Graphic News Planner (news) 22/04/2019 13:28:31

May 5-11, 2019 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries for each day of the week. This week features the poet Dante, the Channel Tunnel, Eva Peron of Argentine, the Thames Barrier protecting London, the capture of Homs in Syria after a thee year siege, the death of Malaysia’s former leader Mahathir Mohamad, and the dedication of Constantinople.

May 5, 1274: Italian poet Dante Alighieri met Beatrice Portinari, his muse, for the first time. His Divine Comedy is considered the most important poem of the Middle Ages

May 6, 1994: The Channel Tunnel, which linked Britain and France for the first time since the Ice Age, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and President Francois Mitterrand

May 7, 1919: Eva Peron, First Lady of Argentina during the government of Juan Peron, was born. A hugely popular figure, she championed the rights of women and the poor

May 8, 1984: The Thames Barrier, built to stem the flow of the tidal river and protect London from flooding, was opened. It was used a record 50 times over the winter of 2013-14

May 9, 2014: Syrian government forces captured the city of Homs after a three-year siege. Unrest in Homs had erupted after anti-government demonstrations

May 10, 2018: Malaysia’s former leader Mahathir Mohamad, aged 93, became the world’s oldest head of government after a surprise election victory

May 11, 330: Emperor Constantine dedicated Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire. Now called Istanbul, it was built over the ancient Greek city of Byzantium


HISTORY: On this day May 5-11, 2019 (week 19) (Graphic DUE Apr 23, 14:00GMT)
GN39022 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set)

May 12-18, 2019 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries for each day of the week.
This week features the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, the first Giro d’Italia, the first Olympic Games in the United States, the bridge across the Kerch Strait to Crimea, the first Academy Awards, the first country to legalise same-sex couples, and the life of Dame Margot Fonteyn

May 12, 1949: The Soviet blockade of West Berlin ended after 11 months. The Berlin Blockade was the first major multinational skirmish of the Cold War

May 13, 1909: The first Giro d’Italia cycling tour set out from Milan, inspired by the success of the Tour de France. Above shows the final stage of the 2018 race in Rome

May 14, 1904: The first Olympic Games to be held in the United States opened in St Louis. They were the first Games at which gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded

May 15, 2018: Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a bridge across the Kerch Strait to Crimea, cementing Russia’s hold on Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in 2014

May 16, 1929: The first Academy Awards were presented in Hollywood. Wings won best film, while the top acting awards went to Janet Gaynor and Emil Jannings

May 17, 2004: Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to issue legal marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Thousands of couples obtained licenses within days

May 18, 1919: Prima ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn, one of the world’s greatest classical ballet stars, best remembered for her partnership with Rudolf Nureyev, was born

HISTORY: On this day May 12-18, 2019 (week 20) (Graphic DUE Apr 23, 14:00GMT)
GN39023 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set)

April 22, 2019 -- Sunday's coordinated suicide attacks on churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka killed 290 people, including 32 foreigners, and wounded more than 500 others.

The targets included St Anthony’s Shrine, Colombo; St. Sebastian’s, Negombo; Zion Church, Batticaloa; Kingsbury Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, and Cinnamon Grand in Colombo. There were two explosions during police raids in Colombo, and a pipe bomb was defused near Colombo’s main airport on Sunday night.

Foreigners killed include British citizens, and U.S., Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals

Around 7.6 per cent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes both Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups.

TERRORISM: Sri Lanka attacks update (Graphic)
GN39040 Graphic shows locations of Sri Lankan attacks.
(107mm wide by 97mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 21, 2019 -- Bomb blasts at three Sri Lankan churches and three luxury hotels killed more than 130 people and wounded hundreds of others.

An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more than 60 people had been killed in St. Sebastian’s in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo, while at least 45 people died in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit.

A further 25 people were also killed in an attack on the Zion Church in Batticaloa in Eastern Province.

The seventh blast at a hotel in the southern Colombo suburb of Dehiwala killed at least two people. There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

Around 7.6 per cent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes both Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups.

TERRORISM: Sri Lanka attacks (Graphic)
GN39039 Graphic shows locations of Sri Lankan attacks.
(107mm by 90mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 18, 2019 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild the devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral within five years, and less than 48 hours since the blaze began, tycoons, companies, local authorities and individuals have stepped forward with donations totalling some €900 million. Other pledges include free transport, timber and renovation work.

The most substantial pledges made so far include €200 million from French billionaire businessman Bernard Arnault’s family and his LVMH luxury goods group, a further €200m from French luxury and cosmetics group L’Oreal, along with the Bettencourt Meyer family and the Bettencourt Schueller foundation.

A pledge of €100m from Francois Henri Pinault, who heads the Kering luxury goods company, and €100m from French oil company Total.

Donations from over 150,000 individuals around the world add a further €20m to the total, while the Hungarian cities of Szeged and Székesfehérvár have pledged €10,000 each towards the cathedral's restoration.

NOTRE-DAME FIRE: Donations pledged (Graphic)
GN39037 Graphic shows donations pledged to date.
(107mm wide by 148mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

May 2, 2019 -- Leonardo da Vinci, renowned Renaissance artist and polymath, died on May 2, 1519, aged 67.

Widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time, Leonardo’s prodigious talents included drawing, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography.

He has been variously called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture, and is sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute, helicopter and tank.

Born out of wedlock to notary Piero da Vinci and a peasant woman named Caterina near the Tuscan town of Vinci, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the Florentine painter Verrocchio.

He won the patronage of Lorenzo de Medici, de facto ruler of Florence and a noted patron of the arts, before entering the service of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, where he completed many of his finest works.

He later worked in Rome, Bologna, and Venice, and spent his final years at Clos Lucé manor house in Amboise, France – awarded to him by King Francois I.

HISTORY: Leonardo da Vinci 500 year anniversary interactive (Interactive)
GN39035
(800px wide by 568px deep)

April 17, 2019 -- Activity detected at North Korea’s main nuclear site suggests that Pyongyang may be reprocessing radioactive material into bomb fuel, according to U.S. think tank Beyond Parallel.

Satellite imagery of Yongbyon nuclear site from April 12 showed five specialised railcars near its Uranium Enrichment Facility and Radiochemistry Laboratory.

In the past, these railcars appear to have been associated with the movement of radioactive material or reprocessing campaigns, the report said.

Any new reprocessing activity would underscore the failure of a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in late February to make progress toward North Korea’s denuclearisation, a Reuters report said.

NORTH KOREA: Yongbyon nuclear activity (Graphic)
GN39032 Graphic shows details of Yongbyon nuclear complex.
(107mm by 140mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 17, 2019 -- Carmakers must cut average fleet emissions to less than 95 grammes per kilometre of carbon dioxide from 2021, or face a €95 fine for every gramme of CO2 that exceeds the target, multiplied by the number of cars sold.

Ironically, since the 2015 Dieselgate scandal, in which Volkswagen admitted using defeat devices to cheat emissions tests, CO2 levels have started to rise. Current data from Jato Dynamics showed average emissions rose to a four-year high of 120.5g of CO2/km from 117.8g/km in 2016.

As buyers shunned diesel models they moved towards SUVs which produce more CO2; diesel vehicles typically emit a fifth less carbon than petrol cars. SUV sales have risen by 75 per cent since 2015, according to IHS Markit.

Manufacturers are relying on so-called “supercredits” from electric cars that offset more polluting vehicles, but sales of EVs account for less than 1 per cent of the market.

VW, which sold 3.6 million vehicles in Europe last year, has average emissions of 118.8g/km. If the rules were applied today, VW would face fines of €2,261 for every car sold -- potentially a levy of more than €8 billion.

Herbert Diess, Volkswagen chief executive, has warned that fines could cost the European auto industry as much as €30 billion.

BUSINESS: EU emissions targets (Graphic)
GN39034 Graphic shows recent rise in carbon dioxide emissions and changes since 2014 by selected car makers.
(107mm by 145mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 16, 2019 -- Hundreds of millions of euros have been pledged to help rebuild Notre-Dame after fire ravaged the 850-year-old building, destroying the medieval roof timbers, the spire, and parts of the stone vaulting below.

Although the spire of the cathedral and the roof collapsed, firefighters managed to save the main structure and salvage an unknown quantity of its cultural treasures, according to a cathedral spokesman. 

Two priceless artefacts, the Holy Crown of Thorns and a sacred tunic worn by Saint Louis, a 13th-century French king, were among items rescued. They have been taken to the Musée du Louvre for safekeeping.
 
France’s minister of culture Franck Riester said three parts of the stone vault had collapsed and authorities are worried about the rest given that there are vast amounts of water-filled charred wood lying on top of the structure.
 
“It’s all very fragile,” said Riester.
 
The cathedral’s iconic bell towers -- immortalised in Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame -- survived, along with the elaborate stonework facade. The irreplaceable rose windows and Grand Organ are also reportedly in good condition.

President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild the cathedral and said he would launch an international fundraising campaign to help finance repairs. Donors have already pledged hundreds of millions of euros.

Two of France’s richest men, François-Henri Pinault -- chairman and chief executive of the Kering group, which owns such brands as Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent -- has offered to donate €100m ($113m), and LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault has offered €200m ($226m).

The Île-de-France region will unlock an emergency fund of €10 million ($11.3 million), and Paris City Hall said it would give €50 million ($56.45 million) towards rebuilding efforts.

Notre-Dame is one of France’s most famous landmarks, visited by around 13 million people a year.

NOTRE-DAME FIRE: Assessing the damage (1) (Graphic)
GN39030 Graphic shows extent of damage.
(163mm wide by 218mm)

April 16, 2019 -- Sabre is an experimental air-breathing rocket engine, designed to power a craft from standstill on a runway to hypersonic flight at over Mach 5 (6,300km/h), before switching over to rocket mode to reach Mach 25 and low Earth orbit.

British-based Reaction Engines has made a technological breakthrough in its efforts to build a plane that can travel to space. The company successfully tested its “pre-cooling” technology, which is critical to cool down compressor delivery temperature when flying at multiples of the speed of sound.

The faster the flow of air into the engine’s intake during high-speed ascent, the higher the temperature. And the heat would rise still further once the airflow is slowed and compressed before entering the combustion chambers -- with the risk of melting the insides of an engine.

The breakthrough test, conducted on March 25 at Reaction Engines’ TF2 test facility at Colorado Air and Space Port near Watkins in the U.S, demonstrated the ability to rapidly chill incoming heated air generated by a General Electric J79 turbojet operating at full military power -- the equivalent temperature experienced at Mach 3.3. The next test will see the J79 operating in full afterburner mode, corresponding to Mach 5.

Reaction Engines’ pre-coolers comprise of 16,800 pipes made of Inconel 718, a high-strength, corrosion-resistant nickel-chromium alloy. The interlaced metal tubes have walls with a thickness of 40 microns -- thinner than a human hair. This pre-cooling technology can cool air from 1,000°C to -120°C in the space of 1/20th of a second.

“This is a hugely significant milestone which has seen Reaction Engines’ proprietary pre-cooler technology achieve unparalleled heat transfer performance,” said the company’s chief executive Mark Thomas.

The lightweight pre-cooler will form the basis of the company’s SABRE (Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) space plane.

SPACE: Sabre space plane engine (Graphic)
GN39005 Graphic shows key features of Reaction Engines Sabre rocket engine.
(107mm by 157mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 16, 2019 -- It took 182 years to build and has stood for more than eight centuries. But in less than two hours, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was in ruins, its future uncertain, after a fire ripped through the iconic landmark.

Since the 1990s, there has been on-and-off restoration culminating in the work underway now that officials have suggested may have led to the fire.

Those flames have claimed the historic spire of the cathedral and caused the medieval wooden roof to collapse.

The insides of the historic landmark have also been destroyed by fire, leaving only a shell remaining along with the famous bell towers.

NOTRE-DAME FIRE: Key dates (Graphic)
GN39031 Graphic shows key dates in the history of Notre-Dame.
(107mm wide by 160mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 16, 2019 -- A major fire has engulfed the medieval Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, one of France's most famous landmarks.

The 850-year-old Gothic building's spire and roof have collapsed but the main structure, including the two bell towers, has been saved, officials say.

The cause of the fire is not yet clear, but officials say it could be linked to the renovation work that began after cracks appeared in the stone.

Sixteen statues that were part of Notre Dame’s now destroyed spire are safe and unscathed after being removed as part of a renovation just days ago.

The $6.8m renovation project marked the first time the statues had been removed in over a century, according to the Associated Press.

The last time the cathedral suffered major damage was during the French Revolution.

DISASTERS: Fire ravages Notre-Dame cathedral (Graphic)
GN39029 Graphic shows location of fire and extent of damage.
(107mm wide by 180mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 15, 2019 -- After rigorous gun legislation brought in after the Port Arthur massacre, gun ownership numbers are creeping back up to their former levels.

A drive-by shooting in Melbourne killed a security guard and wounded three others in one of the main entertainment precincts on Sunday.

Recently, attention has been drawn to Australasia’s gun ownership numbers following a mass shooting in New Zealand, in March, that killed 50 people.

Australia suffered one of its worst massacres in 1996 when Martin Bryant went on a shooting and stabbing rampage in Port Arthur, Tasmania – killing 35 people and wounding a further 23 individuals.

Following the incident, fundamental changes to Australian gun control laws were made.

AUSTRALIA: Gun ownership on the rise (Graphic)
GN39027 Graphic charts various aspects of Australian gun ownership since 1996.
(107mm by 110mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 17, 2019 -- The world’s largest single-day elections will see 192 million voters electing the president, members of parliament and almost 20,000 other positions in regional councils across 18,000 islands.

In the presidential race, incumbent Joko Widodo, a former furniture salesman who ran on pro-poor platform in 2014, is standing for re-election against Prabowo Subianto, a former military general he defeated in 2014.

Regarding the legislative elections, more than 245,000 candidates will contest over 20,000 seats at five levels of government.

In just six hours, votes will be cast at 809,500 polling stations scattered across 1.9 million sq km of the world’s third largest democracy.

The millennial vote considered key to victory as around 40% of eligible voters, some 80 million people, are aged 17 to 35.

INDONESIA: General elections (Graphic)
GN39025 Graphic shows some key facts and figures about the polls in the third-biggest democracy.
(107mm wide by 157mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 12, 2019 -- It will cost the UK Government more than £100 million to take part in the European Parliament elections on May 23, according to an analysis of the cost of staging the last ballot in 2014.

Key Facts
The elections took place in 12 electoral constituencies across all of the UK and Gibraltar. The total cost was £108,689,344, paid from the UK Government’s Consolidated Fund

This total includes the costs for the distribution of poll cards, the operation of polling stations, provision of postal votes, the count, and the fees paid to returning officers for their services in delivering the elections. It also includes the cost of the delivery of candidates’ election leaflets.

It included:
• £2.5 million for returning officers’ services;
• £40.6 million for candidate mailings

At the election:
• 46.5 million people were registered and eligible to vote; of whom,
• 7.2 million were registered to vote by post; and
• 16.5 million cast a vote.

The elections were conducted by:
• 11 Regional Returning Officers;
• 381 Local Returning Officers; and
• the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland, with the support of local authority electoral services teams, local authority staff and resources more widely, and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

BREXIT: Cost of holding EU vote (Graphic)
GN39021 Graphic shows cost of staging the British ballot for the European Parliamentary elections in 2014.
(107mm by 146mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

May 2, 2019 -- Leonardo da Vinci, renowned Renaissance artist and polymath, died on May 2, 1519, aged 67.

Widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time, Leonardo’s prodigious talents included drawing, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography.

He has been variously called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture, and is sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute, helicopter and tank.

Born out of wedlock to notary Piero da Vinci and a peasant woman named Caterina near the Tuscan town of Vinci, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the Florentine painter Verrocchio.

He won the patronage of Lorenzo de Medici, de facto ruler of Florence and a noted patron of the arts, before entering the service of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, where he completed many of his finest works.

He later worked in Rome, Bologna, and Venice, and spent his final years at Clos Lucé manor house in Amboise, France – awarded to him by King Francois I.

HISTORY: Leonardo da Vinci 500th anniversary (Graphic)
GN38991 Graphic shows highlights from the works and travels of Leonardo da Vinci.
(163mm by 260mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 8, 2019 -- The Candida auris fungus, which preys on people with weak immune systems and is often acquired in hospitals, is spreading across the globe.

Healthcare units in several countries are reporting a type of yeast called Candida auris is causing severe illness in hospitalised patients. In some people, the yeast can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, causing serious infections.

Oftentimes the yeast does not respond to commonly used antifungal treatments, making infections difficult to deal with.

Patients who have been hospitalised for a long time and have catheters or other lines and tubes entering their bodies, or those that have previously received antibiotics or antifungal medications, appear to be at highest risk of infection.

Special laboratory methods are needed to accurately identify C. auris as conventional lab techniques can lead to misidentification – making it difficult to control the spread of the fungus within hospitals.

HEALTH: Candida auris infections on the rise (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 12)
GN38994 Graphic explains how the fungus spreads, highlighting countries affected by the pathogen.
(107mm by 140mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 11, 2019 -- After 30 years in power, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been arrested and deposed by the military, following nearly four months of protests against his rule.

The army has also taken over the country for the next two years and imposed a three-month state of emergency, plunging the nation into new uncertainty.

Bashir’s time in power will likely be remembered as among the most oppressive in Sudan’s modern history. For the last decade, he has been under a cloud of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in the region of Darfur.

SUDAN: Army forces president to step down (Graphic)
GN39018 Graphic shows selected timeline of Omar al-Bashir.
(107mm by 151mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 11, 2019 -- Julian Assange, founder of whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, has been arrested by British police at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange has lived inside the tiny Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012, unable to exit for fear of extradition to the U.S. to face charges of espionage and other serious crimes.

Assange took refuge in the embassy seven years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault case that has since been dropped.

Police said he was arrested for failing to surrender to the court on other charges.

Ecuador’s president Lenin Moreno said it withdrew asylum after Assange’s repeated violations of international conventions.

WikiLeaks says terminating Assange’s political asylum violates international law.

Assange’s home at the embassy has been a medium-sized room converted into a studio apartment, equipped with a bed, telephone, sun lamp, computer, shower, treadmill, and kitchenette.

POLITICS: Julian Assange’s seven year exile (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 11)
GN38048 Graphic shows what life was like for political refugee Julian Assange, inside the compact Kensington embassy where he lived and worked in a single modest room.
(107mm by 160mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 11, 2019 -- Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party heads a faction of rightwing groups, including ultraorthodox Jews and ultranationalists that emerged large enough to form a coalition in the Knesset.

The outcome affirmed Israel’s continued tilt to the right and further dimmed hopes of a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It also will give Netanyahu a boost as he braces for the possibility of criminal charges in a series of corruption scandals involving claims of cosiness with tycoons, media manipulation and tales of champagne and cigars being traded for favours. Netanyahu has denied the allegations.

It now falls on President Reuven Rivlin, who will consult with party representatives next week before picking the candidate with the best chance of assembling a parliamentary majority.

Together with his current Jewish ultra-Orthodox and nationalist partners, Netanyahu seemed to have a clear path toward building a coalition government that has a majority in parliament.

POLITICS: Israel possible coalition (Graphic)
GN39017 Graphic shows possible Likud-led coalition in the Knesset.
(107mm wide by 100mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 10, 2019 -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to welcome their first child, with reports indicating the newest royal baby will be born by the end of April or beginning of May.

The baby will be seventh in line to the throne, whether it's a boy or a girl, due to an act passed in 2013 meaning that male heirs no longer take precedence over their sisters.

Baby Sussex will still be behind his or her grandfather, Prince Charles, uncle, Prince William, three cousins, George, Charlotte and Louis, and father, Prince Harry.

ROYAL BIRTH: British line of succession (Graphic)
GN39004 Graphic shows line of succession to the British throne.
(107mm by 136mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 10, 2019 -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to secure a record fifth term despite his Likud party running neck-and-neck with former-military chief Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White alliance.

Nearly all right-wing parties declared Tuesday they will recommend Benjamin Netanyahu to President Reuven Rivlin to form the next government.

Kulanu, the United Right-Wing Parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism together got 25 Knesset seats. With Likud -- which received 35 Knesset seats -- the right-wing bloc would achieve the minimum 60 Knesset seats required for forming a coalition, or 65 seats if Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, recommends Netanyahu for the premiership.

POLITICS: Israel election results (Graphic)
GN39002 Graphic shows seats in the Knesset with 97 percent of votes counted.
(107mm by 138mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 9, 2019 -- Clashes between rival Libyan forces for control of Tripoli is threatening to disrupt oil supplies and plunge the fractured North African country deeper into chaos, despite appeals by the UN for a truce.

The self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Hifter who last week launched the push on Tripoli, has clashed with rival militias which support the U.N.-backed government that controls Tripoli and the western part of the country.

Fighting was underway Monday at Tripoli's former international airport, some 24km south of the city. That airport was closed in 2014 after fighting destroyed much of it.

The LNA also acknowledged launching an airstrike at the Mitiga airport Monday, just 8km east of the city centre.

LIBYA: Rivals battle for control of Tripoli (Graphic)
GN38998 Graphic shows details of clashes and rival groups.
(107mm by 140mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 9, 2019 -- The U.S. military has renamed its former Pacific Command as the Indo-Pacific Command, reflecting Washington’s growing attention to China’s “two-ocean” strategy of conducting high-intensity naval operations in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis’ 2018 National Defense Strategy identified a great power competition from China and Russia as the “central challenge to U.S. prosperity and security.”

The North Atlantic emerged as a central battleground in the competition with Russia, prompting Washington to reactivate the U.S. Second Fleet in August 2018, after deactivating it in 2011.

Through its Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s interests are no longer bounded by the Pacific, they now span across the Indian Ocean too, with its first overseas naval base in Africa’s Djibouti, and deepwater ports at Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantota in Sri Lanka and Kyauk Pyu in Myanmar.

In the Pacific, China’s growing naval domination stretches past the so-called “first island chain.” The first chain -- a security concept devised in the 1950s by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles -- links the Kurils in the north, the Japanese home islands to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Beijing plans to deny adversaries the ability to operate within the first chain during a conflict and contest control of a second island chain linking Japan to the east of the strategic U.S. naval base at Guam.

The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) area of responsibility encompasses about half the earth’s surface, stretching from the waters off the west coast of the U.S. to the western border of India. Further west is the responsibility of U.S. Central Command and the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.

MILITARY: China’s power game (Graphic)
GN38999 Graphic shows military assets in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
(163mm wide by 178mm)

April 28 - May 4, 2019 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries for each day of the week. This week features the mutiny on the Bounty, Joan of Arc, George Washington, Ayrton Senna, Leonardi da Vinci, Margaret Thatcher, and Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano.

May 1, 1994: Three-time Formula 1 world champion racing driver Ayrton Senna was killed when his car smashed into a concrete wall at the San Marino Grand Prix

May 2, 1519: Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci died in France. His extraordinary achievements encompassed scientific invention, sculpture, drawing and painting

May 3, 2018: Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano began erupting, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people. Over 700 houses were destroyed by lava flows in the four-month eruption

May 4, 1979: Margaret Thatcher became the UK’s first woman prime minister. Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” for her uncompromising leadership style, she held power for 11 years

April 28, 1789: Fletcher Christian led a mutiny aboard the British navy ship HMS Bounty. Captain William Bligh and other non-mutineers were cast adrift in a small boat in the Pacific

April 29, 1429: Joan of Arc entered Orleans at the head of a relief army, bringing supplies to the city besieged by the English for seven months. The siege was lifted nine days later

April 30, 1789: George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States, taking the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City

HISTORY: On this day April 28-May 4, 2019 (week 18) (Graphic)
GN38957 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set)

April 21-27, 2019 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries for each day of the week. The week features the pop star Prince, the yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnston, William Shakespeare, the Congolese singer Papa Wemba, Robinson Crusoe, the Chinese aircraft carrier the OO1A, and Nelson Mandela

April 21, 2016: Pop superstar Prince died at 57 after an accidental drug overdose. Record sales of hits like Purple Rain and Sign o’ the Times topped 100 million over his career

April 22, 1969: British yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnston completed the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in just 312 days in his 9.8-metre boat, Suhaili

April 23, 1564: William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright in the English language, is traditionally believed to have been born. He died on this day in 1616

April 24, 2016: Papa Wemba, influential Congolese singer and musician, died at age 66 after collapsing on stage in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, during a music festival

April 25, 1719: Daniel Defoe published his novel about castaway Robinson Crusoe. Popular around the world, it has spawned multiple films, TV and radio adaptations

April 26, 2017: China launched the 001A, its first domestically built aircraft carrier, as regional tensions grew over Beijing’s assertiveness in the South China Sea

April 27, 1994: Nelson Mandela cast his vote in South Africa’s first all-race elections, which resulted in a resounding victory for Mandela and the African National Congress

HISTORY: On this day April 21-27, 2019 (week 17) (Graphic)
GN38956 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(52mm wide by 118mm deep)

April 8, 2019 -- Almost a month after Cyclone Idai made landfall in southern Africa, the death toll is continuing to rise as areas previously cut off become reachable by road and the full extent of the damage becomes known.

DISASTERS: Cyclone Idai death toll rises (Graphic)
GN38995 Graphic shows affected areas of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
(107mm by 160mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 8, 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Twitter Sunday.

Nielsen’s departure comes more than a year after she was confirmed to take over the post from John Kelly when he became the president's chief of staff. She served as Kelly's chief of staff before her Cabinet-level promotion.

Nielsen became a face of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policy, including the zero-tolerance approach to separating migrant children from their parents. Under the plan, the Trump administration sought to prosecute all adults who crossed the border illegally and more widely implement the child separation policy that previous administrations used more sparingly.

The policy over the spring and summer of 2018 left thousands of migrant children separated from parents and housed in tent cities.

The announcement also follows plans to cut aid to some Central American countries, marking a sudden reversal after Nielsen had days earlier visited Honduras to sign a compact regional agreement with Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

POLITICS: Team Trump turnover (Graphic)
GN38996 Graphic shows high-level members of the Trump administration that have resigned or been fired.
(107mm wide by 155mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

January 1 - May 4, 2019 -- Graphic shows anniversaries and events on this day in history. Updated now to include the data for weeks 17-18 i.e. to May 4 . The events and images are the same as on the GN On This Day print graphics GN38956 and GN38957. If you are hosting GN36036 on your own servers (rather than using the embed code supplied by Graphic News), the data in the hypersources folder can be topped up with the data for the separate weeks. These can be downloaded separately in the ZIP.clip file.

The graphic is “audo-updating” so if you look at the graphic tomorrow, it will show a different picture and selection of events to those shown today. This is because the graphic is constructed like an “interactive” graphic, but is not “interactive” in the sense that the viewer can change the events displayed; instead it “interacts” with the clock on your computer or mobile and this determines the selection shown.

The graphic is also responsive so if you view on a mobile phone it will look as good, but different, from the version seen if you view on your larger tablet or computer screen.

If you host the graphic yourself you may wish to substitute some of the events or images to give a more national or local interest. This is easy to do as there are separate files for the images and words for each day in the hyper sources folder. (Instructions available - See below).

HISTORY: ON THIS DAY “interactive” (week 17-18) (Interactive UPDATED Apr 6)
GN36036 Responsive graphic showing anniversaries and events from today’s date in history, changes automatically each day. Come back tomorrow to see anniversaries and events for that date.
(800px wide by 650px deep)

June 19, 2019 -- A pistol believed to have been used by Vincent van Gogh to take his own life in 1890 is to go under the hammer at an auction in Paris.

Described by some as the art world's most famous weapon, the 7mm pocket revolver will be put up for sale by Auction Art on June 19.

The handgun was discovered in the 1960s in fields in the northern French village of Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh is widely believed to have shot himself in the chest in 1890. He died two days later.

A book by Pulitzer-Prize winning authors has questioned that version of the painter's death, concluding that Van Gogh was shot by two teenagers.

The revolver going under the hammer in Paris was part of a 2016 exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

ART: Van Gogh’s suicide weapon up for auction (Graphic)
GN38990 Graphic shows facts around Van Gogh’s death
(107mm wide by 172mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 14 - May 19, 2019 -- The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones will be a must-watch for the millions of followers of the multi-Emmy-winning brutal, fantasy saga. The final season begins after a 541-day hiatus, an eternity for the TV series’ vast universe of fans.

The last episode of the fantasy drama, produced by the HBO cable network, might reveal who actually wins the game of thrones.

The series will include some of the largest, most complex sequences ever filmed for television.

Launched by two TV novices in 2011, it will finish its run as the biggest and most popular show in the world. It holds the record for most Emmys ever won by a prime-time series, and airs in more than 170 countries.

The show’s extraordinary success means that Season 8 is only a temporary end for the Thrones universe. HBO plans a prequel pilot, starring Naomi Watts, that appears likely to set off a new series.

The television series is based on the novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, written by George R.R. Martin, who serves as a producer, creative consultant and scriptwriter on the television version.

ENTERTAINMENT: Game of Thrones viewing guide interactive (Interactive)
GN38979 Interactive graphic looks at the fate of each of the principal characters. Be aware that this is a very large graphic and it may take some time to download.
(800px wide by 568px deep)

April 5, 2019 -- Burger King has become the first global quick-service restaurant to embrace plant-based “meats” from startups including Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat -- both backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

The Silicon Valley start-up Impossible introduced its burgers three years ago at trendy restaurants like New York’s Momofuku Nishi. That led to partnerships with more than 5,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Asia. Now Burger King is serving an Impossible Whopper this spring at 59 restaurants in St. Louis.

Burger King’s research indicated that 9% of people buying plant-based meat are vegetarian, but 90% are meat eaters looking for healthier options.

“There’s a lot of people who want to eat a burger every day but don’t necessarily want to eat meat every day,” Chris Finazzo, president of Burger King’s North American division said.

Burger King’s Impossible Whopper is healthier on some counts to the meat-based Whopper but not on others. The burger has about the same amount of protein and calories but is higher in sodium and carbohydrates.

There are other benefits to meatless burgers. Beyond Meat says it takes 99% less water, 93% less land and 50% less energy to make plant-based burgers. They also emit 90% fewer greenhouse gases.

The Impossible Whopper announcement comes in the same week that Swiss food giant Nestlé unveiled its plans to roll out 100 per cent plant-based burgers across Europe and later in the year in the U.S. Nestle’s Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger will launch in Europe this April, first coming to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

SCIENCE: Plant-based protein (Graphic)
GN38985 Graphic shows facts and figures about plant-based protein and animal meat production.
(107mm by 144mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 4, 2019 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is concerned about a possible major armed showdown in Libya, and is urging rival factions to turn to dialogue, as forces from the east of the country move towards Tripoli.

The remarks by Guterres came during his visit to Libya, which began on Wednesday. He is the second U.N. chief to visit Libya since the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed Libya's long-time ruler Muammar Gadhafi. Ban Ki-moon visited in October 2014.

Forces loyal to Marshal Khalifa Hifter, who commands the self-styled Libyan National Army that’s based in the country’s east, took control overnight of the town of Gharyan, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Tripoli, without major clashes.

It’s the closest Hifter’s forces have made it to Tripoli and fears are looming they will march on toward the capital, setting the stage for a major confrontation. Tripoli is under control of a weak U.N.-backed government and aligned militias, which are rival to the east-based administration and Hifter’s army.

LIBYA: UN chief warns of military escalation (Graphic)
GN38984 Graphic shows areas controlled by rival Libyan factions.
(107mm by 140mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 4, 2019 -- Mass protests forced ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to quit, but are likely to continue if the old regime survives under a new president.

Algeria's Constitutional Council formalized Bouteflika's departure Wednesday from the office he held for two decades, as rattled international partners watched closely to see what's next for an energy-rich country that is a key player in fighting terrorism.

Bouteflika himself asked the Algerians people for forgiveness after he stepped down following weeks of protests and the loss of the army's support.

Algerians faced a new and uncertain era, after the resignation of a man who had ruled Algeria for 20 years and had been a fixture in the Arab world's political landscape for decades.

A discreet, 77-year-old Bouteflika ally — the president of the upper house of the Algerian Parliament, Abdelkader Bensalah — is expected to take over as interim leader while Algeria plans elections. But that might further anger the protesters who drove Bouteflika from power, and who want to overhaul a political system seen as secretive, elitist and corrupt.

ALGERIA: Bouteflika ends 20-year rule (Graphic)
GN38983 Graphic shows timeline of Algerian mass protests.
(107mm wide by 143mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 3, 2019 -- President Donald Trump has praised NATO countries for increasing their financial contributions to the Western alliance, but urged them to pay even more, saying America still shoulders a disproportionate share of the cost of protecting Europe.

NATO: Trump urges more defence spending (Graphic)
GN38982 Graphic shows data on NATO defence expenditure.
(107mm by 140mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 2, 2019 -- The United States has stopped delivery of F-35 fighter jet parts to Turkey in retaliation for Ankara’s decision to move ahead with the purchase of a Russian surface-to-air missile system.

Top U.S. government leaders have repeatedly threatened to shut down Turkey’s plan to buy the F-35 stealth jet if Turkey didn’t abandon efforts to buy the S-400 Russian system. Halting the delivery of parts and manuals needed to prepare for the aircraft’s planned delivery this summer is the first step toward ending the actual aircraft sale.

The U.S. move comes just days after Turkey’s foreign minister said his country was committed to the deal to buy the Russian system and was discussing delivery dates.

Washington officials have expressed concerns that Turkey’s acquisition of both U.S. and Russian systems could give Moscow access to sophisticated American technology and allow it to find ways to counter the F-35.

The U.S. had previously agreed to sell 100 F-35 fighters to Turkey.

MILITARY: U.S. suspends F-35 deliveries to Turkey (Graphic)
GN38977 Graphic shows details of F-35, and aircraft orders.
(107mm by 140mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 3, 2019 -- At a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels on April 3, France is expected to resist giving the European Commission the green light to start EU-U.S. trade negotiations. President Macron’s La République En Marche (LREM) is unlikely to support opening up French markets to U.S. agricultural imports.

Agriculture was among the major sticking points in Obama-era negotiations for a U.S.-EU trade deal -- the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). President Donald Trump shelved the talks in 2016.

Last July, Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker agreed to re-launch negotiations to cut tariffs on industrial goods, including automobiles, and ways for Europe to buy more U.S. soybeans. Trump said he would suspend threatened 25-percent duties on EU-produced cars and auto parts, which he is considering imposing on national security grounds.

EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström told U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington on Wednesday that the bloc could not negotiate on agriculture in new talks due to start this year.

The U.S. had a $169 billion goods deficit with the EU in 2018, despite two-way annual trade of about $806.5 billion.

BUSINESS: EU-U.S. trade talks (Graphic)
GN38978 Graphic shows timeline of tortured trade talks.
(107mm by 163mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 8, 2019 -- In a radical attempt to tackle toxic air pollution, London’s new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will force some motorists to pay a total of £24 ($30) a day to enter the city centre.

The first phase starts from Monday 8 April, and to begin with it will apply to the same area of central London covered by the congestion charge zone. It will apply 24 hours a day, every day.

From 25 October 2021, the boundary will be extended to cover much of the city.

Most vehicles that do not meet the European emissions standards are subject to a £12.50 ($16.30) charge for every day they drive within the ULEZ, in addition to the £11.50 congestion charge that operates on weekdays.

If a driver fails to pay within two weeks, they will face a penalty of £160. This will be halved if paid within two weeks.

Lorries will face a much higher daily charge of £100, with a penalty fare of £1,000.

The goal is to discourage people from driving heavily polluting vehicles in the city, in a bid to bring down levels of air pollution and associated health problems.

London's poor air quality shortens the lives of thousands of people every year. The Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has called it a public health emergency.

He is trying to make cleaning up London's air the main policy for his first term.

Other cities like Paris are trying all out bans on diesels by 2024.

London has chosen another route and by 2021 should have the largest emission charging zone on the planet.

TRANSPORT: London moves to curb air pollution (Graphic)
GN38975 Graphic shows specifications and map of the ULEZ zone.
(107mm wide by 171mm deep)

April 2, 2019 -- An amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill gave MPs a “meaningful vote” which stops government implementation of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal – agreed with Brussels – without Parliamentary approval.

MPs on Monday voted on four last-minute alternative Brexit options -- so-called indicative votes. All were defeated.

The option that came closest to getting a majority was a proposal to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU. Former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke’s motion for permanent customs union failed by just three votes. The option limits new UK trade deals in goods with nations outside the EU but does not include trade deals in services -- the most significant part of the UK economy, accounting for 70 per cent of GDP.

A proposal to hold an affirmative referendum on any deal got the most votes but was defeated by 292-280.

Britain is now on course to leave the EU at 22:00GMT on April 12, unless May can present another viable option to EU leaders at an emergency Brexit summit on April 10.

POLITICS: Brexit meaningful vote timeline (Graphic)
GN38973 Graphic shows timeline of Prime Minister May’s so-called meaningful vote.
(107mm wide by 165mm deep)

April 1, 2019 -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on track to lose control of Turkey’s two largest cities for the first time in his 16 years in power, after voters punished him for a painful economic downturn.

The opposition won the capital, Ankara, a ruling party stronghold for decades, and was leading a tight race for mayor in Istanbul.

The leader who has dominated Turkish politics for 16 years declared victory despite the opposition gains.

Local elections were widely seen as a gauge of support for Erdogan as the nation of 81 million faces a daunting economic recession with double-digit inflation, rising food prices and high unemployment.

It was also a first test for Erdogan — who has been accused of increasingly authoritarian tendencies — since stepping last year into a new presidential role with widely expanded powers.

More than 57 million people were eligible to vote for the mayors of 30 major cities, 51 provincial capitals and 922 districts in Turkey.

The secular opposition also made significant gains in provinces along the Mediterranean, including retaining its hold over Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city.

TURKEY: Erdogan suffers setbacks in local elections (Graphic)
GN38972 Graphic shows result of Turkey’s local election.
(107mm wide by 145mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 1, 2019 -- A popular comedian with no political experience is poised to win the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election, setting the stage for a runoff vote against the incumbent president.

With nearly 60 percent of the polling stations counted Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskiy had 30 percent of Sunday’s vote, while incumbent President Petro Poroshenko was a distant second with just over 16 percent.

Ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko trailed behind with 13 percent. The results were in sync with a top exit poll.

The top two candidates advance to a runoff on April 21.

UKRAINE: Comedian leads presidential vote (Graphic)
GN38971 Graphic shows preliminary result of vote.
(107mm by 135mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 14 - May 19, 2019 -- The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones will be a must-watch for the millions of followers of the multi-Emmy-winning brutal, fantasy saga. The final season begins after a 541-day hiatus, an eternity for the TV series’ vast universe of fans.

The last episode of the fantasy drama, produced by the HBO cable network, might reveal who actually wins the game of thrones.

The series will include some of the largest, most complex sequences ever filmed for television.

Launched by two TV novices in 2011, it will finish its run as the biggest and most popular show in the world. It holds the record for most Emmys ever won by a prime-time series, and airs in more than 170 countries.

The show’s extraordinary success means that Season 8 is only a temporary end for the Thrones universe. HBO plans a prequel pilot, starring Naomi Watts, that appears likely to set off a new series.

The television series is based on the novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, written by George R.R. Martin, who serves as a producer, creative consultant and scriptwriter on the television version.

ENTERTAINMENT: Game of Thrones viewing guide (Graphic)
GN38964 Graphic looks at the fate of each of the principal characters. Be aware that this is a very large graphic and it may take some time to download.
(284mm wide by 320mm deep)

April 1, 2019 -- Changes to Boeing’s 737 MAX flight-control software prevent the system from activating in case of erroneous data from angle-of-attack (AOA) sensors and give pilots complete nose-down stabiliser command.

Speaking at a briefing of more than 200 pilots and aviation regulators on March 27 at Renton, Washington -- home of the 737 -- Mike Sinnett, Boeing’s vice president for product strategy, outlined three significant changes to the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

Investigators into the Lion Air Flight 610 accident in October 2018 concluded that erroneous AOA data appeared to trigger an MCAS activation.

MCAS was introduced to decrease a pitch-up tendency at elevated AOA found during testing in an extreme part of the flight envelope. The nacelles (outer covers) of the MAX’s larger CFM Leap 1B engines, which are located farther forward than on earlier 737 models, generated additional lift.

The anti-stall system used data from a single angle-of-attack sensor to detect if the plane was climbing too steeply and risking a stall. The left and right sensors alternate between flights, feeding AOA data to MCAS.

The first change, “and probably the most important,” Sinnett says, “is that we compare data from left and right AOA sensors full time and when the flaps are up -- in a situation when MCAS would be armed. If they vary by more than 5.5 degrees, the system will inhibit MCAS and the entire speed trim system for the remainder of that flight.”

The crew will be alerted on the primary flight display if If AOA data disagree by more than 10 degrees for more than 10 seconds.

Sinnett also confirmed that the system would allow only one trim application for each new trigger of the MCAS system by an elevated AOA event. Under the original design, MCAS could repeatedly move the horizontal stabiliser to trim nose down up to 2.5 degrees every 9.2 seconds, with gaps of 5 seconds.

The third significant change is that “there is no situation in which more stabiliser input can be provided by MCAS than there is control column authority for a pilot response,” Sinnett says. “The control column will always be able to override MCAS inputs. These are very important changes.”

AVIATION: Boeing 737 MAX software fix (Graphic)
GN38970 Graphic shows three software fixes to Boeing”s MCAS flight-safety software.
(107mm by 160mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 11 - May 19, 2019 -- India’s general election pits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP against a raft of opposition parties under the Indian National Congress banner. Around 900 million people will vote at nearly one million polling stations over five weeks.

Modi rode to victory in 2014 on a message of economic prosperity, but given India's lacklustre job creation in recent years, that will be a difficult sell in the next election.

The main opposition Indian National Congress Congress (INC), which late last year ousted the Bharatiya Janata Party from power in three largely rural states, is trying to band together with regional and caste-based parties to oust Modi.

Congress is led by Rahul Gandhi, fourth generation scion of the famous Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that ruled India for most of its post-independence history.

With 900 million eligible voters, India's election will be the largest the world has seen.

The lower house has 543 elected seats and any party or coalition needs a minimum of 272 MPs to form a government.

INDIA: General election interactive (Interactive)
GN38963 Interactive graphic shows map of India with election timeline and key parties
(800px wide by 568px deep)

April 1-30, 2019 -- The World Agenda gives a preview of world events scheduled for April, including the 70th anniversary of NATO, crucial elections in India, Spain and Israel, and the abdication of Japan’s Emperor Akihito.

Examples of events covered include:
Apr 3, U.S.: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg addresses the U.S. Congress ahead of the alliance’s 70th anniversary. Many lawmakers see the invitation as a chance to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to NATO, often derided by President Donald Trump

Apr 9, Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seeking a record fifth term but facing indictment for bribery, has called an early election to capitalize on positive economic news. His immediate worry is the rising poll numbers of his top rival, former army chief Benny Gantz (above)

Apr 11-May 19, India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party heads into the world’s largest election boosted by the recent standoff with Pakistan. The opposition, led by the Indian National Congress under Rahul Gandhi, could yet benefit from recent economic setbacks

Apr 14, U.S.: Game of Thrones begins its final season after a 541-day hiatus – an eternity for the TV series’ vast universe of fans

Apr 28, Spain: Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called today’s snap election after his budget bill failed to pass. Separatist MPs, retaliating for his refusal to discuss independence for Catalonia, voted with opposition parties to bring down the bill

Apr 30, Japan: Emperor Akihito becomes the first emperor to abdicate in 200 years, passing the Chrysanthemum Throne to his son Crown Prince Naruhito

April, China: Xi Jinping hosts the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, with trade routes now extending into some 76 countries. The initiative aims to resurrect the ancient Silk Road, with bullet trains, supertankers and pipelines replacing camels and watercraft of times past

April, UK: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are expecting their first baby later this month. The child will be seventh in line to the throne

WORLD AGENDA: April 2019 interactive (Interactive)
GN38952 Responsive interactive graphic shows news events in April 2019.
(640px wide by 568px deep)

April 1-30, 2019 -- The World Agenda gives a preview of world events scheduled for April, including the 70th anniversary of NATO, crucial elections in India, Spain and Israel, and the abdication of Japan’s Emperor Akihito.

Apr 3, U.S.: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg addresses the U.S. Congress ahead of the alliance’s 70th anniversary. Many lawmakers see the invitation as a chance to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to NATO, often derided by President Donald Trump

Apr 9, Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seeking a record fifth term but facing indictment for bribery, has called an early election to capitalize on positive economic news. His immediate worry is the rising poll numbers of his top rival, former army chief Benny Gantz (above)

Apr 11-May 19, India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party heads into the world’s largest election boosted by the recent standoff with Pakistan. The opposition, led by the Indian National Congress under Rahul Gandhi, could yet benefit from recent economic setbacks

Apr 14, U.S.: Game of Thrones begins its final season after a 541-day hiatus – an eternity for the TV series’ vast universe of fans

Apr 28, Spain: Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called today’s snap election after his budget bill failed to pass. Separatist MPs, retaliating for his refusal to discuss independence for Catalonia, voted with opposition parties to bring down the bill

Apr 30, Japan: Emperor Akihito becomes the first emperor to abdicate in 200 years, passing the Chrysanthemum Throne to his son Crown Prince Naruhito

April, China: Xi Jinping hosts the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, with trade routes now extending into some 76 countries. The initiative aims to resurrect the ancient Silk Road, with bullet trains, supertankers and pipelines replacing camels and watercraft of times past

April, UK: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are expecting their first baby later this month. The child will be seventh in line to the throne

WORLD AGENDA: April 2019 (Graphic)
GN38951 Graphic shows news events in April 2019. An interactive version of this graphic is also produced each month.
(163mm wide by 210mm deep)

May 1, 2019 -- Sydney Metro Northwest, formerly the North West Rail Link, comprises the first stage of the Sydney Metro development, which will see the introduction of Australia’s first fully automated passenger line.

TRANSPORT: Sydney Metro (Graphic)
GN38912 Graphic shows details of Sydney metro network and trains.
(107mm by 140mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 30, 2019 -- Japan’s Emperor Akihito becomes the first emperor to abdicate in 200 years, passing the Chrysanthemum Throne to his son Crown Prince Naruhito.

The 83-year-old emperor has been on the throne since the death of his father, Hirohito, in 1989. He has had heart surgery and prostate cancer, and cited age and ill health when he announced his decision to stand down.

Japanese law doesn’t provide for abdication; emperors, considered spiritually immortal, are expected to serve until death. Akihito’s decision required the government to enact a bill that allowed him to step down.

Akihito enjoys a popularity in Japan stemming from his ability to abandon the traditional formality of his Imperial role and demonstrate empathy with the common people. This was particularly evident when Japan was hit by the 2011 tsunami that killed thousands and left tens of thousands homeless.

ASIA: Japan’s Emperor Akihito abdicates (Graphic)
GN38910 Graphic shows family tree of Japan’s royal household.
(107mm wide by 168mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 1, 2019 -- LightSail 2 is the second of three satellites built to demonstrate the feasibility of powering a spacecraft using solar radiation.

The much-delayed LightSail 2 is a project to demonstrate controlled solar sailing using a miniature CubeSat satellite. It is due to launch from the Kennedy Space Center sometime in April 2019, as a secondary payload onboard the first commercial flight for Space X’s new Falcon Heavy rocket.

Developed by the not-for-profit Planetary Society, LightSail measures a diminutive 10cm x 10cm x 30cm when in stowed configuration, but will expand dramatically to 565cm x 565cm x 30cm when its solar sail is fully unfurled.

This second mission is designed to see if LightSail can move into higher orbits around the Earth using only photons from the sun to push it along.

The previous mission in 2015 successfully tested the mechanical booms which unwind to drag the folded sail into place.

SPACE: LightSail 2 – Flight by Light (Graphic)
GN38901 Graphic shows how the LightSail 2 spacecraft operates.
(107mm by 173mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

January 29, 2019 -- Researchers at Scotland’s Roslin Institute have genetically modified chickens to produce human proteins in their eggs. Production from chickens can cost anywhere from 10 to 100 times less than in factories.

The study found that high quantities of the proteins can be recovered from each egg using a simple purification system and there are no adverse effects on the chickens themselves, which lay eggs as usual. The therapeutic proteins are encoded in the chicken’s DNA and produced as part of the egg white.

The research published in BMC Biotechnology finds sound evidence for using chickens as a cheap method of producing high-quality drugs that work at least as well as the same proteins produced using existing laboratory methods.

The team at Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and Roslin Technologies initially focused on two proteins that are essential to the immune system and have therapeutic potential -- a human protein called IFNalpha2a, which has potent antiviral and anti-cancer effects, and a protein called macrophage-CSF, which is being developed as a therapy that stimulates damaged tissues to repair themselves.

Hens can produce 15 to 50 micrograms of the target protein per millilitre of egg white -- just three eggs were enough to provide a clinically relevant dose of the drug. As chickens can lay up to 300 eggs per year, researchers say their approach could be more cost-effective than other production methods for some crucial medicines.

Professor Helen Sang, of the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, said: “We are not yet producing medicines for people, but this study shows that chickens are commercially viable for producing proteins suitable for drug discovery studies and other applications in biotechnology.”

SCIENCE: Chicken eggs as drug factories (Graphic)
GN38753 Graphic shows how pharmaceuticals can be produced in chicken eggs.
(107mm by 138mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

January 24, 2019 -- The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will touch down in 2020 to collect a sample from the surface of Bennu -- a carbon-rich asteroid which may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life on Earth.

Of more than 500,000 asteroids in the solar system, Bennu is one of only five with the right orbits, sizes and carbonaceous compositions for a sample-return mission. The 510-metre wide asteroid is probably part of a much more massive asteroid -- remaining debris from the formation of the solar system some 4.6 billion years ago.

Launched in September 2016, OSIRIS-REx arrived at Bennu, 110 million kilometres from Earth, in December 2018. On New Year’s Eve, the spacecraft went into orbit around Bennu.

Starting in February, the OSIRIS-REx team will perform a series of close flybys of Bennu, taking high-resolution images of the asteroid to select a sampling site.

During the summer of 2020, the spacecraft will briefly touch the surface of Bennu using a two-metre-long robotic arm, its Touch-and-Go Sample Arm Mechanism (TAGSAM) to retrieve a sample.

The sample head will use high-pressure nitrogen to kick up regolith -- dust and rock particles from millions of years of meteoroid impacts -- during a five-second contact. The TAGSAM can capture particles up to two centimetres in diameter while contact pads can pick up fine dust particles up to one millimetre in diameter.

The OSIRIS-REx team hope to collect up to two kilograms of regolith. The sample will be sealed in a return capsule for the cruise back to Earth, arriving in September 2023.

SPACE: Osiris Rex asteroid mission (Graphic)
GN38741 Graphic shows spacecraft, touch-and-go robotic arm and sample return capsule.
(107mm by 160mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))

April 29 - October 7, 2019 -- The Beijing Expo, the biggest international horticultural exhibition ever staged, will be a centrepiece of China’s celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Communist state.

The show, located in Yanqing on the outskirts of Beijing municipality, will open on April 29th and last for more than five months, according to the Economist newspaper.

Organisers say at least 16 million visitors are expected to attend the expo, with more than 100 countries and international organisations putting on displays.

Built by thousands of workers, the 960-hectare expo park is half as big again as the one made for the 2008 Olympics, which was previously the city’s record-setter.

CHINA: Beijing Expo 2019 (Graphic)
GN38672 Graphic shows location and details of exhibition.
(107mm by 161mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital))