Portal:Current events/June 2013

Armed conflicts and attacks

Two drone strikes kill at least seven suspected al-Qaeda militants in the Abyan Governorate of Yemen. (Reuters)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal)
- Authorities in Iraq say they have uncovered an Al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons, as well as to smuggle them to Europe and North America. (BBC), (Sky new)
- UN death-toll figures show more than 1000 people died from violent attacks in Iraq during the month of May, making it the country's deadliest month since 2008. (VOA)
Inmates kill two prison guards in a failed Nigerien jailbreak. (New York Times)

Arts and culture

Matt Smith announces he will leave Doctor Who at the end of 2013. (Los Angeles Times)
The bollywood movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani grosses Rs 19.45 crores on opening day in India, the highest figure obtained in 2013 thus far. (NDTV)

Disasters and accidents

The death toll from the tornados that hit Oklahoma City on May 31 rises to nine. (News Limited)
Three people are killed in apartment building explosion in Manila, Philippines. (Sydney Morning Herald via AFP)
An Ontario, Canada air ambulance crashes killing its two pilots and two paramedics. (BBC)

International relations

The United States calls on China to provide a full account of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.(BBC)

Law and crime

Michael Adebolajo is formally charged with the murder of British Army soldier Lee Rigby in the 2013 Woolwich attack. (Sky News)
A country-wide smoking ban in most public spaces goes into effect in Russia. (Reuters)
Turtle conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval is murdered by poachers on a Costa Rican beach. (Tico Times)

Sports

In horse racing, Ruler of the World wins the Epsom Derby, becoming the first Chester Vase winner since Shergar in 1981 to win the Derby. (BBC)
In association football, FC Bayern Munich defeats VfB Stuttgart 3–2 in the final of the DFB-Pokal, becoming the first German team to win a continental treble (having already won the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League). (BBC)
In basketball, NBA star Grant Hill announces his retirement. (USA Today)
Swim Australia president Barclay Nettlefold is suspended amidst allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female co-worker. (Sky News)

June 2, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian Civil War:
- A car bomb explodes near a police station in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, killing at least eight members of the security forces and injuring civilians. (CNN)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Taliban insurgents attack two checkpoints in the Kamdesh District in eastern Afghanistan killing four Afghan police officers (ABC)

Arts and culture

Mandawuy Yunupingu, frontman of the Aboriginal band Yothu Yindi dies at 56. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes central Taiwan, killing at least one person. (CNN)
2013 European floods:
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic are hit by floods after days of heavy rain. (AP via ABC News)
- The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Necas, declares a state of emergency after two people die and the swollen Vltava River threatens the centre of the capital Prague. (Reuters)
It is announced that three professional storm chasers who were members of TWISTEX were among those killed by tornadoes in Oklahoma, US, on May 31. (Washington Post)
Wildfires in Southern California, USA, lead to hundreds of evacuations. (USA Today)

Politics

Two British Labour Party peers are suspended by their party after allegations they offered to undertake Parliamentary work in exchange for payment. A third peer, from the Ulster Unionist Party resigns the whip following the allegations. (BBC)
The Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt rules that the country's Islamist dominated Parliament and Constituent Assembly of Egypt were illegally elected. (AP via Fox News)

Science and technology

New research finds that graphene is the strongest material in the world, even when patched together. (Science Recorder)

Sport

N. Srinivasan steps aside as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the wake of the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing case to allow an investigation. (AFP via Sydney Morning Herald)
In a friendly soccer match in Washington, D.C. organized to celebrate the centennial of the United States Soccer Federation, the USA defeats Germany 4–3. (AP via ESPN)

June 3, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2013 protests in Turkey:
- Riot police fire tear gas at people in Istanbul and Ankara amid calls for the downfall of the current Turkish government. (Al Jazeera) (RT) (RFERL)
- The Turkish Doctors' Union (TTB) says one person has been killed in Taksim Gezi Park. (Xinhua)
- Turkey's public sector unions start a two-day strike in support of the anti-government demonstrations. (BBC)
Bahraini uprising (2011–present):
- Three people who previously demonstrated against the regime are jailed for 5, 10 and 15 years respectively. (RT) (Gulf News)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan kills at least 20 people, including 10 children. (India Express)
An unmarked mass grave containing around 200 bodies is found in the Israeli town of Jaffa. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Bollywood actress Jiah Khan dies of an apparent suicide at age 25. (India Today)

Business and economics

The Obama administration expands its sanctions against Iran, targeting its auto industry and, for the first time, its currency the Iranian rial. (Xinhua) (Al Jazeera)
The International Air Transport Association agrees to a plan aimed at curbing emissions by 2020. (The Guardian)
Telecommunications company Vodafone is fined Rs. 1,263 crores for under reporting its income from 2007-11. (Hindustan Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least 119 people are killed in a fire at a poultry farm in Jilin Province in northeastern China. (Al Jazeera) (AP via Silicon Valley Mercury), (Xinhua)
2013 European floods:
- Flooding across Europe kills seven people and leaves others unaccounted for. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera)
- The Czech Republic experiences its worst flooding of the decade with huge volumes of water surging towards Prague. (BBC)
A Cebu Pacific flight carrying 165 passengers inbound from Manila, overshoots the runway during heavy rain in Davao City, Philippines. There are no fatalities, however the plane is heavily damaged. (ABS-CBN News)

International relations

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton is paid $500,000 to give a speech in honour of Israeli president Shimon Peres. (Press TV) (Xinhua) (Khaleej Times)
Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says the agency's latest report verifies that Iran is having "technical and scientific success in its peaceful nuclear activities" and that this is "an important message to the whole world". (Press TV)
Park Geun-Hye, the President of South Korea, warns North Korea that it will be held responsible for the fate of nine young asylum seekers repatriated from Laos. (AFP via France 24)^{[permanent dead link]}
Speaking during the ongoing Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) in Yokohama, Zambian President Michael Sata says developed nations have used Africa as a "guinea pig" for the past 50 years, taking its raw materials while pretending to help it. (Xinhua)
Over 65 countries sign the Arms Trade Treaty. (USA Today)

Law and crime

The trial of United States Army private Bradley Manning for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks begins in Fort Meade, Maryland. (AP via ABC News) (Channel 4 News)
Political activist Ahmed Douma is given a six-month suspended jail sentence for insulting the President of Egypt. (BBC)
Police find the bodies of three activists who were supporting local farmers in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Five others remain missing. (BBC)
Deciding Maryland v. King, the United States Supreme Court rules that police have the right to collect DNA samples from criminal suspects without their consent. (Chicago Tribune)^{[permanent dead link]}

Politics and elections

An estimated 10,000 Ethiopians participate in anti-government protests. (Reuters)
More than 3 million people take part in "the world's largest gay pride parade" in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (The Telegraph)
The International Criminal Court delays the trial of Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto for "crimes against humanity" until September. (BBC)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav gives away 8,000 laptops to local students. (Times of India)
Democrat United States Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey dies at age 89 from pneumonia. Republican governor Chris Christie is tasked with choosing a replacement Senator. (Washington Post)

Science and technology

Software engineer Atul Chitnis, known as India's "open source guru", dies at age 50. (Firstpost)
A set of three unusually well preserved triceratops specimens is unearthed in the U.S. state of Wyoming. (CNN)

Sports

In basketball, NBA star Jason Kidd retires after 19 seasons. (Reuters)
In rugby league, the New Zealand Warriors are fined AU$15,000 for Russell Packer urinating on the field before a game. (The Australian)

June 4, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2013 protests in Turkey:
- Turkish public servants go on a two-day strike in support of the protests as a second fatality is reported. (AFP via The Daily Telegraph)
- Support for the protests in Turkey spread across Europe with demonstrators gathering outside the EU Parliament in Brussels, and France. (Al Jazeera)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Three corpses are dug up near a former U.S. military base in Narkh bringing the number of corpses whose deaths locals blame on the presence of United States personnel to 10; people flood the streets of Maidan Shar calling for the U.S. to leave. (The Guardian)
- Two British soldiers are court martialed for "sexually and racially abusing civilians" during their time in Afghanistan. (RTT)
The United States expands its military presence in Jordan, sending a Patriot missile battery and an undeclared number of F-16 fighters to the area. (Al Jazeera) (RT) (BBC)
Syrian Civil War:
- A United Nations human rights team says there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that chemical weapons have been used in Syria. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)
- French foreign minister Laurent Fabius claims that the nerve agent sarin has been used on several occasions. (Haaretz)

Arts and culture

Krystian Zimerman, one of the world's leading concert pianists, angrily exits a concert in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, over a dispute with YouTube which he says is "destroying music". (The Guardian)
Ohio State University president E. Gordon Gee announces his retirement effective July 1 amidst controversy over insulting remarks he made in December 2012. (USA Today)

Business and economy

The United States trade deficit widens 8.5% during April as growth in imports outpaces growth in exports. (New York Times)
IBM agrees to buy cloud computing firm SoftLayer Technologies for US$2 billion. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Disasters and accidents

German chancellor Angela Merkel pledges 100 million euros of aid to flood victims as the death toll from ongoing flooding hits 11. The Australian
It is determined that the May 31 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma, US, was the widest ever on record and a rare EF5. (USA Today)

Health and environment

More than 150 scientists urge the Australian Government to slow development near the Great Barrier Reef. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

International relations

A Swiss diplomat is arrested in Paris on drunk driving charges after leading police on a high speed chase through the city. (ABC News)
Pope Francis, on June 3, meets with Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni of Cilicia, the leader of the Armenian Catholic Church. The Armenian Patriarch was selected by the Armenian Synod in 1999, leads about 350,000 Armenian Catholics worldwide. (Catholic World News)

Law and crime

United States v. Bradley Manning:
- The trial of U.S. serviceman Bradley Manning for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks continues in Fort Meade, Maryland. Former computer hacker Adrian Lamo, who turned Manning in to his persecutors, gives evidence at the court martial. (The Guardian) (The Washington Post)
Lawyers gather outside Britain's Ministry of Justice to demonstrate against £220 million of proposed legal aid cuts and removal of the right of defendants to choose their own solicitor. (The Guardian)
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius appears in court charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. (RTE)
A woman in Malleswaram, India is freed from an apparent four-year house confinement by her parents. (The Hindu)
An America tourist is allegedly gang raped and robbed by three men in Manali, India. (Times of India)

Politics and elections

A group of approximately 300 indigenous manifestants march toward the Brazilian capital of Brasilia to protest the death of Oziel Gabriel. (GloboNews)
A commemoration is held in Tehran to mourn Ruhollah Khomeini. (Al Jazeera) (Arab News)
Thousands commemorate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation at Westminster Abbey. (BBC)
Swaziland, Africa's last absolute monarchy, announces that it will hold elections in September. (South African Broadcasting Corporation)
Members of the House of Lords vote in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, paving the way for gay marriage in the United Kingdom. (BBC)

Science and technology

Researchers describe the recently rediscovered Hula painted frog, long thought to be extinct, as a "living fossil". (BBC)
A newly discovered prehistoric lizard, Barbaturex morrisoni, is named after Doors singer Jim Morrison who called himself "The Lizard King". (BBC)

Sports

2014 FIFA World Cup:
- Japan becomes the first side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with a 1–1 draw against Australia at Saitama Stadium. (Goal.com)
- Iran defeats Qatar 1–0 with a goal from Reza Ghoochannejhad at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. (Goal.com)
In hockey, the NHL and the NHL Players Association reach an agreement, making the use of helmet visors mandatory. (NHL.com)
ESPN reports that Major League Baseball is preparing to suspend about 20 players that have used performance-enhancing drugs, the largest in American sports history. (ESPN)
In tennis, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Roger Federer in the quarter finals of the French Open. (The Telegraph)

June 5, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2013 protests in Turkey:
- Turkey's Ahmet Davutoğlu announces an investigation into police attacks on civilians with tear gas and water cannon in cities nationwide. (Al Jazeera)
- An image known as "The Lady in the Red Dress" showing a policeman in a gas mask hosing a woman with pepper spray becomes the defining image of Turkey's pro-democracy demonstrations thus far. (The Huffington Post) (The Guardian) (The National)
- Following Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's denunciation of Twitter as a "menace to society", police arrest 25 people on charges relating to the use of social media to speak ill of the government. (The Guardian)
Kandahar massacre: U.S. staff sergeant Robert Bales avoids the death penalty by pleading guilty to the murder of 16 Afghan civilians, including 9 children. (Al Jazeera) (New York Times)
After a long-running battle, Britain announces a compensation fund of £2,600 each for more than 5,000 survivors of the prison camps it operated across Kenya in the 1950s. (The Guardian)
Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian Army regains control of the strategic town of Al-Qusayr, as rebels pull out. (Reuters) (BBC)
- In an official statement, the Iranian government congratulates the Syrian army and people for capturing Al-Qusayr. (The Guardian)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Fourteen people are killed at a fake security checkpoint manned by gunmen in western Iraq. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Actor Stephen Fry reveals that he nearly died after taking a cocktail of drugs and alcohol last year. (The Independent) (The Daily Telegraph)
Novelist Turki al-Hamad, who was jailed in December for six months without trial over his calls for reform in Saudi Arabia, is released. (Al Jazeera)
An 84-year-old woman from the U.S. state of Florida comes forward as the sole winner of the record-breaking $590 million Powerball lottery drawing in May. (Reuters)
Bangladesh lifts a ban on YouTube that had been in effect since September 2012. (Tri-Valley Herald)
Prince Philip is admitted to a London hospital for an exploratory operation. (CNN)
Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson's daughter, tries to commit suicide by cutting her wrists and overdosing on pills. (MSN Music Wonderwall)

Business and economics

The Australian dollar hits a 20-month low against the United States dollar. (Daily Telegraph)
The United States International Trade Commission rules that Apple is infringing on a Samsung patent and bans the import of several popular Apple products. (Reuters)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it underestimated the damage austerity would do to Greece. (The Guardian)
Online retailer Amazon.com begins operations in India. (Economic Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least 44 people are killed by lightning in the Indian state of Bihar during a severe storm. (Independent Online)
22nd and Market building collapse. A building collapse in Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania kills 6, wounds 13, and traps at least 10. (CNN) (Jacksonville.com)
A fire in the Moscow Metro leads to large-scale evacuations and 47 injuries. (The Telegraph)
The Chinese government pledges to upgrade workplace safety in the aftermath of the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Plant fire which killed 120 people. (Xinhua)

Health and environment

A second case of Legionnaires' Disease in less than a week is confirmed in Australia, leading to fears of a possible outbreak of the rare disease. (Herald Sun)

Law and crime

United States v. Bradley Manning:
- The judge disallows discussion of Bradley Manning's motives for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks at this time. (The Guardian)
- Brian Madrid, who trained Manning, testifies that he ordered him to undergo "corrective training" for an unauthorized use of the phrase "top secret". (The Guardian)
The jailing for two years of former Met Police officer Paul Flattley, who sold information to News International daily tabloid The Sun about Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Paul Gascoigne and a 15-year-old girl who died of an overdose, is revealed for the first time today, "legal reasons" having prevented its disclosure until now. (The Guardian) (The Independent)

Politics and elections

Nawaz Sharif is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan and calls for an end to U.S. drone attacks. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)
As the ongoing Guantánamo Bay hunger strikes enters its 120th day, the United States House of Representatives votes to keep the prison camp open. (RT)
Juan Ponce Enrile resigns as the President of the Senate of the Philippines; President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada assumes the position of interim Senate President until assumption of the new Congress in July. (Rappler)
Chen Xitong, who was mayor of Beijing during the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, dies at age 82. (New York Times)
Tom Donilon resigns his post as U.S. National Security Advisor and is replaced by Susan Rice. (Financial Times)
An Egyptian court sentences 43 non-profit workers who advocated for democracy, many of them foreigners, to prison. (Washington Post)

Science and technology

A newly discovered fossil species, Archicebus achilles, is described as the oldest known primate. (BBC)

Sport

In tennis, Maria Sharapova beats Jelena Jankovic to advance to the semi-finals of the French Open; Serena Williams wins her match, setting up a showdown between her and Sharapova. (ESPN)

June 6, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Gunmen ambush a bus in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq, killing 10 border police and 5 civilians. (Reuters)
Two Tunisian soldiers are killed and two wounded by a roadside bomb while hunting Al-Qaeda militants in a mountainous region near the Algerian border. (ABC), (BBC)
It is reported that an increasing number of hunger-striking Guantánamo inmates are being force fed by military medical teams since Barack Obama's recent speech promised again to close the prison camp. (The Guardian) (Press TV) (The Washington Post)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present): Seven Georgian servicemen are killed and nine wounded in an insurgent attack with a truck bomb on the ISAF base in Shir Ghazay, Afghanistan. (Civil Georgia)

Arts and culture

Kevin Barry wins one of the world's richest literary awards, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. (BBC)

Health

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is admitted to a London hospital for an exploratory operation after experiencing abdominal pains. (BBC)

International relations

Delegates, among them billionaire businessmen, royalty and elected politicians, arrive in England for the 61st summit of the annual Bilderberg Group at The Grove, Watford. (The Irish Times) (The Guardian) (RT)
North Korea restores the Red Cross link with South Korea used for government-to-government communications. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

The Guardian obtains a copy of a court order signed on April 25 by Judge Roger Vinson of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC). The order permits the FBI, and thereby the Obama administration, to indiscriminately collect phone records of millions of Verizon Communications customers on an "ongoing, daily basis", with all domestic and international calls affected. The permit is similar to one issued to the Bush administration. The Guardian's report does not state from whom they obtained the document. (The Guardian)
PRISM (U.S. government surveillance program):
- The Guardian obtains a copy of a document from April that reveals that the NSA is mining data using PRISM, spying on the e-mails and web activities of American citizens through direct access to Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, Yahoo, Paltalk and AOL. The Guardian's report does not state from whom they obtained the document. (USA Today) (PC World) (The Guardian)
The Obama administration defends its secret surveillance policies. (Al Jazeera)
12 Russian citizens appear in a Moscow court charged with offences at a 2012 anti-Vladimir Putin rally; critics claim it is reminiscent of the Soviet-era show trials. (BBC)
French Left wing activist Clement Meric dies after being attacked on Wednesday in Paris shopping district by a group of far-right skinheads. (News Limited)

Politics and election

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appoints Jeffrey Chiesa (R-NJ) as a U.S. Senator following the death of Frank Lautenberg. He will serve until a special election is held later this year. (NBC News)
The President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, approves a bill to modernize the infrastructure of all national ports in her country. She vetoes 13 contradictory sections. (GloboNews)

June 7, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Drone attacks in Pakistan: A U.S. drone attack kills at least seven people in Pakistan. (The New York Times)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- At least 19 people are killed when two suicide bombers drive cars packed with explosives into targets in the Baghdad area. (Newsday)
Syrian civil war:
- The United Nations appeals for $4.4 billion of aid for refugees, the largest such request in the UN's history. (Xinhua)
A suspected rapist is attacked and buried alive by an angry mob in Bolivia. (Reuters)
A gunman opens fire at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, after setting a house on fire nearby, killing five people, including the suspect. (CNN)
Villagers in Assam kill a 55-year-old man suspected of practicing black magic to "appease" a goddess. (India Today)

Arts and culture

Elizabeth II appears in the BBC newsroom behind the BBC News Channel's newsreaders while they are live on air. (The Guardian) (BBC)
Bangkok tops the list of world's most visited cities. (Forbes)
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his wife of thirty years announce their divorce on live television. (BBC)

Business and economics

Southern California Edison announces it will permanently close its San Onofre nuclear power plant near San Diego. (Christian Science Monitor)
The U.S. Justice Department approves SoftBank's proposed $20.1 billion purchase of Sprint Nextel. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is the final hurdle in the way of the deal's final approval. (Bloomberg)
Air New Zealand agrees to a record-setting AU$7.5 million fine for its part in a price-fixing scandal. (National Business Review)

Disasters and accidents

A bus catches fire in the Chinese city of Xiamen, killing at least 42 people and injuring more than 30 others. (AP via ABC News)
A bus plunges off a mountain road in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, killing at least 18 people and injuring 14 others. (BBC)
A passenger bus hits a mountainside near Nha Trang, Viet Nam, killing at least nine people and injuring many others. (vietnambreakingnews)

Health and environment

Breast milk boosts brain development by 30%, as compared to formula-fed babies, according to a new study. (Daily Mail)

International relations

U.S. president Barack Obama and Chinese president Xi Jinping begin a two-day meeting of Sino-American relations. (BBC)
UK premier David Cameron attracts criticism for attending the 61st annual summit of the secretive Bilderberg Group at The Grove, Watford. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

PRISM (U.S. government surveillance program):
- The US government comes under heavy criticism at home and abroad when news of its secret PRISM surveillance program to monitor emails and other person information is leaked. (Welt)
- The Wall Street Journal reveals the National Security Agency's monitoring of American citizens includes credit-card transactions and customer records from the three major phone networks. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Democratic Senator Joe Manchin calls on Attorney General Eric Holder to resign over the U.S. Department of Justice's seizure of journalist phone records. (TPM)
- The Guardian reveals U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a list of foreign targets for cyber-attacks "to advance US national objectives around the world with little or no warning to the adversary or target and with potential effects ranging from subtle to severely damaging". Obama's order also authorizes hits on foreign nations without their government's consent. (The Guardian)
- U.S. director of national intelligence James Clapper denounces the revelations of government surveillance into civilian lives as "reprehensible". (The Guardian)
- British Prime Minister David Cameron is urged to launch an investigation into allegations that the UK's electronic listening post GCHQ had access to data from the program. (BBC)
Richard Ramirez, a prolific American serial killer during the 1980s, dies on death row from liver failure. (Reuters)
Ariel Castro, the man accused of kidnapping 3 Cleveland, Ohio women is indicted on 329 charges, including 2 counts of murder. (CBS News)
Cambodia passes a controversial law that makes it illegal to deny atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Iranian presidential election:
- Candidates hold a third and final televised debate, giving their plans on domestic and foreign policies and also criticizing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear and human rights policies. (PressTV) (Reuters)
- Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf clashes with Hassan Rouhani over the July 1999 student protests and reminds Rouhani that he did not give permission for students to protest during his time as Secretary of Supreme National Security Council. (Live Blog)

Sport

In association football, on the night he becomes Ireland's most capped player, Robbie Keane scores a hat-trick to take his international goals tally to 59 and become the 5th all-time goal scorer in European football, after Puskás, Kocsis, Müller and Klose. (Sky Sports) (The Guardian) (RTÉ)
In tennis, Rafael Nadal edges Novak Djokovic in five sets to advance to the finals of the French Open where he will play David Ferrer. (ABC News)

June 8, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- In Afghanistan, a man wearing an Afghan military uniform attacks and kills three American soldiers, in what appears to be an insider attack on U.S. International Security Assistance Force soldiers, based in east Afghanistan's Paktika Province. (Voice of America)
- In a separate unrelated incident, an Italian soldier is killed and three are wounded when a child throws a grenade at a NATO convoy in west Afghanistan's Farah Province. (NBC)
Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian military captures the town of Al-Buwaydah al-Sharqiyah. (Bloomberg)
Clashes between protestors and militia members in Benghazi, Libya, leads to at least 27 deaths and 117 injuries. (Tripoli Post)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- At least 21 people are killed in Maiduguri, Nigeria, as the government continues its crack down on Boko Haram militants. (Voice of America)
Northern Mali conflict (2012–present):
- The government of Mali opens talks with Tuareg separatists in the hopes of reaching a ceasefire agreement. (Reuters)
Clashes between the Ras Kamboni Movement and pro-government militia leave at least 18 dead in the Somali port of Kismayu. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Princess Madeleine of Sweden marries British-born American businessman Christopher O'Neill in a lavish ceremony. (Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

Flooding in Central Europe spreads to Hungary. (CBC)

International relations

US-China summit:
- US president Barack Obama and Chinese president Xi Jinping finish up their two day summit by discussing cyber espionage. (The Hindu)
- The United States and China agree to work together to reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons which are thought to contribute significantly to global warming. (AFP via Google)

Law and crime

U.S. government surveillance programs (including PRISM):
- The existence of Boundless Informant, an NSA tool used by the U.S. government to watch every country on planet Earth, is revealed. (The Guardian) (Gizmodo)
- Larry Page of Google and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook deny having any knowledge of PRISM as Barack Obama confirms the existence of the program used to spy on U.S. citizens, in part through their websites. (The Guardian)
- The New York Times contradicts some of the company figureheads by reporting that companies which negotiated with the U.S. government on spying on their customers include Google (owner of YouTube), Microsoft (owner of Hotmail and Skype), Yahoo!, Facebook, AOL, Apple and Paltalk. (The Guardian) (The New York Times)
With governor Peter Shumlin signing the law, Vermont becomes the 17th state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

Former South African president Nelson Mandela is readmitted to a Pretoria hospital in a serious condition with a recurring lung infection. (AP via News24) (BBC)
Michael Polley, Australia's longest serving current Member of Parliament, retires. (ABC Online)
Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir orders the closure of oil pipelines coming from South Sudan. (Fox News)
Former governor of Massachusetts and US ambassador Paul Cellucci dies at age 65. (ABC News)

Science and technology

Asteroid 2013 LR6 passes within 65,000 miles of Earth the day after it is discovered. (Nature World News)

Sports

In tennis, Serena Williams wins the French Open by defeating Maria Sharapova. (USA Today)
In horse racing, Palace Malice wins the Belmont Stakes. (USA Today)

June 9, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A Lebanese man protesting against Hezbollah's role in the Syrian civil war is shot dead outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut. (BBC)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- Thirty-five militants and one soldier are killed in fighting in the Khyber Agency tribal region of northwest Pakistan in an operation. (The Times of India)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Suspected Islamist insurgents kill 13 people in Maiduguri, Nigeria after hiding their weapons in a coffin. (ABS-CBN News)

Arts and culture

The Tony Awards, honoring excellence in Broadway theatre, are held in New York City. Kinky Boots takes home the most awards, with six, including Best Musical. (Los Angeles Times)
Scottish author Iain Banks dies of cancer at age 59. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A fire destroys 150 stores in Lagos, Nigeria. (The Punch)

Health and environment

An outbreak of Hepatitis A linked to a fruit juice product made by Townsend Farms sickens 79 people in the United States. (RTT News)

Law and crime

U.S. government surveillance programs (including PRISM):
- A former CIA employee named Edward Snowden comes forward as the source of recent NSA leaks in the United States. Fearful of prosecution for his actions, he defects to Hong Kong. (Washington Post)
300 Muslims are arrested in Moscow, Russia while they pray at a mosque in an apparent crackdown on radical Islam. (Fox News)

Politics and elections

2013 protests in Turkey: Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called protestors "a handful of looters". (Fox News)

Sports

In tennis, Rafael Nadal wins a record-extending eighth French Open title by defeating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. The event is marred by two protesters, one of whom ignites a flare on court, evoking memories of the 1993 Monica Seles stabbing in Germany. (Reuters via News24)
In professional golf:
- Inbee Park wins the 2013 LPGA Championship, defeating Catriona Matthew on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. The Korean wins her second major championship of the season and third of her career, and also collects her fourth tournament win this season. (AP via ESPN)
- South African David Frost wins the 2013 Regions Tradition, holding off Fred Couples for a one-shot win and his first major championship on the Champions Tour. (AP via ESPN)

June 10, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Bombs explode across Iraq, killing at least 70 people and wounding many more, following a month of attacks bloodier than any the country has experienced since June 2008. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
The Venezuelan government arrests nine Colombian right-wing paramilitaries over a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro. (BBC)
Syrian civil war:
- A fierce battle has gone on over the last 24 hours as rebels launch another attack against the Menagh Air Base, the last remaining Syrian government controlled airbase in Aleppo. (Al Jazeera)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Seven heavily armed Taliban militants launch a coordinated attack near the main international airport of the Afghan capital, Kabul, and seize a five-story building under construction nearby. Afghan security forces retake the building, killing all seven militants and sustaining no military or civilian casualties. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2013 European floods:
- The swollen Elbe River breaches its banks forcing German authorities to evacuate 10 villages. So far, 21 people have died across Central Europe. (CBC)
- Floodwaters subside in Budapest after the Danube reaches record levels. (Al Jazeera)
A residential block collapses during heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

U.S. government surveillance programs (including PRISM):
- William Hague answers parliamentary questions on Britain's role in the U.S. surveillance scandal, though MPs and activists express dissatisfaction with his answers on whether Britain is similarly spying on its own citizens. (The Independent) (The Guardian) (Press TV) (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, former Speaker of the Iranian parliament, withdraws his candidacy from the June 14 presidential election. (CNN) (Haaretz)

June 11, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2013 protests in Turkey:
- Turkish police carry off dozens of lawyers, with reports that some have been kicked in the head and subjected to other assaults. (RT) (The Guardian)
- Police move past the barricades in Istanbul's Taksim Square, occupied by protesters. (AP via CBC News)
- Riot police fill Taksim Square with tear gas, while clashes between protesters and police continue into the night. (CNN) (Reuters)
Riot police pursue activists in central London's "Carnival Against Capitalism" organised by the group Stop G8. (Al Jazeera)
Syrian civil war:
- Twin suicide bombings in Marjeh Square in Damascus kill at least 14 people and injure 31. (AFP via NineMSN)^{[permanent dead link]}
- Gunmen killed up to 60 syrian fighters and civilians. Videos posted later show celebrations with the Jihadist black flag.
War in Afghanistan:
- A bomb detonates near the Afghan Supreme Court killing 17 people and wounding dozens. (Reuters)
Former senior Indian cabinet minister Vidya Charan Shukla dies from his injury from a Naxalite raid in the Sukma district in Chhattisgarh state. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Bills banning homosexual "propaganda" pass through Russia's parliament; gay people are hit with eggs by anti-gay extremists and then dragged off by police near the Duma. (Al Jazeera) (The Independent) (The Guardian) (USA Today)

Business and economics

Greek broadcaster ERT is shut as part of austerity measures. (Euronews) (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

A charter bus carrying a group of students from a Louisville, Kentucky high school to Eastern Kentucky University crashes on the return trip to Louisville, injuring 35 people in all. (WDRB)

International relations

U.S. government surveillance programs (including PRISM):
- European Union officials send a letter to U.S. attorney general Eric Holder with seven detailed questions requesting concrete explanations about the country's data snooping programs and how it affects EU citizens ahead of a meeting in Dublin this Friday. (The Guardian) (The Journal)
- The American Civil Liberties Union lays down the first constitutional challenge to the U.S. programs of spying on its own citizens. ACLU accuses the U.S. government of "snatching every American's address book". (The Guardian)
- Expecting to be rendered or otherwise targeted by the CIA or its allies or third parties, Edward Snowden checks out of the Hong Kong hotel in which he based himself after revealing the U.S. spy scandal to the public. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Due to lack of evidence, a French court drops a case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn for allegedly running a prostitution ring. (ITV)
Michael Bloomberg appeals to the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division on the invalidation of a law limiting soft drink sales in New York City. (Reuters)

International relations

A UK government decision to create a controversial marine park in the Indian Ocean gets the go-ahead, though the intentions are questioned by former residents of the Chagos Islands all of whom were expelled by the British between 1965 and 1973 so that an airbase could be built by the United States on Diego Garcia. (The Guardian)
North Korea calls off talks with South Korea, according to officials from the South, amid a disagreement over the pairing of Ryoo Kihl-jae (South) and Kim Yang Gon (North). (AP via The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

Demonstrators rally at the "piggy bank" (local term) against wage hikes for newly elected "MPigs" (local term) in Kenya. (Al Jazeera) (The Washington Post)
2013 Iranian presidential election: Mohammad Reza Aref announces he will drop out of the race endorsing another reformist candidate Hassan Rouhani, to give the reform movement a better chance to win the election. (PressTV) (CBS)

Science and technology

Shenzhou 10, China's fifth manned spaceflight mission and the second and final one to the Tiangong-1 space laboratory, is launched with 3 taikonauts on a 15 day mission. (BBC) (CNN)

June 12, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian Civil War:
- United Nations peacekeepers from Austria start withdrawing from the Golan Heights. (AP via the Idaho Statesman)
Gunmen kidnap a Scottish man working for a British energy company in the Indonesian province of Aceh. (Daily Telegraph), (Miami Herald)

Arts and culture

The government of Greece shuts down the public radio and television broadcaster ERT, calling it a "haven of waste". (The Guardian)
Jiroemon Kimura, who had been the world's oldest living person and the verified longest lived man ever, dies in the Japanese city of Kyōtango. (AFP via New Strait Times)(The Age)
Facebook announces it plans to introduce clickable hashtags. (The Guardian)

Business and economics

The New Zealand Dollar falls against all major currencies after RBNZ keeps interest rates unchanged. (Bloomberg)
The United States Dollar suffers significant losses against a variety of currencies. (Reuters)
Safeway Inc agrees to sell its 200+ Canadian stores to Sobeys for US$5.7 billion. (Financial Times)
Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert W. Fogel dies at age 86. (Newsday)
India's Apollo Tyres announces that it will acquire US-based Cooper Tire & Rubber Company for $2.5 billion. (Times of India)

Disasters and accidents

A bus and a trolley car collide in downtown San Francisco, California, injuring fifteen people. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Health and environment

A study finds that taking the AIDS drug tenofovir greatly reduces the risk of HIV infection among intravenous drug users. (Medpage Today)
India becomes the latest country to ban the pain killer dextropropoxyphene. (The Hindu)

Law and crime

A Tunisian court sentences two French and one German members of the FEMEN movement to four months in jail for protesting topless. (AP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

2013 protests in Turkey: The Turkish government offers to put the development project that sparked the initial protests to a public vote. (CBC)
New figures from UNICEF show that 150 million children are engaged in child labor worldwide. (Pakistan Daily Times)
Russia's Duma passes a law banning "gay propaganda". (CBS News)

Science

Harminder Dua announces the discovery of a new layer in the human cornea, dubbed Dua's layer. (Popular Science)
A new study suggests that altitude plays a role in language evolution, explaining why ejective sounds are more popular in languages of high-altitude regions. (Scientific American)

Sports

The International Rugby Board announces that the Rugby World Cup Sevens, originally intended to be scrapped after its upcoming 2013 edition in Moscow, will be retained. The competition cycle will be reset so that future editions will occur in the middle of the Summer Olympic cycle, with the next World Cup Sevens edition set for 2018. (AP via Times Colonist)
Officials of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan acknowledge that they introduced a new, livelier ball for the current season. Previously, NPB had denied that a marked increase in home runs from last season was due to changes in the ball. (AP via Fox News)
In motor sport, NASCAR driver Jason Leffler dies following a crash at Bridgeport Speedway in the US state of New Jersey. (NBC Sports)

June 13, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The United Nations estimates that the death toll was just under 93,000 as at the end of April. (New York Times)
- The United States establishes and concludes that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has used chemical weapons. (ABC News)

Business and economy

Greek unions call for a general strike following the closure of public broadcaster ERT. (France 24)

Disasters

A train collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, results in three deaths and at least 150 injured. (CNN)
A chemical plant explodes in Geismar, Louisiana, injuring 73 people and killing one. (Reuters)
A tsunami hits the East Coast of the United States. [1]

Health and environment

United States Supreme Court rules that isolated human genes are not patentable, invalidating BRCA gene patents held by Myriad Genetics. (WSJ)

Law and crime

Kidnapped British engineer Malcolm Primrose is found safe in Indonesia. (BBC)
Four people are killed in a murder-suicide at a home health care business in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, by the owner of the business, 59-year-old Ahmed Dirir. (CNN) (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Czech investigative authorities start a raid against organized crime, affecting the top levels of Czech politics, including Prime Minister Petr Nečas and his coalition government.(The New York Times)
Gunmen ambush and kill eight police officers and kidnap the chief of police in Salcajá, Guatemala. (Al Jazeera)
British gangster Dale Cregan is sentenced to a whole life tariff for the murders of four people, including two police officers. (BBC)

Politics and government

The incumbent President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, determines that elections will be scheduled for 31 July 2013, however Mugabe's leading presidential contestant and primary political rival Morgan Tsvangirai rejects this as being "a unilateral and flagrant breach of the constitution". (allAfrica)

June 14, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The United States offers unspecified military equipment to the rebels after determining that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against the opposition. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

A search and rescue operation gets underway after a Roll-on/roll-off ferry carrying about 60 people capsizes off the island of Burias in the Philippines Masbate province. So far 34 people have been rescued and at least one death confirmed. (ABC Online), (BBC)
A crowded outdoor deck behind a popular Miami-area sports bar collapses during the NBA Finals, sending dozens of people into the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay (AP via News24) (Miami Herald)
Near Colorado Springs, destructive wildfires claim hundreds of homes and at least 2 lives. (LA Times)
A day after an ethylene- and propylene- manufacturing chemical plant explosion in Geismar, Ascension Parish, Louisiana that killed two and injured 75, another chemical plant explosion occurs in the same Louisiana Parish (County), in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. One person is killed, three are critically injured, and 2 others suffer more minor injuries. (NBC) (CNN)

Law and crime

Former fugitive Malcolm Naden is given a life sentence and some for two murders in the Australian state of New South Wales. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Won Sei-hoon, former head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service is indicted on charges of interfering in last year's presidential election. (AP)
Four people are shot, leaving three critically injured, when Earnest Moore, 39, a convicted murderer, who was described as the boyfriend of one of the victims, walked up to their SUV and opened fire in Nashville, Tennessee. (NBC)
U.S. Army Judge Colonel Tara Osborn rules that the Fort Hood Massacre gunman Nidal Hasan cannot claim as a part of his defense that he was defending the Taliban. (NBC)
Six months after the crime which killed 20 children and six adult staff, the Newtown, Connecticut Sandy Hook massacre's victims' families gathered in remembrance of the tragedy. (NBC)
Charla Nash, 59, of Stamford, Connecticut, is told she cannot sue the state and its Dept. of Energy for $150 million, after being blinded for life and receiving a full face transplant after receiving a brutal mauling by Travis, an escaped chimpanzee. (NBC)

Politics and elections

Iranian general election:
- Voters in Iran go to the polls for a presidential and local elections. (AP via Fox News LA)
- Moderate Hassan Rouhani was elected as the president with conservative Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf behind him in second place. (Press TV) (Reuters via Thomson Reuters Foundation) (BBC)

Science and technology

The Airbus A350 XWB makes its maiden flight from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. (BBC) (CNN)

June 15, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2011–present Libyan factional fighting:
- Clashes between Libyan army forces and armed protesters in the city of Benghazi kill at least six soldiers. (BBC) (Reuters)
A bomb explodes on a bus in the Pakistani city of Quetta, killing at least 11 people and wounding 22 others. (BBC)
A mortar attack on an Iranian dissident camp in Iraq kills 2 people and wounds 27 others (Reuters), (Daily Star)
A bombing at a tea shop kills seven people, including soldiers, in the Somali town of Wanlaweyn. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

More than ten thousand families are evacuated in the Filipino province of Cotabato due to heavy rain. (ABS-CBN News)
A Gulfstream IV aircraft carrying former President George W. Bush from Philadelphia International Airport to Dallas Love Field is diverted safely to Louisville International Airport when the pilot smells smoke; Bush arrived safely in Dallas early Sunday. (CNN)
The City of Piedras Negras, Mexico was devastated by the June 14-15, 2013 flood affecting an estimated 40,000-50,000 residents, approximately 30-35% of its city residents, with more than 62 residential subdivisions (Colonias) flooded. (Eagle Pass Business Journal)

International relations

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi cuts diplomatic ties with Syria and orders the Egyptian embassy in Damascus to close. (Sky News)
The National Defense Commission, North Korea's top government body, proposes high-level nuclear and security talks with the United States, days after a planned meeting with South Korea failed. (NBC)

Law and crime

Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) escorts an Egyptair Boeing 777 bound for New York to Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland following an onboard incident. (AFP via News24)
A man goes on a shooting spree in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., killing two people and wounding two others, before being fatally shot by police. (CNN)

June 16, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A series of car bombings by insurgents across central and southern Iraq kill at least twenty people. (BBC)
The Quaid-e-Azam Residency, a heritage site in Ziarat, Pakistan, is badly damaged in an attack by Assailants, killing a police officer.(CNN)
Gunmen kill two polio vaccinators in northwest Pakistan. (The Guardian)
Four men, including a police officer, are stabbed at a mosque in Birmingham, England. (AFP via News24)
Colombian police rescue two kidnapped Spanish tourists. (AFP via Google)

Arts and culture

Man of Steel sets an all-time June record by grossing an estimated US$113 million in its opening weekend in the United States and Canada. (Reuters)
Kim Kardashian gives birth to a daughter. (USA Today)

Business and economics

Weyerhaeuser agrees to buy Longview Timber for US$2.65 billion. (Seattle Times)

Disasters and accidents

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake in southwestern Mexico causes power outages in Mexico City. (CNN) (Reuters)
Heavy rains in Uttarakhand, India result in wide-spread flooding, landslides, and at least 3 deaths. (Indian Express)

International relations

Egypt cuts diplomatic ties with Syria. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says Australians lost over AU$93 million to online scams in 2012. (Herald Sun)
Three policemen are arrested on charges of arms smuggling in Hamirpur, India. (Indian Express)
Google announces a new system aimed at removing child pornography from the internet. (CNET)

Politics and elections

Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, agrees to delay elections amidst pressure from regional leaders. (Financial Times)
U.S. President Barack Obama chooses a Washington, D.C. lawyer, Clifford Sloan, with experience in all three branches of government to be the U.S. State Department's Special Envoy for closing the military-run prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. (NBC)
Kuwait's Constitutional Court dissolves the nation's parliament and orders new elections. (BBC News)
The prime minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Nečas, announces his resignation. (Yahoo News)

Religion

Pope Francis blesses thousands of Harley Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts on the company's 110th anniversary. (The Australian)

Sport

In golf, Justin Rose of England wins the 2013 U.S. Open. (ABC Online)
In motorsport, Greg Biffle wins the Quicken Loans 400 earning Ford its 1000th NASCAR victory. (AP via ESPN)
In tennis, Roger Federer wins the Gerry Weber Open for his 77th career victory and first in 10 months. (CNN International)

June 17, 2013 (Monday)

International relations

The 39th G8 summit gets underway in Northern Ireland with the Syrian civil war high on the agenda. (BBC)
Turkey, South Africa and Russia react angrily to the British government and demand an explanation for the revelations that their politicians and senior officials were spied on and bugged during the 2009 G20 summit in London (The Guardian)
Talks between the foreign ministers of Britain and Ecuador end with no breakthrough over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who remains in the country's London embassy. (Reuters via News24)

Law and crime

The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down a law of the state of Arizona requiring that voters in federal elections show proof of citizenship, upholding the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. (Reuters)(PBS)
A court in the Netherlands finds a 50-year-old man and six teenagers guilty of kicking a volunteer linesman to death in Almere in December 2012. (BBC)
Former BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall is sentenced to 15 months in jail for sexually abusing girls. (BBC) (The Guardian)
Michael Applebaum, mayor of Montreal, Quebec is arrested on charges of fraud and abuse of public office. (AP)

Politics and elections

The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Nečas, submits his resignation following a corruption scandal. (The New York Times)
Brazilians go to the streets in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other cities to claim against the rise of the public transport fee, being part of the 2013 protests in Brazil.(News Day), (BBC)
Confidence in President Barack Obama drops below 50%, its lowest level in 19 months as Americans worry over broad government surveillance and other controversies. (AFP via News24)

Sports

Mark Neeld is sacked as the coach of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) following one-and-a-half seasons of poor results. (The Age)

June 18, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Several Mozambican soldiers are killed following an attack on an armoury in Dondo, Mozambique. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A bomb explodes in the Afghan capital of Kabul killing three people and wounding six. (BBC)
- Four United States troops are killed near Bagram Airfield. (AP via News 9)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Twin suicide bombings kill 31 and wound another 60 in al-Qahira, Baghdad. (BBC)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- A suicide blast kills 27 and wounds over 30 others at a funeral in Sher Garh, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Seven students and two teachers are killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack on a secondary school in Damaturu, Nigeria. (allAfrica)
The Malian government and Tuareg rebels sign a ceasefire agreement. (Xinhua)

Arts and culture

President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan announces a N3 billion fund to "intervene" in Nollywood. (allAfrica)
American journalist Michael Hastings dies in a car crash at age 33. (USA Today)

Business and economics

Boeing launches the biggest version of its Dreamliner plane, the 787-10, at the Paris Air Show with over 100 orders worth about US$30 billion. (AFP vis News24)
The Indian Rupee falls to a new record low against the US dollar. (Business Standard)
Chrysler agrees to recall 1.56 million Jeeps in the United States. (USA Today)

Disasters

2013 North India floods:
- The death toll from several days of heavy rain, flooding, and landslides in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, hits 99. (Times of India)
- More than 73,000 religious pilgrims and 1,700 tourists are stranded. (Times of India)
2013 NBA Finals:
- The San Antonio Spurs lead by 5 points against the Miami Heat with 28 seconds remaining in game 6 of the NBA finals as a victory will secure a fifth NBA title for the Spurs. They fail to collect a defensive rebound, allow Miami to score back-to-back three-pointers and go 1 out of 2 on the free throw line. The game is sent to overtime where they eventually lose by three points.

International relations

The Malian government announces it has reached an agreement with the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad that allows the Malian Army to return to Kidal in anticipation of upcoming elections. (Al Jazeera), (AP via Washington Post)
The G8 summit ends with the nations agreeing to a "7-point plan" for peace in Syria. (ABC Online)
Ethiopia and Egypt meet to work out a disagreement over Ethiopia's diversion of the Nile River to build the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (VOA)

Law and crime

Australian Football League player Stephen Milne of the St Kilda Football Club is charged with four counts of rape dating from 2004. (Sydney Morning Herald)
98-year-old László Csatáry is charged in Hungary and Slovakia with participation in Nazi war crimes. (BBC)
The Eiffel Tower is evacuated for two hours after a man threatens to throw himself off, in the latest of a string of suicide bids from the Paris landmark. (AFP via News24)
Russian smugglers carrying 213 bear paws are arrested in China. (Global Times)

Politics and elections

A Greek court decrees that ERT can resume transmission, following a truncation of broadcast due to direct order from Antonis Samaras. (BBC)
As many as 200,000 people march through Brazil's cities, with protestors having scaled the National Congress in Brasilia. (BBC)
U.S. government surveillance programs (including PRISM):
- Several Federal officials, including National Security Agency (NSA) Director Keith Alexander, testify at a hearing held by the U.S. House Intelligence Committee over government surveillance programs whose existence was leaked earlier this month. (CNN)
- The NSA states its surveillance efforts have stopped more than 50 terror plots. (Fox News)
Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum resigns following fraud and corruption charges; he had replaced Gérald Tremblay who resigned because of similar allegations. (CBC)
Russia's Duma unanimously passes a law banning foreign same-sex couples from adopting Russian children. (Fox News)

Science and Technology

Huawei unveils the world's slimmest smartphone, the Ascend P6. (BBC)
Tianhe-2 is named the world's fastest supercomputer per the TOP500. (China Daily)
New data suggests that as many as 280 previously unknown craters exist on The Moon. (International Business Times)
A news study finds that chickens possess numeracy skills and self-control. (Herald Sun)

Sports

Iran, South Korea and Australia qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. (BBC Sport)
In tennis, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams announces she will skip the 2013 event. (ESPN)

June 19, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Boko Haram gunmen kill nine children in an attack on a school in Maiduguri. (BBC)
War in Somalia:
- An al-Shabaab-led assault on the UNDP base in Mogadishu leaves 22 dead, including militants, security personnel, and civilians. (Reuters)
Armed bandits and robbers riding motorbikes kill 48 people in Nigeria's Zamfara State. (BBC), (Ventura County Star)

Arts and culture

American actor James Gandolfini, best known for portraying Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, dies of a heart attack at the age of 51. (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

The Indian Army is deployed to help rescue people in the flood-hit northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, where the number of confirmed deaths has reached 130. (BBC)
A man is killed and more than 6,000 people are evacuated following an explosion at an arms depot in the Samara Oblast in central Russia. (Sky News)
Flash flooding in southwest France claims two victims and causes the shrine at Lourdes to be closed. (AFP via Channel News Asia)

Law and crime

Nigel Evans, Deputy Speaker of the UK House of Commons, is arrested on suspicion of three counts of indecent assault. (BBC)
An Italian court rejects an appeal by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi against his conviction for tax fraud. (The Telegraph)
An Italian court convicts fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of tax evasion, giving them suspended sentences and heavy fines. (Reuters via The Globe and Mail)

Science and technology

After receiving negative feedback, Microsoft decides to change many features of its upcoming Xbox One. (Xbox Wire)

June 20, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli–Palestinian conflict: The Committee on the Rights of the Child accuses Israeli soldiers of torturing Palestinian children and using them as human shields. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Instagram announces that users will be able to upload videos to the service. (ABC News)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 record their worst day of 2013, with the Dow Jones dropping 353 points (2.3 percent) and S&P 500 dropping 2.5 percent. (CNNMoney)

Disasters and accidents

Pudukkottai - Aranthangi, Tamilnadu, India - 8 school children and the driver die in a bus accident.
Riga Castle fire: A major fire breaks out at the Riga Castle, the Latvian presidential palace. (BBC)
2013 Atlantic hurricane season: Tropical Storm Barry is due to make landfall in the Mexican state of Veracruz bringing heavy rain and the risk of flooding. (AccuWeather)
2013 North India floods: Bad weather hampers rescue efforts in Uttarakhand state where nearly 150 people have died. (BBC News)
2013 Alberta floods: Extensive flooding begins throughout southern Alberta, Canada, leading to the evacuation of more than 100,000 people, notably in the City of Calgary and Town of High River. It would become the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history.
2013 Southeast Asian haze: Haze from Indonesian forest fires in Sumatra increase air pollution in Singapore and Malaysia to hazardous levels. (AP)
Two people have died in an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, Canada. (CBC)
New Zealand's South Island is lashed by wild weather. Dunedin and Christchurch have roads cut off and flights cancelled as conditions worsen. Heavy snow and flooding is reported in parts of Canterbury, Otago and Southland. (Stuff NZ)

Law and crime

Argentinian football star Lionel Messi and his father are summoned to appear before a Spanish court on tax charges in September. (News Limited)

Sport

In basketball, the Miami Heat defeat the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA Finals 4–3, successfully defending their title from last season. Season MVP LeBron James is named Finals MVP for the second straight year. (AP via ESPN)
Alexander Georgiev wins the 2013 Draughts World Championship.
In football, Abby Wambach of the USA breaks the international record for career goals by scoring four goals against South Korea in a friendly match played in Harrison, New Jersey. Wambach's career total stands at 160, passing the 158 of fellow American Mia Hamm. (AP via Yahoo News Canada)

June 21, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflict and attacks

A suicide bomber kills 15 and injures 20 in a Shi'ite mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. (Bangkok Post)
A Jewish Israeli man is shot dead near Jerusalem's Western Wall after a guard mistakes him for a Palestinian militant after hearing him shout "Allahu Akbar". (BBC)
A gunman opens fire at a law firm and a Walmart in Greenville, North Carolina, U.S., injuring four people. The gunman is later shot by the police and brought into custody after being wounded. (USA Today) (CBS News)

Business and economy

The People's Bank of China intervenes to alleviate a cash crunch as it continues to act to reduce over-leveraging in the People's Republic of China. (Financial Times)

Disasters and accidents

2013 Riga Castle fire:
- Latvian authorities say the overnight fire has extensively damaged Riga Castle, the medieval fortress that houses the Baltic nation's National History Museum, and presidential residence. (EuroNews)
- Latvian President Andris Bērziņš describes the fire as a "national disaster" during a morning visit to inspect the damage. (Russia Today)
A three-story building collapses in the Indian town of Mumbra in Maharashtra state, with at least two deaths and many people reported trapped. (IBN Live), (Hindustan Times)
2013 North India floods: Nearly 14,000 people are believed to be missing in Uttarakhand state, with another 60,000 stranded and 150 killed. (NDTV)
75,000 people are evacuated from their homes during flooding in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (CNN)

Health

Taiwan reports the first human case of the H6N1 virus. (Focus Taiwan)

Law and crime

Edward Snowden is charged by the United States with espionage. (The Washington Post)

Movies

The Movie Premiere of Monsters University
From the Faculty That Brought You Toy Story 3, WALL-E, Finding Nemo and Up
Prequel: Monsters, Inc. (2001)

June 22, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2013 protests in Turkey:
- Police use water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets on thousands of civilians gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square for a memorial to the 4 protestors killed in previous days. (The Guardian)
Syrian Civil War:
- The Friends of Syria Group agrees to give urgent assistance to the rebels. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Mount Fuji is named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. (The Japan Times)

Business and economics

100,000 workers and unemployed march against record unemployment in Rome, the first major demonstration since Enrico Letta's government took power earlier this year. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

100,000 residents are displaced on the third day of flooding in Alberta. (CBC)
The worst flooding in 20 years affects the Canterbury Region of New Zealand, with the towns of Leeston and Lyttelton amongst the worst affected. (3 News)
Two die in a plane crash in Dayton, Ohio. (whiotv.com)

Politics and elections

A petition about pardoning former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden reaches 100,000 signatures. (The Daily Dot)
U.S. president Barack Obama is accused of anti-Catholicism at home and in Northern Ireland for his remarks on Protestant and Catholic segregation of schools while visiting for the G8 summit earlier this week. (Irish Central)

Science and technology

2013 Korean crisis: Anonymous claims that it managed to steal military documents from North Korea. The documents are due to be released on 25 June, the anniversary of the start of the Korean War. (The Diplomat)

Sport

In car racing, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, and Loïc Duval in an Audi win the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, while Danish driver Allan Simonsen dies from injuries suffered when his car leaves the track at high speed and crashes. (The Guardian) (Speed Channel)

June 23, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon:
- Six Lebanese Army soldiers are killed and several others injured in clashes at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Sidon. (Al Jazeera)
Gunmen storm a hotel in Northern Pakistan, killing nine tourists and a Pakistani tour guide. (BBC)
16 people are killed and more than 20 others wounded in tribal violence in Kenya. (Muscatine Journal)
2013 protests in Brazil:
- Police again fire tear gas at demonstrators participating in nationwide protests across Brazil. (The Guardian)
Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen kidnap two sisters working on a film in the Philippines (Sky News)

Arts and culture

Several places in North Korea are named as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. (ABC)

Disasters and accidents

2013 North India floods:
- The death toll from the disaster soars to more than 6,500, as units of the Indian Army struggle to reach thousands of people stranded in country's northwest. (Al Jazeera)
At least 18 Romanians were killed and 32 were injured after a bus crash, in Montenegro. (Huffington Post)

International relations

After a failed U.S. extradition request Hong Kong says does not fully comply with the law, U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden leaves Hong Kong for Moscow. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Voters in Albania go to the polls for a parliamentary election. Activist Gjon Pjeter Gjoni is shot dead and three other people are wounded in a shoot out near a polling station in the town of Laç. (Al Jazeera) (BBC), (AFP via Yahoo New Zealand)
Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah who had offered his resignation on Thursday. (Reuters)
Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, is in a critical condition after his lung infection takes a turn for the worse. (ABC News)

Sport

In cricket, India narrowly defeats England by 5 runs to win the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in the English city of Birmingham. (AFP via Yahoo! Sports Australia)
American daredevil Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to complete a high wire walk across a Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. (Canadian Press via CBC)

June 24, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon:
- Clashes between the Lebanese Army and supporters of the Salafist cleric Ahmed Al-Assir continue for a second day around the Ain el-Hilweh camp near Sidon. The government reports at least 15 soldiers killed and 38 others injured in the violence, as it promises crackdown on ethnic strife across the country. (Al Jazeera)
Israeli Air Force planes attack the Gaza Strip after two rockets were fired into southern Israel on Sunday night. (BBC) (The Times of Israel)

Disasters and accidents

2013 North India floods:
- North India braces for more rain in what is believed to be the worst monsoon season in 50 years. (BBC)

Law and crime

The U.S. Supreme Court decides Fisher v. University of Texas, tightening constitutional scrutiny of the consideration of race in the college admissions process. (Opinion)
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and having sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison. (CNN)
According to reports in Catalonia, Argentine football star Lionel Messi has paid €10 million in Spanish back taxes for 2010 and 2011, and is looking to settle a claimed tax liability of €4.1 million for the 2007–2009 period that is the subject of a current investigation. (ESPN)

Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Boston Bruins in six games to win the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. (NHL), (CBC)

June 25, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan:
- Taliban forces attack near the Presidential Palace in Kabul. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The Under the Dome TV series premieres to 13.5 million viewers in the United States, the largest summertime premiere for a drama since 2007. (Newsday) (Entertainment Weekly)

Business and economics

Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson reports record sales for its fourth quarter and for the full fiscal year. (NBC News)
Men's Wearhouse fires its founder and longtime spokesperson George Zimmer. (Newsday)

Disasters and accidents

2013 North India floods: A rescue helicopter crashes in Uttarakhand; 19 people are feared dead. (FirstPost)
A gold mine collapses in the Central African Republic killing at least 37 people. (Reuters)

International relations

South Korea issues a cyber alert after a hacking attack on a number of Government websites including the presidential Blue House site. (AFP via Fox News)

Law and crime

Italian police search more than thirty Italian football clubs including SS Lazio and Juventus FC searching for evidence of criminal conspiracy, international tax evasion, money laundering and invoice falsification. (Reuters)
Russian president Vladimir Putin confirms that Edward Snowden is currently in a Moscow airport's international area; Russia rejects United States extradition demands. (Fox News)
Nine are killed in gun battles between paramilitary forces and drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro favelas. (BBC)
French anti-terror police arrest six people in Paris who were said to have been planning a terrorist attack on well known figures. (France 24)
Four executions take place in Nigeria, the first since 2006. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Democrat Ed Markey defeats Republican Gabriel E. Gomez in a Massachusetts special election to elect a senator to finish John Kerry's term. Kerry resigned in February to become Secretary of State.(New York Times)
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani abdicates in favour of his son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. (France24) (Reuters)
The Prime Minister of Greece, Antonis Samaras, reshuffles his cabinet giving more positions to his Panhellenic Socialist Movement coalition partner, appointing its leader Evangelos Venizelos as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. (The Guardian)
FICCI calls on the government of India to legalize sports betting. (Times of India)
The United States Supreme Court strikes down a portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. (Washington Post)

Science and technology

China's Shenzhou 10 spacecraft returns to Earth after its crew complete a 15-day mission. (CBS News)

Sport

In college baseball, the UCLA Bruins win the 2013 College World Series for the first time. (USA Today)

June 26, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

At least nine people are killed and several others injured as a bomb targeted at Sindh High Court judge Justice Maqbool Baqar explodes in the Pakistani city of Karachi. (The Express Tribune) (Dawn)
Riots in China's Xinjiang region kill at least 36 people. (NBC News)(The Australian)
Syrian Civil War:
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that 100,000 people have died in the fighting. (AP via Newsday)

Disasters and accidents

At least 20 people die as an Indian military helicopter trying to rescue victims of the floods in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand crashes, killing all on board. (AAP via News Limited)

Law and crime

Same-sex marriage in the United States:
- The U.S. Supreme Court rules that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. (NBC News)
- The court also dismisses an appeals case on the 2008 Proposition 8 ballot measure, allowing same-sex marriage to continue in the state of California. (CNN)
Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is formally charged with murder in the US state of Massachusetts more than a week after the body of former semi-professional American football player Odin Lloyd is found near his home. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

Voters in Mongolia go to the polls for a presidential election and incumbent President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj wins with 50.23% of the vote. (Reuters)
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wins leadership of the Australian Labor Party against incumbent Julia Gillard. (News Limited)
South African President Jacob Zuma cancels his scheduled trip to Mozambique after a visit to the critically ill former president Nelson Mandela in a Pretoria hospital. (News24)

Sports

National Football League tight end Aaron Hernandez is taken into police custody and released by the New England Patriots after an ongoing murder investigation. (ESPN)

June 27, 2013 (Thursday)

Business and economy

European leaders agree to back a deal on the European Union's long-term budget after a deal is done on a rebate for the United Kingdom. (Reuters)

International relations

The President of South Korea Park Geun-hye arrives in the People's Republic of China for four days of talks with the President of China Xi Jinping in an effort to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. (AP)

Law and crime

A US federal grand jury issues a thirty count indictment against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for his alleged role in the Boston Marathon bombings. (New York Times)

Politics and elections

Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj is reelected as President of Mongolia. (Associated Press via The Globe and Mail)
Kevin Rudd is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Australia with Anthony Albanese as the Deputy Prime Minister. (ABC News Australia)

Science

NASA launches the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, a space probe to observe the Sun, from the US state of California. (IRIS Mission Updates)

Sports

In basketball, the 2013 NBA Draft gets underway in Brooklyn, New York with the Cleveland Cavaliers selecting Canadian player Anthony Bennett as the first pick of the draft. (Bloomberg)

June 28, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

One trainee member of the Philippine National Police is killed and six injured in an ambush in Mountain Province. (ABS-CBN News)
One person is killed and four injured in an attack on a provincial party office in the Egyptian city of Zagazig. (Reuters)
Thirty-three are killed in an attack in Nigeria's Plateau State. (Xinhua)
Two people are killed and seven injured in a bomb attack in Songkhla, Thailand. (The Nation)
Three people are killed and seven injured in an attack in Karachi, Pakistan (Gulf News)
Fifteen people are killed in attacks targeting Iraqi police and anti-Al-Qaeda militiamen. (The Daily Star)

Arts and culture

Former President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez wins the Simón Bolívar National Award for Journalism posthumously. (Mail & Guardian Online)

Business and economics

Gold falls below $1200 per ounce for the first time since 2010. (BBC)
The USDA approves a plant to slaughter horses for meat in New Mexico. (Reuters)
News Corp. completes a planned split into two companies, creating 21st Century Fox. (LA Times)

Law and crime

A senior Vatican bank cleric, Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, and two others are arrested on suspicion of smuggling €20 million into Italy from Switzerland. (BBC)
French businessman Bernard Tapie is placed under investigation for improperly using political influence to benefit his businesses. (Xinhua)
A man is arrested in England on charges related to an attack on the John Constable painting The Hay Wain. (AP via Silicon Valley Mercury News)
Gay marriage in the state of California is legalized after the stay held on the unconstitutional California Proposition 8 is lifted. Two women who successfully challenged Proposition 8 in the Supreme Court of the United States are married in San Francisco. (NBC News)

Sport

Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Salman Butt admits to fixing matches in 2010. (The News International)

June 29, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Eight Royal Thai Army soldiers are killed during an ambush in Krong Pinang District in Yala Province located in Southern Thailand. (BBC)
One policeman is killed and 14 are wounded in a clash with the North Caucasian rebels in Chechnya, Russia. (Reuters)
Syrian civil war:
- Three German Gruenhelme e.V. aid workers have been missing since May 19 in the town of Harem in northern Syria and are believed to have been kidnapped. (AP)
- Syrian government troops launch a major offensive on rebel-held areas in the city of Homs, following the regime’s success in seizing the city of Qusayr with Hezbollah backing.(The Jerusalem Post)

Business and economy

The Australian Dollar falls to its lowest level against the US Dollar since 2010. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Disasters and accidents

Four men including the pilot die in a helicopter crash in southern Switzerland. (AP via News24)
2013 North India floods: An Uttarakhand lawmaker claims the actual death toll from the floods is 10,000, ten times the official estimate. (Hindustan Times)
Extreme heat in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, leads to dozens of hospitalizations. (LA Times)

International relations

Vice President of the United States Joe Biden asks Ecuador to reject an asylum request by Edward Snowden. (The Independent)

Politics and elections

Large crowds gather in Cairo, Egypt to protest against the presidency of Mohammed Morsi (BBC)
Riot police clash with protesters in Soweto, South Africa, shortly before a visit by United States President Barack Obama. (Reuters)
Former South African president F. W. de Klerk cuts short his European trip because of former president Nelson Mandela's ill-health. (SAPA via News24)
Dozens of people are arrested at a gay pride parade in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. (AP via St Louis Today)
2013 protests in Brazil: Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, experiences a sharp drop in popularity. Only 30 percent of people asked by the Datafolha's opinion poll considered Rousseff's administration "great" or "good". (Reuters)

Sport

In cycling, the 100th running of the Tour de France gets underway in Corsica. (The Australian)

June 30, 2013 (Sunday)