Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Jack Dongarra (pictured) wins the Turing Award for his contributions to high-performance computing.
- Scientists announce the discovery of Earendel, the farthest known individual star at 12.9 billion light-years away from Earth.
- CODA wins Best Picture and Dune wins in six categories at the Academy Awards.
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kyiv offensive
- Battle of Bucha, War crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Twenty civilians are found dead on a street in Bucha after the city is recaptured by Ukrainian forces. Journalists and Ukrainian forces say that they have uncovered evidence of war crimes by the Russian military. (Times of Israel) (The Guardian)
- Battle of Chernobyl
- The Ukrainian flag is raised over the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant following its recapture from Russian forces. A ceremony is held to honour the staff at the former plant who continued to work under Russian occupation. (CNN)
- Ukraine retakes full control of the Kyiv Oblast as the last Russian troops return to Belarus. (Reuters)
- Battle of Bucha, War crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Southern Ukraine offensive
- Aftermath of the Siege of Enerhodar
- Residents say that Russian authorities have violently dispersed a pro-Ukrainian demonstration in Enerhodar. Several protesters are arrested. Russian troops are also alleged to have used explosions in order to disperse the crowd. (Reuters)
- Aftermath of the Siege of Enerhodar
- Kyiv offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Three Palestinian Islamic Jihad members are killed and four Israeli soldiers are injured during a gunfight near Jenin in the West Bank. (BBC News)
- Fighting erupts near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, leading to four Palestinians being arrested by Israel Police for rioting. (Times of Israel)
Business and economy
- Australia and India sign a A$12.6 billion trade deal aimed at strengthening India's manufacturing sector by allowing access to more raw materials, and to also reduce Australia's dependence on China after China placed sanctions on some Australian goods following several political disputes. (South China Morning Post)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nauru
- President Lionel Aingimea announces Nauru's first positive cases of COVID-19 in two asymptomatic people who travelled from Brisbane on March 31. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nauru
International relations
- Enlargement of NATO
- Prime Minister Sanna Marin says that a decision on Finland joining the NATO military alliance must be made before this summer, stating that "Russia is not the neighbour we thought it was". (Yle)
Law and crime
- Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
- More than 170 people are detained in anti-war protests across Russia. (The Moscow Times)
- 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kyiv offensive
- Battle of Bucha
- Ukrainian forces recapture Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, from Russian troops. (Ukrinform)
- Battle of Irpin
- Ukrainian forces recapture the city of Irpin after driving out the last Russian troops. Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn confirms that the city has been fully liberated. (BBC News)
- The body of Reuters journalist Maks Levin is found in the town of Huta Mezhyhirska, near Kyiv. Levin had already disappeared several days before and is the sixth journalist to be killed in the country since Russia invaded. (The Guardian)
- Battle of Bucha
- Attack on Belgorod
- Russia claims that the Ukrainian Air Force conducted an airstrike on Belgorod, hitting several fuel facilities. Videos on social media show low-flying attack helicopters firing rockets at a fuel depot in the city. (AP)
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- Ceasefire talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations resume via video link. (Times of Israel)
- Kyiv offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Mali War
- Mali says that it has killed 203 insurgents in a major nine-day military operation from 23 March to April 1. (The Guardian)
- Mali War
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- A Palestinian man is shot dead by Israeli security forces in Hebron. (Jerusalem Post) (Al Jazeera)
- Yemeni Civil War
- The Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis agree to a UN-brokered nationwide truce, the first in years, for two months to mark the start of Ramadan. As part of the deal, fuel shipments will be allowed to enter the Houthi-controlled port of Al Hudaydah and commercial flights will resume in the capital of Sanaa. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- Eight people are killed and 20 more are injured during a coal mine collapse in Aleksinac, Serbia. (Al Jazeera)
- A massive fire breaks out at the main marketplace in Hargeisa, Somaliland, injuring at least 28 people and completely destroying the market. (The Guardian)
- Four pilots are killed after two South Korean Air Force KAI KT-1 Woongbis crash into each other over a mountain northeast of Sacheon, South Korea. (Deutsche Welle)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- COVID-19 vaccination in Russia
- The Russian Health Ministry announces that Russia has registered the nasal spray form of the Sputnik V vaccine, making Russia the first country to register a nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine. (TASS)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Russia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The U.S. CDC announces that the Biden administration will end the usage of Title 42, a series of COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Trump administration in order to prevent migrants from entering the United States. The measure will take effect on May 23. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
International relations
- Canada–Holy See relations
- Canadian Indian residential school system
- Following a meeting with indigenous delegates from Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the "deplorable conduct" by members of the Catholic Church for actions in the church-run residential school system. (CBC News)
- Canadian Indian residential school system
- Ukraine–European Union relations
- President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola travels to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, and subsequently addresses the Verkhovna Rada. Metsola becomes the first EU official to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. (Times of Malta)
Law and crime
- Sri Lankan economic crisis
- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declares a state of emergency as civil unrest spreads across the country. Dozens of Sri Lanka Police officers have been injured in clashes with protesters and 52 people have been arrested. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Chernobyl
- Energoatom confirms that the Russian forces who occupied the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl have left the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. (Ukrinform)
- The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Russian forces have handed over control of the former nuclear power plant back to Ukraine. Russian troops also withdraw from the city of Slavutych, returning to Belarus. (CNBC)
- Siege of Mariupol
- Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says that Ukraine has sent buses to Mariupol in an effort to evacuate citizens from the city. (BBC News)
- Battle of Chernobyl
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Two people are killed and 14 more injured as the Israeli Defense Forces raid the city of Jenin in the West Bank in order to capture a suspect linked to Tuesday's shooting in Bnei Brak. (Times of Israel) (Haaretz)
- A Palestinian militant uses a screwdriver to stab and seriously injure an Israeli civilian on a bus in Neve Daniel, before being shot dead by another passenger. (Haaretz)
- Rock throwing causes a bus to crash into a car in Halhul, West Bank, injuring two people. (Times of Israel)
Arts and culture
- Expo 2020
- The world expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which was delayed to October 1, 2021, closes after six months. (AP)
Business and economy
- Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
- Australia revokes the most favoured nation status for Russia and Belarus, and will impose 35% tariffs on produce coming from these countries beginning on April 25. (The Guardian)
- 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
- 2021–2022 global energy crisis
- U.S. President Joe Biden orders the release of up to one million barrels of crude oil per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the next six months in an attempt to contain inflation. (The Guardian)
Disasters and accidents
- Wildfires in 2022
- Evacuations and school closures are issued in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States, after a wildfire, known as the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire, breaks out near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and grows to 1,000 acres. (CNN)
- Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters announces that two firefighters are injured, and that five fire trucks were damaged by the wildfire that broke out near the Wears Valley community. (WATE-TV)
- A chartered helicopter travelling to Ulupna Island, Victoria, Australia, crashes into Mount Disappointment, killing all five people onboard. (ABC News Australia)
Health and environment
International relations
- Georgia–Russia relations
- Georgia says plans by the breakaway state of South Ossetia, which is internationally recognized as occupied Georgian territory, to hold a referendum on becoming a part of Russia are "unacceptable". (Reuters)
- Micronesian president David Panuelo urges Solomon Islands to not sign a security pact with China, citing "grave security concerns" and arguing that the Pacific islands would be "the epicenter of major confrontation" between major powers. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Russia investigation origins counter-narrative
- The U.S. Federal Election Commission fines the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for violating rules by funding the Steele dossier, a dossier which made accusations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Both the DNC and Clinton's campaign have agreed not to contest the fines and to pay civil penalties of US$105,000 and US$8,000 respectively. (The Washington Post) (Business Insider)
- Sri Lankan economic crisis
- Sri Lanka Police impose an indefinite curfew in the city of Colombo after protesters attempted to storm president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's private residence amid anger over worsening economic conditions and power outages in the country. (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- The acting Australian Information Commissioner orders the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to comply with a request by The Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, which the PMO had previously rejected, and search the mobile phone of Prime Minister Scott Morrison for correspondence with Morrison's friend and QAnon conspiracy theorist Tim Stewart. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has alleged that Stewart influenced Morrison's use of the term "ritual abuse" in a speech to survivors of child sexual abuse in 2019. (The Guardian)
Science and technology
- Censorship of Wikipedia, Media freedom in Russia
- Russian media censorship agency Roskomnadzor threatens to fine Wikipedia up to 4 million rubles (about US$49,000) if it does not delete information that contradicts the Kremlin's official narrative on the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Forbes)
- Scientists sequence the complete human genome for the first time, more than three decades after the Human Genome Project was first commenced. (CNN)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- Battle of Chernobyl
- Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk calls for Russia to withdraw from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone area and for Russian troops occupying the former nuclear plant to pull out. (Reuters)
- A U.S. official says that Russian forces have begun withdrawing from the Chernobyl area and have moved into Belarus. (France 24)
- 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says more than four million Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion began on February 24. (France 24)
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan attack a military base in Tank, Pakistan, killing six soldiers. (Arab News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- U.S. President Joe Biden receives his second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. (CBS News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
- The U.S. CDC removes their travel warnings for cruise ships, which were imposed during the beginning of the pandemic. However, passengers will still be required to be vaccinated and to test negative for COVID-19. (The Washington Post)
- Treatment and management of COVID-19
- According to a new study, the antiparasitic drug ivermectin does not prevent hospitalizations from COVID-19. (New England Journal of Medicine)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
International relations
- Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia says that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will resume their peace talks online on April 1 after the latest round of negotiations in Turkey has ended. (Reuters)
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- The South Korean military says that last week, North Korea tested Hwasong-15 from November 2017, instead of a Hwasong-17. This comes a day after the defense ministry and lawmakers also confirmed this. (DW) (CBS News)
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- Iran–United States relations
- Iranian missile tests
- The United States sanctions the Iranian ballistic missile program. (CNN)
- Iranian missile tests
- Russia–South Ossetia relations
- The President of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, declares that the partially recognised state will undertake "legal steps" in the near future for accession to become part of Russia. (Meduza)
Politics and elections
- 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
- Tunisian President Kais Saied orders the Assembly of the Representatives of the People to be dissolved, after 116 of the 124 MPs who convened online voted earlier in the day to strip Saied of the "exceptional measures" he had taken on since last July. (Reuters)
Science and technology
- Cyberwarfare by Russia
- Russia announces that it will ban all usage of software from other countries in government agencies beginning in 2025. Additionally, beginning on March 31, all foreign software purchases for government agencies must be pre-approved by the government. (Reuters) (TASS)
- It is reported that Russian government hackers have attacked and compromised the servers of Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since late 2021. (Direkt36)
- South Korea launches a solid-fuel indigenous space rocket at the Agency for Defense Development site in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province. (Korea Herald)
- The Hubble Space Telescope observes the most distant single star ever. The star, named Earendel by astronomers, is 28 billion light-years away. It is the farthest detection of a star, dating back 900 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery surpasses Hubble's record from 2018, when it discovered a star that existed when the universe was roughly four billion years old. (CNN)
Sports
- 2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League knockout phase
- A crowd of 91,553 attends the second leg of the quarterfinal between archrivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou in Barcelona. This surpasses the 90,185 at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final and is reportedly the largest attendance for a women's football match since Mexico–Denmark (110,000) in 1971. Barça won 5–2 on the day and 8–3 on aggregate. (ESPN)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Southern Ukraine offensive
- Battle of Mykolaiv
- Mykolaiv government building airstrike
- A missile strike hits the regional administration's headquarters in Mykolaiv, killing twelve people and injuring 22 others. (Reuters)
- Mykolaiv government building airstrike
- Kyiv offensive, Northeastern Ukraine offensive
- Russian troops begin retreating from positions in Kyiv Oblast and Chernihiv Oblast, according to Ukrainian and American officials. The United States European Command confirms the Russian withdrawal, observing a "major strategy shift". (U.S. News) (Times of Israel)
- Attack on Snake Island
- Roman Hrybov, the border guard who told the Russian warship command over the radio "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" in defiance of its order to surrender Snake Island, is freed in a prisoner swap. Initial reports erroneously suggested that 13 border guards on the island had died. (The Guardian)
- Battle of Mykolaiv
- Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russia–NATO relations
- The U.S. deploys 200 marines from the Marine Air Control Group 28, 10 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, and an unspecified number of C-130s to Lithuania as part of NATO's response to Russian military aggression in Eastern Europe. (USNI)
- Russia–NATO relations
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- The Ukrainian and Russian delegations hold face-to-face peace talks in Turkey for the first time in two weeks. (AP)
- Russian officials agree to "fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv" during the negotiations. (The Guardian)
- A shell strikes a temporary Russian military camp near the city of Belgorod, 25 km from the Russia–Ukraine border. Russian authorities report at least four injuries, and say that the shell was fired from Ukrainian territory. Ukraine denies firing the missile, instead attributing the strike to an error on Russia's part. (Reuters)
- Southern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- 2022 Bnei Brak shootings
- Five people are killed and another is injured during a series of drive-by shootings in Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv District, Israel. The attacker, a Fatah sympathizer, is shot dead. (Jerusalem Post) (Times of Israel)
- 2022 Bnei Brak shootings
- Yemeni Civil War
- The Saudi-led military coalition suspends all military activity in Yemen. (Arab News)
- Nigerian bandit conflict
- Bandits attack villages in the Bakura and Talata Mafura local government areas of Nigeria. Many people are killed. (Premium Times)
- Kivu conflict
- 2022 MONUSCO helicopter crash
- Six Pakistani crew members and a Russian and a Serbian soldier are killed as a MONUSCO helicopter crashes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rebel March 23 Movement group is accused of being behind the crash. The group has denied their involvement. (Reuters)
- 2022 MONUSCO helicopter crash
Arts and culture
- 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
- It is announced that officials from Russia and Belarus will not be welcomed at the upcoming ceremony to mark the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp due to their role in the invasion of Ukraine. (Forbes)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- The U.S. FDA and the CDC approve fourth doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for people over the age of 50 years. (CNBC) (NBC News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
International relations
- Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korean lawmakers and the defense ministry say that last week, North Korea has tested a Hwasong-15, which was successfully tested in November 2017, instead of a Hwasong-17. (ABC News) (AP)
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo joins the East African Community, becoming the largest country in both area and population to do so, and thereby granting the bloc access to the Atlantic Ocean. (Bloomberg)
Law and crime
- International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency seizes the 58.5 metre superyacht PHI on the River Thames in London after its unnamed Russian oligarch owner was sanctioned by the British government. (Reuters)
- Lynching in the United States
- U.S. President Joe Biden signs the Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law, which makes lynching a federal crime. (CBS News)
- 2021–2022 Belarus–European Union border crisis
- A regional court in the border town of Hajnówka rules that pushbacks against migrants on the Belarus–Poland border violated Polish law. (Gazeta Wyborcza) (Rzeczpospolita)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kyiv offensive
- Battle of Irpin
- Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn says that Irpin has been recaptured by Ukrainian Ground Forces. (Times of Israel)
- Battle of Irpin
- Northeastern Ukraine offensive
- Battle of Kharkiv
- Russian artillery damages a school in Kharkiv. (Yahoo News) (Sky News)
- Battle of Kharkiv
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- Russian troops shell Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, killing one person. (Ukrinform)
- Trostyanets is retaken by Ukrainian Armed Forces. (Jerusalem Post)
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- Russia cautions against expecting any "significant breakthroughs" ahead of the first round of in-person negotiations with Ukraine. (MSN)
- Two Ukrainian negotiators as well as sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich are reported to have fallen victim to suspected poisoning during peace talks on the Belarus–Ukraine border earlier this month. Their health has since improved. (Reuters) (BBC News)
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that some mayors abducted by invading Russian forces have been found dead. (Ukrayinska Pravda) (The Economist)
- Kyiv offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Nigerian bandit conflict
- Abuja–Kaduna train attack
- Bandits bomb and open fire at a train in Kaduna State carrying 970 passengers travelling from Abuja to Kaduna, Nigeria, killing 7 people and wounding 22 more. Some others are kidnapped. (BBC News)
- Abuja–Kaduna train attack
- Kivu conflict
- Militants belonging to the March 23 Movement attack military bases near Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congolese authorities say that two Rwandan soldiers were participating in the attack. The movement have regrouped and retaken strategic areas for the first time since their defeat in 2013. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- P&O sacking of 800 staff
- The United Kingdom's Maritime and Coastguard Agency seizes P&O Ferries-operated ferry MS Pride of Kent at the Port of Dover after the ferry "failed safety checks" by authorities. It is the second P&O Ferries ship to be detained by UK authorities since the firm fired all 800 British crew members and replaced them with cheaper agency workers. (Sky News)
- The Department for Transport gives P&O Ferries a deadline of March 31 to rehire all the fired staff. (BBC News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- Indonesia surpasses six million cases of COVID-19. (Medcom.id)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tests positive for COVID-19. (Jerusalem Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
- The Andorran government announces the lifting of indoor mask usage, except in sanitary spaces, as well as the need for antigen testing for nightlife. The government also announces the relaxation of the protocol for positive contacts. (Andorra Difusió)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kazakhstan–Russia relations
- Kazakhstan says that it does not want to be behind a "new iron curtain", and that international companies boycotting Russia are welcome to "move production to Kazakhstan". (Reuters)
- Kazakhstan–Russia relations
- Abraham Accords
- The foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the United States Secretary of State, meet in Sde Boker, Israel, and agree to hold regular meetings about regional security and commit to further expanding economic and diplomatic cooperation. (Times of Israel) (The Washington Post)
Law and crime
- Mexican drug war
- Las Tinajas massacre
- Twenty people are killed and four more are injured in a mass shooting at an illegal cockfighting pit in Las Tinajas, Michoacán, Mexico. (BBC News)
- Las Tinajas massacre
- Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández will be extradited to the United States on drug trafficking charges. (France 24)
Politics and elections
- 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
- Speaker of the Assembly Rached Ghannouchi announces that the parliament will hold two full sessions this week, the first time since President Kais Saied seized most executive powers and suspended parliament last July, to try to block attempts by Saied to adopt a new constitution that will solidify his rule. (Reuters)