Portal:Current events/2013 April 30

Current events of April 30, 2013 (2013-04-30) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian civil war: A bomb explodes in the center of the capital, Damascus, killing at least 13 people. (BBC) A purported chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian army kills at least 2 people in Saraqib, Idlib. (United Press International) War in Afghanistan (2001–present): A roadside bomb kills three members of NATO's ISAF force in Afghanistan. (Reuters) 2013 Savar building collapse: Police in Dhaka clash with factory workers protesting the disaster and advocating for capital punishment to be administered to the factory's owner. (BBC) An Israeli air strike on Gaza City kills Hitham Maskhal, a well known Palestinian militant and injures another in the first such attack since the November ceasefire. Both suspected Palestinian militants were part of the militant group which fired rockets at the southern Israeli city of Eilat two weeks ago. (BBC) Arts and culture Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands signs the official acts of abdication in favor of her son the Prince of Orange, who becomes King Willem-Alexander, the first male monarch in 123 years. (The Telegraph) Business Apple initiates the largest ever non-bank bond offering, valued at $17 billion. (Reuters) Science and technology In Illinois, United States, 2-year-old Korean-Canadian Hannah Warren, who was born without a trachea, becomes the youngest patient to receive a bioengineered organ made from stem cells. (The New York Times) NASA extends its contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency, paying $424 million for the RKA to deliver and receive astronauts shuttled to the ISS thru 2016. (RIA Novosti) Sports The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs begin, with the Los Angeles Kings attempting to defend their 2012 Stanley Cup title.