Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Russia's Black Sea Fleet flagship, the cruiser Moskva (pictured), sinks after an explosion off the coast of Ukraine.
- Flooding across KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, leaves at least 440 people dead.
- Shehbaz Sharif is elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan after Imran Khan is removed in a no-confidence motion.
- A series of attacks by armed bandits kill more than 150 people in Plateau State, Nigeria.
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- Ukraine says Russian forces have begun an anticipated military offensive in the Donbas with explosions reported in multiple Ukrainian cities. (BBC News) (Reuters)
- Northeastern Ukraine offensive
- Battle of Kharkiv
- Four people are killed in a Russian missile strike on a residential neighbourhood of Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Associated Press)
- Battle of Kharkiv
- A civilian is killed and a few more wounded during an explosion in Kramatorsk. (Times of Israel)
- The Russian defence ministry says its forces have destroyed 16 Ukrainian military facilities, including five command posts, a fuel depot and three ammunition warehouses in "mass strikes" overnight. Russia also says it has shot down two Ukrainian MiG-29s and one Su-25. (Reuters)
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- The Iron Dome intercepts a Hamas missile fired into Israel's Southern District from the Gaza Strip. (Times of Israel)
- Israel fires missiles at a Hamas weapon depot in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack. Nobody is injured. (Reuters)
- At least 40 Palestinians are injured after the IDF fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians protesting a march held by right-wing settlers near the former settlement of Homesh. (Al Jazeera)
- 2022 Kabul school bombing
International relations
- Iran–Israel relations, Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi warns Israel that it will responded to any hostile action taken against it. (DW) (Al Jazeera)
- China–Solomon Islands relations
- The foreign ministers of the People's Republic of China and Solomon Islands officially sign a security pact. (Al Jazeera)
- International reactions to the Russo-Ukrainian War
- International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The Russian foreign ministry expels 21 Belgian diplomats and 15 Dutch diplomats as a reciprocal measure. (The Moscow Times)
- International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Politics and elections
- 2022 East Timorese presidential election
- The East Timorese people head to the polls for the second round of the presidential election between José Ramos-Horta and incumbent Francisco Guterres. (The Guardian)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- Russian troops capture the city of Kreminna in Luhansk Oblast. Local authorities say that four refugees have been shot dead trying to escape the city. (Ukrinform) (Reuters)
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kurdish–Turkish conflict
- Operation Claw-Lock
- Turkey launches a series of airstrikes on PKK targets in Duhok Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. (Reuters)
- Operation Claw-Lock
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Two Palestinians are seriously injured after being shot by Israeli security forces in the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces say that the Palestinians were attacking Israeli troops. (Times of Israel)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation
- U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of the Middle District of Florida voids the Biden administration's mask mandate on airplanes and public transportation. Most U.S. airlines including Alaska Airlines and United Airlines subsequently end their mask mandates due to the ruling. (AP) (Bloomberg)
- Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Prime Minister Mario Draghi tests positive for COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea ends their COVID-19 restrictions two years after they were imposed. However, the mask mandate will remain in place. (Yonhap)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
- Scotland lifts their law mandating face coverings in shops, restaurants and public transport. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
International relations
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Igor Kastyukevich is appointed the de facto mayor of Kherson, the only Ukrainian Oblast capital captured during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Euromaidan Press)
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Solomon Islands–United States relations
- United States officials plan to travel to Solomon Islands due to concerns that the country is making a security pact with China. The U.S. fears the proposed agreement could lead to Chinese troops being deployed to Solomon Islands. (Reuters)
- Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
- The Houthi movement signs an agreement to stop using child soldiers. (AP)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Siege of Mariupol
- The Russian Armed Forces give an ultimatum to the last remaining holdout of Ukrainian troops and "foreign fighters" at the Azovstal iron and steel works plant in Mariupol to surrender. Defenders of the Azov Sea port ignore the ultimatum. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
- 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis
- For the first time since the invasion began, more Ukrainians entered Ukraine from Poland than left, according to the Polish Border Guard. (BBC News)
- Six people are killed by Russian missile strikes on Lviv. (Independent)
- Siege of Mariupol
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Jihadist insurgency in Niger
- More than 70 Islamic State – West Africa Province militants are killed during airstrikes by Niger and Nigeria at the border between the two countries. (Al Jazeera)
- Jihadist insurgency in Niger
Business and economy
- American conspiracy theorist website InfoWars files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to mounting legal fees from lawsuits over its spread of conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. (NPR)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- The government withdraws its ban on foreign cruise ships. (South China Morning Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
International relations
- North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea says that it tested a new weapon to boost their tactical nuclear capabilities. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- 2022 Pittsburgh shooting
- Two people are killed and 13 more injured in a mass shooting at a party in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. (AP)
- Myanmar's military junta pardons 1,619 prisoners in an annual tradition. However, no political prisoners were pardoned. (France24)
- Around 70 Extinction Rebellion members, including canoeist Etienne Stott and sailor Laura Baldwin, are detained after gluing themselves to a Shell oil tanker truck near the Marble Arch at Hyde Park in London, UK. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- Citizen Lab's research reveals at least 65 pro-independence Catalan figures -including Pere Aragonès and Carles Puigdemont- have been targeted using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. (The Guardian)
Sports
- 2022 Nippon Professional Baseball season, Rōki Sasaki's perfect game
- Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Rōki Sasaki is taken out after throwing 102 pitches and eight perfect innings to end his attempt for a second consecutive perfect game, one week after completing his first one. (MLB.com)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Northeastern Ukraine offensive
- Battle of Kharkiv
- Russian missile strikes hit Kharkiv, killing one person. (Reuters)
- A restaurant operated by the World Central Kitchen is destroyed by the missile strike. (The Hill)
- Battle of Kharkiv
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- It is reported that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has visited Kyiv in an effort to revive peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. (Bloomberg.com)
- The Russian Air Force launches airstrikes on Kyiv. (CTV News)
- Northeastern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Disasters and accidents
- One person is killed and six others injured after an oil tanker explodes east of Hong Kong. (Al Jazeera)
International relations
- Russia–United Kingdom relations
- Russia's foreign ministry bans Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and 11 other British senior politicians from entering Russia. (BBC News)
- Japan's Ministry of Defense reports that it scrambled fighters to intercept foreign military aircraft 1,004 times in 2021, in 722 of these cases the foreign aircraft were from the People's Republic of China. (The Diplomat)
Law and crime
- 2022 Salvadoran gang crackdown
- President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele announces that 12,169 gang members have been arrested since the state of emergency began on March 27. (Europa Press)
- Columbiana Centre shooting
- A mass shooting at a shopping mall near Columbia, South Carolina, United States, injures 12 people. (The Guardian)
- Riots between Hindus and Muslims during a Hanuman Jayanti ceremony in Delhi, India, leave several people injured. (Reuters)
- Rioting in Sweden continues for a second day after the far-right Hard Line party led by Rasmus Paludan organized a Quran burning event in Landskrona. (AP)
Science and technology
- Chinese space program
- Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu, Wang Yaping and Zhai Zhigang of the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft land successfully in Inner Mongolia after spending 183 days in space. During the spaceflight, Wang Yaping became the first Chinese woman to perform a spacewalk. (Al Jazeera)
Sports
- 2022 USFL season
- In American football, the United States Football League kicks off their inaugural season with the Birmingham Stallions defeating the New Jersey Generals 28–24, marking the return of the USFL for the first time since the 1985 season. (CBS Sports)
- Lotte Championship
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russia launches major missile strikes on Kyiv, saying that the strikes are in retaliation for the April 2022 Belgorod and Bryansk attacks. (Reuters)
- In an address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns of a possibility that Russia could use nuclear or chemical weapons and calls on Ukrainians to begin "stockpiling radiation pills", saying Russia is willing to use nuclear weapons to "bring a catastrophic end" to the war. CIA Director William Burns says that there is no evidence that a nuclear attack is imminent but also says that the CIA won’t ignore the threat. (Axios) (The Independent) (Mirror)
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- 2022 Al-Aqsa Mosque storming
- More than 150 Palestinians and three Israeli police officers are injured after Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. Hundreds of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip protest the storming. (BBC News) (Al Jazeera)
- A man is injured during a stabbing attack in Haifa, Israel. Police say that the stabbing was likely motivated by political reasons. (Times of Israel)
- 2022 Al-Aqsa Mosque storming
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan
- At least 39 people are killed in several Pakistani airstrikes in border areas of Afghanistan's Khost and Kunar provinces, allegedly targeting TTP members. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
- Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan
- Internal conflict in Myanmar
- Karen conflict
- An attempt by the Burmese army to take control of Lay Kay Kaw, a Karen National Union-controlled town, fails. (Radio Free Asia).
- Karen conflict
- South Thailand insurgency
- Two bombings in Thailand by the Ethnic Malay Patani United Liberation Organisation kill one civilian and injure three police officers. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Moody's announces that it will declare Russia in default on May 4, at the end of the grace period, if Russia services the foreign dollar-denominated bonds that it paid on April 4 in rubles rather than in US dollars, as mandated by the terms of the obligations. (Reuters)
- The South Korean government approves a plan to join the CPTPP. (The Korea Times)
Disasters and accidents
- At least 35 people are killed and 71 others are injured when a bus carrying churchgoers to an Easter gathering crashes in Chipinge, Zimbabwe. (Al Jazeera)
- A migrant vessel crashes off the coast of Sabratha, Libya, killing at least 6 people and leaving 29 others presumed dead. (The Guardian)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announces that South Korea will lift their COVID-19 social distancing requirements beginning on April 18. The mask mandate, however, will remain in place. (Korea Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
Science and technology
- Censorship in Russia
- Russia blocks Radio France Internationale and the Russian edition of The Moscow Times. (Reuters)
- Gasteranthus extinctus, an orange wild flower that is a member of the Gesneriaceae family, is rediscovered in Ecuador after being considered extinct for 36 years. The study of the flower's rediscovery is published by the journal PhytoKeys and the Field Museum in Chicago. (CNET)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- April 2022 Belgorod and Bryansk attacks
- Russian authorities say that they have temporarily evacuated the entire populations of two villages after Ukrainian forces allegedly shelled the Russian settlement of Spodaryushino in Belgorod Oblast. (Times of Israel)
- Russia says that two Ukrainian helicopters "carried out at least six air strikes on residential buildings in the village of Klimovo" in Bryansk Oblast, injuring seven people. Ukraine denies the accusations, saying that Russians shot the villages themselves as part of a plan to "whip up anti-Ukrainian hysteria". (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) (Reuters)
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says that Turkey is still working on organizing a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (APA.az)
- The Russian defence ministry confirms that the Russian Navy flagship cruiser Moskva sank in the Black Sea after an explosion and fire onboard. Ukraine claims to have hit the warship with Neptune anti-ship missiles. (TASS) (RIA)
- April 2022 Belgorod and Bryansk attacks
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Seven Pakistani soldiers are killed in an ambush by alleged members of the TTP in a border area of North Waziristan District. (Al Jazeera)
- At least 42 people are killed during attacks by Arab militiamen in the disputed area of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan. (The Paradise)
Business and economy
- Egypt–India relations
- Egypt's Minister of Agriculture El Sayed El Quseir announces that India has approved Egyptian imports of wheat due to the shortage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Egypt Online)
- Kazakhstan, at the same time, announced it would introduce quotas for wheat and flour exports. Russia will maintain its export ban on wheat, rye, barley and maize until 30 June in order to stabilise its domestic market. (RFE/RL)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Pacific typhoon season
- Storm Megi
- The death toll from the floods and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Megi in the Philippines increases to 115. (Al Jazeera)
- Storm Megi
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai
- Shanghai reports a record 2,573 symptomatic cases and 25,146 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (NBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Hong Kong authorities announce that they will ease some of their strict social distancing measures beginning on April 21, including lifting the ban on private gatherings of more than two households, extending dine-in service at restaurants to 10 p.m., and allowing the reopening of most premises, as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. (The Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 testing in the United States
- The U.S. FDA announces that they have approved the first test to detect COVID-19 through breathing. (The Hill)
- COVID-19 testing in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- COVID-19 drug development
- Health Canada authorizes the use of the AstraZeneca's antibody-based therapy Evushield for immunocompromised patients aged above 12 years. (CBC)
- COVID-19 drug development
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
- The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency grants the first European approval of the Valneva COVID-19 vaccine for people aged between 18 to 50 years. (BBC News)
- The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency also approves the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people aged between 6 to 11 years. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide surpasses 500 million. (Al-Arabiya English)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Iran begins nuclear centrifuge production in Natanz, Isfahan province. (MSN)
Law and crime
- 2022 New York City Subway attack
- Frank James, the suspect of Tuesday's subway attack, is held without bail in a federal court. (MSN)
- Abortion in the United States
- Abortion in Florida
- Governor Ron DeSantis signs a bill banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy in most cases, a reduction from the current 24 weeks. Barring legal challenges, the bill is expected to enter into effect on July 1. (Politico)
- Abortion in Florida
Politics and elections
- Politics in Singapore
- Finance Minister Lawrence Wong has been selected as leader of the fourth-generation (4G) leadership of the People's Action Party (PAP), paving the way for him to become the next Prime Minister of Singapore. (TODAY)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- Siege of Mariupol
- The Russian defence ministry claims that around 1,000 Ukrainian marines have surrendered to Russia. Ukraine makes no comment. (Rferl)
- Siege of Mariupol
- Foreign aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- The United States says that it is sending an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, as well as heavy weapons, including artillery systems, artillery rounds, armored personnel carriers, Mi-17 helicopters transferred from Afghanistan, 300 Switchblade drones and unmanned surface vehicles for coastal defence. (Reuters)
- Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov says U.S. and NATO vehicles transporting weapons on Ukrainian territory are "legal military targets". (Reuters)
- Northeastern Ukraine offensive
- Governor of Kharkiv Oblast Oleh Synyehubov says that seven people have been killed and 22 others have been injured in the oblast during the past 24 hours. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Kyiv offensive
- The Russian defence ministry says it will begin to target Ukrainian "decision-makers", including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and command centres in the capital Kyiv if Ukrainian forces continue to attack Russian territory. (NDTV)
- Presidents Andrzej Duda of Poland, Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania, Egils Levits of Latvia, and Alar Karis of Estonia arrive in Kyiv and meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (AP)
- The Ukrainian military says that it has struck the Russian Navy's cruiser Moskva with Neptune anti-ship missiles hours after the warship was reported to be on fire in the Black Sea. (FCB News) (NDTV)
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- The Israel Defense Forces raid the city of Nablus in the West Bank, killing one person and injuring 31 others. (Al Jazeera)
- Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
- South Africa says that it is extending its participation in a multinational counter-insurgent coalition in Mozambique. (AP)
- Nigerian bandit conflict, Boko Haram insurgency
- Nigeria says it has uncovered an alliance between bandit gangs and the Islamist Boko Haram group. (AP)
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods
- The death toll from the floods in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, during the last five days increases to 300. (BBC News)
- Wildfires in 2022
- Two people are killed and 200 homes are reportedly damaged during the McBride Fire in Ruidoso, New Mexico. (The New York Times) (NMDPS)
- Earthquakes in 2022
- A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hits the Papua New Guinean island of New Britain. (Canberra Times)
- Ten people are killed and 14 others are injured when a truck crashes into a tourist bus in Aswan Governorate, Egypt. (ABC News)
- Eighteen people are killed when a truck carrying 29 people flips over in Indonesia's West Papua province. (Reuters)
- Twenty-eight people are dead after a boat capsizes in Sokoto State, Nigeria. (pulse NG) (PeaceFM)
- Six people are dead and 13 more injured during a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in Andhra Pradesh, India. (Independent)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The U.S. CDC and TSA announce that they have extended the mask mandate for public transportation until May 3. (The Washington Post) (The Hill)
- U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra announces that the Biden administration has extended the COVID-19 state of emergency for 90 days. The state of emergency was expected to expire on April 16. (Roll Call)
- Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- Abortion in the United States
- Abortion in Kentucky
- A bill banning abortion after 15 weeks of gestation (styled on Mississippi's bill) and restricting its access to minors comes into force after the legislature overrides Governor Andy Beshear's veto. (WFPL)
- Abortion in Kentucky
International relations
- English Channel migrant crossings
- The British government and Rwanda agree on a deal to relocate illegal migrants who arrive on boats in the United Kingdom to processing centres in Rwanda. (BBC News)
- Enlargement of NATO
- Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin says Finland will decide on NATO membership within "weeks", after Russia warned the country against joining the Western military alliance. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- 2022 New York City Subway attack
- The suspect in yesterday's mass shooting and smoke bomb attack at the New York City Subway that injured 23 people is arrested following a tip from bystanders. (BBC News)
- Disney announces that it shut down Club Penguin Rewritten, which was seen as a successor to the defunct Club Penguin, over concerns of copyright infringement. Assets are seized by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit. Three people are arrested in London, United Kingdom on suspicion of distributing materials infringing copyright. (Dexerto)