Saturday, April 3, 2021

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • Ten people are killed and four more are wounded after a suicide bomber detonates his device near makeshift kiosks in Mogadishu. (Reuters)
  • Al-Shabaab militants attack two military bases in Lower Shabelle with suicide car bombings and mortar shells. Nine Somali soldiers are killed and eleven others are injured. An army general says 76 militants are killed in retaliation, and ten captured. (VOA)
• 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)

Arts and culture

• 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)
• 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)

Disasters and accidents

• 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 state of emergency is declared in Florida amidst mass evacuations owing to the potential collapse of toxic phosphogypsum waste reservoirs at the Piney Point phosphate plant. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • 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 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 Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
        • The government extends the enhanced community quarantine imposed on the Greater Manila Area until April 11, following the report of a record 15,310 new confirmed cases the previous day. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • The government announces a one-week nationwide lockdown beginning April 5 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Factory, utility, and emergency services are exempt from the lockdown. (The Economic Times)
    • 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 Europe
    • 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 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 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)

Law and crime

• 2021 alleged Jordanian coup d'état attempt
  • 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)
• 2021 Northern Ireland riots
  • Three cars are hijacked and burned in Newtownabbey and rioters attack a police vehicle as disturbances enter their sixth day. Police announce seven people aged from 25 to 13 have been charged with riot.(The Irish Examiner)