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 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)
Canada surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (CTV News)
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 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 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 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 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)
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 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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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)
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)
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)
The Assembly elects Vjosa Osmani as President. (Reuters)
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)
Three security personnel are killed in a car bombing near Kabul. The Taliban claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Arabiya)
2021 alleged Jordanian coup d'état attempt Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein says that he is under house arrest. (BBC News)
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)
At least 80 people are killed in Flores island, Indonesia, and 21 more in Dili, East Timor, by flash floods and landslides. (BBC News)
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)
Bulgarians head to the polls to elect new members of the National Assembly. (Euronews)
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 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)
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)
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)
Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein says that he is under house arrest. (BBC News)
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)
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)
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)
Libya receives its first shipment of more than 100,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Al Jazeera)
Militants ambush a convoy carrying counter-terrorism judge Aftab Afridi, killing him and three members of his family, in Swabi, KP, Pakistan. (AA)
Mongolia surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19 after a record 620 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (Montsame)
Taiwan receives its first shipment of 199,200 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine distributed through the COVAX initiative. (Focus Taiwan)
Twelve people are killed and four remain missing after a fishing boat sank in Zhoushan sea, Zhejiang, China. (Xinhua)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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 the Philippines The Philippines surpasses 800,000 cases of COVID-19. (ABS-CBN News)
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)
Iran receives over 700,000 doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine manufactured by SK Bioscience and supplied through the COVAX initiative. (Tehran Times)
