Portal:Current events/2015 April 28

Current events of April 28, 2015 (2015-04-28) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran's Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution intercepts the Marshall Islands-flagged commercial cargo vessel Maersk Tigris in the Strait of Hormuz and diverts it further into Iranian waters. The US dispatches USS Farragut, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, to the location of the cargo vessel to observe and monitor the situation. (Yahoo! Politics) (CNN)
• 2015 West African offensive:
  • Niger states that 46 of its soldiers and 156 Boko Haram fighters were killed in a battle for Karamga Island on Lake Chad. At least 28 civilians lost their lives. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
  • The Nigerian Army rescues 200 girls and 93 women during a military operation to capture the Sambisa Forest from Boko Haram. It is not confirmed as yet whether any victims of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping are amongst this group. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Nominations for the 69th Tony Awards are announced with An American in Paris and Fun Home leading the nominations. (Broadway)

Disasters and accidents

• April 2015 Nepal earthquake
  • The official death toll exceeds 5,000 with the United Nations estimating that 1.4 million people in the region need emergency food assistance. (CNN)
  • At least 250 people are missing after a mudslide and avalanche in Ghodatabela, a remote village near the epicenter of the earthquake. (AP via News24)
• Two trains crash in Johannesburg killing a driver and injuring 90 passengers. (Zee News)
• At least 52 people are missing, feared dead, after a landslide in a remote village in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province. (Reuters)
• The Trasmediterranea passenger ferry Sorrento, en route from Palma de Mallorca to Valencia in Spain, catches fire. All 170 passengers are rescued. (AFP via News24)

Law and crime

• Indonesia executes eight convicted drug smugglers including Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte and the Bali Nine duo Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. Filipina maid Mary Jane Veloso is given a last-minute reprieve. (BBC)
• Sinking of MV Sewol: Lee Jun-seok, the captain of MV Sewol, is given a life sentence for murder for his role in the incident. (Yonhap)
• Death of Freddie Gray, 2015 Baltimore riots: About 200 people have been arrested in the American city of Baltimore for rioting; 20 Baltimore Police Department officers are injured and 144 cars set on fire. Schools in the city have been closed. (Los Angeles Times)

Sports

• In mixed martial arts, the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, widely regarded as the best active mixed martial arts fighter in the world, is stripped of his title after his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident. (Fox News)
• In Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Orioles announce several changes to their upcoming schedule due to the riots in the city: (ESPN)
  • After having two home games at Camden Yards with the Chicago White Sox postponed, the Orioles announce that the teams will play their April 29 game there with no fans allowed to attend. This is the first time in MLB history that a game has been held behind closed doors.
  • The two postponed games will be made up as a doubleheader on May 28.
  • The Orioles' upcoming weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays, scheduled for Camden Yards, will instead be played at the Rays' home of Tropicana Field. The Orioles will be the designated home team for scoring purposes.