At least 20 people died in a bus crash in the Ancash Region in Peru. (ANI)
China reports new cases of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu in wild birds in Liaoning, which is the country's first report of the disease since February 2020. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that all schools across the province will remain closed after April break and students will be forced to shift into online learning amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (CP24)
COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana COVID-19 vaccination in Ghana The Ghana Health Service says that over 700,000 people in the country has received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Ghanaweb)
COVID-19 pandemic in Greece High schools in Greece reopen after five months of closure, with precautions such as wearing masks and COVID-19 testing for all teachers and students twice per week. (France 24)
COVID-19 pandemic in India COVID-19 vaccination in India India approves Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters) India reports a record for the seventh consecutive day of 168,912 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 13.52 million and surpassing Brazil to become the country with the second-highest total of infections. (Hindustan Times) (The Hill)
COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that all schools across the province will remain closed after April break and students will be forced to shift into online learning amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (CP24)
COVID-19 pandemic in Solomon Islands Solomon Islands receives 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine from China. (Solomon Times)
COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 985 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 33,610. (AP)
COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic Schools, libraries, zoos, and some stores in the Czech Republic reopen after months of closure as the six-month state of emergency expires and restrictions of movement are lifted. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland COVID-19 vaccination in the Republic of Ireland The National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommends that the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given to people over 60 years old following concerns about rare blood clots. (Thejournal.ie)
COVID-19 vaccination in India India approves Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)
COVID-19 vaccination in the Republic of Ireland The National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommends that the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given to people over 60 years old following concerns about rare blood clots. (Thejournal.ie)
Death and funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh The BBC receives a record 110,994 complaints over their coverage of Prince Philip's death, mostly due to the extent of the coverage. (The Guardian)
French lawmakers vote to ban airlines from offering domestic flights if the same journey could be made by train in less than two and a half hours. (The Guardian)
India reports a record for the seventh consecutive day of 168,912 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 13.52 million and surpassing Brazil to become the country with the second-highest total of infections. (Hindustan Times) (The Hill)
Lockdown restrictions are relaxed in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales as the number of cases continues to reduce, with non-essential shops, pubs, gyms, restaurants, hairdressers, community centres, libraries, and theme parks permitted to reopen. Domestic holidays are also permitted again in England with members of the same household. A "stay at home" order is ended in Northern Ireland, and secondary school pupils from years 8–11 return to school. (BBC News)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that all schools across the province will remain closed after April break and students will be forced to shift into online learning amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (CP24)
Philippine and U.S. troops resume their annual Balikatan military exercises following last year's cancellation of the event due to the pandemic. (Reuters)
Philippines–United States relations, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the military Philippine and U.S. troops resume their annual Balikatan military exercises following last year's cancellation of the event due to the pandemic. (Reuters)
Schools, libraries, zoos, and some stores in the Czech Republic reopen after months of closure as the six-month state of emergency expires and restrictions of movement are lifted. (Reuters)
Solomon Islands receives 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine from China. (Solomon Times)
Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 985 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of cases to 33,610. (AP)
The BBC receives a record 110,994 complaints over their coverage of Prince Philip's death, mostly due to the extent of the coverage. (The Guardian)
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommends that the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given to people over 60 years old following concerns about rare blood clots. (Thejournal.ie)
Two Ukrainian soldiers are killed in front line clashes with separatist forces in the Donbass, thereby bringing the total number of troops killed in action this year to 29. Both died due to small arms fire. (The Defense Post)
Ukraine triggers Article 15 of the Charter on a Special Partnership, initiating an emergency meeting with NATO to discuss the Russian escalation in Donbass and the build-up of Russian forces on its border. The article was last triggered in 2018 during the Kerch Strait incident. (Ukranews)
2020 Dresden knife attack An alleged ISIL recruiter goes on trial for stabbing two gay men in Dresden, killing one of them, because they were holding hands. The suspect has admitted to the attack and is charged with murder and attempted murder. (Pink News)
2021 Afghanistan attacks A car bombing in Farah kills three civilians; and 10 security personnel are killed in the country's north. (ABC News)
A court sentences terror convict Sahayb Abu to life imprisonment with a minimum term of nineteen years for plotting a gun and knife attack in Dagenham, London. (BBC News)
A military court in Burkina Faso indicts (in absentia) ex-President Blaise Compaoré, who is charged with the 1987 murder of his immediate predecessor Thomas Sankara. Compaoré ruled the nation for 27 years following Sankara's assassination before resigning in the face of protests in 2014 and fleeing into exile in Ivory Coast. The court indicts thirteen other Burkinabé ex-officials accused of various crimes including murder. (Al Jazeera)
A missile strikes the Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Hyperion Ray off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. There is no immediate claim of responsibility, however Israeli officials suspect Iran of being behind the attack on the vessel. (Times of Israel)
An alleged ISIL recruiter goes on trial for stabbing two gay men in Dresden, killing one of them, because they were holding hands. The suspect has admitted to the attack and is charged with murder and attempted murder. (Pink News)
Authorities in Norway charge a man with involvement in a plot to bomb St Paul's Cathedral as well as plotting a similar attack in Norway. (BBC News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom Talks between rail workers and ScotRail aimed at preventing a strike collapse, as the rail firm cites financial pressures caused by the ongoing pandemic to justify refusing a pay raise and revocation of some day-off entitlements. The Unite union rejects this explanation. The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland are appraised of the situation. (The Glasgow Times)
COVID-19 pandemic in South Sudan South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit receives his first dose of the AstraZenaca vaccine. (AllAfrica)
COVID-19 pandemic in Spain President of Cantabria Miguel Ángel Revilla receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (ABC.es)
COVID-19 pandemic in Syria Kurdish authorities impose a ten-day curfew in northeast Syria after a rapid increase of cases of COVID-19 in the region. The U.S.-backed Kurdish authorities also close all borders of its Syrian Democratic Forces territories with those controlled by the government and insurgent groups. (AP)
COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces a two-week partial lockdown across Turkey on Ramadan, which includes an expanded curfew from 7:00 p.m. and a ban on non-essential inter-city travel beginning tomorrow evening due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
Iran–Israel proxy conflict A missile strikes the Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Hyperion Ray off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. There is no immediate claim of responsibility, however Israeli officials suspect Iran of being behind the attack on the vessel. (Times of Israel)
President of Cantabria Miguel Ángel Revilla receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (ABC.es)
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces a two-week partial lockdown across Turkey on Ramadan, which includes an expanded curfew from 7:00 p.m. and a ban on non-essential inter-city travel beginning tomorrow evening due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit receives his first dose of the AstraZenaca vaccine. (AllAfrica)
St Paul's Cathedral bomb plot, Terrorism in Norway Authorities in Norway charge a man with involvement in a plot to bomb St Paul's Cathedral as well as plotting a similar attack in Norway. (BBC News)
Talks between rail workers and ScotRail aimed at preventing a strike collapse, as the rail firm cites financial pressures caused by the ongoing pandemic to justify refusing a pay raise and revocation of some day-off entitlements. The Unite union rejects this explanation. The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland are appraised of the situation. (The Glasgow Times)
Terrorism in England, Crime in London A court sentences terror convict Sahayb Abu to life imprisonment with a minimum term of nineteen years for plotting a gun and knife attack in Dagenham, London. (BBC News)
Turkey says that it will host a summit from April 24 to May 4 in an effort to end the war in Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera)
2019 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash The National Transportation Safety Board concludes that pilot error and inadequate maintenance were behind the crash, which killed seven people, injured six others, and destroyed the historic aircraft. (The Connecticut Post)
2021 Suez Canal obstruction A court in Ismailia grants the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority's request to seize CS Ever Given pending payment of a compensation claim of over US$900 million. (Bloomberg)
A car bombing in Farah kills three civilians; and 10 security personnel are killed in the country's north. (ABC News)
A court in Ismailia grants the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority's request to seize CS Ever Given pending payment of a compensation claim of over US$900 million. (Bloomberg)
Argentina reports a record 27,001 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,578,946. (Página 12)
At least 20 children are killed during a fire at an school in Niamey, Niger. (Al Jazeera)
COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina Argentina reports a record 27,001 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,578,946. (Página 12)
COVID-19 pandemic in France, variants of SARS-CoV-2 Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the suspension of flights from Brazil in order to prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19 in the country. (Yahoo! News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Iran Iran reports a record 24,760 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,118,212. (Arab News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Osaka Prefecture reports a record 1,099 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa South Africa voluntarily suspends its rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended temporarily suspending use of the vaccine due to rare cases of blood clots. (Business Tech)
COVID-19 pandemic in the Central African Republic The first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the Central African Republic, with the MINUSCA mission agency staff being the first recipients. (Africanews)
COVID-19 pandemic in the Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands reaches an adult population vaccination rate of nearly 75%. After completing the urban areas, the Ministry of Health and Human Services plans to distribute Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the most remote islands of the country to vaccinate the rest of the population. The vaccines were provided as a donation by the United States. (RNZ)
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 vaccination in the United States The United States suspends the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following concerns of blood clots. (The New York Times)
COVID-19 vaccine, variants of SARS-CoV-2 Moderna says its vaccine is 90% effective against COVID-19, and 95% effective against severe disease for six months after the second dose. It also says its vaccine is effective against the 501.V2 variant from South Africa. (CNBC) (The Times)
Iran reports a record 24,760 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,118,212. (Arab News)
Moderna says its vaccine is 90% effective against COVID-19, and 95% effective against severe disease for six months after the second dose. It also says its vaccine is effective against the 501.V2 variant from South Africa. (CNBC) (The Times)
Osaka Prefecture reports a record 1,099 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the suspension of flights from Brazil in order to prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19 in the country. (Yahoo! News)
The first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the Central African Republic, with the MINUSCA mission agency staff being the first recipients. (Africanews)
The National Transportation Safety Board concludes that pilot error and inadequate maintenance were behind the crash, which killed seven people, injured six others, and destroyed the historic aircraft. (The Connecticut Post)
Somali Civil War Fourteen civilians are killed and four others wounded when the minibus they are travelling in hits a landmine in the outskirts of Mogadishu. A military commander blames al-Shabaab for the attack. (Arab News)
War in Afghanistan Afghan peace process U.S. President Joe Biden formally announces that American troops will leave Afghanistan by September 11. (Politico)
2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings The government bans eleven Islamic organizations, including ISIL and al-Qaeda, a week before the second anniversary of the bombings after the country's Roman Catholics threatened massive protests over the government's perceived failure to act against the perpetrators. (Al Jazeera)
COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil The Federal Senate launches an inquiry into President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, as total deaths are expected to surpass 360,000. Main areas of focus are on allegations that he sabotaged social distancing measures, his poor acquisition of vaccines and touting of ineffective treatments such as chloroquine, and the cause of oxygen shortages in Manaus's hospitals, among others. (Al Jazeera)
COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia The government imposes a 14-day lockdown in the capital Phnom Penh and its neighboring Takmao from midnight until April 28 amidst a community outbreak of COVID-19. (The Phnom Penh Post)
COVID-19 pandemic in India COVID-19 pandemic in Rajasthan The government announces a 12-hour curfew in all cities from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from April 16 to 30 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Hindustan Times) India reports a record 184,372 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 13.9 million. (France 24)
COVID-19 pandemic in Rajasthan The government announces a 12-hour curfew in all cities from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from April 16 to 30 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Hindustan Times)
