Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Guillermo Lasso

• Guillermo Lasso (pictured) is elected President of Ecuador.
• At the British Academy Film Awards, Nomadland wins four awards, including Best Film.
• In golf, Hideki Matsuyama wins the Masters Tournament.
• In horse racing, Minella Times wins the Grand National, with Rachael Blackmore becoming the first female jockey to win in the race's 182-year history.
• The volcano La Soufrière erupts in Saint Vincent, forcing the evacuation of around 20,000 people.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• Myanmar protests

Recent deaths:

• Conn Findlay
• Ahmed Usman
• Bernie Madoff
• Bobby Leonard
• Enzo Sciotti
• Peter Warner

Current events of April 16, 2021 (2021-04-16) (Friday)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
      • Scotland relaxes its coronavirus restrictions, allowing non-essential travel around the country and some social gatherings. (BBC)

Law and crime

• 2021 Indianapolis shooting
  • Eight people have been killed and at least six others injured in a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. Police say the gunman took his own life afterwards. (CNN) (AP)

Current events of April 15, 2021 (2021-04-15) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• ISIL insurgency in Iraq
  • At least four people are killed and 17 others are wounded in a car bomb attack at a market in Sadr City, Baghdad. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Security forces arrest 25-year-old Wai Moe Naing, one of the most prominent leaders of the anti-coup protests, near Monywa. Separately, soldiers open fire on protesters in Mandalay to disperse a group of medical workers, killing one person and injuring several others. (Reuters)
• Gaza–Israel conflict
  • Israeli Air Force jets and helicopters strike Hamas-linked targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for earlier rocket fire targeting southern Israel. The IDF says that an armaments production facility and a tunnel used to smuggle weapons were hit. (Times of Israel)

Disasters and accidents

• Divers arrive at the scene of lift boat MV Seacor Power, which capsized and partially sank off the coast of the state of Louisiana in the United States. Rescuers suspect crew members may be trapped. Since the accident, six crew members have been rescued, one has died, and twelve remain missing. (KATC-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh surpasses 10,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi
        • Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announces a weekend curfew in the national capital territory of Delhi from 10:00 p.m. on Saturday to 5:00 a.m. on Monday due to a substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (The Economic Times)
      • India reports a record 200,739 new cases and 1,038 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to over 14 million and confirmed deaths to 173,123. India is also the second country to surpass 14 million cases, after the United States. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines surpasses 900,000 total cases of COVID-19. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 1,543 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 37,453. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Ubach tests positive for COVID-19 after an outbreak in the Ministry's headquarters. (Diari d’Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen receives her first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Politico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 297 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 35,031. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon receives her first dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba, Lineage P.1
      • Manitoba reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant originally detected in Brazil in a person from the Interlake-Eastern region. (CBC)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • The United States imposes retaliatory measures against Russia in response to the 2020 United States federal government data breach, its interference in the 2020 United States elections, and the occupation of and human rights abuses in Crimea. The U.S. bans trade in bonds newly issued by Russia's Central Bank, National Wealth Fund, and Ministry of Finance, formally names the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service as responsible for the data breach, blacklists 32 Russian entities and individuals, and expels ten Russian diplomats. Russia denies these allegations. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons the U.S. ambassador to inform him that "a series of retaliatory measures will follow soon". A spokesperson for the ministry also says that a potential summit between both countries' leaders may not take place. (CNN) (Reuters)
• Russia–Ukraine relations
  • Ukraine protests an alleged announcement by Russia that, beginning next week, it would be closing the Kerch Strait to foreign warships and state ships until October. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Law and crime

• 2021 in France
  • Ages of consent in Europe
    • The French National Assembly votes unanimously to amend an existing age of consent law in order to criminalize sex with children under the age of 15, officially recognizing it as rape and making it punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Previously, the law allowed an adult to claim the consent of a child in court. The bill also classifies incestuous sex with a minor under the age of 18 as rape. (Reuters)
  • The French National Assembly approves a controversial global security law proposal that extends police powers and makes it a crime to help identify on-duty police officers "with the obvious intent of harming". Amnesty International denounces the law's "generalized surveillance practices" and "vague provisions". (AP via Daily Sabah)
• Killing of Adam Toledo
  • The Chicago Police Department publicly releases bodycam footage of the shooting of 13-year-old Mexican American boy Adam Toledo. The footage appears to show an unarmed Toledo with both his arms raised in the air before being fatally shot in the chest by an officer. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says "Simply put, we failed Adam" and calls for calm amidst fears of unrest. (BBC)
  • Several protests take place around the city after the video is released, including one that briefly shut down northbound Michigan Avenue and another at Union Park. (WMAQ-TV)
• Residents of Essouassi, Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia, torch the local police station, and a police vehicle, after two young men are killed in a traffic accident with a police vehicle. Personnel evacuate the facility, and no one is hurt. (Middle East Monitor)

Current events of April 14, 2021 (2021-04-14) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Afghan peace process
    • U.S. President Joe Biden formally announces that American troops will leave Afghanistan by September 11. (Politico)
• Somali Civil War
  • Fourteen civilians are killed and four others wounded when the minibus they are travelling in hits a landmine in the outskirts of Mogadishu. A military commander blames al-Shabaab for the attack. (Arab News)

Disasters and accidents

• At least 20 people are killed and three more are wounded after a bus overturns after being hit by a truck in Asyut, Egypt. (Al Jazeera)
• Rescue operations commence after the Seacor Marine lift boat MV Seacor Power sinks off the coast of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Coast Guard officials say that six of the crew have been rescued and the remaining twelve are missing. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 96 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,987. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • The government imposes a 14-day lockdown in the capital Phnom Penh and its neighboring Takmao from midnight until April 28 amidst a community outbreak of COVID-19. (The Phnom Penh Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Rajasthan
        • The government announces a 12-hour curfew in all cities from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from April 16 to 30 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Hindustan Times)
      • India reports a record 184,372 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 13.9 million. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 1,220 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby surpassing 1,000 daily cases for the first time. (News.MN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 1,335 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 35,910. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark becomes the first European country to permanently suspend usage of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine candidate, following weeks of reports that the vaccine may cause blood clots. The move is expected to delay the country's vaccination program by "several weeks". (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • President Vladimir Putin receives his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It remains unknown which of Russia's three current vaccine candidates were administered to the president. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
        • The Public Health Agency of Sweden suspends usage of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following reports of rare blood clot cases. 31,000 doses of the vaccine are currently being delivered to the country. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports new records of 62,797 cases and 279 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby surpassing four million cases of COVID-19. (Daily Sabah)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
        • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that bars and restaurants in New York City and the state will be allowed to close at midnight beginning on April 19. (Patch.com)
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients says that the Biden administration will accelerate doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The move comes after the United States suspended usage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • The Federal Senate launches an inquiry into President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, as total deaths are expected to surpass 360,000. Main areas of focus are on allegations that he sabotaged social distancing measures, his poor acquisition of vaccines and touting of ineffective treatments such as chloroquine, and the cause of oxygen shortages in Manaus's hospitals, among others. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • In a study published by the National Health Service, the Pfizer vaccine has been found to reduce hospitalizations in elderly people by 75%. (Metro)

International relations

• Brexit
  • The United Kingdom says that it has requested to respond to a European Union notification of intent to start legal proceedings over the UK's alleged breaching of the Northern Ireland Protocol by mid-May. The UK says that its unilateral delay of the introduction of new Irish Sea border checks on food, parcels and pets is lawful. (Politico.eu)
• India–Pakistan relations
  • Intelligence officers from both India and Pakistan confirm to Reuters that secret talks were held between the two nations, with the United Arab Emirates acting as the mediator, in January to help warm relations. Relations between the two had been strained after India conducting airstrikes in Balakot and India-administered Kashmir was stripped of its autonomy in 2019. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot
  • A judge lifts the curfew and house arrest restrictions of two brothers who are suspected of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer last year. However, they are still required to wear GPS tethers. (People)
• 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings
  • The government bans eleven Islamic organizations, including ISIL and al-Qaeda, a week before the second anniversary of the bombings after the country's Roman Catholics threatened massive protests over the government's perceived failure to act against the perpetrators. (Al Jazeera)
• Pakistani Interior Minster Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad announces the far-right Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan will be banned, following days of violent protests by supporters over the arrest of party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi. (Al Jazeera)

Current events of April 13, 2021 (2021-04-13) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Afghan peace process
    • U.S. President Joe Biden says that he plans to withdraw all remaining American troops in Afghanistan by September 11. The United States also reiterates its support for the Afghan government against the Taliban, which declines to comment on the apparent change from the previously-agreed deadline of May 1. (Reuters)
    • The United Kingdom announces that it will withdraw nearly all of its troops from Afghanistan, following the announcement of a U.S. withdrawal. There are around 750 British soldiers still stationed in Afghanistan, mostly in the capital Kabul. (Reuters)
    • Turkey says that it will host a summit from April 24 to May 4 in an effort to end the war in Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera)
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • A car bombing in Farah kills three civilians; and 10 security personnel are killed in the country's north. (ABC News)
• 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
    • A missile strikes the Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Hyperion Ray off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. There is no immediate claim of responsibility, however Israeli officials suspect Iran of being behind the attack on the vessel. (Times of Israel)
• Terrorism in Pakistan, Insurgency in Balochistan
  • An improvised explosive device explodes at a football ground in Hub, Balochistan, Pakistan, injuring twelve people. The attack occurred during a game organised as a commemorative tribute to police officers killed in the line of duty. (The Times of India)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • The New York Times says that a blackout at Iran's underground Natanz nuclear facility was sabotage perpetrated by remotely detonating an improvised explosive device that had previously been smuggled into the site. (i24news)
• A military court in Burkina Faso indicts (in absentia) ex-President Blaise Compaoré, who is charged with the 1987 murder of his immediate predecessor Thomas Sankara. Compaoré ruled the nation for 27 years following Sankara's assassination before resigning in the face of protests in 2014 and fleeing into exile in Ivory Coast. The court indicts thirteen other Burkinabé ex-officials accused of various crimes including murder. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • Talks between rail workers and ScotRail aimed at preventing a strike collapse, as the rail firm cites financial pressures caused by the ongoing pandemic to justify refusing a pay raise and revocation of some day-off entitlements. The Unite union rejects this explanation. The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland are appraised of the situation. (The Glasgow Times)

Disasters and accidents

• Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
  • Following a cabinet meeting, the Japanese government says it has decided to release 1.25 million tons of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years, after concluding there will be no negative impact on human health or the environment. The decision is opposed by South Korea, China, and Taiwan, while being supported by the United States. (Kyodo News) (BBC) (Reuters)
• 2021 Suez Canal obstruction
  • A court in Ismailia grants the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority's request to seize CS Ever Given pending payment of a compensation claim of over US$900 million. (Bloomberg)
• 2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash
  • The National Transportation Safety Board concludes that pilot error and inadequate maintenance were behind the crash, which killed seven people, injured six others, and destroyed the historic aircraft. (The Connecticut Post)
• At least 20 children are killed during a fire at an school in Niamey, Niger. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports a record 24,760 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,118,212. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Osaka Prefecture reports a record 1,099 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
      • Kurdish authorities impose a ten-day curfew in northeast Syria after a rapid increase of cases of COVID-19 in the region. The U.S.-backed Kurdish authorities also close all borders of its Syrian Democratic Forces territories with those controlled by the government and insurgent groups. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the suspension of flights from Brazil in order to prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19 in the country. (Yahoo! News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • President of Cantabria Miguel Ángel Revilla receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (ABC.es)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces a two-week partial lockdown across Turkey on Ramadan, which includes an expanded curfew from 7:00 p.m. and a ban on non-essential inter-city travel beginning tomorrow evening due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The United States suspends the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following concerns of blood clots. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports a record 27,001 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,578,946. (Página 12)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Marshall Islands
    • The Marshall Islands reaches an adult population vaccination rate of nearly 75%. After completing the urban areas, the Ministry of Health and Human Services plans to distribute Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the most remote islands of the country to vaccinate the rest of the population. The vaccines were provided as a donation by the United States. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • South Africa voluntarily suspends its rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended temporarily suspending use of the vaccine due to rare cases of blood clots. (Business Tech)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Sudan
      • South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit receives his first dose of the AstraZenaca vaccine. (AllAfrica)
  • COVID-19 vaccine, variants of SARS-CoV-2
    • Moderna says its vaccine is 90% effective against COVID-19, and 95% effective against severe disease for six months after the second dose. It also says its vaccine is effective against the 501.V2 variant from South Africa. (CNBC) (The Times)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest, Daunte Wright protests
  • Protests spread across the country over the police killing of Daunte Wright. Demonstrations and marches are held in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and other cities. (NPR)
• Terrorism in Germany
  • 2020 Dresden knife attack
    • An alleged ISIL recruiter goes on trial for stabbing two gay men in Dresden, killing one of them, because they were holding hands. The suspect has admitted to the attack and is charged with murder and attempted murder. (Pink News)
  • Eleven alleged members of Gruppe S, an alleged far-right terror cell plotting anti-immigration attacks, go on trial in Stuttgart. A policeman accused of assisting the group also goes on trial. (BBC)
• Terrorism in England, Crime in London
  • A court sentences terror convict Sahayb Abu to life imprisonment with a minimum term of nineteen years for plotting a gun and knife attack in Dagenham, London. (BBC)
• St Paul's Cathedral bomb plot, Terrorism in Norway
  • Authorities in Norway charge a man with involvement in a plot to bomb St Paul's Cathedral as well as plotting a similar attack in Norway. (BBC)

Current events of April 12, 2021 (2021-04-12) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Donbass
  • Two Ukrainian soldiers are killed in front line clashes with separatist forces in the Donbass, thereby bringing the total number of troops killed in action this year to 29. Both died due to small arms fire. (The Defense Post)

Arts and culture

• Death and funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • The BBC receives a record 110,994 complaints over their coverage of Prince Philip's death, mostly due to the extent of the coverage. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Peru bus crash
  • At least 20 people died in a bus crash in the Ancash Region in Peru. (CGTN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • Schools, libraries, zoos, and some stores in the Czech Republic reopen after months of closure as the six-month state of emergency expires and restrictions of movement are lifted. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • High schools in Greece reopen after five months of closure, with precautions such as wearing masks and COVID-19 testing for all teachers and students twice per week. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Republic of Ireland
        • The National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommends that the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given to people over 60 years old following concerns about rare blood clots. (Thejournal.ie)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Lockdown restrictions are relaxed in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales as the number of cases continues to reduce, with non-essential shops, pubs, gyms, restaurants, hairdressers, community centres, libraries, and theme parks permitted to reopen. Domestic holidays are also permitted again in England with members of the same household. A "stay at home" order is ended in Northern Ireland, and secondary school pupils from years 8–11 return to school. (BBC)
      • Apple and Google reject an update by the National Health Service to their contact tracing app because it breaches their privacy rules. (The Daily Telegraph)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh issues new lockdown rules that order the closure of all government, semi-government, autonomous, and private offices for one week beginning April 14, as well as suspension of all public transport. However, the government will allow factories to remain open. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong announces that restaurants will be permitted to remain open until midnight and seat more customers, provided that all staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and all patrons use a government tracking app. (The Hong Kong Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India approves Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)
      • India reports a record for the seventh consecutive day of 168,912 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 13.52 million and surpassing Brazil to become the country with the second-highest total of infections. (Hindustan Times) (The Hill)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 985 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 33,610. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that all schools across the province will remain closed after April break and students will be forced to shift into online learning amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (CP24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 drug development
      • The U.S. government terminates a deal with Eli Lilly & Co. for 350,856 remaining doses of the single antibody bamlanivimab that were scheduled to be delivered by the end of March. The deal will instead be focused on a supply of combined antibodies with etesevimab. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Solomon Islands
    • Solomon Islands receives 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine from China. (Solomon Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Ghana
      • The Ghana Health Service says that over 700,000 people in the country has received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Ghanaweb)
• China reports new cases of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu in wild birds in Liaoning, which is the country's first report of the disease since February 2020. (Reuters)
• French lawmakers vote to ban airlines from offering domestic flights if the same journey could be made by train in less than two and a half hours. (The Guardian)

International relations

• Philippines–United States relations, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the military
  • Philippine and U.S. troops resume their annual Balikatan military exercises following last year's cancellation of the event due to the pandemic. (Reuters)
• War in Donbass, Ukraine–NATO relations
  • Ukraine triggers Article 15 of the Charter on a Special Partnership, initiating an emergency meeting with NATO to discuss the Russian escalation in Donbass and the build-up of Russian forces on its border. The article was last triggered in 2018 during the Kerch Strait incident. (Ukranews)
• Cross-Strait relations
  • Taiwan reports the largest incursion into its air defence identification zone to date by People's Liberation Army Air Force warplanes. Twenty-five aircraft entered its airspace, including nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and anti-submarine aircraft. The Chinese fleet flew in an area close to the disputed Pratas Island, according to Taiwan's Defence Ministry. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2020–21 United States racial unrest, Daunte Wright protests
  • Tensions between protesters and police intensified for the second night after the killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old man who was shot by police at a traffic stop. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz imposes a curfew, and police begin firing gas canisters and flash-bang grenades. Some protesters, wearing gas masks, pick up smoke canisters and throw them back at police. About 40 arrests are made, ranging from curfew violation to rioting. (USA Today)
• A gunman on a motorcycle opens fire in front of a COVID-19 vaccination centre at a hospital in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, killing a man and wounding a female security guard before riding away. (Reuters)
• A serving officer with London's Metropolitan Police is sentenced to over two years in prison for an unprovoked attack on a black member of the public that left his victim with a broken leg, in what the judge described as "a clear case of racial profiling." (CNN)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Far-left candidate Pedro Castillo is expected to win the first round of the presidential election. His opponent in the runoff election in June is still to be determined, amidst a political and economic crisis. (Reuters)

Current events of April 11, 2021 (2021-04-11) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iran reports that a blackout at its underground Natanz nuclear facility is an act of nuclear terrorism and says that they reserve the right to respond, but it does not specify who was responsible or how they would respond. Parts of the electrical grid at Iran's main nuclear facilities at Natanz have been compromised. Intelligence sources claim in Israeli media that the Mossad intelligence agency carried out a cyber attack on the facility. (Al Jazeera)
• War in Donbass
  • A Ukrainian soldier is killed and another is seriously wounded by Russian separatist forces artillery fire on the front line in Eastern Ukraine, bringing the total number of troops killed in combat this year to 27. (AP)

Arts and culture

• The Cambodian Ministry of Culture and exiled politician Mu Sochua condemn American-Canadian digital media company Vice for publishing an article about an art project aiming to colorize photographs of inmates interred at Khmer Rouge-era prison Tuol Sleng, after social media users noticed that the photos were edited to have the subjects smiling. The article was subsequently deleted. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Sohag train collision
  • Egypt's prosecution service declares that nobody was at the controls of one of the trains that collided last month, in an accident that killed 20 people and injured around 200. (The New Arab)
• Rescue operations commence in Hutubi, Xinjiang, China, after a coal mine floods, trapping workers. Eight miners have been freed, but 21 still remain trapped. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
      • Prime Minister Scott Morrison abandons the country's plan to vaccinate all Australians by the end of the year amidst medical advice that makes the vaccination program uncertain. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports 78 deaths from COVID-19, a record for the second consecutive day, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,739. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports 152,879 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, a record for the sixth consecutive day. The country also reports 839 deaths in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily total since October 18. (Business Standard)
      • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare bans the export of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir, and the ingredients used to make it, following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
      • Iraq receives 50,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan reports 114 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest number of deaths this year, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,443. (Geo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Greater Manila Area, the provinces of Abra and Quirino, and the city of Santiago, Isabela, are placed under the looser modified enhanced community quarantine until the end of April. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 967 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 32,625. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California surpasses 60,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Los Angeles Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon
    • Cameroon receives 200,000 doses of the Sinovac BBIBP-CorV vaccine from China, which will be used in the first phase of their vaccination campaign. (Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in France
    • Health Minister Olivier Véran confirms that all people aged 55 and over would be eligible for a vaccine starting tomorrow, which is a week earlier than originally scheduled, with AstraZeneca, and a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines. (The Connexion)
  • COVID-19 vaccine, 501.V2 variant
    • An Israeli study finds that the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine may be less effective against the South African variant when compared to other strains of the virus. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Killing of Daunte Wright, Daunte Wright protests
  • A police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, kills a man during an attempted arrest following a traffic stop, leading to rioting and looting in the city and surrounding areas. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
• An Egyptian court sentences university student Ahmed Bassam Zaki to an additional eight years in prison for sexually assaulting and blackmailing at least three women between 2016 and 2020. The case led to a public debate about sexual harassment and abuse within the country. Zaki was previously sentenced to three years in prison by a different court in December. (Reuters)
• Seven Catholic clergy, including two French citizens, are kidnapped in Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest, Haiti. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election, 2017–2021 Peruvian political crisis
  • Peruvians head to the polls to elect their president after having four presidents in four years. (CNN)
• 2021 Chadian presidential election
  • Chadians head to the polls to elect their president. Incumbent Idriss Déby is expected to extend his three-decade mandate. (Reuters)
• 2021 Beninese presidential election
  • After violent days of protests, Beninese citizens head to the polls to elect their president. Incumbent Patrice Talon is expected to win his second term as most of his rivals are either in prison or in exile. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Ecuadorian general election
  • Centre-right candidate Guillermo Lasso defeats socialist Andrés Arauz in the second round of voting in Ecuador for the presidency. (The Wall Street Journal)
• 2021 Kyrgyz constitutional referendum
  • Kyrgyz citizens head to the polls on a referendum to reform the Constitution. If approved, it would increase the powers of incumbent populist President Sadyr Zhaparov and allow him to run for a second term. It would also reduce the size of the parliament by 25%. (DW)
• 2021 German federal election
  • Bavarian minister president Markus Söder and leader of the ruling Christian Democratic Union Armin Laschet announce their respective candidacies to succeed current Chancellor Angela Merkel after the federal elections take place. (Bloomberg)

Sports

• 2021 Masters Tournament
  • Hideki Matsuyama wins the 85th edition of the Masters to become first male Japanese major champion. (Reuters)
• WrestleMania 37
  • The first WWE show with fans in attendance since March 2020 takes place in Tampa, Florida, US. (CBS Sports)

Current events of April 10, 2021 (2021-04-10) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Ten officers are killed by an alliance of rebel groups during an attack at a police station in Naungmon. (Al Jazeera)
  • Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun calls for the international community to enforce a no-fly zone over his country to protect civilians from airstrikes, and to establish an arms embargo on the junta, saying, "Your collective, strong action is needed immediately." (The Straits Times)
• 2021 Apure clashes
  • The Venezuelan Armed Forces announce the arrest of an unspecified number of Sinaloa Cartel members amidst clashes with FARC dissidents in the state of Apure. (Al Jazeera)
• Somali Civil War
  • A suicide bomber targeting the Somali Bay region's governor kills four people and wounds six others outside a bar in Baidoa. The governor escapes unharmed. (The Washington Post)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • A previously undisclosed document provides new details regarding the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. The document shows that then-Vice President Mike Pence made a call to the acting Defense Secretary urging him to "clear the Capitol." Additionally, the document shows that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also made demands for the Army to deploy the National Guard. (AP) (The Guardian)
• Four people are killed and four more are wounded after security forces open fire on protesters during election-related violence in West Bengal, India. Another person is killed when unknown gunmen fire at voters at a polling booth. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• Anti Monopoly Law of China
  • China's State Administration for Market Regulation issues a CN¥18.2 billion ($2.78 billion) fine against technology company Alibaba over anti-competitive practices which forced merchants to choose one of two platforms, rather than being able to work with both. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 East Java earthquake
  • An earthquake kills at least seven people and damages buildings in Java, Indonesia. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India becomes the fastest country in the world to administer 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Hindu)
      • India reports a record 145,384 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 13.2 million. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 77 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,661. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran imposes a 10-day lockdown in 23 of 31 provinces in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 amid a fourth wave of the pandemic. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      • Toronto Mayor John Tory receives his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (CTV News)
      • Ottawa reports a record 325 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Libya
    • Libya begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Speaker of the General Council Roser Suñé receives the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (The New York Daily News)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Gao Fu admits at a conference in Chengdu that the vaccines developed by China "don't have very high protection rates", and that the government is considering mixing them to provide the protection needed. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia executes three soldiers for "high treason" and "cooperating with the enemy" in Najran Province. (Reuters)
• 2021 Northern Ireland riots
  • Police say that overnight clashes resulted in fourteen officers injured in Belfast and Coleraine. The violence also saw a burning car used to ram a police vehicle, trash bins set on fire, and three 14-year-old children arrested. (BBC)
• Terrorism in the United States
  • The FBI charges a 28-year-old man with attempting to blow up an Amazon data center as part of a plot to disable the Internet and to specifically impede the activities of United States federal bodies. They also claim that he said he was involved in the storming of the U.S. Capitol building. (The Independent)
• 2021 Rock Hill shooting
  • The sole survivor of a mass shooting in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that killed five others three days earlier has died from his gunshot wounds, according to the local coroner. (AP)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Djiboutian presidential election
  • Incumbent President Ismail Omar Guelleh wins a landslide victory securing over 97% of the votes cast, in an election boycotted by the opposition. The leader of the opposition says that the results are "far from reality". Guelleh will serve his fifth consecutive term. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inaugurates a series of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility, revealing that Iran had violated in kind the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which mandates the testing and usage of only "first-generation" centrifuges for uranium enrichment, in response to Western sanctions violating the deal. The move comes amid indirect discussions in Vienna between Iran and the United States to revive the deal. (The Straits Times)

Sports

• 2021 Grand National
  • Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore becomes the first female winner of the Grand National. Another horse, The Grand Mile, suffers a broken leg and is euthanised. (BBC) (The Manchester Evening News)

Time: 08:04 UTC|Day: 16 April

	April 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

Disasters

• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• 2020–21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Anti-Netanyahu Protests
• Armenian protests
• Belarusian protests
• Bulgarian protests
• East Mediterranean crisis
• Greek protests
• Indian farmers' protests
• Indonesia omnibus law protests
• Libyan peace process
• Myanmar protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Northern Ireland riots
• Persian Gulf crisis
• Peruvian Crisis
• Russian protests
• Second Arab Spring
• Sudanese protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• United States racial unrest
• United States Stop Asian Hate protests
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
• Yellow vests movement

Elections and referendums

Recent

• April
  • 4: Bulgaria, National Assembly
  • 6: Greenland, Inatsisartut
  • 9: Djibouti, President
  • 9: Samoa, Legislative Assembly
  • 11: Benin, President (1st)
  • 11: Chad, President
  • 11: Ecuador, President (2nd)
  • 11: Kyrgyzstan, Constitutional referendum
  • 11: Peru, President (1st), Congress
  • 14: Cayman Islands, Parliament

Upcoming

• April
  • 18: Cape Verde, National Assembly
  • 25: Albania, Parliament
  • 25: Haiti, Constitutional Referendum

Trials

Recently concluded

• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum
• Kuwait: Mohammad Shahid Islam
• Switzerland: Beny Steinmetz

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• India: Disha Ravi
• Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: 2017 Barcelona attacks, Bárcenas affair, Barçagate
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• United States: Derek Chauvin
• International: The Gambia v. Myanmar

Upcoming

• Canada: Raj Grewal
• Indonesia: Juliari Batubara, Nurdin Abdullah
• Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
• Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
• Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
• United Kingdom: Apsana Begum
• United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2020–21 Premier League
  • 2020–21 La Liga
  • 2020–21 Serie A
  • 2020–21 Bundesliga
  • 2020–21 UEFA Champions League knockout phase
  • 2020–21 UEFA Europa League knockout phase
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores qualifying stages
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
• Women's association football
  • 2020–21 Champions League
  • 2020–21 Division 1 Féminine
  • 2020–21 FA WSL
  • 2020 Copa Libertadores Femenina
• American football
  • 2021 Spring NCAA Division I FCS
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Basketball
  • 2020–21 NBA season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season
• Cricket
  • ICC World Test Championship 2019–21
  • ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League 2020–2023
  • 2019–2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2
  • ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League 2019–2022
• Golf
  • 2020–21 PGA Tour
• Ice hockey
  • 2020–21 KHL season
  • 2020–21 NHL season
• Rugby union
  • 2020–21 Premiership Rugby
  • 2020–21 Pro14
  • 2019–20 Top 14
• Other sports seasons
  • 2020–21 international cricket season
  • 2020–21 snooker season
  • 2020–21 curling season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

April

• 14: Yıldırım Akbulut
• 14: Bernie Madoff
• 13: Peter Warner
• 12: Shirley Williams
• 11: Joseph Siravo
• 10: LaDonna Brave Bull Allard
• 10: Félix del Blanco Prieto
• 9: Nikki Grahame
• 9: Ramsey Clark
• 9: Giorgos Karaivaz
• 9: DMX
• 9: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• 8: Phillip Adams
• 8: Jovan Divjak
• 8: Richard Rush
• 7: Anne Beatts
• 7: James Hampton
• 6: Charles H. Coolidge
• 6: Alcee Hastings
• 6: Julen Madariaga
• 6: Tommy Raudonikis
• 6: Predrag Živković Tozovac
• 5: Philip K. Chapman
• 5: Krzysztof Krawczyk
• 5: Izz al-Din Manasirah
• 5: Paul Ritter
• 4: Cheryl Gillan
• 4: Robert Mundell
• 4: Shashikala
• 3: Gloria Henry
• 3: Cyprian Kizito Lwanga
• 3: Brother Stair
• 3: Carla Zampatti
• 2: Arthur Kopit
• 2: Christian Tumi
• 2: April
• 1: Lee Aaker
• 1: Isamu Akasaki
• 1: Patrick Juvet

March

• 31: Lee Collins
• 31: Kamal Ganzouri
• 31: Ron Greene
• 31: Jane Manning
• 31: Ken Reitz
• 31: Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan
• 30: G. Gordon Liddy
• 29: Bashkim Fino
• 29: Sarah Onyango Obama
• 28: Joseph Edward Duncan
• 28: Liu Kai-chi
• 28: Didier Ratsiraka
• 27: Petr Kellner
• 27: Howard Schnellenberger
• 26: Haseena Moin
• 25: Bill Brock
• 25: Beverly Cleary
• 25: Larry McMurtry
• 25: Uta Ranke-Heinemann
• 25: Bi Sidi Souleymane
• 25: Bertrand Tavernier
• 24: Jessica Walter
• 24: Mahmoud al-Werfalli
• 24: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
• 23: Ethel Gabriel
• 23: Don Heffington
• 23: Hana Hegerová
• 23: George Segal
• 22: Elgin Baylor
• 22: Guy Brice Parfait Kolélas
• 22: Peng Shilu
• 21: Nawal El Saadawi
• 20: José Baselga
• 20: Peter Lorimer
• 20: Richard Mendani
• 19: Glynn Lunney
• 19: Barry Orton
• 18: Richard Gilliland
• 18: Paul Jackson

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

• Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
  • Maghreb insurgency
• Cameroon
  • Anglophone Crisis
• Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
  • Boko Haram insurgency
• Central African Republic
  • Civil War
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Ituri conflict
  • Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
• Ethiopia
  • Tigray War (spillover)
• Ethiopia and Sudan
  • Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
• Ghana
  • Western Togoland Rebellion
• Mali
  • Mali War
• Mozambique
  • Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
• Nigeria
  • Communal conflicts in Nigeria
• Somalia
  • Civil war
• Sudan
  • War in Darfur
  • South Kordofan conflict
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
• Western Sahara
  • Western Sahara conflict
    • 2020–2021 Western Saharan clashes

Americas

• Colombia
  • Colombian conflict
• Mexico
  • Mexican drug war
• Peru
  • Internal conflict in Peru

Asia-Pacific

• Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan War
• China
  • Xinjiang conflict
• India
  • Khalistan movement
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
• India and Pakistan
  • Kashmir conflict
• Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
  • Moro conflict
    • Cross border attacks in Sabah
• Indonesia
  • Papua conflict
• Myanmar
  • Internal conflict in Myanmar
    • Kachin conflict
    • Karen conflict
    • Rohingya conflict
• Pakistan
  • Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Insurgency in Balochistan
• Philippines
  • Communist rebellion
  • Philippine drug war
• Thailand
  • South Thailand insurgency

Europe

• Armenia and Azerbaijan
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
• Ukraine
  • War in Donbass
    • Russo-Ukrainian War

Global

• War on terror

Middle East

• Egypt
  • Sinai insurgency
• Iran and the Persian Gulf
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
• Iraq
  • American-led intervention in Iraq
  • Iranian intervention in Iraq
• Iraq and Syria (map)
  • International military intervention against ISIL
• Israel and Gaza
• Israel and Syria
  • Israeli-Syrian border conflict
• Syria
  • American-led intervention in Syria
  • Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war
  • Turkish occupation of northern Syria
    • SDF insurgency
• Turkey
  • Kurdish–Turkish conflict
• Yemen and Saudi Arabia
  • Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict

Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts

2021 events and developments by topic

Arts

Architecture – Comics – Film – Home video – Literature – Music (Country, Rock, Metal, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US) – Video games

Politics and government

Elections – International leaders – Sovereign states – Sovereign state leaders – Territorial governors

Science and technology

Archaeology – Biotechnology – Computing – Palaeontology – Quantum computing and communication – Space/Astronomy – Spaceflight

Environment and environmental sciences

Birding/Ornithology – Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain