Portal:Current events

A painting, Judith Beheading Holofernes, believed to be from Italian painter Caravaggio, is discovered in an attic in the French city of Toulouse. (The Guardian)

Business and economics

Reuters reports that it has seen a draft memorandum generated by the International Monetary Fund that describes the debt owed by Greece to its European partners as "highly unsustainable." (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A massive fire occurs in a textile factory in the Mumbai suburb of Bhiwandi in India's Maharashtra state. Fifty people are feared trapped. (IBN Live)
A Pakistani police officer accidentally detonates a grenade in an anti-terrorism court in Karachi, injuring himself and a court assistant. The officer was attempting to demonstrate a grenade detonator to a judge and said the grenade was defused before pulling the pin. (The Guardian)

International relations

Cross-Strait relations
- Taiwan accuses China of "extrajudicial abduction" after 45 Taiwanese acquitted of fraud in Kenya were forcibly deported to China. (BBC News) (The New York Times)
North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korean defectors
- North Korea accuses South Korea of kidnapping its citizens and demands their immediate return after Seoul's Ministry of Unification said 13 of them had defected to South Korea from China, where they worked in a Pyongyang-operated restaurant. China says that the 13 people, a male manager and 12 young female employees, had legitimate passports and had freely exited China. (The Straits Times)
Iran–Italy relations
- During a visit to Iran, Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi signs various bilateral agreements to enhance relations between the two countries, including plans for cooperation between the Italian electricity and gas company Enel and the National Iranian Oil Company. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Law and crime

Australian 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown and her crew are reportedly facing kidnapping charges in Lebanon following a bungled child recovery attempt. (Courier Mail)
2016 Brussels bombings
- Belgium federal prosecutors say two more men have been charged with terrorist offenses linked to last month's Brussels bombing. Also, three people connected to the last year's Paris attacks are in custody. (Reuters)
North Carolina House Bill 2
- North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signs Executive Order 73 that addresses some, but not all, troublesome provisions in House Bill 2 that caused businesses, traveling recording stars, etc., to stay clear of the state. The order does expand the state's anti-discrimination employment policy to include LBGT protection, but reiterates that people use the marked facility consistent with "... their biological sex." The American Civil Liberties Union says the order, "... fall(s) far short of correcting the damage done ... (and that)... transgender people are still explicitly targeted by being forced to use the wrong restroom." Equality North Carolina says, "... the order doubles down on the Governor's support for some of the most problematic provisions of HB2." (NPR) (WSOC) (WNCN)
Panama Papers
- Authorities in Panama raid law firm Mossack Fonseca, the source of the data leaked about offshore companies. (AFP via The Rappler)

Politics and elections

Hundreds of people take to the streets of Handwara, Jammu and Kashmir after Indian Army soldiers shot dead at least two people during a protest against an alleged case of sexual harrasment by an army soldier against a young woman. (Al Jazeera)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Paul Ryan, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, rules out seeking or accepting the Republican Party nomination in 2016. (Fox News)
Brazil impeachment process, 2016
- President Dilma Rousseff, speaking with teachers and students, says Vice President Michel Temer and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Eduardo Cunha are jointly plotting her downfall. The two men are in line to succeed her if she is impeached. (AP via The Washington Post)
- In a 13-minute audio tape he released Monday, Vice President Temer outlines his administration in the event that President Rousseff is impeached. Temer says he unintentionally sent the tape to lawmakers through an instant messenger app. (Bloomberg) (AP via The Washington Post)

Science and technology

British researchers reveal that Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may be useful in treating mental disorders such as major depressive disorder. (BBC)

Sport

In rugby union, Allister Coetzee is named as the new coach of the South Africa national rugby team. (IOL)

April 11, 2016 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Stavropol bombings
- At least three suicide bombers attack a police station in Stavropol, Russia. (Sputnik News)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Clashes and air strikes are reported in Yemen despite a fragile truce between the government and Houthis taking effect. However, the truce appears to be largely holding as members from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are granted unhindered access to give humanitarian aid and personnel across the country. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills 12 new police recruits in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. The Taliban claims responsibility for the attack. (BBC)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- At least five people are killed and seven are wounded following a car bomb attack near a government building in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack. (BBC)

Business and economics

2008 financial crisis
- Goldman Sachs agrees to pay $5.06 billion to settle allegations that it sold packages of shoddy mortgages prior to the global financial crisis.. The U.S. Justice Department settlement includes a $2.385 billion civil penalty, and $1.8 billion for distressed borrowers and communities affected by the housing crisis. (The Washington Post) (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

2014–16 El Niño event
- A severe heat wave grips Malaysia as much of Southeast Asia struggles with unusually hot and dry weather created by the El Niño season. Temperatures in Malaysia soared above 37°C, prompting more than 250 schools to close. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

G7 foreign ministers meeting
- John Kerry, along with the other Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers, laid wreaths at Japan's Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to the victims of the 1945 U.S. nuclear attack. Kerry is the first Secretary of State to visit the memorial. Then-U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi was previously the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the memorial, in 2008. The Hiroshima foreign ministers meeting is part of the preparations for the 42nd G7 summit the end of next month at Japan's Kashiko Island, Shima, Mie Prefecture. (Reuters) (Channel NewsAsia)
Houthi insurgency in Yemen, Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, says he welcomes the tentative truce that started at midnight Yemen time. The truce opens unhindered access for relief aid to all of Yemen. Peace talks are set to start later this month. (Reuters)
North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korean defectors
- South Korea announces that a colonel from North Korea's military spy agency defected to the south last year. Senior-level defections are rare, most being low level operatives. (AP)
European migrant crisis
- The Italian Coast Guard rescues 1,850 in the Strait of Sicily. (AFP via Daily Star)

Law and crime

CIA Director John Brennan, in an exclusive interview to air on NBC News tonight, says the United States intelligence agency will not use harsh, enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, even if ordered by a future president. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have discussed using waterboarding if elected. (The Hill via MSN.com) (NBC News)
Kollam temple fire
- Five workers from the company that supplied fireworks to the Puttingal Temple have been detained by Indian police with the death toll rising to 106. (CNN)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- Israeli security forces arrest 18 Palestinians on the West Bank for alleged terrorism related offences. (Jerusalem Post)

Politics and elections

Hundreds of arrests are reported in the U.S. capitol in response to the Democracy Spring protests. (CNN) (Democracy Spring)

The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Temir Sariyev announces he will resign from his post. This comes after several Parliament members accused Sariyev and his cabinet of corruption. The Kyrgyz presidential press service said President Almazbek Atambayev accepted his resignation. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Darfurian status referendum, 2016
- Voting for a referendum begins in Darfur, Sudan. Voters will be asked during the three-day referendum to decide on the permanent administrative status of the region. The choices are for the creation of a Darfur Region composed of the States of Darfur, or the retention of the status quo states system. Darfur is currently divided into five states. Voters will decide this week whether the area should go back to being one region, as it was until 1994. However, there are fears of voter apathy and if the referendum will be credible. (Al Jazeera)
The President of the Georgian breakaway state of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov announces his plan to hold a referendum on whether to become part of Russia or to keep its de facto independence before August of this year. This comes after South Ossetia signed various agreements further integrating the region with Russia. (TASS)
2015–16 protests in Brazil
- A committee of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies votes 38-27 to recommend the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, who faces charges of breaking budget laws to support her re-election in 2014. (Reuters)

April 10, 2016 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The Taliban, in a statement claiming responsibility for yesterday's rocket attacks into Kabul, Afghanistan, says the intended target was U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in the capital to help defuse a crisis within the unity government. Kerry had departed less than an hour earlier. No casualties have been reported. (CNN)

Business and economics

Developers announce their intention to build a new tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to surpass the Burj Khalifa as the tallest structure in the world. The project is expected to be roughly $1bn (£710m) and scheduled to be completed for the Dubai Expo trade fair in 2020. (BBC)
The International Monetary Fund encourages the move toward negative interest rates because "they help deliver additional monetary stimulus and easier financial conditions." (Reuters).

Disasters and accidents

Kollam temple fire
- A fire occurs at a Hindu temple in the Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. At least 102 people have been killed and hundreds injured. (Indian Express) (Times of India) (inquisitr), (BBC)
2016 Afghanistan earthquake
- A 6.6 magnitude earthquake occurs in northern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border with tremors felt in north India. (BBC) (USGS)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- The Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif says that the country's missile program would not be up for discussion. This comes as United States Secretary of State John Kerry said last Thursday that the United States and its allies would only address Iran's concerns in the region if it makes it clear to all involved that it was prepared to cease provocative ballistic missile launches and tests. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Panama Papers
- German Justice Minister Heiko Maas, during a newspaper interview, appeals to media to hand over "Panama Papers" data that will help governments around the globe that already have started investigating possible financial wrongdoing by the world's rich and powerful. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Peruvian general election, 2016
- Voters in Peru go to the polls for a general election with Keiko Fujimori and Pedro Kuczynski going through to the second round. (Telesur) (AP via Journal Times)
- Suspected Shining Path rebels kill three people, two of them Peruvian Army soldiers and the other a driver, in an attack on a vehicle carrying election materials in the remote areas of the country. (BBC)
Chadian presidential election, 2016
- Voters in Chad go to the polls for the first round of voting in a presidential election with incumbent President Idriss Déby favoured to win a fifth term. (Reuters)
Comorian presidential election, 2016
- Voting begins for the second round of an election in the Comoros with a tight race expected between three candidates. They are current Vice President Mohamed Ali Soilihi, who won the first round, former coup leader Azali Assoumani and Governor of Grande Comore Mouigni Baraka. (Al Jazeera)
The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk resigns from office in a televised address. Yatsenyuk said his resignation is to be immediately followed by the formation of a new government. Volodymyr Groysman has taken role as Acting Prime Minister. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
European migrant crisis
- Macedonian police fire tear gas at refugees as they attempted to break through a fence at the Greece-Macedonia border near Idomeni, sparking clashes that injured 200 people. (Al Jazeera)
Panama Papers
- British Prime Minister David Cameron releases his tax records in an effort to remove discussion about his personal wealth from the current political discourse. His initial reluctance to admit he had benefited from his late father's offshore Panama Papers holdings still seems to be affecting the upcoming European Union referendum. Unfortunately for the PM, the main Sunday newspapers in the U.K. tell of a gift of 200,000 pounds ($282,500) from his mother in 2011, suggesting it may have been a way of avoiding inheritance tax. (Reuters)
- Several thousand people protest in Valletta, Malta, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat because the leaked Panama Papers connect his Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri, and Health and Energy Minister, Konrad Mizzi, to offshore accounts. (Reuters)

Science and technology

The World Wildlife Fund reports global populations of tigers, an endangered species, are up about 20 percent over the past six years. This increase in tiger numbers, after declining for a century, was primarily in India, Russia, Nepal, and Bhutan. The third Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation starts Monday in New Delhi, India. (Newsweek)

Sport

Masters Tournament
- In golf, Danny Willett of England wins the 2016 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. (The Telegraph)
NBA 2015-16 season
- The Golden State Warriors, with today's win at San Antonio, tie the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls NBA regular season record with their 72nd win this season. The Warriors can still break the record; on Wednesday, they host the Memphis Grizzlies in their final regular season game. (NBC News) (NBA)

April 9, 2016 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro Conflict
- 2016 Battle of Basilan
  - At least 18 soldiers are killed and 52 injured in clashes with Abu Sayyaf militants and allied gunmen in Basilan island, Philippines. (FOX News)
Military intervention against ISIL
- The United States Air Force deploys B-52 bombers to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to join operations against ISIL in Syria and Iraq. This is the first time they have been stationed in the Middle East since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. (Reuters)
Internal conflict in Peru
- At least two people are killed in a remote part of Peru in an attack by Shining Path guerillas. (Daily Mail)

Disasters and accidents

European migrant crisis
- Five migrants drown off the island of Samos close to Turkey. (AP)
At least 23 people are killed and 32 others injured after a bus plunges into a river in southeastern Peru. (AFP via ABC News)

International relations

Egypt–Saudi Arabia relations
- Egypt and Saudi Arabia reach an agreement on the disputed islands of Tiran Island and Sanafir Island, placing the formerly Egyptian-administered islands officially under Saudi Arabian sovereignty. (Daily Mail)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea claims to have successfully tested the engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile. (BBC)

Law and crime

2016 Brussels bombings
- Mohamed Abrini has reportedly admitted to being the "man in the hat" sought after the Brussels bombings. He is also being charged with involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks. (BNO News)
Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith is shot dead in a road rage incident. (CNN)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Registered Democratic voters in the U.S. state of Wyoming gather, by county, for the Wyoming Democratic caucuses. Bernie Sanders is projected to win. (Wyoming Tribune), (The Hill)
Panama Papers
- Thousands of people protest in Whitehall calling on British Prime Minister David Cameron to resign over his financial affairs and his handling of them in relation to revelations made by the leak of the Panama Papers. (Independent)
Puerto Rican Governor Alejandro García Padilla announces he declared a state of emergency at the Commonwealth's Government Development Bank yesterday, which allows withdrawals only to fund necessary costs for health, public safety, and education services. Without this measure and debt restructuring, the United States territory would be forced to default as it faces nearly $2.5 billion in bond payments from May through July. (AP via The Washington Post)

Sport

British horse Rule The World wins the 2016 Grand National. (BBC)
In boxing, Anthony Joshua wins the International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship defeating Charles Martin the defending champion. (The Guardian)

April 8, 2016 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency
- At least seven people are killed, including five Egyptian Army soldiers, a military officer and a civilian woman in two separate blasts in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. ISIL's Sinai branch claimed responsibility for the attacks on several websites. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Hīt offensive (2016)
  - The Iraqi Army recaptures the western town of Hīt, Al Anbar Governorate, after driving out hundreds of ISIL militants. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- Damascus offensive (April 2016)
  - ISIL militants reportedly execute 175 workers who were captured earlier this week at a cement factory situated to the east of Damascus. (RT) (Daily Mail)
2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes
- An ethnic Armenian soldier dies in overnight clashes. (News Armenia)

Arts and culture

Pope Francis issues Amoris Laetitia or the Joy of Love, a document on the Roman Catholic approach to love, sex, marriage and family life. (AP)
- In the 256-page document, the Pope encourages the clergy to embrace sinners as well as saints, opens the door a bit for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, and stresses that Catholics, with their own informed consciences guided by the light of the Gospel, address tricky moral questions in their life, and not only be guided by dogmatic rules from above. Francis also asserts the right to a natural death without aggressive treatment; firmly rejects the death penalty; and reiterates the Church's opposition to same-sex marriage. (AP²) (The Washington Post) (Vatican)
North Carolina bathroom bill
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band cancels their Sunday night concert in Greensboro, North Carolina, to protest the state's controversial "bathroom bill." (Rolling Stone)

Business and economics

Both Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and Marriott International shareholders approve Marriott's acquisition of Starwood, which will create the world's largest hotelier. The deal has cleared the pre-merger antitrust reviews in the United States and Canada; approvals from the European Union and China is pending. Last week, Anbang Insurance Group topped Marriott's bid, then withdrew their offer three days later. (Reuters) (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

At least 245 people are reportedly injured following a head-on collision between two commuter trains in San José, Costa Rica. (The Star)
Three people are killed, and there was one survivor, following the crash of a small plane headed to Angoon in Southeast Alaska, United States. (KTUU-TV)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korean defectors
- A group of 13 North Koreans working at a restaurant in an unidentified country defect en masse to South Korea, according to Seoul's Ministry of Unification. (USA Today)
Egypt–Saudi Arabia relations
- King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announces, during his trip to Cairo, that a bridge crossing the Red Sea will be built, linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says the bridge will be named after the Saudi monarch. A Saudi–Egypt Causeway project has been in the works for years. (BBC)
Syria–United States relations
- Syria releases American freelance photographer Kevin Patrick Dawes who was kidnapped in 2012. (Washington Post)
NATO–Russia relations
- NATO announces it will hold a meeting of the NATO–Russia Council at the ambassadorial level at NATO headquarters in Brussels in the next two weeks after a two-year break since NATO cut all practical cooperation with Russia in 2014. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Egypt–Italy relations, Murder of Giulio Regeni
- Italy recalls its ambassador to Egypt for consultations in protest over the lack of progress in a probe into the fate of murdered Cambridge University student Giulio Regeni. "We want only one thing, the truth about what happened to Giulio," Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Friday. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
China-Russia relations
- Russia postpones a transfer of missile engines to China. There is concern the technology could be passed on to a third country, such as North Korea. China is not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime, a voluntary, informal partnership between 34 countries to prevent proliferation of missile delivery systems that could carry weapons of mass destruction. (UPI)
Bangladesh–United States relations
- U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemns Wednesday's "barbaric murder" of Nazimuddin Samad, and says federal officials are considering granting refuge to a select number of Bangladeshi writers who are under "imminent danger" because of their critical views of radical Islamists. (UPI)

Law and crime

At least two people are reported dead following a shooting at Lackland Air Force Base, in the U.S. state of Texas. (CNBC)
Aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks
- Six people are arrested in Belgium including:
  - Mohamed Abrini, wanted in connection with the 2015 Paris attacks, is arrested in Belgium. (Reuters via Ynet)
  - Osama Krayem, thought to have assisted the bomber at the subway during the 2016 Brussels bombings. (BBC News)
Panama Papers
- El Salvador officials seize documents and equipment during a raid of the local offices of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. Attorney General Douglas Melendez says authorities interviewed seven employees, and confiscated 20 computers and some documents. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The French occupy movement known as Nuit debout enters its ninth day, "March 40," spreading across dozens of French cities and to Belgium, Germany, and Spain. (The Guardian)
Djiboutian presidential election, 2016
- Voters in Djibouti go to the polls for the first round of voting in a presidential election with current President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh winning a fourth term in office. (BBC), (AFP via Daily Mail)
A Myanmar court releases 69 jailed student activists in the first wave of amnesty for the country's political prisoners, with more releases expected. This comes after State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi vowed to push for the release of all the political prisoners in Myanmar. (Al Jazeera)
The Prime Minister of Madagascar Jean Ravelonarivo and his cabinet resign from office with no explanation given. (The Guardian)
Macedonian opposition leader Zoran Zaev pledges to boycott the early Macedonian parliamentary elections, saying it is due to a lack of government reforms. (Business Insider)
LGBT rights in the United States
- A group of United States mayors forms "Mayors Against Discrimination" in the wake of recent discriminatory laws enacted in North Carolina and Mississippi against LBGT individuals. The founding members are city leaders from Honolulu, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Oakland, San Francisco, Sante Fe, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. (AP) (Huffington Post) (Mayor Edward Murray)
United States presidential election, 2016
- The Colorado Republican Party continues choosing its delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Ted Cruz has swept all of the delegates available so far. The process which began last Saturday (April 2, 2016) will conclude tomorrow. (Washington Post)

Science and technology

SpaceX CRS-8
- SpaceX launches a NASA cargo run to the International Space Station, and in a spaceflight first, successfully lands its reusable main-stage booster on an autonomous spaceport drone ship. (The Verge) (Reuters)

Sport

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says they will not open up a formal investigation into the doping scandals that were reported by the World Anti-Doping Agency last November, where it documented Russian athletes systematically taking banned performance-enhancing drugs with state support. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

April 7, 2016 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- According to Syrian state television, ISIL militants kidnapped over 300 staff members from a cement factory outside of the city of Al-Dumayr earlier this week and no contact with them has been made since. (Al Jazeera)
Military intervention against ISIL
- Turkish Armed Forces shell ISIL positions hours after projectiles hit Turkey's Kilis Province. (Hurriyet)

Arts and culture

American Idol (season 15)
- Trent Harmon is declared as the last winner of the American singing competition series, American Idol, which concluded after 15 seasons. (E! Online)
LGBT rights in the United States
- The Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association, in response to the potential backlash from Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant's signing of the so-called religious freedom bill which permits denial of services because of religious belief, will distribute decals that say "Everyone's Welcome Here." Mike Cashion, MHRA director, says the bill "created a level of controversy" that affects Mississippi's image. (Jackson Free Press)

Business and economy

Australian mining and materials company Arrium goes into voluntary administration with 7,000 jobs under threat in Australia, including 1,000 at the Whyalla Steelworks in South Australia. (ABC News)
Bloomberg News reports Verizon Communications plans a bid for Yahoo Inc.’s Web business, including Yahoo Japan Corp., next week. Google, Time Inc., and private equity funds Bain and TPG are considering bidding for Yahoo’s core business. AT&T Inc., Comcast, and Microsoft Corp. reportedly aren't interested. (Reuters) (Bloomberg News)

Disasters and accidents

Another earthquake measuring at 6.7 strikes off the northwest of Vanuatu, the third earthquake in the same region this week. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says the earthquake poses no tsunami threat. (Radio New Zealand)

Law and crime

Attacks on secularists in Bangladesh
- Attackers in Bangladesh wielding machetes kill Nazimuddin Samad, a liberal blogger. (Reuters)
- Students from Jagannath University in Dhaka, where Nazimuddin Samad studied, protest the killing and tell reporters that police inaction over previous killings contributed to the death of Samad. (BBC)
Panama Papers
- The government of Panama announces that it is creating an "international panel" to help improve transparency in its offshore financial industry. The move follows the leak of millions of documents from law firm Mossack Fonseca, showing it helped some clients evade tax and avoid sanctions. (BBC)
Colombia's Constitutional Court votes in favor of same-sex marriage, in a 6-3 decision. (ABC News) (The Advocate)
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union sue Indiana stating the U.S. state's new abortion law is unconstitutional because it bans the procedure if sought because of genetic abnormalities. (CBS News with AP) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The National Assembly of Vietnam approves Nguyễn Xuân Phúc as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Nguyễn Tấn Dũng. (Reuters) (Shanghai Daily)
Hashim Thaçi is sworn in as the new President of Kosovo. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
South Sudanese Civil War
- Former Vice President and opposition leader Riek Machar says he will return to the capital Juba on April 18 to form a transitional government with President Salva Kiir Mayardit in the hopes of bringing peace to South Sudan after their acrimonious split ignited more than two years of war. (Al Jazeera)
Aung San Suu Kyi, now the State Counsellor of Myanmar, says she will press for the release of political prisoners and student activists in the country, hinting that a mass amnesty may be imminent, a week after her government took power. (The Guardian)
United States presidential election, 2016, Donald Trump endorsements
- Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani endorses Donald Trump for U.S. President, predicting Trump will get more than 50% of the statewide vote. (CBS News)
Panama Papers
- United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron admits he benefited from a Panama-based offshore trust, Blairmore Holdings Inc., set up by his late father. Cameron says he divested himself of his shares, for £31,500 (US$44,300), before becoming prime minister in 2010. (The Guardian) (AP via The Washington Post)
- Jürgen Mossack, co-founder of the Mossack Fonseca law firm, resigns from an honorary, unpaid post on the National Council of Foreign Relations, which advises Panama's government on foreign policy. (The New York 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 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 2015–16 NBA season 2015–16 NHL season 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 12: David Gest 12: Arnold Wesker 11: Ed Snider 10: Howard Marks 9: Duane Clarridge 9: Tony Conrad 9: Will Smith 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: 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 24: Johan Cruyff 24: Garry Shandling 23: Phife Dawg 22: Rob Ford 22: Harold J. Morowitz 21: Andrew Grove 21: Joseph Mercieca 21: Ricardo Larraín 20: Anker Jørgensen 19: Roger Agnelli 18: Guido Westerwelle 17: Paul Daniels 16: Sylvia Anderson 16: Better Loosen Up (death announced on this day) 16: Alexander Esenin-Volpin 16: Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan 16: Cliff Michelmore 16: Frank Sinatra, Jr. 15: Asa Briggs 15: Richard Burke 15: Tamara Grigsby 15: Seru Rabeni 14: Peter Maxwell Davies 14: Suranimala Rajapaksha 14: Davy Walsh (death announced on this day) 13: Adrienne Corri 13: Hilary Putnam 13: Martin Olav Sabo 13: József Verebes 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 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 March 20: Benin, President (2nd round) 20: Cape Verde, National Assembly 20: Republic of the Congo, President 20: Kazakhstan, Majilis 20: Niger, President (2nd round) 20: Senegal, Constitutional referendum April 6: Netherlands, EU referendum 8: Djibouti, President (1st round) Upcoming April 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: Serbia, National Assembly May 9: Philippines, President, Senate, House of Representatives 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