Portal:Current events/2012 March 29

• The death is announced of award-winning poet, essayist and public intellectual Adrienne Rich, credited with bringing the oppression of women and lesbians to the forefront of poetic discourse. (The Guardian)

• Workers in Spain commence a general strike over government austerity measures. (BBC)
• Queues form at petrol stations across the United Kingdom after government ministers urged motorists to top up their fuel tanks ahead of a possible strike by fuel tanker drivers. (BBC) (The Guardian)
• Smart phone pioneer Research in Motion announces major shake-ups in executive ranks and a strategic review in its earnings report. (Reuters)

• At least 13 people are killed at the San Pedro Sula prison in Honduras. (BBC)

• The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa meet in New Delhi, India, for the 2012 BRICS summit. (Reuters)

• Two Italians set themselves on fire in Bologna and Verona. (BBC) (IOL) (Indian Express)
• Police in Ankara fire tear gas and water cannons on thousands of demonstrators. (Al Jazeera)
• Hana Shalabi ends her 43-day hunger strike and is exiled to the Gaza Strip. (BBC)

• Sten Tolgfors resigns as Swedish Minister of Defence due to allegations that he knew about plans to assist Saudi Arabia in building a weapons plant. (Reuters)
• Iranian-born Israeli politician Shaul Mofaz is elected as leader of the Kadima party and Israel's leader of opposition. (Haaretz)
• George Galloway of the Respect Party wins the United Kingdom House of Commons constituency of Bradford West in a by-election. (BBC)

• The UK government says that viaspan, a solution used to preserve some donor organs, could be contaminated with bacteria after routine tests detected Bacillus cereus in the solution used to test the sterility of viaspan. (BBC)

• Stuart Lancaster is named permanent England rugby union head coach after signing a four-year contract. (BBC)