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.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Satoshi Hirayama
• Jolidee Matongo
• Thanu Padmanabhan
• Bob Enyart
• Dušan Ivković
• Lou Angotti

Current events of September 21, 2021 (2021-09-21) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Sudanese forces thwart a coup d'état attempt against the ruling civilian-military government from loyalists of former president Omar al-Bashir which began overnight. Interrogations of instigators were to begin today, sources close to the government say. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • Several regional areas of New South Wales enter lockdown after a rise in COVID-19 cases. At the same time, due to hitting statewide vaccination targets, lockdown measures are relaxed slightly across New South Wales, with children under 18 years old able to form a "friends bubble" with one other household. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    • Harbin bans visits at retirement homes, closes spas, cinemas and mahjong salons, reducing the tourist attraction capacity to 50%, and suspending religious activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in poorly ventilated spaces after one community transmitted cases was found. (Al-Arabiya English)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    • The number of recovered COVID-19 patients in Indonesia surpasses four million. (detikHealth)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands
    • The government announces in the week that public servants will soon be target of the "no jab, no job" policy and that they will have to step down or receive half-pay if they refuse to get their COVID-19 vaccine. (RNZ)

International relations

• Australia–European Union relations, Australia–France relations
  • President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stalls a free trade agreement with Australia over the latter's recent cancellation of a submarine contract with France, demanding Australia apologise to France for the agreement to continue. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 protests in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
  • Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announces a two-week halt to construction work after yesterday's riot at the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union office. Rioters claimed they were construction workers, although CFMEU officials and others have doubted that the majority were. (ABC News Australia)
  • Protesters return to the Melbourne CBD for the second day straight, assaulting journalists and blocking the West Gate Freeway. Riot police respond with rubber bullet rounds. (New Zealand Herald)

Law and crime

• The European Court of Human Rights rules that agents acting on behalf of the Russian state were responsible for the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. (BBC News)

Current events of September 20, 2021 (2021-09-20) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Aftermath of the Rwandan genocide
  • A court in Rwanda finds Paul Rusesabagina, a former hotel manager portrayed as a hero in the Hollywood film about the genocide, guilty of terrorism-related charges. Rusesabagina, who remained handcuffed in court, denounced president Paul Kagame and said that he was abducted from exile in Dubai in order to stand trial in Rwanda. (Reuters)
• Anglophone Crisis
  • Fifteen soldiers and civilians are killed during two bombing and shooting attacks in the Northwest Region, Cameroon. The attacks had been carried out several days ago but were not reported until today. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• Volkswagen submits an offer of €2.5 billion for French car rental firm Europcar. The deal, which would give Volkswagen 66% of Europcar's shares, has been accepted by the board but still needs to be accepted by regulators in France. Volkswagen previously owned Europcar and sold it to French investment firm Eurazeo for €3.3 billion in 2006. (RTE)
• Twitter agrees to pay $809.5 million to settle a shareholder class action lawsuit that accused the social media company of painting an overly rosy picture of its future. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 La Palma eruption
  • More than 100 homes on the island of La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands are destroyed by lava flows, and 5,000 people are evacuated. Several schools on the island suspend classes. (El Mundo) (Europa Press)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
        • England and Scotland begin the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 12 and 15 as part of an expansion of their vaccination programme in order to protect more people from COVID-19 during the winter. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • The Austrian government announces that it will require protective face masks and COVID-19 passes for users of ski lifts this winter in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the country will allow foreign skiers for the first time in two years. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
      • Italy begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to clinically vulnerable people using mRNA-based vaccines. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Switzerland begins to implement a mandatory negative COVID-19 test result for travellers who have not been vaccinated or who have not recovered from COVID-19 upon entering the country in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Schengen Visa Info)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
      • The Vatican City issues a decree that would require visitors who enter the city state to show an Italian Green Pass or its international immunity passport equivalent, providing proof that they have been vaccinated, tested negative in the previous 72 hours, or have recovered from COVID-19, beginning on October 1. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announces that COVID-19 vaccines will be required for all teachers and students in the district by November 1. (The Washington Post)
      • The Biden administration announces that travel restrictions will be lifted for international travellers who are fully vaccinated and show a negative COVID-19 test. These rules will be in effect beginning in November. (Euronews)
    • The CDC releases a study which finds that 99.4% of all current cases of COVID-19 in the United States are of the highly transmittable Delta variant. (The New York Times)
    • The total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. surpasses the total number of deaths from the Spanish flu in the U.S. in 1918-1919. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
    • Uzbekistan lifts some COVID-19-related restrictions, allowing the reopening of theatres, cinemas, and concert halls, as well as allowing mass events to be held indoors and outdoors due to a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (AKI Press)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Pfizer says that their vaccine candidate is effective for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (CBS News)

International relations

• El Salvador–United States relations, Guatemala–United States relations
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces that the department has included five judges of the Supreme Court of El Salvador as well as the Attorney General of Guatemala María Consuelo Porras in a list of "undemocratic and corrupt" officials. (Swissinfo)

Law and crime

• Perm State University shooting
  • Six people are killed and around 20 more are wounded in a mass shooting at Perm State University in Perm, Perm Krai, Russia. The gunman, an 18-year-old student at the university, has been arrested. (BBC)
• 2021 Belarus–European Union border crisis
  • Poland accuses Russia and Belarus of "orchestrating a wave of illegal immigration" after four people were found dead yesterday at the Polish–Belarusian border. (Al Jazeera)
• Three former U.S. intelligence operatives, who worked as senior managers at a United Arab Emirates–based company, have been ordered by the Department of Justice to pay $1,685,000 in fines for "leveraging zero-click exploits to illegally obtain and use access credentials for online accounts issued by U.S. companies, and to obtain unauthorized access to computers globally, including in the United States". (Fox Business News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Canadian federal election
  • Voters in Canada go to the polls to elect members of the House of Commons to the 44th Canadian Parliament, with pollsters predicting a tight race between Justin Trudeau's incumbent Liberal Party and Erin O'Toole's opposition Conservative Party. (CTV News)
  • The Liberal Party is projected to retain their minority government. (CTV News)
  • O'Toole speaks to supporters and announces that he has made a phone call to Trudeau to concede the election. (National Post)
• Aftermath of the 17 October Revolution
  • The parliament of Lebanon approves the government formed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (AFP via France 24)
• COVID-19 protests in Australia
  • Members of Melbourne's far-right violate lockdown laws and riot at the office of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, damaging windows and assaulting state secretary John Setka before being dispersed by police. The rioters were dressed in the high-visibility clothing associated with the construction industry and presented themselves as Union rank-and-file protesting a bureaucracy which they claimed was working to impose mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. Setka said that the Union opposes mandatory vaccinations and blamed the riots on "outside extremists", stating that only a minority of those in attendance were Union members. (The Guardian)

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • ISIL–Taliban conflict
    • Three Taliban members and two civilians are killed when a bomb, planted by ISIL–K, explodes near a Taliban vehicle in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. (The Guardian)
• Papua conflict, Australia–Indonesia relations
  • A recently declassified Australian intelligence report from 1998 reveals that 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)

Arts and culture

• 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards
  • The 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards takes place at the Event Deck in Los Angeles, with Ted Lasso winning four Emmys. Brett Goldstein, Jason Sudeikis, and Hannah Waddingham win their first career Emmys. (Deadline) (CNBC)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage, COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
  • Iran reopens museums in Tehran and other large cities with sanitary protocols after a year-long closure due to the pandemic. (AFP via Radio France Internationale)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 La Palma eruption
  • The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, erupts for the first time in fifty years. A few hours later, the first preventive evacuations of people with reduced mobility from nearby towns took place after the declaration of a state of pre-eruption. (Reuters) (elDiario.es)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laotian capital Vientiane enters in a strict lockdown for two weeks as the city reported a record number of COVID-19 cases. Travel between the hard-hit provinces is also banned and anyone wishing to enter the city must be quarantined for 14 days. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia
      • The Malaysian government approves a plan to administer a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for high-risk groups once the nationwide vaccination rate surpasses 80% of the adult population. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports 1,012 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since April 2020. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Abu Dhabi lifts the requirement for people from other emirates to receive COVID-19 testing before they enter the capital due to a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (The National News)
• Sixty-three African penguins are dead after being stung by a swarm of bees in Simon's Town, South Africa. The African penguin is an endangered species. (BBC)

International relations

• Mexico–United States border crisis
  • The United States closes the Mexico–US border near the Texas city of Del Rio after thousands of Haitian migrants arrived at the International Bridge near the city. The U.S. will also begin flying the migrants back to Haiti. (AP)

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)
• Women's rights in Afghanistan
  • The new Taliban mayor of Kabul, Hamdullah Nomani, asks women to stay at home in case their job can be filled by a man. Nomani also added that the Taliban "finds it necessary to stop women from working for a while" and instead urged them to work in places where men cannot go due to gender segregation. (BBC)

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, which 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)
• One person is killed and seven more wounded during a grenade attack at a volleyball match in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Philippines. (Manila Standard)
• 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)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
    • Finland reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Mu variant, which was first detected in Colombia. (Yle)

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 for various felonies. (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)
• The 2021 Hungarian opposition primary's first round has started.(Deutsche Welle)

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)
• Foreign relations of Iran
  • The Shanghai Cooperation Organization grants membership status to Iran. (Nikkei Asia)
• 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)
  • 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)

Time: 13:36 UTC|Day: 21 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
• 2020–21 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
  • 8: Morocco, House of Representatives
  • 12: Macau, Legislative Assembly
  • 12−13: Norway, Storting
  • 16: Bahamas, House of Assembly
  • 17−19: Russia, State Duma
  • 19: Hong Kong, Election Committee
  • 20: Canada, House of Commons

Upcoming

• September
  • 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) 
• October
  • 2: Qatar, Consultative Assembly

Trials

Recently concluded

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

Ongoing

• 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
• 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
  • 2021–23 ICC World Test Championship
  • 2020–23 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League
  • 2019–23 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2
  • 2019–22 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League
• 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: James Bilbray
• 19: Sylvano Bussotti
• 19: John Challis
• 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
• 11: Phùng Quang Thanh
• 10: Charles Konan Banny
• 10: Michael Chapman
• 10: Jorge Sampaio
• 8: Art Metrano
• 8: Yevgeny Zinichev
• 8: Neddy Smith
• 6: Anthony Johnson
• 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

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