Portal:Current events

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • The Ministry of Emergency Situations reports that 136 houses and 84 facilities in the Batken region have been destroyed during clashes on the border. (AKIPress)
  • Tajikistan authorities say that 19 people were killed and 87 were injured during border clashes with Kyrgyzstan. (RFERL)
• 2021 Malé bombing
  • Former president of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed is injured in a bomb blast in the capital Malé. (BBC)
• 2021 Jersey dispute
  • France sends two patrol boats, the Athos and Le Themis, to Jersey in response to the British deployment of HMS Severn and HMS Tamar to Jersey. The dispute arose after French fishermen threatened to blockade the port of Saint Helier in protest of a new system for obtaining fishing permits. (Bloomberg)
• Kivu conflict; Ituri conflict; Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo enacts a "state of siege" over the provinces of Kivu and Ituri for 30 days. During this time, both provinces will be placed under military rule. The provincial governments and entities of these provinces will either be replaced by offices of the FARDC or by the national police. Civil jurisdictions will also be replaced by military jurisdictions. (France 24)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Russia
        • Russia authorizes the use of a single-shot "Sputnik Light" vaccine as it had an efficacy rate of 79.4%. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Gyms, theatres and cinemas are reopened in Denmark as part of restriction easing and reliance of the "corona pass", which confirms that a person has either tested negative in the past 72 hours, been vaccinated, or recently recovered from COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland reports its first three cases of the Lineage P.1 variant, which was first discovered in Brazil, in the southern voivodeship of Silesia. (The First News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia ends a three-week blanket lockdown in Phnom Penh despite an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections, though tighter restrictions remain in place in some districts. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a world record of 412,262 new cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 21 million. The country also reports a record 3,980 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 230,168. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • Due to public outrage, President Rodrigo Duterte apologizes for receiving a dose of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV COVID-19 vaccine, which has not yet been authorized by the Philippines' Food and Drug Administration for emergency use. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan reports 452 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total this year, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 93,176. (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The New South Wales government restricts the size of gatherings and reintroduces a mandatory mask wearing policy for indoor areas and public transport after the wife of a man who tested positive for COVID-19 also tested positive. The restrictions will be in effect until Monday at 12:01 a.m. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

International relations

• Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
  • Latvia's Saeima votes to formally recognize the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as a genocide. (RFERL)

Law and crime

• 2021 Rio de Janeiro shootout
  • At least 25 people are killed in a shootout between police and drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (BBC)
• Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
  • The International Criminal Court sentences Ugandan warlord and member of the Christian terrorist group Lord's Resistance Army Dominic Ongwen to 25 years in prison for charges including murder, rape and sexual enslavement. The former child soldier's lawyers had asked for a lenient sentence considering his childhood trauma. (DW)
• Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is sentenced to a further 10 months imprisonment for participating in an unauthorized assembly on June 4, 2020 to commemorate the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Elections in the United Kingdom, 2021 Senedd election, 2021 Scottish Parliament election
  • Wales and Scotland hold elections for their respective parliaments. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Israel's role in the Syrian civil war
    • Israel launches missiles at Masyaf, Syria, killing one person and injuring six others. Several more missiles are intercepted, including one which reached the port city of Latakia. (Al Jazeera) (AP)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • The death toll at the Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border rises to 55. (Anadolu Agency)
• Insurgency in Balochistan
  • Four Pakistani soldiers are killed and six others wounded when ambushed by militants near the border with Afghanistan. (DTNext)

Disasters and accidents

• Hattiesburg plane crash
  • A plane crashes into a house in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States, killing four people. (Fox News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
        • The Philippines' Food and Drug Administration issues an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 3,780 deaths from COVID-19 during the past 24 hours and 382,315 new cases. The World Health Organization says that nearly half of the cases reported last week were from India. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announces that Kuala Lumpur will be placed under the movement control order from May 7 until May 20 due to the emergence of 17 COVID-19 clusters over the past week. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports its first case of a SARS-CoV-2 variant that originated from Brazil in an overseas traveller who is currently in quarantine. (Thai PBS World)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
      • Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announces that the Eid Al-Fitr holiday will begin from May 12 until May 16, which means that all gardens, parks, public buses and public beaches will be closed or will not operate during this period. In addition, all shops, malls, restaurants, cafés and cinemas will close at 9 p.m. and all gatherings at those venues will be banned for two weeks beginning tomorrow as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
      • Kenya reports its first five cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant in five Indians who are working at a fertiliser plant in Kisumu. (The Star Kenya)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
      • Health Canada approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for children age 12 to 15, becoming the first country to approve the vaccine for use in younger age groups. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports a record of 663 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national death toll to 65,865. (Clarín)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • The Biden administration announces that it supports waiving patent protections on existing COVID-19 vaccines so that other countries can produce generic variants, following weeks of pressure from the international community. (CNBC)

Law and crime

• Rwandan genocide
  • At a court in Rwanda, Beatrice Munyenyezi denies the charges against her stemming from the 1994 genocide. Munyenyezi alleges that she was a pregnant teenager at the time and that she could not have been involved in the crimes. She had been previously deported from the United States for lying on her naturalization process. Her husband and mother-in-law Pauline Nyiramasuhuko are already convicted for the genocide. (Reuters)
• 2021 Colombian protests
  • Watchdog organization NetBlocks reports internet connection disruptions in Cali, Colombia, amidst the ongoing anti-government protests. (Netblocks)
• A police officer is shot dead during a narcotics raid in Avignon, France. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis
  • Israeli President Reuven Rivlin taps Yair Lapid, leader of the oppositional centrist party Yesh Atid, to form a new government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form one yesterday. (Al Jazeera)
• Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov signs a decree approving the new constitution, which was approved following a referendum on April 11. (Kabar)

Science and technology

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Social media use by Donald Trump
  • The Facebook Oversight Board upholds the social media giant's ban on former president Donald Trump. However, it calls for a review of the indefinite ban within six months. (The New York Times)
• Starship development history
  • SpaceX Starship SN15 makes its first successful vertical landing after launching from Boca Chica, Texas and climbing to an altitude of 10km during a test flight. (CNN)
• Video-sharing platform LiveLeak shuts down after 15 years. The website has been controversial over the years, hosting videos such as the killing of captives by ISIL, the execution of Saddam Hussein and anti-Islamic film Fitna, which have resulted in the website's subsequent censorship in multiple countries. (Mashable)

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 North America
    • 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 the United States, Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan relaxes several restrictions regarding face mask requirements and outdoor gatherings. (MLive.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    • 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 accidentally falling from the tower where she lived. (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)

Sports

• 2021 Indian Premier League, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cricket
  • The Board of Control for Cricket in India halts the 2021 season of the Indian Premier League indefinitely following the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, which several players tested positive. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Niger attacks
    • Sixteen Nigerien soldiers are killed and six others 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 its adult population, thereby making it the first state to do so. (Connecticut Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
      • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces that, on July 1, the state will suspend all local COVID-19 emergency measures. (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 each year, from 15,000 to 62,500. The move follows criticism from members of his party and refugee agencies over his prior proposal to retain the Trump-era cap. 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)

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)

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)