April 16, 2013 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2013 ricin attacks:
- Mail to the US Senate is suspended after letter sent to U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) tests positive for the poisonous substance ricin at an offsite Congressional mail facility. The letter is being sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for further testing. (NBC News) (The New York Times)
- Boston Marathon bombings:
- Organisers and security officials reassess security plans for Sunday's 2013 London Marathon. This follows yesterday's incident at the 2013 Boston Marathon which killed three people. (BBC)
- The 2012–13 NBA season game between the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics, which was originally scheduled for April 16, is cancelled after blasts in Boston. (ESPN)
- Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta threatens to launch a terror campaign to "defend Christianity" in Nigeria in response to attacks by Islamist group Boko Haram. (The Guardian)
- Naxalite–Maoist insurgency:
- Ten members of the Naxalite insurgent movement are killed in a clash with Indian police in Chhattisgarh state. (PTI via Business Standard)
Arts and culture
- Gospel singer George Beverly Shea died at the age of 104, following a brief illness. (The New York Times)
Business and economy
- Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar rejects a plan by the adult entertainment company Playboy to open its first club in India. (BBC)
- American Airlines grounds flights across the United States due to a glitch in its computer system until 5pm EDT leaving thousands of passengers stranded. (AP via The Washington Post)
Disasters and accidents
- 2013 Sistan and Baluchestan earthquake:
- At least 37 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes with its epicenter below Khash County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, near the border with Pakistan. Tremors are felt throughout the Middle East, Pakistan and North India, and hundreds of deaths are expected by the Iran government. (The New York Times) (BBC) (Reuters)
- A United States military Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter crashes near South Korea's border with North Korea, with no reported casualties. (AFP via Channel NewsAsia)
- A gold mine collapses in Kyekyewere, Ghana, killing 16 people. (BBC)
International relations
- 2013 Korean crisis:
- North Korea issues an "ultimatum" to South Korea, demanding blanket apologies and an immediate cessation of anti-DPRK activities. Some protesters in Seoul were noted burning portraits of North Korean leaders on Monday, while North Korea celebrated the birthday of the late Kim Il-sung. The new threat comes amid what is otherwise perceived as an easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean authorities say that an attack may occur without warning at any moment. (Reuters) (RT)
- China's defense ministry criticizes the United States for allegedly increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region by increasing its military presence and supporting Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam in longstanding territorial disputes. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Three teenagers in Liverpool, England, are convicted for beating a homeless man to death as part of a dare. (Liverpool Echo)
- Former Mexican anchorman Alonso de la Colina Sordo is assassinated by an unidentified gunman in the state of Puebla. His death adds to the long list of more than 80 journalists killed in Mexico since 2005. (EFE via Fox News)
Politics and elections
- A bipartisan group of eight United States Senators releases its plan to overhaul the immigration system potentially allowing millions of illegal aliens the chance to become citizens. (The Washington Post)
- A Pakistani election tribunal comprising judges of the Lahore High Court declares former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf ineligible for contesting the upcoming general election. (PTI via FirstPost)