband safely defected to U.S.
East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme (EASAP): Turkish-flagged ship abandoned by Somali pirates, none of the twenty-five man crew hurt
Four remaining missing West Virginia miners found dead
Suspected drug hitmen hang two bodies from main bridge in Mexico City
Iran claims to have evidence against three U.S. citizens caught in Iran, accused of espionage
U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) probing brake failures in six million General Motors (GM) trucks
Female suicide bomber kills one in restive Russian North Caucasus region
Iran to unveil new, faster nuclear centrifuges
Six dead in northern Italian train derailment
Severe heatwave hits northern India, temperatures exceed 104° Farenheit (F)
China rejects medical appeal for prominent human rights activist Hu Jia
Operation underway to move thousands of still-homeless Haitians to new camps as rainy season approaches
Leaders of sixteen Eurozone nations agree to emergency loan package of €30 billion for Greece
Kyrgyz Interim President Roza Otunbayeva: Kyrgyzstan “will honor” deal with U.S. over base
Three main British party leaders sign-on to online debate via Facebook, YouTube
The Shroud of Turin begins first public showing in more than ten years
China reports rare $7.2 billion monthly trade deficit for April
Hewlett-Packard (HP) social computing lab researchers: Twitter can accurately predict box office success
British newborn becomes first to undergo experimental xenon treatment to prevent brain damage after he was born without a pulse and not breathing
British Election Commission, Facebook team-up to get Britons registered for upcoming elections
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R.) nips U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R., TX) in Southern Republican Leadership Conference’s 2012 straw poll by one vote
Anti-abortion U.S. Representative Bart Stupak (D., MI) will not seek reelection

Current Events for Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Kyrgyz interim government gives ousted President Bakiyev until end of day to surrender
Polish government moves to fill key posts after crash
Thai Election Commission recommends Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s political party be dissolved, he takes refuge in army barracks, Red Shirts threaten to march on those barracks
World leaders meet in Washington, D.C. for U.S.-led nuclear summit
U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) playing key, new role in Pakistani anti-terror operations
Greece charges six Revolutionary Struggle members with terrorism
Group of Egyptians living in Kuwait deported for supporting former U.N. International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) head Mohammed ElBaradei for Egyptian president, Egypt denies role
Website ProPublica.com wins Pulitzer Prize, first for a completely online newspaper
Official Icelandic investigation blames former Prime Minister Geir Haarde, former central bank chief David Oddsson for economic woes
Yemen put four Shi’a rebels on-trial for spying for Iran
The New York Times: U.S. regulators failed to properly handle Washington Mutual as it began to fail
Poll delays force some Sudanese to call for voting extension
Three suicide bombers attack main intelligence building in Kandahar, Pakistan
Social networking site Twitter to allow limited advertising on site
Palestinian militant killed in clash with Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
Microsoft debuts Kin, Kin2, its first social networking mobile phones
Nigerian General Ibrahim Babangida announces plans to run in 2011 presidential election
Google has begun using site load speed in search results
Ukraine to get rid of enriched uranium stockpile within the next two years

Current Events for Wednesday, 14 April 2010

Mexican emergency authorities: cargo jet crashes in northern Mexican city of Monterrey, five dead
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake visits Kyrgyz interim government, ousted President Bakiyev agrees to step-down if the interim government will pledge to protect his safety, Interim President Roza Otunbayeva says President Bakiyev “must stand trial”
Thai Red Shirt protesters prepare “final battleground” to oust Prime Minister Vejjajiva
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama makes surprise visit to Haiti, tells nation the world “stands with you”
Intel sales trounce expectations, reinforced hopes of accelerated technology sector recovery
Magnitude 6.9 earthquake shakes Tibet Plateau, kills more than 300
Some prominent Republican senators, most notably U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R., TN), express openness to climate bill
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., KY), U.S. President Obama spar over financial regulation bill
Campaign headquarters of Republican contender in New York state's gubernatorial race Carl Paladino receives bomb threat from self-avowed “black militant group”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates fires-back at Wikileaks for posting 2007 video of operation against insurgents
Pakistani villagers claim Pakistani jets struck civilian targets in latest anti-Taliban offensive in western part of that nation, killed seventy-three
Sudanese politicians: poor logistics, voting errors keep election turnout below ten percent
Indonesian transportation official: Air Indonesia passenger plane “broke-up” on landing, several hurt
China hedges towards backing new, stronger economic sanctions on Iran but wants any action to “aid diplomacy”
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rules-out direct-talks with Pakistan until it acts against Mumbai attackers
Cochrane Systematic Review: a single aspirin may cut migraine symptom pain for over half of those who take it
U.S. President Obama to attend funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski
Gay rights groups criticize senior Vatican official Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone for trying to link homosexuality and pedophilia
British army defuses car bomb outside police station in County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Israel urges all nationals to leave Sinai Peninsula after intelligence service identifies “highly credible threat”
Toyota suspends sales of Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports labels it “unsafe”
U.S. trade deficit grew in February
Smartphone maker Palm looking for buyer after sales remain stagnant against Apple’s iPhone
Most Somali radio stations stop playing music on order from insurgents who believe music violates Sharia, Islamic law
South Korea announces gaming “curfew” to limit minor’s access to online games during the night
Conan O’Brien signs-on to host new show on TBS
Columbia University Medical Center researchers: so-called Mediterranean diet may cut dementia risk
Software developers unhappy after Apple restricts how programs are written for iPhone, iPod, iPad
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic faces accusers at his war crime trial at the Hague
Eight International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (ICRC) aid workers kidnapped by eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) rebels
At least nine killed in southern Philippines after raid by Abu Sayyaf Islamist militants
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (D., PA) lashes-out at Republican for holding-up confirmation votes on U.S. President Obama’s judicial nominees
Nebraska passes anti-abortion law based on study claiming fetuses can “feel pain” at twenty weeks

Current Events for Thursday, 15 April 2010

Pro-Hamas website reports Gaza authority has executed two Palestinians for collaboration with Israel
U.S. military begins opium destruction payments in area surrounding Marjah
Sudanese National Congress Party claims southern army soldiers have killed nine of its officials
Most of the air traffic for northern Europe halted due to volcanic ash from Icelandic eruption
Polish government eyeing 20 June for elections, as some Poles react angrily to choice of Wawel Cathedral in Krakow for president’s burial
Ousted Kyrgyz President Bakiyev bodyguards shoot into air to disperse opponent protesters at rally
China reports first-quarter 2010 growth at 11.9%, renewed calls for controls erupt
Thai Red Shirts resupply, take two-day break
Chinese Yushu earthquake deathtoll tops 617
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama plugs education on first solo trip while in Mexico
U.N. Security Council (UNSECO) nations agree, in theory, to new economic sanctions on Iran, weeks of wrangling over text language to ensue
U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) report: Iran would need “three to five years” for deliverable nuclear weapon
World Cup 2010 tickets go on-sale in South Africa
Rescuers look for survivors after powerful storms kill 130 in Bangladesh, India
Toyota halts Lexus GX 460 sales globally
Oxfam report: widespread use of gang-rape by armed rebels in DRC spreading to civilians
U.S. Library of Congress to set-up digital archive of “tweets”
New study by Australian Flinders University shows video games do not affect sleep patterns
African Union (A.U.)-U.N.-led Darfur mission: four peacekeepers have been kidnapped by rebels
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke continues to cast shadows on U.S. economic recovery
Violent clashes kill one, injure dozens at Indonesian Muslim cleric’s tomb in Jakarta
NATO ISAF-A soldiers begin Korengal Valley withdraw
Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue closed to visitations due to landslides
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) investigate vandal attack on West Bank mosque
Daimler to sell-off 30% share in Iranian engine company
Nigerian acting president Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan claims to not have spoken with nor seen President Umaru Yar’Adua in “five months”
Court documents show former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D.) engaged in near-constant conspiracy after 2002 election
U.S. President Obama to unveil “space vision”

Current Events for Friday, 16 April 2010

Yemeni Shi’a rebels open-fire on military plane near Saada in most severe breach of truce recently
Jiji news agency poll: 23.7% of Japanese support Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, government
Ousted Kyrgyz President Bakiyev faxes hand-written resignation letter to Interim President Otunbayeva, leaves for Kazakhstan
U.S. President Obama blames Massey Energy, mine owner, for West Virginia disaster
Formal South Korean inquiry says “external explosion” likely sunk naval vessel last month, increases speculation of North Korean involvement
Thousands of Red Shirts regroup after botched Thai police attempt to arrest three leaders of the movement, Thai government vows crack-down on the “terrorists”
U.N. enquiry finds previous Pakistani government failed to protect former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, pressures Pakistani investigation to conclude
Tibetans mourn dead as deathtoll hits 791
Icelandic volcano eruption intensifies, almost 4-mile-high plume continues to disrupt northern European air traffic
U.S. federal district court judge moves merged Toyota lawsuits forward
Financial regulation bill moves forward in U.S. Senate despite significant Republican opposition
U.S. Senate Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation report: health insurers changing accounting practices before healthcare reform bill goes into effect
Pakistani Senate approves changes in presidential power
Northern Cyprus, a territory recognized as an independent republic only by Turkey, holds presidential elections; hard-line, right-winger Dervis Eroglu expected to win election, call for independent Cypriot confederation, not unification
Iran bars former President Mohammed Khatami from traveling abroad
Syrian government: Israel may be preparing attack after it accused Damascus of supplying Hezbollah groups in Lebanon with long-range Scud missiles
Hungarian Foreign Minister-designate Janos Martonyi: Hungary to seek new International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal
Russian Federation shuts-down last weapons-grade plutonium reactor in Siberian outpost of Zheleznogorsk
Sudan begins counting polls marred by boycotts
Bomb inside Quetta, Pakistan hospital kills eight
West Bengal, India police claim severed head, torso found in temple case of “human sacrifice”
In first-ever televised head-of-party debate, polls suggest British Liberal Democrat candidate Nick Clegg won-over voters; Conservative David Cameron, Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown claim wins
Euro (€) continues slide on Greek economic woes
Voice recording from Polish flight that crashed, killing President Kaczynski and others shows the pilots knew they were about to crash
Brazil, China sign several trade deals ahead of “BRIC” (Brazil, Russia, India, China) summit
Google profits beat expectations, 37% higher in quarter-one 2010
U.S. President Obama sets mid-2030’s for manned mission to Mars
Islamist group al-Shabab orders teachers in Somalia to stop using bells to signal end of classes because they are “Christian”
Gabonese main oil workers’ union begins strike, causing fuel shortages and testing newly-elected President Ali Ben Bongo
Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI: Church must “do pennance” for abuse
Three bombs explode in Yangon (Rangoon), killing at least nine
U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates in Colombia for security talks
U.S. President Obama directs U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to draft rule to prevent hospitals from denying visitation privileges to patients’ homosexual partners
Arkansas man sentenced to ten-years in-prison for threat against U.S. President Obama, dozens of other black community leaders
Tea Party organizers compile list of “heroes,” “targets”