Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- SpaceX Starship, the most powerful rocket ever, is first launched (pictured) from Texas and explodes almost four minutes into the flight.
- Dominion Voting Systems agrees to a $787 million settlement in their lawsuit against Fox News over defamation claims from the 2020 United States presidential election.
- In Finland, Unit 3 of the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear reactor, begins regular operation after eighteen years of delayed construction.
- In Sudan, at least 185 people die in clashes between rival factions of the military government.
Business and economy
- Twitter drops the "state-affiliated" and "government-funded" labels used for media organizations. (Al Jazeera)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- 2023 Rajouri attacks
- Five Indian soldiers are killed in a suspected militant attack in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Rajouri attacks
- 2023 Sudanese clashes
- Battle of Khartoum
- Amid fighting, a food shortage is reported in Khartoum. (BBC News)
- An American citizen is killed in Khartoum, becoming the second confirmed foreign death. (CBS News)
- The United States sends additional troops and equipment to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in preparation for a possible evacuation of Americans from Sudan. (ABC News)
- Battle of Khartoum
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2023 Belgorod bombing
- Russian authorities report an explosion in Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, saying that it left a 20-metre (66 ft) crater in the city center. It resulted from an accidental discharge of ammunition from a Russian airplane. (Barron's via AFP) (Reuters)
- 2023 Belgorod bombing
- Iran–United States relations
- An Iranian Navy commander claims on state television that the Iranian Navy forced a U.S. submarine to surface as it transited the Strait of Hormuz and that the submarine violated Iranian territorial waters. The U.S. denies the Iranian claims. (Radiofarda)
Business and economy
- American media site BuzzFeed reports that it will shut down BuzzFeed News as part of its site-wide layoffs. (NBC News)
Law and crime
- Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo loses his request for an emergency stay in the United States, as a deadline for his extradition to Peru nears, where he faces numerous charges. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Aleksandr Uss resigns after being offered a position in the federal government. Russian President Vladimir Putin invites Deputy Finance Minister Mikhail Kotyukov to assume the post of acting governor. (TASS)
Science and technology
- Solar eclipse of April 20, 2023
- A hybrid solar eclipse occurs across the South Pacific in Australia, East Timor, and Indonesia. (The New York Times) (People)
- SpaceX Starship orbital test flight
- SpaceX launches the first test flight of Starship, the largest and most powerful launch vehicle to ever fly, from Starbase in South Texas. The vehicle successfully launched but lost control and the flight was explosively terminated four minutes after liftoff. (The New York Times) (BBC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Sudan clashes
- Battle of Khartoum
- Germany announces the suspension of its attempt to rescue 150 German citizens from Khartoum. (The New York Times) (Reuters)
- Thousands of Sudanese civilians cross the closed border with Chad as refugees and are detained, according to Chadian Defence Minister Daoud Yaya Brahim. Brahim also states that the Chad National Army detained and disarmed a contingent of 320 Sudanese troops who crossed the border. (TRT World) (Reuters)
- The United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan urge their citizens to seek shelter, hide, or evacuate due to ongoing fighting. (Sky News) (The Print India)
- Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno says that Japan will send a Self-Defense Forces aircraft to evacuate 60 Japanese nationals from Sudan. (Asahi Shimbun)
- Satellite imagery reveals that at least one Egyptian Air Force MiG-29 was destroyed at an airbase in Merowe, with at least two others heavily damaged. (The Drive)
- Battle of Khartoum
- Mali War
- Four people are killed and several others are reported missing after jihadists ambush a Malian government delegation near Nara, Koulikoro Region, Mali. (Barron's)
Business and economy
- 2023 Canadian federal worker strike
- Over 155,000 Canadian federal workers go on strike after the Public Service Alliance of Canada failed to reach an agreement with the government over pay raises and remote work. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- Sanaa stampede
- At least 90 people are killed and 322 others are injured in a crowd crush in Sanaa, Yemen during a charity event. (Egypt Independent)
Health and environment
- List of heat waves
- A heatwave in Asia leads to deaths and school closures in India, and record-breaking temperatures in other countries. Luang Prabang, Laos, recorded a temperature of 42.7 °C (108.9 °F), while Tak, Thailand, recorded a temperature of 44.6 °C (112.3 °F). (The Guardian)
- A report by the United Nations Population Fund estimates that India will surpass China as the most populous country in the world by the middle of this year. (NBC News)
International relations
Law and crime
- Crime in Costa Rica
- President Rodrigo Chaves orders a series of measures to fight increasing crime in Costa Rica, including the deployment of more police, tougher juvenile laws, extradition of foreign criminals, and restrictions on the sale of ammunition. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Brazilian Congress attack
- Secretary of Institutional Security of Brazil Marco Edson Gonçalves Dias resigns over his presence at the presidential palace during the attack. He is replaced by Ricardo Cappelli. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Sudan clashes
- Battle of Khartoum
- A U.S. embassy convoy is attacked in Khartoum, amid U.S. efforts to mediate a ceasefire. (AP)
- India tells its citizens to find shelter or stay indoors. (Dev Discourse)
- Canada closes its embassy in Sudan and advises its citizens against travelling to the country. (Global News)
- Battle of Khartoum
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
- Former People's Deputy of Ukraine Oleh Barna is killed in combat. (UNIAN)
- Six Fulani herders are killed by Kodo armed men during an attack on two villages in Logone Oriental, Chad. Fourteen attackers are killed by soldiers in the ensuing gunfight, while two others are killed in the initial clashes with the Fulanis. (Barron's)
Business and economy
- Netflix ends its DVD rental service after 25 years, citing the reduced demand for physical rentals. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Beijing hospital fire
- Twenty-nine people are killed in a fire at a hospital in Beijing, China. (Xinhua) (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Torkham landslide
- Two people are killed and dozens of others are feared missing after a landslide occurs in the Khyber Pass in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Reuters)
- 2023 New York City parking garage collapse
- One person is killed and five others are injured by the partial collapse of a parking garage in Manhattan, New York City, United States. Nearby buildings of Pace University are evacuated due to the instability of the garage's remaining structure. (WCBS-TV)
International relations
- Brazil–Ukraine relations
- The Ukrainian government invites Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to visit Ukraine and criticizes Lula for his approach to the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomes Lula's position on peace efforts. (Reuters)
- Mexico–United States relations
- Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accuses the United States Department of Defense of spying and says that he will classify information from the Mexican Armed Forces. (Reuters)
- Palestine–Saudi Arabia relations
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the increase in violence in the West Bank, the detainment of Hamas-affiliated Palestinians in Saudi Arabia, and about improving relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia. This is the first meeting between Hamas and the Saudi royal family since 2015. (Al Jazeera)
- Accession of Kosovo to the European Union
- The European Parliament votes to grant visa-free travel for Kosovo citizens to any country that is part of the Schengen Area. The policy will be in effect no later than January 2024. (RFE/RL)
Law and crime
- Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network
- Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems reach a US$787.5 million settlement in the defamation lawsuit, which was initially filed against the network in March 2021 for spreading false claims about the company regarding the 2020 United States presidential election. (Forbes)
- At least four people are severely injured in a stabbing attack at a gym in Duisburg, Germany. (Evening Standard)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Sudan clashes
- Battle of Khartoum
- European Union ambassador Aidan O'Hara is assaulted at his home in Khartoum. EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell calls the assault a "gross violation of the Vienna Convention". (BBC News)
- Sudan closes its airspace, cancelling all flights in and out of the country. Kenya likewise suspends all flights to and from Sudan. (Flight Global) (Kenyans.co.ke)
- China, Malaysia, and the United States urge their citizens in Sudan to hide, find shelter, or evacuate the country. (SCMP) (FMT) (CBS News)
- De facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declares the Rapid Support Forces to be a rebel group, and orders the group dissolved. (Al Jazeera)
- Battle of Khartoum
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Slovakia transfers 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, according to the Slovak Defence Ministry. (Reuters)
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
Health and environment
- Recycling in Australia
- Further sites of illicit soft plastic storage are found in Sydney after the collapse of commercial plastic recycler REDcycle. After taking $20 million from Coles and Woolworths to recycle soft plastics at 2,000 locations, the company instead stored 12,000 tonnes of plastics at more than 44 locations across Australia. (9 News) (The Guardian)
- The provincial health ministry of Santa Fe, Argentina, asks the public to "not underestimate" the current situation of dengue fever after the province surpasses 10,000 cases and reports its third death from the disease amid a national outbreak. (La Capital) (Infobae)
International relations
- Slovakia–Ukraine relations
- Slovakia bans the import of food from Ukraine, following similar decisions made by Poland and Hungary last week. (The Guardian)
Law and crime
- Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing pardons 3,015 prisoners on the occasion of the Buddhist New Year. (AFP via France 24)
- Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza is convicted in a Moscow court on charges of treason and violating Russia's war censorship laws, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. (AP)
- The Evide data breach is made public. Ransomware results in data being stolen from a company in Northern Ireland which provides computer services to charities, including a charity that supports adult survivors of child abuse. (The Journal)
Sports
- 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup
- Argentina is confirmed as the host of the FIFA U-20 World Cup by FIFA, following the suspension of the tournament in Indonesia, which refused to host the Israeli team. (Reuters)
- 2023 World Snooker Championship
- A World Snooker Championship match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry is abandoned, while another match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi is delayed after Just Stop Oil activists storm The Crucible in Sheffield. Two people are later arrested by South Yorkshire Police. (BBC Sport)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Sudan clashes
- Battle of Khartoum
- The Sudanese military is said to have retaken control of the presidential palace and other key government installations in Khartoum. The military says Khartoum International Airport remains under the control of Rapid Support Forces, but that it was holding back from launching airstrikes to avoid destroying the airport. (Reuters)
- Battle of Khartoum
- Syrian civil war
- 2023 Hama attack
- Thirty-six people are killed when Islamic State gunmen ambush a group of truffle hunters in Hama Governorate. Five shepherds are also killed near Deir ez-Zor. (France 24)
- 2023 Hama attack
- Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
- Thirty-four VDP and six soldiers are killed during an ambush in the village of Aorema, Ouahigouya, Nord, Burkina Faso. Thirty-three other people are injured. (Al Jazeera)
- Nigerian bandit conflict
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Ukraine and Russia conduct a prisoner swap for soldiers who fought in Bakhmut, with 130 Ukrainian soldiers returning and an unknown amount of Russian soldiers returning. (PBS)
International relations
- China–Russia relations
- Chinese Minister of Defense Li Shangfu meets President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, as part of his four-day visit to Russia. (CBS News)
Politics and elections
- 2021–2023 inflation surge
- Thousands of people protest against rising inflation at Wenceslas Square in Prague, Czech Republic, demanding the government's resignation. (VOA)
Science and technology
- Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant
- After 18 years under construction, the Olkiluoto 3 reactor in Finland, Europe's most powerful nuclear power plant unit at 1.6 GW, begins delivering regular electrical output. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2019–2026 Sudanese transition to democracy
- 2023 Sudan clashes
- Battle of Khartoum
- Fighting occurs across Sudan three days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) mobilized. The RSF claims to have captured Khartoum International Airport and the presidential palace in Khartoum. At least 56 civilians are killed and 595 others are injured, with several military personnel and rebel forces also being killed. Several Egyptian troops are also taken prisoner by the RSF. (BBC News) (Al Jazeera) (Al Jazeera 2)
- Chad closes its border with Sudan as heavy fighting continues between the Sudanese military and rebel forces. (Anadolu Agency)
- Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and Qatar suspend all planes from inside and outside of Sudan due to the ongoing conflicts and closure of several airports; airlines also fear attacks on their planes mainly in Khartoum. (Menafn) (Al Arabiya) (Libya Observer)
- Battle of Khartoum
- 2023 Sudan clashes
- Papua conflict
- Rebels of the West Papua National Liberation Army kill nine Indonesian military personnel as the group accuses Jakarta of refusing to hold negotiations. (Reuters)
- Saikazaki bombing
- Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida is evacuated during a speech in Saikazaki, Wakayama, Kansai, Japan, after an "explosion-like sound" is heard. A suspect, believed to have thrown a smoke bomb, is arrested. (CNN)
- Mexican drug war
- At least seven people are killed and another is injured during a mass shooting in La Palma resort in Cortazar, Guanajuato, Mexico. (Xinhua)
- Encounter killing
- Former Indian Parliament member Atique Ahmed, and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, are assassinated on live television while giving an interview to reporters in Allahabad, while in the custody of police, Uttar Pradesh, India. In response to the murders, the Uttar Pradesh government bars gatherings of more than four people across the entire state. His son had already been killed in an encounter a month earlier. The government shuts down the Internet access in the Allahabad district. (CNN) (Reuters) (BBC News) (Al Jazeera) (Hindustan Times) (The Indian Express) (The Economic Times)
Business and economy
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Dubai apartment fire
- Sixteen people are killed and nine others are injured by a fire in a residential building in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Al Jazeera)
- Twelve people are killed and 28 others are injured when a bus falls into a gorge in Raigad, Maharashtra, India. (Daily Excelsior)
Health and environment
- Germany shuts down its last three nuclear plants, after the deadline to phase out nuclear energy was delayed by three months due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (DW)
- Equatorial Guinea confirms six more cases of Marburg virus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to fifteen. (Reuters)
International relations
- Hungary–Ukraine relations, Poland–Ukraine relations
- Poland and Hungary ban imports of grain and other food from Ukraine "to protect the local agricultural sector", due to Ukrainian supplies lowering the price of food. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- 2023 French pension reform unrest
- President Emmanuel Macron signs the pension reform bill into law as protests intensify in the country. (The Guardian)
- LGBT rights in the Cook Islands
- The Parliament of the Cook Islands decriminalizes gay sexual practices between men. (RNZ)
- 2023 Dadeville shooting
- Four people are killed and 28 others are injured by a mass shooting at a birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, United States. (AL.com)
Science and technology
- SpaceX launches Earth observation satellite TAIFA-1, Kenya's first operational satellite, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. The satellite will collect environmental data, including data on floods, droughts and wildfires. (Reuters)
- Twitter begins limiting the number of automated messages being able to be sent by the National Weather Service, including emergency alerts, before walking back the changes. (CNN)
Sports
- 2023 Grand National
- Corach Rambler, ridden by Irish jockey Derek Fox, wins the 175th Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse. The start of the race was delayed due to animal rights activists storming the track, with at least 118 people being arrested. (BBC Sport) (ITV News)