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Worldwide current events
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Eliud Kipchoge

Kenyans Eliud Kipchoge (pictured) and Jemima Sumgong win the men's and women's London Marathon, respectively.
Scientists announce the discovery of an extensive reef system near the Amazon River, covering an estimated 3,600 square miles (9,300 km²).
Idriss Déby is elected to a fifth term as President of Chad.
American singer and songwriter Prince dies at the age of 57.
At least 64 people are killed and more than 340 others injured in an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Ethiopians Lemi Berhanu Hayle and Atsede Baysa win the men's and women's Boston Marathon, respectively.

Ongoing events
Recent deaths:

April 26, 2016 (Tuesday)

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Business and economy

The Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull announces that French company DCNS has been awarded a $50 billion contract to build a new fleet of submarines for the Royal Australian Navy with the subs to be built in Adelaide. (ABC News Australia)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Voters in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island head to the polls to vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primaries. (Decision Desk HQ Dem) (Decision Desk HQ GOP)

April 25, 2016 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Kurdish–Turkish conflict (2015–present)
- Two Turkish soldiers are killed and four are wounded in an attack by Kurdish militants in southeastern Turkey. (Daily Mail)
- The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) warns Turkey it is preparing to intensify its fight. (BBC)
Syrian Civil War
- At least eight people are reportedly killed as a car bomb explodes at a checkpoint south of Damascus. (Xinhua)
American-led intervention in Syria
- The President of the United States Barack Obama announces that the U.S. will send an additional 250 troops to fight ISIL in Syria. (The Guardian)
Burundian unrest (2015–present)
- A senior Burundian Army general, Athanase Kararuza, an ethnic Tutsi and security advisor to Burundi Vice-President Gaston Sindimwo, is shot dead by heavily armed men in the capital Bujumbura. (AFP via Daily Mail)
- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights announces that the International Criminal Court will conduct a preliminary examination of the violence in Burundi over the past year that has killed hundreds, and forced hundreds of thousands to flee abroad. (The Washington Post)
Mexican Drug War
- Mexican police come under attack in a two-hour gunfight in the city of Acapulco, killing one gunman. At the same time, a separate group of gunmen attacked a federal police base in the city. (BBC)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Yemeni and Saudi-led coalition forces recapture the port city of Al Mukalla from al-Qaeda militants. (BBC)
Moro conflict
- Abu Sayyaf militants, who threatened to kill three foreigners kidnapped in September, 2015, from a "high-end" Philippine resort, unless they were paid 900 million pesos (17 mil Euros) by midnight today (15:00 UTC), have beheaded one of the hostages, Canadian John Ridsdel. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III had ordered an all-out effort to rescue the hostages, including a Philippine woman, kidnapped by the Daesh-linked group. (Straits Times) (Journal of Turkish Weekly) (Reuters via EuroNews), (BBC)
Attacks on secularists in Bangladesh
- Xulhaz Mannan, a Bangladeshi employee of a U.S. charity (USAID), who is also an editor for the country's only LGBT magazine, and a friend are hacked to death in Dhaka, Bangladesh, by suspected Islamist militants. Guards at the building were also injured. (NBC News with Reuters) (Al Jazeera)

Business and economics

British department store chain British Home Stores (BHS) collapses into administration after a last-minute rescue deal fails. The collapse of the retailer, which employs 11,000 people, is the biggest failure on the UK's high street since the collapse of Woolworths Group in 2008. (The Guardian)
Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers announces a broad-based economic reform plan, known as Vision 2030, which will help the oil-reliant state to diversify its economy over the next 14 years. (Al Jazeera)
In the United States, Gannett Company, Inc., announces that two weeks ago it made an unsolicited, $815 million takeover bid for the Tribune Publishing Company, whose holdings include a number of major newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Gannett, the publisher of the national American daily USA Today as well as 107 daily newspapers, made the offer public since Tribune had not yet responded. Last month, Tribune Publishing's winning bid for the Orange County Register was blocked by the U.S. Justice Department because of an antitrust challenge. (Reuters) (Chicago Tribune) (Orange County Register)
Goldman Sachs, the American multinational investment banking firm, launches an FDIC-insured, Internet-based savings bank. The Wall Street institution, whose investment banking account minimums are in the millions, sets a minimum deposit of $1 dollar for GSBank.com. (TechCrunch) (GS Bank website)

Disasters and accidents

A Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16 fighter jet, taking part in a mock attack on Tarva on April 12, mistakenly opened fire on a control tower with three officers inside, who survived unharmed, according to the Norwegian military. (The Guardian)
At least 23 people have died and dozens of others have become sick in Karor Lal Esan, central Pakistan, after eating sweets suspected of being contaminated with pesticides. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
At least two people are killed and seven are injured following an explosion on a bus in Yerevan, Armenia. The cause of the blast is being investigated. (RT)

International relations

The People's Republic of China urges North Korea to abide by a United Nations Security Council resolution that bans the North from conducting ballistic missile tests, two days after Pyongyang claimed it conducted a test from a submarine. (Yonhap)
Belarus–United States relations
- The top U.S. diplomat in Belarus Scott Rauland and Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey said that their countries are ready to discuss the possible return of their ambassadors. Makey told reporters in Minsk that "there is readiness from both sides for a full normalization of our relations." Belarus recalled its ambassador from Washington in 2008 after the United States imposed sanctions against Belarusian oil giant Belneftekhim following tensions between Minsk and the West. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
2016 Ecuador earthquake
- The United Nations World Food Programme announces it is stepping up assistance to Ecuador’s most vulnerable areas following an earthquake that killed over 650 people. (Euronews)
Afghanistan–Pakistan relations, Taliban insurgency
- Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani says Pakistan must take military action against Taliban, operating from Pakistan, who are waging an increasingly deadly insurgency across his country. Otherwise, "... we will be forced to turn to the UN Security Council and start serious diplomatic efforts.” (The New York Times) (Penske Media Corporation)
European migrant crisis
- Turkey says it has deported more than 3,300 foreigners suspected of links to jihadi groups, and barred another 41,000 foreigners from entering the country. (AP)

Law and crime

Shooting of Tamir Rice
- The U.S. city of Cleveland, Ohio, agrees to pay $6 million to settle a wrongful death civil rights lawsuit brought by the family of Tamir Rice. Rice was a 12-year-old boy who was walking outside a recreation center holding an air pellet gun when he was shot and killed by a Cleveland Police officer on November 22, 2014. Prosecutor Tim McGinty reported in December 2015 that an Ohio grand jury decided not to indict the police officers. (NPR) (CNN)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- The presidential campaigns of Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor of Ohio John Kasich announce they will now coordinate strategies to stop fellow Republican Donald Trump from becoming the party's nominee. Cruz's campaign will cut campaigning in Oregon and New Mexico to help Kasich, while the Kasich campaign will give Cruz a "clear path" in Indiana. (BBC)
United States presidential election in Arizona, 2016
- A Maricopa County, Arizona, judge rejects Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich's request to throw out a court challenge prompted by major polling problems during the March primary. (KPNX) (KPNX²)

Sports

2015–16 Serie A
- Juventus win Italy's association football championship for the fifth consecutive time. (BBC)
In American football, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals rules that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady must serve a four-game suspension imposed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the Deflategate scandal. The suspension had been stayed due to a lower court ruling. (ESPN)
In basketball, the Golden State Warriors, the top seed in the ongoing NBA playoffs, announce that the NBA's reigning MVP, Stephen Curry, will miss at least two weeks with a sprained MCL. (ESPN)

April 24, 2016 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War
- At least 14 people have been killed in suicide bombing attacks in Baghdad. (Daily Times)
Yemeni Civil War
- Saudi-led air strikes kill at least ten al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in southern Yemen. (Reuters)
- Yemeni and United Arab Emirates troops capture the seaport of Mukalla from al Qaeda. The Saudi Arabia led coalition claims to have killed more than 800 militants(Reuters), (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- Rockets fired by ISIL from northern Syria hit a poor neighborhood and a mosque in the Turkish city of Kilis, killing one person and injuring 26 others. Turkish security forces responded by returning fire into Syria. (Euronews) (Reuters)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations
- North Korea reportedly deploys 300 new multiple launch rocket systems along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. (Yonhap)
Syrian Civil War
- U.S. President Barack Obama rules out deploying U.S. ground troops in Syria and says military efforts alone cannot solve the country's problems. He also said he did not think that ISIL would be defeated in his last nine months of office. (BBC)
- U.S. officials report President Obama will announce plans to send as many as 250 more U.S. troops to Syria to help fight ISIL militants. The troops are likely to include special operations forces and medical or intelligence support personnel, an official added. The decision is scheduled to be announced around noon tomorrow in Hanover, Germany, during the President's farewell tour of Europe. (CBS News) (Reuters)
North Korea-United States relations
- President Barack Obama says the United States isn't taking North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong's proposal to halt nuclear activity seriously. Pyongyang would "have to do better than that," he added. (AP)

Law and crime

Ebru Umar, a Dutch journalist of Turkish descent, is arrested in Kuşadası, Turkey, for tweets deemed critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This comes as a political storm erupted this week over reports that the Turkish consulate asked Turkish organizations in the Netherlands to forward emails and social media posts which insult Erdoğan or Turkey. (The Guardian)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Following an appeal, 12-year-old Dima al-Wawi is freed from an Israeli prison. She is believed to be the youngest female Palestinian ever imprisoned. Israeli civil law, which does not allow anyone under 14 to go to jail, did not affect her imprisonment. Palestinian residents in the occupied territories are subject to military law that can sentence suspects as young as 12 to prison. (AP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

Austrian presidential election, 2016
- Austrians vote in the first round of electing the next president. Preliminary estimates indicate FPÖ's Norbert Hofer won the first round with 36 percent of the vote. Greens' Alexander Van der Bellen, who is supported by the Green Party, garnered 20%, and another independent, Irmgard Griss, took 18.5 percent. President Heinz Fischer was not eligible to be re-elected. Candidates representing the two leading parties, that have ruled for the past 70 years, were eliminated. Hofer and Van der Bellen will compete in the runoff election on May 22, 2016. (Bloomberg) (Election website) (Deutsche Welle), (Euro News)
Equatorial Guinean presidential election, 2016
- Equatorial Guinean voters go to the polls with incumbent Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo expected to win as the opposition boycotts the election. (Voice of America) (Al Jazeera)
Japanese House of Representatives by-elections, 2016: By-elections were held for two seats controlled by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. (Japan Times)
- Hokkaido 5th district by-election, 2016: LDP candidate Yoshiaki Wada staved off the competition from independent candidate Maki Ikeda. Despite the LDP's winning margin decreasing from 14% (in 2014) to 2%, this win is seen as a boost for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the upcoming upper house election.
- Kyoto 3rd district by-election, 2016: The newly formed Democratic Party wrested back the seat from the LDP after their candidate and former MP for the district Kenta Izumi won by a landslide.
Philippine presidential election, 2016.
- The final leg of the Philippine presidential debate series is held in Dagupan. (The Manila Bulletin)
Serbian parliamentary election, 2016
- Serbians elect a new parliament under the backdrop of its accession to the European Union. Preliminary results indicate the incumbent, pro-EU populists sweeping the election. (Bloomberg) (AP via The Washington Post)
2015–16 protests in Moldova
- Protests continue in Moldova as thousands of anti-government protesters demonstrate in the capital Chișinău despite concessions given to the protesters last month by the government. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Around 1,000 people stage a rare public protest in the Kazakh city of Atyrau, rallying against the government's decision to sell land in auctions amid a heavy police presence, though they did not forcibly disperse the rally. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

April 23, 2016 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- The Pakistani Taliban claims the killing of a Sikh lawmaker, Soran Singh. (The New York Times)
Syrian Civil War
- ISIL claims to have shot down a Syrian Arab Air Force MiG-23, southeast of Damascus, and captured its pilot. Amaq News Agency, which supports ISIL, gave the pilot’s name as Azzam Eid, from Hama. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it was not clear whether the plane had been shot down or crashed because of mechanical failure. (Daily Mail) (Times of Israel)
- Syrian government airstrikes kill 25 people, mostly civilians, in attacks on rebel-held areas near the capital Damascus. (NY Times)
Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- Yemeni government forces along with Popular Resistance militia kill dozens of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in clashes in southern Yemen. A drone strike kills two others further north, near Ma'rib. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War
- Two separate car bombs kill at least 12 people in Iraq's capital, Baghdad. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the blast at the security checkpoint in a northern district that killed nine and injured 28 others. Three people are killed and 11 injured at the second bombing in southern Baghdad that targeted an army convoy; no group has claimed responsibility. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The continuing influence of English dramatist William Shakespeare is celebrated on the 400th anniversary of his death in Stratford-upon-Avon. (Time)
Spain commemorates the 400th anniversary of the death of its most famous author Miguel de Cervantes. (AFP via France 24)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Samoan authorities prepared for Severe Tropical Cyclone Amos which is forecast to make landfall later tonight. (Weather Zone)
A Russian oil tanker catches fire in the Caspian Sea, killing at least one crew member. A total of 10 crew members were evacuated from the ship, which was in the territorial waters of Turkmenistan when the fire broke out. It was unclear what caused the blaze. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
2016 Ecuador earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake passes 650 with over 50 people missing. It is now the deadliest earthquake in South America this century. (AP via ABC News)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea is reported to have launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile for the first time. (Reuters)
Russia–United States relations
- President of Russia Vladimir Putin accuses the United States of reneging on a 16-year-old deal that called for reducing Russia's and the United States' stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium. He accused Washington of trying to preserve its ability to turn some of its plutonium stockpile back into a form usable for nuclear weapons. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Syrian peace process
- Reuters reports the Friday afternoon truce between Kurdish Asayish forces and pro-Syrian government forces, declared following a three-day outbreak of violence that killed at least 26 people, is holding. (Reuters)
European migrant crisis
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Donald Tusk, and European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans meet with Syrian refugees at a camp in the southeastern Turkish town of Nizip prior to talks with a delegation led by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. Davutoğlu stresses the importance of implementation of European Union visa liberalization for Turkish citizens in assuring the success of Europe's migrant readmission agreement with his country. Tusk announces that the EU will spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) this summer on projects to improve the lives of Syrian migrants. (Hürriyet Daily News) (Reuters) (Journal of Turkish Weekly)
North Korea-United States relations
- Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong says North Korea is ready to halt nuclear tests if the United States suspends its annual military exercises with South Korea. (AP via Time)

Law and crime

Attacks on secularists in Bangladesh
- Professor Rezaul Karim Siddique is killed in the Bangladeshi city of Rajshahi in an ISIL attack. (Hindustan Times) (AFP via Yahoo!)
Böhmermann affair
- During a rally in support of German comedian Jan Böhmermann, outside the Turkish embassy in Berlin, Bruno Kramm, head of the Berlin branch of Germany's Pirate Party, is arrested for “insulting a representative of a foreign state” by quoting a line from the comic’s satirical poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (RT)
Panama Papers
- Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif bows to opposition demands that he ask Pakistan's chief justice to set up an independent commission to investigate offshore accounts linked to his family. Sharif said he would accept the commission's findings and even resign if called upon. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
- European Union finance ministers approve a series of measures to tackle tax-evading methods that were exposed by the Panama Papers. (The Guardian)
United States Federal agents are combing three states for 32 cases of commercial grade explosives, about 500 pounds of 2½ to 5 inch aerial shells, stolen from a CSX train traveling from Chicago, Illinois, through Ohio that arrived in Detroit, Michigan, on Wednesday. (CBS News) (Detroit Free Press)

Politics and elections

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Human rights activists, lawyers, labor rights groups and other advocates endorse Leni Robredo for vice president. (Rappler)
South Sudanese Civil War
- Rebel leader Riek Machar misses an international deadline to return to the capital Juba to take the post of Vice President. Machar was offered the position by President Salva Kiir Mayardit in the hopes of putting an end to the civil war but has repeatedly delayed his return. (Al Jazeera)
Thousands of people protest in the German city of Hanover against the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership deal. They say the deal would drive down wages, and weaken environmental protection and labour rights. (BBC)
Darfurian status referendum, 2016
- According to the Sudanese electoral commission, more than 97% of voters in Darfur choose to remain as five states rather than form a single region. However, The vote was held amid ongoing insecurity and many of Sudan's 2.5 million displaced people were not registered to vote, with the U.S. State Department warning that the referendum could not be considered credible "under current rules and conditions". (BBC)
Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso names former opposition leader Clément Mouamba as prime minister. (Reuters)

Science and Technology

Solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse 2 lands in Mountain View, California after a 62-hour flight across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii. (NBC News) (BBC)

April 22, 2016 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- The U.K. Foreign Office and the U.S. State Department issue travel advisories regarding the Philippine island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago after a recent kidnapping near Davao City. (Sun Star Cebu),(Rappler)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that airstrikes have killed at least seven people in Aleppo. (AP)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least nine people at a Shi'ite mosque in southwestern Baghdad. A second attacker was shot dead by security forces before he could detonate his explosives. (Reuters)
The United States admits it has killed 20 civilians and wounded 11 others in airstrikes in Syria and Iraq between September 10, 2015, and February 2, 2016. (UPI)

Arts and culture

Eurovision Song Contest 2016, Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016
- Romania is expelled from this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden, after its national broadcaster, Romanian Television (TVR) failed to pay outstanding debts dating back to 2007. Ovidiu Anton was due to perform the song "Moment of Silence" at the contest. (Sky News)
The Carver County, Minnesota Sheriff's office conducts an autopsy on Prince to determine cause of death. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Creditors, including 800 sacked workers, vote to place Queensland Nickel into liquidation allowing creditors to pursue its owner, Australian politician Clive Palmer, for costs. (Australia)
Fiat Chrysler announces plans to withdraw 1.1 million vehicles worldwide due to problems with the gearshift confusing drivers. (BBC)
Valeant, a Canada based pharmaceutical company, says it has received new notices of default from its bondholders. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A passenger train derails near the South Korean city of Yeosu resulting in the death of a railroad engineer and eight people being injured. (Reuters)
A warehouse storing chemicals and fuel catches fire in the Chinese city of Jingjiang resulting in an unknown number of casualties. (AFP via Channel News Asia)
At least 15 people have been killed in a landslide in the Tawang District in India's Arunachal Pradesh state. (Times of India)
2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- The Samoan Islands and Wallis and Futuna brace for the impact of Cyclone Amos as the Fiji Meteorological Service upgrades the cyclone to a category three storm, with sustained winds as high as 140 km/h at its centre. (Radio New Zealand)
State oil company Petroleos Mexicanos reports the death toll has risen to 28 from Wednesday's explosion at Petroquimica Mexicana de Vinilo's Clorados 3 petrochemical plant in the Gulf port city of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz. Some workers are still missing while 18 others remain hospitalized. Officials say the explosion came from an unspecified leak. The plant produces the hazardous industrial chemical vinyl chloride. (AP)

International relations

United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union
- Mayor of London and cabinet member Boris Johnson says that U.S. President Barack Obama is "inconsistent and hypocritical" in persuading the British people to remain in the European Union. (The Sun)
Taiwan–United States relations
- The U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously passes a resolution reaffirming the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. (Taipei Times) (Focus Taiwan)
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference
- A record 175 states sign the United Nations climate agreement in New York on opening day. The agreement will enter into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 percent of global emissions formally join it. (ABC News Australia) (AP)
NATO–Russia relations, Cold War II
- U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti, the incoming head of the United States military forces in Europe, says he supports a permanent brigade-sized presence of U.S. combat troops in Eastern Europe to deter Russia’s expanded and assertive actions. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute
- Belize accuses Guatemala of "amassing" troops on the disputed Belize–Guatemala border following the death of a teenage Guatemalan boy in a shooting incident apparently involving Belize Defence Force soldiers. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales called the shooting a "cowardly and excessive attack" that merits the "total condemnation of the Guatemalan state". (AP via ABC News)

Law and crime

Former chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Rajendra K. Pachauri is to face a court in Delhi, India on charges of sexual harassment. Pachauri is accused of stalking, intimidation and sexual assault of a former employee. (The Guardian)
2016 Pike County shootings
- Eight family members are murdered in four different locations in Pike County, Ohio. Three children, including a four-day-old baby, survived the killings. (Fox News), (AP) (AP²)
Five people have been killed in two separate shootings in the American town of Appling, Georgia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Felony disenfranchisement
- In the United States, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signs an executive order restoring the rights of an estimated 200,000 convicted felons to vote and run for office. (AP)

Politics and elections

2016 Macedonian protests
- The European Union announces it is considering imposing sanctions on Macedonia's leaders for reneging on an agreement last year to investigate corruption in the ruling class and issuing an amnesty instead to those involved. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Thousands of Sudanese students take to the streets around the University of Kordofan in Khartoum and other parts of the country to protest the recent killing of students last Monday. Security forces opened fire on a peaceful protest, killing many students after they attempted to nominate pro-opposition candidates for their campus elections. (The Guardian)
Mexican Drug War, War on Drugs
- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto proposes legalizing marijuana for medical purposes and easing limits for personal use of the drug. He said he would be sending a bill to the Congress to increase the amount users can legally carry from the current five grams to 28 (0.18-1oz). The news comes just two days after he addressed the United Nations General Assembly at a special session on drug policy and is seen as a chance to re-think the current strategy of fighting drug-trafficking, especially in Mexico where the fighting has killed tens of thousands of people. (BBC)
Philippine general election, 2016
- The Commission on Election announced that the May 9 elections shall push through despite a massive breach on its database by hackers which puts 55 million registered Filipino voters at risk.

Science and technology

Amazon Reef
- Oceanographers discover an extensive reef system near the Amazon River, estimated to span an area of 3,600 square miles (9,300 km²). (The Atlantic), (The Guardian), (Los Angeles Times), (Phys.org), (CNN)
China's National Space Administration says it is working on a program to land a rover on Mars by 2020. (AP)
Energy development
- The Alaska SeaLife Center (Seward, Alaska) announces that 98 percent of the center's heating and cooling now comes from low-cost, alternative energy derived from seawater. (Tech Times)
Scientists discover the quantum tunneling of water molecules. (Phys. Rev. Letters), (Phys.org), (Tech Times)

Sport

2022 FIFA World Cup
- President of FIFA Gianni Infantino says a new independent committee will be set up to monitor working conditions at Qatar's 2022 World Cup venues. The move is an attempt by the world football's governing body to ease fears of human rights abuses in the state, where organizations like Amnesty International documented multiple cases of poor working conditions and abuses against migrant workers. (BBC)

April 21, 2016 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Sudanese nomadic conflicts, Ethnic violence in South Sudan
- The Ethiopian Army crosses the border into South Sudan with the latter's approval in search of more than 100 children who were kidnapped and spirited across the border in a surprise attack by unknown assailants that also killed 208 people a few days ago. (Al Jazeera)
Northern Mali conflict
- Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group claims responsibility for kidnapping three International Committee of the Red Cross staffers this weekend in Abeïbara in northeastern Mali. (AP)
Amnesty International says the Nigerian Army killed 350 members of the Islamic Movement and secretly buried them in mass graves in the city of Zaria in Kaduna State. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

Elizabeth II, queen regnant of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, celebrates her 90th birthday. (BBC)
Bongbong Marcos admits that his family is blocking forfeiture of 200 masterpiece paintings sought by the government saying that the works were not subject of a court order case. The artworks, accumulated during the administration of his father, Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos are believed to be part of the family's alleged ill-gotten wealth. (ABS-CBN News)
The Bunyadi, a London pop-up restaurant where diners will be encouraged to eat in the nude, has a reservation waiting list of more than 13,000 people for its June opening. The restaurant will operate for three months. (UPI)
Musician Prince dies at his home at Paisley Park in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, Minnesota. (News Limited)

Business and economy

Volkswagen emissions scandal
- Volkswagen reaches a deal with the United States government that includes vehicle buybacks and cash compensation. (AP via Fox News)
The Vatican suspends PricewaterhouseCoopers' audit of its finances over questions whether proper procedures were followed when the December 2015 contract, reportedly worth $3 million, was enacted. Analysts say this move exposes the rift between the church’s old guard and supporters of financial reform, and raises questions about the Catholic Church’s commitment to cleaning up its finances. (Reuters) (The Guardian) (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

More than 100 are feared dead in an early summer heatwave in India which has forced the closure of schools. (Reuters)
At least 24 people are killed, 136 others injured, and eight workers still missing from yesterday's blast at the major Clorados 3 petrochemical plant of Petroquimica Mexicana de Vinilo. Nineteen people remain hospitalized, with 13 in serious condition. The plant is run by Mexichem under agreement with Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the national petrochemical company, in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, on the country's southern Gulf of Mexico coast. Pemex had an earlier fire at the same facility in February 2016 that killed one worker; also that month, an offshore Pemex Gulf platform fire killed two and injured eight. (Reuters) (AP)
At least two people are killed after an oceanfront stretch of an elevated bike lane in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, collapses when it was hit by a strong wave. Two other people were rescued alive, while another may be missing. The bike lane was among the projects built in preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics. No Olympic event will be held on the path. (AP) (AP² via CBS News) (Hindustan Times)

International relations

Australia-Philippines relations, Philippines-United States relations, Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte said that Australia and the United States should go ahead and cut their ties with the Philippines if he was elected president, following critical comments of their ambassadors on his rape remarks. (Rappler)
Gulf Cooperation Council Summit
- United States President Barack Obama, at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Saudi Arabia, says the United States will continue to deter and confront aggression against Gulf Arab states; joins others in warning the fragile cease-fire in Syria is on the verge of collapse; pledges vigilance about Iran's destabilizing activities in the Middle East; wants Gulf allies to offer more democratic reforms and improve human rights; and, says the U.S. and its Gulf partners should wait to see whether Iraq can resolve its political crisis before committing more financial aid which is impeding the fight against ISIL. (AP) (Reuters)
Syrian peace process
- Staffan de Mistura, U.N. envoy to Syria, says there has been "real but modest" progress in the country's humanitarian situation, despite the shaken ceasefire. Aid convoys have reached 560,000 people in hard-to-reach and besieged areas; six areas still remain off limits. Yesterday, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent medically evacuated 515 people from four communities—Zabadani, Madaya, Kfarya, and Foua—besieged by government and rebel groups. (AP)
United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union
- U.S. President Barack Obama, in an op-ed in London's Daily Telegraph, urges Britons to keep the U.K. in the European Union. Tomorrow, Obama is scheduled to have lunch with Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated her 90th birthday today. He then will hold talks with Prime Minister David Cameron. (Reuters) (Bloomberg) (The Daily Telegraph)
Philippines-United Kingdom relations, Philippines-United States relations
- The United States and the United Kingdom issue travel alerts for their citizens to avoid the Sulu Archipelago in the southwestern Philippines where a wave of kidnappings by Abu Sayyaf militants has occurred. (AP)

Law and crime

Crime in El Salvador
- The government of El Salvador unveils and deploys a new heavily armed special forces unit to fight criminal gangs in rural areas of the country. Officials say it will target gang leaders who left the cities because of a government crackdown. (BBC)
Six high ranking Pakistan Army officers, including a lieutenant-general and major-general, are sacked by Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif amid corruption allegations within the army. Sharif said corruption had to be uprooted to fight terrorism. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Philippine general election, 2016
- Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte says he shot a fellow law student at San Beda College. The victim, Octavio Goco, who was also a Lex Talionis fraternity brother of Duterte, survived the assault. Duerte was not allowed to participate in his graduation ceremony. (Rappler) (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Russia–Ukraine relations
- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signs legislation banning all Russian films made after January 1, 2014. The legislation also bans movies produced by Russia after 1991 if they "glorify the work of government bodies" of Russia, citing such movies to be a threat to national security. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
2016 Macedonian protests
- The European Union cancels mediation talks on resolving the political crisis in Macedonia after that country's main political opposition, led by Zoran Zaev, declined to take part. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Chadian presidential election, 2016
- The incumbent President of Chad Idriss Deby is reelected for a fifth term amid allegations of fraud. (Voice of America)

Science and technology

Solar Impulse 2, a plane powered only by the sun, takes off from Kalaeloa, Hawaii, USA, on the ninth leg of its around-the-world journey. This portion of the trip will cover 2,542 nautical miles and, in about three days, is scheduled to touch down in Mountain View, California. The journey originated in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on March 9, 2015, and, after another 8,130 nmi, will complete the circle when it lands in Abu Dhabi. (AP)

Sport

2016 Summer Olympics
- The Olympic flame is lit outside the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, by Greek actress Katerina Lehou. Brazilian volleyball legend Giovane Gávio starts the relay that will reach the capital Brasilia on May 3 for transport throughout the South American country by 12,000 torchbearers, arriving at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 5. (AP via WMAR-TV)
Zika virus outbreak
- Some Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball players, who are scheduled to play a two-game series the end of May in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to honor Pirates Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, are concerned about being exposed to the Zika virus. About 400 cases have been confirmed in the Commonwealth. (AP via ESPN) (The Sporting News) (Yahoo! Sports)

April 20, 2016 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- April 2016 Kabul attack
  - The death toll from yesterday's Taliban attack on the National Directorate of Security in Kabul rises to 64, with 347 others wounded, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry. (Reuters)
War in Donbass
- A Ukrainian military spokesman says three of its soldiers were killed by a mortar attack in the country's east, the heaviest toll reported in the region in nearly two months. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in North-West Pakistan
- Pakistani Taliban militants, in two attacks, kill seven police officers who were guarding medical workers administering polio vaccinations in Karachi. (The Guardian)

Business and economics

The Kuwait Oil Workers Union ends their three-day strike that had cut Kuwait's crude production by nearly half. (Gulf News) (CNBC)
Mitsubishi admits that its fuel efficiency tests broke Japanese rules for about 625,000 "ultrasmall" vehicles sold in Japan. (BBC) (UPI)
The European Union accuses Google of abusing the dominance of its Android by preloading its own apps. (Irish Times)
Volkswagen emissions scandal
- Volkswagen and United States officials agree in principle on a deal where the automaker could buy back up to 500,000 diesel cars. (Reuters)
Former slave Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the United States twenty-dollar bill while Alexander Hamilton keeps his place on the ten after the public consultation process. (The New York Times) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Ecuador earthquake
- A magnitude-6.1 aftershock has struck off the coast of Ecuador at 3:33 a.m. local time, the US Geological Survey says, in the same area as the massive earthquake on Saturday. (USGS), (Reuters via Asia-Pacific News)
- People in Ecuador start burying their dead as the death toll from the earthquake passes 500. (AP)
- President Rafael Correa announces a sales tax increase, and a one-time levy on millionaires as the country deals with the enormous damage from this disaster. (AP)
- The death toll rises to 570 with 163 people listed as missing. Those made homeless climbs to over 23,500. (AP)
European migrant crisis
- Up to 500 people are feared to have drowned off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean last week, in what would be the deadliest migrant shipwreck in months. (The Guardian)
A small-plane crashes near Chugiak, Anchorage in Alaska, killing at least four people, according to the Anchorage Fire Department. (Alaska Dispatch News)
Hundreds of people are evacuated following a large explosion at an oil facility in Coatzacoalcos in southern Mexico. (BBC)

International relations

Yemeni Crisis
- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the United States agree to carry out joint naval patrols to prevent Iranian arms shipments reaching Yemen, the Gulf bloc's secretary general Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said on Wednesday, following a meeting with United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. Iran denies it supplies weapons to the Houthis in Yemen. (Reuters)
Ukraine–European Union relations
- The European Union proposes offering Ukraine visa-free travel to its members. However, it is still unclear how fast the liberalization process will be dealt with in the European Parliament and European Council, where some EU member states might want to slow down the process. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
NATO–Russia relations
- NATO reopens informal talks with Russia for the first time in nearly two years. According to the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg "NATO and Russia have profound and persistent disagreements, today’s meeting did not change that." (Euronews)
United Kingdom–United States relations
- The United Kingdom's Foreign Office issues a travel advisory for gay people concerning travel to parts of the United States due to new legislation in North Carolina and Mississippi. (The Independent)

Law and crime

A women's rights group files a lawsuit in the Philippine Commission on Human Rights against Rodrigo Duterte for his rape remarks. (The New York Times)
Australian media reports that a deal has been reached on an alleged kidnapping case against Tara Brown and the Australian 60 Minutes crew. (9 News)
The Federal Constitutional Court of Germany rules that an anti-terrorism law is unconstitutional and violates right to privacy. (DPA)
The U.S. state of Utah declares pornography a "public health risk" in a move Governor of Utah Gary Herbert says is to "protect our families and our young people". The bill, signed by the governor, does not ban pornography in the state but does call for greater "efforts to prevent pornography exposure and addiction". (BBC)
Anders Behring Breivik, a convicted mass murderer in the 2011 Norway attacks, wins a human rights case against the government of Norway. (BBC)
Flint water crisis
- The first criminal charges are laid against three people, two state officials and a municipal official, involved in the Flint water crisis. (New York Times)
Panama Papers
- In a letter to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the United States Department of Justice announces it is opening a criminal investigation into tax avoidance schemes exposed by the Panama Papers with U.S. attorney Preet Bharara asking the ICIJ for help. (BBC)
Two people are burned alive amid xenophobic riots in Lusaka, Zambia. The riots started after rumours spread that Rwandans were behind recent ritual killings in the city. More than 250 people have been arrested after more than 60 Rwandan-owned shops were looted in two days of violence. (BBC)
Drug policy of Canada
- Canada's Minister of Health Jane Philpott says federal legislation to legalize marijuana will be introduced in spring of 2017. (CBC)
The United States Supreme Court rules that almost $2 billion in frozen Iranian assets must be turned over to American families of people killed in attacks blamed on Iran, including the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Yasri Khan, a senior member of Swedish Green Party (part of the ruling coalition), who was refusing to shake hands with a female reporter on grounds that it violated his Muslim faith, announces that he is quitting politics. (The Local)
Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte reneges on his apology and denies a statement by his party, PDP-Laban, which said he was sorry for his rape comments. (The Manila Bulletin)
2016 Macedonian protests
- Protests continue against President Gjorge Ivanov in Skopje, Macedonia. Opposition leader Zoran Zaev said he will only take part in EU-brokered negotiations with the government if certain conditions are met. (The Irish Times)

More April 2016 events...

Ongoing events
Business 2016 Bangladesh Bank heist Panama Papers Health Flint water crisis Zika virus outbreak Political War in Afghanistan Boko Haram insurgency Brazil protests Burundian unrest Iraqi Civil War Military intervention against ISIL American-led Iranian Israeli–Palestinian conflict Lebanese political deadlock Macedonia protests Moldova protests Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenian–Azeri border conflict Nepal blockade PKK rebellion Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention Second Libyan Civil War Sinai insurgency South China Sea disputes Syrian Civil War American-led intervention Russian military intervention Venezuelan protests War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine More details on ongoing conflicts below Sports 2015–16 La Liga season 2016 NBA Playoffs 2016 NHL Playoffs 2015–16 Premier League season 2015–16 UEFA Champions League 2016 ATP World Tour 2016 Major League Baseball season 2016 WTA Tour edit sidebar

Recent deaths
April 25: Mei Baojiu 24: Zafar Ishaq Ansari 24: Ron Brace 24: Martin Gray 24: Inge King 24: Benjamin Manglona 24: Billy Paul 24: Papa Wemba 24: George Alexis Weymouth 23: Bill Sevesi 23: Banharn Silpa-archa 22: Ariffin Mohammed 22: Dene Smuts 21: Lonnie Mack 21: Ferenc Paragi 21: Prince 20: Chyna 20: Velda González 20: Guy Hamilton 20: Leonie Kramer 20: Attila Özdemiroğlu 20: Qi Benyu 20: Giannis Voglis 20: Dwayne Washington 20: Victoria Wood 19: Ken Aldred (death announced on this date) 19: Patricio Aylwin 19: Estelle Balet 19: Ronit Elkabetz 19: Walter Kohn 19: Mehrdad Oladi 19: Milt Pappas 18: Brian Asawa 18: William Campbell 17: Bruce Mansfield 17: Doris Roberts 16: Ron Bonham 16: Miloud Chaabi 16: Rod Daniel 16: William M. Gray 16: Charlie Hodge 15: Frederick Mayer 15: A. A. Raiba 15: Richard Smith 14: Fred Hayman 14: David J. C. MacKay 14: Malick Sidibé 13: Manouchehr Sotodeh 13: Srinivas Aravamudan 13: Kurtis Haiu 13: Mariano Mores 13: Rex Patterson 13: Gareth Thomas 13: Ray Thornton 13: Nera White 12: Hector A. Cafferata, Jr. 12: Paul Carey 12: Gianroberto Casaleggio 12: David Gest 12: Balls Mahoney 12: Arnold Wesker 11: Ruth Gilbert 11: Ed Snider 10: Howard Marks 9: Arthur Anderson 9: Duane Clarridge 9: Tony Conrad 9: Will Smith 8: Wei Chueh 8: David Dore 8: Charles Hirsch 7: Freda Briggs 7: Frank E. Denholm 7: Vladimir Kagan 7: Blackjack Mulligan 6: Merle Haggard 6: Robert MacCrate 6: Ogden Mills Phipps 6: Murray Wier 5: Zyta Gilowska 5: Roman Gribbs 5: Mick Sullivan 4: Carlo Mastrangelo 4: Mike Sandlock 5: Barbara Turner 3: Abu Firas al-Suri 3: Erik Bauersfeld 3: Joe Medicine Crow 3: Bob Ellis 3: Lars Gustafsson 3: Cesare Maldini 2: Gato Barbieri 2: Amber Rayne 1: Tom Coughlin 1: Artur Górski 1: Denise Robertson March 31: Béla Biszku 31: Ronnie Corbett 31: Hans-Dietrich Genscher 31: Zaha Hadid 31: Imre Kertész 31: Douglas Wilmer 30: Shirley Hufstedler 30: John King 30: Andy "Thunderclap" Newman 29: Albert K. Bender 29: Patty Duke 29: Nil Hilevich 29: Jean Lapierre 29: Steven Sample 28: Winston Moseley 27: Mother Angelica 27: Vic Peters 26: Toni Grant 26: Jim Harrison 25: Abu Ala al-Afri 25: Shannon Bolin 25: Lester Thurow edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria, Tunisia and Niger Maghreb insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Katanga insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Boko Haram insurgency Somalia Civil war South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Moro conflict Moro conflict in Sabah Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe European Migrant Crisis Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemeni crisis Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent April 6: Netherlands, EU referendum 8: Djibouti, President (1st round) 10: Chad, President (1st round) 10: Comoros, President (2nd round) 10: Peru, President, Congress 11: Sudan, Darfur status referendum 13: South Korea, National Assembly 13: Syria, People's Council 17: Italy, Oil drilling referendum 24: Austria, President 24: Equatorial Guinea, President 24: Serbia, National Assembly Upcoming May 9: Philippines, President, Senate, House of Representatives 15: Dominican Republic, President, Senate, Chamber of Deputies 22: Cyprus, House of Representatives 22: Tajikistan, Constitutional referendum 22: Vietnam, National Assembly edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Ji Jianye, Li Chuncheng, Jiang Jiemin, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Jordan: Abu Qatada Philippines: Joseph Scott Pemberton Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Eston Kohver, Vladimir Kvachkov South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Kweku Adoboli, Tony McCluskie, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Chris Huhne, Nicola Edgington, Vicky Pryce, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot, Adam Johnson United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Jesse Jackson Jr., Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias, Anas al-Libi, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Sheldon Silver International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir, Radovan Karadžić Ongoing China: Yao Mugen, Guo Youming, Zhu Zuoli Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu, Relu Fenechiu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members United Kingdom: Rolf Harris United States: Dean Skelos International ICTY: Ratko Mladić PCA: China Upcoming China: Wu Changshun, Ling Jihua Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Spain: Lionel Messi United Kingdom: Max Clifford United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Dylan Quick, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo edit sidebar