Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Abdelaziz Bouteflika

• Former President of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika (pictured) dies at the age of 84.
• SpaceX launches Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight.
• The United States, United Kingdom and Australia sign a security pact that will provide Australia with nuclear submarines.
• British tennis player Emma Raducanu wins the US Open, becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title.
• In Gaelic football, Tyrone win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, defeating Mayo in the final.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Jimmy Greaves
• Norman Bailey
• Clive Sinclair
• Gene Littles
• Antony Hewish
• Ruly Carpenter

Current events of September 19, 2021 (2021-09-19) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Papua conflict, Australia–Indonesia relations
  • A recently declassified Australian intelligence report from 1998 reveals the government was fully aware that the Indonesian military had massacred peaceful protesters from the Free Papua Movement, which was not publicly acknowledged or condemned by Australia at the time. Guardian Australia speculates that supporting photographic evidence may have been destroyed by Australian authorities. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• On the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, the first preventive evacuations of people with reduced mobility from nearby towns and livestock take place after the declaration of the state of pre-eruption of the Teneguía volcano. The island has experienced an increase in seismic activity since the last days. (elDiario.es)

Law and crime

• Gilboa Prison break
  • The Israel Defense Forces announces that all six Palestinian fugitives have been recaptured, after the last two, who are part of the Islamic Jihad Movement, were arrested in the Palestinian city of Jenin through a joint operation with the Yamam. (AFP via The Times of India)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct allegations
  • Australian Industry, Science and Technology Minister Christian Porter resigns amid criticism for receiving anonymous donations in his defamation case against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, who reported on historical rape allegations against him. (The Guardian)
• 2022 Philippine presidential election, 2021 PDP–Laban dispute
  • A faction of the ruling PDP–Laban party that is in conflict with incumbent president Rodrigo Duterte nominates Senator Manny Pacquiao as the party's presidential candidate. (Reuters)
• 2020–2021 Thai protests
  • Hundreds of protesters call to "kick out" prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on the 15th anniversary of the 2006 Thai coup d'état, that ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (Al Jazeera)

Current events of September 18, 2021 (2021-09-18) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Two bombings in Jalalabad and two more in Kabul kill seven people and injure 30 others: one of the attacks targeted a vehicle carrying Taliban members. (Al Jazeera)
• Aftermath of the 2021 Guinea coup d'état
  • A Guinea junta spokesman for leader Mamady Doumbouya says that Doumbouya shrugged off threats of economic sanctions by ECOWAS when confronted with them, saying that "as soldiers, their work is in Guinea and there is nothing to freeze in their accounts." Talks are also ongoing to allow ousted president Alpha Condé to leave Guinea, a petition to which the junta has refused permission. (Reuters)
• Operation Madago Raya
  • Indonesian soldiers and police kills the East Indonesia Mujahideen leader Ali Kalora and commander Jaka "Ikrima" Ramadhan during a joint operation at a village in Sulawesi. (Al Jazeera)
• ISIL claims responsibility for an attack on a gas pipeline and power station in Deir Ali, Syria, that caused power outages in Damascus and other areas of the country. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Notre-Dame de Paris fire
  • French authorities say that the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris will reopen in 2024. (France24)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
        • The Singaporean Ministry of Education announces that all primary schools will begin full online learning for Primary 1 to 5 students from September 27 until the end of the Primary School Leaving Examination sitting on October 6 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (The Straits Times)
      • Singapore reports 1,009 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since April 2020. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, COVID-19 vaccination in Vietnam
      • Vietnam approves the Abdala COVID-19 vaccine developed by Cuba, becoming the eighth vaccine to be approved for use in the country. (VIR)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa
      • American Samoa announces the first recorded case of COVID-19 in the territory. The patient tested positive after returning from Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 13. In response, the American Samoan government suspends all flights to Pago Pago International Airport. (RNZ)(Samoa News)(Civil Beat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
        • Restrictions are eased slightly in Melbourne and Ballarat as the vaccination rate surpasses 70%. Small outdoor gatherings for vaccinated people are permitted and outdoor exercise can now occur within a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) radius, instead of a 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) radius. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji, COVID-19 vaccination in Fiji
      • Fiji announces the beginning of the vaccination campaign for children between the ages of 15 to 17 using the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (RNZ)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • Justice for J6 rally
    • A rally is held near the United States Capitol to express solidarity with the people arrested for their roles in the January 6 riot. A fence is erected outside the building amid fears of violence, with four participants being arrested. (WRC-TV)
• Illegal immigration to the United States
  • Over the last 48 hours, Del Rio, Texas, sees an increase in border crossings with approximately 10,000 migrants, primarily from Haiti who traveled through Central and South America. The migrants are currently being kept in a camp underneath an overpass bridge and provided emergency supplies before being sent to either a Border Patrol station or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Migrants are reportedly using instructions circulated on WhatsApp to evade border security based on interviews conducted at the camp. (Reuters)
• Houthis in Yemen execute nine men by firing squad over their connection with the death of Saleh Ali al-Sammad, who was killed in a Saudi airstrike on Yemen's west coast in April 2018. (Reuters)
• The Taliban replaces the Ministry of Women's Affairs with a new ministry named the Ministry for Preaching and Guidance and the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, in what analysts say is a setback for women's rights in the country. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• Cannabis in Italy
  • Activists in Italy say that they have gathered enough signatures in order to trigger a referendum on liberalising the use of cannabis. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission lands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida, completing the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight. (AFP via Mint)

Sports

• 2021 U.S. Open Pool Championship
  • In nine-ball pool, Carlo Biado of the Philippines defeats Aloysius Yapp of Singapore, 13–8, in the final to win the championship held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (ESPN)

Current events of September 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • War in Afghanistan
    • 2021 drone strikes in Afghanistan
      • Marine Corps General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. acknowledges that a drone strike conducted by the U.S. military on August 29 near Kabul International Airport killed 10 civilians instead of ISIL-K militants. (The New York Times)
• Internal conflict in Myanmar
  • Eighty telecommunication towers owned by Mytel have been destroyed in Myanmar, leaving 700,000 people without communication. The People's Defence Force has claimed responsibility for the destruction. (CNA)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
        • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong receives a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Straits Times)
      • Singapore reports 935 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since April 2020. (U.S. News and World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia, COVID-19 vaccination in Cambodia
      • Cambodia begins a COVID-19 vaccination rollout for children over the age of 6 using the Chinese-made Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • India reports a new single-day record of 22.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. (Livemint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 drug development
      • South Korea approves the Celltrion antibody COVID-19 treatment for infected adults in high-risk groups and adults with severe symptoms. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa
      • American Samoa reports its first case of COVID-19 in a resident who returned from travelling to the U.S. mainland and Hawaii earlier this week. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji lifts its containment area borders on the main island of Viti Levu as 60% of the targeted population has been fully vaccinated. However, a curfew remains in effect and inter-island travel remains suspended. (RNZ)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • New Zealand extends the suspension of the travel bubble agreement with Australia for a further eight weeks as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to remain high and also due to the spread of the Delta variant. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    • The Slovenian government announces that all public sector employees, with the exception of employees working in the education sector, will have to show a proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 beginning on October 1 or they risk losing their jobs. (AFP via Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
    • Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration vote to reject a wider COVID-19 vaccine booster dose and to only recommend booster doses for people over the age of 65 and people who are at high risk of severe illness. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • A five-month survey finds that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective vaccine against hospitalization due to COVID-19. The study found that Moderna’s vaccine candidate had a 93% effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations, compared to 88% for Pfizer’s, and 71% for Johnson & Johnson’s. (CBS News)
• 2021 Marburg virus disease outbreak in Guinea
  • Guinea declares an end to the outbreak of the Marburg virus disease in the country. (CNN)

International relations

• AUKUS
  • The Australian Defence Minister announces that the new strategic partnership will also include increased numbers of U.S. bombers and airplanes being based out of Australia. In addition, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace notes that the deal has revealed a loophole in nuclear policy that does not bar states without nuclear weapons from obtaining nuclear technology for submarines and that this falls outside of IAEA inspections. (ABC News Australia) (Foreign Policy)
  • France recalls its ambassadors from the United States and Australia in protest of the security pact, which also includes the United Kingdom. The French Foreign Ministry says that the "exceptional decision" was justified by the seriousness of the pact, which has replaced its own security agreement with Australia. (BBC)
• Libya–Tunisia relations, Libya–Tunisia border, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Libya and Tunisia reopen their borders with stringent health protocol requiring travellers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and PCR tested negative, two months after the closure on July 8 due to an explosion of COVID-19 cases in the latter country. (AFP via France 24)
• North Korea–United States relations
  • In escalating tensions over the past week, North Korea accuses the United States of double standards when it comes to condemning missile tests, saying that the U.S. only condemned North Korea the same day that South Korea also tested missiles. North Korean state media cited its chief as saying that the American response was a "vivid revelation of the American-style double-dealing attitude" and also says that unless "the U.S. drops its hostile policies towards North Korea, denuclearization can never be put on the table" of negotiations. (Reuters)
• Djibouti–Somalia relations
  • Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed condemns Djibouti for detaining and forbidding a Somali security advisor from leaving the country. The president accused Djibouti of "destabilizing" relations amid a political feud between the Somali president and prime minister. (Reuters)
• Ukraine–United States relations
  • Ukraine and the United States announce that they will begin joint military exercises involving 15 other countries in western Ukraine next week. (VOA)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of the 2021 Argentine legislative election
  • President Alberto Fernández reshuffles his cabinet, as demanded by Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, following the poor turnout of their Peronist and Kirchnerist Frente de Todos coalition in the legislative primary election. Among the appointed ministers include Santiago Cafiero, Julián Domínguez, Aníbal Fernández, and Daniel Filmus. (AFP via Radio France Internationale)
• Ank Bijleveld, the Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, resigns following a motion of censure for her handling of the Dutch evacuation during the Fall of Kabul, a day after the resignation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigrid Kaag. (NOS) (Radio France Internationale)
• President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele says that the proposed constitutional reforms he sent for review will not include the legalization of abortion or same-sex marriage. El Salvador has one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the world. (Reuters)

Current events of September 16, 2021 (2021-09-16) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War crimes in the Tigray War
  • Human Rights Watch accuses Ethiopian and Eritrean forces of raping and killing refugees in northern Ethiopia and also of looting. The director of the organization for the Horn of Africa says that there are "horrific war crimes" taking place in the region. The Tigray People's Liberation Front distances itself from the accusations, saying that the war crimes are committed by local militias. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in Northern Chad; Libyan Crisis
  • According to both the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), LNA forces attacked FACT positions in southern Libya. FACT also claimed that the LNA received support from Sudanese mercenaries and French troops. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• A newly discovered sketch by Vincent van Gogh entitled "Worn Out", depicting an old man (believed to have been a friend, Jacobus Zuyderland) sitting in a chair with his head in his hands, is shown for the first time at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. (RTÉ)

Disasters and accidents

• Nine swimmers drown in the Mediterranean Sea off Southern France when the water turns choppy in high winds, and five are rescued. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, COVID-19 vaccination in mainland China
      • The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in China surpasses one billion, or 71% of its population. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • A panel of health experts advising the Hong Kong government recommends that children between the ages of 12 and 17 years old should only receive a single dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after reports of heart inflammation as a side effect. (CTV News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, COVID-19 vaccination in Iran
      • The Iranian Food and Drug Administration approves the usage of the single-dose Janssen and Sputnik Light vaccines. (RFE/RL)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports 910 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since May 2020. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
      • Victoria reports 514 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since the peak of the second wave in 2020. (7 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina
      • The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in South Carolina surpasses 50%. (WCIV-TV)
    • American conspiracy theorist and former congressional candidate Laura Loomer announces that she has tested positive for COVID-19. (The Hill)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • France suspends 3,000 healthcare workers because they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, a day after mandatory vaccination for health-related sector employees was implemented. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • The Italian government approves a decree that would make the usage of a digital "Green Pass" mandatory for all public and private sector employees, becoming the first country in Europe to mandate a COVID-19 health pass for all workers. This requirement will be in effect from October 15 until the end of the year. (Euronews)

International relations

• AUKUS
  • China condemns yesterday's formation of a new security alliance between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying that the alliance risks "severely damaging regional peace... and intensifying the arms race". (BBC)
  • The French embassy in Washington, D.C. cancels a gala commemorating the Battle of the Chesapeake on September 18 amid the announcement of the security pact. (AFP via Deccan Herald)
  • Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry expressed unease about Australia’s dramatic expansion of its navy and using U.S. technology to build eight nuclear-powered submarines. A statement issued stated “Indonesia is deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region”. (Brisbane Times)
• Aftermath of the 2021 Guinean coup d'état
  • During a summit in Accra, the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States announce that it will impose individual sanctions on members of the Guinean military junta and their family members, including travel bans and asset freezing, until the junta restores constitutional rule. (Anadolu Agency)
• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  • The Armenian government files charges against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice for violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (AFP via New Straits Times)

Law and crime

• Philippine drug war
  • President Rodrigo Duterte repeats that he will not allow the International Criminal Court (ICC) to enter the country in order to investigate alleged extrajudicial executions of drug dealers during his war on drugs. The Philippines had withdrawn from the ICC in 2018. (Reuters)
• A district court in Jakarta rules that the Government of Indonesia, under President Joko Widodo, failed to uphold the right to a healthy environment, a violation of the country's environmental laws, in a case filed by 32 Jakarta citizens in 2019. (CNN)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of the 2021 Argentine legislative election
  • More ministers resign in a mass resignation in the center-left government of Argentina after the defeat to more rightist parties in the primaries. Among the ministers to resign today are Luana Volnovich, Fernanda Raverta, Pablo Ceriani, and Martín Sabbatella. (MercoPress)
• Norfolk Island representatives threaten to create a government in exile in protest to the loss of autonomy five years ago. (RNZ)
• Sigrid Kaag, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, resigns following a motion of censure for her handling of the Dutch evacuation during the Fall of Kabul. (DW)
• Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed suspends Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble's powers to hire and fire officials, in an ensuing and escalating tension between the two men which began when the president extended his term in office. Roble has said that he will abide by the president's decision. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• A recent paper in the journal Nature reports that although the 2019–20 Australian brushfires produced 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, they also resulted in a massive phytoplankton bloom larger in size than all of Australia that absorbed carbon dioxide as part of the photosynthesis process. The smoke also deposited approximately three times the amount of iron normally found in the ocean. (9 News) (Nature)

Current events of September 15, 2021 (2021-09-15) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• A gunfight during a security operation in North Waziristan District, Pakistan, result in the death of seven security forces and five terrorists. (Dawn)

Business and economy

• Property giant China Evergrande Group admitted it is under "tremendous pressure" and may not be able to meet its crippling debt obligations. Angry protesters have been gathering outside the real estate firm's headquarters, demanding to know about its future. Evergrande is holding $305 billion in liabilities on $147 billion in assets reported in 2020. (DW)

Disasters and accidents

• Three people are killed and at least 60 more injured during a 6.0 earthquake in Yongchuan, Sichuan, China. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • The percentage of people who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in New South Wales surpasses 80%. (7 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      • Alberta premier Jason Kenney declares a public health emergency and introduces vaccine passport system that will give businesses the choice between tough restrictions or demanding customers show proof of vaccination or a negative test due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. (The Globe and Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • The Chilean health ministry announces that beginning from October 1, Chileans, resident and non-resident foreigners will be able to leave and enter the country. (Aviacionline)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
    • Mongolia reports its first animal death from COVID-19 in two beavers from the Beaver Breeding Center at the Environmental Department of the capital Ulaanbaatar last month. (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    • Slovenia begins to implement a mandatory COVID pass for people aged over 12 years old, containing proof of vaccination, a negative test, or have recovered from COVID-19 in the previous six months in order to enter all service establishments and workplaces with the exception of emergency medical service, grocery stores, and chemists. (Euractiv)

International relations

• U.S. president Joe Biden, U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson, and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison announce the formation of a new security alliance, named AUKUS, aimed at countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. They also announce, as part of the alliance's first initiative, the Royal Australian Navy will be acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. (BBC)

Law and crime

• Philippine drug war
  • The Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court authorizes the Prosecutor to launch an investigation into the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte for possible crimes against humanity committed during the drug war. (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Russian legislative election
  • Allies of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny, especially Leonid Volkov, call to vote for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the upcoming parliamentary election in order to hurt the ruling United Russia party. Navalny and his allies' party was barred from the election after being branded as "extremist" last June. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 Argentine legislative election
  • Interior minister and vice president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's ally Eduardo de Pedro offers his resignation following the defeat of the ruling center-left government in last Sunday's midterm primaries. Culture minister Tristán Bauer, environment minister Juan Cabandié and science and technology minister Roberto Salvarezza, all close to Kirchner, also resign. (Reuters)
• USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal
  • Simone Biles and three other U.S. gymnasts testify before Congress about the long-term sexual abuse of women in USA Gymnastics by team doctor Larry Nassar and the lack of investigation by the FBI after the abuse was initially reported in 2015. (AP News)

Science and technology

• Russia demonstrates the use of unmanned ground vehicles in combat formations during the weeklong Zapad joint military exercises with Belarus. The two vehicles demonstrated were the Uran-9, a tracked vehicle equipped with a 30 mm autocannon, machine gun, anti-tank missiles and a flamethrower; and the Nerekhta, equipped with a mounted machine gun and a grenade launcher as well as cargo capacity. (Military.com)

Current events of September 14, 2021 (2021-09-14) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • An al-Shabaab suicide bomber blows himself up at a tea shop near a military base in Mogadishu, killing six soldiers and three civilians and injuring 11 others. (Al Jazeera)
• Aftermath of the assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • Prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude asks a judge to forbid prime minister Ariel Henry from leaving Haiti "by air, sea or road" due to "serious presumption relative to the assassination of the former president". (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Seven people are killed when a King Air 360 crashed shortly after takeoff in Piracicaba, Brazil. Among the victims is the Brazilian energy company Cosan shareholder Celso Silveira Mello Filho and his family. (Nasdaq)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses 130,000 COVID-19-related deaths. (Il Messaggero)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces that the 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) social distancing requirement will be lifted on September 25 and instead, a "Corona pass" will be required in order to enter bars, restaurants, and large-scale events and festivals as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • President Vladimir Putin enters self-isolation after several members of his inner circle tested positive for COVID-19. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
        • Singapore begins a nationwide campaign to administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 60 and people with a compromised immune system who received their second dose at least six months ago amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Nikkei Asia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Sudan
      • South Sudan receives its first shipment of 152,950 doses of the single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. (APO Group via The Guardian Nigeria)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • The Parliament of Zimbabwe bans anyone who is unvaccinated against COVID-19 from attending church service in order to increase the vaccination rate. (AFP via Barron's)
• Dolphin drive hunting
  • More than 1,400 atlantic white-sided dolphins are killed during hunting in the Faroe Islands, the biggest ever slaughter in the history of the annual hunt known as the Grindadráp. (The Guardian)

International relations

• LGBT rights in Hungary, LGBT rights in Poland
  • At the end of a European Union summit, representatives threaten to fine Poland on a daily basis and withhold part of the EU's budget from Hungary over their laws against the gay and LGBT communities. (Bloomberg)
• China–United Kingdom relations
  • Chinese ambassador Zheng Zeguang is banned from entering the Parliament of the United Kingdom while sanctions remain in place on a number of British MPs and officials. Zheng was due to attend a Commons reception on Wednesday. China says that this was a "despicable and cowardly" decision. (BBC)
• France–Mali relations, Mali–Russia relations
  • France says that a planned deal between Mali's military junta led by Assimi Goïta and the Wagner Group to bring Russian private military contractors into Mali was "incompatible" with the current French military presence. (Reuters)
• North Korea demonstrates two short-range ballistic missiles that land just outside Japan's territorial waters and then only hours later South Korea demonstrates a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Comments made during the South Korean launch immediately draw condemning remarks from North Korea's Kim Yo-jong. (AP)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona
    • Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich files a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and his administration over the vaccine mandate. (KTAR)
• Mexican drug war
  • A Mexican court sentences Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, a former leader of the Juárez drug cartel, to 28 years in prison on the charges of organized crime and drug trafficking. (AFP via RFI)

Politics and elections

• 2021 United States gubernatorial elections
  • 2021 California gubernatorial recall election
    • California voters head to the polls to determine whether to remove or keep incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom. This will be the first gubernatorial recall election in California since 2003. (AP)
    • Governor Gavin Newsom survives the recall election, making him the second governor to survive a recall after former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in 2012. (Business Insider)

Current events of September 13, 2021 (2021-09-13) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Aftermath of the War in Afghanistan and Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
    • The United States will contribute $64 million to the United Nations' famine prevention effort in Afghanistan. (The Hill)
    • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken defends the U.S. withdrawal during a testimony congressional hearing. (Reuters)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Niger attacks
    • A report by Amnesty International citing other organizations says that an increasing number of children are being killed and abducted as the conflict in Niger, mainly in the Tillabéri Region, worsens near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso. The report says that "a generation is growing surrounded by death and destruction" and denounces "gross abuses" by ISIL and Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. The report urges the government and international partners to "take action". (Al Jazeera)
• Nigerian bandit conflict
  • Bello Matawalle, the Governor of Zamfara State, Nigeria, announces that 68 children who were abducted two weeks ago have been rescued by Nigerian forces and reunited with their families. (AP via ABC News)
• Panjshir conflict
  • The BBC documents and reports that the Taliban deliberately targeted civilians in Panjshir Province despite promises to avoid retaliatory attacks on local civilians. One of the documented cases was that of a shopkeeper as the news agency says that up to 20 civilians were killed by Taliban fighters during their advance on the last anti-Taliban stronghold. (BBC)

Business and economy

• Aftermath of the Fall of Kabul
  • Pakistan International Airlines operates the first international commercial flight to Kabul International Airport since the city's takeover by the Taliban on August 15. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)
  • The United Nations begins a fundraising event to collect $600 million in emergency funds for various Afghani agencies by the end of the year. (UPI)
• A Dutch court rules that Uber drivers are entitled to the same employee benefits afforded to taxi drivers. The court also orders the company to pay a €50,000 fine for damages. (AP via U.S. News and World Report) (CNBC)
• American international consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion agrees to purchase American technology company Neustar for $3.1 billion. (Fox Business)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Greece
        • The Greek Health ministry approves booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 60 years and people with a compromised immune system. (Ekathimerini)
      • Greece begins to implement mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated people. Public and private employees are required to pay for tests for their unvaccinated employees while unvaccinated high school students will be given test kits distributed at the government's expense. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
        • The United Kingdom cancels a deal to purchase vaccines developed by Valneva SE following accusations of breaching the agreement. (BBC)
        • The four Chief Medical Officers recommend universal COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 12 to 15 years using the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in order to reduce the possible disruption to schools. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania
      • Lithuania restricts the access of non-essential shops, gyms, beauty services, or events attended by more than 500 people, to only those who have a National Certificate proving that they have been vaccinated, have tested negative, or who have recovered from COVID-19. (Delfi)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo
      • President Félix Tshisekedi receives his first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (News24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • South Africa moves to adjusted level 2 restrictions that will allow licensed establishments to serve alcohol until 10 p.m. Additionally, the curfew will begin one hour later at 11 p.m. (Business Insider South Africa)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement
      • Indonesia moves the level of the PPKM in Bali to level 3 and will also allow visitors to enter parts of the island as long as they adhere to strict health protocols. (Reuters via The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports 607 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since August 2020. (Today)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • The U.S. surpasses 41 million cases of COVID-19. (WFTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
        • Schools in New York City reopen for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales eases its lockdown rules for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 where people outside LGAs of concern are allowed to gather in groups of up to five people in a person's LGA or within 5 km (3.1 mi) from their home. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone
    • Sierra Leone ends its nationwide 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. curfew that had been in place since July due to declining number of COVID-19 cases. (Switsalone)

International relations

• North Korean missile tests
  • North Korea confirms it has tested a new long-range cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missiles are a "strategic weapon of great significance", according to state media. (BBC)

Law and crime

• Emily Claire Hari, the leader of an Illinois-based, anti-government militia group, is sentenced to 53 years in prison for masterminding the August 2017 bombing of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. (AP)

Politics and elections

• 2020–21 Malaysian political crisis
  • Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the Leader of the Opposition Anwar Ibrahim of the main opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan sign a confidence and supply agreement ending the 18-month political crisis that has led to the fall of two successive governments. (CNA)
• 2021 Norwegian parliamentary election
  • Norwegians go to the polls to elect the new Storting. The opposition Labour Party led by Jonas Gahr Støre wins the most seats and is expected to form a left-wing-dominated government. The Centre Party, Red Party, Socialist Left Party and Green Party also gained seats. Prime Minister Erna Solberg concedes defeat. (Reuters)

Time: 14:31 UTC|Day: 19 September

	September 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

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession
• Lebanese liquidity crisis

Disasters

• Climate crisis
• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–2021 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• Madagascar food crisis
• Water crisis in Iran
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Belarusian protests
• Belarus−European Union border crisis
• Brazilian protests
• Colombian tax reform protests
• Eswatini protests
• Haitian protests
• Indian farmers' protests
• Iranian protests
• Jersey dispute
• Libyan peace process
• Myanmar protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Persian Gulf crisis
• Peruvian crisis
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• Tunisian political crisis
• United States racial unrest (Stop Asian Hate)
• Venezuelan presidential crisis

Elections and referendums

Recent

• September
  • 5: São Tomé and Príncipe, President (2nd) 
  • 8: Morocco, House of Representatives
  • 12: Macau, Legislative Assembly
  • 12−13: Norway, Storting
  • 16: Bahamas, House of Assembly

Ongoing

• 17–19: Russia, State Duma

Upcoming

• September
  • 19: Hong Kong, Election Committee
  • 20: Canada, House of Commons
  • 23: Isle of Man, House of Keys
  • 25: Iceland, Althing
  • 26: Germany, Bundestag
  • 26: San Marino, Referendum
  • 26: Switzerland, Referendums
  • 30: Ethiopia, House of Representatives (2nd) 

Trials

Recently concluded

• Belarus: Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kalesnikava
• China: Sun Dawu, Michael Spavor
• India: Shashi Tharoor
• Indonesia: Juliari Batubara, Edhy Prabowo
• Russia: Lyubov Sobol
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• United Kingdom: Apsana Begum
• United States: Robert Durst, Stephen Calk, Ed Buck

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Belarus: Sergei Tikhanovsky
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy, Brussels ISIL
• Indonesia: Nurdin Abdullah
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• Spain: Bárcenas affair
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• United States: R. Kelly, Elizabeth Holmes
• International: Ali Kushayb, The Gambia v. Myanmar

Upcoming

• Canada: Raj Grewal
• Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
• Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
• Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
• United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Meng Wanzhou, Ghislaine Maxwell, Allen Weisselberg
• Vatican City: Giovanni Angelo Becciu
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2021-22 Premier league
  • 2021–22 Bundesliga
  • 2021-22 Serie A
  • 2021–22 La Liga
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores final stages
  • 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
  • 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • 2021 Major League Soccer season
• Women's association football
  • 2021 NWSL season
• American football
  • 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season
  • 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season
  • 2021 NFL season
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Cricket
  • 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship
  • 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
  • 2021 European Tour
  • 2021 LPGA Tour
  • 2020 PGA Tour Champions
  • 2021 Ladies European Tour
• Motorsport
  • 2021 Formula One Championship
  • 2021 Rally Championship
  • 2021 MotoGP
  • 2021 Supercars Championship
• Rugby league
  • 2021 NRL season
  • 2021 Super League
• Rugby union
  • 2021 Bunnings NPC
  • 2021 Super Rugby season
• Tennis
  • 2021 ATP Tour
  • 2021 WTA Tour
  • 2020–21 Davis Cup (Finals)
• Other sports seasons
  • 2021 International cricket season
  • 2021–22 snooker season
  • 2021–22 curling season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

September

• 19: Jimmy Greaves
• 19: Dinky Soliman
• 18: Mario Camus
• 17: Abdelaziz Bouteflika
• 16: Jane Powell
• 16: Dušan Ivković
• 16: Casimir Oyé-Mba
• 16: Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi
• 16: Clive Sinclair
• 14: Norm Macdonald
• 14: Ida Nudel
• 14: David Yonggi Cho
• 13: Don Collier
• 13: Charlotte Johnson Wahl
• 13: Borisav Jović
• 11: Abimael Guzmán
• 11: María Mendiola
• 10: Charles Konan Banny
• 10: Michael Chapman
• 10: Jorge Sampaio
• 8: Art Metrano
• 8: Yevgeny Zinichev
• 8: Neddy Smith
• 6: Adlai Stevenson III
• 6: Michael K. Williams
• 6: Jean-Pierre Adams
• 6: Jean-Paul Belmondo
• 6: Donald Zec
• 6: Sunil Perera
• 5: Ion Caramitru
• 5: Sarah Harding
• 5: Jan Hecker
• 5: Ivan Patzaichin
• 5: Živko Radišić
• 4: Dell Furano
• 4: Tunch Ilkin
• 4: Willard Scott
• 3: Hassan Firouzabadi
• 2: Steve Lawler
• 2: Keith McCants
• 2: David Patten
• 2: Mikis Theodorakis
• 2: Sidharth Shukla
• 1: Daffney Unger
• 1: Syed Ali Shah Geelani

August

• 31: Michael Constantine
• 31: Geronimo
• 29: Ed Asner
• 29: Ron Bushy
• 29: Lee "Scratch" Perry
• 29: Jacques Rogge
• 28: Jiang Chunyun
• 28: Teresa Żylis-Gara
• 27: Edmond H. Fischer
• 27: Akis Tsochatzopoulos
• 25: Mohsin Ahmad al-Aini
• 25: Gunilla Bergström
• 25: Robin Miller
• 24: Hissène Habré
• 24: Charlie Watts
• 23: Elizabeth Blackadder
• 23: Tom Flynn
• 23: Jean-Luc Nancy
• 23: Rosita Quintana
• 23: Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi
• 22: Andrzej Schinzel
• 21: Nickolas Davatzes
• 21: Don Everly
• 21: Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein
• 21: Anthony Scotto
• 20: Tom T. Hall

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia-Pacific

• Afghanistan
  • Panjshir conflict
• India
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
    • Assam separatist movements
    • Insurgency in Manipur
    • Ethnic conflict in Nagaland
  • Khalistan movement
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
• 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
• Ukraine
  • War in Donbas
    • Russo-Ukrainian War
• Ireland and the UK
  • Dissident Irish republican campaign
• Turkey
  • Kurdish–Turkish conflict

Global

• War on terror

Middle East

• Egypt
  • Sinai insurgency
• Iran and the Persian Gulf
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
  • Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency
  • Arab separatism in Khuzestan
  • Kurdish separatism in Iran
• 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
• 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 – Animation – Anime – Comics – Film (Horror, Science fiction) – Home video – Literature – Music (Classical, Country, Rock, Hip hop, Latin, Metal, Rock, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US, Italy, Scotland) – 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 – Senescence research – Sustainable energy research – 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