Portal:Current events/April 2021

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • A female police officer is killed by gunmen in the city of Jalalabad, Nangarhar, during an increase of targeted killings of women in the city. (Reuters)
• Spillover of the Colombian conflict
  • 2021 Apure clashes
    • Two Venezuelan Army troops are killed and nine others are wounded by a land mine, near the border with Colombia, during operations against FARC dissidents and other "irregular armed groups". (Reuters)
• Terrorism in Burkina Faso
  • Six auxiliaries of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces are killed in an ambush during an operation in Dablo, Sanmatenga. (Barron's)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industry, COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, Eurovision Song Contest 2021
  • The government announces that it will permit the attendance of around 3,500 fans into Rotterdam Ahoy for the Eurovision contest on May 18–22, as part of a trial to reopen public venues. (Radio France Internationale)

Business and economy

• Minimum wage in New Zealand
  • New Zealand raises its minimum wage to $20 per hour, increasing the average income of 175,500 citizens by $44 per week, while income tax on those earning over $180,000 rises to 39 percent. Welfare spending, student allowances, and support for first time home buyers are also increased. (The Independent)
• The S&P 500 closes its trading day at 4,019.87, the first time it ended at above 4,000. (The Straits Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 6,469 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, prompting the government to impose a series of new measures, including banning all travellers from the European Union and 12 other countries for two weeks beginning April 3. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Phnom Penh imposes a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time that suspends all non-essential business activities and gatherings for two weeks in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese government designates Osaka, Hyogo, and Miyagi Prefectures for tougher measures against COVID-19 amid a rise in cases. The measures include fines of ¥200,000 ($1,808.80) for restaurants and bars that ignore mandates to shorten operating hours to 8:00 p.m., and capping attendance of large events to 5,000 people. These measures will be effective for one month beginning on April 5. (Kyodo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, 501.V2 variant
      • Malaysia reports nine locally transmitted cases of the 501.V2 variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was originally detected in South Africa. (Malaysiakini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam receives the first batch consisting 811,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine distributed through COVAX scheme. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Andorra receives 30.000 doses of Oxford-Astrazenca vaccines from COVAX WHO program. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Prime Minister Jean Castex announces a ban of alcoholic drinks in parks and outdoor public spaces in France as part of the limited nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • President Frank-Walter Steinmeier receives his first dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova
      • Moldova enters a 60-day state of emergency to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Acting Prime Minister Aureliu Ciocoi says that the rate of infection has increased to 635 per 100,000 people. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain breaks vaccination record with 306,000 doses injected in one day. (El País)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 40,806 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.3 million. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California Governor Gavin Newsom receives the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (San Francisco Chronicle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Lineage P.1
      • Michigan reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant in a person from Bay County. (Detroit News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Lockdown restrictions are eased in Queensland, including Brisbane, after a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Nine News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • After surpassing one million cases, the government announces several new restrictions. Borders will be closed for 30 days; the curfew will start one hour earlier; work permits during quarantine will be given only for essential activities; and sales will be permitted only for food, medicine, and hygiene products. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approves the general use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (Business Tech)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
      • Pfizer announces a revised efficacy rating of 91.3% for its vaccine candidate, down from its original rating of 95%, and affirms that protection afforded by the vaccine lasts for at least six months. Pfizer also announces that the vaccine appeared to provide protection against the 501.V2 variant in 100% of cases during its South African trial run. (CNBC)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar protests, Myanmar–United Kingdom relations
  • The United Kingdom places sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation for funding the junta and for associating with military officials. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also accuses the junta of "sinking to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent people, including children". (Reuters)
• Taiwan–United States relations
  • U.S. ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland becomes the first sitting American envoy to visit Taiwan since the U.S. cut formal ties in 1979. The visit coincided with the opening of a COVID-19 "travel bubble" between Taiwan and Palau. The highest level visit in 42 years prompted anger from China, who warned the U.S. against "crossing its red line". (The Diplomat) (The Independent)
• Russia–United States relations
  • Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov warns of a rising "anti-White" racism in the United States, saying that political correctness was being "taken to the extreme". Lavrov also accuses the U.S. of attempting to spread a cultural revolution around the world. (The Moscow Times)

Law and crime

• 2019–20 Hong Kong protests
  • A Hong Kong court convicts nine activists of the opposition pro-democracy camp for organizing and participating in an "unlawful assembly". Among those convicted are politicians Martin Lee, Leung Kwok-hung, and Margaret Ng, and entrepreneur Jimmy Lai. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Three Belgian police officers are injured and four people are arrested, after a crowd of around 2,000 people at the Bois de la Cambre park in Brussels is charged for violating social distancing measures by organizing and participating in a coronavirus party marketed as an April Fools' Day prank. (The Bangkok Post)

Politics and elections

• Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová appoints Finance Minister Eduard Heger as the new Prime Minister, ending a month-long political crisis. (Reuters)
• Gian Carlo Venturini and Marco Nicolini are sworn in as the new Captains Regent of San Marino, succeeding Alessandro Cardelli and Mirko Dolcini. (San Marino RTV)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Mali War
  • Four Chadian soldiers are killed and many more are wounded when their base is attacked by jihadists in Aguelhok, Kidal, Mali. (Al Jazeera)
• United States Capitol car attack
  • A Capitol Police officer is killed and another is wounded after being struck by a vehicle outside Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The attacker is shot dead after lunging at the officers with a knife. (BBC News)
• Far-right terrorism in Spain
  • The regional office of the leftist Unidas Podemos party in Cartagena, Murcia, is firebombed, leaving damage to its exterior. (Reuters)
• Kashmir conflict
  • At least four civilians were injured in anti-Indian protests against the killing of three suspected rebels by Indian soldiers in Kashmir. (Al Jazeera0

Arts and culture

• A sealed copy of the 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario Bros. sells at auction for US$660,000, the most ever paid for a single video game. (KSL-TV)

Business and economy

• Aftermath of the Battle of Palma
  • French energy company Total SE ceases operations and evacuates all of its staff from its power plant in the Cabo Delgado Province, after IS-CAP insurgents infiltrate a security perimeter surrounding the liquefied natural gas reserves where the plant is located. (TRT World)
• Canadian airlines Air Canada and Air Transat mutually terminate a planned merger deal after failing to secure an approval from the European Commission. (CBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Hualien train derailment
  • At least 50 people are killed and 156 others are wounded when a Taroko Express train, headed for the celebration of the Tomb Sweeping festival, derails in Hualien, Taiwan. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India reports a new single-day record of 3.67 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. (Livemint)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • Maharashtra reports a record 47,827 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 6,830 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 624,594. The country also reports its highest ever seven-day moving average of deaths with 50. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
      • Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa, a former Iraq judge who presided during the trial of former dictator Saddam Hussein, dies from COVID-19 at the age of 52. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports a record 15,310 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which includes 3,709 cases that were not reported since March 31. This brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 771,497. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina
      • Bosnia and Herzegovina reports a record 2,154 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the first time that daily cases surpassed 2,000 in the country. (The National Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands suspends the administration of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to people under 60 years old following the death of a woman who had received the vaccine. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 42,308 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.4 million. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reports a record 19,893 new confirmed cases and 433 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.71 million and the nationwide death toll to 33,679. (Kyiv Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 100 million people have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Business Insider) (Forbes)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
      • Governor Ron DeSantis issues an executive order banning the state from issuing vaccine passports. (Orlando Sentinel)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • President Alberto Fernández tests positive for COVID-19. (The Courier)

International relations

• The Biden administration lifts sanctions that targeted several members of the International Criminal Court, such as Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and human rights lawyer Phakiso Mochochoko. They were sanctioned last year by former U.S. President Donald Trump for investigating allegations of war crimes committed in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories. The administration maintains that the ICC lacked jurisdiction in both cases, as neither the U.S. nor Israel are member states. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• 2021 Northern Ireland riots
  • Eight police officers are injured and eight people are arrested during a riot in Sandy Row, south Belfast. (The Guardian)
• Far-right terrorism in the United Kingdom, History of the Metropolitan Police
  • 22-year-old Metropolitan Police Constable Ben Hannam admits to possession of an indecent image of a child, and a judge accordingly lifts reporting restrictions designed to allow a fair trial, revealing that Hannam became the first serving UK officer to be convicted of a terror offence after being found guilty at the Old Bailey of National Action membership. (The Guardian)

Sports

• 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
  • Major League Baseball announces that it will move this year's All-Star Game from Atlanta in response to the U.S. state of Georgia passing a series of controversial voting laws that critics say disproportionately target the state's minority voters. (USA Today)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • Ten people are killed and four more are wounded after a suicide bomber detonates his device near makeshift kiosks in Mogadishu. (Reuters)
  • Al-Shabaab militants attack two military bases in Lower Shabelle with suicide car bombings and mortar shells. Nine Somali soldiers are killed and eleven others are injured. An army general says 76 militants are killed in retaliation, and ten captured. (VOA)
• Naxalite insurgency
  • A gun battle between security forces and rebels in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh results in the deaths of 22 state paramilitary personnel and one militant. Thirty more soldiers are wounded. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• The remains of 22 pharaohs are transferred from Cairo's Egyptian Museum to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which is set to fully open the following day, in a procession dubbed "The Pharaohs' Golden Parade". (CTV News)
• Pope Francis sends a video message to the Philippines to mark the 500-year anniversary of the first Mass on Philippine soil on Easter Sunday. (Catholic News Agency)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Hualien train derailment
  • Prosecutors in Taiwan seek the arrest of a truck owner whose unattended vehicle rolled onto railway tracks, causing the accident that killed 50 people. (Sky News)
• 2021 Suez Canal obstruction
  • The last of the 422 backlogged ships stranded by the grounding of MV Ever Given pass through the Suez Canal, and normal operations resume. (Al Jazeera)
• A state of emergency is declared in Florida amidst mass evacuations owing to the potential collapse of toxic phosphogypsum waste reservoirs at the Piney Point phosphate plant. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario enters a four-week "emergency brake" province-wide lockdown that was announced by Premier Doug Ford on Thursday amidst a third wave of COVID-19. Indoor and outdoor dining, and indoor organized public events and social gatherings, are prohibited. There are also capacity restrictions for in-person shopping, as well as weddings, funerals, and religious services. (CBC)
      • Canada surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (CTV News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • The United States records four million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
        • The government extends the enhanced community quarantine imposed on the Greater Manila Area until April 11, following the report of a record 15,310 new confirmed cases the previous day. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • The government announces a one-week nationwide lockdown beginning April 5 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Factory, utility, and emergency services are exempt from the lockdown. (The Economic Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports 89,129 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest daily total since September 20. The country also reports 714 deaths from COVID-19, the highest daily total since October 21. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia
      • Georgia receives 100,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. However, vaccination will not begin until the country receives an approval from the World Health Organization. (Agenda.ge)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy enters a three-day nationwide lockdown on the eve of Easter amidst a variant-fueled spike of COVID-19 cases. Non-essential shops are closed, restaurants and bars are only allowed to offer for takeout or delivery, and travel between regions and visits to the relatives are severely limited through Monday. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 44,756 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.44 million. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reports a record 20,341 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.73 million. (Kyiv Post)

Law and crime

• 2021 alleged Jordanian coup d'état attempt
  • Jordanian authorities arrest 20 people, including royal family member Hassan bin Zaid and former royal court head Bassem Awadallah, for a plot to topple King Abdullah II. Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah is also told by security personnel to "cease any movement and activities that could be used to target the security and stability of Jordan". (CNN) (The Jerusalem Post)
• 2021 Northern Ireland riots
  • Three cars are hijacked and burned in Newtownabbey and rioters attack a police vehicle as disturbances enter their sixth day. Police announce seven people aged from 13 to 25 have been charged with riot. (The Irish Examiner)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  • Taliban insurgency, 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Three security personnel are killed in a car bombing near Kabul. The Taliban claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Arabiya)
  • Afghan peace process
    • President Ashraf Ghani is expected to offer a three-phase peace roadmap, which includes a ceasefire and agreement, during a proposed meeting in Turkey. (Khaama Press)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Militants ambush a convoy carrying counter-terrorism judge Aftab Afridi, killing him and three members of his family, in Swabi, KP, Pakistan. (AA)

Disasters and accidents

• Cyclone Seroja
  • At least 80 people are killed in Flores island, Indonesia, and 21 more in Dili, East Timor, by flash floods and landslides. (BBC News)
• Eleven people are killed and 19 others are injured after a truck and a passenger bus collide on the G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway in Jiangsu province, China. (South China Morning Post) (USA Today)
• An explosion and fire aboard a boat injures at least eight people, some of them critically, on the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, Australia. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
• Twelve people are killed and four remain missing after a fishing boat sank in Zhoushan sea, Zhejiang, China. (Xinhua)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • The Maharashtra state government announces that there will be a nightly curfew as well as a weekend lockdown in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. These measures will be implemented from tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. until April 30. (The Hindu Business Line)
      • India reports 93,249 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day number of daily cases since September 21. This brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 12.48 million. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 7,087 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 637,364. (The Financial Express)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19 after a record 620 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (Montsame)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan receives its first shipment of 199,200 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine distributed through the COVAX initiative. (Focus Taiwan)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California reports the United States' first case of the "double mutant" variant of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in India. The variant has been detected in the San Francisco Bay Area. (KNTV-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    • Greece reports 78 deaths in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily total this year, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,380. (Ekathimerini)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Libya
    • Libya receives its first shipment of more than 100,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• 2021 alleged Jordanian coup d'état attempt
  • Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein says that he is under house arrest. (BBC News)
• The United States Armed Forces announces that Camp 7 at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp will close. (The Independent)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election
  • Bulgarians head to the polls to elect new members of the National Assembly. (Euronews)
• 2021 Kosovan presidential election
  • The Assembly elects Vjosa Osmani as President. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
  • Battle of Palma
    • Mozambique's military says that it has regained full control of the town of Palma, more than a week after it was captured by ISIL-linked militants. Several militants are killed during the counter-offensive. (BBC News)
• War in Darfur
  • 2021 Darfur clashes
    • Tribal clashes between Masa and Arabs in the Sudanese city of Geneina, West Darfur, kill at least 40 people and injure 60 others. Residents report the use of heavy weaponry and rocket-propelled grenades. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria, prison breaks in Nigeria
  • Owerri prison break
    • Authorities say that heavily-armed gunmen attacked a prison in Owerri, Imo, freeing more than 1,800 prisoners. Police accuse the banned separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra of being the attackers. The group denies the allegations, calling them "lies". (BBC News)
• War in Afghanistan
  • The Afghan Army Special Operations Division reportedly says that 110 Taliban members have been killed in the last 24 hours in Afghanistan. (Mehr News Agency)

Business and economy

• South Korean electronics company LG says that it will discontinue producing smartphones, citing poor sales and stiff competition from both flagship and budget brands. It becomes the first major smartphone brand to exit the market. (BusinessWorld)

Disasters and accidents

• At least 26 people are killed when a ferry sinks after colliding with a cargo ship in the Shitalakshya River, Narayanganj, Bangladesh. (The Times of India)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 103,558 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby making it the second country after the United States to report more than 100,000 new cases in a single day. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran receives over 700,000 doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine manufactured by SK Bioscience and supplied through the COVAX initiative. (Tehran Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines surpasses 800,000 cases of COVID-19. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hajj
      • The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says that only vaccinated pilgrims will be allowed access to Mecca's Great Mosque during Ramadan. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Restrictions in Byron Bay, New South Wales, and surrounding areas are lifted following a decline in cases. This was the last area of Australia to be under any form of lockdown. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• The Turkish government arrests at least ten former admirals under suspicion of initiating a coup d'état, after 104 retired admirals issued an open letter opposing the proposed Istanbul Canal. (The News International)
• The United States Customs and Border Protection agency announces the separate arrests of two Yemeni nationals on the FBI's terrorism watchlist attempting to enter the country from Mexico earlier this year. (The Times)
• A relative of Red Crescent worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan says the Saudi Arabian Specialised Criminal Court has sentenced al-Sadhan to 20 years imprisonment, followed by a 20-year travel ban, in a secret trial. Rights groups allege the sentence is connected to an anonymous Twitter account on which al-Sadhan questioned Saudi positions on human rights issues. (Middle East Eye)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Vietnam
  • Nguyễn Xuân Phúc is elected as the 11th President, with 97.5% of the vote. He is the country's first former Prime Minister to be elected President. (VnExpress)
  • The National Assembly of Vietnam elects Phạm Minh Chính as the country's 10th Prime Minister, with 96% of the vote. (Zing)
• 2020 amendments to the Constitution of Russia
  • President Vladimir Putin signs a law extending the presidential term of office to a total of four consecutive six-year terms. The law would allow Putin, who is on his second consecutive term, to serve as president until 2036. (ABS-CBN News)

Sports

• 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
  • The Baylor Bears defeat the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 86-70, handing Gonzaga their first loss of the season and winning the NCAA men's basketball tournament. (CBS News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reconnaissance vessel Saviz is struck by several limpet mines off the coast of Eritrea in the Red Sea. A Pentagon spokesperson denies any U.S. involvement in the attack on the Iranian ship. (Al Jazeera) (Al Arabiya)
  • An unnamed U.S. official says that Israel has informed the United States that its forces struck the vessel at about 7:30 a.m. local time in retaliation for earlier Iranian strikes on Israeli vessels. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

• A Norwegian rescue coordination centre says the crew of MV Eemslift Hendrika was evacuated by helicopter overnight, with some having jumped into the North Sea, after the vessel began listing heavily. The ship, which specialises in transporting luxury yachts, has lost power, may sink, and is drifting towards the Norwegian coast. (The Independent)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado, Lineage P.1
        • Colorado reports its first cases of the Lineage P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in two people from Boulder County. (The Denver Post)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
        • Governor Charlie Baker receives his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. (WWLP-TV)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • President Joe Biden announces that the deadline for all states to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine will be moved up from May 1 to April 19. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto
          • Toronto will close schools for in-person learning from tomorrow until April 18 and shift students into remote learning due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (CP24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Haiti
      • The Haiti government rejects an offer from the World Health Organization to receive 756,000 doses of the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca. (EFE)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago
      • Prime Minister Keith Rowley tests positive for COVID-19. (Trinidad Express)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi
        • The Delhi government imposes a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. IST until April 30 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the union territory. (The Economic Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 7,213 new confirmed cases and 66 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 651,652 and the nationwide death toll to 9,384. (Business Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports its first case of a more transmissible new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 nicknamed "Eek", which contains the E484K mutation that can reduce vaccine protection. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 831 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11,651. (AKIPress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports a record 382 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 13,817. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The government approves a plan to reopen selected stores and lower grades at elementary schools, as well as lifting the 9:00 p.m. curfew and limits of movement between districts beginning April 12. (U.S. News and World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 49,584 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.5 million. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine signs a deal with Pfizer to supply 10 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (UNIAN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentina reports a record 20,870 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide cumulative total to 2.4 million cases. (Olé)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil reports a record 4,195 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 336,947. It was the first time that the country surpassed the mark of 4,000 deaths in a single day. (The Rio Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • The New Zealand government announces that it will allow quarantine-free travel from Australia beginning April 19, thereby reestablishing two-way, quarantine-free travel between the nations. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa signs a deal with Pfizer to supply 20 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. The first shipment is expected to arrive in late April. (Independent Online)

International relations

• Ukraine–NATO relations, War in Donbass
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy calls on NATO to hasten the country's accession to the military alliance in response to a growing build-up of Russian troops and military hardware on its borders, and to help bring an end to the ongoing conflict in the Donbas with pro-Russian separatists. (The Guardian)
• Israel–Sudan relations
  • The cabinet of Sudan repeals a 1958 law that prohibits establishing relations with Israel, nearly five months after the two countries agreed to normalize ties. (Radio France Internationale)

Law and crime

• LGBTQ rights in the United States
  • Arkansas becomes the first U.S. state to ban transitional care for transgender minors after the Legislature overrides Governor Asa Hutchinson's veto of the bill. (The Independent)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Dutch general election
  • Minister of State Herman Tjeenk Willink of the Labour Party is appointed as informateur for the next cabinet formation. (DutchNews.nl)
• The National Assembly elects Võ Thị Ánh Xuân as Vietnam's 15th Vice President, with 93.1% of the vote. She is the sixth consecutive woman to hold the post. (VnExpress)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2020 Summer Olympics
  • North Korea announces that the country has withdrawn from participating in the Summer Olympics in Japan, citing COVID-19 concerns. (The New York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Darfur
  • 2021 Darfur clashes
    • The death toll from tribal clashes, which started two days ago between Masalits and Arabs in Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan, increases to 87 people killed and 191 more wounded. (Al Jazeera)
• Afar–Somali clashes
  • About 25 to 100 people have been killed in ongoing clashes between the Afar and Somali Regions of Ethiopia. Fighting had begun on Friday when the Somali Region's special forces attacked the areas of Haruk and Gewane using heavy weapons including machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. (Reuters)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Security forces open fire on anti-coup protesters, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more. A Chinese-owned garment factory in Yangon is also set on fire by a mob. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says that the junta appears to be shifting its focus from the cities to rural areas, and is "losing control" of the country. (Reuters)
• Syrian civil war
  • ISIL militants raid the town of al-Saan in Salamiyah District, western Hama, kidnapping dozens of people, including eight soldiers. Several people are later released by the terror group, while one person is reportedly killed. (The Times)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors agree to extend the debt moratorium period for the least developed countries until December. (CNA)

Disasters and accidents

• At least 16 people are killed in a head-on collision between two buses near Caborca in the Mexican state of Sonora. (USA Today)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Punjab, India
        • Chief Minister Amarinder Singh orders the extension of the curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. IST to the entire state, as well as banning all public gatherings, due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (India Today)
      • India reports a record 115,736 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 7,626 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 659,278. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports a record 20,954 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,984,348. (Middle East Online)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
      • Qatar announces a re-imposition of the strict lockdown beginning April 9, which will close restaurants, cafés, cinemas, hairdressers, museums, and libraries and ban most indoor activities, in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan surpasses 700,000 cases of COVID-19. (Geo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • Thailand reports its first locally transmitted cases of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. It found 24 cases in the Thong Lor cluster in Bangkok. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • Belgium temporarily restricts the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 55 years old following a report from the European Medicines Agency that there is a "possible link" between the vaccine and very rare blood clotting cases. (The Brussels Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Estonia
      • Estonia suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine by people under 60 years old following a report of a possible link with cases of blood clotting. (Eesti Rahvusringhääling)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Bavaria signs a "preliminary contract" to purchase 2.5 million doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, which is subject to approval from the European Medicines Agency. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Castile and León suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine until the European Medicines Agency's security report is published. (Reuters)
      • The Ministry of Health restricts the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 60 years old following a report of a "possible link" with very rare blood clotting. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 54,740 new confirmed cases and 276 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 vaccine
      • The European Medicines Agency announces that blood clotting should be listed as a "very rare" side effect of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. It also insists that benefits of using the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks. (DW)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentina reports 22,039 new cases of COVID-19, a record for the second consecutive day. The country also reports 199 deaths. These numbers bring the total number of cases to more than 2.4 million and the total number of deaths to 56,833. (Minuto Uno)
      • President Alberto Fernández announces a three-week curfew from midnight to 6:00 p.m. beginning from April 9 to April 30 amidst a record number of COVID-19 cases. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, 501.V2 variant
      • Brazil reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant, which was originally detected in South Africa, in a person from São Paulo. (News24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
    • Morocco announces a nationwide curfew during Ramadan from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. to combat the spread of COVID-19. (North Africa Post)

International relations

• Ukraine–NATO relations, War in Donbass
  • Russia warns that having Ukraine join NATO "would exacerbate the Donbass conflict" after Ukraine urged NATO to "speed up" its membership application. (Meduza)
• Myanmar–United Kingdom relations
  • Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Kyaw Zwar Minn, is dismissed by a military attaché and locked out of the embassy in London. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemns the "bullying actions" but says the UK has accepted the change. BBC News

Law and crime

• 2021 Northern Ireland riots
  • In west Belfast, Loyalist youths hijack a bus and set it on fire. A photographer is also assaulted and his cameras are damaged. (RTÉ News)
• Cannabis in Ukraine
  • The Verkhovna Rada votes to legalize the use of medical cannabis products. (Kyiv Post)

Politics and elections

• Politics of the Netherlands
  • Vera Bergkamp of the Democrats 66 party is elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives, becoming the first lesbian legislative speaker in the Dutch legislature. (DutchNews)
• Censorship in Italy
  • The government formally repeals a 1913 law, which allows the government to censor or ban films, effectively outlawing film censorship in the country. (Variety)

Sports

• FIFA indefinitely bans Chad from all global football competitions, citing government interference in the country's football federation. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Armed protesters and troops clash in the town of Taze in the Sagaing Region, leaving at least eleven people dead and around 20 others wounded. (Reuters)
  • Burmese actor and prominent junta critic Paing Takhon is detained by the military in North Dagon Township, Yangon. (BBC News)
• 2021 Beninese presidential election
  • Protests against President Patrice Talon's re-election bid in the city of Savè result in the death of one person, as troops attempt to disperse protesters with the use of weapons. Six people are also injured by gunfire. (UrduPoint)
• Insurgency in Egypt (2013-present)
  • An Egyptian court sentences former acting Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Ezzat to life imprisonment for murder and terror offences connected to 2013 clashes in Cairo. (The Times of Israel)
• Terrorism in the Netherlands, COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
  • A 37-year-old man is arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist bombing against a Covid-19 vaccination site in Den Helder. (NLTimes) (Dutch News)

Arts and culture

• Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announces the rediscovery of Aten, a 3,000-year-old "lost golden city", near Luxor. Unearthed by a team led by Zahi Hawass, the site is the largest city ever found in Egyptian history. (AFP via MSN)

Disasters and accidents

• The Vincentian island of Saint Vincent declares a red alert and orders evacuations after seismologists warn of an imminent eruption of the La Soufrière volcano. (The Guardian)
• A Pemex petrochemical manufacturing refinery in Minatitlán, Veracruz, Mexico, suffers a large explosion followed by a fire. No deaths are reported, but seven people, including five firefighters, are injured. (Oil Price)
• An explosion at a paint plant in Ohio, United States, kills one person and injures several more. (WSYX)
• A bus loses control and runs off the road on the Interoceanic Highway in Puquio, Peru. The resulting crash kills at least nine people and injures another 20. (Xinhua)
• French agriculture minister Julien Denormandie announces the declaration of a national "agricultural disaster" in response to unseasonal spring frost. He says economic assistance will be made available to affected farms. (Phys.org)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Madhya Pradesh
        • Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announces a lockdown in all urban areas across the state from 6:00 p.m. on Friday to 6:00 a.m. on Monday amidst an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Livemint)
      • India reports a record 126,789 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 12,928,574. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 6,854 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 666,132. (The Financial Express)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports 22,586 cases, a record for the third consecutive day. In the process, the country has surpassed two million cases of COVID-19. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Food and Drug Administration suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine by people under 60 years old following reports of a possible link with cases of blood clots. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
        • Canada receives its first shipment of vaccine doses from the COVAX initiative. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Oklahoma
        • Oklahoma surpasses 8,000 deaths from COVID-19. (KFOR-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nicaragua
      • Nicaragua says that they have slowly started vaccinations for people over 60 using an AstraZeneca vaccine that was made in India. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • Scotland surpasses 10,000 deaths from COVID-19. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Netherlands
      • The Netherlands officially suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine by people under 60 years old due to concerns over reports of severe blood clotting. (NL Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland reports a record 954 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which also includes the total number of deaths from Good Friday until Easter Monday, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 56,659. (The First News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 54,941 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentina reports 23,683 new cases of COVID-19, a record for the third consecutive day. (TN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil reports a record 4,249 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 345,025. (ANI News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
    • Tunisia approves the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (Al Arabiya)

International relations

• Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations, Hong Kong protests
  • The United Kingdom's Home Office grants political asylum to Hong Kong opposition activist and protest leader Nathan Law. (Reuters)
• War in Afghanistan, Afghanistan–Pakistan relations
  • Pakistan's parliamentary delegation cancels a visit to Afghanistan after the Kabul International Airport was closed due to security reasons. (Dunya News)

Law and crime

• 2021 Rock Hill shooting
  • Phillip Adams, a former player with the National Football League, kills five people and injures a sixth person in a mass shooting at a home before committing suicide at his parents' home. (AP)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War, War in Donbass, Russia–NATO relations
  • Russia deploys more troops to the Russia–Ukraine border as tensions escalate between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. (The New York Times)
• Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria
  • Eleven Nigerian Army troops, including an officer, are killed in an ambush while on patrol in Benue State. It is unclear who carried out the attack. (MSN)
• Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
  • Police and military officials in India claim the eradication of Islamist separatist terror group Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind following two military operations today that killed seven people. (Wionews)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Troops shoot and kill at least 83 people in Bago, Myanmar, as junta spokesman General Zaw Min Tun says that the country is "returning to normal" as protests are "dwindling," and that government ministries and banks would resume full operations soon. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Death and funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, dies at home in Windsor Castle aged 99. He was the longest-serving Royal Consort of the United Kingdom. (The Independent)

Disasters and accidents

• Forty people are killed during a road accident involving a bus in Kiwawa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thirty-one others are injured and hospitalized. (Reuters)
• The La Soufrière volcano on Saint Vincent, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines erupts, prompting the evacuation of 16,000 people. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 576 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,604. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 131,968 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 13 million. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The government designates Tokyo, Kyoto, and nine other cities in Okinawa for stricter measures, which include closing businesses at 8:00 p.m., in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. These measures will be in effect from April 15 until May 5 for Kyoto and Okinawa and until May 11 for Tokyo. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • The Drug Regulatory Authority grants Emergency Use Authorization for Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. (Geo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announces the closure of nightclubs, bars, and other nightly entertainment facilities in the Seoul Capital Area and Busan beginning April 15, along with the extension of social distancing measures for three weeks due to concerns about a fourth wave of the pandemic. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece restricts the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 30 years old following reports of a possible link with rare blood clotting cases. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary surpasses 700,000 cases of COVID-19. (Daily News Hungary)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the United States has vaccinated 20% of their population. (U.S. News & World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer urges the state to halt in-person classes, indoor dining, and youth sports for two weeks due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Detroit Free Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada, Lineage P.1
      • Nevada reports its first three cases of the Lineage P.1 variant, which originated from Brazil. (Las Vegas Review Journal)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey
      • New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy receive their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Murphy also signs legislation providing $35 million in federal aid to restaurants, bars, and other businesses. (AP)
    • The U.S. surpasses 31 million cases of COVID-19. (MarketWatch)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports 24,130 new cases of COVID-19, a record for the fourth consecutive day, thereby bringing the total cases to nearly 2.5 million. (Página 12)

Law and crime

• Far-right terrorism in the United Kingdom
  • A 17-year-old boy appears in court to deny neo-Nazi terror offences. Prosecutors allege that he was planning an attack using 3D printed firearms. (The Independent)
• 2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis
  • Former member of the Catalan parliament's bureau Joan Josep Nuet is condemned to eight months of disqualification for committing a crime of serious disobedience to the Spanish Constitutional Court for voting in favor of the processing of the unconstitutional Law on the Referendum on Self-determination of Catalonia. (El Mundo)
• 2021 Northern Ireland riots
  • Rioters again clash with police using petrol bombs, stones, and fireworks as missiles. Nineteen officers are injured and in Belfast the force uses water cannons for the first time in six years to repel attackers. (BBC News)
• Giorgos Karaivaz, a notable Greek journalist, is shot dead by two gunmen near his home in Athens. The murder appears to be connected to Karaivaz's investigations. (Al Jazeera)
• Indonesia increases security measures nationwide in response to recent terror attacks and announces plans to reopen Bali, Banten, and Bintan to foreign tourists as part of their plan to recover tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic. (TTG Asia)
• A Turkish court in İzmir sentences Gülen movement member Yusuf Bekmezci to 17 years and four months in prison after finding him guilty of managing an armed terrorist organisation. (Anadolu Agency)
• Rai News, Domani, and The Guardian jointly allege Italian prosecutors wiretapped thousands of confidential conversations between human rights lawyers and clients. The claims relate to prosecutions against charity officials for running migrant rescue boats. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Djiboutian presidential election
  • Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is re-elected as the President of Djibouti for a fifth term, receiving more than 98 percent of the vote. (Al Arabiya)

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 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 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto
        • Toronto Mayor John Tory receives his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (CTV News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa
        • 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 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 News)
• 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 News) (The Manchester Evening News)

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 News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • 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 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 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 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 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 protests and riots 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)

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. (ANI)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • 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 News)
      • 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 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 Asia
    • 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 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 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 and Company 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 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)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Solomon Islands
    • Solomon Islands receives 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine from China. (Solomon Times)
• 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)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  • 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)
• 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 Russia, China, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea and the Philippines, while being supported by the United States. (Kyodo News) (BBC News) (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 Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Central African Republic
      • The first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the Central African Republic, with the MINUSCA mission agency staff being the first recipients. (Africanews)
    • 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 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 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

• 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 News)
• 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 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 News)
• 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 News)

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)

Arts and culture

• This date's notation in month-day-year format appears as the first five digits after the decimal point in the decimal representation of the square root of 2, a famous mathematical constant believed to be the first number ever proven to be irrational. (Nerd Paradise)

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 Louisiana, United States. Coast Guard officials say that six of the crew have been rescued and the remaining twelve are missing. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • 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 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 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 Sweden
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
        • The Public Health Agency of Sweden suspends plans to start using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following reports of rare blood clot cases. 31,000 doses of the vaccine have been delivered to the country. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark becomes the first European country to permanently suspend usage of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, 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 vaccines was administered to the president. (AP)
    • 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 North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Yukon
        • Yukon confirms their first two cases of the Lineage P.1 variant that originated in Brazil. (Yukon News) (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York
        • 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 Jeff 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)

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. (The 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)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nunavut
      • Nunavut's capital Iqaluit imposes a lockdown after the first COVID-19 case was reported last night. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina's president Alberto Fernández announces that his government is closing schools and imposing a curfew in Buenos Aires amidst a spike of the COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)

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

• 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 News)
  • 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)
• Indianapolis FedEx shooting
  • Eight people are killed and seven others injured in a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Police say the gunman took his own life afterwards. (CNN) (CNN²) (AP)
• 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)
• The French National Assembly votes unanimously to amend an existing age of consent law in order to officially recognize sex with children under the age of 15 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)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage, COVID-19 pandemic in India
  • The Archaeological Survey of India closes all monuments, museums, and protected sites until May 15 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (The Times of India)

Business and economy

• The Turkish Central Bank bans transactions using cryptocurrencies and crypto assets, citing possible "irreparable damage" and transaction risks to customers. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Chancellor Angela Merkel receives her first dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Russia
        • The number of Russians vaccinated against COVID-19 surpasses eight million. (Interfax)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 63,082 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,150,039. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine receives 117,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (UNICEF)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • Scotland relaxes its COVID-19-related restrictions, allowing non-essential travel around the country and some social gatherings. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces a six-week extension of the stay-at-home order with new restrictions until May 20, including a ban of outdoor gatherings outside the household, as the COVID-19 cases remain high. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
        • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Pfizer will double the amounts of vaccine that are being shipped to Canada. He also announces that the Canadian Red Cross will be deployed to Ontario to help with COVID-19 vaccinations. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
        • British Columbia Premier John Horgan receives his first dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Vancouver Sun)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. (Bloomberg.com)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan extends its restrictions on gatherings and dining to May 24 due to an increase in the number of cases. The state also expands its mask mandate to children. (Detroit Free Press)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia, Lineage P.1
        • Virginia reports its first two cases of the Lineage P.1 variant, which was originally detected in Brazil. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 101 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,181. (The National Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 217,353 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 14.29 million. The country also reports 1,185 deaths, which is the highest daily total since September, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 174,308. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The government designates Aichi, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama prefectures for tougher measures that would require restaurants and bars to close at 8:00 p.m. between April 20 and May 15. (The Mainichi)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand announces the closure of educational institutions, pubs, bars, karaoke shops, and massage parlours; a ban on alcohol sales at restaurants; and a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people for at least two weeks, beginning April 18, due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports a record 29,472 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total to 2,658,574 cases. (Clarín)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tonga
    • Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita, Princess of Tonga, received her first dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, thereby becoming the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the disease-free country. (RNZ)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • The Russian Foreign Minister says that Moscow will ask ten U.S. diplomats to leave Russia in retaliation to expulsions of Russian diplomats ordered by the United States yesterday. (AP)
• United States involvement in regime change, Cuba–United States relations
  • Declassified documents released by the National Security Archive show that the Central Intelligence Agency was involved in a plot to assassinate Raúl Castro in 1960. (CNA)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Criminal charges brought in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
    • American guitarist and Oath Keepers member Jon Schaffer pleads guilty for his role in the storming of the United States Capitol, thus making him the first participant in the riot to do so. (CNN)

Politics and elections

• In a widely-expected move at the 8th Congress of the Communist Party, Raúl Castro officially resigns as First Secretary, the most powerful position in Cuba. Incumbent President Miguel Díaz-Canel is expected to succeed him. (NBC News)

Science and technology

• Artemis program
  • NASA awards SpaceX a contract to build its next-generation Human Landing System to return American astronauts to the lunar surface during this decade. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • The Houthis say they have hit King Khalid Air Base, near the city of Khamis Mushait, in Saudi Arabia, with explosive drones. There is no immediate comment from the Saudi government. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Death and funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • The official funeral service takes place for Prince Philip, prince consort of the United Kingdom to Elizabeth II. The Duke's body is led in a limited procession to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, for interment in the Royal Vault. (AP on MSN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 234,692 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 14.52 million. (Hindustan Times)
      • Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a televised appeal to pilgrims to keep to "symbolic" celebrations and continue to follow safety guidelines as the festival of Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage traditionally drawing tens of millions of Hindus to the banks of the Ganges every year, begins. (al-Arabiya English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia surpasses 20,000 cases of COVID-19. (Montsame)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand surpasses 40,000 cases of COVID-19. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
    • Tunisia announces the closure of all schools and restrictions on movement, which include a 7:00 p.m. curfew for vehicles, until April 30 to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • The global death toll from COVID-19 surpasses three million. (NPR)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • A Thai foreign ministry spokesman announces that Burmese junta leader Min Aung Hlaing will attend the next ASEAN Summit on April 24 in Jakarta, Indonesia, thereby marking his first foreign trip since taking power in the February 1 coup that deposed Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint. Local junta spokespeople refused to comment. (France 24)
• Foreign relations of the Czech Republic, 2014 Vrbětice ammunition warehouses explosions
  • Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announces that the Czech Republic is expelling eighteen Russian embassy diplomats who have been identified as spies in a case related to an ammunition warehouse explosion in 2014. (Euronews)
• Foreign relations of Uzbekistan
  • Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signs a decree for the country to open a diplomatic mission in Sweden. (Trend)

Law and crime

• Rwandan genocide
  • The United States deports Beatrice Munyenyezi to Rwanda after she served her jail term for lying on her U.S. citizenship naturalization process. Upon arrival in Rwanda, Munyenyezi was arrested on charges ranging from murder to complicity in rape during the course of the 1994 genocide. She did not comment during her arrest to local press but had previously denied the accusations while in the United States. (Reuters)
• European migrant crisis
  • A court in Sicily orders former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to stand trial accused of dereliction of duty and kidnapping for his role in a standoff with a Spanish-flagged migrant rescue ship operated by Proactiva Open Arms that he refused to allow to dock for nineteen days in 2019. A court order allowed the ship to dock after some migrants jumped overboard. (The Guardian)
• Myanmar's State Administration Council pardons and releases more than 23,000 prisoners to mark the Burmese New Year. Those released include an Australian businessman sentenced to 13 years in prison for drug possession, and three members of the Generation Wave pro-democracy movement. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Northern Chad offensive
  • Rebel forces of the Front for Change and Concord in Chad advance to the capital, N'Djamena, as incumbent President Idriss Déby takes a lead in the April 11 election and is expected to extend his mandate. Yesterday, the U.S. and British governments ordered some diplomatic staff to leave Chad amidst the unrest. (Reuters)
• 2021 Niger attacks
  • At least 19 civilians are killed and two are wounded when armed men raid a village in the Tillabéri Region. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Toukh train accident
  • A train derailment in Toukh, Qalyubiyya, Egypt, leaves at least 11 people dead and another 98 injured. (Al Arabiya English)
• 2021 Table Mountain fire
  • Mostert's Mill in Cape Town, South Africa, is destroyed by a fire that spread from Table Mountain. (Newzroom Afrika via Twitter) (BBC News)
• A magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes the Bushehr Province in southern Iran. (Reuters via MSN)
• A crash in the Eastern Cape of South Africa kills seven people when their vehicle collides with head on with a bus. (eNCA)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 261,500 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 14.78 million. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel lifts its outdoor mask mandate and fully reopens schools as the number of COVID-19 cases reduces and the majority of the population is vaccinated. However, masks must still be worn in indoor public spaces. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 1,340 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 21,995. (AKIPress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan reports 149 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total this year. (Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 1,767 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 42,352. The nationwide death toll also surpasses 100. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    • Turkey reports a record 318 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 35,926. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu
    • Vanuatu halts outbound travel out of its main island of Efate following the confirmation of a COVID-19 case. Prime Minister Bob Loughman confirms that a Filipino fisherman whose body washed ashore last week near the capital of Port Vila had died of the disease. (RNZ)

Law and crime

• The daughter of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny calls on Russian authorities to allow doctors to check on her father, a day after doctors warned he could "die within days" from cardiac arrest or kidney failure. Navalny has been on a hunger strike since March in protest of prison medical conditions. (Reuters) (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Cape Verdean parliamentary election
  • Voters in Cape Verde go to the polls to elect new members of the National Assembly. (Africanews)

Sports

• The Super League
  • In a major move, six Premier League teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as several European clubs such as FC Barcelona and Juventus, agree to join The Super League, an annual club competition for the "elite teams" of Europe. UEFA and FIFA condemn the announcement, saying that they will not recognize the competition, and that players who take part in the competition will be banned from all other football competitions, including representing their national side at the FIFA World Cup. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Northern Chad offensive
  • The Chadian army says that 300 rebels have been killed and 150 more arrested during military operations in northern Chad. Five soldiers are also killed and 36 others wounded in the operation. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi, COVID-19 lockdown in India
        • Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announces a six-day lockdown in the National Capital Region of Delhi beginning tonight due to a record 25,462 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours. (AP)
      • Nationwide, a record 273,810 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the total number of cases to 15 million. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 634 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 7,013. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • Hong Kong announces the suspension of all flights from India, the Philippines, and Pakistan beginning tomorrow after an unspecified variant was detected in the city. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Lineage B.1.617
      • South Korea reports its first cases of the B.1.617 variant in nine people who travelled from India. (KBS World)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece suspends its planned rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pending a review from the European Medicines Agency. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, Lineage B.1.617
      • Ireland reports its first three cases of the B.1.617 variant originally detected in India, with two of the three cases linked to travel. (Evening Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Slovakia reopens stores, churches, libraries, swimming pools, and zoos. It also resumes services at limited capacity as part of the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 341 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 36,267. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji's two cities of Lautoka and Nadi enter into a lockdown after the country records its first community transmission in 12 months. (FBC News)
      • All schools will be closed for the next three weeks due to the lockdown. (FBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • Australia and New Zealand reopen their borders to tourists from either country for quarantine-free travel. (News.com.au)
• Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
  • Rockfish in Fukushima is banned from exports after cesium is detected over the Japanese legal limit, likely caused by the discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. This is the first ban since the lifting of ban on all Fukushima fish in February 2020. (NHK) (China Daily)

International relations

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics, COVID-19 pandemic in India
  • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancels a planned trip to India due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. (Reuters)
• Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
  • An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirms a meeting between officials of the two countries and says that Iran has "always welcomed" dialogue with Saudi Arabia. Among the topics allegedly discussed in the meeting were the Vienna accord and a ceasefire in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has militarily intervened since 2015. Saudi sources declined to comment on the meeting. (Reuters)
• Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japan–South Korea relations
  • South Korean fishermen stage a maritime demonstration to protest against the Japanese government's decision to release contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. Around 150 fishing vessels take part in the protest. (Yonhap News Agency)

Law and crime

• Death of Brian Sicknick, aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Washington, D.C.'s chief medical examiner announces that Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes but notes that "all that transpired [during the riot] played a role in his condition." (CNBC)
• Russian opposition leader and activist Alexei Navalny, who has been on a hunger strike for three weeks, is moved from prison to a hospital, according to the Russian prison service. Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers hold a meeting to discuss Navalny's health and warn that Russia will be "held responsible" if anything happens to Navalny. (DW)

Politics and elections

• Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is officially named First Secretary of the Communist Party following the resignation of Raúl Castro. He is the first person not of the Castro family to hold the position since the 1959 Cuban Revolution. (BBC News)

Science and technology

• Exploration of Mars, Mars 2020 mission
  • NASA's Ingenuity helicopter successfully performs the first powered flight of a helicopter from the surface of another planet. (Phys.org) (Wired)
• International Space Station programme
  • Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov confirms that Russia will withdraw from the International Space Station beginning in 2025. (RT)
• The Biden administration scraps Trump-era restrictions on fetal tissue research at the National Institutes of Health. (Science)
• A research team based at the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in Utah announces that the many Teratophoneus fossils unearthed at the site provide proof that, contrary to popular belief, Tyrannosaurus dinosaurs hunted in packs rather than individually. (The Washington Post)

Sports

• The Super League
  • UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin states at a press conference that the UEFA would begin making "legal assessments" on the following day, and that the organization would look to ban the twelve Super League clubs "as soon as possible", while Jesper Møller, chairman of the Danish Football Association and UEFA Executive Committee member, says that he expected the three Super League clubs in the semi-finals of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League: Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid CF, to be expelled from the competition this week. (CBS Sports)
  • The Super League announces that it is taking legal action to prevent any attempts by UEFA and FIFA to punish its member clubs and players for taking part in its inaugural season. (Daily Mirror)
  • Protests are held outside Elland Road stadium as Super League member club Liverpool plays Leeds United. Hundreds of people gathered to protest against Liverpool's involvement in the breakaway league. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Northern Chad offensive
  • Chadian President Idriss Déby dies from wounds sustained while commanding forces against rebels in the northern portion of the country. The Constitution is suspended, and a Transitional Military Council headed by Déby's son, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, will rule the country for an estimated 18 months. (The Africa Report)
• Greenfield University kidnapping
  • A group of gunmen kidnap students from Greenfield University in Kaduna, Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The number of intensive care patients with COVID-19 in France reaches a high of 5,984 patients. (U.S. News & World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The government announces that it will ease strict COVID-19 restrictions, including ending the controversial curfew and allowing cafés to serve in outdoor terraces with a maximum of 50 people beginning April 28. In addition, people will also be allowed to have two guests at home per day. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania reports a record 237 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 26,618. (Romania Insider)
    • The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will resume rollouts in Europe. (MarketWatch)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 1,761 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 180,530. (Firstpost)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Nepal grants a conditional emergency use approval for the Russian Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. (The Kathmandu Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen
      • Yemen begins their COVID-19 vaccination campaign using the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji records its second community transmission case in the daughter of a woman who works at a quarantine facility and who previously tested positive for COVID-19. (Radio New Zealand)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • A worker at Auckland Airport tests positive a day after the country restarted reciprocal travel to Australia. (BBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
    • Egypt signs an agreement to purchase 20 million doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine and expects a delivery of 500,000 doses this month. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    • President Andrés Manuel López Obrador receives his first dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Al Jazeera English)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • The European Medicines Agency publishes a report suggesting a "possible link" between usage of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine candidate and rare blood clots. The agency maintains, however, that the overall benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks of side effects. (U.S. News & World Report via MSN)

International relations

• Canada–United States relations, Deployment of COVID-19 vaccines
  • North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announces that the state will offer COVID-19 vaccines to Manitoba truck drivers across the border. (CBC News)

Law and crime

• State v. Chauvin
  • Former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin is found guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25. (CNN) (CNBC)
• Quebec ban on religious symbols
  • The Quebec Superior Court overturns certain provisions of Bill 21, which prohibits public sector employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols, on the basis that it violates Sections 3 and 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, the Court upholds most of the legislation. (Al Jazeera English)

Sports

• The Super League
  • Following a massive negative backlash from UEFA, FIFA, national football associations and football fans alike, all six English Premier League clubs involved in the project – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – officially withdraw from The Super League, while FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta states that the club will not join the proposed competition without support from its registered members. Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward announces his resignation. (Daily Express) (BBC Sport)
  • Hundreds of Chelsea fans protest against the club's involvement in The Super League outside the club's stadium Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea supporters' trust denounces the proposed breakaway as the "ultimate betrayal", and "unforgivable". (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Qamishli clashes (2021)
    • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports clashes from yesterday evening until this morning, resulting in the deaths of an Asayish commander and five NDF militiamen in the city of Qamishli, al-Hasakah. Fighting has ceased while Russian mediation is ongoing. (Star Tribune)
  • Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
    • Israeli Air Force warplanes launch airstrikes against Syria after a S-200 missile landed 30 kilometres (19 mi) away from the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center in Southern Israel. The IDF says the missile was launched from southern Syria. Residents in both central Israel and the West Bank report loud explosions. (The Jerusalem Post)
• War in Afghanistan
  • Afghan peace process
    • Germany announces that it will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by early July. (The Economic Times)
• Northern Chad offensive
  • Rebels of the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) threaten to press on and reach Chad's capital N'Djamena following the killing of President Idriss Déby. In the capital, many civilians choose to stay home as fears grow. FACT rebels reject the military junta led by Déby's son, Mahamat Déby Itno, and opposition politicians also call for a civilian transition. (Reuters)
• Quetta Serena Hotel bombing
  • A car bomb is detonated in a hotel parking lot in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, killing four people and injuring eleven others. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • At least four soldiers are killed in an ambush in the Sanmatenga Province of Burkina Faso. (News24)

Disasters and accidents

• The Indonesian government reports the disappearance of the submarine KRI Nanggala during a torpedo live fire exercise, requesting search and rescue assistance from Singapore and Australia. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Gujarat
        • Gujarat reports a record 12,553 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Devdiscourse)
        • Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani receives his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. (Daily News & Analysis)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • In Nashik, 24 COVID-19 patients die after an oxygen tanker leaks outside a hospital in the city, causing the supply of medical oxygen to be disrupted for around 30 minutes. (NDTV)
        • Due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Maharashtra state government announces new restrictions across the state beginning tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. until May 1 at 7:00 a.m. IST. (Hindustan Times)
      • India reports a record 295,041 new cases and 2,023 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 15.6 million and the nationwide death toll to 182,553. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Osaka Prefecture reports a record 1,242 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Asahi Shimbun)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • The Government of Laos announces a 14-day lockdown in the capital Vientiane following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases during the Lao New Year. (Radio Free Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
      • Syrian opposition-controlled Idlib receives 54,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine distributed through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Lineage B.1.617
      • The French government announces that the country will lift its domestic travel restrictions and ease a nationwide curfew in May amidst an expectation that the number of COVID-19 cases will be reduced. The government also announces that they will impose a 10-day quarantine on all travelers from India in order to prevent the spread of the Lineage B.1.617 variant. (ABC News) (Mint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta, Lineage P.1
      • Malta reports its first three cases of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 362 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 36,975. (Al Arabiya English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, Lineage B.1.617
        • Wales reports its first eight cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first detected in India. (ITV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, Lineage B.1.617
        • Quebec reports its first eight cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first detected in India. (CFCF-DT)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that the country has administered over 200 million doses. (Politico)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan surpasses 800,000 confirmed cases and 17,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. (WEYI-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in South Dakota, Lineage P.1
        • South Dakota confirms their first case of the Lineage P.1 variant in Pennington County. (Argus Leader)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
    • Papua New Guinea surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • France's Valneva SE vaccine enters phase 3 of clinical trials. (PR Newswire)

International relations

• Belarus–United States relations
  • U.S. Ambassador to Belarus Julie D. Fisher visits Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the eve of a meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (U.S. News & World Report)
• Afghanistan–United States relations
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that the Biden administration is working with Congress to provide $300 million in aid to Afghanistan in 2021 amid fears of a collapse of the Afghan government following the withdrawal of US troops in September. (Forbes)
• Russia–Ukraine relations, War in Donbas
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invites his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to a face-to-face meeting on the front line in the war-torn Donbas to negotiate an end to the conflict. (Daily Sabah)
• Czech Republic–Russia relations
  • Czech foreign minister Jakub Kulhánek issues Russia with an ultimatum to return all of the Czech diplomats it had expelled from the Czech embassy in Moscow, following a series of reciprocal moves between the two countries since April 17 to expel each other's diplomats after the Czechs discovered Russian intelligence involvement in the 2014 Vrbětice ammunition warehouses explosions. Kulhánek threatens to expel more diplomats from the Russian embassy in Prague if the ultimatum is not met. (The Moscow Times)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • 2020–2021 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial justice protests, George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
    • U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that the Department of Justice will investigate whether the Minneapolis Police Department engaged in a "pattern or practice of unconstitutional, unlawful policing". (ABC News)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The Bundestag votes 342–250 to approve the proposed Infection Protection Act that will give Angela Merkel's government to impose uniform restrictions in areas where infection rate is very high. 152 people are arrested in demonstrations against the controversial law. (Euronews) (U.S. News & World Report)
• Domestic violence in Australia
  • A nine-month-old girl is murdered by her father at the Whispering Wall in South Australia. The perpetrator, already known by police for incidents involving domestic violence, commits suicide at the scene. (News.com.au)
• The Sri Lankan government expels an Antigua-registered cargo ship docked at the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port after authorities discovered undeclared uranium hexafluoride bound for China. The government pledges to take legal action against the ship's owner. (France 24)

Sports

• The Super League
  • Following the withdrawal of most of its founding member clubs, The Super League announces that it is suspending the project, three days after it was officially announced. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray War, Sexual violence in the Tigray War
  • The United Nations Security Council declares its concern about the war in Ethiopia's Tigray Region for the first time since the conflict began, particularly because of the use of sexual violence by security forces against civilian women and girls. The statement drafted by Ireland has been approved unanimously by the council. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
  • Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Chairman Akio Toyoda announces that the 2021 Tokyo Motor Show will be cancelled due to COVID-19. It is the first cancellation in the event's history. (The Japan Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports 314,835 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is a world record for daily cases, thereby bringing the total of confirmed cases to 15.9 million. The country also reports a record 2,104 deaths, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 184,657. (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, Lineage B.1.617
      • Japan reports its first five cases of the "double mutant" Lineage B.1.617 variant first detected in India. (Nippon.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record seven deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 117. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The number of vaccines administered in the United Arab Emirates surpasses 10 million doses. (Khaleej Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, Lineage B.1.617
      • Belgium reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant in a group of Indian nursing students who travelled from Paris. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain surpasses 10 million people who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Cadena Ser)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Lineage B.1.617
        • Alberta reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant that fuelled surge in India in a returning inter-provincial traveler. (CBC)
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • The Canadian government announces that the country will ban all travel from India and Pakistan due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in those countries. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The U.S. surpasses 32 million cases of COVID-19. (KNSD)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports a record 537 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 60,620. (Clarín)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • The North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will begin its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with around 60,000 doses arriving in Goma. This comes after the country's announcement that it will kick off uts own vaccination campaign by using AstraZeneca's vaccine. (Africanews)

International relations

• China–United Kingdom relations, Uyghur genocide
  • The UK House of Commons unanimously passes a non-binding resolution condemning the internment of Uyghurs as genocide. (CNN)
• Russia–Ukraine relations
  • The Russian Defense Ministry announces that it will move its forces away from the Ukrainian border beginning tomorrow. Ukraine and its western allies accused Russia of trying to provoke conflict by moving troops to the border, while Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu claimed that it was only to conduct drills. (Al Jazeera)
• The United States hosts a two-day Leaders Summit on Climate and invites 40 world leaders to discuss the necessity of combating climate change and committing to reduce their nations' emissions. Due to quarantine protocols, the conference is virtual. (CNN)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest, Killing of Ma'Khia Bryant
  • Demonstrations spread throughout Columbus the day after 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer, demanding police accountability. During a vigil for Ma'Khia, local activist Hana Abdur Rahim called for the abolition of the police system. (USA Today)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
  • President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signs into law changes to the Infectious Diseases Protection Act that will give the federal government the power to impose "emergency brake" measures in areas where the infection rate exceeds certain levels. The signing comes after the Bundesrat gave its final approval for the controversial law. (DW)
• 2021 Boulder shooting
  • Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa, the suspect in last month's mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, faces more than 40 additional charges in relation to the incident. The new charges include attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and using a high-capacity magazine, which is illegal in Colorado. (NPR) (AP)
• Letters with CETME rifle bullets are received by the Spanish Minister of the Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the leader of Podemos Pablo Iglesias and the general director of the Civil Guard María Gámez. The death threats are condemned by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. (Barron's)
• Three of the seven Catholic clergy who were kidnapped in Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest, Haiti, on April 11 are released. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Politics and elections

• Xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The United States Senate votes 94–1 to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act with bipartisan changes. The bill, which would expedite anti-Asian hate crime reviews to the U.S. Justice Department, will next head to the United States House of Representatives. (USA Today)
• Statehood movement in the District of Columbia, DC Admission Act
  • The United States House of Representatives votes 216–208 to pass a bill that would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state, with general support from Democrats and opposition from Republicans. (AP)

Science and technology

• NASA's Perseverance rover successfully synthesizes breathable oxygen while on the surface of Mars. This demonstrates the feasibility of locally producing oxygen for human life support and propellant production. (CBS News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • More than 120 people are injured in clashes in Jerusalem between ultra-nationalist Jewish demonstrators (including Lehava extremists), Palestinian protestors, and Israel Police in response to a TikTok video showing Palestinians assaulting members of the Jerusalem ultra-Orthodox community. (BBC News)
• Rambouillet knife attack
  • A female police administrative officer is killed in a stabbing attack at a police station in Rambouillet, France. The attacker is then shot dead at the scene. It is being investigated as a terrorist attack. (BBC News)
• Greenfield University kidnapping
  • Three of the students kidnapped from Greenfield University in Kaduna, Nigeria, on Tuesday are found shot dead. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• COVID-19 pandemic in India
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
    • Virar hospital fire
      • A fire at a hospital in the city of Virar, within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, kills 13 COVID-19 patients. (Today Singapore)
• European migrant crisis
  • Ten people are confirmed dead and 130 others are feared dead after their boats capsize in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the humanitarian NGO SOS Méditerranée. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 655 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 8,848. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports 332,730 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is a world record for the second consecutive day, thereby bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 16.26 million. The country also reports a record 2,263 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 186,920. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declares a third state of emergency for Hyogo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, including new measures that would reduce the operation of public transportation, close establishments that serve alcohol as well as commercial facilities such as theme parks and department stores, and ban spectators at large sporting events. These measures will be in effect from April 25 until May 11. (AP) (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
        • Philippines Health Secretary Francisco Duque III receives his first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine. (The Philippine Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 2,070 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 50,183. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Lineage B.1.617
      • Ontario reports 36 cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first detected in India. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
      • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau receive their first doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports a record for the second consecutive day of 556 deaths, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 61,176. (Perfil)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
    • Cyprus announces a two-week lockdown and extends a nighttime curfew to 9:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. from April 26 until May 9 in an attempt to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
    • Malta reports four more cases of the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa. (Xinhua)
• Marshallese Foreign Minister Casten Nemra says that, despite growing threats to the Marshall Islands due to rising sea levels, the Marshallese government "has no intention to relocate". The comment comes amidst President David Kabua's participation in a United States-sponsored summit on climate change. Nemra says that relocating as "climate refugees" is not an acceptable option for the Marshallese. (RNZ)
• The University of Oxford announces a major breakthrough in the vaccination campaign against malaria. The R21/Matrix-M vaccine has been administered to over 450 children in Burkina Faso and proved to have a "high-level efficacy" of around 77%. Malaria currently kills an estimated 400,000 people per year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. (BBC News)

International relations

• Estonia–Russia relations, Latvia–Russia relations, Lithuania–Russia relations
  • Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania announce that they will expel several Russian diplomats involved in espionage activities in solidarity with the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic had ordered most Russian diplomatic staff to leave Prague on Thursday and called on its European allies to do the same. (LRT)

Law and crime

• Russian opposition leader and activist Alexei Navalny announces that he will end his three-week-long hunger strike in order to seek medical care, four days after being moved to a hospital due to the damage that the strike had inflicted on his body. (NPR)

Science and technology

• International Space Station programme
  • SpaceX successfully launches astronauts Shane Kimbrough, K. Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide, and Thomas Pesquet onboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft into low Earth orbit. The capsule is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on April 24. (The New York Times)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  • UEFA Euro 2020
    • UEFA removes the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and the San Mamés in Bilbao as tournament hosts due to a lack of guarantees regarding the admission of spectators as a result of the pandemic. The organization decides to reallocate the matches planned to take place in Dublin to the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg and Wembley Stadium in London, while those in Bilbao will be moved to La Cartuja in Seville. (ABC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in Northern Chad
  • Northern Chad offensive
    • Spokesperson for the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) Sharfadine Galmaye said that FACT was "willing to negotiate with the government to spare Chad further conflict". The rebel group is asking Mahamat Déby Itno to step down and for "an independent person who would be acceptable by all people to rule" to take his place. (The Guardian)
• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Fourteen people are killed and many others are wounded in a series of explosions and shootings in three provinces. (Al Jazeera)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Gaza–Israel conflict
  • At least 35 rockets are fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip amidst yesterday's clashes between far-right Jewish demonstrators and Palestinians in Jerusalem. Israel retaliates by firing on targets operated by Hamas within the Strip. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• KRI Nanggala (402)
  • Indonesian authorities discover debris from the submarine that went missing on Wednesday, as well as an oil spill off the island of Bali. In response, the navy declares the submarine's status changed from missing to sunk, and it also declares its 53 crew members to be dead. (Jakarta Globe) (CBS News) (Al Jazeera)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitals, COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
  • Baghdad hospital fire
    • A fire at a hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 82 people and injures more than 100 others. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports 346,786 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is a world record for the third consecutive day, thereby bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 16.6 million. The country also reports a record 2,624 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 189,544. (Nikkei Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran bans all travel from India and Pakistan due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in those countries as Iran's death toll surpasses 69,000. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia receives its first shipment of 268,800 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine distributed through the COVAX initiative. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 2,839 new cases and eight deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 53,022 and the nationwide death toll to 129. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany begins to implement its "emergency brake" law designed to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections in regions with incidence rates of more than 100 new infections per 100,000 people over the last seven days. Measures that will be taken include curfews as well as school closures in areas where the incidence rate has exceeded 165. (RFI)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland, Lineage B.1.617
      • Switzerland reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first detected in India. (Swissinfo)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Metropolitan Perth and Peel regions enter a three-day lockdown after a person from Victoria tested positive in Melbourne after leaving quarantine at a Perth hotel and spending five days in the community. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
      • The official death toll from COVID-19 in Papua New Guinea surpasses 100. (U.S. News & World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica
    • Costa Rica reports a record 1,830 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 238,760. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • Venezuela receives another shipment of 880,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine as the number of cases continues to rise. (Reuters)

International relations

• Turkey–United States relations, Armenian Genocide recognition
  • In a statement commemorating Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, U.S. President Joe Biden formally acknowledges the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as a genocide. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu denounces Biden's statement as "political opportunism" and "based on populism". (CNN)

Law and crime

• 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings
  • Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and former industry minister Rishad Bathiudeen is arrested, along with his brother, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for having connections with the perpetrators of the 2019 attack. (Arab News)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime, COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  • Police arrest a man suspected of infecting 22 people, eight directly and 14 indirectly, with COVID-19, as part of an investigation into an outbreak in Manacor, Spain. According to authorities, the suspect made no efforts to quarantine himself or wear a face mask despite showing symptoms and having taken a test. (CNN)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Louisiana's 2nd congressional district special election
  • Democratic state senator Troy Carter wins the runoff election for a special election for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district to replace Representative Cedric Richmond, who had left his position to work for President Joe Biden. (AP)

Science and technology

• Human spaceflight
  • SpaceX Crew-2
    • SpaceX's Crew Dragon C206 "Endeavour", which is carrying four astronauts on board, successfully docks with the International Space Station. (Space.com)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Afghan peace process
    • United States Army General Austin S. Miller announces that U.S. troops have started their withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, he also warned that Afghan security forces "must be ready" to take over. (Stars and Stripes)

Arts and culture

• 93rd Academy Awards
  • Nomadland wins Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards. Nomadland director Chloé Zhao wins Best Director, the second woman to win this award. (The Guardian)
  • Anthony Hopkins becomes the oldest person to win Best Actor for his role in The Father at 83. (The Guardian)
  • South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung wins Best Supporting Actress for Minari, becoming the first Korean to win in any of the acting categories. (The Korean Herald)

Businesses and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
  • The Italian government signs a large package of investment and reforms that will be financed by the European Union’s €800 billion recovery fund, of which the country received €191.5 billion including €69 billion of grants. (Bloomberg News)

Disasters and accidents

• KRI Nanggala (402)
  • Indonesian authorities say that the navy submarine that sunk off the coast of Bali was found split into three parts in the ocean. It comes after officials received signals from a location of 838 m (2,749 ft). The authorities also say that the 53 crew members are confirmed dead. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Baghdad hospital fire
  • Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi suspends his health minister and the Governor of Baghdad, who will both be probed on the fire. (Anadolu Agency)
• Incidents at European amusement parks
  • Riders are forced to climb down the top of the lift hill on the Big One roller coaster at the Blackpool Pleasure Beach after it broke down. (Blackpool Gazette)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi, COVID-19 lockdown in India
        • Delhi extends its lockdown until May 3 amid a record breaking increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (NDTV)
      • India reports 349,691 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is a world record for the fourth consecutive day, thereby bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 16.9 million. The country also reports a record 2,767 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 192,311. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Nepal surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Himalayan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 11 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 140. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, Lineage B.1.617
      • Greece reports its first two cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first detected in India. (Greek Reporter)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Italy bans anyone who had travelled to India within the past 14 days from entering the country in order to reduce the spread of the Lineage B.1.617 variant. (The Hill)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
    • Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • The Fijian Health Ministry announces the introduction of containment zones in Lami, Suva, and Nausori beginning tomorrow at 4:00 a.m. for 14 days after four community cases were detected. (Fiji Times)

International relations

• India–United States relations, Deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 pandemic in India
  • NIAID director Anthony Fauci says that the United States will consider sending unused vaccines and medical aid to India to help them combat their COVID-19 outbreak. (The New Indian Express) (Bloomberg News)
  • U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announces that the country will send medical aid to India as it deals with a surge in cases. (Politico)

Law and crime

• Killing of Sarah Halimi
  • Thousands of people march in protest in Paris and several other cities around the world after the French Court of Cassation announces that the accused murderer of Lucie Attal, also known as Sarah Halimi, would not be taken to trial, as they judged that the incident had occurred while the suspect was in the midst of a cannabis-induced "delusional fit", which therefore rendered them not culpable in the killing. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Albanian parliamentary election
  • Voters in Albania go to the polls to elect a new parliament. (Al Jazeera English)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Mainok attack
    • ISWAP jihadists attack an army convoy and base in Mainok, Borno State, Nigeria, killing at least 31 soldiers. (The Guardian)
• Makurdi kidnapping
  • Gunmen kidnap students from the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. (The Guardian)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Two Spanish journalists and an Irish campaigner are killed after their convoy is attacked in eastern Burkina Faso. Two Burkinabe soldiers are wounded. (Al Jazeera)
  • At least 18 civilians are killed after militants attack the village of Yattakou, in Burkina Faso. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka, COVID-19 lockdown in India
        • The state government announces a two week lockdown across Karnataka from April 27 at 9:00 p.m. until May 12 at 6:00 a.m. IST. Additionally, only essential shops would be allowed to operate from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. (The Hindu)
      • India reports 352,991 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, a world record for the fifth consecutive day, and thereby bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 17.3 million. The country also reports a record 2,812 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 195,123. (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports a record 496 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 70,070. (Tasnim News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan surpasses 10,000 deaths of COVID-19. (Kyodo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan surpasses 800,000 cases of COVID-19. (The News International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
      • Nursery and primary schools reopens in France after a three-week closure in the first step of the partial lockdown easing. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reopens bars, restaurants, cinemas, and concert halls as three-quarters of the regions are placed in the low-risk "yellow zone" categories. (Euractiv)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands bans all passenger flights from India until May 1 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in India. (DutchNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg receives her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces a full lockdown from April 29 until May 17 in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Under the new restrictions, all workplaces, except for those excluded by the Interior Ministry, will be closed, intercity travel will be subject to permission and public transportation will operate at only 50% capacity. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Brunswick, Lineage B.1.617
      • New Brunswick reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, which was originally detected in India. (Global News)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • The Bio E COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Biological E. Limited and the Baylor College of Medicine, enters phase III of clinical trials at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. (Mirage News)

International relations

• Egypt–Turkey relations, Libyan peace process
  • A Turkish government spokesman says they are working on improving ties with the Egyptian government in order to boost efforts in the Libyan peace process. Relations between the two countries have been strained since the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état due to close relations between Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• A court in Russia orders the Anti-Corruption Foundation, linked to opposition leader and activist Alexei Navalny, to cease its activities. Navalny's ally Leonid Volkov explains that the ruling forbids the Foundation from publishing anything online, taking part in elections, and organizing protests. The ruling comes after prosecutors sought to label the group as "extremists". (Deutsche Welle)
• Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Reyes Maroto receives an envelope containing a bloody knife, thereby becoming the second minister and the fourth senior politician to receive death threats. (Reuters)
• More than 1,300 prisoners in Burundi are released after President Évariste Ndayishimiye pardoned nearly 5,000 prisoners in March to reduce the overcrowding of the country's prisons. (Channels TV)
• British Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is sentenced to one year in prison and is barred from leaving Iran for a further year over propaganda activities against the government. (Radio France Internationale)
• Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, states that the Armenian genocide is a ‘stain’ of evil on all humanity. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the genocide. (Catholic News Agency)

Politics and elections

• 2020 United States census, 2020 United States redistricting cycle
  • The United States Census Bureau announces the country's total population to be over 331 million people, thereby marking the second-slowest growth rate in its history. It also announces that Texas will gain two congressional seats during the redistricting process, with Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon gaining one seat each; California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia will each lose a seat. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan–United States relations, Afghan peace process
    • The U.S. State Department orders a portion of their staff to leave the Kabul embassy as a step of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. (AP)
• Northern Chad offensive
  • At least four people in N'Djamena and one in Moundou are killed during protests requesting the military government to concede to a civilian transition. Police use tear gas to disperse protesters. The military council has banned protests. (Al Jazeera)
• Internal conflict in Myanmar, Karen conflict
  • The Karen National Union attacks an army outpost near the Myanmar–Thailand border at dawn. The Myanmar military retaliates with airstrikes as some 450 Thai villagers are moved to safety by the Thai military. There are no immediate reports of casualties. (Reuters)
• Saudi Arabia says that it detected and destroyed an incoming remote-controlled ship containing explosives in the Red Sea. (The Independent)

Arts and culture

• 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines
  • The Philippines celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mactan, where Filipino natives led by chieftain Lapulapu killed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. (The Philippine Star)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
        • The CDC says that fully vaccinated Americans can go outside without wearing a mask unless they are in large crowds. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado
        • Colorado surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Denver Post)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
        • Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker receives his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (WWLP-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec reports Canada's first death from a vaccination. The death has been linked to a blood clot after a 54-year-old woman received the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and died due to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. (Global News)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
        • Canadian Army general Dany Fortin, the person in charge of Canada's vaccination campaign, receives his first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
        • Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven receives his first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Iceland bans unnecessary travel from high-risk areas in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections. This ban applies to all international travelers and will be in effect until May 31. (Iceland Monitor)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, Lineage B.1.617
      • Portugal reports its first six cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant originally detected in India. (The Portugal News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh grants an emergency use authorization for the Sputnik V vaccine. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Lineage B.1.351
      • Iran reports its first three cases of the Lineage B.1.351 variant first discovered in South Africa. The Health Ministry warns of "harder days ahead" as it is predicted that the number of deaths due to COVID-19 will increase. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 15 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 163. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan's National Command and Operation Centre announces a ban on all tourism between May 8 and May 16 following a third wave of COVID-19. The country also bans all intercity and interprovincial travel during the Eid al-Fitr holidays, with the exception of travel within Gilgit-Baltistan. (The News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Lockdown restrictions are lifted in Perth, Western Australia, after no new community transmissions are reported. However, some indoor venues will remain closed, and the mask mandate will continue. (ABC Australia)
      • Australia suspends flights from India until May 15 amidst a surge of the COVID-19 cases. (9 News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji, Lineage B.1.617
      • Fiji reports its first six cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant originally detected in India. (TVNZ)
• More than 27,000 barrels containing DDT insecticide are discovered in a 36,000 acre "dump-site" in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. Usage of DDT has been banned worldwide since 1972 due to the chemical's catastrophic effect on human and environmental health. (NBC News)

International relations

• The United States Navy says that three Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol boats approach the USS Firebolt at "an unnecessarily close range with unknown intent" and retreat after warning shots are fired. (Fox News)
• Brexit, Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU
  • The European Parliament ratifies the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom by a 660–5 vote, with 32 MEPs abstaining. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Israel–Palestine relations
  • A report published by Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of committing a crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people. (AP)
• The European Parliament votes to lift the immunity of far-right MEP Ioannis Lagos, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2020 for being a leader of Golden Dawn, a party linked to acts of racist and political violence. Belgian police arrest Lagos ahead of his likely extradition to Greece. (The National Abu Dhabi)
• Postal workers of Spanish Correos intercept a letter with bullets mailed to Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Albanian parliamentary election
  • Prime Minister Edi Rama claims victory for his Socialist Party, making Rama the first Albanian prime minister to win three consecutive parliamentary elections. (CNA)

Arts and culture

• Pope Francis accepts the resignations of Ecuadorian Bishop Julio Parrilla Díaz and Monsignor Gerardo Miguel Nieves Loja of the Diocese of Riobamba after reports of poor governance, financial mismanagement and moral failings. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• Riga hostel fire
  • Eight people are killed and nine others wounded in a fire at an illegal hostel in Riga, Latvia. (BBC News)
• A 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam, part of Meghalaya, and part of Bangladesh, causing damage to houses and buildings. Two people die from heart attacks, while ten others are wounded by the earthquake itself. (The Hindu)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 698 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide number of cases to 11,761. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India begins a COVID-19 vaccine registration for those over the age of 18. (The Hindu)
      • India surpasses 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 after a record 3,293 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, subsequently becoming the fourth country to do so. The country also reports a new global record of 360,960 new cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 17.9 million. (NBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan reports a record 201 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,530. (Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
        • President Rodrigo Duterte approves the extension of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine in the Greater Manila Area until May 14. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Albania
      • Albania surpasses 10,000 seniors who have received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (TV Klan)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announces an easing of the country's lockdown restrictions after a decrease in the number of new cases, which will allow shopping malls and museums to reopen on May 4, hotels to reopen on May 8, and restaurants and cafés to serve people on outdoor terraces beginning on May 15. (The First News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey signs an agreement to purchase 50 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisian authorities announce that they will impose a mandatory quarantine on all travelers for a week beginning on May 3 and continue to suspend schools until May 16 in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Al-Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa
        • South Africa resumes its use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to healthcare workers after a pause of more than two weeks, following the drug authority decision that the vaccine is safe. (AP)

Law and crime

• 2019 Trump–Ukraine scandal
  • Federal investigators raid the home of Rudy Giuliani, the former personal lawyer of former President Donald Trump, for suspected illegal lobbying of the federal government on behalf of Ukrainian officials. (The New York Times)
• Mass shootings in the United States
  • A gunman kills two of his family members and two responding sheriff's deputies during a 13-hour standoff in Boone, North Carolina. The perpetrator later commits suicide at the scene. (AP)
• LNU Lightning Complex fires
  • A man from Vallejo, California, is arrested and charged for intentionally setting the Markley Fire, which killed two people and eventually merged with the Hennessey Fire as part of the LNU Lightning Complex, one of the largest wildfires in California's history. Authorities say the suspect set the fire in order to cover up the murder of a woman found near Lake Berryessa, which he had already been arrested and charged for in September 2020. (NBC News)
• Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot
  • Federal prosecutors lay out additional charges for three men suspected of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The new charges, which include conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, relate to an alleged related plot by the men to detonate explosives at a bridge in order to slow down responding law enforcement. (CNN) (Detroit Free-Press)
• Four people are killed and another is wounded during a mass stabbing at a hospital in Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany. The perpetrator, identified as a female hospital's employee, is arrested. The victims are all patients. (Reuters)
• Two children are killed and 16 more are wounded during a mass stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Beiliu, Guangxi, China. The attacker has been arrested. (BBC News)
• Five former members of the Italian far-left group Red Brigades, the co-founder of Lotta Continua, and another far-left militant are arrested in Paris, France. (Ansa)
• The Spanish postal service intercepts a letter with bullets enclosed that was mailed to former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. (El Periódico)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Northern Ireland riots
  • Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster announces her resignation after losing the support of her Democratic Unionist Party in the aftermath of the riots. (UrduPoint)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Colombian conflict, Venezuelan crisis
  • 2021 Apure clashes
    • Eight Venezuelan soldiers are killed in clashes with irregular armed groups operating on the Colombian border. The Venezuelan government says that the groups are narcoterrorists connected to Colombian president Ivan Duque while Colombian security sources say that they are FARC dissidents. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • A clash between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan forces on the border between the two countries results in four deaths and dozens of injuries. (The Guardian)
  • The foreign ministers of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan say they have agreed to a ceasefire at the border. (TASS)

Business and economy

• Cross-Strait relations, Economy of Taiwan
  • The Taiwanese Ministry of Labor bans both domestic and foreign companies from advertising jobs located in China, especially ones related to the integrated circuit and semiconductor industries. The move comes in light of both increased tensions between the two countries, and China aggressively recruiting Taiwanese workers to build up its own semiconductor industry. (Nikkei Asia)
• The price of copper exceeds US$10,000 per tonne for the first time since February 2011. Analysts cite a strong demand in China and the weakening of the U.S. dollar for the increase in price. (Channels TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Lineage B.1.617
      • Nouvelle-Aquitaine reports France's first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant in a person who travelled from India. (MedicalXpress)
      • President Emmanuel Macron unveils a gradual easing of lockdown. He said schools would reopen on May 3, followed by the reopening of museums, cinemas, shops, and cafés on May 19. In the second week of June, cafés and restaurants will be allowed to serve inside and the curfew will be scrapped on June 30 after it pushes back to 9:00 p.m. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses four million cases of COVID-19. (ANSA in English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, Lineage B.1.617
      • Romania reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first detected in India in a person from Brașov County. (Romania Insider)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reopens bars and nightclubs to those who have received at least one vaccine dose. These venues will also be allowed to stay open until 2:00 a.m. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a new global record of 379,257 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 18.38 million. The country also reports a record 3,645 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 204,832. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports its first locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in 35 days, in four members of a family from Hà Nam Province and one person from Ho Chi Minh City. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentina reports a record 561 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 63,508. (Perfil)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil surpasses 400,000 COVID-19 deaths, becoming the second country to do so after the United States. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
        • New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announces the city government's intent to lift all pandemic-related restrictions and "fully reopen" by July 1. (CBS News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana, Lineage P.1
        • Louisiana reports their first two cases of the Lineage P.1 variant that originated in Brazil. (The Times-Picayune)
      • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 35 percent of the country's population had been infected with COVID-19 as of March 2021. This represents about a fourfold increase from the official reported numbers. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica
      • Costa Rica announces new COVID-19 restrictions on driving and businesses amidst a rise of new cases. (The Tico Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      • The Democratic Republic of the Congo announces that it will redeploy several of their AstraZeneca vaccines to other Africa countries. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, Lineage B.1.617
      • Uganda reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant in people who travelled from India to Kampala. (The Independent Uganda)
• China reports a new outbreak of the African Swine Fever in Inner Mongolia, where 343 of 432 pigs died on a farm near Baotou. (Reuters)
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announces that it will ban flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes within a year, claiming they disproportionately impact low-income and minority households. (CNN)

International relations

• Cyprus dispute
  • President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades says that the two-state solution proposed by Turkish Cypriots will never be accepted and claims that it violates United Nations resolutions. Greek Cypriots advocate a federal united country, whereas the Turkish side supports a two-state solution. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Papua conflict
  • Indonesian authorities formally designate West Papuan separatists as "terrorists", after a call on Sunday from President Joko Widodo to crack down on them. The Chief Security Minister cites a 2018 counter-terrorism law to back the measure whereas a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army rejects the move. (Reuters)
• The Mexican Congress passes legislation outlawing revenge porn. It is sent to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for his signature. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2021 NFL season
  • In American football, the National Football League starts its draft for the 2021 season, with the Jacksonville Jaguars taking quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the first pick of the draft. (USA Today) (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • 2021 Puli Alam bombing
      • A suicide car bombing kills 30 people and wounds 91 others in Puli Alam, Logar. (BBC)
• Kivu conflict
  • Ituri conflict
    • Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi declares a "state of siege" in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu due to a spate of violence from armed groups in those areas. (News24)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • Thirty-one people are killed and 154 others are wounded in Kyrgyzstan, while 10 people are killed and 90 others are wounded in Tajikistan, as the fighting between the two Central Asian countries enters its second day. (Al Jazeera English)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • Disneyland, the second most visited amusement park in the world, reopens with a limited capacity and guidelines for social distancing face masks in effect after more than one year of closure due to the pandemic. (The Japan Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, COVID-19 recession
    • Sri Lanka's GDP contracts 3.6% in 2020, its worst economic performance since gaining independence in 1948. (RTL)
• The world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge, Arouca 516, is completed in North Region, Portugal, with local residents being the first people allowed to cross it. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Meron stampede
  • At least 45 people are killed and at least 150 others are injured in a crowd crush during a Lag BaOmer celebration in Meron, Israel. It is the deadliest peacetime disaster in the country's history. (The Times of Israel)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
        • The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority grants an emergency use authorization for the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine, where the vaccine will be used as part of a mutual vaccination scheme. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a new global record of 386,486 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 18.76 million. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan receives its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • President Moon Jae-in receives his second dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Albania
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Albania
        • Albania approves the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany administers a record 1.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the last 24 hours. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 394 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 40,131. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Lineage B.1.617
      • Michigan reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first discovered in India in a person from Clinton County. (WDIV-TV)
    • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lineage B.1.617
      • The White House announces that the United States will begin restricting travel from India beginning on May 4 due to an increase in the number of cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant of COVID-19, which originated in India. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
    • Japanese authorities announce that they are disembarking passengers and crew from the MS Asuka II cruise ship after one passenger tested positive for COVID-19. The passenger is in isolation in a cabin and is in stable condition. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • The World Health Organization grants an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Colombian peace process
  • The leaders of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia acknowledge their responsibility for tens of thousands of kidnappings during the Colombian conflict. (Reuters)
• 2020–2021 Thai protests
  • Pro-democracy protest leader Parit Chiwarak is hospitalized over concerns for his health due to his continued hunger strike since March 15. The corrections department states that he was transferred to a hospital over concerns about his condition worsening to the point where he required specialized care. (Reuters)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  • Family and friends of Brazilian Workers' Party activist Rodrigo Pilha, who has been imprisoned for over a month after displaying a banner calling President Jair Bolsonaro "genocidal" over poor management of the COVID-19 pandemic, say that he was beaten and tortured in prison by wardens. (Forum)
• A United States Federal court upholds a New Jersey Catholic school’s right to fire a teacher under the Ministerial Exception doctrine. The teacher was terminated from Saint Dominic Academy the day after she returned from a leave due to a motor vehicle accident. (Religion Cause) (Catholic World News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Palestinian legislative election, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • President Mahmoud Abbas postpones the election scheduled for May 22 until further notice, after the government of Israel allegedly rejected the holding of the election in East Jerusalem. Abbas says that the election cannot be held without the participation of the disputed area. (Xinhuanet)
• Impeachment of Wilson Witzel
  • In Brazil, Governor of Rio de Janeiro Wilson Witzel is impeached and replaced by Vice Governor Cláudio Castro. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2021 NFL Draft, 2021 Green Bay Packers season
  • Amidst ongoing tensions surrounding the future of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the team trades up to select Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers with the 85th pick. (ABC News) (Packers.com)
• Numerous British sports teams, athletes, sports governing bodies, and companies participate in a social media boycott from 3:00 p.m. BST to 11:59 p.m. on May 3 to demand action from social media companies against online abuse. (CNBC)