Syria suspends all of its flights to Sudan, following the deaths of 11 Syrians in the country. (NPA Syria)
Many countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Canada, evacuate their nationals and some civilians from Khartoum, or announce plans to do so. (BBC News)
Canada and the United States suspend all diplomatic operations in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict. (Washington Times)
Sudan reports a large internet outage across the entire country during the night. (Al Jazeera)
Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo is extradited from the United States and is taken to prison on charges related to money laundering. (Reuters)
Forty-seven members of the Good News International Church are found dead in Malindi, Kenya. (BBC News)
The United Kingdom launches its UK Emergency Alert System, sending a test emergency population warning to all 4G and 5G mobile phones for the first time. Many people do not receive the alert, particularly users of the Three mobile network. The Cabinet Office acknowledges that the emergency alert did not reach some people, saying that it is “reviewing the test”. (BBC News)
In North Kosovo, heads of four municipalities are elected amid a boycott by Serbian parties and a record low turnout of 3.5%. All four elected mayors are ethnic Albanians, although there is a dominant Serb population in the municipalities. (RFE/RL)
Saturday, April 22nd, 2023
Japan places its Self-Defense Forces on high alert as defence minister Yasukazu Hamada says that Japan could potentially shoot down the North Korean reconnaissance satellite that is expected to be launched by Pyongyang if it falls in Japanese territory. (Reuters)
Russia announces the expulsion of several German diplomatic personnel in a tit-for-tat decision following the expulsion of Russian personnel from Germany. (RFE/RL)
A Malian Air Force attack helicopter crashes into a residential area of Bamako while returning from operations against jihadists near the Mauritanian border. Three people on board killed and six on ground injured. (MENA FN)(AA France)
France and Saudi Arabia announce that they will evacuate their citizens from Sudan, joining the United States and the United Kingdom in doing so. (The Washington Post)(Gulf News)
Friday, April 21st, 2023
Latvian Defence Minister Ināra Mūrniece announces that Latvia will send all of its FIM-92 Stinger missile sytems to Ukraine, following a meeting with NATO allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. (Yahoo! News)
A court in Macau sentences Levo Chan Weng-lin, the former chair of the city’s second largest casino VIP room operator, to 14 years in prison for illegal gambling and criminal association. (SCMP)
The Belgian head of the EU humanitarian mission to Sudan, Wim Fransen, is shot in Khartoum. (The Telegraph)
Leaders of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a communion of conservative Anglican churches representing approximately 85% of the global Anglican population, reject the leadership of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as the head of global Anglicanism over his stance on same-sex marriage. (ChurchTimes)
Wreckage of the Imperial Japanese Navy ship SS Montevideo Maru, sunk during World War II, is found after 81 years in the South China Sea, off the coast of Luzon Island. The ship, which was carrying over 1,000 prisoners of war, including 850 Australian POWs, represented the largest loss of life for the Australian armed forces during the Second World War. (CNN)
Twitter drops the “state-affiliated” and “government-funded” labels used for the accounts of media organizations. (Al Jazeera)
A court in Paris, France, sentences Lebanese Canadian lecturer and professor Hassan Diab to life in prison over the bombing of a Parisian synagogue in 1980. Diab was tried in absentia and he remains in Canada under the request of arrest and extradition from French authorities. (The Guardian)
UK Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab resigns from both positions following investigations into claims of him bullying staff members. Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk are selected to replace him as Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary respectively. (Al Jazeera)
Amidst fighting, a food shortage is reported in Khartoum. (BBC News)
An American citizen is killed in Khartoum becoming the second confirmed foreign death, hours after evacuation plans were announced by the United States. (CBS News)
The United States sends additional troops and equipment to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, as preparation for a possible evacuation effort of American citizens in Sudan. (ABC News)
An Iranian Navy commander claims to state television that the Iranian Navy forced a U.S. submarine to surface as it transited the Strait of Hormuz, and that the submarine violated Iranian territorial waters. The U.S. denies the Iranian claims. (Radiofarda)
Russian authorities reported an explosion in Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, saying the explosion left a huge crater in the city center. (Barron’s via AFP)
Lawyers for former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo file a request for an emergency stay in the United States, as a deadline for his extradition to Peru looms. Toledo denies the charges in Peru, including corruption. (Reuters)
SpaceX launches the first test flight of Starship, the largest and most powerful launch vehicle to ever fly, from Starbase in South Texas. The vehicle successfully launched but lost control and the flight was explosively terminated four minutes after liftoff. (BBC)
Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Aleksandr Uss resigns after being offered a position in the federal government. Russian President Vladimir Putin invites Deputy Finance Minister Mikhail Kotyukov to take the post of acting governor. (TASS)
Germany announces the suspension of its attempt to rescue 150 German citizens from Khartoum. (Reuters)
Thousands of Sudanese civilians cross the closed border with Chad as refugees and are detained, according to Chadian Defence Minister Daoud Yaya Brahim. Brahim also states that the Chad National Army detained and disarmed a contingent of 320 Sudanese troops who crossed the border. (Reuters)
The United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan urge their citizens to seek shelter, hide, or evacuate due to ongoing fighting. (Sky News)
At least 90 people are killed and 322 others are injured in a crowd crush in Sanaa, Yemen during a charity event. (Egypt Independent).
Bulgaria temporarily bans the import of grain from Ukraine, except for those in transit, following similar decisions made by Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. (Reuters)
A heatwave in Asia leads to deaths and school closures in India, and record-breaking temperatures in other countries. Luang Prabang, Laos, recorded a temperature of 42.7 °C (108.9 °F), while Tak, Thailand, recorded a temperature of 44.6 °C (112.3 °F). (The Guardian)
President Rodrigo Chaves orders a series of measures to fight increasing crime in Costa Rica, including the deployment of more police, tougher juvenile laws, extradition of foreign criminals, and restrictions on the sale of ammunition. (Reuters)
Germany and Japan announce their evacuation plans have failed in Khartoum as both tried to evacuate at least 210 civilians and citizens from the embattled capital. (Reuters)
The United Kingdom, Germany and Japan urge their citizens to seek shelter, hide or evacuate immediately as fighting rages in Sudan. (Sky News)
Egypt announces one of its planes, an “Egyptian MiG-29“, was destroyed at an air base in Merowe. It also reports that one of them was captured along with two planes nearly destroyed. (The Drive)
Over 155,000 Canadian federal workers go on strike, in the largest strike of its kind in 30 years, after the Public Service Alliance of Canada failed to reach an agreement with the government over pay raises and remote work. (BBC)
A U.S. embassy convoy is attacked in Khartoum, amid U.S. efforts to mediate a ceasefire. (AP)
Canada closes its embassy in Sudan and advises its citizens against travelling to the country. (Global News)
Netflix ends its DVD rental service after 25 years, citing the reduced demand for physical rentals. (BBC News)
One person is killed and five others are injured by the partial collapse of a parking garage in Manhattan, New York City, United States. Nearby buildings of Pace University are evacuated due to the instability of the garage’s remaining structure. (WCBS-TV)
The Ukrainian government invites Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to visit Ukraine and criticizes Lula for his approach to the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomes Lula’s position on peace efforts. (Reuters)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the increase in violence in the West Bank, the detainment of Hamas-affiliated Palestinians in Saudi Arabia, and about improving relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia. This is the first meeting between Hamas and the Saudi royal family since 2015. (Al Jazeera)
The European Parliament votes to grant visa-free travel for Kosovo citizens to any country that is part of the Schengen Area. The policy will be in effect no later than January 2024. (RFE/RL)
Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems reach a US$787.5 million settlement in the defamation lawsuit, which was initially filed against the network in March 2021 for allegedly spreading false claims about the company regarding the 2020 United States presidential election. (Forbes)
The End Wednesday
India tells its citizens to find shelter or stay indoors immediately. (Devids Course)
Tuesday, April 18th, 2023
A U.S. convoy is deliberately attacked in Khartoum, amid U.S. efforts to mediate a ceasefire. (Associated Press)
Canada closes its embassy in Sudan fully, advises its citizens to not leave the country for Sudan and puts a Level 4 warning on travel. (Government of Canada)
Former People’s Deputy of Ukraine Oleh Barna is killed in combat. (UNIAN)
Russian president Vladimir Putin makes a rare visit to Russian-occupied Kherson and Luhansk Oblast, meeting military commanders in charge of the invasion. (Reuters)
Two people are killed and dozens are feared missing after a landslide struck the Khyber Pass in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Reuters)
The Ukrainian government invites Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to visit Ukraine and criticizes Lula for his approach to the conflict. The US defends Ukraine’s stance and accused Brazil of “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda” whereas Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed Lula’s position on peace efforts. (Reuters)
Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza is convicted in a Moscow court on charges of treason and violating Russia’s war censorship laws, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. (AP)
The Evide data breach is made public. Ransomware results in data being stolen from a company in Northern Ireland which provides computer services to charities, including a charity that supports adult survivors of child abuse. (The Journal)
Marathon Monday, April 17th, 2023
Ukraine and Russia conduct a prisoner swap for soldiers who fought in Bakhmut, with 130 Ukrainian soldiers returning and an unknown amount of Russian soldiers returning. (PBS)
Slovakia bans the import of food from Ukraine, following similar decisions made by Poland and Hungary last week. (The Guardian)
Poland and Hungary ban imports of grain and other food from Ukraine “to protect the local agricultural sector”, due to Ukrainian supplies lowering the price of food. (Reuters)
European Union ambassador Aidan O’Hara is assaulted at his home in Khartoum. EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell calls the assault a “gross violation of the Vienna Convention”. (BBC News)
Sudan closes its airspace, cancelling all flights in and out of the country. Kenya likewise suspends all flights to and from Sudan. (Flight Global)
China, Malaysia, and the United States urge their citizens in Sudan to hide, find shelter, or evacuate the country. (CBS News)
De facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declares the Rapid Support Forces to be a rebel group, and orders the group dissolved. (Al Jazeera)
Further sites of illicit soft plastic storage are found in Sydney after the collapse of commercial plastic recycler REDcycle. After taking $20 million from Coles and Woolworths to recycle soft plastics at 2,000 locations, the company instead stored 12,000 tonnes of plastics at more than 44 locations across Australia. (9 News)(The Guardian)
The provincial health ministry of Santa Fe, Argentina, asks the public not to “not underestimate” the current situation of dengue fever after the province surpasses 10,000 cases and reports their third death from the disease amid a national outbreak of the disease. (La Capital)
Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing pardons 3,015 prisoners on the occasion of the Buddhist New Year. (AFP via France 24)
Argentina is confirmed as the host of the FIFA U-20 World Cup by FIFA, following the suspension of the tournament in Indonesia, which refused to host the Israeli team. (Reuters)
A World Snooker Championship match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry is abandoned, while another match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi is delayed after Just Stop Oil activists storm the The Crucible in Sheffield. Two people are later arrested by South Yorkshire Police. (BBC Sport)
After 18 years under construction, the Olkiluoto 3 reactor in Finland, Europe’s most powerful nuclear power plant at 1.6 GW, begins delivering regular electrical output. Construction began in 2005 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2009. (Reuters)
Thirty six people are killed when Islamic State gunmen ambush a group of truffle hunters in Hama Governorate. Five shepherds are also killed near Deir ez-Zor. (France 24)
The Sudanese military is said to have retaken control of the presidential palace and other key government installations in Khartoum. The military says Khartoum International Airport remains under the control of Rapid Support Forces, but that it was holding back from launching airstrikes to avoid destroying the airport. (Reuters)
Chinese Minister of Defense Li Shangfu meets with President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, as part of his four-day visit to Russia. This is Li’s first overseas visit since becoming Minister of Defense in March. (CBS News)
Thousands of people protest against rising inflation at Wenceslas Square in Prague, Czech Republic, demanding the government’s resignation. (VOA)
At least seven people are killed and another is injured during a mass shooting in La Palma resort in Cortazar, Guanajuato, Mexico. (Xinhua)
Former Indian Parliament member Atique Ahmed, and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, are assassinated on live television while giving an interview to reporters in Allahabad, while in the custody of police, Uttar Pradesh, India. In response to the murders the Uttar Pradesh government bars gatherings of more than four people across the entire state. Three suspects have been detained. (CNN)
Saturday, April 15th, 2023
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and Qatar suspend all planes from inside and outside of Sudan due to the ongoing conflicts and closure of several airports, airlines also fear attacks on their planes mainly in Khartoum. (Libya Observer)
Twelve people are killed and 28 others are injured when a bus falls into a gorge in Raigad, Maharashtra, India. (Daily Excelsior)
Four people are killed and about 20 others are injured in a mass shooting at a birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, United States. (AL.com)
Twitter begins limiting the number of automated messages being able to be sent by the National Weather Service, including emergency alerts, before walking back the c(NWS Tsunami Alerts)
The End Sunday
Saturday, April 15th, 2023
The United Kingdom’s Department for Transport approves Ford Motor Company‘s hands-free driving vehicles on 2,300 miles (3,700 km) of motorways in England, Scotland and Wales. The UK becomes the first European country to approve hands-free driving technology on public roads. (BBC News)
President Emmanuel Macron signs the pension reform bill into law as protests intensify in the country. (The Guardian)
Fighting occurs across Sudan three days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) mobilized. The RSF claims to have captured Khartoum International Airport and the presidential palace in Khartoum. At least 25 people are killed and over 100 others are injured. (BBC News)
Chad closes its border with Sudan as heavy fighting continues between the Sudanese military and rebel forces. (Anadolu Agency)
Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida is evacuated during a speech in Wakayama, Japan, after an “explosion-like sound” is heard. A suspect, believed to have thrown a smoke bomb, is arrested. (CNN)
The 2023 Rutgers University strike ends as an agreement is reached between faculty and the administration, returning 9,000 staff to work. (CNN)
Twelve people are killed and 28 others are injured when a bus falls into a gorge in Raigad, Maharashtra, India. (Daily Excelsior)
Equatorial Guinea confirms six more cases of Marburg virus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to fifteen. (Reuters)
The Parliament of the Cook Islands decriminalizes same-sex relationships between men. (RNZ)
Corach Rambler, ridden by Irish jockey Derek Fox, wins the 175th Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse. The start of the race was delayed due to animal rights activists storming the track, with at least 118 people being arrested. (BBC Sport)
Friday, April 14th, 2023
The Supreme Court of Canada upholds Quebec’s provincial ban on homegrown cannabis despite a 2018 federal ruling which allowed small quantities of cannabis to be grown at home. (Reuters)
A Russian missile strike on Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, kills at least eight civilians and injures 21 others. (The New York Times)
A major prisoner swap of nearly 900 prisoners begins between rival factions in Yemen. (AFP via France 24)
At least 30 people are killed by suspected CODECO militants during a raid at a village in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)
Ghana becomes the first country to approve Oxford’s malaria vaccine R21/Matrix-M. (Pharmaceutical Technology)
Tanzanian members of parliament call on the government to tighten laws against homosexual sex with the death penalty. (The Citizen)
Twelve people are killed after riots break out in a prison in Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador. (Reuters)
AI Slop 