Portal:Current events/2012 April 10

April 10, 2012 (Tuesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian uprising:
- A United Nations backed deadline for withdrawal of Syrian army troops and weapons passes, with no end to the violence. (BBC)
- Despite the deadline, the violence continues with the Syrian Army shelling the cities of Homs and Hama and insurgents killing six soldiers. (Reuters via The Star)
Bahraini uprising:
- Four people are arrested in a Shiite village in Bahrain after seven policemen are injured in an apparent "terrorist attack". (Al Arabiya)
- Bahrain denies that a jailed hunger striker's health is critical. (Taiwan News)
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021):
- A suicide bomber attacks a government office building in Afghanistan's Herat Province with 15 people killed and 22 wounded. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera)
An investigation finds no evidence against the chief minister of Gujarat, India over deadly riots in the state in 2002. (Bangkok Post)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
Raymond Aubrac, one of the heroes of the French Resistance during World War II, dies at the age of 97. (BBC)

Business and economy

The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls over 1% amid concerns in Europe over its debt crisis. (CNN)
American technology company Apple Inc. says that the company is worth more than US$600 billion dollars, making it the largest by market capitalization in the world. (Google News via AP) (BBC)

International relations

North Korean rocket:
- North Korean space officials advise that all preparations have been completed for the launch. (AP via USA Today)
- Several airlines in Asia temporarily re-route flights to avoid a North Korean rocket launch later this week. (Sydney Morning Herald)
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron arrives in Japan for the first leg of an Asian visit. (BBC)

Law and crime

Disabled Chinese land rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband are sentenced by a Beijing court a year after they were detained for fraud and "provoking trouble". (Jakarta Post)
The Costa Rican embassy's trade attache in Caracas, Venezuela is kidnapped. (BBC)
The Government of Malaysia introduces legislation banning the arrest of people for political reasons or indefinite detention without trial. (AP via Boston Globe)
A second psychiatric evaluation finds that Anders Behring Breivik is sane enough to face trial for the 2011 Norway attacks and serve a prison sentence if convicted. (BBC)
The attorneys for George Zimmerman, the main person of interest in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, say that they quit representing Zimmerman due to them losing contact with him. (CNN)

Politics

2012 United States presidential election:
- American politician Rick Santorum suspends his candidacy for the Republican nomination, increasing the likelihood that Mitt Romney will be the nominee. (CBS News)
The Chinese Communist Party suspends the Politburo membership of former senior official Bo Xilai, while his wife Gu Kailai is named as a suspect in the murder of a British businessman. (Times of India) (New York Times)
An Egyptian court halts the creation of a constitutional assembly pending a ruling on its legality. (IOL)

Sport

University of Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino is fired because of misconduct involving an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. (Yahoo)