Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

The aircraft involved in the crash

• A Philippine Air Force C-130 transport aircraft (pictured) crashes in Sulu, killing at least 50 people.
• Former South African president Jacob Zuma is sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court.
• An extreme heat wave kills an estimated 600 people in the Pacific Northwest of North America.
• In Saskatchewan, Canada, 751 unmarked graves are discovered at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Ramlan Hutahaean
• Josh Culbreath
• Thomas G. Plaskett
• Scott Reid
• Frederic Rzewski
• Rachmawati Sukarnoputri

Current events of July 5, 2021 (2021-07-05) (Monday)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Georgia (country)
  • Violent groups storm and ransack the offices of an LGBT+ organization in Tbilisi, Georgia ahead of the Tbilisi Pride march. The activists say that equipment was lost during the attack. (Reuters)

Current events of July 4, 2021 (2021-07-04) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • The Taliban takes control of several further districts overnight as Afghan troops abandon their posts and flee into neighboring Tajikistan via Badakhshan Province. The State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan reports that more than 300 Afghan troops crossed the Tajik border as Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirms that most of the territory was gained without a fight. (AP)
  • Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
    • Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen warns that all foreign troops must leave Afghanistan before a NATO deadline on September 11 amid reports that the U.S. military plans to keep 1,000 troops in Kabul in order to protect both its embassy and the Hamid Karzai International Airport. (BBC)
• Mali War
  • Four Malian soldiers are killed in an ambush on their patrol. No group claims responsibility for the attack, which comes as France resumes joint military exercises with members of the Malian Armed Forces, which had been suspended following the coup d'état this year led by Colonel Assimi Goïta. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Philippine Air Force C-130 crash
  • Fifty people are killed and 49 others are wounded when a C-130 transport plane of the Philippine Air Force carrying 92 passengers and attempting to land at an airport in Jolo, Sulu, crashes in the nearby town of Patikul. Among the dead there are three civilians on the ground; four more are among the injured. (BBC)
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
  • Tropical Storm Elsa passes through the Caribbean, downing trees and blowing off roofs, killing two people in the Dominican Republic and one in Saint Lucia. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Atami landslide
  • Twenty-three people are rescued from their ruined homes after a landslide struck Atami, Japan. Another person is found dead, bringing the death toll to 3. (BBC)
• A huge wildfire spreads through Limassol, Cyprus, killing four people and forcing the evacuation of several villages. It is described as the worst wildfire in the country's history. (BBC)
• A mud volcano eruption in the Caspian Sea, near an oil platform off the coast of Azerbaijan, causes a massive explosion and fireball, which is seen across the region. There are no reports of injuries or damage to any oil platforms. (BNO News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says that around 100,000 teenagers have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Lokmat)
        • Bennett also announces that he has spoken with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla about swapping doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to other countries. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 153 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national death toll to 15,065. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports 43,071 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. This is the eighth consecutive day with less than 50,000 new cases reported. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 555 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, 137 of them from Central Java, thereby bringing the national death toll to 60,582. (Merdeka.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran orders the closure of non-essential businesses such as public parks, restaurants, dessert shops, beauty salons, malls and bookstores in 275 "red" and "orange" zone cities, including the capital Tehran, due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. (Egypt Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg
      • Prime Minister Xavier Bettel is admitted to a hospital as a precautionary measure, one week after he tested positive for COVID-19. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 25,142 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 2, thereby bringing the national total of confirmed cases to 5.6 million. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record 522 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total to 6,161 cases. Fiji has seen a substantial increase in the number of cases since an outbreak occurred in April. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services also reports three deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 30. (RNZ)

Politics and elections

• Politics of France
  • The far-right party National Rally re-elects Marine Le Pen without opposition in a bid to strengthen her candidacy for the 2022 French presidential election after the party performed poorly in regional elections. The party also hosts a rally in Paris. (DW)
• Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, 2021 Brazilian protests
  • The Social Democratic Party's founder Gilberto Kassab says that there is proof "each day to impeach President Jair Bolsonaro" after massive protests and Bolsonaro also announcing his candidacy for next year's presidential election. (Notícias UOL)
• The Chilean Constitutional Convention is inaugurated in Santiago with Mapuche representative Elisa Loncón elected as President of the Convention. (Bloomberg)

Current events of July 3, 2021 (2021-07-03) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • An Israeli cargo vessel travelling towards the United Arab Emirates in the northern Indian Ocean is struck by an "unknown weapon" and damaged. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iran is blamed. (Jerusalem Post)

Business and economy

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation, COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
  • Aerolíneas Argentinas and low-cost carrier Flybondi resume domestic flights in Argentina after a 15 month suspension due to COVID-19 restrictions. The first flights to resume are between Córdoba and the southern city of Bariloche, and from Córdoba and Rosario to San Martín de los Andes. (MercoPress)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Atami landslide
  • Two people are killed and at least 20 others are missing after mudslides damage dozens of houses in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The military is deployed to the area as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga organizes an emergency task team. (BBC)
• European migrant crisis
  • At least 43 migrants die in the Mediterranean Sea during a shipwreck. The boat had departed from Zuwara, Libya, carrying migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh. Eighty-four others were rescued, according to the Red Crescent. (Reuters)
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
  • Hurricane Elsa downgrades to a Tropical Storm and heads towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti followed by Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and the U.S. state of Florida. Heavy rains and high winds are expected. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement
        • Indonesia begins to implement emergency community restrictions in most cities and regencies in the islands of Java and Bali, requiring non-essential businesses and places of worship to close as well as requiring a vaccination card for domestic travel as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Kompas)
      • Indonesia reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 27,913 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.25 million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • Phase-III trials of the Covaxin vaccine from India's Bharat Biotech showed a 65.2% efficacy against the Delta variant, a 77.8% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19, and a 93.4% efficacy against severe COVID-19. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysian movement control order
        • Malaysia imposes an enhanced movement control order in 34 mukims in Selangor and 14 localities in Kuala Lumpur that would not allow residents to leave their home after 8:00 p.m. except for emergency reasons. The EMCO is in effect until July 16. (The Edge Markets)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan
      • Tajikistan becomes the first country to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for adults. (TASS)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 922 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 19,043. (Vietnam News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Lockdown restrictions are lifted in Perth and surrounding towns after a decrease in the number of new cases. Masks are still mandatory in indoor settings, private gatherings are limited to 10 people, and public gatherings are limited to 20 people. Restrictions also lift in Brisbane. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • The test positivity rate in Fiji increases to 9.5% amid an increase in the number of cases since the April outbreak. The country has so far reported 5,253 COVID-19 cases as the opposition National Federation Party condemns the alleged mishandling of the pandemic. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record for the fifth consecutive day of 697 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 137,262. (Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa
    • The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approves the usage of the Coronavac vaccine made by Sinovac under certain conditions. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• A court in the Holy See indicts ten people, including Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, on embezzlement, money laundering, fraud, extortion and abuse of office. Pope Francis personally approved the indictments. (Reuters)

Current events of July 2, 2021 (2021-07-02) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan; Taliban insurgency
    • U.S. troops fully leave Bagram Airfield, handing it to the Afghan Armed Forces as the coalition, including the U.S., prepares to leave Afghanistan after 20 years. Meanwhile, fighting continues between the Taliban and government forces, with analysts saying that the Taliban is "at the door of Kabul". (Al Jazeera)
    • Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby announces that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved a new command to oversee troops who will remain in the country to protect diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The mission will be led by Rear Adm. Peter Vasely. (Stars and Stripes)
    • Bagram Airfield is looted by locals following the sudden American withdrawal from the airbase, which was conducted without any coordination with local officials. Afghan troops later cleared the airbase of looters and secured control of it. (Newsweek)
    • It is reported that, during June, the Taliban captured 700 Humvees as well as dozens of armored vehicles and artillery systems from the Afghan National Army as more districts fall under the group's control during their offensive in the north. (Times of India)
• Tigray War
  • Operation Alula
    • Thousands of captured Ethiopian prisoners of war are paraded through the streets of the Tigrayan capital of Mekelle flanked by Tigrayan fighters. Many of the soldiers appear to be wounded. Huge crowds form to taunt the captured soldiers. (FR24 News)

Disasters and accidents

• Transair Flight 810
  • Transair Flight 810, a cargo flight from Honolulu to Kahului, ditches off the coast of Oahu. The two pilots are injured. (BBC)
• A massive fire breaks out at an undersea gas pipeline which connects to the Ku-Maloob-Zaap oil field, off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. The fire took five hours to contain. Mexican state-run oil company Pemex, who is in charge of the oil field's operations, orders an investigation into the cause of the fire. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
        • The Food and Drug Authority grants an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Antara)
      • Indonesia reports a record third consecutive day of 24,836 new cases and a record fourth consecutive day of 539 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total confirmed cases and death toll to 2.22 million and to 59,534 respectively. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India surpasses 400,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after the U.S. and Brazil. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan receives 2.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States, facilitated through the COVAX initiative, UNICEF and the Government of Pakistan. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the third consecutive day of 61 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,141. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • The Saudi Arabia Education Ministry announces that it will vaccinate students aged 12 and 18. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina
      • Bosnia and Herzegovina reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant in a Spanish woman who visited the Catholic pilgrimage site of Medjugorje. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal imposes a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in 19 "very high risk" municipalities, including Lisbon and Albufeira, and 26 "high risk" municipalities, due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. (The Portugal News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 679 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 136,565. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
      • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau receives his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, Trudeau received the Moderna vaccine for his second dose instead of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon
          • The Oregon Health Authority announces that over 70% of adults in the state have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Columbian)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada
        • The positivity rate for COVID-19 in Nevada reaches to 6%, the highest in the state since March 7. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Lockdown restrictions are lifted in the Northern Territory after a decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases. Masks will still be required indoors, private gatherings will be limited to 10 people, and gyms will remain closed. Lockdown restrictions are also lifted in regional Queensland, but masks will still be required indoors, and private gatherings will be limited to 30 people. (ABC News Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji reports a record five deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the death toll to 29. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
    • Santa Cruz del Islote, one of the most densely populated islands on Earth, becomes the first Colombian territory to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (El Tiempo)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa reports a record 24,270 new cases from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.02 million. (Bloomberg)

International relations

• European migrant crisis, Belarus–Lithuania relations
  • Lithuania declares a state of emergency amid an increase in the number of undocumented migrants crossing into the country from neighbouring Belarus. The Government of Lithuania accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately trying to destabilize the country by encouraging and allowing refugees, mostly Syrians, to cross the border. (Politico)
• Belarus–Ukraine relations
  • Belarus closes its border with Ukraine after President Alexander Lukashenko claims that arms are being smuggled into the country in an attempt by "outside powers" to overthrow his regime, saying that "They have crossed the line. We cannot forgive them". Ukraine denies Lukashenko's claims, and says that closing the border would make its people "suffer". (BBC)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  • COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
    • Brazil prosecutors open a probe into President Jair Bolsonaro for his role in a scandal involving the Covaxin vaccine. (Macau Business)
• A court in Tonga sentences the former Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism ʻAkosita Lavulavu and her husband to six years in prison after the Supreme Court found them both guilty of obtaining money by false pretenses. (RNZ)

Politics and elections

• Elections in the United Kingdom, Batley and Spen by-election
  • The opposition Labour Party narrowly holds the West Yorkshire constituency of Batley and Spen with a reduced majority of just 323 votes, defying expectations of a loss. (BBC)

Current events of July 1, 2021 (2021-07-01) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• ADF insurgency
  • U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Michael A. Hammer announces that the U.S. government will assist in training Congolese forces and with intelligence sharing. (Newsweek)

Arts and culture

• 2021 Canadian Indian residential schools gravesite discoveries
  • Indigenous protesters tear down the Statue of Queen Victoria in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, as protests grow over the mass graves of indigenous children discovered at former Canadian Indian residential schools. A smaller statue of Queen Elizabeth II was also toppled nearby. (BBC). Multiple Catholic Churches on or near indigenous grounds have been burned down (CBC).

Business and economy

• Economy of El Salvador
  • President Nayib Bukele requests a minimum wage increase of 20% due to poor Salvadorans suffering from an "onslaught of global inflation". Bukele also orders more food handouts to combat hunger during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The country recently had a government reshuffle, which has put in doubt negotiations for a potential $1 billion financing program from the International Monetary Fund. (Reuters)
• Economy of Uganda
  • Uganda imposes a new tax rate for using the internet as the government orders a 12% excise duty on mobile data. President Yoweri Museveni defends the tax as he says that social media users are "endlessly donating money to foreign telephone companies through chatting or even lying" and described the use of social media as a "luxury". This tax proposal, which takes effect immediately, resulted in protests in 2018 and 2019. (Africa Feeds)

Politics and elections

• Politics of China
  • CCP general secretary Xi Jinping delivered a speech in which he specifically announced the realization of the first goal of the Two Centenaries goal set. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Madagascar food crisis
  • UN agencies report that due to the food insecurity that has affected around one million people in Madagascar, the population has been surviving by eating ashes mixed with tamarind and shoe leather, as the United States and South Korea pledge economic aid to Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina. (Metro UK)
• 2021 Western North America heat wave
  • Lytton wildfire
    • The village of Lytton, British Columbia, is evacuated after a wildfire destroys 90% of the village amid an unprecedented heat wave caused by a rare "heat dome" event over the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. The village recently recorded Canada's highest ever temperature of 49.6 °C (121.3 °F). (BBC)
• 2020–2021 Taal Volcano eruptions
  • The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raises the alert status of Taal Volcano to level 3 after the volcano emitted a kilometer-high ash plume, forcing authorities in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite to evacuate thousands of people. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh imposes a lockdown that suspends all public transport and only allows people to leave their house for emergency reasons due to a substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Soldiers are deployed to enforce the lockdown. (Voice of America)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement
        • President Joko Widodo announces emergency community restrictions in 122 regencies and cities in Java and Bali, including the capital Jakarta from July 3 to 20 which would require non-essential businesses and places of worship to close. (Reuters)(CNA)
      • Indonesia reports a record 24,836 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.2 million. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 57 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,080. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 672 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the nationwide death toll to 135,886. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey lifts nearly all COVID-19-related business restrictions, as well as nighttime and Sunday curfews as the number of cases remains steady. Only hookah shops continue to remain closed. (AP)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Turkey
        • Turkey begins to giving a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers and people aged above 50 years old. (Hurriyet Daily News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 27,989 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of cases since January 25. (ITV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record of 431 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 4,849. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services also reports two deaths, bringing the death toll to 24, with 22 of these deaths having occurred since the current outbreak began in April. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announces a month-long vaccination raffle in which residents can win a total of $5 million in cash (one grand prize of $2 million or three prizes of $1 million) and $500,000 total in college scholarships for children aged 12 to 17 years old (nine prizes of $55,000). On the first day, 464,698 people had applied, including 23,978 eligible children. The winners will be drawn on August 4. (MLive.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone
    • President Julius Maada Bio announces a nationwide curfew in the country to combat the spread of COVID-19. (The Sierra Leone Telegraph)

International relations

• Turkey–United States relations
  • The United States adds Turkey to its list of governments that are implicated in the use of child soldiers, saying that the country has provided "tangible support" to the Neo-Ottoman Sultan Murad Division, in Syria and Libya, which uses child soldiers. It is the first time that a NATO member state has been included in the Trafficking in Persons Report. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in Rwanda
  • Rwanda legalizes the medical use of cannabis. However, recreational use of cannabis remains illegal. (The East African)

Science and technology

• Climate change in Antarctica
  • The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization confirms that a record high temperature of 18.3 °C (64.9 °F) has been recorded in Antarctica at the Esperanza Base. (France 24)

Current events of June 30, 2021 (2021-06-30) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan, Afghanistan–Poland relations
  • The last Polish troops leave Afghanistan, thereby ending Poland's involvement in the war. Around 33,000 Polish troops have served in Afghanistan during the war, with 44 being killed in action. (AP)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
    • U.S. fashion retailer Gap announces that it will be closing all of its 81 stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company will continue to provide an online store for British and Irish customers. (BBC)
• UK Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan announces that due to a move towards a "much larger mix of renewables", the use of coal for electricity production will end a year earlier than planned, in October 2024. (Sky News)
• American financial services company Robinhood is fined US$70 million by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for presenting misleading information to investors and failing to act on "systemic supervisory failures", making it the largest fine ever issued by the regulatory organization. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Western North America heat wave
  • The number of sudden deaths due to the extreme hot temperatures in British Columbia, Canada, increases to 486. The death toll represents a 195% increase of the 165 sudden deaths that would normally occur over this period. While the official cause of death for each deceased person has not yet been established, many are linked to the hot temperatures. (BBC)
  • The deaths of 63 people in Oregon, United States, are also linked to the extreme hot temperatures that are affecting the region. (OPB)
• The head of the World Food Programme, David Beasley, warns of a "biblical" famine due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and says that the disaster already exists in Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan and Yemen, while also warning that conditions are of "particular concern" in Nigeria and Burkina Faso. (Deccan Herald)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 1,130 new cases and 27 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 50,385 and the nationwide death toll to 602. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 21,807 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.18 million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos reports its first three imported cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in Thai migrant workers from Champasack. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea
      • North Korean leader Kim Jong-un berates the Politburo for the country's failed COVID-19 pandemic response which resulted in an unspecified "great crisis". (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
        • Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen says that the Singapore Armed Forces will reach “herd immunity” status by mid-July after 92% of their troops have been vaccinated. (The Strait Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 53 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,023. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 669 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 135,214. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 26,068 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of cases since January 29. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
        • Over five million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in British Columbia. (CHEK News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska
        • Nebraska will end their COVID-19 response dashboard after the state exits their state of emergency at 11:59 pm tonight. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The Northern Territory lockdown extends to the town of Alice Springs as cases of COVID-19 spread from the Darwin cluster. (The Guardian)
• China is declared malaria-free by the WHO, following an eradication effort that began in 1950. (DW)

International relations

• Reform of the United Nations Security Council
  • In a joint statement, UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab and his German counterpart Heiko Maas call for Germany to permanently join the United Nations Security Council, after outgoing German UN ambassador Christoph Heusgen said earlier in the day that this needs to happen in order to reflect the shifting global power balance. (DW) (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • January 6 commission, United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack
    • The U.S. House of Representatives votes 222–190 to establish a committee to investigate the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol, with Liz Cheney (WY-1) and Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) being the only two Republicans to vote for the committee. (NBC News)
  • An Alabama man becomes the third member of the Oath Keepers to plead guilty for his role in the Capitol riot. (NBC News)
• Women's rights in Yemen
  • The trial of Yemeni actress and model Intisar al-Hammadi begins in Sanaa. al-Hammadi stands accused of "indecent acts" for posting photos of herself without a headscarf on social media. She was arrested in February by Houthi authorities. Human Rights Watch denounces the trial as unfair and says that al-Hammadi was subjected to physical and verbal abuse, racist insults and forced to sign documents while blindfolded and also being threatened to undergo a virginity test. (BBC)
• 2021 Canadian Indian residential schools gravesite discoveries
  • The discovery of 182 unmarked graves at the site of the Kootenay Indian Residential School near Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, is announced, weeks after the remains of 215 children were found at a similar residential school. (CTV News Vancouver)
• Bill Cosby sexual assault cases
  • Former American comedian Bill Cosby is released from prison after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturns his conviction. (AP)
• Legal affairs of Donald Trump
  • A grand jury in Manhattan indicts the Trump Organization, as well as its CFO Allen Weisselberg. (The New York Times)
• LGBT rights in the United States
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces that the U.S. passport will include an option for a third gender, and that effective immediately, applicants can indicate their gender without having to provide medical proof. (NPR)
• Saudi Arabian state-run news channel Al Arabiya reports that authorities seized a shipment of 4.5 million Captagon amphetamine pills, smuggled inside several orange cartons, at a port in Jeddah. (Al Jazeera)
• The UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals sentences both Serbian State Security Service chief Jovica Stanišić and his deputy Franko "Frenki" Simatović to 12 years in prison for providing support to Serb paramilitary groups that carried out ethnic cleansings against the Croat and Bosniak populations in the Bosnian town of Šamac during the Bosnian War. The case against the two men was the longest international war crime case in history, having started in 2003, and marks the first time that senior officials in the government of former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević were convicted for war crimes committed during the war. (The Guardian)
• On the 32nd anniversary of the 1989 Sudanese coup d'état, Sudanese authorities arrest at least 200 members of deposed Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party in the early morning for allegedly promoting instability. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• President of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune appoints Minister of Finance Aymen Benabderrahmane as the new Prime Minister. (Al Jazeera)
• Hundreds of protestors march in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and call for the resignation of the transitional government after the government reduced bread and fuel subsidies in order to fulfill its obligations with the International Monetary Fund. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 vaccine
  • Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledges help to the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue and Tonga to strengthen their health systems while vowing to the leaders of those nations to host a "safe and secure" 2020 Summer Olympics. (Kyodo News)
• The Court of Arbitration for Sport bans Bahraini 400 m-runner Salwa Eid Naser from participating in the sport for two years, thus banning her from the Tokyo Olympics, for not taking doping tests between March 2019 and January 2020. This overturns the ruling made by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal last October, who absolved her based on a technicality. (Al Jazeera)
• American chess player Abhimanyu Mishra becomes the youngest Grandmaster (GM) in the world, at age 12, after defeating Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca in Budapest. (ESPN)

Current events of June 29, 2021 (2021-06-29) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • Intense fighting between Taliban insurgents and government forces kills 28 civilians and injures another 290 during the past week, according to the head of a hospital in Kunduz, with the majority of the dead being children, women and elderly people. The Taliban has moved beyond its southern strongholds and has intensified the fighting in the north, according to military experts. (Reuters)
  • German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announces that Germany has completed the withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan, thereby ending their involvement in the war. (Sputnik News)
  • The last Italian troops leave Afghanistan after handing over their base in Herat to Afghan security forces, thereby ending Italy's involvement in the war. (Euronews)
• Tigray War
  • The Tigray People's Liberation Front and Tigray Defense Forces pledge to "drive enemies out" of the regional capital Mekelle after a unilateral ceasefire was declared by Ethiopia on Monday. Tigrayan forces say that the city of Mekelle is completely under the control of their forces. (Al Jazeera)
  • Eritrean troops withdraw from the towns of Adwa, Axum, and Shire. (CTV News)
  • After seizing the regional capital, Tigray People's Liberation Front spokesman Getachew Reda states that Tigrayan forces would invade the neighbouring Amhara Region and Eritrea to "destroy the enemy", claiming that the enemy, "whether from the Eritrean side or Amhara side or Addis Ababa, doesn't have the capability to threaten the security of our people anymore". (BBC)

Arts and culture

• Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, House Resolution 3005
  • The U.S. House of Representatives votes 285–120 on a bill to remove Confederate statues from the United States Capitol, as well as replacing the bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, known for the pro-slavery Dred Scott v. Sandford ruling, with one of Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice on the court. The bill will head to the U.S. Senate. (CNBC)

Business and economy

• Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announces that by 2035, all new cars and light trucks sold in the country have to be zero-emission. The target, previously set for 2040 for all passenger vehicles, was moved up after a recent report by the International Energy Agency said that to achieve net zero-emissions by mid-century, all new light vehicle sales had to be electric. (Financial Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Western North America heat wave
  • More than 130 people die in British Columbia, Canada, and six more across the United States due to the extreme hot temperatures that are affecting the country. (BBC)
  • The temperature reaches 49.5 °C (121.1 °F) in Lytton, British Columbia, breaking the all-time record for hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada for the third day in a row. The temperature reached 47.6 °C (117.7 °F) in Lytton on June 28 and 46.6 °C (115.9 °F) on June 27, both records. (CBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh surpasses 900,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Financial Express)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • The Drugs Controller General of India grants emergency use approval for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine imported by Cipla. (Livemint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant with more than 10 people detected in Mashhad. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina further closes its borders, allowing only 600 entries per day, in an attempt to reduce the spread of the Delta variant as the country has so far reported over 4.4 million cases and more than 93,000 deaths from COVID-19. (ADN Digital)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Perth, Brisbane and their respective surrounding towns enter lockdown as coronavirus spreads from the Sydney cluster. People will only be allowed to leave home for essential work or study, medical or compassionate reasons, essential shopping, or outdoor exercise (with restrictions), and masks must be worn outdoors. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record 652 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 134,545. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports a record 5,251 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, prompting the government to extend the curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. beginning from July 1. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe imposes a curfew from 6:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., bans inter-city travel, and reduces business hours to 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in response to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • A study shows that the vaccine developed by Moderna is effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants including the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (CNBC)
    • U.S. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announces that the Biden administration will ship 2 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Peru and 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Pakistan. Additionally, the United States will also send vaccine doses to Bangladesh. (Reuters) (The Strait Times)

International relations

• Israel–United Arab Emirates relations
  • Israel Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visits the United Arab Emirates, making it the first visit to the country by a Israel government official since the two countries normalized relations nine months ago. (Al Jazeera)
• Kosovo–Serbia relations
  • In an interview with the Serbian division of Euronews, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić says that any hopes of his country reclaiming Kosovo is unrealistic, and that he is willing to enter a "rational and compromise solution" regarding recognition of Kosovo's independence. However, he says that any agreement reached between the two countries needs to ultimately be decided by referendum. (Exit.al)

Law and crime

• The Constitutional Court of South Africa finds former President Jacob Zuma guilty of contempt of court over his refusal to answer questions on corruption charges and sentences him to 15 months' imprisonment. (DW)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Vanuatu
  • Prime Minister Bob Loughman wins a confidence vote by the parliament after a no-confidence motion had been introduced to remove his government by opposition leader Ralph Regenvanu. However, Loughman's hold on power remains tenuous as the Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the seats of 19 government MPs were to be declared vacant. Loughman's government has already appealed the ruling. (RNZ)
• 2021 Eswatini protests
  • Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku denies reports that King Mswati III has fled the country amid ongoing nationwide protests. (News24) (Swaziland News)

Time: 10:50 UTC|Day: 5 July

	July 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	31

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
• 2021 Western North America heat wave
• Madagascar food crisis
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Arab protests
• Belarusian protests
• Brazilian protests
• Colombian tax reform protests
• Eswatini protests
• Greek protests
• Haitian protests
• Indian farmers' protests
• 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
  • 21: Ethiopia, House of Representatives
  • 24: Gibraltar, Referendum
  • 25: Aruba, Parliament

Upcoming

• July
  • 11: Bulgaria, Parliament
  • 11: Moldova, Parliament
  • 11: Slovenia, Referendum

Trials

Recently concluded

• Brazil: Wilson Witzel
• Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai
• Indonesia: Muhammad Rizieq Shihab
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: 2017 Barcelona attacks
• Switzerland: Alieu Kosiah
• Tonga: ʻAkosita Lavulavu
• United States: Derek Chauvin, Cristhian Bahena Rivera

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Belarus: Sergei Tikhanovsky
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• India: Disha Ravi
• Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• 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 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
  • 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

July

• 4: Harmoko
• 1: Josh Culbreath
• 1: Louis Andriessen

June

• 30: Bonfoh Abass
• 30: Del Wilkes
• 29: Stuart Damon
• 29: Donald Rumsfeld
• 28: Menelik Shabazz
• 27: Jack G. Downing
• 27: Hiroaki Nakanishi
• 26: Mike Gravel
• 26: Abdalelah Haroun
• 26: Jon Hassell
• 26: John Langley
• 26: Mir Hazar Khan Khoso
• 26: Frederic Rzewski
• 26: Johnny Solinger
• 25: Jack Ingram
• 24: Benigno Aquino III
• 24: Sonny Callahan
• 24: Stephen Dunn
• 24: Thomas G. Plaskett
• 24: Trần Thiện Khiêm
• 23: Melissa Coates
• 23: Brian London
• 23: John McAfee
• 23: Clare Peploe
• 23: Robert Sacchi
• 23: Mila Ximénez
• 22: Jim Bessman
• 22: Horacio González
• 21: Nina Divíšková
• 21: Tom Kurvers
• 20: Joanne Linville
• 20: Irene Mambilima
• 20: Mark Peel
• 18: Giampiero Boniperti
• 18: Milkha Singh
• 17: Kenneth Kaunda
• 16: Frank Bonner
• 16: Janet Malcolm
• 16: Richard Stolley
• 15: Vladimir Shatalov
• 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

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
• Ireland and the UK
  • Dissident Irish republican campaign

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