Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Michael Spavor

• The Social Democratic Party wins the most seats in the German federal election.
• Canadians Michael Spavor (pictured) and Michael Kovrig are released from detention in China shortly after the release of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou from house arrest in Canada.
• The Liberal Party of Canada, led by Justin Trudeau, is re-elected to a minority government.
• Former President of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika dies at the age of 84.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Roger Hunt
• Caressing
• Charles W. Mills
• Len Ashurst
• Marcia Freedman
• Helmut Oberlander

Current events of September 29, 2021 (2021-09-29) (Wednesday)

Law and crime

• Unexplained wealth of the Marcos family
  • The Sandiganbayan, the Philippines' anti-graft court, orders Royal Traders Holding Co. Inc., a bank formerly controlled by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to pay the Philippine government an estimated PHP1 billion (USD 32.446 million) in bank certificates that were confiscated by the United States Customs Service after their ouster in 1986. (Rappler)

Politics and elections

• Indigenous land rights in Australia
  • The Queensland state government grants land rights over parts of the UNESCO-listed Wet Tropics, including the Daintree National Park, to the Kuku Yalanji people. The Kuku Yalanji will initially co-administer the land with the Queensland government. (The Guardian)
• Politics of Tunisia
  • Tunisian President Kais Saied appoints Najla Bouden Romdhane as the first female prime minister in Tunisia and the Arab world. (CNN)
• 2021 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election
  • The Liberal Democratic Party elects former foreign minister Fumio Kishida as leader, virtually paving his way to become prime minister within days, succeeding Yoshihide Suga. (Reuters)

Current events of September 28, 2021 (2021-09-28) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Kwatar Daban Masara airstrike
    • At least 50 civilians were killed by a Nigerian Air Force airstrike at a fish market in the village of Daban Masara, Borno State, two days ago. The military has imposed a ban on fishing in the area due to allegations that ISWAP was using the sales of the fish to fund their operations. (Reuters)
• South Thailand insurgency
  • Two police officers are killed and four others wounded as their van is hit by a roadside bombing in Chanae District, Thailand. (Bangkok Post)
• Mali War
  • Mali accuses France of "abandoning the country" by reducing its forces in the fight against jihadist groups. In response to the remarks, France accuses Mali's military junta of "wiping their feet on the blood of French soldiers". (Channel 4)
• Five Sudanese security forces personnel are killed and a sixth is injured during clashes with an IS-linked group in Khartoum. Eleven terrorists are arrested. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Treatment of women by the Taliban
  • Women are barred from working or attending classes at Kabul University by the university's Taliban-appointed chancellor Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat. Ghairat says that "as long as [a] real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work." (The Hill)

Business and economy

• 2021 United Kingdom fuel panic buying
  • Defence Secretary Ben Wallace approves a request for 150 military tanker drivers to help deliver fuel to petrol stations. The Petrol Retailers Association says that 37% of its 5,500 stations have run out of fuel. (BBC)
• The United Kingdom's Department for Transport announces that it is seizing control of train operating company Southeastern beginning next month following a "serious breach" of financial conduct. An investigation found that around £25 million in taxpayer funding is currently unaccounted for. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption
  • Spain declares the island of La Palma a "disaster zone" as the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to erupt and produce lava flows. (Reuters)
  • Lava flows from the volcano have reached the Atlantic Ocean after nine days, causing a massive cloud, according to local residents. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • The Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation will allow the Serum Institute of India to conduct trials of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in children between the ages of 7 and 11 years. (Business Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces that the state of emergency that was declared in April will end on September 30, with COVID-19-related restrictions to then be gradually eased. (NPR)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports a record 2,236 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 91,775. (The Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania reports a record 11,049 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,210,810. (RFE/RL)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 852 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 205,531. (The Brussels Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
      • Serbia reports a record 8,467 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 926,269. (Tanjug)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
      • Victoria reports a record 867 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including 149 cases not previously reported due to technical issues. (9 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica, COVID-19 vaccination in Costa Rica
    • Costa Rica mandates that all state workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 despite not specifying a deadline, making it the first Latin American country to impose a vaccination mandate. (Reuters)

International relations

• Australia–Nauru relations, Pacific Solution
  • Australia and Nauru announce that, last week, they renewed their agreement to maintain a detention center in Nauru for asylum seekers and refugees who are attempting to reach Australia. Australia has provided millions of dollars in order to maintain the offshore detention center. (RNZ)

Law and crime

• Capital Gazette shooting
  • Jarrod Ramos is sentenced to life in prison for the June 2018 killings of five employees in a mass shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. (MSN)
• Twenty-four people are killed and 42 others are wounded during a battle between rival gangs at a prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Some of the inmates were armed with guns and grenades. (Al Jazeera)
• Twenty-five people are injured, four critically, during an explosion at a block of flats in Gothenburg, Sweden. An accident has been ruled out, with authorities suspecting a criminal background. (The Guardian)
• In a 35-page report, a commission appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate sex abuses during the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo finds that there were "clear structural failures" and "individual negligence" for the sex abuse and rape of women and girls between 2018 and 2020 by WHO staff. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom apologizes for the abuses. (France24)

Science and technology

• NASA announces the scheduled launch of Lucy, a 12-year space probe on the Jupiter trojan asteroids, the first mission to do so. It will launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on October 16. (AFP via The Straits Times)

Current events of September 27, 2021 (2021-09-27) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Islamic State–Taliban conflict
    • ISIL–K leader Mawlawi Ziya ul-Haq is killed and more than 80 fighters are arrested during Taliban raids in the eastern Nangarhar Province. The raids are carried out as ISIL-K has killed several people during attacks in Jalalabad in recent days. (Al Jazeera)
• Colombian conflict
  • Ten FARC dissidents are killed during a military bombing in Morichal Nuevo, Guainía Department. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• 2021 United Kingdom fuel panic buying
  • The government places the army on standby to help deliver fuel to petrol stations if it becomes necessary after panic buying has depleted their stocks. The increased demand arose after press reports that the ongoing delivery driver shortage could reduce the availability of fuel. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption
  • The Cumbre Vieja volcano becomes highly active again after two periods during the day with no emission of ash and lava. (El País)
• 2021 Crete earthquake
  • A 5.8 magnitude earthquake strikes the Greek island of Crete, killing one person and injuring 35 others. (Reuters)
• Power outages are reported in the Northeast China provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. Local media said that the cause of the outages was an increase in coal prices. The State Grid Corporation of China said that it would take comprehensive measures to ensure an adequate power supply for people's basic needs and try its best to avoid power cuts. (BBC) (Xinhuanet)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Health Ministry panel committee approve the usage of the single-dose monoclonal antibody-based treatment sotrovimab developed by GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology to treat mild and moderately-ill COVID-19 patients. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
      • Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan tests positive for COVID-19. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 19 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 1,152. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore limits the maximum group sizes for social gatherings and dine-ins at restaurants and bars to two people as well as defaulting to work from home in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These restrictions will remain in effect until October 24. (Singapore Business Review)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont
        • People over the age of 75 in Vermont can now register to receive a booster shot of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • President Joe Biden receives his third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • The government announces that the state of catastrophe and the night curfew in the country will end on October 1. (Cooperativa.cl)

International relations

• Hungary–Russia relations, Hungary–Ukraine relations
  • Hungary and Russia sign a natural gas supply deal which will see Gazprom supply Hungary with 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually via Serbia and Austria for the next 15 years. Ukraine criticizes the gas pact, saying that it is a "purely political, economically unreasonable decision". In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accuses Ukraine of "meddling" in its internal affairs. (Reuters)
• 2021 Taliban offensive, Foreign relations of Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan's permanent representative to the United Nations Ghulam Isaczai withdraws from the list of speakers at the United Nations General Assembly. The move comes after the Taliban nominated a delegation to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations, although the UN continues to recognize the Ashraf Ghani-led government as the country's permanent mission. (AFP via Dawn)
• South Sudan–Sudan relations
  • Sudan resumes its importation of oil from neighboring South Sudan, which was temporarily halted due to Darfur War-related protests blocking access to Port Sudan. (AFP via Radio France Internationale)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Poland
  • Three regions in Poland repeal their status as an "LGBT-free zone" after pressure from the European Commission and activists. The declaration of "free of LGBT ideology" had been imposed in 2019 under heavy pressure from Catholic conservatives in the regions. (Reuters)
• American singer R. Kelly is found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking over a two-decade period. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Swiss same-sex marriage referendum, LGBT rights in Switzerland
  • Official results show that the "yes" campaign won and that same-sex marriage will be legalized in Switzerland. Results show 64.1% voting yes with 35.9% voting no. (Deutsche Welle)
• 2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum
  • Bougainvilleans are consulted by president Ishmael Toroama as to where the capital of Bougainville should be located once the region achieves full independence from Papua New Guinea. Currently, the capital is Buka but this was always considered temporary due to the civil war. The strongest push is for Arawa to be designated as the capital. (RNZ)
• 2021 Haitian general election, 2021 Haitian constitutional referendum, 2018–2021 Haitian protests
  • The Provisional Electoral Council postpones indefinitely the election and constitutional referendum for a third time, targeting 7 November 2021, after Prime Minister Ariel Henry dismissed several members of the council. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• 2021 Sammarinese abortion referendum, Abortion in San Marino
  • After a final tally of votes from yesterday's referendum establishes a majority of 77%, abortion at up to 12 weeks of pregnancy is legalized in San Marino. (Associated Press)

Sports

• UEFA announces that it has abandoned and nullified its disciplinary cases against football clubs Barcelona, Juventus, and Real Madrid over their commitment to the controversial European Super League, following a Madrid court ruling. UEFA also says that it will not request payment of the sums offered by the nine other founding clubs. (AFP via New Straits Times)

Current events of September 26, 2021 (2021-09-26) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • War in Afghanistan
    • 2021 Kabul Airlift
      • The Taliban calls for international commercial flights at the Kabul International Airport to resume after the airport was closed for evacuations. (UrduPoint)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Five Palestinians are killed in Biddu, Jerusalem, and two more are killed in Burqin during overnight military raids by Israeli soldiers. Two soldiers are also injured during one of the raids. According to Israeli officials, the Palestinians were members of a Hamas cell who were planning large-scale kidnappings and murders across the country. (Al Jazeera) (Times of Israel)
• Communal conflicts in Nigeria, Boko Haram insurgency
  • Gunmen raid the village of Madamai in Kaduna State, killing 34 people and wounding seven more. Two suspects are arrested. In Sokoto State, 22 security personnel are killed by ISWAP terrorists during an attack on a remote army base. Other gunmen in Kaduna then also attacked a church, resulting in the death of a person and the wounding of others. (Al Jazeera)
• Colombian conflict
  • Five people are killed and six more are injured during a mass shooting at a public venue in Tumaco, Colombia. A military commander has blamed the attack on FARC dissidents. (BBC)
• 2020–2021 Ethiopian–Sudanese clashes
  • Sudan claims that it has repelled an advance by Ethiopian troops into Umm Barakit District, al-Fashaga. However, Ethiopia denies any movement of its forces on the Ethiopia–Sudan border. (BBC)

Arts and culture

• 74th Tony Awards
  • Moulin Rouge! wins 10 Tony Awards at the 74th Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Additionally, The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez wins Best Play and A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller wins Best Revival of a Play. (NPR)

Business and economy

• 2021 United Kingdom fuel panic buying
  • UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announces the oil industry will be exempted from the Competition Act 1998 so that companies can coordinate and deliver petroleum products easier in light of fuel shortages brought on by panic buying. (BBC)
• Peruvian prime minister Guido Bellido warns companies which drill for gas in the country to either pay higher taxes or face nationalization. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Occidental Mindoro earthquake
  • An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 strikes Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
      • Ghana receives 1.5 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by Germany. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia lifts its nighttime curfew, but imposes vaccine certificates for public events as the number of cases declines. (The North African Journal)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
      • Texas surpasses four million cases of COVID-19. (The Dallas Morning News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    • Singapore reports a record 1,939 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 87,592. (The Straits Times)

International relations

• Human rights violations by the CIA
  • Yahoo! News reports that members of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), including then-Director Mike Pompeo, planned in 2017 to kidnap or potentially assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for leaking documents describing hacking tools used by the CIA. (Yahoo! News) (Rolling Stone)
• Kosovo–Serbia relations
  • The Serbian government accuses Kosovo of "provocations" after it mobilized its special police units to the border, and places the Serbian Army on a heightened state of alert. The police units were mobilized after hundreds of Kosovo Serbs staged daily protests and blockaded roads connected to the two border crossings between the two countries after the Kosovar government passed a law requiring that Serbia-registered vehicles wear temporary license plates when entering the country. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalida Jarrar is released from Israeli prison after nearly two years in detention. She was charged for her affiliation with the left-wing political party Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is considered an illegal organization in Israel. (Al Jazeera)
• The Taliban's religious police orders barbers in Afghanistan's Helmand Province and Kabul to stop trimming beards. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2021 German federal election
  • Germans head to the polls to elect the new Bundestag, as well as a new Chancellor to succeed Angela Merkel, who is stepping down after 16 years in power. (Al Jazeera)
  • Projections show the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) narrowly beating the governing centre-right Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) in the popular vote by 1.7 percentage points, with the latter on course for its worst showing since the end of World War II. Both parties claim the mandate for the Chancellorship. (Politico.eu)
  • The Greens and Free Democratic Party made enough gains to form a possible coalition government with either the CDU or the SPD. (NPR)
• 2021 Icelandic parliamentary election
  • The final results of yesterday's election in Iceland show that the ruling left-right coalition strengthened its majority despite Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir losing ground. The Independence Party won the most seats, with 16. (Reuters)
• 2021 Swiss same-sex marriage referendum, LGBT rights in Switzerland
  • Citizens in Switzerland cast their final vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage in the country. Although civil unions have been legal since 2007, recent polls showed a solid backing for the proposition. (France24)
• 2021 Sammarinese abortion referendum, Abortion in San Marino
  • San Marino citizens vote in a referendum on the legalization of abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy or in cases where the health of the mother or fetus is at risk. (The Guardian)
• 2021 Tunisian political crisis
  • Around 2,000 Tunisians protest in front of the National Theatre in the capital of Tunis to demand the resignation of President Kais Saied. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• 2021 Formula One World Championship
  • British racing driver Lewis Hamilton becomes the first driver to win 100 races in Formula One after winning the 2021 Russian Grand Prix for Mercedes. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• 2021 NFL season
  • In American football, Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a 66-yard field goal during the team's 19–17 victory against the Detroit Lions, making it the longest field goal in National Football League history. (The Baltimore Sun)

Current events of September 25, 2021 (2021-09-25) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Four men who kidnapped a businessman and his son in Herat are shot dead by Taliban police during a gunfight. The bodies of the kidnappers have been hanged in public, in an apparent warning to others to not commit similar crimes. (BBC)
  • A Taliban soldier is killed and seven more injured in Jalalabad when their convoy hits a roadside bomb planted by ISIL-K. (Hindustan Times)
• Somali Civil War
  • A suicide car bombing near the presidential palace in Mogadishu kills eight people and injures seven others. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack, saying they targeted a convoy of cars traveling to the palace. (Reuters)
• Mali War
  • Mali recruits Russia's PMC Wagner Group to fight Islamic terrorism in the country, according to a news outlet citing Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Panic buying of fuel is reported at petrol stations in the United Kingdom amidst a shortage of lorry drivers. A fuel purchase limit of £30 per customer is introduced at many locations due to "unprecedented" demand. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Montana train derailment
  • An Amtrak passenger train derails near Joplin, Montana, U.S., killing at least three people and injuring at least 50 others. (CBS News) (The New York Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands begins to require a COVID-19 pass for people over the age of 13 years old as a precondition to enter hospitality venues and arts and cultural events. The COVID-19 pass replaces most social distancing and mask requirements. (NL Times)
      • State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Mona Keijzer is dismissed from the Cabinet by Prime Minister Mark Rutte after publicly criticising the cabinet's position on COVID-19 measures. (Politico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Norway lifts its social distancing rules and capacity limits on business, sport, and cultural venues, and other COVID-19-related restrictions, and also allows the reopening of nightclubs, as 67% of people have been fully vaccinated. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
      • Victoria reports a record 847 new cases and one death from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports a record for the second consecutive day of 3,273 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 298,402. (The Asahi Shimbun)
• Climate change
  • Vanuatu launches a global campaign to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Vanuatu bases its decision on being incapable with its own decisions to address rising sea levels and other challenges linked to climate change and wants the ICJ to establish responsibilities for climate change under international law. (Al Jazeera) (RNZ)

International relations

• North Korea–South Korea relations
  • Kim Yo-jong, sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, says that North Korea is open to holding another summit in South Korea if mutual respect between the two countries can be assured. (The Korea Times)
• Foreign relations of Afghanistan
  • Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says that the international recognition of the Taliban government "at present juncture is not on the table". The comments come after Taliban-appointed foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi appointed Suhail Shaheen as the representative of the Taliban to the United Nations. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Icelandic parliamentary election
  • Icelanders head to the polls to elect the members of the Althing, the oldest surviving parliament in the world. (The New York Times)
  • Early election results show that the three-party coalition led by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of the Left-Green Movement is expected to retain their majority. (AFP via NDTV)

Sports

• 2021 AFL Grand Final
  • The Melbourne Demons win the 2021 AFL premiership against the Western Bulldogs, winning 140–66. They also end their 57-year premiership drought, last winning the premiership in the 1964 VFL Grand Final. (Seven News AFL)

Current events of September 24, 2021 (2021-09-24) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • The Taliban-appointed defense minister of Afghanistan Mohammad Yaqoob orders a crackdown on those members of the Taliban who commit abuses following reports by Kabul residents who complained about abusive treatment by certain Taliban members. Yaqoob says that "We direct you to keep them out of your ranks, otherwise strict action will be taken against you," and added that the Taliban does not "want such people in our ranks." (Reuters)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Israeli soldiers open fire using rubber bullets against Palestinians allegedly throwing rocks towards soldiers during a protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank, killing one person and injuring eight others. (Al Jazeera) (Ynet News)
• Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
  • Rwandan president Paul Kagame announces during a press conference in Pemba, Mozambique, that Rwandan troops will continue to be stationed in Mozambique for the reconstruction of areas affected by the extremist insurgency. Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi thanks Kagame for the country's commitment to fight terrorism in the region. (Al Jazeera)
• Mali War
  • A French serviceman, Maxime Blasco, is killed in a shootout with jihadists in a forest near Mali's border with Burkina Faso. The gunman who shot Blasco was also killed during the clash, according to the Ministry of Armed Forces. (France 24)

Business and economy

• Legality of bitcoin by country or territory
  • The People's Bank of China rules that all financial transactions and activities involving cryptocurrency are illegal in the country. (AFP via NDTV)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 La Palma eruption
  • The Cumbre Vieja volcano enters a more explosive and extreme phase, forcing the evacuation of three more neighborhoods. Currently, 390 buildings and 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) of roads have been destroyed by lava flows. (El Mundo)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports a record 1,650 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 84,510. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 2,434 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 295,132. (The Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka begins administering the COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 19 years old with special health needs and disabilities using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Argentina and Brazil jointly announce that they will be producing COVID-19 vaccines after being selected by the Pan American Health Organization. Two manufacturing plants will be built, one in each country, to produce both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. (Voz de América)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of President Jair Bolsonaro, tests positive for COVID-19. Agricultural Minister Tereza Cristina and Solicitor General Bruno Bianco also test positive for COVID-19. (Reuters) (The Hill)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
      • The Italian National Institute of Health recommends that pregnant women should receive a COVID-19 vaccines after the first three months of their pregnancy due to growing evidence on the safety of vaccines during pregnancies for both the fetus and mother. (The Economic Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 828 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 202,273. (Euronews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
    • The number of Australians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 surpasses 50% after a record 347,796 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours. (7 News)

International relations

• Algeria–Morocco relations
  • In escalating tensions, Algerian foreign ministry official Amar Belani says that Algeria "may escalate its dispute" with Morocco, adding that the "adoption of additional measures cannot be ruled out". Both countries suspended diplomatic relations in August 2020 and have had strained relations due to Algeria's support for the Polisario Front in Western Sahara and alleged Moroccan support for the MAK, a Berber separatist group in Algeria. (Reuters)
• Mexico–United States border crisis
  • U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas says that the Haitian migrants have been cleared from the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Around 2,000 of the migrants were deported to Haiti. (NBC News)

Law and crime

• Arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, Canada–China relations
  • Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou reaches a deferred prosecution agreement, pleading not guilty to multiple fraud charges. Meng's extradition case was subsequently dropped and she was released after spending nearly three years under house arrest in Vancouver, Canada, reportedly travelling to Shenzhen, China. (CBC News)
  • Several hours after Meng Wanzhou was released, Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig are also released after spending more than 1,000 days in detention in China and will return to Canada. (CBC News)
• Jitender Mann Gogi, a major Indian gangster, is shot dead inside a courtroom in Rohini, Delhi, where a case was being heard against him. The two attackers, who both posed as lawyers, are killed by police. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Insurgency in Northern Chad
  • Military junta leader and de facto president Mahamat Déby appoints 93 new members to the junta, which serves as Chad's interim parliament ahead of a proposed election. Déby says that the new parliament comprises parties previously represented in the dissolved parliament, as well as members of the armed forces. (AFP via TRT World)

Science and technology

• In an article for Science, a team of researchers based at Bournemouth University conclude that a series of human footprints preserved at White Sands National Park in the U.S. state of New Mexico date back between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum, suggesting that humans lived in the Americas 5,000 years earlier than previously thought. The team also determined that most of the footprints came from children and teenagers. (NPR)

Current events of September 23, 2021 (2021-09-23) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Islamic State–Taliban conflict
    • Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid downplays the presence of ISIL in Afghanistan, as analysts say that ISIL is using the same urban warfare tactics previously used by the Taliban to fight the Western-backed Afghan government's forces. After the attack against Kabul airport last month, the Taliban has vowed to capture the leader of ISIL in Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Evergrande Default Crisis
  • China's largest property developer Evergrande misses the payment deadline of 83.5 million USD in offshore bonds, increasing its chances of a bankruptcy. (Financial Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos surpasses 20,000 cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 694 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Nepal removes its quarantine requirement and resumes issuing visas on arrival for foreign travellers that have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (La Prensa Latina)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports a record 1,504 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 82,856. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
        • Victoria reports a record 766 new cases and four deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
      • Papua New Guinea announces a four-week lockdown in parts of the country including Eastern Highlands as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase, primarily due to the Delta variant. Prime Minister James Marape had anticipated the move before leaving the country to attend the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York City. The country also struggles with its vaccination campaign, as only 2% of the population has been vaccinated. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Prime Minister António Costa announces that all remaining COVID-19-related restrictions will be lifted on October 1, allowing nightclubs to reopen and restaurants to operate without capacity limits as more than 80% of people have been fully vaccinated. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 820 deaths in the past 24 hours, matching a single-day record set in late August, bringing the nationwide death toll to 201,445. (The Times of Israel)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Panama
    • In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, President Laurentino Cortizo says that Panama is expected to reach herd immunity in the coming weeks after vaccinating 4.2 million people. (Reuters)
• Foot-and-mouth disease
  • Namibia reports the new strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the country that has infected thousands of cattle. (Reuters)

International relations

• Haiti–United States relations, Haitian deportation in the United States
  • United States Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Lewis Foote resigns, citing his dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's policy of deporting illegal Haitian immigrants. (AFP via France 24)
• Foreign relations of the Philippines, Foreign relations of Palau
  • Philippine foreign affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. meets with Palauan president Surangel Whipps Jr., with Locsin reiterating that the Philippines has a commitment to resolve a maritime dispute with Palau regarding a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone which both countries currently claim. (Phil Star)
• France–United States relations
  • French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian tells U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it will take "time and actions" in order to restore confidence and good relations between France and the United States after France condemned the security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia announced last week. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis
  • Fugitive former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is arrested at an airport in Alghero, Sardinia, by the Italian police in compliance with a search and arrest warrant issued by the Supreme Court of Spain. He is accused of sedition for his role in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the subsequent failed declaration of independence. (Cadena SER)
• Collierville Kroger shooting
  • A gunman opens fire at a Kroger supermarket in Collierville, Tennessee, United States, killing one person and injuring 12 others before killing himself. (CNN)
• LGBT rights in Mexico
  • Same-sex marriage is legalized in the state of Sonora, Mexico. (Reuters)
• Ukraine passes a law ordering oligarchs to stay out of politics, a day after the failed assassination attempt to kill an aide of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which officials said could have been a response to the reform. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• The European Commission announces plans to require the USB-C connection to become the standard port for wired charging of all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles. (The Hill)

Time: 15:01 UTC|Day: 29 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
• United Kingdom natural gas supplier crisis
• United Kingdom motor fuel panic buying

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
• 2021 La Palma eruption

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
• Russian election protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• Tunisian political crisis
• United States racial unrest (Stop Asian Hate)
• Venezuelan presidential crisis

Elections and referendums

Recent

• September
  • 12−13: Norway, Storting
  • 16: Bahamas, House of Assembly
  • 17−19: Russia, State Duma
  • 19: Hong Kong, Election Committee
  • 20: Canada, House of Commons
  • 23: Isle of Man, House of Keys
  • 25: Iceland, Althing
  • 26: Germany, Bundestag
  • 26: San Marino, Referendum
  • 26: Switzerland, Referendums

Upcoming

• September
  • 30: Ethiopia, House of Representatives (2nd) 
• October
  • 2: Qatar, Consultative Assembly
  • 8–9: Czech Republic, Chamber of Deputies
  • 10: Iraq, Council of Representatives

Trials

Recently concluded

• Belarus: Maria Kalesnikava, Viktar Babaryka
• China: Sun Dawu
• India: Shashi Tharoor
• Indonesia: Juliari Batubara, Edhy Prabowo
• Russia: Lyubov Sobol
• Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
• United Kingdom: Apsana Begum
• United States: R. Kelly, 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
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• United States: Elizabeth Holmes

Upcoming

• Canada: Raj Grewal
• Indonesia: Azis Syamsuddin, Alex Noerdin
• Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
• Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
• United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ghislaine Maxwell, Allen Weisselberg
• Vatican City: Giovanni Angelo Becciu
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
• ICC: Ali Kushayb

Sport

• Association football
  • 2021–22 UEFA Europa League
  • 2021–22 UEFA Champions league
  • 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
• Basketball
  • 2021–22 NBA 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
  • 2021–22 PGA Tour
• Ice hockey
  • 2021–22 NHL season
• Motorsport
  • 2021 Formula One Championship
  • 2021 Rally Championship
  • 2021 MotoGP
  • 2021 Supercars Championship
• Rugby league
  • 2021 NRL season
  • 2021 Super League
• Rugby union
  • 2021–22 Premiership Rugby
  • 2021–22 United Rugby Championship
  • 2021–22 Top 14
  • 2021 Bunnings NPC
  • 2021 Super Rugby season
  • 2021 Rugby Championship
• Tennis
  • 2021 ATP Tour
  • 2021 WTA Tour
  • 2020–21 Davis Cup (Finals)
• Other sports seasons
  • 2021–22 International cricket season
  • 2021–22 snooker season
  • 2021–22 curling season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

September

• 28: Princess Lalla Malika of Morocco
• 27: Andrea Martin
• 27: Roger Hunt
• 27: Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya
• 26: Alan Lancaster
• 26: Bobby Zarem
• 25: Théoneste Bagosora
• 25: Patricio Manns
• 24: Pee Wee Ellis
• 24: Jitender Mann Gogi
• 23: Jorge Urosa Savino
• 22: Abdelkader Bensalah
• 22: Roger Michell
• 22: Jay Sandrich
• 21: Willie Garson
• 21: Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
• 21: Melvin Van Peebles
• 20: Sarah Dash
• 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
• 16: Silas Atopare
• 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

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