January 1 The 'fiscal cliff deal' is approved in the U.S. House of Representatives The 1950's American pop singer Patti Page, known for the songs, '(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window' and "Tennessee Waltz', dies in Encinitas, California at 85 years old January 2 Ray Lewis, U.S. football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League, announces plans for retirement at the end of the season The use of plastic bags is banned in Mauritania January 3 Actor Gerard Depardieu is granted citizenship by Russian President, Vladimir Putin; Depardieu renounced his French citizenship due to the country's high taxes The Unites States swears in the 113th Congress, replacing the 112th Congress January 4 A rare television interview appearance is made by Juan Carlos I, the King of Spain; the interview coincides with celebrations of his 75th birthday After pleading guilty to a U.S. case of tax evasion, Wegelin and Co., the oldest bank in Switzerland, closes; the bank faces a fine of $57.8 million January 5 Bush fires burn out of control in Tasmania, Australia, leaving thousands stranded Venezuela's government announces that President Hugo Chavez is suffering from 'respiratory deficiency', a condition he developed after having a severe lung infection January 6 Developers at Apple, the U.S. creators of the iphone, claim they gave Apple sufficient warning concerning issues with iOS maps The President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, declares that official documents must use the words 'State of Palestine' January 7 The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics estimates at least 17 billion planets exist that are comparable to the size of the Earth and the Milky Way U.S. Republican Chuck Hagel is nominated to be the country's next Secretary of Defense by President Barack Obama; John O. Brennan is nominated to be the next CIA Director January 8 Thousands of people on Australia's east coast are threatened by over 130 wildfires burning, and are forced to leave their homes U.S. scientists claim 2012 weather as the hottest year ever recorded January 9 For the first time since 1996, no candidates were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice determines they can defer the latest inauguration of President Hugo Chavez while his cancer operation recovery continues January 10 A near-earth asteroid, called 99942 Apophis, passes close to Earth; astronomers in Europe estimate 99942 Apophis is larger than previously thought U.S. President announces the nomination of Jack Lew as Treasury Secretary, to replace Timothy Geithner, who is stepping down from his post January 11 Artist Paul Emsley unveils the first official portrait of Catherine Duchess of Cambridge In Sri Lanka, an impeachment motion against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake is passed by the Parliament January 12 County Wicklow, Ireland holds funeral services for Irish mountaineer, Ian McKeever, who was killed by lightning on Mount Kilimanjaro The air pollution in Beijing reaches levels deemed hazardous to human health January 13 At the 70th Golden Globe Awards, the Time Warner Inc. film 'Argo' wins for best drama and best director The European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, reveals that the EU is planning regulatory action to facilitate consolidation of the telecommunications market across national borders January 14 After more than seven weeks of treatment for bronchitis, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush is released from The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas UK's oldest music retailer HMV calls in administrators after talks to rescue the company fail; the company which has over 4,500 employees, opened its first shop on Oxford Street in 1921 January 15 In Saudi Arabia, Egyptian human rights lawyer Ahmed al-Gizawi is sentenced to five years in prison and 300 lashes, for possession of Xanax anti-anxiety pills The Republic of Ireland's Food Safety Authority announces horse DNA was present in some beef burgers on sale in supermarkets in Ireland and in the UK January 16 Canada's Cirque du Soleil cuts 400 jobs due to strong loonie and surging costs Ken Salazar, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, announces he will leave his post at the end of March, 2013 January 17 After stripping Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France Titles, the IOC takes away the cyclist's bronze medal from the 2000 Summer Olympics; he was found guilty of doping In efforts to turn its back on nuclear power, Japan announces plans to build the world's largest offshore wind farm in the Fukushima Prefecture, near the site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant January 18 For the first time since the Battle of Mogadishu, the U.S. announces it will officially recognize, and open diplomatic relations with, the new government of Somalia NASA scientists achieve a first in laser communication when they successfully beam a picture of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a spacecraft orbiting the Moon January 19 Calcium deposits found on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover; the deposits are similar to deposits formed on Earth when water circulates in cracks and rock fractures Heavy snowfall in Great Britain and Ireland causes Heathrow airport in London to cancel 100 flights; many passengers spend the night sleeping on the floor in the terminal January 20 Austria holds a national referendum on whether or not to retain its system of conscription for the army and social service for young men; they vote to keep military service compulsory President Barack Obama is inaugurated in the Blue Room of the White House; this is his second term in office January 21 Germany, France, and nine other countries within the EU await approval from EU Finance Ministers to institute the Tobin tax, a tax on financial transactions The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, loses his position as President of the Euro Group; he is unseated by Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Minister of Finance for the Netherlands January 22 Scientist in China discover an ancient human fossil in a cave near Beijing; the 40,000 year-old leg bone shows it was related to the ancestors of present-day Asians and Native Americans The latest James Bond film, 'Skyfall', opens in China; fans criticize officials for censoring portions of the movie, which were filmed in Shanghai January 23 Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, lays out his intention to renegotiate terms with the EU, and subsequent plan to offer a referendum on his country's withdrawal from the EU if a new deal is agreed Davos, Switzerland hosts its 2013 World Economic Forum January 24 European Bioinformatics Institute scientists have successfully stored audio and text on fragments of DNA, and retrieved them with 99.99% accuracy - the first time in history DNA has been used for data storage In a major effort to reduce dependency on Russian gas imports, the government of Ukraine signs a $10 billion shale gas deal with Royal Dutch Shell January 25 In the wake of several anti-Semitic and racist posts on Twitter, a French court orders the company to reveal personal information about its users Plans for Euro 2020 are announced by the UEFA; the football championship is to be held in 13 cities in 13 different European countries January 26 At the 2013 Australian Open, tennis pro Victoria Azarenka wins the women's singles event, after winning three sets in the final against Li Na The group of hackers known as Anonymous, hacks into the U.S. Sentencing Commission website as a response to the suicide of Aaron Swartz, an American computer programmer, and internet activist January 27 A small pyrotechnics show ignited foram sound insulating material in the ceiling of Kiss, a crowded, windowless nightclub in southern Brazil's city of Santa Maria, killing 237 partygoers and injuring 169 others Serbian tennis pro Novak Djokovic achieves a four-set victory over opponent Andy Murray, winning the men's singles at the 2013 Australian Open January 28 Beatrix of the Netherlands announces she will abdicate her throne to her son, Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, on April 30, 2013 'Hareetz', Israel's oldest daily newspaper, publishes a story in which Israel admits it has administered birth-control injections to Ethiopian Jewish immigrants, without fully educating recipients of its effects January 29 For the first time since launching Google Maps, Google extends its data coverage of North Korea, filling in previously blank areas on most of the country with detailed maps that identify landmarks U.S. Senator John Kerry is confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the next U.S. Secretary of State January 30 In preparation for the Scottish independence referendum, the Scottish Government agrees to alter the wording in its referendum because members expressed concerns that it might lead people to vote for it Research In Motion, the Canadian manufacturer of wireless devices, releases the Blackberry 10, its newest operating system for Blackberrys; the company also announces two smartphones, the Z10 and Q10 January 31 A court grants Iceland's Blaer Bjarkardottir the right to use her own name; after previously ruling Blaer was only a man's name, the Reykjavik court rules it could also be used as a girl's name NASA reveals the Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR), a lunar mining robot which could be used to produce fuel and water directly on the Moon February 1 Former Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, dies in Manhattan of congestive heart failure at age 88 U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton steps down from her post; she is succeeded by Senator John Kerry February 2 In a speech directed at Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, vows to defend the Senkaku Islands Iran releases a new Qaher-313 combat jet which they claim can evade radar detection February 3 A power outage occurs during the Super Bowl XLVII at New Orleans' Superdome; the Baltimore Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers 34 - 31 Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan responds to air strikes on Syria, saying Israel's government is waging 'state terrorism' February 4 At a University of Leicester media conference, it is announced that during a 2012 archeological dig in Leicester, the skeleton they unearthed is confirmed to be the remains of King Richard III of England Officials at the Kremlin announce that the 2014 G8 summit will be held at Sochi, its southern Black Sea resort February 5 Founder Michael Dell leads a consortium that announced plans to take Dell private with a $24.4 billion leveraged buyout deal - the largest buyout seen since the recession February 6 A magnitude 8.0 earthquake causes significant damage to villages along the coast of the Solomon Islands The U.S. postal service announces that after August 5, 2013, it will no longer deliver first-class mail on Saturdays February 7 In Europe, ready-meal manufacturer, Findus, withdrew its beef lasagne meals from supermarkets after confirming beef supplied by French manufacturer, Comigel contained horsemeat The famous painting, 'Liberty Leading the People' by Eugene Delacroix, commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 is vandalized while on loan to the Louvre-Lenz museum in Lens, France February 8 An investigation is taking place over recent hacking incident involving a hacker gaining access to the email accounts of former President George H. W. Bush, his friends and relatives Scientists say Pandemrix, GlaxoSmithKline influenza vaccine, may be the cause of Europe's recent increase in cases of narcolepsy February 9 Germany's Federal Minister of Education and Research, Annette Schavan, resigns after she is stripped of her doctorate degree for plagiarism by the University of Dusseldorf Owen Paterson, UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, convenes with British retailers and the Food Standards Agency to determine how "beef" products containing horsemeat were sold in supermarkets February 10 At the Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, winners include Fun for the song 'We Are Young', Gotye featuring Kimbra for the record for 'Somebody That I Used To Know", and Mumford & Sons for the album 'Babel' London hosts the 66th British Academy Film Awards, with 'Argo' winning best film, Emmanuelle Riva winning best actress and Daniel Day-Lewis winning best actor February 11 Citing frail health, Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation effective February 28, 2013; he is the first Pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415 Parliamentary elections are held in Monaco, with the the Horizon Monaco alliance winning 50.3% of the vote, securing 20 of 24 seats in the country's National Council February 12 In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the governor of the Riyadh Province, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, member of the House of Saud, dies at age 72 The International Olympic Committee announces that the sport of wrestling has been dropped from the 2020 Summer Olympics February 13 Seven years after Apple Inc. submitted its request to sell their iPhone under the name "iPhone" in Brazil, regulators denied their request, favoring IBG Electronica, who filed for the trademark in 2000, and was granted permission in 2008 U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee, Jack Lew, begins his confirmation hearing by testifying before the U.S. Senate's financial committee February 14 Bankrupt carrier, American Airlines and U.S. Airways merge, forming the world's largest air carrier, to trade under the name, American Airlines U.S. Senate Republicans filibuster the nomination of Chuck Hagel as U.S. Secretary of Defense, demanding answers to questions about President Obama and Benghazi February 15 A near-Earth asteroid, 2012 DA14, comes within 17,200 miles of the Earth's surface, a record-close approach for an object estimated at 50 meters, or 160 ft in in diameter British catering firm Compass Group and Whitbread, one of the country's largest hotel chains, find horse DNA in products sold as "beef" February 16 A 6.2 earthquake occurs near the Philippine island of Mindanao, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries G20 finance ministers focus on the so-named "currency wars" during their meeting in Moscow, Russia February 17 In Bolivar, Venezuela, the country's government opens a granite processing plant, estimating it will provide 25% of the nation's granite requirements In racing, Danica Patrick becomes the first woman at the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to win pole position February 18 At Belgium's Brussels Airport, armed robbers steal untraceable, raw diamonds worth $50 million from a plane within minutes, and without alarming passengers Nestle removes its beef pasta meals from supermarkets in France, Spain and Italy after tests confirm the food giant has products contaminated with horsemeat February 19 During a U.N. conference on disarmament, North Korea threatens to destroy South Korea NASA loses communication with the International Space Station's for three hours as a result of updating the station's command and control software February 20 Estonia becomes the first country in the world to establish a national electric car charging network , with cars charging in less than 30 minutes The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences award is established by Mark Zuckerburg of Facebook, Sergey Brin of Google and venture capitalize Yuri Milner; the prize rewards excellence in life sciences, with 11 awards and $3 million in prizes February 21 Egypt's government announces the country will hold parliamentary elections in April, 2013 Scientists discover that bumblebees have the ability to sense electric fields around flowers, enabling them to identify specific flowers for pollination February 22 Drug manufacturer Roche announces that Kadcyla, a late-stage drug approved for the treatment of breast cancer, has been approved by the FDA The United Kingdom's bond credit rating is downgraded for the first time in history; Moody's Investor's Service changed the bond credit rating from AAA to AA1 February 23 Canada's Security Intelligence Service believes the presence of Al-Qaeda affiliated groups in the country may lead to possible attacks In Washington state, six tanks are reported to be leaking radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation; the leak has not posed an immediate health risk February 24 In Greece, Nicos Anastasiades, leader of Cyprus's main opposition Disy party, wins the Presidential race In Los Angeles, California, the 85th Academy Awards is held; 'Argo' wins best picture, Ang Lee wins for best director, Daniel Day-Lewis wins for best actor, and Jennifer Lawrence wins for best actress February 25 Russia enacts a law that bans smoking in schools and on subways Scientists in Spain publish a study in the 'New England Journal of Medicine' that claims a Mediterranean diets, high in olive oil, nuts, fish and fresh fruits, reduce the risk of heart disease February 26 Representatives from the U.S., China, Germany, France, Russia and the U.K., discuss Iran's nuclear program with Iranian officials Scientists in Illinois, announce they've developed stretchable batteries that can power a new generation of flexible electronics February 27 At Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI delivers his farewell address JPMorgan reveals it plans to cut 17,000 jobs, mostly from its mortgage department, in the next two years February 28 In North Carolina, a neuroscientist at Duke University announces he has successfully connected the brains of two rats in such a way that they share information Scientist identify genetic links between several psychiatric disorders: ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism, depression, schizophrenia March 1 According to a report released by the U.S. Treasury Department, in June 2012 Japan surpassed China as the leading foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities The U.S. Army robot, BigDog from Boston Dynamics, is upgraded to include arm that can manipulate nearby objects with great force; it is able to hurl a cinderblock 15 feet March 2 Anchorage, Alaska begins the 1,000 mile, 2013 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race; winners receive a new truck and $50,400 in prize money New findings from the University of Leicester indicate decreasing sitting time by 90 each day can result in major heath advantages, such as reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes March 3 A 2-year old Mississippi girl born with HIV/AIDS is pronounced HIV negative after receiving treatment for the virus within 30 hours after her birth As a precautionary measure, Queen Elizabeth II is admitted to the hospital for observation after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis March 4 More than 100 Catholic cardinals meet in Rome, Italy, to begin the process of selecting the successor to Pope Benedict XVI With a personal fortune of $73 billion dollars, Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim, tops the list of the 'Forbes' list of wealthiest people March 5 In China, Premier Wen Jiabao addresses the National People's Congress announcing the country's 2013 goal of a 7.5% growth rate in GDP President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, dies in office in the nation's capital, Caracas; he was 58 March 6 In the U.K., the top 50 payday loan companies were sited for "widespread irresponsible lending"; the Office of Fair Trading gives them 12 weeks to change their practices Microsoft is fined €561 million for not providing E.U. residents with an alternative web browser to Internet Explorer March 7 Australia swears in Denis Napthine as the Premier of Victoria, replacing Ted Baillieu The running mate of Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, claims that votes cast in Kenya's presidential election have been falsified March 8 In retaliation for recently approved U.N. sanctions, generals in North Korea claim they are aiming their long range missiles at the U.S. mainland Venezuela holds a funeral for former President Hugo Chavez; following the funeral, they swear in Vice President Nicolas Maduro as Interim President March 9 Anti-apartheid leader and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, age 94 is hospitalized for, what sources say, was a routine checkup NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft transmits images that for the very first time, allow scientists to create a 3D reconstruction of ancient water channels below the surface of Mars March 10 Falkland Island residents complete the first day of a two day sovereignty referendum, determining whether the islands should remain a British overseas territory South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela is released from the hospital after having "successful" medical tests; prior reports stated he was hospitalized for a routine checkup March 11 In China, more than 9,000 pigs were found rotting in the Huangpu river, threatening to contaminate Shanghai's drinking supply; the government said the water quality in the city tested as normal The Falkland Islands sovereignty referendum resulted in 99.8% of voters supporting that the Islands remain an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom March 12 Google agrees to settle a privacy lawsuit, paying a $7 million fine over its handling of wireless data from early 2008 until the spring of 2010 In Rome, Italy, Roman Catholic Cardinals meet in a conclave to appoint a successor to Pope Benedict XVI March 13 For the first time in its history, the European Parliament rejects a European Union budget In Greenland, the Siumut party wins the parliamentary election, setting up Aleqa Hammond to become the country's first female Prime Minister March 14 After measuring its spin and parity, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider firmly believe the particle discovered in July 2012 is a Higgs boson China's CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping is named as the new President of the People's Republic of China, with Li Yuanchao named as Vice President March 15 American Grammy-winning rap artist, Lil Wayne, suffers a seizure in California, and recovers at a Los Angeles hospital Lazarus Project scientists reveal that they successfully recovered frozen tissue from the 1970's and rejuvenated the cells of Rheobatrachus silus, a species of frog that has been extinct since 1983 March 16 As part of its effort to protect America from an attack by North Korea, the U.S. invests $1 billion in ground-based missile interceptors on the West Coast In Vatican City, Italy, Pope Francis delivers his first message at the Vatican, telling journalists wants "a poor Church, for the poor" March 17 Scientists discover that a large amount of bacterial life forms live in the deepest part of the world's oceans, the Mariana Trench, which is about 6.831 miles The 2012-13 Biathlon World Cup ends, with Martin Fourcade winning men's and Tora Berger winning women's overall World Cup titles March 18 Alfred Xuereb, an Honorary Prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, is selected by Pope Francis' to become his first private secretary The FBI reports they have discovered who stole $580 million in masterpieces from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990, the greatest art heist in American history March 19 In Rome, Italy, the papal inauguration ceremony for Pope Francis is held in St. Peter's Square; hundreds of thousands attend March 20 Zillur Rahman, age 84, the President of Bangladesh, dies in office after a long illness at a hospital in Singapore; the government declared three days of mourning March 21 Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard formally apologizes to people affected by forced adoptions during the 1950s through 1970s The U.S. military used B-52 bombers in joint military drills with South Korea; in response, North Korea threatens to attack America's military bases in Japan March 22 France's former President, Nicolas Sarkozy is investigated over claims of illegal donations made by Liliane Bettencourt of L'Oreal, the country's richest woman The British Food Standards Agency reports a discovery in Lancashire of 100kg of horse meat imported from Hungary labelled as beef March 23 By a margin of 50-49, the U.S. Senate passes its first budget in four years Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan for over 25 years, announces he will step down in 2015 March 24 In Paris, hundreds of thousands of people protest the legalization of same-sex marriage in France; the protest turns violent after access to the Champs-Elysees is denied The President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, asserts he will have the International Court of Justice in The Hague solve the border dispute between Bolivia and Chile March 25 In southwest China, environmental and health concerns among residents are raised when 1,000 dead ducks pulled from the Sichuan River President of China, Xi Jinping addresses leaders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, vowing to strengthen ties with Africa March 26 David Milliband announces plans to resign as Britain's Foreign Secretary and move to U.S. state of New York to head the International Rescue Committee Days after a new U.S.-South Korea military pact, North Korea issues new threats to strike targets in Hawaii, Guam, South Korea and the U.S. mainland March 27 A 6.0-magnitude earthquake named Nantou, strikes near Taipei, Taiwan; one person is killed and 19 injured The 2013 National Poetry Competition is won by Patricia McCarthy March 28 Attracting NATO criticism, Russia conducts unscheduled military exercises in the Black Sea Australian diplomat Peter Woolcott's draft for the first-ever treaty to regulate the conventional arms trade is discussed by members of the United Nations March 29 A transistor-like transcriptor is built out of DNA and RNA molecules by American bioengineers at Stanford University New research on the Shroud of Turin supports that it may actually been used as Jesus Christ's burial cloth; researchers used mechanical and thermal measurements to date the shroud between 300 BC and 400 AD March 30 Northwest Africa 7325, a green meteorite found in Morocco, 2012, may have originated on planet Mercury; if scientists are correct, this will be the first known meteorite from Mercury Uhuru Kenyatta is declared the rightful winner of Kenya's Presidential election by the Supreme Court of Kenya March 31 In China, two people die from H7N9 avian influenza infection. xH7N9 avian influenza is a sub-type that previously had not been transmitted to humans Once the world's fastest computer, the IBM Roadrunner, was decommissioned; advances in chip design have surpassed its capabilities April 1 In preparation for plans to step down in 2015, the President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir gives an order to release all political prisoners Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., publishes a letter to Chinese customers, addressing issues regarding the company's warranty policies in China April 2 James Hansen, a top scientist and professor from NASA, retires in order to concentrate on global warming activism The Arms Trade Treaty, the first-ever bill to regulate the global trade in conventional weapons, is passed by the U.N. General Assembly April 3 A scientific study determines that common drugs taken for reducing cholesterol can prevent macular degeneration The U.S. TV network NBC announces Jay Leno, host of 'The Tonight Show' will leave in the spring of 2014, and be replaced by comedian Jimmy Fallon April 4 In Sri Lanka, a researcher discovered Poecilotheria rajaei, a new species of tarantula slightly smaller than a dinner plate, with a leg span of eight inches The most distant supernova on record is recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope April 5 In Japan, optimism for economic revival sparked Bank of Japan's stimulus plan, impacts Japan's stock market index; following its release, the Nikkei 225 hits its highest level in nearly five years Queen Elizabeth of the U.K. is named 'the most memorable Bond girl' for her appearance at the London Olympics. BAFTA, gave her the honorary award for her support of British film and television April 6 After being hospitalized for nine days for pneumonia, former South African President Nelson Mandela, age 94, was released from the hospital The recent meat adulteration scandal prompts Swedish furniture megastore IKEA to stop sales of its moose meat lasagna in its worldwide stores April 7 China reports it will open the South China Sea's Paracel Islands to tourism before the May Day holiday. Vietnam voices strong opposition this move, as ownership of the Islands is in dispute In Doha, Qatar, hundreds of delegates meet as Qatar pledges $500 million in aid to rebuild Sudan's Darfur, a region racked by a decade-long conflict April 8 Britain's former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, dies of a stroke at age 87 in London The release of 1.7 million U.S diplomatic and intelligence documents from 1973-1976 when Henry Kissinger was U.S. Secretary of State were released by Wikileaks; Julian Assange worked on the project inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London April 9 Authorities from North Korea, advise authorities to leave South Korea soon, anticipating a possible conflict Japan set Patriot missiles in central Tokyo and Okinawa Island and sent two warships to patrol the Sea of Japan April 10 A meeting of the U.N. General Assembly organized by former Serbian foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, is boycotted by the United States, Jordan and Canada The Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine for in vitro fertilisation, Robert G. Edwards, dies at age 87 April 11 Japan's Honda, Nissan and Mazda automakers announce plas to recall 3.4 million cars due to airbag defects. Malawi President Joyce Banda accuses singer Madonna of 'bullying state officials' after exaggerating the contributions of her charity and complaining about her treatment during a recent visit to the country April 12 Macy's loses its dispute with JC Penney; JC Penney wins the right to sell unbranded housewares designed by Martha Stewart in its stores Russia threatens retaliation after the U.S. imposes sanctions on '18 Magnitsky list' Russians accues of humans rights violations April 13 In Beijing, China, a seven-year old girl is confirmed as the first person in the country to catch the Influenza A virus subtype H7N9 bird flu The People's Republic of China and the U.S. agree to work towards eliminating nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula April 14 The first-ever European MP's of Croatia are determined in an election held in anticipation of Croatia gaining formal entry into the European Union The Liberal Political Party of Canada choses Justin Trudeau, son of Pierre Trudeau, as its new leader April 15 Muslim terrorists set off two explosions near the finish line at the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, killing 3, injuring 183 people, and at least 15 requiring amputations Two hours before the Boston Marathon bombings occur, Ethiopian long-distance runner Lelisa Desisa wins the Boston Marathon, with a time of 2:10:22 April 16 No casualties are reported after a U.S. military Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter crashes near the South Korean border with North Korea The defense ministry of China accuses the United States of increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region by increasing its military presence and supporting Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines in long-term territorial disputes with the country April 17 An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, causes 15 deaths and major damage to nearby buildings, residences, a nursing home and middle school In the U.S., a centerpiece proposal on background checks aimed at tightening gun control, fails in a Senate vote April 18 Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f, two planets resembling planet Earth are discovered revolving around the star Kepler-62 in the habitable zone, an area around the stars whose atmospheric pressure can suport liquid water at the surface Viacom loses its billion-dollar copyright infringement suit against YouTube April 19 Former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, is arrested and charged with unlawfully detaining judges in 2007 Suspects in the Boston Marathon Bombings are identified as Kyrgyzstan-born Muslims Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, age 19, and his 28-year old brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev April 20 Italy re-elects President Giorgio Napolitano Saudi Arabia appoints Fahd bin Abdullah as its new deputy defense minister April 21 American actress, Reese Witherspoon is arrested for disorderly conduct in Atlanta, Georgia The Astronaut Hall of Fame inducts three new members: Curtis Brown, Eileen Collins, and Bonnie Dunbar April 22 Charged with bribing public officials in Argentina between 2005 and 2009, clothing retailer Ralph Lauren agrees to pay $1.6 million to resolve U.S. regulatory and criminal claims The News Corporation phone hacking scandal results in the company's agreement to pay $139 million to American shareholders April 23 In France, an amended bill legalizing same-sex marriage is passed, opening the door for Francois Holland to promulgate it The ambassador from the People's Republic of China is summoned by Japan's government after a flotilla of Chinese ships sail near the disputed Senkaku Islands April 24 Americans learn the FBI and CIA had previous intelligence from Russia warning U.S. intelligence agencies about Tamerlan Tsarnaev's extremist connections before the Boston Marathon bombings Italy's vice-secretary of the Democratic Party , Enrico Letta, receives the mandate for form a new government from president Giorgio Napolitano April 25 All living former U.S. Presidents, including George W. Bush and current President Barack Obama, are present for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas Unemployment in France reaches a record level of 3.22 million people April 26 In Birmingham, United Kingdom, eleven members of a terror cell are jailed for planning an attack to exceed the atrocities committed on July 7 and 9/11 Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England announces that the 5 pound bank note, to be circulated in 2016, will feature Winston Churchill April 27 In Italy, a deal on forming a new government is finalized two months after the 2013 Italian parliamentary election U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer breaks his shoulder on a fall from his bicycle and is taken to the hospital by ambulance April 28 During the new swearing in ceremony of Enrico Letta, an Italian man shoots and wounds two policemen outside Palazzo Chigi Iceland's center-right opposition party is set to return to power after the country's parliamentary election results are finalized April 29 An NBA league committee recommends NBA owners reject the big from a group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer to purchase the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle Prosecutors for Boston Marathon bomber and Islamic terrorist Dzhokar Tsarnaev discuss a plea deal to avoid the death penalty in exchange for life in prison without parole April 30 Born without a trachea, a 2-year-old Korean-Canadian child is the youngest patient in history to receive a bioengineered organ made from stem cells; she received the transplanted organ at the Children's Hospital of Illinois The largest-ever non-bank bond offering is initiated by Apple, Inc., for $17 billion May 1 The U.N. Human Rights Office determine it is a violation of international law to force-feed hunger strikers at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison U.S. wireless service provider T-Mobile has its opening day on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol TMUS May 2 Conservationists determine poachers killed the last known rhinoceroses in Mozambique; these poachers worked with game rangers responsible for protecting them Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI returns to live in Vatican City the Mater Ecclesiae two months after resigning as Pope May 3 Caterpillar, a heavy construction equipment manufacturer, announces plans to lay off 300 additional employees at its Decatur, Illinois facility by July 2013 New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art announces it will return two statues from northern Cambodia's archeological site Koh Ker May 4 American boxer Floyd Mayweather defeats Robert Guerrero and retains his WBC Welterweight title in a unanimous decision Harper Lee, author of 'To Kill a Mockingbird', faces a court battle in a lawsuit claiming a literary agent tricket her into giving up the copyright to her world-famous book May 5 The French military's M51 missile test fails when the missile self-destructs in midair The world's first plastic gun, produced by a 3-D printer by Defense Distributed fires successfully in Austin, Texas. Security officials fear plastic weapons would not be detected at airport screenings May 6 In Rome, Italy, Giulio Andreotti, seven-time prime minister of Italy, dies at age 94 Wal-Mart revenue exceeds that of Exxon Mobil, becoming the largest company by revenue on the Fortune 500 list May 7 A new study reports that all Europeans are related to a small group of ancestors dating back only 1,000 years; researchers believe it's likely that everyone in the world is related over the past few thousand years The Reserve Bank of Australia reduces its benchmark interest rate to 2.75% from 3.00% May 8 Brazilian Roberto Azevedo is named the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization; he assumes the position September 1, 2013 Three months after $50 million in diamonds is stolen at the Brussels Airport, more than 24 people in France, Switzerland and Belgium were detained, and a significant stash of the diamonds and stash recovered May 9 A report reveals that hackers using fraudulent ATM cards in February, 2013, stole $45 million Australia's government plans to hold a referendum to recognize local government in its constitution; the referendum will coincide with the country's federal election taking place September 14, 2013 May 10 Crew members from the International Space Station prepare for a contingency spacewalk required to stop the anticipated leakage of ammonia coolant Savar, Bangladesh celebrates a woman found alive in the rubble 17 days after after a garment factory building collapsed and killed over 1,042 people May 11 Cairo, Egypt conducts a retrial of its former President Hosni Mubarak over his alleged role and complicity in the deaths of protestors during the 2011 Egyptian revolution George Osborne, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, announces that G7 finance ministers and central bankers agree that coordinate action should be taken against tax evaders May 12 Pope Francis canonizes a record-breaking number of new Catholic Church saints; Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI submitted the 813 'Martyrs of Otranto' who were beheaded by Ottoman soldiers for refusing to convert to Islam The World Health Organization announces that the Novel coronavirus 2012, the newly discovered coronavirus, also referred to as Saudi SARS, can be transmitted from person-to-person contact May 13 In Belize, a construction company requiring road fill gravel destroys a 2,300 year-old Mayan pyramid U.S. veteran newscaster Barbara Walters announces plans for retirement in 2014 May 14 American actress Angelina Jolie announces she underwent elective double mastectomy surgery because she carried the BRCA1 gene and had a family history of breast cancer The Soyuz capsule safely lands in Kazakhstan, carrying Expedition 35 astronauts Thomas Marshburn of the U.S., Chris Hadfield of Canada and Roman Romanenko of Russia back from the International Space Station May 15 The Arctic Council, an international forum that addresses issues faced by Arctic governments and the Arctic's indigenous people, gives China, India and four other nations observer status The sixth straight quarter of recession is announced by the Eurozone; Germany reports weak growth and negative growth is recorded in Spain, Italy and France May 16 Pope Francis calls for worldwide 'financial reform along ethical lines' which would curb the 'tyranny' of 'markets and financial speculation' The oldest water ever found is discovered in a Canadian mine; the water dates back 2.6 billion years May 17 Former President of Argentina, Jorge Rafael Videla dies in a jail in Marcos Paze, Buenos Aires The brightest lunar meteor impact ever observed is recorded by NASA May 18 An agent in Zephyrhills, Florida confirms they located the winner of a record-high Powerball jackpot of $590 million In Rome, one hundred thousand protestors rally against their new government's austerity measures, and demand a new policy focused on job creation May 19 A rare 19th century torpedo is discovered off the coast of California by the US Navy dolphins At the annual Billboard Music Awards, Taylor Swift wins top album, top artist, and 6 other awards May 20 In Stockholm, Sweden, immigrant youths riot and burn over 100 vehicles 'Panorama,' a BBC documentary series airing unseen footage from the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, casts doubt on medical evidence provided from testimony in the case May 21 In Lagos, a funeral processional greets the body of Nigerian Chinua Achebe, author of the novel, 'Things Fall Apart' In the House of Commons, MP's approve of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, advancing the right for gay marriage in England and Wales May 22 Ibragim Todashev, a suspect under FBI questioning in Orlando, Florida, for his connections to the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, is shot dead after attacking an agent during the course of questioning Sigmundur Davio Gunnlaugsson, the Prime Minister elect of Iceland, announces he will indefinitely extend January's freeze on European Union membership talks May 23 Sediments found in the reservoir of a major treatment plant in Montreal, Canada, lead authorities to issue a warning to boil the water before drinking it The Skagit River bridge over Interstate 5 collapses in the U.S. town of Mount Vernon, Washington; several vehicles plunge into the river, but there are no fatalities May 24 London's Metropolitan police remove belongings and sleeping bags of homeless people as part of 'a policy of reducing the impact of rough sleepers on the community' Rafael Correa wins an unprecedented third term as President of Ecuador May 25 An Apple I computer is sold for $617,000 at auction The 50th anniversary of te Africa Union is celebrated May 26 At the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, the French film, 'Blue is the Warmes Colour' wins the Palme d'Or The movie, 'Fast & Furious 6' opens in 59 countries, including the U.S. and Canada, grossing an estimated $122 million May 27 Guinness World Records records the largest flag ever made, by a village in Romania; the flag of Romania weighs five tons and used 44 miles of thread Scientists in Canada bring 400 year-old bryophyte specimens left behind by retreating glaciers during the Ice Age back to life May 28 'Le Monde' reports the Assad regime in Syria continues to use chemical weapons The U.S. launches ta $6 billion money laundering prosecution against Liberty Reserve, a Costa Rican currency-transfer and payment-processing company May 29 Scientists describe the 160-million year-old fossile of Aurornis xui as the most basal species of Avialae, possibly shifting the evolutionary position of the Archaeopteryx as the oldest known bird Shuanghui, a Chinese meat processing company, buys Smithfield Foods for $4.72 billion; Smithfield was the world's largest meat processing company May 30 Scientists reveal new studies suggesting the turtles evolved in a shell 40 million years prior than what was previously thought U.S. President Barack Obama appoints James Comey as the new director of the FBI May 31 The 1998 QE2, an asteroid measuring nearly 1.7 miles across, and its moon, pass within 3.6 million miles of the earth The first case of the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome conavirus is announced in Italy June 1 Russia enacts a country-wide smoking ban, effecting most public places The U.S. asks China for a detailed account of the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square June 2 Columbia University researchers believe the new material, graphene, even if stitched together, is the strongest material in the world Petr Necas, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, declares a state of emergency as the swollen Vltava River threaten the center of Prague June 3 Former U.S. President Bill Clinton earns $500,000 for a speech given to honor Israel's President Shimon Peres Three extremely well-preserved, most complete triceratops specimens ever found are unearthed in Wyoming June 4 The 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation is commemorated by thousands at Westminster Abbey U.S. growth in imports outpaces its growth in exports, causing the U.S. trade deficit to widen 8.5% during the month of April June 5 In London, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edin burgh is admitted to a hospital for an exploratory operation after experiencing abdominal pains The Australian dollar strikes a new, 20-month low against the U.S. dollar June 6 After the death of Frank Lautenberg, Governor Chris Christie appoints Jeffrey Chiesa as U.S. Senator for New Jersey until a special election is held later this year North Korea restores the Red Cross link used for government-to-government communications with South Korea June 7 According to a new study, breast milk boosts brain development by 30% compared to babies who are fed formula Russia's President, Vladimir Putin and his wife appear on live television to announce they have divorced after thirty years of marriage June 8 British-born, American businessman Christopher O'Neill marries Princess Madeleine of Sweden in a lavish ceremony China's President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama discuss cyber espionnage at the end of their two day summit June 9 A Hepatitis A outbreak is linked to a fruit juice product sold by Townsend Farms; 79 people in the U.S. were effected At The Tony Awards, held in New York City, Best Musical and other awards are given to the musical 'Kinky Boots', which has lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and is based on a book by Harvey Fierstein June 10 German authorities are forced to evacuate 10 villages as heavy rains swell the Elbe River, breaching its banks Heavy monsoon rains cause the collapse of a partially-finished building on a residential block in Mumbai, India June 11 Russia's parliament passes bills banning homosexual 'propaganda'; police near the Duma take gays into custody after they anti-gay extremists hit them with eggs Three astronauts begin a 15-day mission on the Shenzhou 10, the fifth manned spaceflight mission and the second and final one to space laboratory Tiangong-1 June 13 Following the closure of the public broadcasting station ERT, Greek unions call for a general strike The U.S. Supreme Court invalides gene patents held by Myriad Genetics when it rules that isolated human genes are not patentable June 14 In France, the Airbus A350 XWB makes its maiden flight from the Toulouse Blagnac Airport Iranians go to the polls for a presidential election and local elections June 15 An estimated 40-50,000 residents, about 30-35% of all residents of Piedras Negras, Mexico, where devastated by flooding June 14 and 15 Former President George W. Bush's airplane, a Gulfstream IV, on its way to Dallas' Love Field , was diverted safely to Louisville International AIrport when the pilot smelled smoke June 16 Pope Francis blessed thousands of Harley-Davidsons and their riders in Vatican Square; the riders were celebrating the company's 110th anniversary with a parade The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announces that online scams cost Australians of AU$93 million in 2012 June 17 Following a corruption scandal, the Petr Necas, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, resigns The Syrian civil war is a high-priority topic at the39th annual G8 Summit begins in Northern Ireland June 18 New data reveals that over 280 previously unknown craters exist on the Moon The biggest version of Boeing's Dreamliner plane, the 787-10, debuts at the Paris Air show; over 100 orders, worth over $30 billion, are placed June 19 Microsoft takes negative feedback into account, and announces plans to change many features of its Xbox One June 20 Dunedin and Christchurch, New Zealand, have roads cut off and flights cancelled due to adverse weather conditions Instagram offers users the ability to upload videos to their service June 21 The first human case of the H6N1 virus is discovered in Taiwan The U.S. officially charges Edward Snowden with espionnage June 22 The Canterbury Region of New Zealand experiences the worst flooding in 20 years; Leeston and Lyttelton are the towns hardest hit UNESCO officially names Mount Fuji a World Heritage Site June 23 Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, is receiving care for a lung infection that has worsened, leaving him in critical condition Nik Wallenda completes a high wire walk across a Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon June 24 The Chicago Blackhawks win the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals after beating the Boston Bruins in six games The worst monsoon season in 50 years rages on as Northern India prepares for more rain June 25 A portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protects minority voting rights, is struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, ruling that Congress has not taken into account the nation's racial progress when singling out certain states for federal oversight The Shenzhou 10 spacecraft returns to Earth after China's crew complete's its 15-day mission, completing the country's fifth manned spaceflight June 26 In the state of California, the 2008 Proposition 8 ballot measure is upheld in an appeals case, allowing same-sex marriage to continue The new leader of the Australian Labor Party is former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who won over incumbent Julia Gillard June 27 China's President, Xi Jinping and South Koran President Park Geun-hye meet for four days of talks aimed at reducing tensions on the Koran Peninsula In California, NASA launches a space probe to observe the Sun; the probe is referred to as the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS June 28 For the first time since 2010, gold falls below $1,200 per ounce In England, a man is arrested for charges related to the attack on 'The Hay Wain' painting, completed by artist John Constable in 1821; the work is considered one of England's greatest and most popular paintings June 29 In a poll, only 30 percent of people in Brazil considered President Dilma Rousseff's administration 'great' or 'good' In Corsica, cycling begins the 100th running of the Tour de France June 30 By winning the U.S. Open golf tournament, Korean Inbee Park, becomes the fourth woman to win three major championships in a season In Camp Nou, located in Barcelona, Catalonia, over 90,000 people attend the 'Concert per la llibertat' (Concert for freedom) for the independence of Catalonia July 1 America commemorates the 150th of the Battle of Gettysburg, a decisive battle in the Civil War The oldest European remains of a white man are discovered in Australia; the Manning River Skull may belong to a man born in 1650, predating the country's history that Captain James Cook was the first to land on Australia's east coast in 1770 July 2 Planet Pluto receives names for its fourth and fifth moons; the International Astronomical Union names them Kerberos and Styx Reports that Pope John Paul II will be canonized are confirmed as his case awaits approval from Pope Francis, and confirmation of an alleged second miracle from the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints July 3 El Paraiso, Peru: property developers destroy a 4,000-year old pyramid In Belgium, King Albert II abdicates his throne to son, Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, due to health reasons July 4 After sustaining extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012, the Statue of Liberty is once again open to the public In Brazil, scientists discover a new species of lizard, about the size a coin and weighing less than a gram July 5 A joint report on Spain's banking system is released by the European Central Bank and the European Commission; the report indicates their system is solvent, with no further program disbursements are needed In Rome, Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII are canonized by the Vatican, becoming saints July 6 Egypt names Mohamed ElBaradei Prime Minister Sabine Lisicki of Germany is defeated at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships; Marion Bartoli of France wins the Ladies' Singles Final, earning her first Grand Slam singles title July 7 A call for demonstrations is held by opponents of deposed President Mohamed Morsi in Egypt At the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, Andy Murray wins the Men's Singles after beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets; he becomes the first British man to win since Fred Perry's Wimbleton 1936 win July 8 Pope Francis condemns the 'global indifference' to the plight of immigrants who have drowned trying to reach Europe; he honors them in a mass held on Lampedusa, the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea The mission of the NASA Curiosity Mars rover begins as it makes way to its destination and drives to Mount Sharp July 9 Despite concerns that Greece's government is reforming too slowly, European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF gives Greece an additional 6.2 billion euros Economist Hazem Al Beblaw is selected as Egypt's interim Prime Minister July 10 Apple Inc., may incur significant damages after a U.S. district court rules the company conspired to fix the prices of eBooks Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appears for the first time in court since his arrest April 19; he pleads not guilty to 30 charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction July 11 NASA's New Horizons team releases the first high resolution view of Pluto's largest moon; Charon, which is as large as the state of Texas, is covered in ice Russian politician Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition figure, registers as candidate for Mayor in Moscow's September's election July 12 Janet Napolitano, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, announces she will resign from her position to become the President of the University of California The NASDAQ hits its highest level in ten years; the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P500 close at record highs July 13 A boat carrying asylum seekers capsizes north of Christmas Island; Australian authorities rescue 88 people and 9 are feared dead Defendant George Zimmerman is found not guilty in the case regarding the fatal shooting of Treyvon Martin July 14 Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Mahmoud Abbas, President of Palestine, hoping the two sides could re-enter peace talks which have been on a three-year hiatus Miguel Trevino Morales, the leader of a criminal gang called Los Zetas is captured by the Mexican Army July 15 The United Kingdom is visited by Thein Sein, the President of Burma The upper house of the U.K. approves of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill; starting in 2014, gay marriage will be allowed in England and Wales July 16 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, will welcome it's first McDonald's early next year; the site will be run by the son of Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Henry Nguyen In Greece, new austerity measures prompt the unions to call for a general strike July 17 A heat wave settles over the U.S.; at least one fatality is reported In an effort to curb obesity rates, the United Arab Emirates offers its citizens one gram of gold for every kilogram of weight they lose July 18 Detroit, Michigan files the largest municipal bankruptcy in history; the city of Detroit seeks CHapter 9 bankruptcy protection and is $18.5 billion in debt Investigators on the case of the October 2012 Kunsthal gallery theft of paintings by Picasso, Matisse and Monet, discover paint, canvas and nails in the oven of a woman whose son has been charged with the crime July 19 A Pontifical Commission is established by Pope Francise to investigate current accounting practices and implement new strategies for greater fiscal transparency and fiscal responsibility among all Vatican offices Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announces a plan to help settle Papua New Guinea asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat July 20 A training exercise emergency causes two U.S. marine harrier jets to drop several hundred unarmed bombs on the Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage site July 21 British cyclist Chris Froome wins his first time competing in the 2013 Tour de France In Scotland, the 2013 Open Championship is won by American golfer Phil Mickelson July 22 Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gives birth to a son, the third in line to the British throne; the child, named George Alexander Louis, is formally known as His Royal Highness Prince of Cambridge Scientific studies reveal that dolphins have unique names for one another, much like humans do July 23 Hercules 264, a Gulf of Mexico natural gas drilling rig, partially collapses off the coast of Louisiana; the rig remains standing but sustained extensive damage to the derrick package as a result of a continuing fire The entire government of South Sudan, including its Vice President, Riek Machar, is fired by the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit July 24 NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden remains in Moscow, Russia; he is stranded at Russia's Sheremetyevo International Airport The scientific theory of supersymmetry is challenged after experiments with the Large Hadron Collider yield an incredibly rare particle decay event July 25 In the midst of an increasing industrial slowdown, China institutes business tax breaks and export liberalization in an effort to boost its economic growth Scientists in Britain identify the mechanism causing human allergy to cats; they believe a general cure for the condition could be available in the next five years July 26 A Boeing 787 Dreamliner is grounded by Qatar Airways; a minor technical issue is reported, increasing pressure on Boeing to address possible electrical problems with its lastest new jet July 27 In Kuwait, voters go to the polls for a general election; half of the parliamentary seats are lost by Shiite candidates The German racing horse, Novellist, wins the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes July 28 In Mali, voters head to the polls for a presidential election Teresa Heinz Kerry, 74, wife of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, was discharged from the hospital after suffering a seizer nearly three weeks ago; she is expected to make a full recovery July 29 In one of the largest jewelry heists in recent years, nearly 103 million euros in diamonds and other jewels were stolen from the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel diamond show in Cannes, France Signs of deteriorating economic security are suggested by an Associated Press survey stating that four out of five U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives July 30 Israel and Palestinian officials agree to resume negotiations for a peace agreement The Pakistani electorate vote for Mamnoon Hussain as the country's 12th President July 31 The super PAC 'Ready for Hillary', has raised over $1 million since its inception this year; much of the money raised comes from mega-donors to President Barack Obama U.S. Republicans unveil a series of bills designed to prevent government abuse, including the 'STOP IRS Act,' which would allow IRS employees to be fired when they take actions for political purposes August 1 Republican Representative Ted Cruz urged grass-roots activists join him in the fight to defund The Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare Russia grants NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden one year of temporary political asylum; Snowden leaves Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport August 2 The new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, is sworn in by Vice President, Joe Biden The U.S. Food and Drug Administration identified cyclospora in salads made by Taylor Farms; the parasite caused illness in over 223 diners in Nebraska and Iowa August 3 Only 162,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy in July, falling short of expert predictions of an increase of 175,000 - 185,000 new jobs The U.S. issues a global travel alert, claiming Al Qaeda and terrorist organizations may be planning an attack between now and the end of August August 4 Actor Peter Capaldi, of Scotland, lands the role of the Doctor in the twelfth incarnation of the 'Doctor Who' British science fiction show Britain, France and Germany close embassies in Yemen; Canada closes its embassy in Bangladesh; the U.S. closes 22 embassies in the Middle East and North America due to intelligence of an impending Al-Qaeda attack August 5 In London, the world's first bovine stem cells lab-grown burger is cooked and eaten at a news conference; one food expert said it was 'close to meat, but not that juicy' 'The Washington Post', a privately held newspaper, is purchased by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos August 6 Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, famous for her 11-hour filibuster against restricting abortion rights, announces she will run for either the Texas State Senate seat or for Governor of Texas The IMF tells Germany now to impose austerity measures that are too harsh, and that they must be prepared to miss their deficit reduction target if Greece needs extra stimulus August 7 Despite differences with the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Barack Obama affirms that the U.S. will attend the G-20 meeting in St. Petersburg Former U.S. President George W. Bush recovers after having a stent procedure to treat a blocked artery; the blockage was opened without any complications August 8 The Pentagon will furlough 650,000 civilian employees without pay for six days this year after receiving warnings that mandatory budget cuts might idle defense workers for a longer period of time U.S. President Barack Obama announces plans to pull out of a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month; the meeting was set to occur before the September G-20 meeting in St. Petersburg August 9 Congressional Republicans and the Obama administration agree that Town councils should be allowed to open their meetings with a Christian prayer The U.S. State Department evacuates staff from the U.S. Consulate in Pakistan due to threats; most officials were moved to the city of Islamabad August 10 Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium hosts the 2013 World Championships in Athletics U.S. President Barack Obama announces a series of NSA reforms aimed at minimizing criticism over the NSA's electronic surveillance program August 11 A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet; no injuries were reported At the Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, American golfer Jason Dufner wins the 2013 PGA Championship August 12 The brother of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, dies at age 44 following complications from a skiing accident The International Olympic Committee announces it will punish athletes who support Russian LGBT rights at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games August 13 An antitrust lawsuit brought on by the U.S. Department of Justice and six states is filed to block the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways Footage of the previously unseen Kawahiva tribe is released; the Kawahiva is an indigenous tribe living in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, and is thought to have had very little contact with the outside world August 14 North and South Korea agree to reopen the jointly-operated Kaesong Industrial Region The Eurozone moves out of 18 months of recession in the June quarter after it records a growth rate of .03% August 15 A controversial bill passes in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies; the bill regulates the distribution of royalties generated from oil exploration, with 75% of funds directed to education only 25% of the funds going to health The olinguito becomes the first mammal to be discovered in the past 35 years; the adorabel creature is described as a mini-raccoon with a teddy bear face August 16 In Cebu, Philippines, 200 are missing and at least 26 are dead after a cargo ship and the ferry MV Thomas Aquinas collide The Indian rupee falls below 62.03 rupees against the U.S. dollar, hitting a record low August 17 A wildfire near Yosemite National Park burns over 25 square miles, forcing residents of the Pine Lake community to evacuate The Indian rupee falls to 65.85 rupees to the U.S. dollar- setting a new record low August 18 Columbia's Chiribiquete National Park expands to 3 million hectares from 1.2 million hectares, becoming one of the Amazon's largest protected zones UN inspectors arrive in Damascus to determine whether chemical weapons were used in the Syrian conflict August 19 New Zealand's first same-sex marriages take place since the country's parliament passed the Marriage Equality Bill in April Southern Japan's Mount Mount Sakurajima erupts for the 500th time, covering the city of Kagoshima in ash August 20 New Zealand's most active volcano - the White Islands' Whakaari, erupts, sending ash 4 kilometres into the air U.S. Senator Ted Cruz ignites speculation about a 2016 Presidential run when he announces plans to renounce his Canadian citizenship August 21 A corruption investigation continues after a Cairo criminal court releases former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from Tora prison Japan reports on the International Nuclear Event Scale that they've upgraded the leak of radioactive water at the Fukushima nuclear disaster site to Level 3, a 'serious incident' August 22 In the U.S., a computer problem shuts down the NASDAQ electronic stock exchange for three hours Prior to being transferred to house arrest, former Egyptian President is released from prison and transferred to a military hospital August 23 CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, announces his retirement in the next 12 months Libya's ruins of Cyrene, a World Heritage Site near Shahhat, is damaged by real estate developers August 24 The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have A Dream' speech is commemorated in the U.S. August 25 Syria's government allows UN weapons inspectors to visit the site outside of Damascus suspected of a chemical weapons attack during the conflict The Rim wildfire burning in Yosemite National Park has consumed 225 square miles of forest, and is only 7 percent contained August 26 Declassified CIA documents reveal that during the Iran-Iraq War, top Reagan administration officials gave Iraq information on the location of Iranian troops The University of Liberia reports the all 25,000 applicants to the University failed their admissions test because they lacked enthusiasm and didn't know basic English August 27 As the U.S. prepares an alleged imminent attack on Syria, Walid Muallem, Foreign Minister of Syria, denies that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons Yosemite National Park continues to be engulfed by flames as the Rim wildfire has grown to 281 square miles August 28 Lakhdar Brahimi, UN Special Envoy to Syria, says international law states that any action in response to Syria's use of chemical weapons must be decided by the UN Security Council San Francisco's Bay Bridge closes it's eastern span forever as a new, replacement plan is scheduled for installation August 29 Austrian researchers successfully grew 'cerebral organoids' or mini-brains, containing several distinct regions of the brain; the mini-brains will help scientists understand how brains develop, and what causes schizophrenia and autism The first federal health study reporting on the use of sleeping pills reveals that 8.6 million Americans take prescription sleeping pills August 30 An area located off the coast of the Aleutian Islands records a magnitude 7.0 earthquake In Greenland. a canyon over 800km long is discovered up to 800m deep in different places below the ice sheet covering the country; the canyon is longer than Arizona's Grand Canyon; it was carved out by a river over four million years ago August 31 U.S. President Barack Obama claims he is ready to order a strike on Syria, but will seek approval from Congress Upon concluding their search for chemical weapons in Syria, UN inspectors leave Damascus September 1 In southwestern China, at least four people are killed by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake Nelson Mandela, South Africa's former President, is released after spending almost three months in a Pretoria hospital September 2 Swimmer Diana Nyad makes history, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage The public learns about AT&T's The Hemisphere Project, which gives telephone call data to law enforcement agencies, including the DEA September 3 The legality of the United States' plans to strike Syria without UN backing are called into question by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon The mobile division of Nokia is purchased by Microsoft for $7.2 billion September 4 A resolution authorizing limited U.S. military intervention in Syria is approved by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Syria's former defense minister, Ali Habib Mahmud is reported to have defected to Turkey September 5 At the U.S. Open, defending men's singles champion Andy Murray is beaten in straight sets by Swiss player, Stanislas Wawrinka The Rim Fire at Yosemite National Park, which burned over 371 square miles and is now 80% contained, is being blamed on a hunter's illegal campfire September 6 Central Australia reports the sighting of a Central rock rat; the creature is found only in Australia and has not been seen since 1960 Reports citing leaks of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant lead South Korea to ban all fishery imports from eight of Japan's prefectures September 7 Australia's outgoing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announces he isn't seeking re-election as the leader of the Labor Party The International Olympic Committee holds its 125th Session, and announces Tokyo, Japan won the bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics September 8 At the U.S. Open, tennis pro Serena Williams defeats Victoria Azarenka, winning Women's Singles for the fifth time President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, ends his five year term and will be replaced by Mamnoon Hussain September 9 A 1,400 year old treasure, called 'the Ophel Treasure' is discovered near the foot of Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem The landscape painting, 'Sunset at Montmajour,' becomes the first full-sized Van Gogh painting to be confirmed since 1928; it is put on display at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum September 10 Apple releases two new iPhones - the iPhone 5c and 5s The International Olympic Committee elects Thomas Bach of Germany as their new President September 11 France drafts a resolution for the Syrian government to turn over its stockpiles of chemical weapons in 15 days The UN Security Council receives alleged proof of chemical weapons use by Syrian militants from Russia September 12 NASA's Voyager 1 space probe makes history by advancing past the solar system - becoming the first man-made object to reach interstellar space The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, completed his last shift as a search and rescue helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force; he will now focus on Royal and community work September 13 In Colorado, thousands are evacuated due to heavy floods in Boulder County; four people are reported dead and 80 missing India's Bharatiya Janata Party names Narendra Modi as their leader in the next general election September 14 In Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather beats Saul Alvarez, winning over $45 million dollars in a world-record purse Japan's Hisaki satellite is carried to the Uchinoura Space Center by the new Epsilon rocket, which was launched by two laptop computers September 15 In New Zealand, David Cunliffe is elected leader of the Labour Party Indonesia's Mount Sinabung explodes, causing nearly 6,000 people in the country's North Sumatra province to flee September 16 Rwandan President Paul Kagame achieves a landslide victory in the country's parliamentary election The brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, is found in tap water near New Orleans, the first time ever detected in the U.S. water supply September 17 Engineers working off of Italy's Tuscan coast pull the MS Costa Concordia cruise ship upright after it ran aground in early 2012 The fifth installment of the 'Grand Theft Auto' videogame series is released by Rockstar Games, netting $800 million on the day it is launched September 18 Apple introduces iOS 7; the seventh version of the company's mobile operating system contains significant user interface changes Concerned over weakening growth in the economy, the U.S. Federal Reserve announces plans to continue its stimulus program, which injects $85 billion a month into the the U.S. economy September 19 Former U.S. Majority Leader Tom DeLay, has a November 2010 money laundering conviction overturned by a Texas State appellate court Individuals from the Imperial Petroleum company in Indianapolis, Indiana, face charges for the largest tax and securities fraud scheme in Indiana history September 20 New York Yankees player Alex Rodrigues, sets a Major League Baseball record with 24 grand slam home runs Within days of its launch, the 'Grand Theft Auto V' videogame reaches sales of $1billion, becoming the fastest single entertainment product ever to achieve these sales September 21 In a report sent to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Syria claims it has fully disclosed information regarding its chemical weapons program The Northern Philippines are hit by Typhoon Usagi, causing flooding, landslides and disruptions in power, communication and transportation September 22 Germany holds its federal election; Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party obtains the most votes since 1990 The Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles hosts the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards; award-winning television shows include 'Breaking Bad' and 'Modern Family' September 23 Syria's President, Bashar al-Assad, states he will grant international weapons inspectors access to chemical weapons sites, but rebels may make the sites unreachable Typhoon Usagi passes through southern China, killing at least 25 people in Hong Kong September 24 In Bangladesh, workers seeking higher pay go on strike, and hundreds of garment factories shut down The 68th UN Assembly opens September 25 At least 328 people are killed in a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Balochistan, Pakistan on the 24th of September Oracle Team USA has a remarkable comeback, winning the America's Cup sailing competition; the team defeated New Zealand 9-8 September 26 An agreement is made between the U.S. and Russia to draw up a UN Security Council resolution to eliminiate chemical weapons in Syria U.S. accountant Paul Konigsberg is charged for complicity in the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme that fell apart in 2008 September 27 Pro golfer Tiger Woods is named the PGA Tour Player of the Year, the 11th time Woods has been honored as the Tour's Player of the Year The British High Commission announced they are awarding retired Paralympic swimmer Natalie du Toit an honorary MBE ( Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) September 28 Italian government ministers belonging to Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party resign Pakistan's Balochistan province experiences a 6.8-magnitude earthquake four days after the area was struck by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that resulted in over 515 deaths September 29 Austria holds its legislative election Rajkot, Gujarat, India experiences extremely heavy rains that cause damage estimated at over 100 rupees September 30 As part of a strategy to focus on growth products, thrombosis drug brands manufactured by the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company is sold to Aspen Pharmacare for $1.13 billion Central Vietnam is hit by Tropical Storm Wutip; over 1,000 houses are damaged, trees are uprooted and power lines are cut October 1 A partial shutdown of government agencies occurs after the U.S. House and Senate files to agree on a spending bill to keep government operations running Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expels three U.S. diplomats, accusing them of 'economic conspiracy' related to a power-grid shutdown October 2 Best-selling American author Tom Clancy dies at the age of 66; the author's debut book, 'The Hunt for Red October' has been cited as one of the greatest genre novels ever written In the case of AEG Live v. Michael Jackson Estate, the court determines that AEG live is not guilty of negligence for hiring Michael Jackson physician Conrad Murray October 3 Ahead of its IPO , Twitter Inc. publicly files disclosure documents posting strong revenue growth Credit card information, among other data of 2.9 million Adobe consumers was stolen during a cyber attack on the company's website October 4 Part of the ongoing Samaikyandhra Movement, protests and strikes erupt after the Cabinet of India approves the bifurcation of the state of Andrha Pradesh Republic of Ireland voters determine whether the 90-year-old Seanad Eireann, Irish Senate should be abolished October 5 Sydney, Australia welcomes Harry, the Prince of Wales, who has come to celebrate 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy The 350,000 workers furloughed since the recent government shutdown return to work at the Department of Defense October 6 After completing rescue missions for survivors of the 2013 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck, it is determined 360 people perished The 2013 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is won by the undefeated filly Treve October 7 The Chinese province of Fujian faces heavy rains and flooding from Typhoon Fitow Winners of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include German scientist Thomas C. Sudhof and American scientists Randy Schekman and James Rothman October 8 The Privy Council rejects proposals for a Royal Charter for self-regulation of the British Press Winners of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics include theoretical physicists Francois Englert of Belgium and Peter Higgs of Britain October 9 Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou takes over the duties of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner when she undergoes surgery to remove a subdural hematoma When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke leaves office, U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated Janet Yellin to take his place October 10 Astronaut Scott Carpenter, the second American to orbit the earth on Mercury 7, dies of complications from a stroke at the age of 88 The 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to Canadian writer Alice Munro October 11 A ban on fracking is upheld by the Constitutional Council of France Nearly 500,000 people been evacuated from India's Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states in preparation for Cyclone Phailin October 12 The east coast of India expects Cyclone Phailin to make landfall today Two million people lose power and five people are killed when Typhoon Nari strikes the Philippines October 13 Following an elaborate two-day state funeral, national independence hero of Vietnam, General Vo Nguyen Giap, is buried For the second year in a row, Novak Djokovic is the winner of the Shanghai Masters Tennis competition October 14 Authorities at Los Angeles International Airport investigate the explosion of the second dry ice bomb in two days on the premises; no one was injured and no arrests were made Three American economists win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences: Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen, and Robert Shiller October 15 Flooding in New Zealand's district of Whanganui causes authorities to declare a state of emergency The 2013 Man Booker Prize is won by Eleanor Catton for her book, 'The Luminaries' October 16 A portion of the Chelyabinsk meteor weighing 1,255lb is recovered by divers in Russia Canada awards Pakistani educational activist Malala Yousafzai honorary citizenship October 17 In Gamla Uppsala, Sweden, archeologists discover mysterious posts in perfect alignment for the length of a kilometre in what is believed to be a display of power from a fifth century chieftain The UN Security Council elects Lithuania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Chad and Chile to a two-year term beginning January 1, 2014 October 18 After being elected to the UN Security Council, Saudi Arabia reports it will decline its seat because the UN failed to end the Ghouta chemical attack NASA discovers Asteroid 2013 TV135, which has a 1 in 63,000 chance of colliding with the earth in 2032 October 19 American baseball shortstop Jose Iglesias secures a one-year contract to play for the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team JPMorgan Chase tentatively settles on paying $13 billion to the U.S. Department of Justice for its role in selling bad mortgage loans to investors, which added to the Suprime mortgage crisis October 20 Major bushfires that have endangered lives and destroyed homes cause Barry O'Farrell, the Premier of Australia's New South Wales to declare a state of emergency To prevent problems with airbag deployment caused by issues with their electrical system, Toyota Motor Corporation recalls 885,000 vehicles October 21 A report in Le Monde prompts the Foreign Minister of France, Laurent Fabius, to summons the U.S. ambassador over allegations that the U.S. spied on millions of French phone conversations The state of New Jersey becomes the 14th state in the U.S. to permit same-sex-marriages October 22 The Australian Government institutes a legal challenge to same-sex marriage in its High Court in response to the Australian Capital Territory becoming the first territory in Australia to legalize same-sex marriage The iPad Air and Mavericks, the latest version of the OS X is introduced by Apple October 23 In an effort to improve bilateral relations between China and Inda, the two countries come together to sign a new border defense agreement October 24 The U.S. Ambassador is summoned by Germany over suspicions that the U.S. monitored the cell phone calls of German Chancellor Angela Merkel The war-torn city of Deir Ezzor, Syria experiences the first outbreak of polio in 14 years, with 22 people suspected of having the viral disease October 25 An 7.3-magnitude earthquake off of Japan's east coast prompts the country's emergency agencies to issue a tsunami warning Upon completion of the nuclear genome of a 24,000 year old Siberian boy, the data reveals that two-thirds of today's Native Americans come from Eastern Asia and only one-third originated in Western Eurasia October 26 In an effort to repair strained relations after news reports cite the U.S. spied on Chancellor Angela Merke's cell phone, President Barack Obama congratulates the Chancellor on the formation of her new cabinet, and invites her to Washington In Game 3 of the World Series baseball championships, the St. Louis Cardinals score a 2-1 series lead over the Boston Red Sox October 27 Giorgi Margvelashvili wins a landslide victory in Georgia's election, ending a decade of power by pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili The St. Jude storm, predicted to be the worst since 1987, is expected to make landfall in the U.K. October 28 Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray is released from prison, two years after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter Scientists in the Australian state of Queensland discover three previously unknown species in a rainforest located in Cape York Peninsula: a leaf-tailed gecko, a golden-colored skink, and a boulder-dwelling frog October 29 A railway under the sea, first proposed by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid 150 years ago is completed; the sea tunnel, connecting Europe and Asia is the deepest submerged railway tunnel of its kind in the world The NASDAQ index was shut down for 44 minutes due to a human error that occurred while performing an operational function; the error resulted in the flawed delivery of date to the NASDAQ distribution system October 30 A cross-party royal charter allowing for the regulation of the British press is granted by the UK Privy Council despite a last-minute court challenge by the newspaper industry Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia, becomes the first head of state to visit with Kim Jong-un in North Korea since he became Supreme Leader October 31 Researchers in Vietnam completed a two-year project to use nanotechnology to produce Nano Curcumin, a substance that can help treat cancer; the substance Curcumin has a low absorption rate and does not dissolve well in water The Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons reports it has completed the inspection of 21 out of 23 chemical weapons sites across Syria, resulting in the destruction of over 1,000 metric tons of toxic agents and munitions November 1 An $800 million lawsuit is filed by Fannie Mae against nine banks for manipulating the Libor benchmark interest rate; the banks involved include Bank of America and Citigroup Australian scientists discover three new species of marsupial in Queensland: the Tweed Volcano Antechinus, the Buff-footed Antechinus and the Kroombit Antechinus November 2 Current Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, prepares to leave office; Irakli Garibashvili, the current Interior Minister, is appointed as his successor In Wisconsin, two planes carrying nine skydivers collide in midair; the skydivers used their parachutes to steer themselves clear of the debris, and the two pilots survived with minor injuries November 3 Africa, Europe and the United States experience a rare solar eclipse, with the west African nation of Gabon enjoying peak viewing when the total eclipse sweeps across a path nearly 60 kilometers wide The trial for ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi begin in Cairo; Morsi's behavior during the session prompts the judge to postpone the trial until January 8, 2014 November 4 A private collection of 1,500 works of art plundered by the Nazi's and discovered in a Munich apartment in 2012, has an estimated worth of $1 billion; lost works include paintings by Matisse, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall and Picasso A successor to the SR-71 Blackbird is being built by Lockheed Martin. The company's Advanced Development Programs, known by the alias Skunk Works, has taken on the challenge to builde the SR-72, capable of flying at mach 6 with expected delivery in 2023 November 5 Famous Chicago chef, Charlie Trotter dies of a brain aneurysm in his Lincoln Park hom at the age of 54 The PSLV-XL rocket carrying the Mars Orbiter Mission probe is launched by India's Space Research Organization; the will eventually be sent to Mars November 6 Officials crackdown on foreigners working illegally in the Saudi kingdom; over 16,000 are arrested in the search Tajikistan voters head to the polls to participate in the country's presidential election November 7 Disney and Netflix announce a deal in which ABC Television Studios and Marvel TV will produce four serialized programs run over multiple years; the programs will feature popular Marvel characters Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Jessica Johns Falkland Island voters head to the polls to participate in their general election and elect Legislative Assembly members November 8 Palestinian investigators claim their former leader, Yasser Arafat, did not die of old age or ill health; they believe Israel killed him because his exhumed body contained high levels of the radioactive element polonium-210 November 9 Maria Gabriela Isler, a fashion model who was crowned Miss Venezuela 2012, is crowned Miss Universe 2013 The USS Gerald R. Ford is christened by the U.S. Navy; the aircraft carrier cost $15.5 billion and technically the most advanced ship ever built November 10 The Philippines' central province of Leyte suffers a loss of potentially 10,000 people when Typhoon Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia on November 8, 2013; it is the deadliest typhoon ever recorded Vietnam evacuates 600,00 citizens as Typhoon Haiyan heads towards the country November 11 A strike intended to shut down Nepal's general elections November 19th, is orchestrated by an alliance of 33 opposition parties In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, Australian pledges $10 million to help with major clean-up and relief efforts in Vietnam, where over people in a single province are feared dead November 12 A plan to improve the technical functionality of U.S. stock exchanges in announced following the NASDAQ halt in trading in August, 2013 Hawaii joins 15 other states in legalizing same-sex marriage November 13 The largest fancy orange diamond on record was sold at Christie's auction in Geneva; the 14.82-carat stunner sold for $35.5 million The painting, 'Three Studies of Lucian Freud' by Sir Francis Bacon, sells for a record-high price of $142 million at Christie's auction in New York November 14 During the first month of its release in October, the U.S. government reports that 106,185 people signed up for health insurance; only 26,794 signed up using the failed website, HealthCare.gov One of the rarest mammals on earth, the saola, an Asian unicorn is released by WWF; the photo was taken by a camera trap in a forest in central Vietnam in September 2013, last seen 15 years ago November 15 As part of an effort to protect human rights, China's CPC Central Committee announces a plan to abolish its 'reeducation through labor system' which began in the 1950s For reasons of 'strategic national interest', Gambian President Yahya Jammeh announces the nation will cut its diplomatic ties with Taiwan but would remain a friend of Taiwan's people November 16 Abdulla Yameen wins the Presidential election in the Maldives with 51.3% of the popular vote, compared to 48.6 % for former leader Mohamed Nasheed Indian cricketeer Sachin Tendulkar scores 74 runs in the final Test innings of his career at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium November 17 Georgia swears in its new President, Giorgi Margvelashvili On the first day of its release, Sony's PlayStation 4 sells 1 million units in the U.S. and Canada; the PS4 launches in Europe November 29th, and Japan February 22, 2014 November 18 NASA completes a launch of the MAVEN, whose mission is to study Mars atmosphere in depth' the data from the MAVEN will help researchers construct a history of the climate on Mars and should help them understand how the water on Mars disappeared Syria's chemical weapons arsenal requires an eradication site; Belgium rejected being a candidate for the destruction, suggesting the stockpile should be destroyed close to Syria November 19 The 150th Anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address' considered one of the greatest political speeches, is commemorated in the U.S. on the battlefield and by the Library of Congress The Philippines receives a $500 million emergency loan from the World Bank to help the country recover and rebuild in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan November 20 A vote by the General Synod of the Church of England approves legislation allowing women bishops to be ordained by 2014 Amidst criticism for its lack of help in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, China's 'Peace Ark', a 14,000-ton navy hospital ship, is sent to the Philippines to help its relief efforts'; the country also sent an emergency medical team and a disaster relief team from the Chinese Red Cross November 21 A report from Japan's Coast Guard and earthquake experts claims that a new islet has been created; a volcanic eruption raised the new island, which is located off the coast of Nishinoshima - a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain, far south of Tokyo The roof of a Maxima superstore collapses in Latvia's capital, Riga; a least six are killed and 35 injured November 22 According to files published in 'NRC Handelsblad', the U.S. has conducted surveillance on the Netherlands since 1946 The U.S. commemorates day of John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Texas November 23 A special episode of the British science fiction program 'Doctor Who' called, 'The Day of the Doctor' broadcasts simultaneously to 94 countries in celebration of the show's 50th Anniversary; the broadcast earned a Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama Pop band One Direction hosts 1D Day, a day consisting of a record, 7.5 hour-long socially interactive live-stream on YouTube and Google+ Hangout including live band performances and celebrity guests; the event was an unprecedented use of social media November 24 Angola's Ministry of Justice and Human Rights deny the country has banned Islam and is dismantling mosques in an effort to stop the spread of Muslim extremism; they claim mosques are closed because Islam has not gone through the process of approval or legalization Pope Francis displays relics believed to be the bones of St. Peter at a mass in St. Peter's Square; the first time the bones have ever been shown to the public November 25 Romania's Prime Minister Victor Ponta meets with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Bucharest, Romania. The Premier will attend the China-Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) leaders' meeting as a guest of the Prime Minister The Hunger Games: Catching Fire grosses $161 million in the U.S. and Canada, becoming the most successful film ever released in November November 26 If verified, a Buddhist shrine discovered in Nepal that dates to 550 BC could change the date of the Buddha's birthday Journalist Lara Logan of CBS is suspended after admitting that portions of her '60 Minutes' Benghazi attack report covering the death of U.S Ambassador Christopher J. Stevens, were false November 27 Ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expelled from parliament due to his tax fraud conviction In Japan, the Nissan Leaf self-driving car completes its very first road test on the Sagami Expressway; it is the first self-driving car ever to be tested in Japan November 28 Iran experiences a 5.6-magnitude earthquake 35 miles from the Bushehr nuclear plant, raising concerns over the risk of radioactive leaks in the event of a major earthquake; seven people die and 30 are injured The launch of the 'Yu Tu', China's first lunar vehicle, is scheduled to take place at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center before December 10, 2013 November 29 A $3.4 billion takeover bid by American global food-processing giant Archer Daniels Midland for GrainCorp, an Australian agribusiness, is rejected by Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey Experts observing the Comet ISON sweep 730,000 miles over the surface of the sun believe that that part of the comet survived the close encounter; images suggest a small nucleus may have remained intact November 30 The 150th anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, a national hero and revolutionary leader in the Philippines, is commemorated The LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 that went off the radar Friday is discovered in Namibia's Bwabwata National Park; all 33 passengers died in the crash December 1 An overwhelming 65% of Croatian voters vote yes for a referendum on a proposal to outlaw same-sex marriage The Chang'e 3 lunar probe is launched by China; the probe, headed for the moon, includes a robotic lander and the Yutu, Jade Rabbit buggy December 2 A meeting between Pope Francis and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, is held at the Vatican; discussions include Iran's nuclear program among other global affairs The death toll from Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines, is confirmed to be over 5,700 people; the number is expected to increase December 3 A study at New York City's Albert Einstein College of Medicine reveals that a modified version of radioimmunotherapy - the treatment for leukemia - can kill latent HIV cells Paleontologist Philip Currie reveals the fully-intact baby Chasmosaurus dinosaur fossil he excavated at Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park; the 72 million-year-old dinosaur is about 1.5 meters long and estimated to have been three years old when it died December 4 Six banks are fined $2.3 billion after the European Commission determines they rigged interest rates Yaya is a new island discovered in the Arctic Ocean's Laptev Sea December 5 Former South African President and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, dies at the age of 95 Mexican singer and songwriter Thalia receives a walk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame December 6 In the U.S., record snowfall leaves hundreds of thousands without power; Dallas-Fort Worth experiences an ice storm causing traffic accidents, power outages and airport delays Shanghai officials deliver the highest level health warning as a record level of smog shrouds the city; hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled December 7 American comedian Don Rickles receives treatment for a flesh-eating disease, necrotizing fasciitis, he contracted in his leg; the 87-year old is expected to make a full recovery At a World Trade Organization meeting, a trade agreement called the Bali Package is reached; the agreement will lower global trade barriers and will simplify trade deals to better enable poorer states in Bali, Indonesia to sell their goods December 8 After the People's Republic of China expands its air zone, South Korea responds by expand its air defense zone, causing rising tensions in the region In Kiev, Russia, anti-government protesters topple the last surviving monument of Vladimir Lenin; the monument fell in Bessarabska Square; it was was pounded with hammers and only some parts of the Soviet hero's legs remained December 9 AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, merges with US Airways Group; American Airlines Group is formed and the public company begins trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol AAL Ukraine's former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko posted messages supporting the anti-government protesters who toppled the last status of Vladimir Lenin on her website, calling on suporters to keep up their demands December 10 In an effort to hunt for terrorists 'hiding in plain sight' online, spies at U.S. surveillance agencies may have spent time playing online games such as 'World of Warcraft', 'Second Life', and may have gathered information on the gaming network, Xbox Live U.S. automaker General Motors appoints Mary Barra CEO; she becomes the first female to become CEO of an automative company December 11 Pope Francis is named 'Time' magazine's 'Person of the Year' Twenty people die on the island of Madagascar from bubonic plague, which is transmitted to humans via rat fleas; chronic overcrowding and unhygienic prison conditions are identified as the root cause of the outbreak December 12 Over two dozen companies will have U.S. sanctions imposed upon them as a result of their involvement in aiding Iran with its nuclear program The International Space Station suspends some of its non-critical systems after an ammonia cooling pump fails; the station and six crew members aboard were not in danger December 13 An experimental privacy feature on Google's Android mobile software is removed, raising objections from the Electronic Frontier Foundation; the feature allowed users to block apps from collecting personal information such as a user's location and address book data The body of former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, is flown from Pretoria to the leader's ancestral village of Qunu, his final resting place December 14 After a long illness, British actor Peter O'Toole, known for playing Lawrence, in 'Lawrence of Arabia', dies at the age of 81 China's first lunar rover, the Yutu, makes the first 'soft' landing on the moon since 1976; Yutu is the third robotic rover in existence December 15 Chilean voters elect President Michelle Bachelet in the country's presidential election; Bachelet served as the first female Chilean president in 2006 Joan Fontaine, a British and American actress and sister of Olivia de Havilland, dies at the age of 96; Fontaine is famous for roles in Alfred Hitchcock thrillers Suspicion and Rebecca December 16 After years of receding, scientists report that the Arctic sea ice has rebounded in extent and volume The robot manufacturer Boston Dynamics is purchased by Google for an undisclosed amount; previously contracted by the U.S. military December 17 Harry Styles, the 19 year-old member of the band One Direction, wins a court order banning certain paparazzi from pursuing him on the street and from lingering outside his home It is announced that Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Nirvana, KISS and Cat Stevens will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 December 18 In the U.S., two winners are believed to have won the Mega Millions lottery; they will share a jackpot of $636 million Syria, Iran and North Korea are condemned for human rights violations by the United Nations December 19 A data breach at Target Corporation caused the security of 40 million credit and debit cards used at Target stores to be compromised In an interview with U.S. journalist Barbara Walters, Hillary Clinton claims she is 'unsure' whether she will run for President in 2016 December 20 Bolivia's Tupac Katari is successfully launched from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center Britain agrees to help Syria destroy over 165 tons of chemical weapons; the stockpile includes substances that could be used to make highly toxic nerve agents December 21 A series of spacewalks are made by two NASA astronauts in an effort to fix the faulty coolant pump on the International Space Station Author J.K. Rowling announces she is producing a play based on the life of her character Harry Potter; the play tells the previously untold story of life before the boy wizard goes to Hogwarts; the play will premiere in London's West End within the next two years December 22 A security news site reports that the credit and debit card account stolen from 40 million Target Corporation customers are up for sale on the black market; cards are being sold from around $20 to more than $100 each President Barack Obama and the First Family begin their 17-day Hawaiian vacation; this is the sixth year in a row the Obama's have visited family and friends on the island of Oahu for Christmas and New Year's December 23 Mikhail Kalashnikov, the designer of the AK-47 assault rifle bearing his name, dies at his home in the city of Izhevsk at the age of 94 December 24 Before celebrating Christmas Mass at Pope Francis pays a visit to Pope Benedict XVI at his retirement home To avoid Obamacare penalties, today is the last day consumers in the U.S. can sign up for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act December 25 Pope Francis gives his Urbi et Orbi speech (to the City of Rome and to the World), a papal address and Apostolic Blessing dating back to Ancient Rome; the Pope calls for peace in Syria and South Sudan The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is re-designated as a terrorist organization as part of a measure by the The Egyptian government to stop terrorists, and anyone financing the bombings and other terrorist acts that have occurred in their country December 26 A winter storm earlier in the week leaves thousands without power in Southern Ontario, Maine, Michigan and Vermont; below-freezing temperatures sent many to shelters for warmth Shinzo Abe the Prime Minister of Japan visits the Yasukuni Shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo; the shrine commemorates those who died while in the service of the Empire of Japan during the Meiji Restoration, which stored imperial rule to Japan in 1868 December 27 An error on the Delta Air Lines website allows thousands of customers to buy tickets for super-low fares, some 90% below regular ticket prices; Delta takes responsibility for the error, and will honor ticket purchases as well as frequent flier miles earned on the reduced-fare flights The U.S. State of California is experiencing the driest year on record, and rain is not expected in the near future; San Francisco is having the driest year ever since the Gold Rush began in 1849 December 28 A 5.8-magnitude earthquake strikes 50 miles south southwest of Avsallar, Turkey in the Mediterranean Sea As long-term federal unemployment benefits expire, leaving 1.3 million unemployed Americans without aid, lawmakers discuss bipartisan legislation to extend unemployment benefits December 29 Administrative officials claim that over 1.1 million Americans are now enrolled in Obamacare Russia's Defense Ministry reports the Soyuz-2-1v Russian rocket was successfully launched December 30 In the U.S., 2.5 million minimum wage workers will get a raise January 1st in thirteen states including Colorado, Rhode Island and Connecticut Saudi Arabia's government agrees to give Lebanon $3 billion to strengthen Lebanon's army and purchase weapons from France December 31 Breaking with long-standing tradition among Russian heads of state, President Vladimir Putin delivered two New Year's speeches rather than one; he made his second stres from Khaborovsk, a city that experienced devastating floods this summer The famous final New Year's Eve countdown in Times Square will be lead by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; she will have the honor of pushing he ceremonial countdown button to start the descent of the Times Square New Year's Eve ball
