Portal:Current events/April 2014

Arts and culture

American internet cartoon series Homestar Runner makes its first update to its webpage after three years on hiatus. (Time)

Disasters and accidents

An 8.2 magnitude earthquake occurs in the Pacific Ocean near Chile causing landslides and killing at least five people. A tsunami warning is issued. (USGS), (AP via The Australian), (Fox News)

Health

2014 Guinea Ebola outbreak:
- The death toll in Guinea rises to 80 with two people dead in neighbouring Liberia. (Sky News Australia)

International relations

2014 Crimean crisis:
- NATO suspends "all practical civilian and military cooperation" with Russia as a result of the annexation of Crimea, and no sign that Russian troops have withdrawn from the Ukrainian border. (CNN)

Law and crime

2014 Garda phone recordings controversy:
- Taoiseach Enda Kenny tells the Dáil the Prison Service recorded conversations between inmates and their solicitors. (RTÉ News)
- Mr Justice Nial Fennelly will be appointed to chair the Commission of Investigation into the Garda controversy. (RTÉ News)
- The Irish Government will establish a Cabinet committee to examine proposals for an independent police authority and other justice reforms, which will be chaired by the Taoiseach. (RTÉ News)
- The Department of Justice releases a letter sent on 10 March from then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan in which he warns them of the recording of phone calls at Garda stations. (RTÉ News)

Science and technology

RIKEN concludes that research suggesting stem cells could be produced through STAP techniques was falsified. (The Japan Times)

Sports

In golf, Tiger Woods announces that he underwent back surgery for a pinched nerve, and will miss the Masters for the first time in his professional career. (ESPN)

April 2, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Post-coup unrest in Egypt (2013–14):
- A bomb detonates near Cairo University killing a police chief and injuring 5 others. (BBC)
A suicide bomber wearing a military uniform strikes a voter registration office in Kabul, Afghanistan killing 6 police officers. (AP via CTV)
2014 Fort Hood shooting:
- A shooting is reported at the Fort Hood Army Base near the US town of Killeen, Texas with reports of at least four deaths, including the gunman, and 14 injuries. (Washington Post)

Business and economy

Chrysler recalls nearly 870,000 SUVs from its Jeep and Dodge brands, citing brake issues. (KNTV)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Iquique earthquake:
- The President of Chile Michelle Bachelet declares the northern part of Chile to be a disaster zone including the regions of Arica y Parinacota, and Tarapacá. (ABC News Australia)
- A 7.8 aftershock follows in the same area causing more damage. (USGS)

Law and crime

The High Court of Australia recognises a neutral third gender that is neither male nor female. (AFP via Yahoo! News Australia)
The Supreme Court of the United States, in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, votes 5–4 to overturn limits on the amount of money that an individual can donate to politicians' campaigns over a two-year cycle. (Washington Post)
More than 100 mostly elderly residents of San Francisco's Chinatown are reported as victims of fraud from a travel agency. (KGO)^{[permanent dead link]}
Leland Yee corruption scandal:
- California State Senator Leland Yee's attorney Paul DeMeester is replaced by former San Francisco assistant district attorney Jim Lassart. (San Jose Mercury News)

Politics and elections

Garda phone tapping scandal:
- Government sources claim white powder in an envelope and possibly a swastika have been sent to the home of the Irish Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter, who is embroiled in multiple political controversies. An army bomb disposal unit has moved in on Shatter's estate in Ballinteer, Dublin. (Independent)
- A motion of no confidence brought by the opposition against Minister of Justice Alan Shatter is defeated 95–51 in the Dáil following a two-day debate. (RTÉ News)

Sports

USA vs Mexico soccer match results in a 2-2 tie game

April 3, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Former President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf survives an assassination attempt in Islamabad, Pakistan. There are no reports of injuries. (Times of India)
Syrian Civil War:
- Mortar fire kills at least six people in a Damascus suburb. (AP via ABC News)

Arts and culture

Comedian David Letterman, host of CBS's Late Show with David Letterman, announces his planned retirement in 2015. (CBS)
Colombian Nobel laurete novelist Gabriel García Márquez, 87, is hospitalized in Mexico City. His condition and illness remains unknown. (Fox News)

Disasters and accidents

Oso, Washington mudslide:
- The death toll from the mudslide reaches 30 as rescuers struggle to identify survivors. (BBC)

Law and crime

2014 Garda phone recordings controversy:
- Recordings of 133 conversations between gardaí, witnesses and journalists relating to the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier emerge. (RTÉ News)

Politics and elections

Malta elected a new President of the Republic of Malta Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, the second female President after 27 years. The event carried out in Luqa, Siggiewi, Qormi, Valletta, Floriana, Malta and Attard. ^{[citation needed]}

Science and technology

Scientists from NASA and the European Space Agency estimate that Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, has an ocean of liquid water under its surface. (BBC)

April 4, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

South Korea test-fires a new ballistic missile with a range of 500 kilometres and hopes to extend its range to 800 kilometres so that it can reach anywhere in North Korea. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Two members of the Associated Press are shot by an Afghan wearing a police uniform in Khost. One of them, Pulitzer Prize winner and photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus, is killed. The other is seriously injured. (BBC)
Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen:
- Suspected Al-Qaeda militants attack an army post in Hadramawt province killing at least eight soldiers and injuring eleven. (AFP via Global Post)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Attacks in Baghdad and predominantly Sunni Arab areas of northern and western Iraq kill nine people. (AFP via the Cairo Post)

Business and economy

The two largest cement manufacturers in the world, Lafarge and Holcim, announce plans for a merger. (Reuters)
Mazda announces the recall of 42,000 units of its Mazda6 model built from 2010 to 2012, citing fuel tank issues. The recall specifically refers to those with 2.5 liter engines. (KRON)^{[permanent dead link]}
2014 Crimean Crisis:
- McDonald's suspends work at all restaurant locations in Crimea. (KNTV)

Disasters and accidents

Heavy rainfall from a tropical low causes flooding at Honiara, Solomon Islands, leading to at least 16 deaths and thousands of people being evacuated. (AAP via SBS) (ABC News Australia)
A Mongolian-flagged cargo ship sinks off the coast of South Korea, with most of the 16 North Korean crew members reported missing. (Reuters)
The Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador explodes twice. (Daily Mirror)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak:
- The first possible case is reported in Mali, with the death toll rising in Guinea and Liberia to 90. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
A meningitis outbreak has been reported in the greater Los Angeles area, with incidents related to sexual intercourse. (MSN)

Law and crime

A Manhattan court stenographer is discovered to have written nonsense instead of actual court transcripts, potentially jeopardizing thirty court cases. (KNTV)

April 5, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 Aswan tribal clashes:
- 23 people are killed in a gunfight between feuding tribes near the Egyptian city of Aswan. (Al-Ahram) (The Hindu)
Two Italian priests and a Canadian nun have been kidnapped by gunmen in Cameroon. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Business and economy

Tyson Foods recalls 75,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets due to complaints that pieces of plastic were found in its products. (KTVU)^{[permanent dead link]} (USDA)

Disasters and accidents

At least 3 are killed and 7 injured when a passenger train derails in the Tasikmalaya District, in Indonesia's West Java Island after hitting mounds of mud following a downpour of rain. (MSN)

Politics and elections

Afghan presidential election, 2014:
- Amidst violence, voters in Afghanistan elect a new President in what is the country's first democratic transfer of power. (BBC) (Huffington Post)
Australian Senate special election in Western Australia, 2014:
- Voters in the Australian state of Western Australia go to the polls for a Federal Senate election. (AAP via News Limited)
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland accepts an invitation to attend several events during the forthcoming State visit of Irish President Michael D. Higgins to the United Kingdom, including a banquet to be held by Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. (RTÉ News)

Religion

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta archbishop Wilton Gregory announces he will sell his recently-acquired $2.2 million mansion amid criticism amongst parishioners. (KATC)

Sports

In horse racing, Pineau De Re, trained by Dr. Richard Newland and ridden by 37-year-old Leighton Aspell, who returned to racing after coming out of retirement, wins the 2014 Grand National at Aintree racecourse with the odds of 25/1. (BBC)

April 6, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War:
- Mortar fire kills two people near the Damascus Opera House. (AP via Yahoo! News)
2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine:
- Pro-Russian demonstrators seize an administrative headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. (BBC)
2014 Aswan tribal clashes:
- Two more people are killed in Egypt's Aswan in a third day of clashes. Death toll rises to 25. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)

Arts and culture

Captain America: The Winter Soldier grosses an estimated US$96.2 million domestically during its opening weekend, the most ever for an April opener. (Hollywood Reporter)
Veteran American actor Mickey Rooney dies at the age of 93. (USA Today)
WrestleMania XXX takes place in New Orleans and sees the end of The Undertaker's Streak.

Business and economy

The world's two largest cement manufacturers, LaFarge of France and Holcim of Switzerland, agree to a merger that would create a firm with a market value of $55 billion. (Reuters)
Nigeria's economy passes South Africa's to become the largest in Africa. (BBC)

Law and crime

The Ambassador of Italy to Turkmenistan is charged for alleged child abuse while on holiday in the Philippines. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Costa Rican general election, 2014:
- Voters in Costa Rica go to the polls for a general election. Luis Guillermo Solís is the only presidential candidate left in the race following the withdrawal of Johnny Araya. (BBC)
Hungarian parliamentary election, 2014:
- Voters in Hungary go to the polls, and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz and their allies the Christian Democrats win re-election easily, with 45% of the vote. (BBC)
Russian municipal elections
- Communist Party of the Russian Federation candidate Anatoly Lokot was elected mayor of the third-largest city of Novosibirsk, defeating ruling United Russia party candidate. (The Moscow Times)

Sports

In cricket, Australia win the women's ICC World Twenty20 tournament and Sri Lanka win the men's tournament. (BBC)
In athletics, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia wins the Paris Marathon. (France 24)
In rowing, Oxford beats Cambridge in the 160th edition of The Boat Race. (BBC)
In women's road cycling, Ellen van Dijk wins the Tour of Flanders World Cup race. (BBC)

April 7, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine:
- Pro-Russian activists occupying a government building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have proclaimed the creation of a sovereign Donetsk People's Republic independent of the capital Kiev. (The Guardian) (The Irish Times)
- The acting President of Ukraine, Olexander Turchynov, calls an emergency cabinet meeting to respond to protests in the cities of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv. (BBC)
- Ukrainian special forces clear armed protesters from the security service headquarters in Donetsk. CNN

Business and economy

The Finance Minister of France, Michel Sapin, says that his country is committed to both budget cuts and growth, and willing to make "tough brave" decisions. (Reuters)

International relations

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, arrives in the United Kingdom for a state visit, the first to the UK by an Irish Head of State. (RTÉ) (BBC)

Politics and elections

Indian general election, 2014:
- Voters in India start going to the polls in a six-week General Election which will end on May 12. (AFP via Dawn)

Quebec general election, 2014:
- Voters in Quebec go to the polls to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec. (CBC)

Ukrainian presidential election, 2014:
- The political council of Ukraine's Party of Regions expels presidential hopefuls Serhiy Tihipko, Yuriy Boyko and Oleg Tsarov, leaving Mykhailo Dobkin as the only candidate representing the party. (Interfax Ukraine)

In an address to the Washington-based Brookings Institution, George Robertson, a former Secretary General of NATO, says that Scottish independence would be "cataclysmic in geo-political terms". (BBC)

Lawyer Cù Huy Hà Vũ, one of Vietnam’s most famous dissidents, is released early from prison. Afterwards, he travels to the United States. (VOA)

Science and technology

A critical vulnerability referred to as the Heartbleed bug is discovered in certain versions of the popular OpenSSL software which allows attackers to steal information from internet servers which would otherwise be protected. (BBC)

Sports

In basketball, Connecticut defeats Kentucky 60–54 in the NCAA Men's Division I Tournament final. It is the fourth national title for the Huskies. (AP via ESPN)
in basketball, the full 2014 induction class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is announced. Players Alonzo Mourning and Mitch Richmond, coaches Nolan Richardson and Gary Williams, and the Immaculata College women's team of 1972–1974 will join five individuals announced in February (players Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Guy Rodgers, coach Bob "Slick" Leonard, and contributors Nathaniel Clifton and David Stern). (AP via ESPN)

April 8, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A bomb detonates on a rail car in Sibi, Pakistan, killing 13 people and injuring another 35. (AP via TIME)
South Thailand insurgency:
- The southern town of Yala is hit by a series of explosions that have killed one and injured others. (ABC Australia)

Business and economy

Ford Motor Company recalls nearly 435,000 vehicles, citing rust and seat issues. (Fox News)

International relations

2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine:
- Ukrainian police detain about 70 people in Kharkiv in an "anti-terrorist" operation that clear government buildings seized by pro-Russian protesters in Kharkiv.(CNN)
- United States Secretary of State John Kerry accuses Russian agents and special forces on Tuesday of stirring separatist unrest in eastern Ukraine. (Reuters)
- Russia warns Ukraine that any use of force in eastern Ukraine could lead to a civil war. (CNN)
Senkaku Islands dispute:
- United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel voices the U.S. government’s continued support of Japan’s claims to the disputed territory. (TIME)
As part of his state visit to the United Kingdom, Irish President Michael D. Higgins addresses the Houses of Parliament and attends a banquet at Windsor Castle with Elizabeth II. (BBC)

Law and crime

The European Court of Justice rules against the European Union Data Retention Directive which mandates that telecom operators must retain all their customers' communications data for up to two years. (Irish Independent)
The Supreme Court of the Philippines declares the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 as constitutional but strikes down certain provisions. (Rappler)
The Irish government agrees the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation into the Garda phone recordings controversy. (RTÉ)

Sports

In the first NCAA Division I basketball championship game for either men or women to feature two unbeaten teams, Connecticut defeats Notre Dame 79–58 to claim the school's ninth women's national title. (AP via ESPN)

April 9, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed attacks and conflicts

A bomb blast in a market kills 26 people in the outskirts of the Pakistani capital Islamabad. (CNN)
Syrian Civil War:
- 25 people are killed in car bombings in the central Syrian city of Homs. (Reuters)

2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine:
- Over 50 people leave a Ukrainian security service building in Luhansk that is currently occupied by pro-Russian separatists. (Reuters)
- Acting Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov states that the unrest will be resolved by force or talks in 48 hours.(CNN)

Business and economy

Toyota announces that it will recall nearly 6.5 million vehicles due to steering and other faults. (Reuters)
Microsoft officially concludes Windows XP after 12 years of support. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Disasters and accidents

Oso, Washington mudslide:
- The death toll reaches 36 as rescuers struggle to find 10 who are still missing. (CNN)

Law and crime

Franklin Regional High School stabbing.
- A student stabs 20 people at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, USA. (NBC)
Four people are stabbed in an office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (CTV)
Bank of America agrees to pay $727 million to customers as restitution for deceptive marketing practices and unfair billing. An additional $45 million will be paid as fines to government regulatory groups. (Reuters)
Conflict erupts over Federal roundup of privately owned cattle in Nevada [1](Las Vegas Review Journal)

Politics and elections

Maria Miller resigns as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the United Kingdom following an expenses scandal. Sajid Javid is announced as her replacement. (ITV) (Financial Times)
Parliamentary elections were held in Indonesia, with early count indicating Megawati's PDIP won a narrow plurality. (BBC)

Science and technology

Stuart Parkin is awarded the Millennium Technology Prize for breakthroughs in magnetic storage capacity. (The Guardian)

April 10, 2014 (Thursday)

Accidents and disasters

At least 10 people are killed after a tour bus collides with a FedEx truck on Interstate 5 near Orland, California. (CNN) (USA Today)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- 88 civilians are killed in Aleppo by barrel bombs dropped from Syrian government warplanes. (NOW Lebanon)

Arts and culture

American comedian Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report is announced to replace David Letterman to host the Late Show on CBS in 2015. (CBS)

Politics and elections

2014 Crimean crisis:
- The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe suspends Russia's right to vote and take part in election observations as a consequence to its annexation of Crimea. (Voice of Russia)
Sunflower Movement in Taiwan:
- Protesters against a proposed trade deal with China peacefully ended their 24-day occupation of the legislature, as lawmakers prepare to review bills requiring greater oversight for such agreements. (Bloomberg)
Five Russian lawmakers have asked the Prosecutor General of Russia, Yury Chaika, to investigate whether former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev should face charges for his role in the breakup of the Soviet Union. (BBC)
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius resigns from the Obama Administration. OMB Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell is expected to be nominated to replace Sebelius. (Fox News)
Canadian MP and former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty dies at the age of 64. (Globe and Mail)

April 11, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Two rival factions of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan clash in Waziristan, Pakistan, leaving 12 insurgents dead. (The Hindu)

Arts and culture

Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, KISS, Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt, and Cat Stevens are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (CNN)

Business and economy

American women's clothing retailer Coldwater Creek files for chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Dow Jones Business News via NASDAQ)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Ita:
- Residents in the Australian state of Queensland prepare for Cyclone Ita to make landfall between Cooktown and Cape Flattery. (ABC via Yahoo 7)
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes off the coast of Papua New Guinea, setting off tsunami warnings for the country. (Australia Network News)

International relations

The United Nations votes to send 12,000 peacekeepers to the Central African Republic to help protect citizens as Christians and Muslims continue to fight in the country. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
2014 Crimean crisis
- Montenegro, Norway, Iceland and Albania join the list of countries supporting sanctions including asset freezings and travel bans directed at Russian individuals. (Kyiv Post)
- Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen visits Bulgaria and meets with President Rosen Plevneliev, during his visit he calls on Russia to withdraw their troops from the Ukrainian border. (AP via Fox News)

Law and crime

The 4-year prison sentence of New Citizens' Movement founder Xu Zhiyong is upheld in a Chinese court. (AP via American Broadcasting Company)
A woman is arrested after she throws a shoe at the head of former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she was giving a speech in Las Vegas, Nevada. (AP via Columbus Dispatch)
$1.8 billion in fines are imposed on S.A.C. Capital Advisors by the United States for insider trading violations. (BBC)
Seamus Daly, a suspect in the Omagh bombing of 1998 in Ireland, is remanded without bail and will face 29 counts of murder. (BBC)

Politics and elections

President of the United States Barack Obama nominates Sylvia Mathews Burwell to be the next United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to replace the resigning Kathleen Sebelius. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Astronomers, for the first time, discover a moon orbiting around an exoplanet. (space.com via Huffington Post)

April 12, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Palestinian-Israeli conflict
- The Palestinian Authority signs 15 UN/Geneva human rights treaties including the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel responds with sanctions. Peace talks continue. (BBC) (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War:
- Chemical weapons are used again in Syria, this time on the town of Kafr Zita, Hama. (US News)
2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine
- Gunmen gain control of a police department in the town of Slaviansk in the eastern Ukraine. (Reuters)
Naxalite–Maoist insurgency/Indian general election, 2014:
- Suspected Maoist rebels kill 13 people in a bombing in the eastern Indian state of Chhattisgarh, during the Indian general election, 2014. (Reuters)
War in North-West Pakistan
- Gunmen kidnap 100 men from a tribal gathering in North-West Pakistan. (Reuters)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
- Borno State Senator Ahmed Zannah reports that 135 civilians have been killed in attacks in north west Nigeria since Wednesday. (BBC)
Bundy standoff
- Amidst controversy, the Bureau of Land Management accedes to the release of the Bundy family's cattle. (Fox)(Yahoo News)

Health and environment

Researchers announce a new drug, ABT-450, with a 90-95% success rate at treating Hepatitis C. (BBC)

Arts and culture

It is announced that, on May 3, Gulzar will be awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema. (Hindustan Times), (The Times of India)

April 13, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan:
- 73 people are released from captivity by the Taliban, a day after they were kidnapped. (The News International)
2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine:
- Ukraine launches a "full-scale anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Russian protesters who have captured police and security forces buildings in the town of Slaviansk. (Reuters)
- Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov says that Ukrainian Ground Forces will conduct a similar operation in the eastern part of the country against armed protesters. (BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- A suicide truck bomber detonates at a police station in Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq killing eight policemen. (Xinhua)

Disasters and accidents

A bus en route from Villahermosa to Mexico City crashes into a tractor-trailer and catches fire, killing at least 36 people. (AP via Washington Post)

Law and crime

Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting. Two shootings occur at Jewish facilities on the Kansas side of the Kansas City area. The first occurs at a Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, and the second takes place at a retirement center in Leawood. Three people are killed. A gunman is arrested. (CNN)

Natural disasters

A massive forest fire in Valparaíso, Chile destroys thousands of homes and leaves 11 people dead. (BBC)
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes 204 miles southeast of Honiara, Solomon Islands with no reported casualties or damage. (AP via Fox News)

Politics and elections

Prime Minister of Libya Abdullah al-Thani resigns, citing that he and his family were attacked. (TIME)
Macedonian general election, 2014
- Voters in Macedonia go to the polls for the first round of voting in a presidential election. (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

In running, Wilson Kipsang of Kenya wins the 2014 London Marathon setting a new race record. (AP vis WPXI)^{[permanent dead link]}
2014 Masters Tournament
- American golfer Bubba Watson wins the US Masters for the second time in three years. (AAP via SBS)
In boxing, Manny Pacquiao regains his WBO welterweight title after defeating Timothy Bradley. (CNN)

April 14, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War:
- Syria's political opposition urges US action in response to the Syrian government's barrel bombing campaign in the city of Aleppo. (Reuters)
- Syrian government troops recapture the towns of Al-Sarkha and Ma'loula near the Syria-Lebanon border. (The Daily Star)
Two Abu Sayyaf militants are killed and several captured in a raid in the Philippines city of Zamboanga. (AP via ABC News)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
- Twin bomb blasts hit a crowded bus station at the outskirts of the Nigerian capital Abuja, killing at least 71 and injuring more than 120 others. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine
- Pro-Russian gunmen storm another police station, in the town of Horlivka, Donetsk Oblast. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The Washington Post and The Guardian newspapers win the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their stories on the National Security Agency based on leaks from Edward Snowden. (AP via Salt Lake Tribune)

Business and economy

American financial services company TIAA–CREF agrees to buy Nuveen Investments for $6.25 billion. (Wall Street Journal)

Law and crime

Radical British Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri goes on trial in the American state of New York for 11 alleged terrorism offenses. (BBC)
Two sons of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Al-Saadi Gaddafi and Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, are scheduled to appear in court along with 35 other former government officials on charges of murder, embezzlement, and kidnapping during the Libyan Civil War.
A United States court overturns the conviction of Andrew Auernheimer (known as weev), who was sentenced to 41-months in prison in 2010 for hacking the AT&T website, stealing millions of iPad user e-mails. (PC World)

Politics and elections

Voters in the Republic of Macedonia head to the polls for a runoff presidential election. (Voice of America)
The Parliament of Malta passed a law to recognise same sex civil unions and adoption by same sex couples. By this law Malta is going to become the 22nd European nation to accept civil union between same sex couples and 10th European nation to accept adoption by same sex couples.
Vietnam frees Nguyen Tien Trung and Vi Duc Hoi. (BBC)

April 15, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A bomb detonates at a traffic police post in Cairo, Egypt, injuring 3 people. (AP via Houston Chronicle)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
- Shots are fired at Kramatorsk air base as Ukrainian Ground Forces are dispatched to take on separatists. Unconfirmed reports state that 4 pro-Russian militants have been killed and 2 people have been injured. Some reports claim up to 10 deaths. (Sky News)
- Ukraine's acting President Olexander Turchynov has announced the start of an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Russian separatists. (BBC)
A group of terrorists, suspected to be Boko Haram, attack a Nigerian school, resulting in the deaths of two security force members and the abduction of 200 schoolgirls. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

At least 48 people die and 15 are severely injured after a bus crashes into a truck 150 kilometres north of Lomé, capital of the West African nation of Togo. (CNN)

Health

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak
- The death toll from the West Africa ebola outbreak reaches 121. (AP)

Law and crime

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India recognizes transgender as a "third gender". (Times of India)
Former Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi is sentenced to 1 year of community service for his conviction of tax fraud. (Los Angeles Times)
2014 Calgary stabbing. Five people are stabbed to death and one person is in custody at a house party in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (CBC News)

Science

A total lunar eclipse occurs, peaking at around 8AM UTC. (space.com via Fox News)

April 16, 2014 (Wednesday)

Attacks and conflicts

Gunmen ambush a bus killing nine people and wounding six others in western Ethiopia near the Sudanese border. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- More chemical attacks are reported, this time in the Damascus suburbs. (Reuters)
- Jordanian warplanes strike a convoy of vehicles as they were trying to enter Jordan from Syria. (BBC)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Six armored personnel carriers belonging to the Ukrainian military are captured by pro-Russian protesters amid rising tensions between the protestors and the military. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2014 South Korean ferry capsizing:
- Yonhap news agency reports that the Republic of Korea Coast Guard has been dispatched to rescue a ferry with 476 passengers sinking off the southeastern coast of South Korea with claims that at least four passengers have died and scores are injured. Approximately 280 people remain unaccounted for. (AP), (AFP via Nine MSN), (BBC)

Politics and elections

Barry O'Farrell resigns as Premier of the Australian state of New South Wales after giving misleading evidence to the Independent Commission against Corruption. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Science and technology

A Soyuz-U rocket carrying a new Egyptian communication satellite, EgyptSat-2, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (ITAR-TASS)
Scientists discover a new moon forming in the outer edge of Saturn's A ring, unofficially called "Peggy". (NASA Science)
Scientists discover an egg membrane protein, Juno, that facilitates fertilisation in mammals. (The Independent)

Sports

In football, Real Madrid C.F. defeats arch-rivals FC Barcelona 2-1 to secure its 19th Copa del Rey trophy. (Sports Illustrated)^{[permanent dead link]}

April 17, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

The Pakistani Taliban announces that it will not extend a ceasefire with the Pakistani government. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

2014 South Korean ferry capsizing:
- Republic of Korea Coast Guard and Navy divers resume the search for 290 missing people from yesterday's ferry capsizing off the coast of the island of Jindo. (Reuters via Yahoo)

International relations

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Russia and Ukraine together with the United States and the European Union sit down for emergency talks in Geneva. All four agree that "illegal military formations in Ukraine" must be dissolved, and that everyone occupying buildings must be disarmed and leave them. There would be an amnesty for all anti-government protesters under the agreement. (The Guardian) (Sky News Australia)
- A skirmish on the Ukrainian military base in Mariupol by pro-Russian militants results in the deaths of 3 of the militants, the wounding of another 13, and the capture of 63 others. (BBC)
- The Ukrainian Army unit whose armoured vehicles were seized by pro-Russian forces is disbanded and its members charged with crimes. (Ukrainian News Agency)
- Russian President Vladimir Putin admits having sent Russian forces to Crimea last month to protect its military equipment there. (Washington Post)
- Jews in Donetsk are ordered to register with the government of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic via leaflets dropped by an unknown party. The Jewish community in Donetsk dismissed it as a "provocation". (USA Today)(CNN)

Law and crime

Two former Anglo Irish Bank chiefs, Pat Whelan and William McAteer, are found guilty of making loans designed to illegally prop up the bank's share price. (BBC)
Bankruptcy judge Steven W. Rhodes says that the court may maintain supervision over the finances of the city of Detroit, Michigan, even after the city emerges from bankruptcy protection. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Algerian presidential election, 2014:
- Voters in Algeria go to the polls for a presidential election with incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika standing for a fourth term. (AP via Fox News)
Indian general election, 2014:
- Voters in twelve states of India go to the polls for the biggest day of voting during the election process. (BBC)
Mike Baird becomes the 44th Premier of the Australian state of New South Wales. ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Science and technology

Scientists announce creation of cloned human stem cells derived from adult cells. (TIME)

April 18, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The death toll of children in the entire conflict reaches nearly 15,000. (Turkish Press)
Dozens of civilians sheltering in a UN base in the South Sudan town of Bor are killed in an attack by armed men. (BBC)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk say they will not leave the government buildings, defying the Kiev authorities and threatening a new international deal on Ukraine. (BBC)
Post-coup unrest in Egypt (2013–14):
- A police officer is killed and another is wounded after a bomb detonates in a busy square in Cairo's Mohandessin district. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Arts and crafts retailer Michaels announces that 3 million customers were affected by the 8-month long security breach that resulted in the theft of their customers' personal information. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

2014 South Korean ferry capsizing:
- The death toll of the accident rises to 28. (Yonhap)
- South Korean prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for the captain, Lee Joon-seok, and are seeking the arrest of two other crew members of the Sewol in the wake of the ferry capsizing. (CNN)
12 people are killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest. (The Guardian)
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits near Petatlán, Guerrero, Mexico. (USGS)

Health and environment

Pollution in China:
- An official study released by the Chinese government reveals that about one-fifth of China's soil is contaminated. (BBC)

Law and crime

Sino-Vietnamese border incidents:
- Seven people are killed in border clash between illegal Chinese migrants and Vietnamese security forces at Quang Ninh province. (Wall Street Journal)
- Just hours later, Vietnamese security forces intercepted 21 illegal migrants at Móng Cái in Quảng Ninh province attempting to cross from China by sea. (The Wall Street Journal)

Sports

PSA World Tour 2014:
- Ramy Ashour beats fellow countryman Mohamed El Shorbagy 3-1 to win the 2014 El Gouna International in Egypt's El Gouna resort. (PSA World Tour) (Al-Ahram)

April 19, 2014 (Saturday)

Disasters and accidents

2014 South Korean ferry capsizing:
- The death toll of the accident rises to 32 as two bodies are found in the sea and three in a cabin of the ferry, which became fully submerged yesterday. (Yonhap)
- The South Korean government considers declaring a special disaster zone in Ansan. (Yonhap)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Ukraine suspends operations against pro-Russian militants in the east of the country over Easter. (BBC)

Science and technology

A suspected meteorite explosion has been recorded over Murmansk, Russia. (Mirror UK)

Politics and elections

Indian general election, 2014
- India is halfway through elections for 16th Lok Sabha in world's biggest election with an electorate of 815 million voters.(Reuters)

April 20, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Three people are killed in an attack on check post in Eastern Ukraine manned by pro-Russian supporters. (Al Jazeera)
Post-coup unrest in Egypt (2013–14):
- Gunmen killed an Egyptian intelligence officer and a policeman on a desert road outside Cairo in a late-night firefight. (Chicago Tribune)
AQIM militants kill eleven soldiers in Tizi Ouzou region of Algeria east of capital Algiers in one the deadliest attacks on the Algerian military in several years. (BDC)^{[unreliable source?]}

Arts and culture

Over 150,000 people turn out for Pope Francis' Easter mass, as Christians around the world observe the holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (TIME)

Disasters and accidents

2014 South Korean ferry capsizing:
- The death toll rises to 58 as Navy and Coast Guard divers comb the ferry to retrieve victims from the Sewol. Five routes into the ferry have been established, and operations are expected to pick up pace. (Yonhap)

Politics and elections

Afghan presidential election, 2014
- Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, former foreign minister is leading in Afghan presidential election, 2014 with 44% votes followed by Ashraf Ghani with 33% votes, according to latest partial results. (BBC)

Sports

Lewis Hamilton takes a dominant victory in Chinese Grand Prix to win three consecutive races for the first time in his career in Formula 1. His Mercedes-Benz team mate Nico Rosberg finished second and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso grabbed third place. (BBC)
In game two of a Stanley Cup Playoff series, the San Jose Sharks defeat the Los Angeles Kings 7-2. During the game the Sharks scored a franchise record seven consecutive goals in a playoff game, also breaking the franchise record for most goals in a playoff game. The team also tied the franchise record for most goals in a period, with three, and the largest margin of victory (five goals). (Toronto Sun)

April 21, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

South Sudan conflict
- The UN condemns the "Targeted Killings" and wounding of hundreds of civilians based on their ethnic origins in the town of Bentiu after South Sudanese rebels seized the oil hub last week. (Al Jazeera)
Syrian Civil War:
- Syrian Air Force air strikes in Aleppo, Syria, killing dozens of people; 14 others are killed by barrel bombing in the neighborhood of Baeedeen. (Reuters)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
- According to pro-Russian militants, the bodies of two pro-Russian militants are pulled from the Seversky Donets River in Sloviansk, Ukraine, with both having multiple stab wounds. The claim could not be independently verified. (Sun News)
30 suspected al-Qaeda militants and 6 civilians are killed in a drone strike by the United States in Yemen. (CNN)
A car bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia, detonates, killing a member of the Federal Parliament of Somalia and injuring another. (BBC)

Business and economics

Tony Caplin resigns from the UK Public Works Loan Board after it is revealed that he had gone bankrupt. (BBC)
Birch Communications agrees to buy technology and communications equipment provider Cbeyond for $323 million. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Disasters and accidents

2014 South Korean ferry capsizing:
- South Korean President Park Geun-hye condemns the action of crew members as tantamount to murder. 87 people are known to have died and 238 are missing and presumed dead in the sinking of Sewol ferry on 16 April. (Reuters)
- Four more crew members from the ferry are arrested for deserting the vessel as it was sinking. (KDVR)
A Boeing 737 operated by Malaysian Airlines carrying 166 people makes an emergency landing after a tire on the main landing gear blew out. (ABC News)
A sixteen-year-old teenager stows away in the landing-gear compartment of a flight from San Jose International Airport to Kahului Airport, surviving a severe lack of oxygen and -80°F temperatures during a 5+ hour flight. (Los Angeles Times)
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
- A Tropical Cyclone hampers the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board. A U.S. Navy submarine Bluefin-21 is on mission to find the wreckage. (Reuters)
Flint water crisis
- The American city of Flint, Michigan switches its water source to the Flint River, beginning the ongoing Flint water crisis which has caused lead poisoning in up to 12,000 people, and 15 deaths from Legionnaires disease, ultimately leading to criminal indictments against 15 people, five of whom have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Law and crime

Five people are sentenced to death and 37 others given prison sentences for their roles in the 2003 bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (BBC)
A defendant is shot to death by a U.S. marshal at a U.S. federal court in Salt Lake City, Utah after attempting to attack a witness. (AP via San Francisco Chronicle)

Politics and elections

The Syrian government sets the presidential election for June 3, with opposition groups calling it a "parody of democracy". (Reuters)

Sport

According to reports, David Moyes will soon be sacked as manager of Manchester United after a season that left United without Champions League football for the first time in decades. (The Independent)
2014 Boston Marathon
- More than a million people gather to participate and watch in the Boston Marathon, one year after the Boston Marathon bombings. (CNN)
- Thirty-eight-year-old American Meb Keflezighi wins the Boston Marathon men's competition, making him the first American in 31 years to do so. (USA Today)
The New York Knicks fire head coach Mike Woodson. (AP via Yahoo! News)

April 22, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Russian-born American-Israeli journalist Simon Ostrovsky is reportedly abducted in Sloviansk by the militia of the separatist pro-Russian leader Vyacheslav Ponomarev. (Mashable)
War in North-West Pakistan
- Nine people are killed and dozens wounded in two separate bomb and gun attacks in north west Pakistan. (Reuters)
A Somali lawmaker is shot and killed as he leaves his home in Mogadishu, Somalia. (AP via ABC)
A balloting station on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq, is attacked by militants, leaving 10 people dead. (AP via Yahoo! News)
African troops capture a junior commander of the Lord's Resistance Army and rescue 10 civilians after a firefight in the Central African Republic. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Business and economics

Gilead Sciences reports sales of US$2.27 billion for its new hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, the most ever for a drug during its first quarter on the market. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2014 South Korean ferry capsizing
- A total of 113 people are known to have died, with 190 more passengers missing and presumed trapped inside the vessel. Seven crew members are detained for their failure to evacuate Sewol ferry. The reason for sinking is not yet clear. (BBC)

Law and crime

Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action
- In a 6-2 ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States finds that a ban on affirmative action through a state constitutional amendment is permissible under the U.S. Constitution, overturning an appeals court ruling. (Washington Post)
Russian political activist Alexei Navalny is ordered to pay 300,000 rubles (US$8,400) in a libel suit by a municipal deputy who Navalny called a drug addict. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Politics and elections

The Health Minister of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabiah, is dismissed as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus rages in the nation, killing 81 people to date. (BBC)

Sport

Manchester United manager David Moyes is fired and player-coach Ryan Giggs takes charge on an interim basis. Moyes' dismissal comes 10 months after he succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson. (BBC)(Independent)
Former American cycling team boss Johan Bruyneel is suspended for 10 years for his involvement in the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. (BBC)
Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels becomes the 26th player in Major League Baseball history to hit 500 career home runs. (AP via ESPN)

April 23, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Ukrainian security officials discover that the Assumption Monastery Lavra of the Moscow Patriarchate in Sviatohirsk served as a military base for pro-Russian insurgents who have besieged the region. (Kyiv Post)
- Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema announces that pro-Russian militants will be targeted in four eastern cities, Kramatorsk, Slaviansk, Donetsk and Luhansk, as they refuse to vacate government buildings they previously seized, defying the international deal made in Geneva. (CNN)
Post-coup unrest in Egypt:
- An Egyptian general is killed and a police officer is injured after a bomb attached to the general's car exploded. (CNN)
Central African Republic conflict:
- Russia and China have blocked a proposal by the United States and France to impose U.N. sanctions on Central African Republic's former President François Bozizé and two other people linked to the conflict. (Reuters)
A car bomb detonates outside a police station in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 4 people. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hits 94 km south of Port Hardy in the Canadian province of British Columbia at around 8:10 pm PDT. Seismic activity was felt as far as Kamloops. (USGS) (CBC News)
Sinking of the MV Sewol:
- The official death toll of the ferry capsizing rises to 150 with 150 people still missing. (CBS)
2014 Katanga train derailment:
- More than 60 people are killed and 80 are seriously injured in a train crash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Katanga Province. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Palestinian rival factions Fatah and Hamas have announced reconciliation to form a unity government. They split up violently in 2007. (BBC)

April 24, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- The Ukrainian government says it's regained control of the city hall in the eastern port of Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists. Administrative buildings have been taken over in at least a dozen towns in Eastern Ukraine. (BBC)
- Washington accuses Moscow of fomenting unrest in the east, with Obama threatening the possibility of applying additional sanctions on Russia.(Reuters)
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accuses the United States of being behind the political upheaval in Ukraine, and said Russia would respond if its interests came under attack. (Reuters)
- A battle between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian troops in Sloviansk, Ukraine, leaves 5 pro-Russian militants dead. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
A policeman shoots dead three American medical staff in the Afghan capital of Kabul. The policeman is reported to have shot himself after the attack. (BBC)
In India, six police and election officials have been killed as violence hits restive Maoist region and Kashmir.(Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
- Israel suspends peace talks with the Palestinian Authority following an announcement of a unity agreement between the ruling Palestinian faction Fatah and the militant Hamas rulers of Gaza. (The Guardian) (The Times of Israel)
In Nevada the Bundy standoff continues; politicians who had voiced support for Bundy began to distance themselves after the rancher controversially suggested that African Americans might be better off picking cotton as slaves than "under government subsidy". (Fox News)

Politics and elections

Indian general election:
- There is high turnout in 6th phase of elections for 16th Lok Sabha, in 11 states, for 117 seats and 180 million voters.(Times of India)
The UK government announces that Cornish people will be granted minority status under Council of Europe rules for the protection of national minorities. (BBC)

April 25, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- A Ukrainian military helicopter is destroyed after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade at a base near the town of Kramatorsk in Eastern Ukraine. (The Daily Telegraph)
At least 25 people are killed and several injured in a series of bomb blasts targeted at Shi'ite rally in Baghdad, Iraq. The attack comes less than a week before Iraqis are due to head to the polls in parliamentary elections.(BBC)
A bomb detonates in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 4 people and wounding 25. (AP via Miami Herald)
Maoists set off a landmine on a bus carrying officials near Dumka, Jharkhand, India, killing 3 people and injuring another 10. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A stampede ensues in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo, during a tribute festival for King Kester Emeneya, killing 23 people. (AP via Yahoo! News)
Flash floods in northern Afghanistan kill at least 80 people. (BBC)

Elections and politics

The UK government launches an inquiry after the Liverpool Echo reported that Whitehall computers had been used to post offensive remarks about the Hillsborough disaster on Wikipedia pages relating to the topic. (BBC)

Health and environment

China amends its environmental protection laws to help fight pollution and reverse environmental damage in the country. (VOA)

International relations

North Korea announces that it has detained a 24-year-old US tourist, Miller Matthew Todd, for "rash behavior" during the immigration process. (BBC)

Law and crime

The ex-chief financial officer of Bank of America, Joe Price, agrees to pay a $7.5 million fine for misleading investors during the acquisition of Merrill Lynch. (Reuters via Fox Business)

Science and technology

Scientists announce the discovery of Kryptodrakon, the oldest pterosaur yet found.(Times of India)

Business

Some customers executed the SAP CIF and faced issues months later

April 26, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Five British ISAF personnel are killed in a military helicopter crash in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

The death toll from recent flooding in northern Afghanistan rises to 123. (WireUpdate)

Politics and elections

Afghan presidential election:
- Afghan Presidential elections are set to go to a second round between former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani after no candidate won an absolute majority in first round. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Copies of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and other Atari games that were buried in 1983 are discovered in a New Mexican desert. (IGN)

April 27, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Post-coup unrest in Egypt:
- An Egyptian court sentences 11 supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi to prison terms ranging from five to 88 years for rioting.(BBC)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine free a Swedish observer, but not the other seven European monitors they have been holding for three days.(BBC)
Iraqi helicopters destroy a convoy of ISIL fuel tankers inside Syrian territory.(BBC)

Arts and culture

Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II:
- Popes John XXIII and John Paul II are declared saints by Pope Francis in the first papal canonization since 1954. (Time) (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

Eight people are killed by a fire in a medical facility in Russia's eastern Altai region.(BBC)
Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014:
- At least two people are killed after a tornado touches down in Quapaw, Oklahoma, United States. (ABC News)
- Tornadoes hit the Arkansas towns of Vilonia and Mayflower with reports of casualties. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Health

Middle East respiratory syndrome:
- Saudi Arabia reports eight more deaths and 16 more cases in the latest outbreak of the disease. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Politics and elections

Sinking of the MV Sewol
- The Prime Minister of South Korea Jung Hong-won announces his immediate resignation following growing criticism of the response to the sinking of the MV Sewol. (Al-Jazeera)

April 28, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Post-coup unrest in Egypt:
- An Egyptian court hands down a death sentence on 638 Muslim Brotherhood supporters, among them the group's top leader Mohamed Badie. (Reuters)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Pro-Russian gunmen seize the town of Kostyantynivka, the latest in a string of towns in the eastern Ukraine. (AFP via Post)^{[permanent dead link]}
- The United States imposes a third round of sanctions against Russia, reportedly in response to Russia encouraging rebellion in eastern Ukraine. (Reuters)
- The mayor of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Gennady Kernes, is shot in the back by an unknown assailant. (BBC)
- Two thousand people holding a peaceful demonstration in Donetsk for a united Ukraine are attacked with bats and teargas by pro-Russians. (NBC)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Suicide bomb attacks kill dozens of people at a political rally and at early polling places for the election to be held on April 30. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Arts and culture

More than 50 royal mummies have been discovered by Egyptian and Swiss archeologists in the newly opened KV40 tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. (National Geographic News)
Scottish-American comedian Craig Ferguson announces his departure from the CBS late-night talk show The Late Late Show, effective December 2014. (USA Today)

Business and economics

Microsoft announces a major vulnerability in Internet Explorer versions 6 to 11 that could enable hackers to gain access and user rights to its customers' computers. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370:
- The search area for the missing aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean is expanded with any debris likely to be found on the ocean floor with the minimum time anticipated for the search eight months. (TV New Zealand)
Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014:
- Seventeen people are killed by tornadoes after a huge storm system sweeps across the central and southern United States. (BBC)

International relations

Slovakia and Ukraine agree to a deal that will allow gas from Central Europe to reach Ukraine via Slovakia. (BBC)

Law and crime

U.S. Representative Michael Grimm is taken into federal custody on charges relating to a failed restaurant business and allegations that he made false statements. (CNN)
Paul Simon and wife Edie Brickell are arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. (BBC)

Politics and elections

An Egyptian court bans the April 6 Youth Movement over claims of espionage and of "damaging the image of the state". (Al-Ahram) (Chicago Tribune)

April 29, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Pro-Russian militants in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk seize the regional administration's headquarters, resulting in a tense standoff with the militants and security personnel. (BBC)
Syrian Civil War:
- At least 37 people are killed and 85 others are injured in multiple explosions in the Syrian city of Homs. (BBC)

Business and economy

The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs approves three of President Barack Obama's nominees to the Federal Reserve, including the nomination of Stanley Fischer to be its vice chairman. (Reuters)

International relations

Korean maritime border incidents:
- North Korea warns South Korea that it will conduct live firing near the disputed maritime border. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Sinking of the MV Sewol:
- Surveillance video footage captures the captain of MV Sewol Lee Joon-seok escaping the vessel and leaving behind his passengers. (CNN)
- The President of South Korea Park Geun-hye apologises on national television for the government's poor handling of the incident. (BBC)
- The death toll rises to 205, with 97 passengers still unaccounted for. (CNN)

Law and crime

A shooting at a FedEx facility in Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, leaves six injured with the gunman committing suicide. (CNN)
Venezuelan officials announce that a former chief of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service, Eliecer Otaiza, was shot and killed on Saturday. (BBC)
American prisoner Clayton Lockett dies of a heart attack in Oklahoma after a botched execution by lethal injection. (Al Jazeera)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces that Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is banned from the league for life after a recording of Sterling making racist comments surfaces. Sterling is also fined the maximum allowable US$2.5 million as the NBA examines options for a forced sale. (ABC News) (Fox News)

April 30, 2014 (Wednesday)