Portal:Current events/April 2015

Disasters and accidents

Two United States Marine Corps F-18 fighters make a precautionary landing at Taiwan's Tainan Air Force Base. (Focus Taiwan) (The Washington Times)
Flames engulf a Mexican state-run Pemex oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, killing four workers. (AP)
The Russian trawler Dalniy Vostok with 132 crew sinks off of the Kamchatka peninsula leaving at least 54 dead and 15 missing. (AP) (BBC)

Health

California governor Jerry Brown announces mandatory water restrictions in response to the worst drought in California history. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

Turkish police shoot two attackers outside Istanbul’s central police headquarters, killing one of them. The exchange of fire wounds two officers. (The Guardian)
An apparent murder and suicide leaves four dead in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (AP)
A federal grand jury indicts New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez on corruption charges. (AP)
A court convicts eleven Atlanta, Georgia teachers as part of a mass cheating scandal. (BBC)
The Obama Administration targets overseas cyber attackers with a sanctions program. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Thailand's military junta repeals martial law in favor of an imposed constitutional provision that allows the leader of the government to make extra-constitutional orders. (AP)

April 2, 2015 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Gunmen attack Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 140 people and wounding 65 others. (BBC) (AP via News24)^{[permanent dead link]}
Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- Al-Qaeda fighters attack a prison in Al Mukalla, freeing at least 270 prisoners. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

Germanwings Flight 9525:
- The flight data recorder is recovered from the crash site. (CNN)
- German prosecutors state that the co-pilot researched suicide methods and the security of cockpit doors. (BBC)

International relations

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China files a protest after two American jet fighters landed on April 1 at an air base in Taiwan. (AFP via Yahoo7) (Reuters via Yahoo)
Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, People's Republic of China, Germany, and the European Union (the P5+1) reach a breakthrough agreement on the general framework for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, but sign no verbal agreement or official document. The deadline for a full deal is June 30, 2015. (The New York Times) (CNN)

Law and crime

Denial of the Armenian Genocide is criminalized in the Republic of Cyprus. (Reuters UK)

Politics and elections

Indiana Senate Bill 101
- A Christian-owned Indiana pizza shop closes its doors after receiving death and arson threats in response to the restaurant's saying it would not cater a same-sex wedding; the owners are afraid they may close permanently or leave town. (The Washington Times)
- A GoFundMe page gets over US$50,000 from supporters. (The Washington Post)

April 3, 2015 (Friday)

Accidents and disasters

Five people die in a helicopter crash in a São Paulo residential area, including the son of Governor Geraldo Alckmin. (Xinhua)
Germanwings Flight 9525:
- Data from the flight data recorder reveals that the plane was deliberately accelerated before crashing into the French Alps. (Reuters)(BBC)(Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency
- About 15 Egyptian soldiers and 2 civilians are killed by a combination of guns and car bombs. (BBC)(NY Times)
Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- Saudi Arabia donates a plethora of weapons and medical supplies to the conflict by dropping them over Tawahi. (Reuters)(Globe&Mail)

International relations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disagrees with the Iranian nuclear program agreement that the P5+1 Nations offered to Iran, saying it threatens Israel. (Reuters)(YNet news)(Fox)

Law and crime

Plaintiffs withdraw a lawsuit against Google that had asserted that it was illegally tying its licensing of the Android operating system to the favorable treatment of Google apps. (Reuters)

Miscellaneous news

An American sailor who was lost for 66 days in the Atlantic Ocean is found by a German tanker. He survived on a diet of solely raw fish and rainwater. (BBC) (CTV news) (Yahoo news)

Health and Medicine

Burkina Faso culls 115,000 chickens over a bird flu scare. (Reuters) (Xinhua)

Politics and elections

Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Piet de Jong celebrates his 100th birthday. (NOS)
Former Vice President of Zimbabwe Joice Mujuru is expelled from the ruling party for allegedly planning a coup against President Robert Mugabe. (BBC)(Herald)(NewZimbabwe)

April 4, 2015 (Saturday)

Accidents and disasters

6 people die in a Malaysian helicopter crash. (ABC) (CBC)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai Insurgency
- Egypt launches strikes around Sheikh Zuweid in retaliation for the 15 Egyptian soldiers that were killed by ISIL-affiliated groups in the past week, killing about 100 terrorists according to Egyptian military sources. (PressTV)
- ISIL affiliated groups have claimed responsibility for killing the 15 soldiers. (ABC)(CTV)

International relations

Russia convenes a UNSC session to discuss Saudi Arabian attacks in Yemen after Royal Saudi Air Force bombed a refugee camp, killing dozens. (RT)(Sputnik)

Law and crime

The United States Army is probing alleged sexual assaults committed by its soldiers in Colombia between 2003-2007. (USA Today)

Sports

In the semifinal round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the Wisconsin Badgers win an upset victory against the previously undefeated Kentucky Wildcats. (SB Nation).

April 5, 2015 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Garissa University College attack
- Kenyan Air Force planes bomb two al Shabaab bases in response to last week's attack on Garissa University College. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Devastating floods in northern Chile leave at least 25 dead and more than 100 missing. (CNN)

International relations

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven says that neither he nor any other of his cabinet-level ministers will be attending the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Moscow due to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Sweden joins a large group of European countries unofficially boycotting the May 9th Victory Day parade. (The Local)

Law and crime

Dozens of Chinese taxi drivers attempt a mass suicide in Beijing to protest the way taxi companies renewed their vehicle leases. (The New York Times) (The Telegraph)
Rolling Stone magazine retracts "A Rape on Campus", a discredited story claiming an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia. (The Independent)

Science and technology

Giant pandas Xi Mei and Lu Lu break the record for the longest mating session ever recorded at the Sichuan Giant Panda Research Center, lasting 18 minutes and three seconds. (The Telegraph) (The Strait Times)
The Large Hadron Collider at CERN centre in Geneva, Switzerland has been restarted after a two-year conversion. (The Guardian)

April 6, 2015 (Monday)

Business and economy

Twitter and YouTube are both inaccessible for hours in Turkey; part of a crack-down on social media by the government there. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

In Fujian, Southeast China an explosion and fire at a paraxylene producing petrochemical plant by Dragon Aromatics occupied 430 firemen. (Reuters)
Tropical storms kill at least 36 people and injure scores in Bangladesh over the past couple of days, with Bogra District hardest hit (20 deaths). (AP via Fox News)

Law and crime

An Indonesian court rejects Andrew Chan's and Myuran Sukumaran's appeal against the President of Indonesia Joko Widodo's refusal to grant them clemency against the death penalty as organisers of the Bali Nine plot to smuggle heroin to Australia in 2005. (ABC News Australia)
Gul Ahmad Saeed is suspected in the killing of his fiancee and nine of her relatives in Pakistan, apparently because of opposition to his marriage. He also is a suspect in the murders, earlier this year, of his mother, father, brother, and sister-in-law. (NBC)
University of Virginia fraternity Phi Kappa Psi announces that it will "pursue all available options" against Rolling Stone magazine a day after the magazine withdraws "A Rape on Campus", a story alleging a student was gang-raped at a party in 2012. (CNN Money)

Sports

Basketball
- In basketball, Dick Bavetta, John Calipari, Spencer Haywood, Lisa Leslie, Dikembe Mutombo and Jo Jo White are announced as 2015 inductees to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They will be formally inducted alongside five figures announced in February, Louie Dampier, Lindsay Gaze, Tom Heinsohn (already inducted as a player but now entering as a coach), John Isaacs, and George Raveling, on September 11. (ESPN)
- In basketball, Duke defeats Wisconsin 68–63 to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.(USA Today)

April 7, 2015 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Intervention in Yemen
- The World Health Organisation estimates that 560 people have died, more than 1,700 people have been injured and more than 100,000 people have fled their homes following the intensification of fighting three weeks ago. (AP via Virginia Gazette)

Disasters and accidents

Following the deployment of 350 police, over 600 firefighters and over 400 soldiers, the fire at the Dragon Aromatics chemical plant in Zhangzhou (southeast China) restarts, forcing the evacuation of residents within a radius of 18km from the plant. (South China Morning Post)
Widespread power outages are reported in Washington D.C. after an explosion at a Maryland power substation. (CNN), (ABC 6)

Law and crime

The Parliament of Malaysia passes the Prevention of Terrorism Act which allows the Government to detain terrorism suspects without charge. (AFP via France 24)^{[permanent dead link]}
At least 20 people die in a shootout between Indian police and timber smugglers in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. (AFP via Straits Times)
American judge Kenneth Marra strikes out claims that Virginia Roberts was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, Duke of York in her claim against Jeffrey Epstein. (BBC)
Raiders using specialist cutting equipment break into an underground vault in the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company in the London diamond district and empty 300 safety deposit boxes. (Daily Mail)
Shooting of Walter Scott
- A North Charleston, South Carolina policeman is charged with murder after video footage emerges of him shooting an unarmed suspect attempting to flee on foot following a daytime traffic stop. (Post and Courier)

Politics and elections

Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency in 2016. (USA Today)
Chicago mayoral election
- Rahm Emanuel is re-elected to a second term as Mayor of Chicago, defeating opponent Jesús "Chuy" García in the city's first mayoral runoff election since switching to nonpartisan elections 20 years ago. (Chicago Tribune)

Sports

2015 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
- The Connecticut Huskies defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 63-53 to win their third successive NCAA Division I women's basketball championship. The title is the 10th for both the Huskies and their head coach Geno Auriemma, tying him with late UCLA men's coach John Wooden for the most championships by a Division I basketball coach. (New York Times), (CBS News), (ESPN), (USA Today)

April 8, 2015 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A gunfight erupts between Afghan soldiers and U.S. soldiers working for NATO's Resolute Support Mission leaving 1 Afghan and 1 U.S. soldier dead, and 3 Afghan and 2 U.S. soldiers wounded. (Reuters)
Sinai insurgency
- Eleven civilians and two Egyptian Army soldiers have been killed in three attacks in the northern Sinai Peninsula. (AP)

Business and economy

Royal Dutch Shell purchases rival BG Group for around $70 billion. (Wall Street Journal)
A French air traffic controllers strike causes the cancellation of hundreds of flights throughout Europe. (AFP via ABC News Australia)

Disasters and accidents

At the Dragon Aromatics chemical plant in Fujian in southeast China, a fourth tank of about 1,500 tonnes of liquid hydrocarbon catches fire and explodes. More than 14,000 residents have been evacuated. (BBC)
A shipwreck off the Haiti coast claims the life of 21 people. (AFP via Global Post)

Law and crime

Boston Marathon bombings
- Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev receives a guilty verdict on all legal charges against him. (CNN), (NBC News)

April 9, 2015 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Gunmen mount an attack on the office of the attorney-general of Afghanistan's Balkh Province in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. (BBC)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Sohaib al Rawi, Governor of Al Anbar Governorate in Iraq, claims that ISIL has killed 52 people, mostly police officers on the border with Syria in the past week. (CNN)

Arts and culture

The regional branch of the Communist Party of China in Tibet demands that Buddhist monasteries display the Chinese flag in an effort to shore up Chinese rule. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

At least 24 people are killed and 22 injured in a bus accident in southwestern Bangladesh. (AP via TVNZ)
A ship spills toxic bunker fuel into English Bay, Vancouver. The fuel has washed up on Vancouver's beaches, prompting a warning from city officials. (CBC)
Tornadoes of 2015
- A violent storm system spawns at least one tornado killing two people and injuring seven others in the American state of Illinois and causing widespread damage especially in the small towns of Rochelle and Fairdale. (Chicago Tribune)

Law and crime

A gunman attacks the Palace of Justice in Milan, killing three people, including a judge. A fourth person found dead at the scene apparently died from a heart attack.(AP) (The Telegraph)
Former Chinese Communist Party official Liao Shaohua is sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of bribery and abuse of power. (Global Times)
A fire on April 1 that disrupted power and internet access throughout London is now suspected to have been part of a robbery at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company. (The Register)

April 10, 2015 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- The Pakistani parliament votes not to join the Saudi led coalition in Yemen. (al-Jazeera)
- The United Nations warns that the situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate as humanitarian aid starts to arrive. (Voice of America)
Iraqi insurgency
- A car bomb blast in Baghdad kills at least three people and injures 12. (AFP via France24)^{[permanent dead link]}
Balochistan conflict
- Gunmen kill 20 laborers at a dam construction in Pakistan's Balochistan province. (AFP via ABC News Australia), (BBC)

Business and economy

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reaches an agreement with two petroleum industry groups about biofuel blending targets. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Malaysia toughens its sedition laws to cover all online media and provide for mandatory jail sentences. (Reuters)
In a response to a cyberattack on TV5Monde, the French Minister of Culture and Communications Fleur Pellerin has called for an emergency meeting of the heads of various major media outlets and groups based in France, to take place sometime today at an undisclosed location. (The Guardian)
Ronald Anderson is arrested in connection with a kidnapping his girlfriend, the fatal shooting of a guard at US Census Bureau headquarters and police chase into H Street night life district on April 9. (abcnews) (Fox News)
"Serial bride" pled not guilty to felony fraud for marrying 10 husbands, up to 8 at once in New York City. She married men from "red flagged" nations such as Egypt, Turkey, Georgia, Pakistan, Mali, and Bangladesh who sought resident status. (WTKR)

Accidents and Disasters

Head-on collision of fuel tanker truck and bus with young athletes kills 33 on Morocco highway where accidents are a "significant hazard" (ABC News)

Politics and elections

Multiple sources have reported that former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce her candidacy for the office of President in the 2016 election on Sunday, April 12. (The Guardian)

April 11, 2015 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Heavy Saudi Arabian air strikes hit southern Yemen resulting in at least 20 deaths of Houthis soldiers and two members of rival militias. Saudi Arabia claims to have killed 500 rebels since the start of military operations in March. (Reuters), (CNN)
- India evacuates 5600 people including 960 foreign nationals from Yemen under Operation Raahat. Several flights were allowed to take off and land in Yemen despite the no-fly zone declared on the country. (NYT)
Turkey–PKK conflict
- Turkey sends additional troops and aircraft into Ağrı Province which borders Iran, after four soldiers are injured in clashes with PKK insurgents. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the beneficiary of a controversial bail-out from the Bank of Italy in 2013 admits that its exposure to Nomura Holdings is greater than the regulatory limit. (Bloomberg)

International relations

The President of the United States Barack Obama and the President of Cuba Raul Castro meet at the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas in Panama. This marks the first meeting of the leaders of the two countries since the Cuban Revolution. (ABC News America)
A man carrying a protest sign, backpack and rolling luggage fatally shot himself in the head in front of the US Capitol Building. Capitol Police announced there was no apparent connection to terrorism. It follows unconnected shootings at the US Census HQ and the NSA. (CNN)

Law and crime

An Egyptian court sentences the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and fourteen other people to death for inciting violence. (CNN)
Bangladeshi Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman is executed for war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War. (The Hindu)

Politics and elections

Voters in Nigeria go to the polls for gubernatorial and state Assembly elections. At least nine people are killed in election day violence, most of them in Rivers State. (BBC), (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

2015 Grand National
- The 168th annual running of the Grand National steeplechase race occurs at Aintree Racecourse near the English city of Liverpool. Many Clouds ridden by Leighton Aspell is the winner. (Sky News)
The Boat Races 2015
- Rowing teams from University of Oxford and University of Cambridge meet on the River Thames with Oxford successful in both the men's and women's races. (BBC), (BBC)

April 12, 2015 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Islamic militants attack the South Korean embassy in Tripoli killing two guards and leaving another injured. (Yonhap)
War in North-West Pakistan
- U.S. drone strikes in North Waziristan kill at least four suspected Taliban militants. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

One student is killed and another 100 injured in a stampede caused by an exploding generator at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. (Al-Arabiyah)

Politics and elections

2016 United States presidential election
- Hillary Clinton, former United States Secretary of State, announces that she is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for President in the 2016 election. (The Guardian)
Japanese unified local elections, 2015
- The Liberal Democratic Party wins most of the major local and prefectural contests, including all ten governorships at stake. (Wall Street Journal)
- The Osaka Restoration Association maintains control of the Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City assemblies but fails to win a majority as the LDP makes some gains, casting doubt upon the outcome of the scheduled May 17 referendum on the Osaka Metropolis plan. (Nikkei)
Large protests in Brazil call for the impeachment of President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff due to a scandal involving members of her Workers Party receiving kickbacks from the state run oil company Petrobras. (CNN)

Sports

2015 Masters Tournament: In golf, the final round of the Masters Tournament is held at the Augusta National Golf Club with American Jordan Spieth winning his first championship at the age of 21. Spieth is the second youngest player to win the Masters after Tiger Woods, he ties Woods's record for the lowest winning total, and becomes the fifth man to lead from start to finish. (Sydney Morning Herald), (CNN)
In basketball, USK Praha beat UMMC Ekaterinburg to win the EuroLeague Women title. en Cancha

April 13, 2015 (Monday)

Accidents and disasters

Nine people die as a boat carrying people to Italy capsizes off the coast of Libya. The Italian coast guard rescues 144 people. (ANSA)
A cargo plane carrying two pilots goes missing after departing from Vancouver International Airport en route to Prince George Airport in British Columbia, Canada. Search and rescue efforts are initiated after wreckage was reported in the province's North Shore Mountains. (Global)
Wildfires in Southern Siberia, Russia kill at least 26 people and damage 1,300 homes. (AFP via GMA Network)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Russian president Vladimir Putin lifts the ban on delivery of S-300 missile air defense systems to Iran in connection to the nuclear dialogue. Israel and the United States oppose the deal on the grounds that Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism. (RT)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- In Tripoli, the Moroccan Embassy is damaged by a bomb explosion just hours after gunmen assault the South Korean mission. ISIL loyalists take credit for both attacks. (New York Daily News)

Health

An American man working at Managua's U.S. embassy provokes a security scare in Nicaragua; the country's health ministry quarantines the Ebola suspect and asks that he be removed from the country immediately. (BBC)

Law and crime

A former work-study student is sought in a shooting of his print shop supervisor at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina and is still on the run. (WRAL)
Murder of Travis Alexander
- An Arizona judge sentences convicted murderer Jodi Arias to life without parole for the 2008 murder of her ex-boyfriend. (Reuters)
Two Massachusetts high schools close due to bomb threats; it is the third bomb threat Brockton High School has received this school year. (Boston Globe)
Blackwater Baghdad shootings
- The first of four Blackwater security guards to be sentenced is given a life sentence in the United States for his role in killing 14 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007. (Washington Post)
A volunteer police officer is charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Eric Harris, an unarmed man who was shot while lying on his back in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (CNN)

Politics and elections

2016 United States presidential election
- Florida Senator Marco Rubio announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election. (CNN)
Foundation of the Free Republic of Liberland.

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April 14, 2015 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)
- At least seven people are dead after a car bomb blast south of Baghdad. (AP via Irish Times)
War in Somalia
- al-Shabab gunmen enter the Higher Education Ministry building in Mogadishu after a large explosion is reported. (Voice of America)

Business and economy

The Wall Street Journal reports that European Union regulators have announced plans to file charges against American Internet company Google following a European Union investigation. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

An Asiana Airlines Airbus A320 en route from South Korea to Japan skids off the runway at Hiroshima Airport injuring 20 of the 74 passengers. (AP via News24)
2015 Libya migrant shipwreck
- Up to 400 people may have died as a boat capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Italy with up to 550 passengers on board. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Health

More than 100 passengers out of 1,100 on the cruise ship Crown Princess may be suffering from symptoms of Norovirus. (Reuters)

International relations

President of the United States Barack Obama endorses a proposal to remove Cuba from a list of countries that sponsor terrorism. (New York Times)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- The United Nations Security Council votes to impose sanctions on Yemen's Houthi rebels. (Los Angeles Times)

Law and crime

A court in Japan's Fukui Prefecture issues a landmark injunction against restarting reactors 3 and 4 of the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant. (AFP via Yahoo! News Australia)

Science and technology

SpaceX's latest attempt at recycling its Falcon 9 rocket by landing it on an ocean platform fails. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Stone tools found at Lomekwi 3 are dated to 3.3 million years ago, which, if confirmed, would represent the oldest known stone tools. (Science)

April 15, 2015 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Fierce clashes in Iraq's Anbar province as Islamic State captures three villages near the provincial capital Ramadi. (The Eagle)

Business and economy

Nokia announces plans to buy telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent for €15.6 billion (US$16.6 billion). (The Verge)
The European Union formally charges Google with antitrust breaches. (Sky News)

International relations

Benjamin Netanyahu demands that any final agreement on the Iranian nuclear program include a "clear and unambiguous Iranian recognition of Israel's right to exist." (CNN) (Haaretz)
The European Parliament approves a resolution to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. (AP via Boston Herald)^{[permanent dead link]}
Jamal Benomar resigns as the United Nations peace envoy to Yemen after losing support from the Gulf nations. (AFP via Straits Times)

Law and crime

British police arrest six people on suspicion of terrorism after Turkish authorities stop a group crossing the Syrian border. (Al-Arabiyah)
Former American football player Aaron Hernandez is convicted of murder in the first degree in the town of Fall River, Massachusetts. Hernandez shot a former friend Odin Lloyd in 2013. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison without parole. (CNN)
In Arizona, dashcam video showed a police officer intentionally running over an armed suspect. The suspect had stolen a rifle from a nearby Walmart, and had discharged the weapon in a neighborhood. (CNN)
A mailman from Florida was arrested after he made an unauthorized landing of a small gyrocopter with postal service markings on the Capitol West Front Lawn. He had told a newspaper that a terrorist would not have informed the public that he planned a non-violent protest flight for campaign finance reform. (Washington Post)
Two former Colombian ministers Sabas Pretelt and Diego Palacio are sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in bribing lawmakers to support the 2006 re-election bid of former President Alvaro Uribe. (AP via WTOP)

April 16, 2015 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War
- Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula captures Riyan Airport, seaport and oil terminal in the city of Al Mukalla in southern Yemen. (AP via Washington Times)
- In the past two weeks, Oman has received 2,695 people of forty-eight nationalities escaping from Yemen. (Zawya)

Arts and culture

WikiLeaks publishes 30,287 documents and 173,132 emails resulting from the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack believed to be undertaken by North Korea. (Variety)

Disasters and accidents

More than 40 people have drowned as a migrant boat sinks travelling between Libya and Italy. In a separate incident, 15 Muslim migrants from another Italy-bound boat have been arrested, after allegedly throwing 12 Christian migrants overboard. (BBC)

International relations

The United States Congress negotiates a deal to fast track the Trans-Pacific Partnership between the US and Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. (Al-Jazeera)

Law and crime

Five people are found dead after a business dispute in Phoenix, Arizona. (AP)
Five are shot in Toronto, Ontario, in a neighbourhood with children around playing, two critically and one in life-threatening condition, having been shot by the police. Four suspects detained. (CP24)
One year after the Sinking of the MV Sewol, police blockade a memorial in response to public anger at inactivity by the government to rescue or salvage the bodies of victims from the ship's wreck. (Amnesty.org)

Sports

The National Football League reinstates Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings after a lengthy suspension. (Fox News)

April 17, 2015 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant:
- Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad says that the "most dangerous" leaders of ISIS are Scandinavians. (The Local)
- Up to 150,000 civilians flee the Iraqi city of Ramadi which is under siege from Islamic State. (BBC/AFP via ABC News Australia)
- Iraqi officials claim that militia leader Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri has been killed in fighting in Salahuddin province. Al-Douri was the highest ranking member of Saddam Hussein's government not to be captured.(BBC)
- A suicide car bombing outside the U.S. consulate in Erbil in Iraq's Kurdish region kills three and injures 14. ISIS claims responsibility. (Miami Herald) (CBS News) (Reuters)
Mexican Drug War
- Gunfire and roadblocks are reported in the city of Reynosa on the border with the US after local leader "El Gafe" of the Gulf Cartel is arrested. (Reuters via Daily Mail)

Arts and culture

Univisión announce that Sábado Gigante, the longest-running television variety series in history, will end after 53 years on September 19, 2015. (THR)

Business and economy

Mylan, a manufacturer of generic drugs, announced that its board has no interest in much-discussed prospect of purchase by Teva Pharmaceuticals, one of the 15 largest pharmaceutical concerns in the world. (Reuters)

International relations

Satellite images show that the China is rapidly building a runway on the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea. (BBC)

Religion

Francis Eugene Cardinal George, who served as Archbishop Emeritus of Chicago and as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), dies after a multi-year battle with bladder and kidney cancer at age 78. (Chicago Tribune) (Archdiocese of Chicago)

Science

Bouvier's red colobus, a species of monkey last seen in the 1970s and thought to possibly be extinct, is rediscovered in the Republic of Congo.(Discovery News)

Sports

In cricket, James Anderson becomes the highest wicket taking bowler for England in test cricket in a drawn test match against the West Indies in Antigua. (The Telegraph)

April 18, 2015 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

April 2015 Jalalabad suicide bombing
- A suicide bomber allegedly affiliated with ISIL strikes a bank in the city of Jalalabad in Afghanistan, killing at least 33 and wounding 100. (RT) (CNN) (Reuters), (BBC)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- An Iranian Naval convoy is headed towards Yemen to potentially resupply Shia Houthi rebels. (The Hill)
- At least 27 people are dead in fighting in the city of Taez. (AFP via Maktoob Yahoo!)
- Iran proposes a four point peace plan which is rejected by the Hadi government of Yemen. (Reuters)
Kashmir conflict
- Indian Army soldiers fire on separatist protesters following unruly behaviour resulting in the death of a teenage protester. (AP via Houston Chronicle)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- The Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi warns that thousands of Libyans will continue to risk their lives travelling to Europe unless the civil war ends. More than 2000 people have been rescued in the past week. (BBC)

Arts and culture

List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
- New inductees are welcomed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame including Lou Reed, Ringo Starr, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Green Day, Bill Withers, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the 5 Royales. (Los Angeles Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least 19 people are killed as a gold mine collapses in Tanzania's Msalala district. (AFP via Daily Mail)
Hundreds of people are feared dead after a boat carrying people from Libya to Italy capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea. Twenty-eight people have been rescued. (Times of Malta)

Health

A mystery disease that kills patients within 24 hours has killed at least 18 people within the past week in the Nigerian town of Ode-Irele in Ondo State. (AFP via ABC Australia)

Law and crime

Australian Federal Police foil an Islamic State inspired plot to carry out an attack at a World War One centenary event in Melbourne. (BBC)

Sports

2015 ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating
- In figure skating, the United States team wins the World Team Trophy held in Japan while Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia wins the women's individual free skate title. (AP)

April 19, 2015 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Internal conflict in Burma
- Myanmar says it has lost 126 soldiers in clashes with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army in Kokang since early February. (Xinhua)

Disasters and accidents

The Maltese Navy and Italian Coast Guard are mounting a rescue operation for a boat that capsized between Libya and Italy with up to 700 people aboard. (Malta Today)

Politics and elections

Elections in Northern Cyprus
- Voters in Northern Cyprus go to the polls for an election for a new President to represent them in peace talks with the southern Republic of Cyprus. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
Finnish parliamentary election, 2015
- Voters in Finland go to the polls for a parliamentary election with a new coalition government led by Juha Sipilä of the Centre Party favoured to form government after negotiation. (Reuters), (New York Times)

April 20, 2015 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- Nine people have been killed in a bomb attack on a convoy carrying food supplies to a United Nations compound in Garowe in the Somali region of Puntland. (Reuters)
Sinai insurgency
- A roadside bomb hits an armoured vehicle near the border town of Rafah in the northern Sinai Peninsula killing three people. (AP via ABC News America)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- An airstrike on an alleged Scud missile base in Sana'a causes a huge explosion. (Reuters via Daily Star)
- The United States sends aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and cruiser USS Normandy to block an Iranian convoy heading towards Yemen. (Fox News)

Arts and culture

2015 Pulitzer Prize
- The Pulitzer Prize awards are presented, with the The Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina winning the prestigious gold medal for public service for a series on domestic violence in the US state of South Carolina. (New York Times)
- Anthony Doerr's World War II novel All the Light We Cannot See wins the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. (CNN)
- Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History was a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction

Disasters and accidents

A strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurs off the east coast of Taiwan. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
At least three people are dead after a boat carrying dozens of migrants runs aground on the Greek island of Rhodes. (The Independent)
Two people are missing in the Hunter Region of New South Wales as an Australian east coast low causes widespread flooding, gale force winds and the loss of power to 140,000 properties. (ABC News Australia)

Health

Blue Bell Creameries recalls all of its products in the United States due to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. (CNN)

Law and crime

A 13-year-old boy uses a home-made crossbow to kill a teacher and wound four other people at his school in the city of Barcelona. (BBC)
List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States, April 2015
- Police officers in the city of Baltimore, Maryland are placed on leave while an investigation is held into the death of Freddie Gray. (Baltimore Sun)

Sports

2015 Boston Marathon
- Runners in the American city of Boston take part in the annual Boston Marathon for the 119th time. Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia wins the men's race while Caroline Rotich of Kenya wins the women's race (CBS)(New York Times), (Boston Marathon)

April 21, 2015 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- A deadly explosion in a Mogadishu restaurant kills at least four people and injures ten others. (Al-Jazeera)
Yemeni Civil War
- Saudi Arabia announces that it is ending its bombing campaign in Yemen. (BBC)
Forty armed men in camouflaged uniforms and speaking Albanian take several police officers hostage in northern Macedonia, the armed men are apparently calling for the creation of "an Albanian state". The incident was reminiscent of an insurgency in Macedonia in 2001 when Skopje's security forces battled rebels demanding greater rights for the former Yugoslav republic's large ethnic Albanian minority. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Robert Finn as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph for failing to report a suspected child abuser. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Business and economy

Israeli generics giant Teva Pharmaceutical offers $4 billion to acquire US rival Mylan. (Economic Times)

Disasters and accidents

Australian east coast low
- Three people have died in floods in the Australian town of Dungog, New South Wales as heavy rains and cyclonic winds hits the state of New South Wales causing widespread flooding, loss of power to over 100,000 homes and disruption of transport services. (ABC News Australia)

Law and crime

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd pleads guilty to threatening to kill and drug possession charges in Tauranga, New Zealand. (AP via USA Today)
April 2015 Mediterranean Sea migrant shipwrecks
- Italian police arrest the captain and crew member of a vessel that sank in the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday drowning as many as 900 people. (AP)
An American man Tommy Schaefer is sentenced to 18 years imprisonment in Bali for the murder of his mother-in-law Sheila von Wiese Mack last year. (Sky News Australia)
An Egyptian court sentences former President Mohammed Morsi to twenty years imprisonment for involvement in the killing of protesters when he was in power. (BBC)
The U.S. Justice Department has charged Navinder Singh Sarao with commodities fraud and related offenses, alleging that he played a part in the flash crash of May 2010. (Reuters)
Death of Freddie Gray
- The United States Department of Justice announces a federal investigation into the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. (AP via The Republic)^{[permanent dead link]}

Michele Leonhart announces her retirement as the Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration with concerns raised about her leadership following a prostitution scandal involving Agency officers having sex with prostitutes provided by drug cartels. (CNN)

April 22, 2015 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A tribal fight in Papua New Guinea's Hela Province between the Wapiago and Tapamu clans claims the lives of ten people, mostly children. (ABC News Australia)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- The Taliban announces the start of its annual spring offensive warning it would attack foreign embassies as well as military targets. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that Syrian government air strikes on areas controlled by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant kills 32 people. The air strikes hit a hospital in Dayr Hafir killing at least 21 people. (AP via ABC News America)

Business and economy

The European Union opens an antitrust case against Russian gas giant Gazprom which supplies most of Central and eastern Europe with supplies of natural gas. (AP via Daily Mail)
Google announces a new wireless network in the United States called Project Fi with a pay as you go data rate. (Venture Beat)

Disasters and accidents

Australian east coast low
- The storm in Australia's New South Wales is declared a "catastrophe" with four deaths, heavy flooding and disruption of transport to the state's largest cities Sydney and Newcastle. (The Australian), (WA Today)
- Twelve areas of NSW are declared as disaster zones including Dungog, Maitland, Cessnock Gosford, Great Lakes Council, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Pittwater Council, Port Stephens, Singleton, Warringah and Wyong. (WA Today)
Sinking of the MV Sewol
- South Korea approves plans to recover the MV Sewol which sank last year with the loss of 300 people. (AP)
The Calbuco volcano erupts in southern Chile forcing the evacuation of 4000 residents. (Reuters via Yahoo! Canada), (Wall Street Journal)

Law and crime

The United States Senate unanimously passes a bill to combat human trafficking after a long delay caused by a dispute over abortion funding. (New York Times)
An 11-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturns the 2011 conviction of all-time Major League Baseball home run leader Barry Bonds on obstruction of justice charges stemming from the BALCO doping scandal. (AP via ESPN)

Politics and elections

Anguillan general election, 2015
- Voters in Anguilla go to the polls for a general election with the Anguilla United Front led by Victor Banks elected to government. (Jamaica Observer)

April 23, 2015 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

The Prime Minister of France Manuel Valls claims that five terrorist attacks have been "foiled" in France in recent months. (France 24)^{[permanent dead link]}
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- The United States advises that a counterterrorism operation on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan has killed American and Italian al-Qaeda hostages Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto. (AP via ABC News)
- Two other American citizens working with al-Qaeda, Adam Yahiye Gadahn and Ahmed Farouq, are also killed in special operations in the same area. (CNBC)

Business and economy

Bloomberg News reports that Comcast will walk away from its $45 billion takeover for Time Warner Cable. (Bloomberg)
The NASDAQ Stock Market sets a new record high for the first time since the dot com bubble collapsed in 2000. (Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

Macedonian state television reports that 14 migrants died after being hit by a train near the city of Veles while travelling through the Balkans towards Western Europe. (Reuters via Daily Mail)

Law and crime

Libor scandal
- Deutsche Bank pays $2.5 billion to settle an investigation by the United States and the United Kingdom related to manipulation of the Libor or London Interbank Offered Rate. It will also plead guilty in a US court case. (Wall Street Journal)
Petraeus scandal
- Former United States Army general and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David Petraeus pleads guilty of sharing classified information with his biographer and lover. He is given two years probation and a $100,000 fine. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Djoomart Otorbaev resigns as the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. (World Bulletin)
The United States Senate confirms Loretta Lynch as the Attorney General of the United States. Lynch will be the first African-American woman to hold the position. (New York Times)

April 24, 2015 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Italian police mount an operation against an al-Qaeda inspired cell in Sardinia claimed to be in operation since 2005. (NBC News)
Three members of a United Nations peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been abducted. (AFP)^{[permanent dead link]}
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- UNICEF reports that hundreds of children have been killed and injured in the Civil War while combatants have recruited hundreds more. (Reuters)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Iraqi Army Brigadier-General Hassan Abbas Toufan and three other officers are killed in a targeted car bombing in Anbar province. (AP via New York Times)
Boko Haram insurgency
- Boko Haram recapture the border town of Marte from the Nigerian Army. (AFP via France24)^{[permanent dead link]}
Balochistan conflict
- Pakistani human rights campaigner Sabeen Mahmud is killed by gunmen after attending a seminar on Balochistan’s "disappeared people" in Karachi. (Al-Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Armenia commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire. (BBC)
Former American Olympic Games champion Caitlyn Jenner announces that she is a trans woman. (CNN)

Business and economy

In the United States, the NASDAQ and S&P 500 end at record highs spurred by strong results by tech giants Google, Amazon and Microsoft. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurs near the town of Kaikoura on the South Island of New Zealand. (New Zealand Herald)
Chilean authorities urge further evacuations near the Calbuco volcano after mudflows of volcanic debris are located in a nearby river after this week's eruption. (AP)

Law and crime

The Statue of Liberty in New York is evacuated after a bomb threat. (AP via News24)^{[permanent dead link]} (CNN)

Science and technology

A study by the University of Utah show that the magma reserves of the Yellowstone supervolcano are much greater than previously thought. (CNN)

April 25, 2015 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Islamist rebels including the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front claim to have captured most of the town of Jisr al-Shughur in the Idlib Governorate. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Gallipoli Landing 100th anniversary
- Attendances at services to commemorate Anzac Day break attendance records in Australia and New Zealand. (TV NZ), (BBC)

Business and Economy

Ferdinand Piëch, grandson of the inventor of the Volkswagen Beetle and chairman of Volkswagen for more than 20 years, steps down from that post under trade union pressure. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

April 2015 Nepal earthquake
- A strong 7.9 earthquake strikes between the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and the regional headquarter city of Pokhara. The Government of Nepal declares a state of emergency with 1500 dead. A number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites are destroyed, including the historic Dharahara tower. Deaths are also recorded in India, Bangladesh and the Chinese province of Tibet. (AP)^{[permanent dead link]}, (Reuters via ABC News Australia), (BBC), (CNN)
The Italian Navy rescues 274 migrants from a ship off the Libyan coast while 300 migrants rescued on Friday arrive on Friday. (AP via US News)

International relations

The New York Times reports that Russian hackers read President of the United States unclassified emails indicating that the breach of the White House's computer system was more extensive than previously revealed. (New York Times)

Law and crime

Death of Freddie Gray
- Twelve people are arrested in the American city of Baltimore as protests against the death of Freddie Gray in police custody turn violent. (Baltimore Sun)

Politics and elections

Togolese presidential election, 2015
- Voters in Togo go to the polls amid political unrest. (AP via Yahoo! News)

April 26, 2015 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Balochistan conflict
- A bomb on a motorcycle kills at least 3 people and injured 20 in the town of Sibi in Pakistan's Balochistan region. (AFP via Nigeria Guardian)
Syrian Civil War
- Syrian government planes bomb the city of Jisr al-Shughur the day after it was captured by al-Qaeda and its allies. (France24)^{[permanent dead link]}
Boko Haram
- Boko Haram captures Karamga island in Lake Chad from Niger, killing many soldiers. (Reuters)

Business and economy

American for profit education company Corinthian Colleges announces that it will close its remaining more than two dozen colleges in the western United States due to state and federal investigations into its job-placement practices. (Los Angeles Times)

Disasters and accidents

April 2015 Nepal earthquake
- Rescue and recovery attempts continue in Nepal after Saturday's earthquake with the death toll more than 2200 and expected to rise further. (CNN), (CBC), (New York Times)
- A strong earthquake aftershock measured at 6.7 hits Nepal and northern India and causes further avalanches in the Himalayas. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
- Rescue helicopters airlift badly injured climbers off Mount Everest a day after avalanches triggered by the earthquake kill seventeen people. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

Kazakhstani presidential election, 2015
- Voters in Kazakhstan go to the polls for a presidential election with incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev winning with 97.7 percent of the vote. He has been ruling the country since 1984 in one form or another. (AP via Daily Mail), (NDTV)
Northern Cyprus presidential election, 2015
- Voters in Northern Cyprus go to the polls in the run-off election to elect leftist Mustafa Akıncı as president. (AP via The New York Times)

Sport

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge topped all male runners and Ethiopian Tigist Tufa won the women's elite event in the 35th running of the London Marathon. (The Telegraph) (ABC News)
In football, FC Bayern Munich wins the 2014–15 Bundesliga for a 25th time. (Reuters via Daily Mail)

April 27, 2015 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram
- Hundreds of people have been found dead in the northern Nigerian town of Damasak, most likely killed by Boko Haram. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Business and economy

Fitch Ratings downgrades Japan's credit rating to A over mounting debts. (Reuters via CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

April 2015 Nepal earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquakes in Nepal rises to more than 3,700 with reports that tens of thousands of people are homeless. There are fears that the death toll could rise to over 5,000. (AP), (Reuters via Daily Mail)

International relations

Philippines President Benigno Aquino III asks Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare the life of Mary Jane Veloso, a migrant domestic worker sentenced to death for drug trafficking. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Law and crime

Opposition activists protest for a second day over President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term in office. At least two people were killed yesterday in protests. (BBC)
Death of Freddie Gray, 2015 Baltimore riots
- Violent rioting and protests including looting occur near the Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore after the funeral of Freddie Gray with fifteen Baltimorean police officers being injured. (Reuters), (USA Today)
- Larry Hogan, the Governor of Maryland, puts the National Guard on alert in response to the riots. The Mayor of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings-Blake declares a daily curfew beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday. (AP via ABC News), (ABC News Baltimore)

Politics and elections

Kazakhstani presidential election, 2015
- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe reports that the voters in the presidential elections in Kazakhstan had a limited choice due to the lack of opposition and restrictions on free political expression. Kazakhstan's freshly re-elected president has been ruling the country since the time of the Soviet Union. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
Sudanese general election, 2015
- Sudan's Electoral Commission declares that incumbent President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir won re-election with 94.4 per cent of the vote extending his 25 year rule. He has been indicted multiple times by the International Criminal Court for being personally responsible for war crimes committed in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan. (AP)

April 28, 2015 (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)^{[permanent dead link]}
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.

April 29, 2015 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- An Iranian Red Crescent plane is blocked by bombing of Sanaa International Airport's runway by Saudi Arabian F-15 fighters, which unsuccessfully intercepted and issued warnings to the plane to turn back. (The Guardian)

Businesses and economy

Russian financial crisis (2014–present)
- State-owned gas company, Gazprom, loses 86 percent in net income due to ruble devaluation, plunge on oil prices, and Ukraine crisis. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

April 2015 Nepal earthquake
- The death toll for the earthquake reaches 6,100 as the first food aid reaches Nepal. This includes 6000+ people in Nepal, 19 people on Mount Everest, 76 in India, 25 in China, and 4 in Bangladesh. (AP via Daily Mail)
- Thousands of people are fleeing Kathmandu due to uncertainty over food supply. (Xinhua)
At least 15 are dead and dozens missing after flash flooding in the southwestern Kenyan town of Narok. (International Business Times)
Firefighters in Ukraine try to stop a large forest fire from reaching the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. (Euronews)

Health

The Americas becomes the first World Health Organization region to be officially declared free of rubella. (NY Times)

International relations

Australia–Indonesia relations
- Australia withdraws its ambassador after eight people including Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, an Indonesian, four Nigerians, and two Australians, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are executed. (BBC), (ABC News Australia)

Politics and elections

Succession to the Saudi Arabian throne
- Crown Prince Muqrin is replaced by his nephew. (Huffington Post)
2016 United States Presidential election
- Nominally independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont announces that he will be seeking the Democratic Party nomination in the US presidential election. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Science and technology

Scientists discover the first known dinosaur with membranous wings, Yi Qi. (NY Times)

April 30, 2015 (Thursday)