Nature's cruel blow

04.04.09 to 10.04.09: Italians try to pick up the pieces after an earthquake devastates the medieval city of L'Aquila.

An earthquake in central Italy killed at least 270 people.

Rescue workers ended the search for survivors and the funerals began after Italy's worst earthquake for 30 years killed at least 270 people. The 6.3-magnitude quake severely damaged the medieval city of L'Aquila in the mountainous Abruzzo regions and virtually destroyed a number of nearby villages. The toll included 1,500 injuries, with tens of thousands made homeless. At least 100 people were pulled from the rubble, including two students rescued from the ruins of a building in L'Aquila. Around two-thirds of the buildings in the town were destroyed or badly damaged, including the historic basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio. In the village of Onna, around 10 per cent of the population of 350 is believed to have been killed. Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, angered some homeless survivors by suggesting that they viewed their temporary housing "like a weekend of camping".

Military experts concluded that a long-range missile launch by North Korea ended in failure. State media claimed that the rocket had reached orbit, placing a satellite in orbit that was broadcasting revolutionary songs. Other sources said that the Taepodong-2 missile crashed back to Earth. According to United States Northern Command: "The remaining stages, along with the payload itself, landed in the Pacific," and "no object entered orbit". The launch provoked international outrage because of fears that the regime was developing a missile to carry nuclear warheads.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi called on people to take a stand against child abuse after visiting an alleged victim in hospital. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, attended Al Mafraq Hospital with his daughter to see a critically ill nine-year-old girl who was said to have suffered knife cuts, burns and bruising.

Sheikh Mohammed called the "sanctity of childhood" an "essential element of our culture". "All members of the community must speak out against abuse of this kind, and condemn any form of violence against children." Police have arrested the child's father and stepmother. The family originally claimed the girl had suffered the injuries in a bicycle accident.

Foreign tourists were allowed back into Tibet for the first time in two months. A German tour group was the first to arrive, according to Chinese authorities, with several hundred more expected in April. Tibet had been closed because of security fears coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the uprising that led to the Dalai Lama, the country's spiritual leader, fleeing the country. Beijing has renamed the anniversary "Serfs' Emancipation Day" and claims that Tibet is part of China.

A lion called Tiny required emergency surgery to remove a hairball the size of a football from his stomach. Six veterinary surgeons were needed to carry out the operation on the 200kg lion, which lives in a wildlife park in Kent, southern England. Keepers had noticed that the lion was vomiting frequently and had become seriously ill. Obama visits Baghdad Barack Obama ended his first overseas trip with a surprise visit to Baghdad.

After attending the G20 summit in London, the president first paid an official visit to Turkey where he visited the Blue Mosque and assured Muslims that "the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical". Later, Mr Obama flew to Camp Victory, a US base Baghdad Airport, where he handed out medals to troops and urged Iraqis to "take responsibility for their country". Back home, a new poll revealed that Mr Obama has polarised American voters more than any president in recent history. The gap in his approval ratings between Republican and Democrat voters is 61 percentage points - more than the former presidents George W Bush or Richard Nixon.

Surgeons in France carried out the world's first full face transplant and gave two new hands to a 30-year-old man who was severely burnt in 2004. The operations saw the transplant of the upper half of the victim's face, including his scalp, forehead, nose, ears and eyelids.

Several beaches in Dubai were closed as a precaution because of an algae bloom known as red tide. Clouds of the algae were spotted in the waters off the Palm Jumeirah, with authorities closing the beaches at Burj Al Arab and the Umm Suqeim park. In its toxic form, red tide can kill marine life and cause skin irritation. The algal bloom has caused severe problems in Fujairah but is now beginning to dissipate in the warmer weather.

Putting healthy items likes salads on the menu can actually encourage diners to order unhealthy dishes, a new survey showed. A paper for the American Journal of Consumer Research discovered that a test group of students were three times more likely to order French fries when there was also salad on the menu.

The troubled car manufacturer General Motors announced a new two-seater electric vehicle ambitiously described as "the future of commuting". Based on the technology used for the Segway, project Puma stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility. A prototype unveiled in New York revealed a two-wheel vehicle with a top range of 56km and the technology to drive itself and avoid collisions. GM has sustained massive losses in the financial downturn. It also makes the 2,900kg Hummer.

The American crew of a container ship attacked by Somali pirates fought back and recaptured their vessel. A battle lasting several hours saw pirates boarding the container ship Maersk Alabama several hundred miles off the coast of Africa. Members of the crew retook the ship later, although pirates continued to hold the ship's captain as a hostage while negotiations continued.

A new masterplan for Al Ain that will govern the city's development by 2030 was unveiled. Among the predictions was a trebling of the population to nearly one million and conservation measures to protect oasis and heritage sites in a city sometimes referred to as the "soul of the nation". Traffic will be discouraged from entering the centre, with trams and a fast rail link to Abu Dhabi serving the population.

The Government reached an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Authority for inspections of the new nuclear power programme. The agreement is seen as part of the UAE's commitment to prevent nuclear proliferation as it prepares to begin construction on the US$60 billion (Dh220bn) project, intended to meet the growing need for electricity in this century. [e-mail]