Portal:Current events/2015 April 7
April 7, 2015 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Intervention in Yemen
- The World Health Organisation estimates that 560 people have died, more than 1,700 people have been injured and more than 100,000 people have fled their homes following the intensification of fighting three weeks ago. (AP via Virginia Gazette)
Disasters and accidents
- Following the deployment of 350 police, over 600 firefighters and over 400 soldiers, the fire at the Dragon Aromatics chemical plant in Zhangzhou (southeast China) restarts, forcing the evacuation of residents within a radius of 18km from the plant. (South China Morning Post)
- Widespread power outages are reported in Washington D.C. after an explosion at a Maryland power substation. (CNN) (ABC 6)
Law and crime
- The Parliament of Malaysia passes the Prevention of Terrorism Act which allows the Government to detain terrorism suspects without charge. (AFP via France 24)[permanent dead link]
- At least 20 people die in a shootout between Indian police and timber smugglers in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. (AFP via Straits Times)
- American judge Kenneth Marra strikes out claims that Virginia Roberts was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, Duke of York in her claim against Jeffrey Epstein. (BBC)
- Raiders using specialist cutting equipment break into an underground vault in the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company in the London diamond district and empty 300 safety deposit boxes. (Daily Mail)
- Shooting of Walter Scott
- A North Charleston, South Carolina policeman is charged with murder after video footage emerges of him shooting an unarmed suspect attempting to flee on foot following a daytime traffic stop. (Post and Courier)
Politics and elections
- Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency in 2016. (USA Today)
- Chicago mayoral election
- Rahm Emanuel is re-elected to a second term as Mayor of Chicago, defeating opponent Jesús "Chuy" García in the city's first mayoral runoff election since switching to nonpartisan elections 20 years ago. (Chicago Tribune)
Sports
- 2015 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
- The Connecticut Huskies defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 63-53 to win their third successive NCAA Division I women's basketball championship. The title is the 10th for both the Huskies and their head coach Geno Auriemma, tying him with late UCLA men's coach John Wooden for the most championships by a Division I basketball coach. (The New York Times) (CBS News) (ESPN) (USA Today)