Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Youri Tielemans

• In association football, Leicester City win the FA Cup (Man of the Match Youri Tielemans pictured), and Manchester City win the Premier League.
• The China National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 lander-rover vehicle successfully lands on Mars.
• A school shooting in Kazan, Russia, leaves nine people dead.
• Clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, escalating to airstrikes and rocket attacks, kill more than two hundred people and injure several hundred others.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Sunil Jain
• Colt Brennan
• Raimund Hoghe
• Serge Bouchard
• Dhiru Parikh
• Đorđe Marjanović

Current events of May 18, 2021 (2021-05-18) (Tuesday)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in India
    • India reports a record 4,329 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 278,719. (The Times of India)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
    • Taipei and New Taipei City close all elementary, middle and high schools until May 28 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Kyodo News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    • Thailand reports a record 35 fatalities from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 649. (CNA)

Politics and elections

• International protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and communities inside Israel hold a general strike to protest Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip and the forced evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. The Central Committee of Fatah calls it a "day of rage". (Middle East Eye)

Current events of May 17, 2021 (2021-05-17) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to continue strikes in Gaza, including Hamas targets. (Times of Israel)
  • The death toll in Gaza from the Israeli airstrikes rises to 212 people, including 61 children. (Al Jazeera)
  • The Biden administration approves a $735 million weapons sale to Israel. (The Washington Post)
  • The offices of the Qatar branch of the Red Crescent Society is destroyed by an Israeli air strike, killing two Palestinians and wounding ten others. The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemns the attack. (Al Jazeera)
  • The Israeli military shells southern Lebanon after several Grad-type rockets were fired at Israel. (Deutsche Welle)
• Kurdish-Turkish conflict
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that security forces killed Sofi Nurettin, a high-ranking member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, in northern Iraq. (AP)

Business and economy

• Indonesian digital payment firm Gojek announces a merger with e-commerce site Tokopedia to form GoTo Group. Aiming for an IPO of between US$35 and 40 billion, Gojek claims that it is the country's largest business deal. (CNBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Hong Kong and Singapore postpone the start date of their air travel bubble agreement, which was initially scheduled to begin on May 26, due to an increase in the number of unlinked community cases of COVID-19 in Singapore. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 45 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 1,947. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Saudi Arabia eases an international travel ban for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. However, citizens from 20 countries remain banned from entering the country and Saudi citizens are banned from travelling to 13 high-risk countries, either directly or indirectly. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports a record 335 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, 333 of which are locally transmitted cases. This thereby brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,017. (Taiwan News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 9,635 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which includes 6,853 cases among prisoners from jail clusters. This thereby brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 111,082. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Mario Draghi's government approves a decree that would gradually phase out curfew to 11 p.m. beginning tomorrow and making the six regions an lowest-risk "white zone" by the first week of June. The curfew then will be start at midnight from June 7 and abolish completely on June 21. (Wanted in Rome)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey begins to gradually lift their COVID-19 restrictions, including the 17-day full lockdown, which will end at 5:00 a.m. as the number of infections has declined. This gradual normalization will last until June 1. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Lockdown restrictions are eased in England, Wales and Scotland with museums, cinemas, children's play areas, and hotels reopening. Pubs, bars and restaurants can now serve customers indoors again with social distancing rules in place. In England, people can now gather in groups of 30 outdoors and meet indoors in groups of up to six. A ban on international travel is also lifted. (BBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa
    • South Africa begins the second phase of its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 for people aged 60 or older as the government has set a goal to vaccinate 5 million people by the end of June. (The New York Times)
• Namibia bans all imports of poultry and poultry products from South Africa due to an outbreak of avian influenza that was detected there. (Reuters)
• In the first global study of its kind, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization find that working more than 55 hours a week can lead to higher risks of strokes and ischemic heart disease. The study, which was conducted between 2000 and 2016, also found that people living in the the Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions, as well as men that are at least middle-aged, are particularly susceptible to risks from overworking. (Reuters)

International relations

• European migrant crisis, Morocco–Spain relations
  • More than 5,000 migrants cross the border into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in an unprecedented influx. The Spanish government in Ceuta says 50 additional Guardia Civil agents and 150 national police officers will be deployed to maintain security in the city. The crossings come amid tensions between Spain and Morocco over Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali's hospital treatment in Spain. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• International protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Protesters gather in Sanaa, Yemen, to protest Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip. During the protest, demonstrators were seen calling for a boycott of Israeli and American goods, as well as chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". (Al-Ahram)
• The United States approves the release of Saifullah Paracha, a 73-year-old Pakistani man who is currently the oldest prisoner held in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He is expected to be formally released in the next few months. (Dawn)

Politics and elections

• Elections in Chile
  • Independent candidates win the largest number of seats in the election for the Constitutional Convention. The traditional center-right and center-left alliances reach their worst performance in an election since 1990, while the coalition between Broad Front and the Communist Party becomes the second largest political force. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
  • In the municipal elections, the center-right Chile Vamos loses some of the largest cities in the country, while Irací Hassler becomes the first Communist mayor of Santiago. In the first election of regional governors, Christian Democrat Claudio Orrego and leftist Karina Oliva move to the second round in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, while the officialist Catalina Parot gets fourth place. (Mercopress)
• The Supreme Court of Samoa clears the way for Naomi Mata'afa to form a new government and thereby become the first female Prime Minister of Samoa, ending a political deadlock. This would end a long tenure by current Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, who has held power since September 1998. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• The Kyrgyzstan parliament announces that they have backed a plan to seize the country’s Kumtor Gold Mine after Centerra Gold said it would take the Kyrgyzstan government to an international court. (Rferl)

Current events of May 16, 2021 (2021-05-16) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Israel continues airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, killing several more people, including 42 in Gaza City, which is the deadliest single attack in the past week. The total death toll there rises to 192 people, including 58 children and 34 women. (Al Jazeera)
  • Hamas fires over 190 rockets at towns and cities in southern Israel, damaging numerous buildings, including a synagogue. Approximately 3,000 rockets have been fired in the past week. (Times of Israel)
  • The Israeli Air Force destroys the office and home of Yahya Sinwar, the most senior Hamas official in Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
• Afghan peace process
  • After discussions in Qatar and Pakistan, Taliban representatives have reportedly agreed to substantive talks with the Afghan Republic team in Doha, and to attend a summit in Istanbul that they initially refused to attend. (TOLO News)

Arts and culture

• Miss Universe 2020
  • In Hollywood, Florida, United States, Andrea Meza of Mexico is crowned Miss Universe. (GMA News Online)

Disasters and accidents

• Two people are killed and at least 100 others are injured when a tiered seating structure collapses at a partly-built synagogue in Giv'at Ze'ev, in the West Bank. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
      • The Ministry of Health suspends the distribution of around 450,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from batch CTMAV547 for toxicity and sterility tests following the death of a 22-year-old man who received the vaccine 11 days ago. (Jakarta Globe)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
      • The Singaporean Ministry of Education announces that they will close all schools and shift all primary, secondary and junior college students to full home-based learning beginning May 19 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the community. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports a record 207 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, 206 of which are locally transmitted cases. This thereby brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,682. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (Thai PBS World)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Maine
      • Maine reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant that originated in India. (Bangor Daily News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Algeria announces that it will reopen air and land borders on June 1, but only five flights a day from and to Algerian airports will be allowed as precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
    • The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United Kingdom surpasses 20 million. (Sky News)

International relations

• Holy See–Myanmar relations
  • Pope Francis condemns the violence and repression in Myanmar and again condemns the coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. He tells protesters to not despair "in the face of evil or allow themselves to be divided". (Reuters)

Law and crime

• International protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • A convoy covered with Palestinian flags drives through North London shouting antisemitic language. Four people are arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offenses. (The Jewish Chronicle) (Times of Israel)
  • In Berlin, violent confrontations break out during a protest against Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, with an Israeli TV reporter being attacked. (Euronews)
  • Montreal Police deploy tear gas to disperse a protest in downtown Montreal, which saw pro-Israeli protesters clash with pro-Palestinian protesters. (CBC)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election
  • Chileans are summoned to a second consecutive day of voting to elect the 155 members of the Constitutional Convention to change its Pinochet-era constitution. The results show a majority victory for the center-left, with a very important role for independent candidates. (El País)

Sports

• 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League
  • Barcelona wins the team's first Champions League after beating Chelsea in the final match at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden. (BBC)

Current events of May 15, 2021 (2021-05-15) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • The death toll in Gaza from the Israeli airstrikes rises to 145 people, including forty-one children. A second refugee camp is also bombed, after another was bombed yesterday resulting in multiple deaths. At least 950 people are wounded, while two protesters are killed in the West Bank. The headquarters of many media organisations in Gaza, including Al Jazeera and the Associated Press, are destroyed by bombings. A man also dies in Ramat Gan, in Tel Aviv District, during a rocket attack; another person is also killed in another city, bringing the death toll there to 10. (Al Jazeera)
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that airstrikes on Gaza will continue “as long as needed”. He also warns Hamas leaders not to hide and that nobody is immune. (VOA)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • The General Administration of Sport of China announces that the summits of Mount Everest used by climbers in China will remain closed through the spring, citing coronavirus concerns in both mainland China and neighboring Nepal. (Reuters via Yahoo!)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (Kabar)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 44 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including one foreign citizen. This thereby brings the nationwide death toll to 1,866. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • The Taiwanese government raises the alert level for Taipei and New Taipei City to level 3 for the next two weeks, urging citizens to limit gatherings to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors, avoid non-essential travel, and continue wearing masks outside homes. This comes after a record 180 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the past 24 hours. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • France reaches a milestone of administering 20 million first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland reopens bars, restaurants and other establishments for outdoor usage for the first time in seven months and relaxes its mask requirement as the number of COVID-19 cases declines and the number of vaccinations increases. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Slovakia lifts its national state of emergency that has been in force since October as the number of COVID-19 cases declines, ending the curfew and all nationwide restrictions on gatherings. (The Slovak Spectator)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago
    • Prime Minister Keith Rowley declares a state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago from midnight and imposes a curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. due to a surging number of COVID-19 cases. (U.S. News and World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • Venezuela approves the use of the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine. (Azeri Press Agency)

International relations

• Foreign relations of Austria, Foreign relations of Iran
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif cancels a trip to Austria after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ordered the Israeli flag raised at the Chancellery and Foreign Affairs buildings yesterday. (Politico.eu)

Law and crime

• Protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrest 21 people in Kashmir, India, for organizing protests in support of Palestine. (ThePrint)
  • Police in Paris, France use tear gas and water cannons against pro-Palestinian protesters. This comes a day after a French court banned protests in support of Palestine. (UrduPoint)
  • Protesters gather in London and Madrid in solidarity with Palestine. In London, protesters gather at Hyde Park and the Israeli embassy. Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn also speaks at the London protest. (France 24) (Arab News) (The Independent)
  • In the United States, protests are held in Atlanta, Boston, Louisville, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and other cities to demand an end to Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. (ABC News) (The Courier-Journal)
  • In Toronto, several pro-Israel protesters are injured in clashes with pro-Palestine protesters at the Nathan Phillips Square. (The Jerusalem Post)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Ethiopian general election
  • The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia delays the national elections, already postponed from August 2020, from June 5 to an unknown date, citing logistic issues. Prior to this, several oppositional parties were planning to boycott the election over the Tigray War. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

• Chinese space program
  • China National Space Administration rover Zhurong successfully lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars, making China the third nation on Earth to achieve a soft landing on the planet. (BBC)
• The Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms and Nuclear Structure, at the Heavy Ion Research Facility, in Lanzhou, China, is reported to have created a new uranium isotope, uranium-214. (Sci-News)

Sports

• 2020–21 Bundesliga
  • Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski scores his 40th goal of the season to equal the Bundesliga record set by Gerd Müller during the 1971–72 season of the highest number of goals scored by a player in a season. (France 24)
• 2021 FA Cup Final
  • Leicester City beats Chelsea 1–0 at Wembley Stadium to win the 2020–21 FA Cup with Youri Tielemans scoring the winning goal. It is Leicester City's first ever FA Cup title. (BBC)
• Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan, and 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett are inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant is inducted posthumously following his death in January 2020. (The Japan Times)

Current events of May 14, 2021 (2021-05-14) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • 2021 Kabul mosque bombing
      • Twelve people, including an imam, are killed and 15 more are wounded when a bomb explodes inside a mosque in the Shakardara District on the outskirts of Kabul. The Taliban condemns the attack, for which nobody has so far claimed responsibility. (Reuters)
• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • The death toll from the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza increases to 137 people with more than 920 others wounded, as shellings and bombardments increase in the districts of Gaza. The Shati refugee camp is hit by bombings resulting in the death of ten people, including eight children, bringing the number of children killed to 36. The death toll in Israel rises to nine people killed, including a six-year-old boy. The International Criminal Court says that individuals involved in the conflict may be targeted by an investigation into war crimes. Violence also continues in the West Bank, with Israeli settlers attacking Palestinian homes in the city of Hebron, while eleven protestors in the West Bank are shot dead by soldiers, bringing the number of Palestinian protestors killed there to 15. Also, two men are killed in Lebanon during protests at the border against Israeli soldiers. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga extends the state of emergency to Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures from May 16 until the end of this month and also declare a quasi-state of emergency in Gunma, Ishikawa and Kumamoto prefectures from May 16 until June 13. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • The Singaporean Health Ministry announces that it will impose the strictest curbs since the circuit breaker last year, including limiting social gatherings to two people, making work from home default, and banning dining at restaurants. The new restrictions will be in effect from May 16 until June 13. (The Straits Times) (Forbes)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • The Taipei City Government announces the indefinite closure of entertainment venues and multiple public facilities such as libraries and sports centres beginning tomorrow after Taiwan reported a record 29 new locally transmitted cases in the past 24 hours. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • The Vietnamese health ministry says the country will receive 31 million Pfizer vaccine ​doses this year and also register to buy about 10 million additional doses through COVAX. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Andorran minister of Finances Èric Jover becomes reinfected with COVID-19, becoming the second minister in the past week to test positive for the virus after minister of Economy Jordi Gallardo on May 12. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism
      • Greece officially reopen its borders to all visitors who present a proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test result, or a document certifying recent recovery from the COVID-19 as tourism season begins in a hope to revive the sector badly affected by the pandemic. (Balkan Insight)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza signs a decree that will remove quarantine rules for travellers from the European Union, the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, and Israel as long as they have tested negative for COVID-19. The decree will take effect on May 16. (Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan
      • Saskatchewan reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, which was first discovered in India. (CKCK-DT)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
    • Colombia surpasses 80,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Reuters)

International relations

• International reactions to 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Czech Republic–Israel relations
  • Czech Republic President Miloš Zeman orders the Israeli flag to fly at the Prague Castle to show support for the country amid the conflict with Palestine. (Newsweek)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Jordan police disperse protesters who were trying to reach the Allenby Bridge near the border with Israel. Additionally, protesters from Lebanon also reach the Israeli border. (Al Arabiya) (Times of Israel)
  • Pro-Palestinian protesters storm the Queensway tunnel in the United Kingdom, disrupting traffic. (Birmingham Mail)
  • A court in France bans pro-Palestinian protests planned in Paris. However, activists say that protests will go as planned. (France 24)
• Health Service Executive cyberattack
  • The Irish Health Service Executive shuts down its IT systems nationwide after a cyberattack involving ransomware. (RTÉ)
• Two men are arrested and charged with the theft of United States government property after allegedly obtaining and selling 1,875 stolen technical orders, including documents detailing operations, maintenance and schematics of equipment, from the United States Air Force between 2015 and 2020 in exchange for at least $132,280. The seller worked for Summit Aerospace, while the buyer operated a private company, LTC Products, listed only for aircraft rental services, and they were discovered because of sales to a third company, Newport Aeronautical Sales. (Military.com)
• Venezuelan authorities seize the headquarters of oppositional newspaper El Nacional for failing to pay a US$13 million fine for allegedly defaming United Socialist Party of Venezuela assemblyman Diosdado Cabello. (DW)

Disasters

• Cyclone Tauktae
  • India's western state of Gujarat is braced for cyclone Tauktae, reported to be the strongest storm to hit the region since 1998. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Taiwan's Central Election Commission approves three referendums in late August. The referendums will allow the public to decide on banning pork containing ractopamine, on holding referendums on the same day as general elections, and whether to change the location of a planned new liquefied natural gas terminal to protect the maritime environment. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2021 Formula One World Championship, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on motorsport
  • The Turkish Grand Prix, originally scheduled for June, is canceled due to the recent upgrading by the British government of pandemic-related travel restrictions on Turkey. (Arab News)

Current events of May 13, 2021 (2021-05-13) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War In Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Four separate bombings kill eleven civilians and injure many others across the country as the three-day ceasefire declared by the Taliban to observe Eid al-Fitr remains in place. No group claims responsibility for any of the bombings. (Reuters)
    • A week after two power pylons were destroyed in Kabul's Mir Bacha Kot district, an unidentified man blows up another power plant in Kalakan District on Wednesday night, removing a further 260 megawatts of electricity imported from Uzbekistan. (TOLO News)
  • The last Spanish soldiers in Afghanistan arrive in Spain, ending the mission after 19 years. (El Periódico)
• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • The death toll from the airstrikes in the Gaza Strip increases to 113 people, while 600 others are wounded. The city of Rafah is attacked by multiple Israeli raids. Protests continue in the West Bank, resulting in injuries to 35 more Palestinian protesters. The number of children killed also increases to 31. (Al Jazeera)
  • The Israel Defense Forces says that it has deployed two infantry units and an armoured unit to the border on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, and that a ground operation inside Gaza will be submitted to military chiefs later today, ahead of a potential approval by the Israeli government. (The Daily Telegraph)
  • Israeli strikes destroy Hamas' internal security headquarters and Gaza's central bank, as the spokesman of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, says that the group has launched "massive rocket strikes", larger than any launched on Israel since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. (The Jerusalem Post)
• Syrian Civil War
  • The Syrian Democratic Forces reports that it apprehended a 39-member ISIL cell in Al-Hasakah, Al-Hasakah Governorate, a few days ago. The cell was reportedly planning an attack during Eid al-Fitr. (Rudaw)

Arts and culture

• Eid al-Fitr, the "Feast of Breaking the Fast" that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan, is celebrated in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia for the first time in 87 years. (Anadolu Agency)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
      • President Rodrigo Duterte approves the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases of downgrading the Greater Manila Area under the General Community Quarantine with "heightened restrictions" on indoor dining and personal care services. These downgrades include the reopening of hair salons and barbershops. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 4,887 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours due to the emergence of jail clusters that have infected 2,835 prisoners. This subsequently brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 93,794. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates approves the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 15. (The National)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
    • The government signs an agreement with Moderna to purchase 25 million doses of its vaccine. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, Lineage B.1.617
    • Russia reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant in 16 Indian students studying at Ulyanovsk State University. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
      • Hawaii Governor David Ige says that the state will keep its mask mandate despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that fully vaccinated Americans can go to places without wearing a mask. (Hawaii Tribune-Herald)
    • The CDC announces that all fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear masks or practice social distancing, unless the person is immunodeficient or still displaying symptoms of the virus. (CNN)

International relations

• 2021 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
  • Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan accuses Azerbaijan of moving its army more than 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) across Armenia's southern border to try to capture Lake Sev, and convenes an emergency meeting with his security council. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Kenya Police fire tear gas at a group of crowds protesting the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip in Nairobi. (Reuters)
• Colonial Pipeline cyberattack‎
  • The Colonial Pipeline attempts to restart a resource movement after a cyberattack six days ago. The ransomware attackers were reportedly paid $4–5 million in cryptocurrency prior to the restart. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the cyberattack targeted the corporate business computers and that the physical resource supply was turned off in response to the attack. Furthermore, 100 gigabytes of Colonial Pipeline corporate data was stolen prior to the attack. The hacker group, DarkSide, attempts to distance itself from the Colonial Pipeline attack, saying that it provides ransomware as a service, selling licenses to other criminals. (Tom's Guide) (Reuters) (Bloomberg) (Politico.eu) (Fox Business)
• Gun violence in the United States
  • Nine people are wounded, three of them critically, in a shootout between groups at a residence in Providence, Rhode Island. It is believed to be the largest shooting in Providence's memory. (AP)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • An active-duty major with the U.S. Marine Corps is arrested and charged for assault and obstruction in relation to the storming of the United States Capitol, thereby making him the first known active-duty service member to be charged in relation to the events of January 6. (USA Today)
• After compromising the Washington, D.C., police department's computers in April, the Babuk group releases thousands of the department's sensitive documents on the dark web. Hundreds of police officer disciplinary files dating back to 2004 are found, as well as intelligence reports that include feeds from other agencies, including the FBI and the Secret Service. The group reportedly asked for $4 million in ransom and were offered $100,000 at which point negotiations stopped. (WMC-TV) (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• Attempted assassination of Mohamed Nasheed
  • Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed is flown to Germany for further medical treatment after being seriously injured alongside three other people during an assassination attempt in Malé with a car bomb a week ago. Maldives authorities blame Islamic extremists, amongst whom Nasheed was considered unpopular. (DW)
• 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis
  • Leader of the right-wing Yamina coalition Naftali Bennett calls off talks with oppositional leader Yair Lapid to form a new government in light of escalating violence. He instead voices his support for a unity government. (Haaretz)

Sports

• 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football
  • UEFA decides to relocate the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final, which is to be played between English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea on May 29, to the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal. The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, was originally scheduled to host the event, but stricter pandemic-related travel restrictions imposed by the British government on Turkey prompted the move by UEFA. (CNN)

Current events of May 12, 2021 (2021-05-12) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Mullah Mannan Niazi, the deputy leader of a splinter group of Taliban led by Mullah Rasul, is wounded and left in a coma after attackers target the area where he lived in Herat Province. Three of Niazi's men are also killed and four others wounded during the clash. (TOLO News)
    • Afghan officials confirm that Nirkh District, in Maidan Wardak Province, was captured by the Taliban yesterday as the group seized the district building and set it on fire after days of intense siege. Attacks by the group have significantly increased as United States troops have started to withdraw from the country before the final deadline of September 11. (DW)
• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Thirty-seven more Palestinian civilians are killed after further airstrikes are executed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll to 69. Among the victims are a five-year-old child and their parents, who died when a residential building collapsed, while five more are farmers killed at their farms. The number of children killed rises to seventeen. At least 390 people have also been injured. The main Palestinian headquarters and all of the police stations in Gaza are destroyed by the strikes. Protests also erupt in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of three protesters. (Al Jazeera)
  • Three additional people are killed by Hamas' rockets in Lod, while an IDF soldier is killed as a military jeep outside Gaza is bombed, thereby bringing the Israeli death toll to seven. (BBC)
  • The Israel Defense Forces says that it has conducted a "complex and first-of-its-kind operation" in the Gaza Strip, killing several senior members of Hamas. (AP) (Reuters)
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares a state of emergency in the city of Lod following rioting between Arabs and Jews. It is the first use of emergency powers over an Arab community in Israel since 1966. (Times of Israel)
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces that the Biden administration will send Hady Amr to help defuse tensions. Blinken also defends Israel's right to exist and condemns Hamas for firing rockets. (Ynet)
• 2021 Colombian protests
  • President of Colombia Iván Duque Márquez announces that 65 officers have been given disciplinary actions for acts of brutality allegedly committed while repressing demonstrations. Of the actions, eight were for homicide, 27 for abuse of authority, and 11 for physical assaults. (MercoPress)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Niger attacks
    • Five villagers are killed and two more wounded as militants storm the village of Fantio, in the Tillabéri Region, Niger, during Eid al-Fitr celebrations. (Africa News)

Business and economy

• Amazon wins a legal dispute against a European Union order to pay back taxes of €250 million ($303 million). The setback renewed calls from EU lawmakers for a global corporate tax deal and for several to voice their support for the Biden administration's proposed 21% minimum tax rate on multinationals. (Reuters)
• Tesla announces they will no longer accept Bitcoin as payment. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports a record 4,205 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 254,197. (The Times of India)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh
        • A total of 52 bodies have been found floating in the Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh with suspicions that villages may simply be disposing of pandemic deaths in the river. (The New Indian Express)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan signs a agreement with the World Bank to purchase vaccines developed by Sinopharm. (Kabar)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 39 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 1,761. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Sri Lanka imposes a night travel ban from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. until May 31 in order to combat the rise of COVID-19 cases. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports a record 16 new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,231. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 34 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 486. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The French National Assembly approves the creation of a COVID-19 health pass to enable international travel and organization of large events. MPs also agree to end the state of emergency on June 1 and replace it with a transitional period that will last until the end of September, which will allow the prime minister to extend the 9 p.m. curfew until June 30. (Euronews) (The Connexion)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary announces that hospitals are resuming elective surgeries, which had been suspended during the pandemic. However, due to the workload, altered circumstances, the vaccination campaign, and other factors, waiting list times have effectively doubled and are now one to two years for most patients. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Prime Minister Erna Solberg announces that Norway will remove the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from its vaccination programme due to the risk of rare blood clots. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba, Deployment of COVID-19 vaccines
      • Cuba initiates its mass vaccination campaign for around 1.7 million people, using its locally-developed SOBERANA 02 and ABDALA vaccines, both of which have yet to complete its Phase III clinical trials. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel votes to recommend the use of Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years. (The New York Times)
  • Lineage B.1.617
    • The World Health Organization says that the B.1.617 variant first detected in India in October has now been detected in more than 4,500 samples from 44 countries that were uploaded to an open-access database. (Khaleej Times)
• Climate change
  • A study published in Nature estimates that during the last glacial maximum, low-to-mid latitude land surfaces at low elevation cooled on average by 5.8 °C relative to their present day temperatures. The study was based on an analysis of noble gases dissolved in groundwater rather than examinations of species abundances that have been used in the past. (phys.org) (Nature.com)

Law and crime

• Child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom
  • Twenty-nine men are charged with the sexual exploitation and rape of a teenage girl over a seven-year period in Calderdale and Bradford, West Yorkshire, between 2003 and 2010. (BBC)
• The government of Sierra Leone decides to push for the abolition of capital punishment. (AFP via IOL)
• Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is investigated by anti-corruption prosecutors for allegedly lying to Parliament about his role in the Ibiza affair. Kurz denies the charges. (Politico.eu)
• UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab reports that war criminal and former Republika Srpska President Radovan Karadžić will serve the rest of his life sentence in the United Kingdom. Karadžić was handed the sentence by International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in 2019 for crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian War. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• Protests against the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Protesters gather in Paris, France, in support of Palestine following attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Gaza Strip. During the protest, police dispersed crowds. (Anadolu Agency)
  • Protests break out in Chicago, Illinois, at the Chicago Loop in opposition to Israel's occupation. (Voice of America)
  • In Milwaukee, protesters gather near the The Calling sculpture in opposition to Israel's occupation. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• United States House Republicans vote to remove Wyoming representative Liz Cheney as Chair of the House of Representatives Republican Conference, following her critical statements about former President Donald Trump. (BBC)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • The Badminton World Federation announces the cancellation of the 2021 Singapore Open, which would have been held from June 1–6, due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. (Reuters)

Time: 08:15 UTC|Day: 18 May

	May 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

Disasters

• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Anti-Netanyahu protests
• Armenian protests
• Belarusian protests
• Colombian tax reform protests
• Greek protests
• Indian farmers' protests
• Israel–Palestine crisis
• Indonesia omnibus law protests
• Libyan peace process
• Myanmar protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Persian Gulf crisis
• Peruvian crisis
• Russian protests
• Second Arab Spring
• Sudanese protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• United States racial unrest
• United States Stop Asian Hate protests
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
• Yellow vests movement

Elections and referendums

Recent

• May
  • 15–16: Chile, Constituent Assembly

Upcoming

• May
  • 23: Vietnam, National Assembly
  • 26: Syria, President
  • 30: Cyprus, House of Representatives
  • 31: Somaliland, House of Representatives

Trials

Recently concluded

• Brazil: Wilson Witzel
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum
• United States: Derek Chauvin

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• India: Disha Ravi
• Indonesia: Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: 2017 Barcelona attacks, Bárcenas affair, Barçagate
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• International: The Gambia v. Myanmar

Upcoming

• Canada: Raj Grewal
• Indonesia: Nurdin Abdullah
• Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
• Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
• Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
• United Kingdom: Apsana Begum
• United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2020–21 Premier League
  • 2020–21 La Liga
  • 2020–21 Serie A
  • 2020–21 Bundesliga
  • 2020–21 UEFA Champions League knockout phase
  • 2020–21 UEFA Europa League knockout phase
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores group stage
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
  • 2021 Major League Soccer season
• Women's association football
  • 2020–21 Champions League
  • 2020–21 Division 1 Féminine
  • 2020–21 FA WSL
  • 2020 Copa Libertadores Femenina
• American football
  • 2021 Spring NCAA Division I FCS
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Basketball
  • 2020–21 NBA season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season
• Cricket
  • ICC World Test Championship 2019–21
  • ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League 2020–2023
  • 2019–2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2
  • ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League 2019–2022
• Golf
  • 2020–21 PGA Tour
• Ice hockey
  • 2020–21 KHL season
  • 2020–21 NHL season
• Rugby union
  • 2020–21 Premiership Rugby
  • 2020–21 Pro14
  • 2019–20 Top 14
• Other sports seasons
  • 2020–21 international cricket season
  • 2020–21 snooker season
  • 2020–21 curling season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

May

• 17: Buddy Roemer
• 14: Jay Barbree
• 14: Kenneth Mayhew
• 14: New Jack
• 13: Tai
• 11: Norman Lloyd
• 10: Colt Brennan
• 10: Michel Fourniret
• 10: Cristopher Mansilla
• 9: José Manuel Caballero
• 8: Pete du Pont
• 8: Curtis Fuller
• 8: Ronald Inglehart
• 8: Helmut Jahn
• 7: Emmanuel Erskine
• 7: Tawny Kitaen
• 7: Yegor Ligachyov
• 7: Mohan Mishra
• 6: Yitzhak Arad
• 6: Humberto Maturana
• 6: G. Muniratnam
• 6: Lloyd Price
• 6: Ajit Singh
• 5: Jonathan Bush
• 5: Lucinda Franks
• 5: George Jung
• 5: Philipose Mar Chrysostom
• 5: David F. Swensen
• 4: Simon Achidi Achu
• 4: Nick Kamen
• 3: Donald Cameron
• 3: Frazier Glenn Miller Jr.
• 2: Frank Costa
• 2: Jacques d'Amboise
• 2: Carlos Romero Barceló
• 2: Bobby Unser
• 1: Olympia Dukakis
• 1: Paul Ioannidis

April

• 30: Eli Broad
• 29: Anne Buydens
• 29: Johnny Crawford
• 29: Frank McRae
• 29: Prince Muhammad bin Talal
• 28: Michael Collins
• 28: El Risitas
• 27: Al Schmitt
• 26: Vassos Lyssarides
• 25: Jon Konrads
• 24: Christa Ludwig
• 23: Mario Meoni
• 23: Milva
• 22: Shock G
• 21: Alfredo Graciani
• 20: Idriss Déby
• 20: Monte Hellman
• 20: Les McKeown
• 19: Walter Mondale
• 19: Jim Steinman
• 18: Mohammad Hejazi
• 17: Black Rob
• 17: Vivek

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

• Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
  • Maghreb insurgency
• Cameroon
  • Anglophone Crisis
• Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
  • Boko Haram insurgency
• Central African Republic
  • Civil War
• Chad
  • Northern Chad offensive
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Ituri conflict
  • Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
• Ethiopia
  • Tigray War (spillover)
• Ethiopia and Sudan
  • Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
• Ghana
  • Western Togoland Rebellion
• Mali
  • Mali War
• Mozambique
  • Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
• Nigeria
  • Communal conflicts in Nigeria
• Somalia
  • Civil war
• Sudan
  • War in Darfur
  • South Kordofan conflict
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
• Western Sahara
  • Western Sahara conflict
    • 2020–2021 Western Saharan clashes

Americas

• Colombia
  • Colombian conflict
• Mexico
  • Mexican drug war
• Peru
  • Internal conflict in Peru

Asia-Pacific

• Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan War
• India
  • Khalistan movement
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
• India and Pakistan
  • Kashmir conflict
• Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
  • Moro conflict
    • Cross border attacks in Sabah
• Indonesia
  • Papua conflict
• Myanmar
  • Internal conflict in Myanmar
    • Kachin conflict
    • Karen conflict
    • Rohingya conflict
• Pakistan
  • Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Insurgency in Balochistan
• Philippines
  • Communist rebellion
  • Philippine drug war
• Thailand
  • South Thailand insurgency

Europe

• Armenia and Azerbaijan
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
• Jersey
  • 2021 Jersey dispute
• Ukraine
  • War in Donbass
    • Russo-Ukrainian War

Global

• War on terror

Middle East

• Egypt
  • Sinai insurgency
• Iran and the Persian Gulf
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
• Iraq
  • American-led intervention in Iraq
  • Iranian intervention in Iraq
• Iraq and Syria (map)
  • International military intervention against ISIL
• Israel and Gaza
• Israel and Syria
  • Israeli-Syrian border conflict
• Syria
  • American-led intervention in Syria
  • Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war
  • Turkish occupation of northern Syria
• Turkey
  • Kurdish–Turkish conflict
• Yemen and Saudi Arabia
  • Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict

Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts

2021 events and developments by topic

Arts

Architecture – Comics – Film – Home video – Literature – Music (Country, Rock, Metal, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US) – Video games

Politics and government

Elections – International leaders – Sovereign states – Sovereign state leaders – Territorial governors

Science and technology

Archaeology – Biotechnology – Computing – Palaeontology – Quantum computing and communication – Space/Astronomy – Spaceflight

Environment and environmental sciences

Birding/Ornithology – Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain