Portal:Current events/2013 May 4

May 4, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Five US soldiers are killed when a bomb detonates in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Additionally, three more are killed in separate incidents. (The New York Times)
Syrian civil war:
- Israeli forces, in a second attack in as many days, bomb a weapons shipment of sophisticated missiles suspected as being transported from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. (The Washington Post)
- Activists claim that 77 people are massacred in the Syrian city of Baniyas by government forces; the government claims it was fighting against "terrorist groups." (BBC)
39 people are killed during religiously motivated clashes at a funeral in Wukari, Nigeria. (Bloomberg)

Arts and culture

Cuban Filin pioneer César Portillo de la Luz dies at the age of 90. (The Miami Herald)
American author Harper Lee files a lawsuit claiming that a literary agent tricked her into relinquishing the copyright on her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Hundreds of protestors gather in Chinese cities to rally against planned large-scale industrial projects. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

A train carrying toxic flammable chemicals derails and causes a major fire near the Belgian town of Wetteren, killing two and wounding forty-nine. (BBC)

Health and environment

The National Health Service in England says it is investigating seven "potentially serious" incidents involving its recently-established non-emergency medical helpline, NHS 111. (BBC)
In the U.S., Alaska's Cleveland Volcano experiences a low-level eruption. (AP via Fox News)

Law and crime

Sports