Portal:Current events/2021 April 14

April 14, 2021 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Afghan peace process
  - U.S. President Joe Biden formally announces that American troops will leave Afghanistan by September 11. (Politico)
Somali Civil War
- Fourteen civilians are killed and four others wounded when the minibus they are travelling in hits a landmine in the outskirts of Mogadishu. A military commander blames al-Shabaab for the attack. (Arab News)

Arts and culture

This date's notation in month-day-year format appears as the first five digits after the decimal point in the decimal representation of the square root of 2, a famous mathematical constant believed to be the first number ever proven to be irrational. (Nerd Paradise)

Disasters and accidents

At least 20 people are killed and three more are wounded after a bus overturns after being hit by a truck in Asyut, Egypt. (Al Jazeera)
Rescue operations commence after the Seacor Marine lift boat MV Seacor Power sinks off the coast of Louisiana, United States. Coast Guard officials say that six of the crew have been rescued and the remaining twelve are missing. (BBC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Rajasthan
      - The government announces a 12-hour curfew in all cities from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from April 16 to 30 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Hindustan Times)
    - India reports a record 184,372 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 13.9 million. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
    - Bangladesh reports a record 96 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,987. (Dhaka Tribune)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
    - The government imposes a 14-day lockdown in the capital Phnom Penh and its neighboring Takmao from midnight until April 28 amidst a community outbreak of COVID-19. (The Phnom Penh Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
    - Mongolia reports a record 1,220 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby surpassing 1,000 daily cases for the first time. (News.MN)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Thailand reports a record 1,335 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 35,910. (Bangkok Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
    - COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
      - The Public Health Agency of Sweden suspends plans to start using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following reports of rare blood clot cases. 31,000 doses of the vaccine have been delivered to the country. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
    - Denmark becomes the first European country to permanently suspend usage of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, following weeks of reports that the vaccine may cause blood clots. The move is expected to delay the country's vaccination program by "several weeks". (CBS News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - President Vladimir Putin receives his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It remains unknown which of Russia's three current vaccines was administered to the president. (AP)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports new records of 62,797 cases and 279 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby surpassing four million cases of COVID-19. (Daily Sabah)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Yukon
      - Yukon confirms their first two cases of the Lineage P.1 variant that originated in Brazil. (Yukon News) (CBC)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York
      - COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
        New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that bars and restaurants in New York City and the state will be allowed to close at midnight beginning on April 19. (Patch.com)
    - COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      - White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients says that the Biden administration will accelerate doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The move comes after the United States suspended usage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - The Federal Senate launches an inquiry into President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, as total deaths are expected to surpass 360,000. Main areas of focus are on allegations that he sabotaged social distancing measures, his poor acquisition of vaccines and touting of ineffective treatments such as chloroquine, and the cause of oxygen shortages in Manaus's hospitals, among others. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - In a study published by the National Health Service, the Pfizer vaccine has been found to reduce hospitalizations in elderly people by 75%. (Metro)

International relations

Brexit
- The United Kingdom says that it has requested to respond to a European Union notification of intent to start legal proceedings over the UK's alleged breaching of the Northern Ireland Protocol by mid-May. The UK says that its unilateral delay of the introduction of new Irish Sea border checks on food, parcels and pets is lawful. (Politico.eu)
India–Pakistan relations
- Intelligence officers from both India and Pakistan confirm to Reuters that secret talks were held between the two nations, with the United Arab Emirates acting as the mediator, in January to help warm relations. Relations between the two had been strained after India conducting airstrikes in Balakot and India-administered Kashmir was stripped of its autonomy in 2019. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot
- A judge lifts the curfew and house arrest restrictions of two brothers who are suspected of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer last year. However, they are still required to wear GPS tethers. (People)
2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings
- The government bans eleven Islamic organizations, including ISIL and al-Qaeda, a week before the second anniversary of the bombings after the country's Roman Catholics threatened massive protests over the government's perceived failure to act against the perpetrators. (Al Jazeera)
Pakistani Interior Minster Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad announces the far-right Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan will be banned, following days of violent protests by supporters over the arrest of party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi. (Al Jazeera)