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NGC 7027

At least 200 people are killed and hundreds of others are injured in multiple bombings at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka.
Scientists announce the discovery of naturally occurring helium hydride ions, believed to be the first compound to have formed in the universe, in the planetary nebula NGC 7027 (pictured).
The former President of Peru Alan García commits suicide after a warrant is issued for his arrest.

April 21, 2019 (Sunday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings
- A series of explosions at churches and hotels in four cities in Sri Lanka, including the nation's commercial capital and largest city Colombo, kills at least 207 people and wounds more than 450. Sri Lankan officials claim that no specific group has claimed responsibility but are saying that the work is that of religious extremists. (BBC)
- The Sri Lankan government temporarily blocks access to all social media platforms to stop the spread of "false media reports" about the attacks. (The Washington Post)
- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stated that several United States citizens were killed in the attacks and Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry officials have stated that at least five of the victims were of British nationality. (CNN)
Four attackers are killed in a failed attack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The attackers had machine guns, bombs, and petrol bombs. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

17 people are killed and over a dozen left missing after a landslide in the municipality of Rosas, in Colombia. (BBC) (El Tiempo)

Politics and elections

2019 Ukrainian presidential election
- According to exit polls, comedian Volodymyr Zelensky wins Ukraine's presidential run-off election over incumbent President Petro Poroshenko with more than 70 percent of the votes. Poroshenko concedes defeat. (Reuters) (BBC) (CBC)
2019 North Macedonian presidential election
- North Macedonians go to the polls to elect the next President of North Macedonia in an election dominated by divisions over the Prespa agreement, which resolved the naming dispute between North Macedonia and Greece. (Reuters)

April 20, 2019 (Saturday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

In Kabul, seven are killed after suicide bombers and gunmen attack the communications ministry. (BBC)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant kills 50 in and around Syria. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019 Egyptian constitutional referendum, Arab Winter
- Egyptians vote on a number of amendments to the Constitution of Egypt, which, among other things, allow President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to remain in power until 2030, increase the president's powers over Egypt's judiciary, and increase the power of Egypt's military over all other state institutions. The vote takes place over three days from 20 to 22 April. (AP News)

April 19, 2019 (Friday)

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Disasters and accidents

A house deck collapses in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, injuring 40 people, twenty of them severely. (Global News)

International relations

2019 Western Libya offensive, Libya–United States relations
- The White House says President Donald Trump has spoken to Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar about recent developments in Libya. During the call, Trump recognised Haftar's efforts to combat Islamic terrorism and secure Libya's oil reserves. (BBC)
- Russia and the United States veto a British-sponsored United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire between the Libyan National Army and forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord. (The Moscow Times)

Law and crime

Crime in Mexico
- A mass shooting at a bar in Minatitlán, Veracruz, kills 13 people and injures 4 others. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 United States presidential election, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign
- Media reports indicate former United States Vice President and Senator Joe Biden has decided that next week he will announce his participation in the race for Democratic Party's nomination in the 2020 United States presidential election. (The Atlantic) (NBC News)
Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019), Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
- House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler issues a subpoena to the Justice Department for, by May 1, the full, unredacted version of the Mueller Report, and for the underlying grand jury evidence and testimony. The Attorney General's offer to allow committee members a chance to view a less-redacted version of the report does not meet the committee's needs and was not accepted. (Politico)

April 18, 2019 (Thursday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

2019 Makran Massacre
- 14 people were killed in a gun attack on a bus in Pakistan. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

At least 13 people are killed and 29 others are injured when a wall collapses in Empangeni, South Africa, at the start of an Easter service at a Pentecostal church. (BBC)
Mountain climbers Jess Roskelley, David Lama and Hansjörg Auer are suspected dead after an avalanche on Howse Peak in Canada's Banff National Park. (MSN.com)

Law and crime

Dissident Irish Republican campaign
- Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee is shot dead by dissident republicans on the Creggan estate in Derry. (The Irish News)
The Royal Thai Navy is planning to remove a house that was allegedly constructed illegally 12 mi (19.31 km) off the Thai coastline to promote seasteading. The owners had planned to start a community of at least 20 houses in the area. Thai authorities have filed a complaint, which if prosecuted could carry a death sentence for "threatening the sovereignty of a state, and erosion of a state's independence". (Time via MSN)
Aftermath of the Bishop International Airport attack
- Amor Ftouhi is sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a police officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, United States in June 2017. (MLive)

Politics and elections

Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019), Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
- The redacted version of the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is released by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. The investigation did not find any conspiracy between President Donald Trump and the Russian government regarding the accusation that they collaborated to win the 2016 presidential election. The report did not rule out if the Trump administration committed obstruction of justice. The Department of Justice also stated some members of Congress will receive a less-redacted version of the report in the near future. (The New York Times) (USA Today)

April 17, 2019 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Russian military intervention in Ukraine
- The Security Service of Ukraine claims to have captured a Russian military intelligence hit squad responsible for the attempted murder of a Ukrainian military spy in the run-up to a presidential election on 21 April. (Daily Express)

Arts and culture

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announces an architectural competition to redesign and rebuild the spire of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral after it was destroyed by fire. (ABC News) (MassLive)

Business and economy

Singapore's non-oil exports slumped in March, according to numbers released by Enterprise Singapore. This was the biggest year-on-year monthly drop since October 2016. The slump in the export of electronics was especially marked. (The Strait Times)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Madeira bus crash
- At least 29 people, all German tourists, are killed in a bus crash in Caniço, Madeira Islands. (BBC)

Law and crime

Operation Car Wash § Peru
- Former Peruvian President Alan García dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident happened moments after judicial authorities had served him with an arrest warrant on corruption charges. (CNN) (Infobae)
Schools in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area are closed as the FBI searched for an 18-year-old Miami Beach Senior High School student described as "infatuated" with the Columbine High School massacre. She traveled to Colorado and purchased a shotgun and ammunition upon arriving, and was deemed a "credible threat" to area schools. She was later confirmed dead. (CNN) (NBC News) (The New York Times)
Moroccan authorities arrest a jihadist preparing to commit a terrorist attack in Seville, Spain, during the Holy Week processions. (El País)
Aftermath of the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état
- Former President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir is transferred from house arrest to a maximum security prison, reports say. His whereabouts had been unknown since the coup against him earlier this month. Al-Bashir has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2009 for war crimes in Darfur. (BBC)
2019 Guatemalan general election
- Presidential candidate Mario Estrada [es] is captured in the United States because of his alleged connections with the international drug trafficking Sinaloa Cartel. The United States Department of Justice says in a statement that Estrada had requested the murder of political rivals to win the presidency in exchange for granting control of airports and ports in the country to these groups. The presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 16. (Prensa Libre)
A man carrying lighters, canisters filled with gasoline and lighter fluid is arrested at New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral. (The Hill)

Politics and elections

2019 Indonesian general election
- Voters in Indonesia go to the polls to elect members of the parliament, the President and Vice President. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

Yale University researchers led by professor Nenad Sestan announce, through the Nature journal, that they successfully partly revived the brains of deceased pigs, four hours after death occurred. However, there were no signals from the brains that would indicate awareness or consciousness. (NPR)

April 16, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Business and economy

Apple Inc. and Google remove TikTok from their app stores in India after a high court in Madras ruled the app could expose children to sexual content and cyberbullying. (CNN)
- Starbucks opens its first store in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

International relations

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen, Saudi Arabia–United States relations
- U.S. President Donald Trump vetoes a Congressional resolution that sought to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Five people are killed and 13 others injured in an arson and stabbing attack in an apartment complex in Jinju, South Korea. The attacker tells the police he was angry because of back pay. (The Korea Times)
Eight families file a lawsuit against Washington Hebrew Congregation for allowing what they say was a lack of action over an assistant teacher who stands accused of sexually abusing several children in the day care program. (USA Today) (CNN)

April 15, 2019 (Monday)

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Arts and culture

2019 Pulitzer Prize
- Annapolis, Maryland daily newspaper The Capital is awarded a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of a mass shooting inside its own offices on June 28, 2018, that left five of its employees dead. (BBC)

Business and economy

AT&T Inc. sells its 10% stake in Hulu to Hulu LLC for $1.43 billion. (Variety)

Disasters and accidents

Notre-Dame de Paris fire
- A fire breaks out at the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris, resulting in the collapse of its roof and spire and considerable damage to the building's interior. (AJC) (BBC)
- French President Emmanuel Macron pledges to rebuild the Cathedral after the fire. (BBC)

International relations

Inter-Korean summits, North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korean President Moon Jae-in says he is ready for a fourth summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The 2019 inter-Korean summit will be held in South Korean capital of Seoul. (Time) (SFGate)

Law and crime

Four people are killed in a string of shootings in Penticton, British Columbia, in what police are calling targeted killings. A man later turned himself in and was taken into custody. (CBC News)

Politics and elections