Portal:Current events/2021 May 4

May 4, 2021 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan
  - Afghan security forces fight a huge offensive by the Taliban in Helmand as the United States begins to withdraw troops from the country before the final deadline of September 11. (Reuters)
2021 Myanmar protests
- Yuki Kitazumi becomes the first foreign journalist known to be charged since the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, after being accused of spreading fake news. (BBC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
    - Cambodia reports a record 938 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 16,299. (Khmer Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India surpasses 20 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United States. (ABC Australia)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    - Singapore announces that social gatherings will be reduced to five people per group, and workplace capacity will be reduced to 50% from May 8 to May 30 as part of measures to reduce the community spread of COVID-19. In addition, indoor gyms and fitness centers will be closed because they are considered "high-risk settings". (The Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      - The Alberta government introduces tougher public health restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19, including moving all kindergarten to Grade 12 students to online learning, closing restaurants and bars to in-person dining, closing down personal care services such as hair salons, limiting outdoor gatherings to five people, and increasing fines for those violating public health measures. (CBC)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      - Michigan relaxes several restrictions regarding face mask requirements and outdoor gatherings. (MLive.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
  - Authorities impose a lockdown on the island of Kalymnos beginning tomorrow until May 10 for urgent reasons to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)

International relations

2021 Colombian protests
- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemns the excessive use of force by Colombian security forces during the ongoing protests that have killed at least 19 civilians. (Al Jazeera)
- The European Union calls for Colombia's security forces to avoid excessive force amidst the ongoing protests. (Reuters)
Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union
- French maritime minister Annick Girardin says that France is prepared to impose "retaliation measures" against the United Kingdom over its new guidelines on requiring French fishing vessels to obtain permits to sail by the Channel Islands. (S&P Global)

Law and crime

Saudades massacre
- Three children and two staff members are killed during a mass stabbing at a nursery school in Saudades, Brazil. Another child is wounded. The attacker then stabs himself and is currently in critical condition. (BBC News)
The first secretary at the Swiss embassy in Tehran, Iran, is found dead after accidentally falling from the tower where she lived. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2021 Madrilenian regional election
- The Assembly of Madrid holds a snap election after the ruling coalition of the People's Party and Ciudadanos breaks down. The People's Party, led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, receives a landslide win in the election, doubling their number of seats, though falling four seats short of an absolute majority. (The Guardian) (BBC News)

Sports

2021 Indian Premier League, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cricket
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India halts the 2021 season of the Indian Premier League indefinitely following the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, which several players tested positive. (The Guardian)