April 2013 :


North Korea's Kim Jong-un Defies Warnings (Apr. 1): Despite stiffer sanctions from the UN, Kim Jong-un announces plans to expand North Korea's nuclear weapons and strengthen the country's economy. His plans defy warnings from the United States that North Korea needs to abandon its nuclear weapons arsenal. Kim prohibits South Korean workers from entering the Kaesong industrial park, which is run jointly by the two countries and is located in North Korea.

(Apr. 3): At a rare plenary meeting of the Central Committee, Kim says North Korea will continue to develop its nuclear weapons program despite sanctions and restart the mothballed nuclear facility in Yongbyon.

(Apr. 4): The U.S. announces it is deploying a missile defense system to Guam as a precautionary move. The deployment is two years ahead of schedule.

(Apr. 5): South Korea reports that North Korea now has a missile within range of its coast, but the missile cannot reach the United States.

Economy Stalls as Hiring Slows Down in March (April 5): Only 88,000 jobs are added in March, less than half the amount economists had predicted. The amount is also significantly less than the 268,000 jobs that were added in February. Unemployment decreases from 7.7 percent in February to 7.6 percent in March. However, the decrease comes from more people leaving the labor force, not from new hires.


Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Resigns (Apr. 13): Prime Minister Salam Fayyad resigns in Palestine amid infighting among the top echelon of the Palestinian Authority and popular discontent. Fayyad is credited with cracking down on corruption in the West Bank, improving infrastructure, and boosting the economy, which resulted in an increase in international aid. It is unclear how Fayyad's resignation would affect the reconciliation of Fatah and Hamas.


Special Election Held to Replace Chavez (Apr. 14): A special presidential election is held to pick Hugo Chavez's successor in Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro wins by a slim margin. Maduro receives 50.8 percent of the vote. Henrique Capriles Radonski, who recently lost to Chavez in the October 2012 election, is close behind with 49 percent.

(Apr. 19): Maduro assumes office. Meanwhile, the opposition questions the constitutionality of his election. In naming his cabinet, Maduro keeps Elias Jaua on as foreign minister and Diego Molero as defense minister. Jaua and Molero served in the same roles under Chavez.

Multiple Bombs Explode during the Boston Marathon (Apr. 15): Multiple bombs explode near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Two bombs go off around 2:50 in the afternoon as runners finish the race. At least three people are killed. One is an eight year old boy. More than 170 people are injured. Another explosion happens during the afternoon at the JFK Library, but officials confirm that the incident is not connected. Later in the day, President Obama says from the White House briefing room, "We still do not know who did this or why, and people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts, but make no mistake: We will get to the bottom of this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice."

(Apr. 18): President Obama speaks at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston's South End. After the service, both the president and First lady Michelle Obama visit those injured in the explosions who are still recovering in the various hospitals throughout Boston. Later in the day, the FBI releases photos and video of two suspects in the hope that the public can help identify them. "Somebody out there knows these individuals as friends, neighbors, co-workers, or family members. Though it may be difficult, the nation is counting on those with information to come forward and provide it to us," says FBI special agent Richard DesLauriers upon the release of the photos and video. Just hours after the FBI releases the images, the two suspects rob a gas station in Central Square then shoot and kill a MIT police officer in his car. Afterwards, the two men carjack a SUV and tell the driver that they had set off the explosions at the marathon. Police pursue the vehicle into Watertown. During the shootout, a MBTA officer is shot and one of the suspects, identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, age 26, is killed. A suicide vest is found on his body.

(Apr. 19): The other suspect, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, age 19, remains at large for several hours, causing a massive manhunt and lockdown for all of Boston, Cambridge, and many other surrounding communities. The manhunt ends that evening when he is found alive, but seriously injured, hiding in a boat behind a house in Watertown. The two suspects are brothers and had been living together on Norfolk Street in Cambridge. They have lived in the U.S. for about a decade, but are from an area near Chechnya, a region in Russia.


Syria Faces Chemical Weapon Allegations (Apr. 18): Diplomats from both Britain and France report to the United Nations that there is credible information that the government in Syria has used chemical weapons recently in its civil war. According to both diplomats, the Syrian government has used chemical weapons multiple times since December 2012. Officials from Israel also say they have evidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons. President Obama has said that the use of chemical weapons by Syria's government could lead to a military response by the United States. The U.S. is currently looking into the various claims.


France Becomes 14th Nation to Approve Same-Sex Marriage (Apr. 23): The lower house in France's National Assembly votes 331 to 225 in favor of same-sex marriage. The legislation is expected to be approved by the Constitutional Council and signed into law by President François Hollande. The vote makes France the 14th nation in the world to pass legislation for same-sex marriage. Uruguay and New Zealand have also both recently passed same-sex marriage legislation.

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When Problems are so Big & Your Strength is no Longer enough to CaRRy them, Don't Give uP; Because where your Strength Ends the Grace of Almighty ALLAH Begins