Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Naftali Bennett

• A new government is formed in Israel, with Naftali Bennett (pictured) becoming prime minister, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure.
• The spacecraft Juno performs a flyby of Jupiter's moon Ganymede.
• Using a compromised encrypted device network, a multinational sting operation results in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of several tons of illegal drugs.
• Two trains collide in Sindh, Pakistan, killing at least 65 people.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Milkha Singh
• Thomas B. Day
• Janet Malcolm
• Ashley Henley
• Enrique Bolaños
• William vanden Heuvel

Current events of June 18, 2021 (2021-06-18) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kidnapping in Nigeria
  • A kidnapped female student is found dead as the Nigerian Army rescues five other students and two teachers who were kidnapped on Thursday from a school in Kebbi State. (Reuters via SwissInfo)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Restrictions ease in Melbourne as cases drop. Melbournians will now be allowed to travel anywhere in the state of Victoria, public gatherings increase to 20 people and masks are no longer required outdoors. Private gatherings of up to 2 people will be allowed, gyms and indoor entertainment reopen, and workforce capacities increase. The new restrictions bring Melbourne into line with the rest of Victoria. (9 News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, COVID-19 vaccination in New Zealand
      • New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern receives her first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Stuff.co.nz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
      • Papua New Guinea receives 146,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from New Zealand, facilitated through the program COVAX. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin closes the Euro 2020 fan zone due to rising cases of COVID-19 in the Russian capital. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announces that as of 26 June it will no longer be mandatory to wear a face mask outdoors. (La Vanguardia)
      • PM Pedro Sánchez receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. ('La Vanguardia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
    • Oman speeds up its COVID-19 vaccination as cases surge in the country, which has seen a small percentage of the population vaccinated. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• First Liberian Civil War
  • A federal court in Switzerland sentences Alieu Kosiah of the ULIMO rebel group to 20 years in prison for acts of rape, killings and cannibalism. He had been arrested in Switzerland in 2014. (Reuters)
• Novara ramming
  • A driver intentionally rams his truck on a crowd of workers protesting outside a Lidl supermarket in Novara, Piedmont, Italy, killing one of the workers and wounding two others. The suspected attacker is arrested near the scene. The incident came after a series of violent attacks and assaults against workers' protests in Italy in the last weeks. (Fanpage)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Iranian presidential election
  • Iranian voters head to the polls to elect a successor to current President Hassan Rouhani. Hardline Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi is projected to be the winner. Reformists and dissidents are calling for a boycott after most of their candidates were initially rejected by the Guardian Council and one other, former Vice President Mohsen Mehralizadeh, dropped out, saying there is no serious competition against the hardliners. (BBC)
• The United Nations General Assembly reelects current Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres for a second term beginning next January. (Reuters)

Current events of June 17, 2021 (2021-06-17) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Further airstrikes by the IDF are conducted at sites north of Beit Lahia and in Gaza City belonging to armed militia groups, as well as a civil administration building in Jabalia and an agriculture field near Khan Yunis. Hamas media outlet Al-Aqsa TV claims Hamas downed an Israeli drone. No casualties are reported. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• COVID-19 pandemic in France, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company
  • Disneyland Paris, Europe's most visited amusement park, reopens for the second time with enhanced health and safety measures after being closed for eight months due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first time that all Disney-owned and licensed theme parks have been open since January 2020. (France Bleu) (USA Today)
• U.S. President Joe Biden signs a law that would make Juneteenth a federal holiday, thereby making it the first federal holiday since the 1983 establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (CBS News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan receives a shipment of 80,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. (24.kg)
      • Kyrgyzstan reports a record of 787 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Kabar)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
      • COVID-19 lockdowns, Afghanistan–United States relations
        • The U.S. Embassy in Kabul orders a lockdown on the building amid a rise of cases. (Army Times)
      • Afghanistan reports a record 515 new cases and 101 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces that the state of emergency will be lifted in nine prefectures on June 21. However, the government will maintain its quasi-emergency measures in seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka reports its first community case of the highly transmissible Delta variant in five patients. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record of 515 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 12,014. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Portuguese authorities announce that travel in and out of the Lisbon metropolitan area will be banned on weekends from Friday at 3:00 p.m. until Monday at 6:00 a.m. amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reports a new single-day record of 76,538 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
      • The Australian federal government restricts the usage of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to people over the age of 60 following a new recommendation from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji reports a record 121 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, as new clusters are discovered, thereby bringing the national total to 1,443. (RNZ) (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia
    • Zambian authorities order the closure of schools for the next 21 days and also suspend election campaigns for the general election in August after reporting the highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 in one day. At the same time, the authorities restrict activities in religious sites to meetings only twice a week and for only one hour per day. (Europa Press)

International relations

• Tigray War
  • The African Union (AU) launches an official commission to investigate allegations of human rights abuses committed in Ethiopia's Tigray Region. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry rejects the commission as "misguided" and without legal basis, saying that a joint probe by the AU and Ethiopia should be used instead. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Police in Hong Kong arrest five executives of the Apple Daily newspaper as the newspaper warns that press freedom in the city is "hanging by a thread". It is the latest raid on the Beijing-critical newspaper which has already seen its chief Jimmy Lai convicted under various charges, including unlawful assembly, and who currently faces a national security law case along with 46 other activists. (France24)
• Shooting of Eyad al-Hallaq
  • An Israeli police officer is charged with "reckless homicide" for killing an autistic Palestinian adult in Jerusalem's Old City in May 2020. His death has been compared to the George Floyd protests that occurred around the same time. (France 24)
• List of mass shootings in the United States in 2021
  • One person is killed, four are shot and eight are otherwise injured in eight drive-by shootings in the West Valley area near Phoenix, Arizona. A male suspect is taken into custody. (NBC News)
• St. Louis gun-toting controversy
  • Pro-gun activists Mark and Patricia McCloskey plead guilty to misdemeanor charges relating to an incident last year where they brandished weapons at Black Lives Matter protestors during a George Floyd protest in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. They also agree to give up their guns and pay US$2,750 in total fines. (DW)
• One person is killed after a gunman opened fire on the offices of pro-Kurdish oppositional party People's Democratic Party (HDP) in İzmir, İzmir Province, Turkey. The gunman also attempted to set fire to the office building. HDP MP from İzmir Serpil Kemalbay blames the current government for the attack, saying that officials were inciting violence against the party and its supporters. (Middle East Eye)

Politics and elections

• California v. Texas, Efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act
  • The United States Supreme Court, in a 7–2 decision, dismisses a challenge to the Affordable Care Act brought before the court by Republican-led states and the former Trump administration. The court states that the challengers did not have the legal right to bring the case. (CNN) (BBC News)
• United Kingdom: 2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election
  • The Liberal Democrats gains the Chesham and Amersham seat in a shock defeat to the ruling Conservative government. The Conservatives suffers a swing of 25.2% away from them in a by-election billed as a sign of further realignment in British politics. This is the first time that a non-Conservative MP represents the constituency. (The Guardian)
• The United States House of Representatives votes 268–161 to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, a resolution that granted U.S. presidents the authority to engage in war with Iraq. The bill will now head to the United States Senate. (NPR)
• The U.S. Supreme Court rejects a lawsuit brought by six African men against American food corporation Cargill and the American division of Nestlé for their use of child slavery in cocoa bean production in a 8–1 decision, saying that because the abuses took place outside the country the court did not have jurisdiction on the matter. (Reuters)
• Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo returns to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for the first time in nearly 10 years, after the International Criminal Court upheld his acquittal for his role in the violence committed in the aftermath of the 2010 presidential elections earlier this year. The government of current president Alassane Ouattara supported his return as necessary for reconciliation, but did not comment if he will be imprisoned for misappropriating funds from a regional bank, for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2019. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

• China launches the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft carrying three astronauts on the first flight to the Tianhe core module. (El País)
• French scientists announce in a Current Biology paper that coelacanths are capable of living up to 100 years, contrary to the long-held belief that they only live up to 20 years. (The Guardian)

Current events of June 16, 2021 (2021-06-16) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • The Israel Defense Forces carry out airstrikes on Khan Yunis and Gaza City in the Gaza Strip in the early morning, in response to incendiary balloons being flown from Gaza, putting the ceasefire in jeopardy. This comes after the Dance of Flags march was held in East Jerusalem. (Middle East Eye) (Times of Israel)
  • Mediators renew their push for another ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following the airstrikes. (The New York Times)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage
  • The Taj Mahal reopens to tourists after a two-month closure due to the second wave of the pandemic in India. (Hindustan Times)
• The United States House of Representatives votes 415–14 to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. This comes after the United States Senate voted unanimously to pass the same bill yesterday. The legislation will now head to U.S. President Joe Biden for his signature. (NBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • The Andorran government lifts the obligation to wear masks outdoors, at work meetings and with people who are immunized. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia
      • North Macedonia lifts their nighttime curfew and allows outdoor organized events, weddings and concerts to be held at 50% capacity. The government also lifts working hour restrictions on the hospitality sector, betting shops, gas stations, and casinos. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 9,055 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total since February 25. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia surpasses 40,000 cases of COVID-19. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Maldives
      • Maldives surpasses 200 deaths from COVID-19. (Raajje)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 2,395 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 83,128. (AKI Press)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The United States government purchases 200 million doses of the vaccine produced by Moderna. (U.S. News & World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
      • Royal Caribbean International announces that it is delaying the inaugural sailing of their brand-new Odyssey of the Seas cruise liner from Fort Lauderdale to July 31 after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa restricts gatherings to 50 people for indoor social and religious events and 100 people for outdoor events, and also extends their curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. and restrict the sale of alcohol to Monday to Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (Al Jazeera)
• Botswanan mining company Debswana presents a 1,098-carat diamond discovered on June 1 to President Mokgweetsi Masisi. The company claims that it is the third-largest diamond ever discovered. (The Guardian)

International relations

• 2021 Russia–United States summit, Russia–United States relations
  • U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit meeting in Geneva. (CBS News)
• German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer withdraws a platoon from a NATO mission in Lithuania. The withdrawal follows a report from Der Spiegel on Monday stating that the platoon's members engaged in misconduct, including bullying, filming a sexual assault against another soldier, and singing antisemitic songs to mark the birthday of dictator Adolf Hitler. (BBC)
• The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry rejects an Arab League resolution calling for the UN Security Council to intervene in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on behalf of Egypt and Sudan. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Fatou Bensouda steps down as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a position she has held since 2012. She is succeeded by Karim Ahmad Khan. (The Jerusalem Post)
• At least sixty Berlin police officers are injured after squatters in a Friedrichshain building attacked them with stones while conducting a fire inspection. (BBC)

Current events of June 15, 2021 (2021-06-15) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • June 2021 Mogadishu bombing
    • A suicide bomber detonates his explosives at a military camp in Mogadishu where new recruits were queueing outside the camp, killing 15 people and injuring many others. This is the deadliest attack in Mogadishu since December 2019. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • The anti-coup militia group Karenni National Defence Force announces that it has stopped its operations against the Burmese military following pleas by civilians residing in the areas they operate in, which have seen 100,000 civilians displaced. The group says that it will continue its opposition to the military junta through other means. Additionally, deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court for the second day, and was reported to be in "better condition". (Reuters)
• Colombian conflict
  • 36 people are injured in a car bomb attack on a U.S. military base in Colombia. The Colombian government suspects possible self-attribution for the attack to the National Liberation Army. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Australia–United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement
  • The British government announces that a free trade agreement has been reached between Australia and the United Kingdom. (BBC)
• Censorship in India, Violence against Muslims in India
  • The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology strips Twitter of legal protection from prosecution after the social media site refuses to take down a tweet featuring a video of an elderly Muslim man in Ghaziabad being assaulted by a Hindu mob and being forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram". Uttar Pradesh police, who demanded the removal of the tweet, alleges the video was "misleading". (NDTV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel lifts its indoor face mask requirement for those except unvaccinated people in healthcare facilities, airplane passengers, and people who must quarantine as the number of new cases continues to decline. (Ynet News) (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia
      • The Malaysian Drug Control Authority grants a conditional approval for emergency use of the CanSino Convidecia and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The authorities also approve the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for people over the age of 12. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
      • The Omani Health Ministry reports that the black fungus infection was detected in three patients. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand surpasses 200,000 cases of COVID-19. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • France begins to vaccinate children between the ages of 12 and 18 years old using special child-sized needles in order to achieve herd immunity and reduce the spread of variants of COVID-19. The age eligibility of 12 years is one of the lowest of any European Union nation. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • Slovenia declares the end of its eight-month state of emergency, which means that cultural and sports events will be able to reopen at 75% capacity for people who can demonstrate that they have either been vaccinated, tested negative or have recovered from COVID-19. (U.S. News and World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey administers a single-day record of 1.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador
    • Ecuador's health regulatory authority Arcsa approves the usage of the CanSino Convidecia vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • The United States surpasses 600,000 deaths from COVID-19, even as daily deaths are reported to be decreasing. (VOA) (AP)

International relations

• Cross-Strait relations
  • The Taiwanese Defense Ministry reports that 28 Chinese air force planes, including four H-6 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone and flew close to the southern tip of the main island and around the Pratas Islands. This is China's largest incursion since Taiwan began monitoring such activities last year. (Reuters)
• Armenia–Turkey relations, Azerbaijan–Turkey relations
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that Turkey will open a consulate in Shusha, a Nagorno-Karabakh city captured by Azerbaijan during last year's war, and that he will look to co-produce military drones with Azerbaijan. Both announcements followed his tour of the contested region with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev the same day. The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemns the visit as a provocation. (Al-Monitor)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest, Winston Boogie Smith protests, Killing of Deona Knajdek
  • Heavily-armed police officers in Minneapolis begin clearing an intersection of Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue in Uptown neighborhood which had been the site of protests since June 3, when Winston Boogie Smith was killed by law enforcement. Tensions escalated dramatically since the death of protester Deona Knajdek when she was killed when a speeding car rammed into her car, which she was using to protect protesters. (CBS)
• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Seventeen Palestinians are arrested and 33 more are injured after Israeli police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians protesting at the Damascus Gate over the procession of a march called Dance of Flags through Jerusalem's Old City. (Al Jazeera)
• LGBT rights in Hungary
  • The Hungarian National Assembly passes a law banning content depicting or promoting same-sex relationships and gender reassignment to anyone under the age of 18. 157 MPs voted in favor, with all opposition parties except the far-right Jobbik boycotting the vote. (Euronews)
• A French court issues the French subsidiary of the Dutch multinational conglomerate IKEA a €1 million (US$1.2 million) fine for conducting illegal employee monitoring activities on its employees and applicants between 2009 and 2012. Its former chief executive officer is also given a two-year prison sentence. (RTL)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Pedro Castillo of the left-wing Free Peru party claims victory in the presidential election, with the final tally putting him 44,058 votes ahead of his rival Keiko Fujimori of the right-wing Popular Force party. (Reuters)
• Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison denies reports by the Australian Broadcasting Company's Four Corners program that his close friend Tim Stewart, who was referred to the national terror hotline by his own family for his extreme far-right political views, influenced his decision to mention "ritual abuse" in a speech regarding child sexual abuse earlier this year, in line with the QAnon conspiracy theory. (News.com.au)
• Canadian Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff Michael Rouleau resigns following criticisms of him playing golf with former General Jonathan Vance, who is accused of sexual misconduct. (BBC)

Sports

• UEFA Euro 2020
  • Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the highest-scoring player in the history of the UEFA European Championship, when he scored his 10th and 11th goals in a match against Hungary. He also becomes the first player to score in five different tournaments. (ESPN)

Current events of June 14, 2021 (2021-06-14) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• London, Ontario truck attack
  • Attorney General of Canada David Lametti approves a request to press terrorism charges against Nathaniel Veltman, who was arrested for a vehicle-ramming attack on Pakistani Muslim family in London, Ontario. (BBC)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • Batken District head Uchkun Jorobaev announces that nine houses that were burnt in the Aksai village during border clashes with Tajikistan will be rebuilt. Reconstruction is expected to be complete in August. (AKIPress)

Disasters and accidents

• A massive fire occurs at a chemical plant in Rockton, Illinois, U.S., that produces greases, lubricants, metal working fluids and cleaners. The fire is being left to burn out in order to prevent runoff from spilling into the nearby Rock River. (NBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
        • Hawaii reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant in an Oahu resident who traveled to Nevada. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • Governor Phil Scott announces that 80% of individuals in Vermont have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first U.S. state to reach the milestone. Following the milestone, Scott announced that the state would lift their restrictions. (WCAX-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuba expands their emergency vaccination plan to Havana and other parts of the island by using the ABDALA vaccine. (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
        • President Rodrigo Duterte extends the general community quarantines for Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces and places 21 areas under modified enhanced community quarantine from June 16 to June 30 with varying restrictions. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan announces that it will receive 150,000 doses of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine by June 20. (24.kg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea eases COVID-19-related restrictions at large concerts and sports events, with up to 4,000 people allowed to attend K-pop concerts and other cultural shows, as well as allowing sport stadiums to operate at 30% to 50% capacity depending on the district as the country continues its vaccination campaign. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that the UK's final relaxing of pandemic-related restrictions in England will be delayed by four weeks due to an increase in the number of cases of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. Reopening has been delayed from June 21 to at least July 19. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Andorra begins vaccination of youths aged 16 and 17 years old with the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Diari d'Andorra)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports 89 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours as the government warns that, due to the presence of the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, the situation is worse than that seen in Australia and New Zealand. Fiji has now reported 1,118 cases nationwide. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Phase III clinical trials for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine candidate conclude in the U.S. and Mexico, showing an efficacy rating of 90.4%, down from the initial estimate of 96.4% efficacy reported in March. Additionally, the vaccine candidate was also found to be 86.3% effective against the Lineage B.1.1.7 Alpha variant that originated in the United Kingdom. (CNN)
    • A study from the Public Health England shows that the vaccine developed by Pfizer is 96% effective against hospitalizations from the Delta variant, while the AstraZeneca–Oxford vaccine is 92% effective. (Reuters)
• The United States is investigating a leak at the Taishan Power Plant, in Taishan, Guangdong, China, which is partially owned by EDF. The French firm ruled out the possibility of an accident, saying the radiation levels were within the limit. (CNN) (NHK)
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that it is banning imports of dogs from 113 countries for one year, stating that hundreds of dogs from these countries had falsified rabies certificates. (BBC)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin defends himself from accusations of hacking and suppressing dissent, saying that the United States also does the same. (Yahoo! News)
• 2021 Brussels summit
  • Leaders of the NATO countries gather at the 31st NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium. (The Washington Post)
• Philippine drug war
  • Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda states that preliminary evidence collected from 2016 to 2019 shows there is "a reasonable basis to believe that the Crime Against Humanity of murder was committed" by the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during their drug war, and that a full investigation on the matter will be sought. Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque attacked the comments as "legally erroneous and politically motivated", and says that the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction because the Philippines withdrew from the organization in 2019. (Al Jazeera)
• Philippines–United States relations
  • Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. suspends the termination of its Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States for another six months, which was set to expire in August. (CNN International)

Law and crime

• Trump administration data seizure
  • John Demers resigns as U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division amid an investigation over allegations that the U.S. Department of Justice spied on Congressional Democrats during the Trump presidency. (NBC News)
  • U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland says that he will strengthen the U.S. Department of Justice and vows to investigate any officials who engaged in data seizure. (The Washington Post)
• Post-coup unrest in Egypt (2013–2014)
  • Egypt's highest civilian court upholds the death sentence of 12 members of the Muslim Brotherhood over a 2013 sit-in which ended with security forces opening fire and killing several hundred pro-Brotherhood protesters. The ruling, which cannot be appealed, leaves the men closer to execution with a pending approval by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • A Virginia couple who were seen carrying protest signs that questioned COVID-19 vaccines in the United States Capitol during the January 6 riot pleads guilty, making them the third and fourth suspects to do so after Jon Schaffer and Paul Hodgkins. Additionally, they are also the first suspects facing minor charges to do so. (The New York Times)
• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • An investigation is launched into supporters of presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori and the Popular Force party for incidents of harassment of electoral authorities via the Internet. (Prensa Latina)
• Two American citizens, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and his son, plead guilty to helping former chairman of Nissan Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan to Lebanon in December 2019. Although Japan has asked for Ghosn's international capture, Lebanon has so far refused to extradite him. (Reuters)
• American intelligence specialist Reality Winner, who was convicted in 2018 for leaking an NSA report on Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections to news site The Intercept, is released from prison. (CNBC)

Current events of June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13) (Sunday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Shiyan pipeline explosion
  • Eleven people are killed and 37 others are seriously injured in a gas explosion in the Zhangwan District of Shiyan, Hubei, China. (CNN International)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
      • Germany's Federal Health Ministry demands that Johnson & Johnson deliver 6.5 million doses of its vaccine by July in order to offset a vaccine shortfall. A spokesman for the ministry says that the situation is regretful and that only 1.15 million doses of the vaccine had been administered as of last Friday. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 14,723 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total on daily cases since February 13. (Asian News International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
    • President Iván Duque Márquez receives his first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
    • Mongolia reports a record 2,188 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the first time the number of daily cases reaches 2,000. It thereby brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 76,084. (Xinhua News Agency)

Law and crime

• Trump administration data seizure
  • It is revealed that, in 2018, the Justice Department, through a subpoena, requested from Apple the data of then-White House Counsel Don McGahn. Apple says that it complied and turned over the information to the government, and notified McGahn and his wife last month. (The Hill)
• Ardea shooting
  • Three people are killed when a gunman opens fire on bystanders at a park in Ardea, Rome, Italy. The attacker, identified as a man with mental problems, commits suicide after barricading himself at his home. (Reuters)
• Trial of Catalonia independence leaders
  • Thousands of Spaniards protest in Madrid the possible pardons to Catalonian independence advocates. Deputy Spanish Prime Minister Carmen Calvo had said that the move was "close" and had asked the People's Party "not to confront Catalonia". Polls show that 63% of Spanish citizens oppose the pardons as a threat to national unity and 25% support the pardons. (Reuters)
• 2020–2021 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial unrest, Winston Boogie Smith protests, Killing of Deona Knajdek
  • One woman is killed and three are injured after a driver drove his car into a group of people in Minneapolis's Uptown district protesting the killing of Winston Boogie Smith, a 33-year-old black man. Police say the suspect is in custody. (NPR)
• Police in Nicaragua arrest opposition activist Suyen Barahona, who is a strong critic of President Daniel Ortega, under the charge of "inciting foreign interference in internal affairs, requesting military interventions and organizing with foreign financing". The arrest is condemned by the opposition. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis
  • Israel's parliament votes in favour of a new coalition government, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure as Prime Minister. He has now been replaced by Naftali Bennett. (Reuters)
  • Anti-Netanyahu protesters gather at the Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate his replacement. (The Jerusalem Post)
• 2021 Chilean regional elections
  • Opposition candidates win in 13 of 14 regions holding the second round of the regional elections. Chile Vamos, the governing right-wing alliance, wins only in the Araucanía Region. (The Saxon)
  • Christian Democrat Claudio Orrego is elected as the first governor of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, after narrowly defeating Broad Front candidate Karina Oliva. (The Rio Times)
• 2021 Swiss referendums
  • Swiss citizens head to the polls to decide on two popular initiatives and three facultative referendums regarding a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, police measures to combat terrorism, the existing carbon tax policy, and a potential nationwide ban on the use of synthetic pesticides. (The Australian)

Current events of June 12, 2021 (2021-06-12) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Two blasts against minibuses carrying civilians kill at least seven people near the Jinnah Hospital in Kabul. The government says that the number of deaths is expected to increase due to the seriousness of those wounded. No group claims responsibility for the attacks. (TOLO)
• 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, 2021 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
  • Through the mediation efforts of Georgia and the United States, Azerbaijan agrees to release 15 Armenian citizens currently being held in captivity. In exchange, Armenia provides Azerbaijan with maps of 97,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in the Agdam District. (Agenda)

Disasters and accidents

• Eight people die and three others are injured after a toxic chemical leak at a plant in Xiaohe District of Guiyang, southwestern China's Guizhou province. (The Washington Post)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19. (VnExpress International)
      • The Ministry of Health issues an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the fourth vaccine to be approved for use in Vietnam. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 1,792 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 73,869. (Xinhua News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hajj
      • Saudi Arabia bans foreign travellers for the second consecutive year for the Hajj pilgrimage, only allowing a maximum of 60,000 citizens and residents between the ages of 18 and 65 who have been vaccinated and are free of chronic diseases to take part in it. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is fined for violating the mask mandate imposed in São Paulo. (Associated Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
      • Colombia reports a record 577 deaths of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 95,192. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • President Félix Tshisekedi says that hospitals in the country's capital, Kinshasa, are "overwhelmed" by COVID-19 patients amid an increase in the number of cases as the country faces its third wave of the pandemic. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases, Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announces that enterprises that do not normally work on weekends remain closed for the next week. In addition, food courts and children's play areas in shopping centers are to close for a week beginning tomorrow, and restaurants and bars must limit their service to takeout from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (France 24)
  • The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide surpasses 175 million. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

• At least 14 people are injured in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas, United States. A suspect has been arrested while police are still looking for another. (CNN)
• Dozens of protesters in the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Abuja are arrested or injured after police fired tear gas at the crowds. The protests, coinciding with a public holiday marking Nigeria's transition to democracy, were organized to protest President Muhammadu Buhari's Twitter ban and numerous other issues plaguing his administration, with protestors calling for his resignation. (Al Jazeera English)
• Violent clashes between the youth and the police break out in the Tunisian capital of Tunis during the evening, following protests over the Tuesday killing of a police detainee. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • As counting nears an end and socialist candidate of Free Peru Pedro Castillo is set to win the presidency, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori asks for thousands of votes to be annulled and blames "the international left" for Castillo's win. (Reuters)
• International protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Protesters in London gather at Downing Street to call for G7 leaders to end their support for Israel ahead of the G7 summit. (Al Jazeera English)
• 2021 Algerian legislative election
  • Algerian citizens head to the polls to vote for a new session to the People's National Assembly for the first time since former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was deposed in 2019. Turnout is the lowest in 20 years due to boycotts over the arrest of seven Hirak movement leaders. (Al Jazeera English)

Science and technology

• Google announces that it is building the world's longest undersea cable that will run from the east coast of the United States to Las Toninas, Argentina, with additional connections in Praia Grande, Brazil, and Punta del Este, Uruguay. The cable will ensure fast, low-latency access to Google products, such as Search, Gmail and YouTube, as well as Google Cloud services. (Jagran Josh)

Sports

• 2021 French Open
  • In tennis, Barbora Krejčíková of the Czech Republic defeats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia to win the women's singles title at the 2021 French Open, her first Grand Slam singles title. (ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs)
• UEFA Euro 2020
  • The group stage match between Denmark and Finland in Copenhagen is suspended following the collapse of Danish player Christian Eriksen during the first half. UEFA reports that Eriksen is in stable condition. (Al Jazeera English)

Time: 22:59 UTC|Day: 18 June

	June 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

Disasters

• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Anti-Netanyahu protests
• Arab protests
• Armenian protests
• Belarusian protests
• Brazilian protests
• Colombian tax reform protests
• Greek protests
• Haitian protests
• Indian farmers' protests
• Israel–Palestine crisis
• Indonesia omnibus law protests
• Jersey dispute
• Libyan peace process
• Myanmar protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Persian Gulf crisis
• Peruvian crisis
• Samoan constitutional crisis
• Sudanese protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• United States racial unrest
• United States Stop Asian Hate protests
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
• Yellow vests movement

Elections and referendums

Recent

• June
  • 6: Mexico, Chamber of Deputies
  • 6: Peru, President (2nd)
  • 9: Mongolia, President
  • 12: Algeria, People's National Assembly
  • 13: Switzerland, Referendums
  • 18: Iran, President

Upcoming

• June
  • 20: Armenia, National Assembly
  • 21: Ethiopia, House of Representatives
  • 24: Gibraltar, Referendum
  • 25: Aruba, Parliament

Trials

Recently concluded

• Brazil: Wilson Witzel
• Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai
• Indonesia: Muhammad Rizieq Shihab
• Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum
• Spain: 2017 Barcelona attacks
• Switzerland: Alieu Kosiah
• United States: Derek Chauvin, Cristhian Bahena Rivera

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• India: Disha Ravi
• Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: Bárcenas affair, Barçagate
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• International: Ali Kushayb, The Gambia v. Myanmar

Upcoming

• Canada: Raj Grewal
• Indonesia: Nurdin Abdullah
• Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
• Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
• Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
• United Kingdom: Apsana Begum
• United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores final stages
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
  • 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • 2021 Major League Soccer season
  • UEFA Euro 2020
  • 2021 Copa América
• Women's association football
  • 2021 NWSL season
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Basketball
  • 2021 NBA Playoffs
• Cricket
  • ICC World Test Championship 2019–21
  • 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
  • 2020–21 PGA Tour
• Ice hockey
  • 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs
• Motorsport
  • 2021 Formula One Championship
  • 2021 Rally Championship
  • 2021 MotoGP
  • 2021 Supercars Championship
• Rugby league
  • 2021 NRL season
  • 2021 Super League
• Rugby union
  • 2020–21 Premiership Rugby
  • Pro14 Rainbow Cup
  • 2020–21 Top 14
  • 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

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

June

• 17: Kenneth Kaunda
• 16: Frank Bonner
• 14: Lisa Banes
• 14: Enrique Bolaños
• 14: Manuel Clavero
• 14: Mburumba Kerina
• 14: Markis Kido
• 13: Ned Beatty
• 13: Ziona
• 12: Mudcat Grant
• 11: Geoffrey Edelsten
• 10: Alexander
• 9: Edward de Bono
• 9: Libuše Šafránková
• 8: Joseph Margolis
• 7: Douglas S. Cramer
• 7: Jim Fassel
• 7: Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur
• 6: Sanyika Shakur
• 5: T. B. Joshua
• 5: Richard Robinson
• 4: Richard R. Ernst
• 4: John Malcolm Patterson
• 4: Clarence Williams III
• 3: F. Lee Bailey
• 3: Karla Burns
• 3: Anerood Jugnauth
• 2: Raymond J. Donovan
• 1: Amedeo, Duke of Aosta

May

• 31: James Crawford
• 31: Arlene Golonka
• 30: Jason Dupasquier
• 29: Gavin MacLeod
• 29: Gwen Shamblin Lara
• 29: Joe Lara
• 29: Cornelius Sim
• 29: B.J. Thomas
• 28: Mark Eaton
• 27: Shane Briant
• 27: Carla Fracci
• 27: Foster Friess
• 27: Poul Schlüter
• 26: Jerome Hellman
• 25: Roger Gifford
• 25: John Warner
• 24: Robert Green Hall
• 24: Anna Halprin
• 24: Samuel E. Wright
• 23: Eric Carle
• 23: Lorrae Desmond
• 23: Bob Fulton
• 23: Ron Hill
• 23: Max Moseley
• 23: Alex Salaueu
• 22: Joe Beckwith
• 22: Cornelia Oberlander
• 22: Yuan Longping
• 21: Ibrahim Attahiru
• 21: Sunderlal Bahuguna
• 21: Tahir Salahov
• 21: Klemen Tinal
• 20: Francisco Brines
• 20: Margherita Marchione

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

• Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
  • Maghreb insurgency
• 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
• Ethiopia
  • Tigray War (spillover)
• Ethiopia and Sudan
  • Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
• Ghana
  • Western Togoland Rebellion
• Mali
  • Mali War
• Mozambique
  • Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
• Nigeria
  • Communal conflicts in Nigeria
• Somalia
  • Civil war
• Sudan
  • War in Darfur
  • South Kordofan conflict
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
• 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
  • Afghanistan War
• India
  • Khalistan movement
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
• 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 Donbass
    • Russo-Ukrainian War

Global

• War on terror

Middle East

• Egypt
  • Sinai insurgency
• Iran and the Persian Gulf
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
• 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
• Turkey
  • Kurdish–Turkish conflict
• 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 – Comics – Film – Home video – Literature – Music (Country, Rock, Metal, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US) – 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 – 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