April 2011 Current Events: World News

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

U.S. News |Disasters & Science News

Here are the key events in world news for the month of April 2011.

• Former Ivory Coast President Captured (April 11): French military storm the residence of former president Laurent Gbagbo and capture him. The West African nation has been entrenched in civil war because Gbagbo refuses to accept the results of the presidential election last year, which he lost. Gbagbo's arrest ends a four-month standoff that has left hundreds dead.

• French Legislation Bans Full-Face Coverings (April 11): France bans the wearing of full veils in public, becoming the first European nation to impose the restriction. The ban causes protests in Paris and several other cities. The new restriction also has many Muslims worrying about their rights as French citizens. Covering the face is considered by some Muslims as a religious obligation. Supporters of the ban view it as necessary to preserve French culture and to combat what they claim are separatist actions in Muslims.

• Libyan Rebels Reject Truce Plan (April 12): The African Union presents a plan in Libya, which they call a road map for political settlement. The plan includes a suspension of NATO airstrikes and a cease-fire. Col. al-Qaddafi accepts the plan, but the rebels reject it, saying it does not meet their basic demand that Qaddafi leave power immediately. (April 30): Col. al-Qaddafi survives an NATO airstrike that kills one of his sons and three grandchildren. It is the second airstrike within a week to hit a location close to the Libyan leader.

• Three Billion Watch Prince William Marry Kate Middleton (April 29): A million people line the streets, half a million gather in front of Buckingham Palace, and two billion tune in via television or computer to see Kate Middleton marry Prince William. Middleton receives rave reviews for wearing a modern, but restrained wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director for the late Alexander McQueen.