January 11, 2013 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war:
- Rebel forces take over the strategic Taftanaz airbase in northern Syria. (AP via USA Today)
- Northern Mali conflict (2012–present):
- France commits troops to aid government forces in the Northern Mali conflict. (Reuters) (The Guardian) (The New York Times) (The Washington Post)
- 2012–2013 Central African Republic conflict:
- In the Central African Republic, the government signs a ceasefire agreement with rebels, ending a month of conflict and establishing a new coalition government. (BBC)
Arts and culture
- The first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge, painted by Paul Emsley, is unveiled to a mixed reception from critics. (BBC)
Disasters and accidents
- 18 people die after a landslide buries a village in the Yunnan province of China, while 40 people are feared to be buried. (BBC)
- 29 people die and 12 people are injured after a bus veers off a mountain road in Doti, Nepal. (BBC)
- A fire sweeps through a complex containing housing for foreign workers in Manama, Bahrain, leaving 13 foreign nationals dead. (BBC)
Law and crime
- The Metropolitan Police and NSPCC have confirmed 214 separate sexual offences committed by Jimmy Savile over a period of fifty years. (BBC)
- Three people are injured after a hostage situation takes place in a Nordstrom Rack chain in the neighborhood of Westchester in Los Angeles, California. (Los Angeles Times)
- Aaron Swartz was found dead in his Brooklyn, New York apartment, where he had hanged himself. (BBC) (Time) (WSJ) (Business Insider)
Politics and elections
- The Parliament of Sri Lanka passes an impeachment motion against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. (BBC)
Science and technology
- Huge-LQG, a large quasar group, the largest known structure in the Universe, is discovered by a team of astronomers using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. (Space.com) (FoxNews) (CNET) (New Scientist)
Television
- Disney Junior Premiere of Sofia the First