April 30, 2012 (Monday)
Armed conflict and attacks
- Two bombs explode in the northern Syrian town of Idlib killing at least eight people. (AP via Yahoo! News)
- A court in Bahrain orders a civil trial for 21 activists who took part in anti-government protests and were convicted by a military court. (Al Jazeera)
- Troops loyal to Bosco Ntaganda – who is wanted by the International Criminal Court – take two towns in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (BBC)
Art and culture
- The as of yet unfinished One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in New York City, overtaking the Empire State Building. (CBS News)
Business and economics
- Spain's economy double dips, with a quarter of the population out of work. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters
- An overloaded ferry capsizes on the Brahmaputra River in India killing at least 103 people. (Reuters via Globe and Mail)
- A major fire destroys the Falmouth Beach Hotel in Gyllyngvase in Falmouth, Cornwall. (BBC)
International relations
- U.S. President Barack Obama refuses to comment on Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese dissident said to be at the U.S. embassy after fleeing house arrest. (BBC)
- South Korea arrests nine Chinese sailors after four Korean officials were injured in a maritime dispute. (AP via The Washington Post)
- Three Taiwanese MPs and military officers visit the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, amid mounting tensions in the area. (Bangkok Post)[permanent dead link]
Law and crime
- A British government pathologist suggests Secret Intelligence Service officer Gareth Williams "possibly died" from poisoning or asphyxiation. (BBC)
- Fugitive Sunni Vice President of Iraq Tariq al-Hashimi and his bodyguards are charged with killing at least six judges. (Al-Arabiya)
Politics and elections
- Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says that a dispute over the wording of the oath of office has been resolved and that she and her colleagues from the National League for Democracy will attend parliament for the first time. (AP via Huffington Post)
Sport
- In association football, Manchester City defeat Manchester United in what had been described as the biggest match in Premier League history. Vincent Kompany scores the winning goal to take City to the summit of the Premier League table with two games of the season left to play. (BBC)