10 things you need to know today: June 4, 2012

Firefighters try to put out the fire at the site of a plane crash near the Lagos airport in Nigeria on June 3. The passenger plane carrying 153 people crashed into a building on Sunday, killi

(Image credit: Xinhua/Tunji Obasa/CORBIS)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. NIGERIAN PLANE CRASH KILLS 153

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has called for several days of national mourning and a full investigation after a plane crash on Sunday killed all 153 people aboard. Rescue officials fear many people on the ground may have also been killed when the plane crashed into the roof of an apartment building in a suburb of Lagos. The pilot, an American whose name has not been released, radioed that the plane was having trouble minutes before the crash. The plane was operated by Dana Air, a domestic carrier. While air crashes are not uncommon in Nigeria, the crash is the worst air disaster in the country in nearly 20 years.

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George Zimmerman surrendered to authorities Sunday afternoon, and returned to the Seminole County jail in Florida. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was unarmed when he was killed. A circuit judge revoked Zimmerman's bond on Friday on the grounds that he and his wife lied to the court about their finances, saying they had little money in order to get a lower bond while in fact they've raised some $135,000 for legal costs through a website. Zimmerman's attorneys say they will ask for a new bond hearing. [Associated Press]

Monday marks the 23rd anniversary of China's violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, and the government is going to great lengths to silence talk of the historic event. Censors have blocked internet access for search terms related to the demonstration, and the movement of many dissidents and former protesters has been restricted. According to the Chinese government, 241 people were killed when soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters on June 4, 1989, but human-rights activists say it's more likely thousands were killed. Public discussion of the event is banned in mainland China. [CNN]

The crisis in Syria is a key issue on the agenda at a European-Russian summit on Monday in St. Petersburg. European leaders are expected to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow the U.N. Security Council to take more forceful actions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but Putin has made it clear that he opposes such measures. Russia has expressed fears that Western-led intervention will destabilize the region while claiming not to support Assad, but analysts say Putin's policies have helped the regime cling to power. [Los Angeles Times]

Facebook is working on technology that would let kids under 13 log on to the social network with parental supervision. Children under 13 are currently banned from using Facebook, though many lie about their age and use it anyway. Technology designed specifically for the younger set and their parents would open up a fresh new pool of users for Facebook, but it also raises privacy concerns. [Wall Street Journal]

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