Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Abdelaziz Bouteflika

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

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• Sylvano Bussotti
• Ali Kalora
• Casimir Oyé-Mba
• Satoshi Hirayama
• Jolidee Matongo
• Thanu Padmanabhan

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

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Victoria again breaks its daily record for new COVID-19 infections, with 847 reported today and one further death. (ABC News Australia)

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)

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 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 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)
  • 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)

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
  • ISIL-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 Antonio 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)
• 2021 Collierville 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)

Current events of September 22, 2021 (2021-09-22) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • ISIL-K militants open fire against a Taliban vehicle at a gas station in Jalalabad, killing two Taliban members, a gas station attendant, and a child. Two bombs also explode nearby to two more Taliban vehicles, killing another child and wounding three more Taliban members. (First Post)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi forces capture the Bayhan District in Yemen's Shabwah Governorate where oil fields are located and continue their advance into neighboring Usaylan District. (Xinhua via The Manila Times)
• Authorities in Germany link a belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and far-right extremism as motives behind the killing of a cashier in Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, four days ago. The 20-year-old was murdered at the shop where he worked by a man who refused to wear a mask. Far-right extremists praised the killing and made denigratory comments against the victim. (BBC)
• Gunmen open fire against a vehicle carrying Serhiy Shefir, an official close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, near the village of Lisnyky, outside of Kyiv, wounding the driver of the car. The attack is deemed an assassination attempt against Shefir. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• 2021 United Kingdom gas crisis
  • Two more energy companies have entered bankruptcy and ceased trading, bringing the total since the gas crisis began to seven with dozens more still at risk. More than one million customers have now been affected by the collapse of energy companies in the United Kingdom this month. (BBC)
• Chinese property giant Evergrande announces that it has agreed on a method of payment for a 4 billion yuan ($620 million) bond denominated in Chinese yuan. Sources for the payment were unclear as it was "settled in negotiations outside the market." (DW) (Regina Leader Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Mansfield earthquake
  • A magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes the Alpine National Park in Victoria, Australia, with tremors felt throughout the state and in parts of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Tasmania. Some buildings in Melbourne are damaged but no casualties are reported. (ABC News Australia)
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes off the coast of Nicaragua, measuring 40 kilometres (25 mi) in depth. (Reuters)
• UNICEF reports that most infants in at least 91 countries suffer from malnourishment and food insecurity. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimated last week that about 811 million people globally are affected by hunger. (The Guardian)
• A Russian An-26 transport aircraft, believed to have six people on board, disappears while flying at an ultralow altitude of 600 meters. The plane went off radar some 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Khabarovsk airport in southeastern Russia. (DW)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia
      • Georgia surpasses 600,000 cases of COVID-19. (Azeri Press Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports its lowest number of active COVID-19 case in 186 days with the daily positivity rate recorded at 1.69%. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports a record 1,457 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 1,426 cases set in April 2020, and thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 81,356. (Yahoo! News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      • Michigan surpasses one million confirmed cases of COVID-19. (WDIV-TV)
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The Food and Drug Administration officially authorizes the usage of a third dosage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot for individuals still considered vulnerable to COVID-19. Among those eligible are health care workers and senior citizens who have been fully inoculated with the vaccine for at least six months. (CNET)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazilian Health minister Marcelo Queiroga tests positive for COVID-19 while in New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly. (CBS News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Mental health organizations urge the government to address suicide prevention and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health, as an advisor to the government warns that Fiji faces a "mental health epidemic". (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
    • Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni eases COVID-19-related restrictions, including allowing churches and many sports and social activities to resume, due to a decline in the number of infections. The President will also allow universities and other post-secondary education institutions to reopen on November 1. (Swiss Info)
• Eight hatchlings from one of the world's rarest crocodile species are found in the Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Cambodia, raising hopes for the continuing survival of the species in the wild. Conservationists found the baby Siamese crocodiles in a river earlier this month, according to a statement from Cambodia's Environment Ministry and the World Wildlife Fund. (9 News)

International relations

• Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
  • King Salman of Saudi Arabia insists on the "importance of keeping the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction ... and support international efforts aiming at preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons". Salman also accused Yemen's Houthis of launching attacks against the kingdom despite proposed ceasefires by Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
• France–United States relations
  • French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden agree to meet in Europe soon to repair the strained relations following the security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. France also agrees to send back its ambassador to the United States. (Al Jazeera)
• Algeria–Morocco relations, Western Sahara conflict
  • Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune orders the prohibition of all Moroccan-registered aircraft in Algerian airspace after the two countries broke off diplomatic ties on August 24. (AFP via The Times of Israel)

Law and crime

• Killamarsh killings
  • The Derbyshire Constabulary charges a 31-year-old man with four counts of murder following a suspected mass murder in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, England, on Sunday. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 protests in Australia
  • Protesters return to the Melbourne CBD for the third day straight, albeit in lesser numbers than yesterday. The protests end with a three hour stand-off with riot police firing non-lethal rounds and teargas at the Shrine of Remembrance. Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemns the protests. (The Guardian)
• 2021 Tunisian political crisis
  • President Kais Saied declares that he will rule by decree. (AFP via Radio France Internationale)
• 2022 Philippine presidential election
  • Mayor of Manila Isko Moreno announces his candidacy for the President of the Philippines in the upcoming 2022 elections. (Rappler)
• Germany nominates current World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom for a second five-year term as the head of the United Nations body. He appears to be the sole candidate, but at a news conference he declines to state whether or not he will accept the nomination. Ethiopia has withdrawn its support for his candidacy, accusing him of openly supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front in the ongoing Tigray War. (France24)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2022 Winter Olympics, United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics
    • The United States will require athletes to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to compete in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. (Axios)

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Boko Haram militants raid and burn the village of Kadjigoroum, Chad, killing nine civilians. (Voa News)
• Korean conflict
  • Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, South Korean president Moon Jae-in asks for a formal end to the decades-long conflict between the two Koreas. (Reuters)
• 2019–2024 Sudanese transition to democracy
  • Sudanese forces thwart a coup attempt against the ruling civilian-military government by supporters of former president Omar al-Bashir that began overnight. According to sources close to the government, interrogation of instigators would begin today. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announces that Michigan will build an electrified road to charge wireless vehicles, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. (USA Today)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • Harbin bans visits to retirement homes, closes spas, cinemas and mahjong salons, reduces the capacity of tourist attractions by half, and suspends religious activities in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in poorly ventilated spaces after one community transmitted case was reported. (Al-Arabiya English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • The number of recovered COVID-19 patients in Indonesia surpasses four million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • The number of adult population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Malaysia surpasses 80%. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports 1,178 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since April 2020. (Business Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Hanoi reopens non-essential services and removes travel permits for inner-city commuters. The city also allows food and drink establishments to reopen with takeaway only and a 9:00 p.m. closing time, due to a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Sify.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
        • Several regional areas of New South Wales enter a lockdown after an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. At the same time, due to reaching statewide vaccination targets, lockdown measures are relaxed slightly across New South Wales, with children under the age of 18 years old able to form a "friends bubble" with one other household. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands
      • The government announces that public servants will soon be a target of the "no jab, no job" policy and that they will have to either resign or receive half-pay if they refuse to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • COVID-19 pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area
        • San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces that the San Francisco International Airport will mandate COVID-19 vaccines, making it the first U.S. airport to do so. (Los Angeles Times)
• African Swine Fever
  • Haiti reports the first outbreak of the African swine fever in 37 years when an operation in Anse-à-Pitre near border with the Dominican Republic suffered an outbreak that began on August 26. (Reuters)

International relations

• Australia–European Union relations, Australia–France relations
  • President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen suspends negotiations for a free trade agreement with Australia over Australia's recent cancellation of a submarine contract with France, demanding that Australia must apologise to France before the agreement can continue. (The Guardian)
• Foreign relations of Argentina
  • Argentine President Alberto Fernández asks Iran to "cooperate with the Argentine justice" regarding an investigation into the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires and demands that countries where wanted Iranian officials are residing should comply with its Interpol red notices. (Infobae)
• Recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Foreign relations of Afghanistan
  • In a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests representation at the seventy-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Emirate's Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi also requests that Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Ghulam Isaczai be replaced by Mohammad Suhail Shasheen. The Taliban also note that former President Ashraf Ghani had been "ousted and [countries across the world] no longer recognize him as president." (CNN)
• Russia–United_Kingdom relations
  • British police announce a third Russian had been charged in absentia with the 2018 Novichok murder attempt on former double agent Sergei Skripal, saying they could also now confirm the three suspects were military intelligence operatives. (Straits Times)

Law and crime

• Death of Gabby Petito
  • A coroner in Teton County, Wyoming, confirms that the remains found on September 19 were that of Petito, who disappeared from Grand Teton National Park on August 27, and rules her death a homicide. (AFP via Today)
• The European Court of Human Rights rules that agents acting on behalf of the Russian government were responsible for the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. (BBC)
• The Court of Justice of the European Union imposes a daily fine of €500,000 (2.31M zł) on Poland for its refusal to close the Turów Coal Mine, which was declared illegal by a temporary injunction from the court in May. (WIAT-TV)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 protests in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
  • Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announces a two-week suspension of construction work in the state after yesterday's riot at the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) office. Rioters claimed that they were construction workers, although CFMEU officials and others claim that there were few construction workers present. (ABC News Australia)
  • Protesters return to the Melbourne CBD for the second consecutive day, assaulting journalists and blocking the West Gate Freeway. Riot police responded with rubber bullet rounds. (New Zealand Herald)
• Women's rights in Afghanistan
  • Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says that girls will return to school soon, adding that "We are finalizing things ... it will happen as soon as possible". The announcement came as the Taliban banned girls from grades 6 to 12 from attending school, to which Mujahid said that this was only "temporary" and that new announcements would be made soon. (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

• 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, Racism in association football
  • FIFA sanctions the Hungarian Football Federation with a US$216,000 fine and orders the Hungarian national team to play their next two World Cup qualification home matches behind closed doors, following incidents of racist behavior among their fans during a match against England on September 2. (CNN)

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
        • England and Scotland begin the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 12 and 15 as part of an expansion of their vaccination programme in order to protect more people from COVID-19 during the winter. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • The Austrian government announces that it will require protective face masks and COVID-19 passes for users of ski lifts this winter in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the country will allow foreign skiers for the first time in two years. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
      • Italy begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to clinically vulnerable people using mRNA-based vaccines. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Switzerland begins to implement a mandatory negative COVID-19 test result for travellers who have not been vaccinated or who have not recovered from COVID-19 upon entering the country in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Schengen Visa Info)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
      • The Vatican City issues a decree that would require visitors who enter the city state to show an Italian Green Pass or its international immunity passport equivalent, providing proof that they have been vaccinated, tested negative in the previous 72 hours, or have recovered from COVID-19, beginning on October 1. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announces that COVID-19 vaccines will be required for all teachers and students in the district by November 1. (The Washington Post)
      • The Biden administration announces that travel restrictions will be lifted for international travellers who are fully vaccinated and show a negative COVID-19 test. These rules will be in effect beginning in November. (Euronews)
    • The CDC releases a study, which finds that 99.4% of all current cases of COVID-19 in the United States are of the highly transmittable Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (The New York Times)
    • The total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. surpasses the total number of deaths from the Spanish flu in the U.S. from 1918 to 1919. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
    • Uzbekistan lifts some COVID-19-related restrictions, allowing the reopening of theatres, cinemas, and concert halls, as well as allowing mass events to be held indoors and outdoors due to a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (AKI Press)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Pfizer says that their vaccine candidate is effective for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (CBS News)

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Kabul Airlift
    • A Qatar Airways charter flight carrying 200 passengers, including Afghans and Americans, departs from Kabul International Airport to Qatar. (Reuters)
  • ISIL–Taliban conflict
    • Three Taliban members and two civilians are killed when a bomb, planted by ISIL–K, explodes near a Taliban vehicle in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. (The Guardian)
• Papua conflict, Australia–Indonesia relations
  • A recently declassified Australian intelligence report from 1998 reveals that the government was fully aware that the Indonesian military had massacred peaceful protesters from the Free Papua Movement, which was not publicly acknowledged or condemned by Australia at the time. Guardian Australia speculates that supporting photographic evidence may have been destroyed by Australian authorities. (The Guardian)
• Killamarsh murders
  • Police officers have discovered the remains of three children and one adult inside a residential property in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, England, after being called out to reports of a disturbance. A 31-year-old man has been arrested and a murder inquiry has been launched. (BBC)

Arts and culture

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

• Gilboa Prison break
  • The Israel Defense Forces announces that all six Palestinian fugitives have been recaptured, after the last two, who are part of the Islamic Jihad Movement, were arrested in the Palestinian city of Jenin through a joint operation with the Yamam. (AFP via The Times of India)
• Women's rights in Afghanistan
  • The new Taliban mayor of Kabul, Hamdullah Nomani, asks women to stay at home in case their job can be filled by a man. Nomani also added that the Taliban "finds it necessary to stop women from working for a while" and instead urged them to work in places where men cannot go due to gender segregation. (BBC)

Politics and elections

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

Time: 08:12 UTC|Day: 25 September

	September 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession
• Lebanese liquidity crisis

Disasters

• Climate crisis
• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• Madagascar food crisis
• Water crisis in Iran
• Yemeni famine

Politics

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

Elections and referendums

Recent

• September
  • 12: Macau, Legislative Assembly
  • 12−13: Norway, Storting
  • 16: Bahamas, House of Assembly
  • 17−19: Russia, State Duma
  • 19: Hong Kong, Election Committee
  • 20: Canada, House of Commons
  • 23: Isle of Man, House of Keys

Upcoming

• September
  • 25: Iceland, Althing
  • 26: Germany, Bundestag
  • 26: San Marino, Referendum
  • 26: Switzerland, Referendums
  • 30: Ethiopia, House of Representatives (2nd) 
• October
  • 2: Qatar, Consultative Assembly
  • 8–9: Czech Republic, Chamber of Deputies

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
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• United Kingdom: Apsana Begum
• United States: Robert Durst, Ed Buck, Stephen Calk

Ongoing

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

Upcoming

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

Sport

• Association football
  • 2021–22 Premier League
  • 2021–22 Bundesliga
  • 2021–22 Serie A
  • 2021–22 La Liga
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores final stages
  • 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
  • 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • 2021 Major League Soccer season
• Women's association football
  • 2021 NWSL season
• American football
  • 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season
  • 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season
  • 2021 NFL season
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Cricket
  • 2021–23 ICC World Test Championship
  • 2020–23 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League
  • 2019–23 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2
  • 2019–22 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League
• Golf
  • 2021 European Tour
  • 2021 LPGA Tour
  • 2020 PGA Tour Champions
  • 2021 Ladies European Tour
• Motorsport
  • 2021 Formula One Championship
  • 2021 Rally Championship
  • 2021 MotoGP
  • 2021 Supercars Championship
• Rugby league
  • 2021 NRL season
  • 2021 Super League
• Rugby union
  • 2021 Bunnings NPC
  • 2021 Super Rugby season
• Tennis
  • 2021 ATP Tour
  • 2021 WTA Tour
  • 2020–21 Davis Cup (Finals)
• Other sports seasons
  • 2021 International cricket season
  • 2021–22 snooker season
  • 2021–22 curling season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

September

• 23: Jorge Urosa Savino
• 22: Abdelkader Bensalah
• 22: Roger Michell
• 22: Jay Sandrich
• 21: Willie Garson
• 21: Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
• 21: Melvin Van Peebles
• 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
• 29: Jacques Rogge
• 28: Jiang Chunyun
• 28: Teresa Żylis-Gara
• 27: Edmond H. Fischer
• 27: Akis Tsochatzopoulos

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