Portal:Current events/2019 April 30

• 2019 Japanese imperial transition
  • Emperor Akihito abdicates the Chrysanthemum Throne in favor of his elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito. He is the first Emperor to abdicate in over two hundred years, since Emperor Kōkaku in 1817. (The Japan Times) (The New York Times)
• The Canadian ten-dollar note, featuring Canadian civil rights activist Viola Desmond, wins the International Bank Note Society award. (BBC News)

• The Blackstone Group, a multinational private equity and asset management firm, has agreed to buy Geo-Young, a wholesale drug distributor in South Korea, in a deal that will retain Geo-Young's CEO, Cho Sun-hae, in her leadership role. (Reuters)
• U.S. Attorney General William Barr has decided to recuse himself from deliberations about whether the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Justice Department ought to challenge the planned merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, says a Reuters source "familiar with the decision". Barr is invested in both of the firms involved. (Reuters)

• Canada–China relations
  • Fan Wei, a Canadian citizen in China, is sentenced to death following his conviction for producing and trafficking methamphetamine. Canada has requested clemency for Fan, who is the second Canadian citizen sentenced to death this year. The application of the death penalty was condemned by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland added, "Canada stands firmly opposed to the death penalty everywhere around the world." (National Post) (BBC News) (Toronto Star)
• 2019 University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting
  • Six people are shot, two fatally, on the last day of classes at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The gunman was taken into custody after he ran out of ammunition. (CNN)

• 2019 Venezuela uprising, 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
  • Juan Guaidó, accompanied by members of the Venezuelan armed forces, speaks in front of La Carlota Air BaseinCaracas, stating that Leopoldo López, a political prisoner since 2014, is freed by defecting soldiers who have renounced their loyalty to Nicolás Maduro, prompting people to take to the streets. (The Guardian) (CNN) (CBS News)
  • An armored car runs over supporters of Guaidó, escalating violence. At least 71 injured people, including two with gunshot wounds, were taken to Salud Chacao Medical Center in Caracas, according to the president of the center. (New York Daily News) (Associated Press) (Reuters) (CNN)
  • The European Union calls for "free and fair" elections in Venezuela to end the standoff. (USA Today)
  • Lopez and his family later seek refuge in Chile's diplomatic residence. (La Patilla) (Reuters)
  • Reuters reports that an uneasy peace returned by the afternoon. There do not appear to be any immediate attempts by the opposition to take power through force, and there are no reports of defections from the armed forces leadership. (Reuters)

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