1. Abe expresses ‘remorse’ over WWII

    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed “deep remorse*” on April 22 for Japan’s World War II aggression* at a summit attended by Asian leaders, but stopped short of* repeating previous apologies.

    Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Abe held a meeting at the request of the Japanese on the sidelines of the Asian-African leaders’ meeting on April 22, Xinhua reported.

    The speech by Abe, a strident* nationalist, at the Asian-Africa Summit in Jakarta was being closely watched for clues about a statement he is due to make later this year marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

    2. Gun salutes as Queen Elizabeth turns 89

    Gun salutes* rang out in London on April 21 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 89th birthday as Britain’s royals eagerly await the newest addition to the family.

    A 41-gun salute was fired at midday in Hyde Park, with a 62-gun salute following from the Tower of London — and it could happen all over again within days to celebrate the birth of Prince William and his wife Kate’s second baby.

    The queen’s fifth great-grandchild, who will be born fourth in line to the throne, is due later this month.

    The monarch, who has been on the throne since 1952, was spending the day at Windsor Castle, west of London.

    3. France says ‘imminent’ attack foiled

    An IT student allegedly planning a church attack in France has been arrested, the country’s interior minister said on April 22, just over three months after Paris was hit by a jihadist killing spree.

    In a baffling* series of events, the 24-year-old Franco-Algerian — known to intelligence services for wanting to fight in Syria alongside jihadists — was detained on Sunday in Paris after he himself called police over a bullet injury to his leg.

    “Several war weapons, hand guns, ammunition, bullet-proof vests and computer and telephone hardware” were subsequently found at his home and in his car, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told reporters.

    4. Protesters take to streets in U.S.

    U.S. demonstrators poured into the streets of Baltimore on April 21, carrying signs emblazoned* with the name of a man who died from a spinal* injury he suffered while in police custody.

    The Justice Department said that it has opened a civil rights investigation into the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who suffered a fatal spinal-cord injury under mysterious circumstances after he was handcuffed* and put in the back of a police van.

    Gray was taken into custody on April 12 after police “made eye contact” with him and another man in an area known for drug activity, police said, and both men started running.

    5. Plan approved to salvage sunken ferry

    South Korea formally approved a plan on April 21 to salvage* a ferry that sank last year, killing 304 people in one of the country’s deadliest disasters in decades.

    Raising the Sewol is one of the demands of bereaved* families who hope to discover more details about the cause of the sinking and find the bodies of nine passengers still missing. Some critics have opposed using taxpayer money to raise the civilian ship and are skeptical that it would provide new information or locate the missing.

    6. Chile declares emergency

    A volcano in Chile that had been inactive for 50-plus years suddenly erupted twice in the space of a few hours with tremendous force, blasting huge clouds of ash into the air and forcing the evacuation of some 5,000 people.

    There were no immediate reports of injuries after the eruptions from the Calbuco volcano in southern Chile on the evening of April 22 and then again seven hours later. A state of emergency was declared after the first eruption, and air traffic was disrupted.(SD-Agencies)