Portal:Current events/2021 May 1

May 1, 2021 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Afghan peace process
  - The United States formally begins withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan to mark the final phase of the end to its longest war. Additionally, NATO also starts withdrawing their troops. (AP)
- Taliban insurgents overrun an Afghan National Army base in Ghazni Province, capturing dozens of troops and killing a "number of others". Acting Defense Minister General Yasin Zia confirms the fall of the security installation to the Taliban. (VOA)
2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signs a decree that declares a two-day nationwide mourning effort for those who have died during border clashes with Tajikistan. (TASS)
- Kyrgyzstan accuses 1qTajikistan of building up troops and military equipment on the border. The Kyrgyz side also accuses Tajik forces of opening fire on Kyrgyz vehicles in the area. A Tajik spokesman speaking from Dushanbe says the country was sticking to the ceasefire and withdrawal of troops. (Reuters)
- Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agree to a new ceasefire following border clashes, which includes withdrawing troops from the border. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urges both countries to honor the agreement. (Al Jazeera) (Trend News Agency)
ISIL insurgency in Iraq
- Seven members of the Kurdistan military force Peshmerga are killed in an ISIL attack in the Kirkuk Governorate. (Macau Business) (Rudaw)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism
  - Italian cruise line Costa Cruises returns to service for the first time in nearly five months following a ban of cruises by the Italian government due to the pandemic. Several Costa ships had reported cases on board in the previous year. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Disasters and accidents

Bharuch hospital fire
- A hospital fire in Bharuch, Gujarat, India, kills at least 16 COVID-19 patients and two nurses. (The Scottish Sun)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports a new global record of 401,993 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby marking the first time a country reported more than 400,000 new cases in a single day. This subsequently brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 19 million. (Nikkei Asia)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Osaka Prefecture reports a record 1,262 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, Lineage B.1.617
    - Jordan reports its first three cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, which originally discovered in India. (Khaleej Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    - The Singaporean government bans all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have been in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the last two weeks from entering or transiting through the country. It also tightens its social distancing rules in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
    - Syria's rebel-held Idlib Governorate begins its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with a 45-year-old nurse receiving the first dose. (Arab News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Thailand reports a record 21 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 224. (Bangkok Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
    - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lifts the lockdown imposed in Nairobi and surrounding counties, allowing bars, restaurants, schools, and religious services to reopen and revising the evening curfew to 10:00 p.m. (U.S. News & World Report)

Politics and elections

2021 Salvadoran political crisis
- The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador votes to remove several judges from the Supreme Court and remove the Attorney General, both of which had been vocal opponents to the presidency of Nayib Bukele. The event is being referred to as a self-coup by the opposition and by news media outlets. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

International Space Station programme
- SpaceX Crew-1
  - The four-astronaut crew of SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience successfully splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, arriving from a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (NDTV)

Sports

2021 Kentucky Derby
- The 147th Kentucky Derby is held at Churchill Downs at a 50% capacity, with Medina Spirit winning the race. (CBS News)