Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Mark Selby

• An elevated section of the Mexico City Metro collapses, leaving at least 24 people dead and more than 70 others injured.
• Mark Selby (pictured) wins the World Snooker Championship, defeating Shaun Murphy in the final.
• Colombian president Iván Duque Márquez withdraws a proposed tax reform after nationwide protests leave at least 19 people dead.
• In horse racing, Medina Spirit wins the Kentucky Derby, earning trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh victory in the race.
• In Israel, 45 people are killed in a crowd crush at a religious festival on Mount Meron.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Donald Cameron
• Helen Murray Free
• Jacques d'Amboise
• Joseph Z. Nederlander
• Mantfombi Dlamini
• Anthony Payne

Current events of May 5, 2021 (2021-05-05) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Israel's role in the Syrian civil war
    • Syria air defenses say that they have intercepted missiles from Israel, including one that reached towards the port city of Latakia. However, Syria state media also says that one person was killed and 6 people were injured after missiles attacked northwestern Syria towns such as Masyaf. (Al Jazeera) (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in India
    • India reports a record 3,780 deaths during the past 24 hours as the cases keep surging in the country. The World Health Organization says that nearly half of the cases reported last week were recorded in India. (CNA)

Current events of May 4, 2021 (2021-05-04) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan
    • Afghan security forces fight a huge offensive by the Taliban in Helmand as the United States begins to withdraw troops from the country before the final deadline of September 11. (Reuters)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Yuki Kitazumi becomes the first foreign journalist known to be charged since the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, after being accused of spreading fake news. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 938 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 16,299. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India surpasses 20 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United States. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore announces that social gatherings will be reduced to five people per group and workplace capacity will be reduced to 50% from May 8 to May 30 as part of measures to reduce the community spread of COVID-19. In addition, indoor gyms and fitness centers will be closed because they are considered "high risk settings". (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      • The Alberta government introduces tougher public health restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 including moving all kindergarten to Grade 12 students to online learning, closing restaurants and bars to in-person dining, closing down personal care services such as hair salons, limiting outdoor gatherings to five people, and increasing fines for those violating public health measures. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    • Greek authorities impose a lockdown on the island of Kalymnos beginning tomorrow until May 10 for urgent reasons to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)

International relations

• 2021 Colombian protests
  • The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemns the excessive use of force by Colombian security forces during the ongoing protests that have killed at least 19 civilians. (UNHCHR)
  • The European Union calls for Colombia's security forces to avoid excessive force amidst the ongoing protests. (Reuters)
• Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union
  • French maritime minister Annick Girardin says that France is prepared to impose "retaliation measures" against the United Kingdom over its new guidelines on requiring French fishing vessels to obtain permits to sail by the Channel Islands. (CGTN)

Law and crime

• Saudades massacre
  • Three children and two staff members are killed during a mass stabbing at a nursery school in Saudades, Brazil. Another child is wounded. The attacker then stabs himself and is currently in critical condition. (BBC)
• The first secretary at the Swiss embassy in Tehran, Iran, is found dead after falling from the building where she lived. The circumstances of the fall are not currently known. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Madrilenian regional election
  • The Assembly of Madrid holds a snap election after the ruling coalition of the People's Party and Ciudadanos breaks down. The People's Party, led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, receives a landslide win in the election, doubling their number of seats, though falling four seats short of an absolute majority. (The Guardian) (BBC)

Current events of May 3, 2021 (2021-05-03) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Niger attacks
    • Sixteen Nigerien soldiers are killed and six others are wounded when their patrol is ambushed in Tahoua. (Al Jazeera)
  • Kodyel attack
    • At least 30 civilians are killed and 20 more wounded as several armed men assault a village in Foutouri, Burkina Faso. It is one of the deadliest attacks in the country's history. (Al Jazeera)
• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • A bomb explodes near a school in Farah, injuring 21 people, including ten students. (ABC News)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan complete the withdrawal of their forces from the border. (The Times of Central Asia)
  • Tajikistan says the border clashes left several people dead on their side. The death toll for Kyrgyzstan reaches 36 following the death of a four-year-old boy. (Al Jazeera) (AKIPress)
  • Tajik President Emomali Rahmon orders that all residential buildings destroyed in Chorkuh be restored. (Asia-Plus)
  • Kyrgyzs in Germany and the United Kingdom organize rallies and protests at Tajik embassies. Additionally, citizens living in San Francisco protest in support of the residents of Batken and call for international institutions to "bring Tajik President Rahmon to justice." (Kabar)
• Internal conflict in Myanmar
  • The Kachin Independence Army says that it shot down a military helicopter of the armed forces. The separatist group's information department head reported that they were attacked with airstrikes and that they shot back. In a separate incident, a junta-appointed local administrator is stabbed to death in Yangon. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage, COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
  • Bavarian minister-president Markus Söder announces that the annual Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich, scheduled for late September to October, will be cancelled for a second consecutive year due to the pandemic. (ABS-CBN News)

Disasters and accidents

• Mexico City Metro overpass collapse
  • A viaduct collapses in the Tezonco–Olivos elevated interstation of Line 12 of the Mexico City Metro. At least 23 people are killed and at least 70 others injured a train subsequently fell onto the road below. (BBC)
• At least 26 people are killed when a speedboat collides with a vessel transporting sand on the Padma River in Bangladesh. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Telangana, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on animals
        • Eight Asiatic lions in Hyderabad Zoo test positive for COVID-19, the first such case in India. (Times of India)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Haryana, COVID-19 lockdown in India
        • Haryana imposes a seven-day complete lockdown due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases across the state. (The Hindu)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi
        • Authorities in Delhi request help from the Indian Armed Forces amidst shortages of medical oxygen and a lack of beds in intensive care units in the city's overwhelmed hospitals. The local government wants the army to formally take over the administration of COVID-19 care facilities and intensive care units. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, Variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • Indonesia reports its first two cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, first discovered in India, in two people from Jakarta. The country also reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.351 variant, first discovered in South Africa, in a person from Bali. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
        • President Rodrigo Duterte receives his first dose of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (CGTN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 31 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 276. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, Lineage B.1.617
      • Algeria reports its first six cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, first discovered in India, in people from the coastal province of Tipaza. (Al-Arabiya English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco, Lineage B.1.617
      • Morocco reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, which was first discovered in India, in two people from Casablanca. (Morocco World News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania, Variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • The Government of Tanzania announces that all travellers will be required to present negative COVID-19 test results at border points in order to reduce the spread of new variants. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark becomes the first country to exclude the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from its vaccination programme over a potential link to a rare but serious form of thrombosis. (The Copenhagen Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Cafés, restaurants, and bars in Greece reopen for the first time in six months as the government begins to ease its COVID-19 restrictions. A nightly 9:00 p.m. curfew is also changed to 11:00 p.m. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut
      • Governor Ned Lamont announces that Connecticut has fully vaccinated 50% of their adult population, thereby making it the first state to do so. (Connecticut Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
      • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces that the state will suspend all local COVID-19 emergency mandates. These measures will take effect on July 1. (CBS News)

International relations

• Iran–United States relations, Iran–United Kingdom relations
  • Iran denies yesterday's reports of an agreement to exchange prisoners with the United States and the United Kingdom. (PressTV)

Law and crime

• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • The prosecutor general's office of Tajikistan launches a criminal investigation into servicemen and citizens of Kyrgyzstan for "unleashing an aggressive war". (Trend News Agency)
  • The Kyrgyz Prosecutor General's Office accuses the Tajikistan Armed Forces of invading the country and seizing their sovereign territory. (Katkus Media)
• German police say that they have dismantled one of the world's largest child pornography networks on the dark web, with over 400,000 registered users. Four people have been detained in raids, including a man from Paraguay, on suspicion of running the network. Europol also says that several paedophile chat sites were taken down in the German-led intelligence operation. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Colombian protests
  • Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez says that he is withdrawing a controversial tax reform proposal after thousands of predominantly working-class people took to the streets to protest against the plans, which they say unfairly target the poor. Seventeen people were killed in the protests. (BBC)
• Asylum in the United States
  • U.S. President Joe Biden raises the cap on the number of refugees accepted from 15,000 to 62,500 in response to criticisms from members of his party and refugee agencies over his prior proposal to keep the Trump-era cap in place. Biden also announces that he plans to further raise the cap to 125,000 next year. (BBC)

Sports

• 2021 Indian Premier League, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cricket
  • A match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore is postponed amidst a breach of the IPL's biosecure bubble as Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, as well as a senior coach, all tested positive for COVID-19. (The Guardian)

Current events of May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • The death toll from the conflict increases to 46, with hundreds of people injured and more than 100 buildings destroyed. (BBC)
  • Over 30,000 Kyrgyz civilians are evacuated from the Batken Region near the border with Tajikistan. (Trend News Agency)
  • The Kyrgyzstan Interior Ministry and Tajikistan both report that the situation at the border is stable and calm. Both countries also agree to withdraw troops from the border. However, an unexploded air missile is discovered at a house in Batken, Kyrgyzstan, near the border. (Rferl.org) (Prensa Latina) (Kabar)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
      • Afghanistan reports 166 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the total number of cases to 60,288. (TOLOnews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 730 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 14,520. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 3,689 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 215,542. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Lineage B.1.617
      • Malaysia reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant when the authorities screen an Indian national at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • Abu Dhabi updates its travel procedures for residents and visitors who are fully vaccinated. (Gulf Today)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, Lineage B.1.617
      • Mexico reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant first discovered in India in the state of San Luis Potosí. (The Yucatan Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentina surpasses three million cases of COVID-19. (Clarín)

International relations

• Iran–United States relations, Iran–United Kingdom relations
  • Iranian state media report a deal to release $7 billion of frozen Iranian funds has been reached between Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom for the release of prisoners with Western-links, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in which the British government has agreed to pay a £400 million debt for her release. (Sky News)
    • The United States denies the claim that it had agreed to exchange either prisoners or money with Iran. The United Kingdom likewise denies that any definitive decision has been made in the case of Zaghari-Ratcliffe's repatriation. (AP)

Law and crime

• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • The Kyrgyzstan Interior Ministry launches 11 criminal probe investigations into the events on the border with Tajikistan. (AKIpress)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • The Jerusalem District Court orders at least six families residing in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem to vacate their homes, following decades of litigation by Jewish settler organizations claiming they are the rightful owners of the property. Hamas condemns this ruling as "dangerous, racist behavior", threatening retaliation. (Al Jazeera) (Jerusalem Post)
• Syrian President Bashar al-Assad signs a decree that grants amnesty and reduces sentences for prisoners ahead of an election on May 26. (Middle East Eye)
• Istanbul police announce that, on Wednesday, they arrested an Afghan man who served as a close aide to former ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and who had helped him hide in Syria's Idlib Governorate after the group lost its territory in 2019. The man lived in the Ataşehir district on the Asian side of the city. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• 2020–21 Serie A
  • Inter Milan wins Serie A, the highest tier in the Italian football league system, for the first time since the 2009–10 season, ending Juventus's run of nine consecutive titles. (CNN)
• 2020–21 Premier League
  • A protest of over 200 fans causes the postponement of the Manchester United F.C. v. Liverpool F.C. Premier League football game. (The Guardian)

Current events of May 1, 2021 (2021-05-01) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Afghan peace process
    • The United States formally begins withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan to mark the final phase of the end to its longest war. Additionally, NATO also starts withdrawing their troops. (AP)
  • Taliban insurgents overrun an Afghan National Army base in Ghazni Province, capturing dozens of troops and killing a "number of others". Acting Defense Minister General Yasin Zia confirms the fall of the security installation to the Taliban. (VOA)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signs a decree that declares a two-day nationwide mourning effort for those who have died during border clashes with Tajikistan. (TASS)
  • Kyrgyzstan accuses Tajikistan of building-up troops and military equipment on the border. The Kyrgyz side also accuses Tajik forces of opening fire on Kyrgyz vehicles in the area. A Tajik spokesman speaking from Dushanbe says the country was sticking to the ceasefire and withdrawal of troops. (Reuters)
  • Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agree to a new ceasefire following border clashes, which includes withdrawing troops from the border. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urges both countries to honor the agreement. (Al Jazeera) (Trend News Agency)
• ISIL insurgency in Iraq
  • Seven members of the Kurdistan military force Peshmerga are killed in an ISIL attack in the Kirkuk Governorate. (Macau Business) (Rudaw)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism
    • Italian cruise line Costa Cruises returns to service for the first time in nearly five months following a ban of cruises by the Italian government due to the pandemic. Several Costa ships had reported cases on board in the previous year. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Disasters and accidents

• Bharuch hospital fire
  • A hospital fire in Bharuch, Gujarat, India, kills at least 16 COVID-19 patients and two nurses. (The Scottish Sun)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a new global record of 401,993 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby marking the first time a country reported more than 400,000 new cases in a single day. This subsequently brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 19 million. (Nikkei Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Osaka Prefecture reports a record 1,262 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, Lineage B.1.617
      • Jordan reports its first three cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, which originally discovered in India. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • The Singaporean government bans all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have been in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the last two weeks from entering or transiting through the country. It also tightens its social distancing rules in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
      • Syria's rebel-held Idlib Governorate begins its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with a 45-year-old nurse receiving the first dose. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 21 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 224. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
      • Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lifts the lockdown imposed in Nairobi and surrounding counties, allowing bars, restaurants, schools, and religious services to reopen and revising the evening curfew to 10:00 p.m. (U.S. News & World Report)

Science and technology

• International Space Station programme
  • SpaceX Crew-1
    • The four-astronaut crew of SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience successfully splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, arriving from a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (NDTV)

Sports

• 2021 Kentucky Derby
  • The 147th Kentucky Derby is held at Churchill Downs at a 50% capacity, with Medina Spirit winning the race. (CBS News)

Current events of April 30, 2021 (2021-04-30) (Friday)

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)

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)

Current events of April 29, 2021 (2021-04-29) (Thursday)

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)
    • 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)

Time: 10:15 UTC|Day: 5 May

	May 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

Disasters

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

Politics

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

Elections and referendums

Recent

• April
  • 25: Albania, Parliament

Upcoming

• May
  • 15–16: Chile, Constituent Assembly

Trials

Recently concluded

• Brazil: Wilson Witzel
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum
• United States: Derek Chauvin

Ongoing

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

Upcoming

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

Sport

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

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

May

• 3: Donald Cameron
• 2: Frank Costa
• 2: Jacques d'Amboise
• 2: Carlos Romero Barceló
• 2: Bobby Unser
• 1: Olympia Dukakis

April

• 30: Eli Broad
• 29: Anne Buydens
• 29: Johnny Crawford
• 29: Prince Muhammad bin Talal
• 28: Michael Collins
• 28: El Risitas
• 27: Al Schmitt
• 26: Vassos Lyssarides
• 25: Jon Konrads
• 24: Christa Ludwig
• 23: Mario Meoni
• 23: Milva
• 22: Shock G
• 21: Alfredo Graciani
• 20: Idriss Déby
• 20: Monte Hellman
• 20: Les McKeown
• 19: Walter Mondale
• 19: Jim Steinman
• 18: Mohammad Hejazi
• 17: Black Rob
• 17: Vivek
• 16: Charles Geschke
• 16: Barry Mason
• 16: Helen McCrory
• 16: Andrew Peacock
• 16: Kakarla Subba Rao
• 16: Felix Silla
• 16: Ranjit Sinha
• 15: Vartan Gregorian
• 14: Yıldırım Akbulut
• 14: Abdul Matin Khasru
• 14: Michel Louvain
• 14: Bernie Madoff
• 14: Ahmed Usman
• 13: Peter Warner
• 12: Shirley Williams
• 11: Joseph Siravo
• 10: LaDonna Brave Bull Allard
• 10: Félix del Blanco Prieto
• 9: Nikki Grahame
• 9: Ramsey Clark
• 9: Giorgos Karaivaz
• 9: DMX
• 9: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• 8: Phillip Adams
• 8: Jovan Divjak
• 8: Richard Rush
• 7: Anne Beatts
• 7: James Hampton
• 6: Charles H. Coolidge
• 6: Alcee Hastings
• 6: Julen Madariaga
• 6: Tommy Raudonikis
• 6: Predrag Živković Tozovac
• 5: Philip K. Chapman
• 5: Krzysztof Krawczyk
• 5: Izz al-Din Manasirah
• 5: Paul Ritter
• 4: Cheryl Gillan
• 4: Robert Mundell
• 4: Shashikala

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia-Pacific

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

Europe

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

Global

• War on terror

Middle East

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

Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts

2021 events and developments by topic

Arts

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

Politics and government

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

Science and technology

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

Environment and environmental sciences

Birding/Ornithology – Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain