Portal:Current events/July 2021

2021

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

July 2021 was the seventh month of that common year. The month, which began on a Thursday, ended on a Saturday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from July 2021.

July 1, 2021 (2021-07-01) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Authorities reveal that the attackers who attempted to assassinate Ugandan general Katumba Wamala in Kampala were Islamic extremists who were trained in a jihadist camp in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, and had links with the Allied Democratic Forces and the Islamic State. Wamala was injured during the attack but survived, while his daughter and his driver were killed. (Reuters)
  • U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Michael A. Hammer announces that the U.S. government will assist in training Congolese forces and with intelligence sharing. (Newsweek)

Arts and culture

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

Business and economy

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

Politics and elections

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh imposes a lockdown that suspends all public transport and only allows people to leave their house for emergency reasons due to a substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Soldiers are deployed to enforce the lockdown. (Voice of America)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement
        • President Joko Widodo announces emergency community restrictions in 122 regencies and cities in Java and Bali, including the capital Jakarta from July 3 to 20 which would require non-essential businesses and places of worship to close. (Reuters) (CNA)
      • Indonesia reports a record 24,836 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.2 million. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 57 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,080. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 672 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the nationwide death toll to 135,886. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey lifts nearly all COVID-19-related business restrictions, as well as nighttime and Sunday curfews as the number of cases remains steady. Only hookah shops continue to remain closed. (AP)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Turkey
        • Turkey begins to give a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers and people aged above 50 years old. (Hurriyet Daily News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 27,989 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of cases since January 25. (ITV News)
    • The European Union launches the EU Digital COVID Certificate that contains a proof of vaccination, a negative test, or proof of recovery from COVID-19, and is designed to allow Europeans to resume travel across the bloc without quarantine in order to boost tourism. (Financial Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record of 431 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 4,849. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services also reports two deaths, bringing the death toll to 24, with 22 of these deaths having occurred since the current outbreak began in April. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announces a month-long vaccination raffle in which residents can win a total of $5 million in cash (one grand prize of $2 million or three prizes of $1 million) and $500,000 total in college scholarships for children aged 12 to 17 years old (nine prizes of $55,000). The winners will be drawn on August 4. (MLive.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone
    • President Julius Maada Bio announces a nationwide curfew in the country to combat the spread of COVID-19. (The Sierra Leone Telegraph)

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Science and technology

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

July 2, 2021 (2021-07-02) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan; Taliban insurgency
    • Bagram Airfield is looted by locals following the sudden American withdrawal from the airbase, which was conducted without notifying local forces. Afghan troops later cleared the airbase of looters and secured control of it. (Newsweek)
    • Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby announces that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved a new command to oversee troops who will remain in the country to protect diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The mission will be led by RDML Peter Vasely. (Stars and Stripes)
    • It is reported that, during June, the Taliban captured 700 Humvees as well as dozens of armored vehicles and artillery systems from the Afghan National Army as more districts fall under the group's control during their offensive in the north. (Times of India)

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

July 3, 2021 (2021-07-03) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • An Israeli cargo vessel travelling towards the United Arab Emirates in the northern Indian Ocean is struck by an "unknown weapon" and damaged. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iran is blamed. (Jerusalem Post)
• Israel-Gaza conflict
  • In response to arson balloons launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel, the Israeli Air Force strikes Hamas military targets in Gaza. (i24NEWS)

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

Law and crime

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

July 4, 2021 (2021-07-04) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Philippine Air Force C-130 crash
  • Fifty people are killed and 49 others are injured when a C-130 transport plane of the Philippine Air Force carrying 92 passengers and attempting to land at an airport in Jolo, Sulu, crashes in the nearby town of Patikul. Among the dead there are three civilians on the ground; four more are among the injured. (BBC News)
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
  • Tropical Storm Elsa passes through the Caribbean, downing trees and blowing off roofs, killing two people in the Dominican Republic and one in Saint Lucia. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Atami landslide
  • Twenty-three people are rescued from their ruined homes after a landslide struck Atami, Japan. Two more people are found dead, bringing the death toll to 4. (Al Jazeera)
• Surfside condominium building collapse
  • The remainder of the Surfside condominium is demolished. (ABC News)
• A huge wildfire spreads through Limassol, Cyprus, killing four people and forcing the evacuation of several villages. It is described as the worst wildfire in the country's history. (BBC News)
• A mud volcano eruption in the Caspian Sea, near an oil platform off the coast of Azerbaijan, causes a massive explosion and fireball, which is seen across the region. There are no reports of injuries or damage to any oil platforms. (BNO News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 153 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national death toll to 15,065. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • Police arrested 14 people for administering fake vaccine shots of salt water instead of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at nearly a dozen private vaccination sites in Mumbai. The organizers, including medical professionals, charged between $10 and $17 per dose. More than 2,600 people paid to receive the vaccine. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 555 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, 137 of them from Central Java, thereby bringing the national death toll to 60,582. (Merdeka.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran orders the closure of non-essential businesses such as public parks, restaurants, dessert shops, beauty salons, Shopping malls and bookstores in 275 "red" and "orange" zone cities, including the capital Tehran, due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. (Egypt Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says that around 100,000 teenagers have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Lokmat)
        • Bennett also announces that he has spoken with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla about swapping doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to other countries. (The Times of Israel)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg
      • Prime Minister Xavier Bettel is admitted to a hospital as a precautionary measure, one week after he tested positive for COVID-19. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 25,142 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 2, thereby bringing the national total of confirmed cases to 5.6 million. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record 522 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total to 6,161 cases. Fiji has seen a substantial increase in the number of cases since an outbreak occurred in April. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services also reports three deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 30. (RNZ)

Politics and elections

• Politics of France
  • The National Rally party re-elects Marine Le Pen without opposition in a bid to strengthen her candidacy for the 2022 French presidential election after the party performed poorly in regional elections. The party also hosts a rally in Paris. (DW)
• Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, 2021 Brazilian protests
  • The Social Democratic Party's founder Gilberto Kassab says that there is proof "each day to impeach President Jair Bolsonaro" after massive protests and Bolsonaro also announcing his candidacy for next year's presidential election. (Notícias UOL)
• The Chilean Constitutional Convention is inaugurated in Santiago with Mapuche representative Elisa Loncón elected as President of the Convention. (Bloomberg)
• Human rights in the State of Palestine
  • Hundreds of people gather in Ramallah to demonstrate against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as part of a protest movement sparked by the death of political activist Nizar Banat. (Israel Hayom)

July 5, 2021 (2021-07-05) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Afghan presidential advisor Hamdullah Mohib says that there will be a counter-offensive against the Taliban in the north after the group captured six districts in Badakhshan Province. On Sunday, at least 1,037 Afghan troops abandoned their positions and fled into Tajikistan. (Al Jazeera)
• Chikun kidnapping
  • Bandits abduct around 150 students, a parent and the administrator of a boarding school in Chikun, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The army has rescued at least 26 people. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• An explosion and fire at a factory in Bangkok, Thailand, kills at least one person and injures 29 others. Thousands of residents are evacuated. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record of 9,964 new cases and 164 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 954,881 and the nationwide death toll to 15,229. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record of 29,745 new cases and 558 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.31 million and the nationwide death toll to 61,140. Active cases also surpassed 300,000 for the first time. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam surpasses 20,000 cases of COVID-19 after a record 1,102 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (The Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • The Norwegian government delays a final phase of reopening the economy until the end of July at the earliest because of concerns about the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine authorizes the usage of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. (Kyiv Post)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Georgia (country)
  • Anti-LGBT right-wing groups storm and ransack the offices of an LGBT+ organization in Tbilisi, Georgia, ahead of the city's pride march. Activists say that equipment was lost during the attack. (Reuters)
  • The pride march is later cancelled amid more homophobic attacks against LGBT people. Police have promised to investigate the attacks. (DW) (The Guardian)
• Violence against LGBT people, LGBT rights in Spain
  • Protests across Spain occur in the aftermath of the murder of a 24-year-old man who, according to his friends, was killed because he was gay. The murder sparked widespread condemnation from LGBT organizations and politicians. (CTV News)
• Indonesian police say that loss due to the burning that occurred in Elelim, the capital of Yalimo Regency, Papua, on 29 June was estimated at Rp 324 billion ($22.5 million). There were 34 offices, 126 shops, 115 motorbikes and 4 cars that were burned and 1,137 people have been displaced. The burning was carried out shortly after the Court's decision to order a re-voting without the participation of one of the regent candidates. (VOI)
• Peruvian prosecutor José Domingo Pérez opens an investigation into Keiko Fujimori and the Popular Force party for allegedly engaging in money laundering during the 2021 Peruvian general election following audio recordings of former Alberto Fujimori advisor Vladimiro Montesinos bribing election judges. (The Rio Times)

July 6, 2021 (2021-07-06) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Spillover of the War in Afghanistan, Afghanistan–Tajikistan relations
    • Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon orders the mobilization of 20,000 military reservists to secure the border with Afghanistan in response to recent Taliban advances. (Reuters)
  • Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2021)
    • The Pentagon says that 90% of American troops have withdrawn from the country. (CNBC)
• Tigray War
  • Rebels of the Tigray Defense Forces mobilize to retake western Tigray from Amharan militias. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Flight 251
  • Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise Flight 251 crashes near the sea in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, killing all 28 people on board. (Al Jazeera)
• A government warehouse near Karaj, Iran, catches fire after an explosion, where an attack recently occurred targeting a nuclear facility allegedly used to produce uranium enrichment centrifuges. (Israel Hayom)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 11,525 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of confirmed cases to 966,406. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 31,189 new cases and a record for the third consecutive day of 728 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.34 million and the nationwide death toll to 61,868. (detikNews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 737 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national death toll to 139,316. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • The Catalonian regional government announces that indoor nightlife venues will be closed beginning on July 9 for at least 15 days, and that anyone who wants to attend events for more than 500 people must have proof of a negative test result or a full vaccination certificate due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in young people. (El País)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 28,773 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 29. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Australia reports its first case of the highly contagious Lambda variant in an overseas traveller who had been in a New South Wales quarantine hotel in April. (News.com.au)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji reports a record 636 new cases and six deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 7,149 and the national death toll to 39. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
    • Tunisia reports a record 7,930 new cases and 119 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 455,091 and the nationwide death toll to 15,601. (Tunisie Numérique)

International relations

• Belarus–Israel relations
  • Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns comments made by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko after he said that the "whole world bows" to the Jews, "due to the Holocaust", during a speech given on Independence Day. Israel's government says that Lukashenko's comments were "unacceptable" and has summoned the interim supervisor at the Belarusian embassy. (The Jerusalem Post)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany condemn Iran for planning to enrich uranium to 20 percent, which goes against the 2015 nuclear deal that the United States withdrew from in 2018, following the release of the information in a statement by the International Atomic Energy Agency. (The Algemeiner)

Law and crime

• Murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman
  • Danyal Hussein is convicted at London's Old Bailey of the murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman. (BBC News)
• Nine people between the ages of 15 and 39 are arrested in Hong Kong during a police operation, and are accused of building bombs and planning attacks on the city's courts, transport networks and streets. Police said that they seized the explosives and stated that a hotel room was used as a laboratory for the construction of bombs. The motive behind the planned attacks is unknown. (BBC News)
• A court in Minsk, Belarus, sentences former presidential candidate and opposition politician Viktar Babaryka to 14 years' imprisonment on charges of bribery and tax evasion, which he denies. (DW)
• Dutch investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries is seriously wounded in a targeted shooting in Amsterdam, which would result in his death nine days later. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that Inuk leader Mary Simon has been appointed to be the 30th Governor General of Canada, the first Indigenous person to assume this role. Simon will succeed Chief Justice Richard Wagner, who has been acting as Administrator since the resignation of former Governor General Julie Payette in January. (CBC)

Sports

• UEFA Euro 2020
  • Italy defeats Spain 4–2 on penalties after the match finished 1–1 in extra time in order to reach the UEFA Euro 2020 Final. (BBC Sport)

July 7, 2021 (2021-07-07) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • Taliban insurgents enter Qala e Naw, the provincial capital of Badghis Province, with heavy fighting reported as the militants move "towards the centre of the city". All government officials in the city have been moved to a nearby army base, while the Taliban have freed about 400 prisoners from the city's prison. (BBC News)
• The United States Armed Forces report that two personnel were injured in rocket attacks on Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, which houses US troops. (Al Jazeera)
• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • Haitian President Jovenel Moïse is assassinated by a squad of gunmen at his home in Pétion-Ville. His wife, First Lady Martine Moïse, is also shot and critically wounded. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 201 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,593. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 34,379 new cases and a record for the fourth consecutive day of 1,040 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.37 million and the nationwide death toll to 62,908. (Kompas.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lankan authorities ban all public gatherings and protests under the instruction of the Director General of Health Services due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (ANI News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record for the second consecutive day of 791 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 7,940. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services also reports three deaths from COVID-19, all in Suva. (RNZ)
    • The Fiji police warns citizens that those caught not wearing a face mask when outdoors or in lockdown or containment areas will be arrested under possible penalties of five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to FJ$10,000 or both, as the country faces a wave of COVID-19 cases. (FBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
    • Tunisia reports a record 9,823 new cases and 134 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of confirmed cases to 464,914 and the nationwide death toll to 15,735. (Tunisie Numérique)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • The United Kingdom reports 32,548 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 22. (The Independent)

Law and crime

• Centerra Gold files additional claims against the Kyrgyz government in binding arbitration and asserted claims against state-owned Kyrgyzaltyn JSC in response to the seizure of the Kumtor Gold Mine in Kyrgyzstan. (Lethbridge Herald)
• The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo votes 89–0 to pass a resolution officially condemning the Srebrenica massacre and establishing a commemorative holiday for its victims. Serb minority-interests party Serb List boycotted the vote. (RFEL)

Politics and elections

• Political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismisses 12 cabinet ministers, including Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, following intense criticisms over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ravi Shankar Prasad, who held multiple concurrent positions as Law, Information Technology, and Communications Minister, also resigns. (South China Morning Post)
  • 2020–21 Malaysian political crisis
    • The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the largest party in the ruling Perikatan Nasional coalition, withdraws its support for Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and calls for his resignation. The move occurred despite Yassin appointing UMNO vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob as Deputy Prime Minister and major party stalwart Hishammuddin Hussein as Senior Security Minister earlier in the day in order to prevent this. UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says that the decision was due to Yassin's poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Hamidi specifically singling out the ineffective and contradictory implementation of the lockdowns as the main point of contention. (The Straits Times) (South China Morning Post)
• 2021 Swedish government crisis
  • Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven is narrowly re-elected to stay in power after losing a no confidence vote last month. (Euronews)
• 2021 Israeli presidential election
  • Isaac Herzog is sworn in as the President of Israel in a ceremony at the Knesset, where he takes the oath of office using the same 107-year-old Bible that his father Chaim Herzog used when he assumed the presidency in 1983. (The Times of Israel)
• Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, warns Hungary to repeal its controversial amendments to its Child Protection Act, which bans the dissemination of content in schools deemed to "promote homosexuality", or else face "the full force of EU law". Poland is expected to block any attempt to impose the maximum EU penalty of suspending Hungary's voting rights. (Reuters) (Euronews)

Sports

• UEFA Euro 2020
  • England defeats Denmark 2–1 after extra time to reach the UEFA Euro 2020 Final. (BBC Sport)
• 2021 Stanley Cup Finals
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning wins the Stanley Cup Finals four games to one against the Montreal Canadiens. It is their second consecutive Stanley Cup victory and their third overall. Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP during the playoffs. (NHL)

July 8, 2021 (2021-07-08) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Taliban offensive
    • Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
      • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that the United States will end its military mission in Afghanistan by August 31. Also, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says that the Biden administration will evacuate Afghan interpreters from the country. (CNBC) (Politico)
    • Afghanistan–Tajikistan relations
      • Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Suhail Shaheen says that the organization does not plan to attack the Afghan–Tajik border. (TASS)
    • Sixty-nine Taliban fighters are killed during clashes with the government in the town of Qala e Naw, Badghis. (The Times of India)
    • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to outline the plan for the final withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan in detail. (AP)
• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • Three of the assassins of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, who was killed yesterday, are shot dead during a shootout with police in Port-au-Prince. Seventeen others are arrested, while six more are on the run. The attackers are identified as 26 Colombian mercenaries and two American-Haitians. The masterminds of the assassination and motive behind the assassination are unknown. (BBC News)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • A Kyrgyzstan border guard is killed during clashes at the Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border. (AKIPress)
• American diplomats and troops in Iraq and Syria are targeted in three rocket and drone attacks in the past 24 hours, including at least 14 rockets hitting an Iraqi airbase, wounding two American soldiers. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Rupganj factory fire
  • At least 52 people are killed and about 30 others injured by a fire in a food processing factory in Rupganj, Narayanganj, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. (Al Jazeera)
• A magnitude 5.9 M_L earthquake strikes south of Lake Tahoe, near the California–Nevada state border, triggering a series of strong aftershocks. Though resulting in minimal damage and no casualties, it is the largest quake to hit the region in nearly 25 years. (USA Today)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 38,391 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.41 million. (Yahoo! News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a vaccinated woman who returned to the country from abroad. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 135 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,903. The country also surpasses 800,000 cases of COVID-19. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 1,275 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 164,028. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 75 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,462. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Hanoi suspends all public transport services to and from 14 provinces impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and urges people to stay at home after the country reports a record 1,314 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary surpasses 30,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg
      • Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel is discharged from hospital after being in a serious but stable condition due to COVID-19 for several days. Bettel thanks the medical services and announces that he will resume activities through telework until the end of his isolation period. (RTL)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record for the second consecutive day of 32,551 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5,022,893. (ITV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
    • Nigeria reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a traveller following the routine travel test required of all international travellers and genomic sequencing at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Abuja. (AllAfrica)
  • The global death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 4 million. (CNN)

International relations

• China–European Union relations
  • The European Parliament votes 578–29 to pass a 28-point nonbinding resolution condemning the tightening restrictions on the press in Hong Kong following the shutdown of the pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily. The resolution also calls for the European Commission to take punitive actions in response, such as sanctioning officials responsible for drafting and enforcing the national security law, and refusing invitations to the Beijing Winter Olympics next year. (South China Morning Post)
• 2019 Bolivian political crisis
  • Bolivia accuses Argentina of providing weaponry to the military and police of Bolivia during the 2019 Senkata and Sacaba Massacres. The Bolivian government also accuses former president of Argentina Mauricio Macri of wanting the assassination of Evo Morales during his ousting. Argentina was among the first countries to recognize the interim presidency of Jeanine Áñez in 2019. (A24)
• Uruguayan Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo announces that his country will continue to negotiate with third parties or blocks independent of the MERCOSUR bloc, including extending preferential tariffs to other countries even if doing so contradicts the bloc's consensuses. President Luis Lacalle Pou, while calling for the bloc to be reformed, states that Uruguay will still remain a full member of the bloc. (MercoPress)

Law and crime

• Belarusian attacks on journalists and censorship
  • Belarusian authorities block the website of Nasha Niva and detains two of the newspaper's journalists. The journalists' apartments are also searched by authorities. A spokesman for the website said that it is the latest crackdown on democracy activists and independent journalism in the country, conducted in the "worst way of the Soviet era". (AP)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
  • The Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi party asks the Supreme Court to recognize the impromptu swearing-in of newly elected officials because, according to party leader Naomi Mataʻafa, all other venues were blocked when her party was locked out of Parliament. The Supreme Court had earlier rejected a similar petition but had granted a review. (RNZ)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics, 2020 Summer Paralympics, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games announce that the games will be held without spectators following a state of emergency declared in the Tokyo area beginning on July 12 following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Japanese capital. (BBC News)

July 9, 2021 (2021-07-09) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan, Taliban insurgency
  • 2021 Taliban offensive
    • The Taliban captures the border town of Islam Qala, Herat, Afghanistan's biggest border crossing with Iran. (Associated Press) (India Times)
    • A spokesperson for the Taliban says that they now control "85% of the territory" as the Afghan government vows to retake all seized districts. (France 24)
    • Taliban insurgents capture the border town of Torghundi on the border with Turkmenistan as the Afghan National Security Forces collapse in Herat. The Ministry of Interior Affairs says that troops had been "temporarily relocated" and that efforts are underway to recapture the border crossing. (TRT World)
    • A spokesperson for Kandahar Province Governor Rohullah Khanzada says that the Taliban has captured the city of Kandahar. (The New York Times)
  • China evacuates 210 nationals from Afghanistan on a flight to Wuhan. (Hindustan Times)
• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • The Government of Colombia reports that 13 of the 26 Colombian mercenaries who killed Haitian President Jovenel Moïse were retired members of the National Army of Colombia. Two were killed during the gunfight with the police while the eleven others were arrested. (The New York Times)
  • The Government of Haiti requests security and investigative assistance from the United States. (The Hill)
• Operation Barkhane
  • French President Emmanuel Macron announces that he will reduce the presence of troops in the Sahel to between 2,500 and 3,000 over the long-term, and will also close bases in Timbuktu, Tessalit and Kidal in northern Mali, as part of a reorganization effort to focus on missions in the Malian, Nigerien, and Burkinese border regions. (Al Jazeera)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • More than 370 Palestinians are injured after Israeli security forces opened fire on demonstrators protesting the presence of an illegal outpost near Beita in the occupied West Bank. Thirty-one of those injured were hit with live ammunition. Dozens more are injured in similar confrontations in Kafr Qaddum, Beit Dajan, and Hebron, with demonstrators in Hebron protesting the presence of settlements in the Masafer Yatta area. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• Lebanese liquidity crisis
  • Lebanon's electricity utility Électricité du Liban shuts down two of its biggest power stations due to lack of fuel, reducing total electrical output by 40% and leaving much of the country without power. (BBC News)
• U.S. President Joe Biden signs a 72-point executive order placing tighter regulations and scrutiny on major corporations in a variety of sectors, including Big Tech companies. Policies outlined include banning non-compete clauses, curbing the ability of manufacturers to restrict the right to repair certain products, granting the Federal Trade Commission the ability to set guidelines on data collection, banning unfair competition practices in online marketplaces, and ordering the Food and Drug Administration to work with states and Native American tribal governments on procuring cheaper medicines from Canada. (BBC News) (FT) (WH.gov)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Atami landslide
  • The death toll from the landslide in Atami, Japan, increases to nine, as more bodies are found under the mud. Twenty-two people are still missing. (Jiji Press)
• Surfside condominium building collapse
  • The death toll in the Champlain Towers South condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida, increases to 78, with the overnight recovery of 14 more bodies. (ABC News)
• An airplane carrying skydivers crashes in Örebro, Sweden, killing all nine people on board. (BBC News)
• The Russian Federal Forestry Agency reports that 160 wildfires are currently burning an area covering 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi) in the Siberian republic of Sakha. (RFE/RL)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo dies from COVID-19-related complications, after being hospitalized for a week. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports a record 189 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 16,050. (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 212 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 16,004. The country also surpasses one million cases of the virus. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement
      • The Government of Indonesia announces an extension of emergency community restrictions to 15 regencies and cities outside Java and Bali beginning on July 12 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases outside Java and Bali. (Kontan)
      • Indonesia reports a record 28,975 recoveries in the past 24 hours, thereby surpassing the nationwide total of recoveries to 2 million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • The Israeli Ministry of Health announces that all visitors who are traveling to Israel, including vaccinated individuals, will be required to quarantine for 24 hours or receive a negative COVID-19 test beginning on July 16. (Haaretz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 9,108 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 817,838. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia approves the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record for the second consecutive day of 1,316 new cases of COVID-19, prompting the government to raise its restrictions to the highest "Level 4" in the Seoul Capital Area for two weeks beginning on July 12. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Germany declares all of Spain as a COVID-19 risk area, which will require travellers to present a negative test result in order to avoid quarantine beginning on July 11, due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Malta announces that beginning on July 14, they will become the first country in Europe to close their borders to unvaccinated travellers, only allowing those with a Maltese, British or European vaccination certificate to enter following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 25,766 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 2 and thereby brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.73 million. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuban health regulator CECMED approves the emergency use of the domestically-produced Abdala vaccine, becoming the fifth COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the country. Manufacturers last month claimed that the vaccine, which requires three doses, has a 92% effectiveness rate against the virus. This makes Cuba the first Caribbean and Latin American country to successfully develop its own variation of the vaccine. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California will require face masks in schools despite CDC guidelines saying that vaccinated students are not required to wear a mask. (Los Angeles Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record 860 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 9,521. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services also reports three deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national death toll to 51. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 vaccine, Variants of SARS-CoV-2
    • A University of Campinas study finds that the CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine is less effective against the Lineage P.1 Gamma variant, which originated in Brazil. (CNA)
• Climate change in Australia
  • Australian Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley announces that she will appeal a historic ruling from the Federal Court which found that she has a "duty to take reasonable care" that young people will not be harmed in the future by the effects of global warming. (The Guardian)

International relations

• Belarus–Lithuania relations, European migrant crisis
  • Lithuania begins construction on a $48 million fence along its border with neighboring Belarus. A week prior, Lithuania had declared a state of emergency due to an increase in the number of undocumented migrants crossing into the country from Belarus, accusing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately trying to destabilize the country by encouraging and allowing refugees, mostly Syrians, to illegally cross the border. (Newsweek)
• Russia–Ukraine relations
  • The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence accuses Russia of hacking the website of the Ukrainian Naval Forces to publish fake news and upload false documents regarding naval drills between Ukraine, NATO, and most Black Sea nations. (RFE/RL)

Law and crime

• Murder of Sarah Everard
  • London police officer Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to the murder of Sarah Everard. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• South Sudanese Civil War
  • President Salva Kiir Mayardit promises peace on Independence Day and also offers peace to opponent Riek Machar. A civil war has been fought in South Sudan since 2013 when ethnic differences contributed to an armed conflict that has killed more than 400,000 people. This offer of peace comes after Pope Francis said that he would visit the Christian-majority country if some kind of peace is achieved. (Reuters)
• 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election
  • In Ireland, Labour candidate Ivana Bacik is declared the winner in a by-election for the Dublin Bay South constituency, wresting control from the ruling Fine Gael. (The Irish Times)

Science and technology

• The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment's Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation announces that it no longer considers the giant panda to be endangered, but instead considers it to be vulnerable. This comes five years after the International Union for Conservation of Nature made a similar reclassification. (The Guardian)

July 10, 2021 (2021-07-10) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • Former Haitian First Lady Martine Moïse, who was seriously injured during the assassination of her husband, Jovenel Moïse, releases her first public audio statement since the attack. (BBC News)
  • Joseph Lambert, the President of the Senate, is nominated as provisional President of Haiti by a group of senators, potentially succeeding Jovenel Moïse. (DW)
• Somali Civil War
  • A suicide car bombing in Mogadishu kills five people and injures nine others. The attack targeted Mogadishu’s police chief, who survived. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials
  • Two monuments of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are removed from downtown Charlottesville, Virginia, four years after the riot that occurred in the city. (NBC)
  • Following a short council meeting and vote, the Meriwether Lewis and William Clark sculpture and the George Rogers Clark sculpture are also removed from downtown Charlottesville. (The New York Post)

Disasters and accidents

• An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 M_L strikes 27 kilometres (17 mi) east of Rasht, Tajikistan, killing at least five people and destroying at least 20 houses. (Al Jazeera)
• The Miami-Dade County Courthouse closes due to safety concerns following the collapse that occurred at the condominium in Surfside, Florida. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 9,353 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 827,191. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record for the third consecutive day of 1,378 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 166,722. (Yonhap News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 91 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,625. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam receives two million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States, facilitated through the COVAX initiative amid an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in the country. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia
      • Georgia receives 43,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. (Georgian Journal)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova
      • Moldova–United States relations, COVID-19 vaccination in Moldova
        • White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announces that the United States has donated 500,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to Moldova. Moldovan President Maia Sandu praises the United States for the vaccine deployment to the country. (Axios)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands imposes restrictions that require nightclubs and discos to close, prohibits live entertainment in bars and restaurants and requires them to close at midnight, as well as suspending the entry pass program, amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases primarily due to the Delta variant. These restrictions will remain in effect until August 13. (Axios)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 752 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 142,253. (The Moscow Times)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Union says that it has secured enough doses to vaccinate 70% of adults. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Fiji
      • The Fijian government announces that it will soon begin administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, facilitated through UNICEF and the World Health Organization. (FBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria
    • Newly-appointed Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane tests positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine for seven days. (Euronews)

Law and crime

• Rupganj factory fire
  • Police in Bangladesh arrest eight people, including the factory's company owner in connection with the fire that killed at least 52 people. Police say that emergency exits were locked in the building. (DW)
• A four-day gun battle between security forces and armed gangs in the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, results in the deaths of more than 26 people and the wounding of 40 others. Authorities says that the fighting is now under control, but that there may still be a number of snipers in the streets. The killed people are identified as 22 gang members and four police officers, but a number of civilians also died in the clashes. (BBC News)
• Police arrest five people in Santa Ana de Yusguare, Honduras, after they were identified as part of the mob of over 600 people who lynched and killed an Italian man accused of murdering a homeless elderly man. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Brazil, 2021 Brazilian protests
  • For the first time, a poll shows that a majority of Brazilians (54%) support moves to open an impeachment process against President Jair Bolsonaro, with 42% opposing, amid graft accusations and a vaccine procurement scandal. (Reuters)
• Protests occur in Berlin and other cities, organized by exiled activist of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, Maryam Rajavi, to protest the recent election of Ebrahim Raisi as President of Iran. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša join the protests. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2021 Copa América
  • 2021 Copa América Final
    • The 47th edition of the South American international men's football competition concludes in the Maracanã Stadium with Argentina beating hosts Brazil 1–0 in the final. (StadiumAstro)

July 11, 2021 (2021-07-11) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Australian Minister for Defence Peter Dutton says that the country has ended its military involvement in Afghanistan. (VOA)
• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • Suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse say that their intent was to arrest, not kill, Moïse. The two Haitian-American suspects say that they were working as translators for the Colombian suspects and that they had an arrest warrant against Moïse, but found him dead when they arrived. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Twelve people are killed and 26 others injured when a minibus carrying illegal immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh crashes and catches fire in Muradiye, Van Province, Turkey. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 11,874 new cases and 230 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.02 million and the nationwide death toll to 16,419. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia surpasses 60,000 cases of COVID-19. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
        • Indonesia receives three million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States, facilitated through the COVAX initiative. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • The Ministry of Health announces that Israel will resume administering first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. (Times of Israel)
        • Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announces that a deal has been reached with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, which would see a new shipment of vaccines delivered on August 1. (Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 1,953 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 29,816. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Libya
      • Libya reports a record 2,854 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 204,090. (Al-Wasat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • President Cyril Ramaphosa extends South Africa's level four restrictions for 14 days until July 25 amid a third wave of COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant. (Business Tech)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • New South Wales reports Australia's first death from COVID-19 in 10 months after a woman in her 90s died in Sydney after contracting the virus in a family setting. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19 after reporting 485 new cases and three deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The country has seen a significant increase in the number of infections since an outbreak in April. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • Interim President Francisco Sagasti extends the COVID-19 state of emergency in Peru until the end of August. (Al Jazeera)
• Authorities in Spain issue a heat wave warning for Madrid and the southern city of Seville for the second consecutive day as temperatures reach 44 °C (111 °F). (France 24)

International relations

• Oman–Saudi Arabia relations
  • In his first official overseas trip since assuming power last year, Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq meets with King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Neom for two days to discuss a peace initiative in Yemen, and strengthen economic and investment agreements between Saudi Arabia and Oman. Saudi media reports it is also Salman's first face-to-face meeting with a world leader since the COVID-19 pandemic began. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Georgia (country), 2021 attack on Tbilisi Pride
  • Police in Georgia open a criminal investigation into the death of a journalist who was assaulted during attacks targeting LGBT+ activists planning the Tbilisi pride march. Organizers eventually called off the march when more homophobic attacks took place. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• July 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election
  • Bulgaria holds another election after the three largest parties failed to form a coalition government following the election in April. (Euronews)
  • Exit polls do not show a clear winner, with newly-formed populist party There Is Such a People narrowly beating out GERB, the party of previous Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, by 0.2 percentage points. (Reuters)
• 2021 Moldovan parliamentary election
  • Moldovan voters head to the polls in a snap election to elect new members of the Parliament. (Al Jazeera)
  • Results show the pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity, which President Maia Sandu has close ties to, as the winner with 52% of the vote. (DW)
• 2021 Cuban protests
  • Thousands of Cubans, most of them young, attend a rare anti-government protest in San Antonio de los Baños to protest the increased food and medicine shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of Cubans in Miami, Florida, United States, hold solidarity protests as Mayor Francis Suarez calls for an international intervention against the Cuban government in a press conference. (France 24) (NBC Miami)

Science and technology

• Virgin Galactic Unity 22
  • British billionaire Richard Branson travels into space aboard the VSS Unity, a spaceplane owned and operated by the space flight company Virgin Galactic. At the age of 70, he is the second oldest person to travel to outer space. (BBC News)

Sports

• UEFA Euro 2020
  • UEFA Euro 2020 Final
    • Italy beats England 3–2 on penalties in the UEFA Euro 2020 Final after a 1–1 draw following extra time. (BBC Sport)
    • England fans storm London's Wembley Stadium ahead of the team's matchup against Italy, with many of the intruders not removed from the stadium until halfway through the match. (The Times)

July 12, 2021 (2021-07-12) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • Taliban insurgents surround the city of Ghazni as fighting intensifies and the group advances in the country. The government says the Taliban uses civilian houses as hideouts. (Reuters)
  • Withdrawal of U.S. troops
    • General Austin Scott Miller formally relinquishes control of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He is replaced by Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie. (NBC News)
• Tigray War
  • The Tigray Defense Forces say they have captured the town of Korem and are advancing on Alamata in southern Tigray. (Reuters)
  • U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price condemns retaliatory attacks on civilians "whether by organized military or security forces or by rogue elements". Previously, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had warned of ongoing crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. (Reuters)
• 2021 South African unrest
  • Ten people are killed and more than 490 are detained as rioting and looting occur in South Africa following the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma. In a televised address to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa vows that the police and army would "restore order". (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• Nasiriyah hospital fire
  • At least 92 people are killed and more than 100 others are injured in a fire at a COVID-19 isolation ward in Nasiriyah, Iraq. The fire started when sparks from faulty wiring spread to an oxygen tank, causing it to explode. (BBC News)
• More than 53 people are killed by lightning strikes in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with a single strike killing 16 at Amer Fort near Jaipur. (BBC News)
• Collapse of Siji Kaiyuan Hotel
  • Seventeen people are killed and five more are injured after an annex to a hotel collapses in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu province. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 vaccines
    • GAVI signs purchase agreements for 170 million doses of BBIBP-CorV and 350 million doses of CoronaVac for distribution through COVAX. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 13,768 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.03 million. (Bdnews24.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 40,427 new cases and 34,754 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.56 million and the nationwide total of recoveries to 2.12 million. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • Israel becomes the first country in the world to offer a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised adults. The decision comes as the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant continues to spread in the country. (ISRAEL21c)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo enters a fourth state of emergency that will cover the duration of the 2020 Summer Olympics in an attempt to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. The state of emergency will remain in place until August 22. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The Seoul Capital Area enters the most restrictive "Level 4" social distancing measures that bans all large-scale events including spectators at sporting events, private gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m. and before 5 a.m., and closes churches, in an attempt to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. (The Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand begins to implement new restrictions in Bangkok that includes a ban on gatherings of more than five people, a curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., and the closure of many retail stores due to a surge of highly infectious Alpha and Delta variants. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record for the fifth consecutive day of 2,367 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 32,199. (The Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • COVID-19 vaccination in France
        • French President Emmanuel Macron announces that COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandatory for healthcare workers by September 15 and will expand the use of Health Pass into events over 50 people beginning from July 21. (Financial Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Greece
        • Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces that COVID-19 vaccinations will now be mandatory for employees of retirement homes, while vaccinations for healthcare workers will be mandatory beginning on September 1. The Government also restricts access to some commercial venues for vaccinated people only from Friday until the end of August. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Russia
        • A study conducted by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology shows that Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is effective against all variants of SARS-CoV-2, including the Delta variant. (Mint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Valencia's Office of the Public Prosecutor authorizes 32 municipalities that are considered "high-risk" to impose a curfew from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. and restrict social gatherings due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (The Local Spain)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record 873 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total to 11,386. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Panama
    • Panama authorizes the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for people aged 12 years and over. (Reuters)

International relations

• International sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis, United States–Venezuela relations
  • The U.S. Department of the Treasury lifts Trump-era sanctions against Venezuela, allowing companies to export propane to the country. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Law and crime

• 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
  • The Supreme Court is set to determine if there was criminal contempt in preventing the Parliament to convene after the election which caused an ongoing dispute between the two prime ministers. (RNZ)
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
  • Opposition politician Freddy Guevara is arrested in Caracas as police also enter the house of disputed president and opposition leader Juan Guaidó and his wife Fabiana Rosales. Exiled opposition leader Leopoldo López denounces the situation from Spain. (El Mundo)
• UK Home Secretary Priti Patel announces that American Neo-Nazi terrorist group The Base will be banned as a terrorist group, making it the fifth white supremacist group to be added to the country's terrorism list this year. (BBC News)
• Former Drake & Josh star Drake Bell is sentenced to two years of probation for child endangerment. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Cuban protests
  • Protesters and Cuban exiles gather in Tampa, Florida to call for freedom and democracy in Cuba. In South Florida, protesters gather at the Cuban restaurant Cafe Versailles in Miami to hold a “liberty” rally. (Tampa Bay Times) (WTVJ)
• 2021 Moldovan parliamentary election
  • The Party of Action and Solidarity is projected to win a majority in the parliamentary elections. (ABC News)
• The Nepalese Supreme Court declares that the dissolution of the Federal Parliament of Nepal by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in May was unconstitutional, reinstating the Parliament and removing the duties of Oli. The Supreme Court also designates leader of the opposition Sher Bahadur Deuba as the new Prime Minister. (The New York Times)
• Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, who championed human rights, freedom, and greater democracy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), died at the age of 81. (Catholic News Agency)

July 13, 2021 (2021-07-13) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • The Taliban say that they do not want to take their "fight in the mountains and deserts to infighting in cities" but warn against failed attempts at negotiations as the group advances in the country. The Taliban also condemns Turkey for sending protection to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport as part of a "violation of sovereignty" which they labeled as "reprehensible". (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 South African unrest
  • The death toll from the protests following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma increases to 72, as more violent incidents occur. Ten of the victims died during a stampede in Soweto, while others died during lootings, shootings and explosions. More than 1,000 people have been arrested. (BBC News) (The Miami Herald)

Business and economy

• France's Autorité de la concurrence fines Google a record €500M ($593M) for breaching an April 2020 ruling that ordered the company to negotiate "in good faith" licensing deals with publishers and news agencies for any re-use of copyrighted content. The fine amounts to about 1.1% of the company's yearly profits. (NBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh
        • The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh reports two new cases of the Lineage B.1.617 Kappa variant. (The Siasat Daily)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 47,899 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.6 million. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 11,079 new cases and 125 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 855,949 and the nationwide death toll to 6,385. (Free Malaysia Today)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus reports a record for the second consecutive day of 1,081 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 86,185. (Financial Mirror)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • France reports a new single-day record of the 1.3 million vaccine appointments as the Government pressures people to get vaccinated. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 780 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 144,492. (RFE/RL)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Malta abandons a plan to close its border to unvaccinated travellers. Instead, they impose a mandatory quarantine. The new policy follows criticism from the European Commission that they are discriminatory. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain surpasses four million cases of COVID-19. (Euronews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in El Salvador
    • The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador suspends all public and private gatherings of large groups of people and enforces mandatory mask wearing for the next 90 days amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. (Reuters)

International relations

• United States–Venezuela relations, Venezuelan presidential crisis
  • The United States Department of State "strongly condemns" the arrest of opposition politician Freddy Guevara yesterday in Caracas. Guevara is a close ally of disputed president and opposition leader Juan Guaidó. (Reuters)
• United States–Cuba relations, United States involvement in regime change in Latin America
  • Miami Mayor Francis Suarez urges the United States to consider air strikes on Cuba. Additionally, Cuban exile leaders such as Cuban Democratic Directorate spokesperson Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat calls for the Biden administration to intervene in the country. (WLRN-TV)

Law and crime

• Canadian Indian residential school gravesites, Canadian Indian residential school system
  • Members of the Penelakut Tribe in south-western British Columbia announce the discovery of at least 160 "undocumented and unmarked graves" close to Kuper Island Indian Residential School. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Cuban protests
  • In Miami, protesters temporarily block the Palmetto Expressway in both directions in order to show support for Cuban protestors. (Miami Herald)
  • The San Isidro Movement says that over 100 people have been arrested since protests began in Cuba. Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares also calls for the release of Cuban journalist Camila Acosta. (KEYT-TV) (The Guardian)
  • Cuban YouTuber Dina Fernandez, also known as Dina Stars, says that she was detained by Cuban security forces in Havana during an interview. (CNN en Español)
• 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
  • Naomi Mataʻafa accuses Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi of a desperate "attack on the rule of law" and calls on him to recognize defeat in the past election. Several Pacific Island nations such as the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands have recognized Mataʻafa as the new Prime Minister of Samoa. (RNZ)

July 14, 2021 (2021-07-14) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • Afghanistan–Tajikistan relations
        • Tajikistan says that over 350 citizens from Afghanistan have crossed the Afghan–Tajik border. (Straits Times)
      • The Taliban claims to have captured the strategic city of Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, on the border with Pakistan. One of the group's spokesmen, Zabihullah Mujahid, says that the city was "under mujahideen control". Pakistan confirms the capture, saying that the Taliban removed the Afghan flag and raised theirs. The Afghan Ministry of Defense says that they were checking information. If this is confirmed by the Afghan government, it would be the latest territorial gain by the armed group. (DW)
      • Afghan special forces claim that 1,369 Taliban fighters have been killed in recent operations, including key commanders. (TOLO)
    • Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi asks the Taliban during a conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to make a "clean break" with all terrorist forces, especially the al-Qaeda-backed East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and to return to mainstream Afghan politics. (NDTV)
  • Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
    • The Biden administration announces that it will launch Operation Allies Refuge, an operation that will evacuate Afghan interpreters who aided American troops during the war. The operation will begin by the end of July. (USA Today)

Disasters and accidents

• A bus explodes and crashes in Kohistan, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Pakistan, killing 12 people, nine of whom were Chinese nationals; the bus was carrying a group of over 30 Chinese workers. Pakistan says that it was an accident, whereas China alleges that it was an attack. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 54,517 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.67 million. (BeritaSatu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 11,618 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 867,567. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
      • Myanmar reports a record 7,089 cases and 145 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 208,357 and the national total of deaths to 4,181. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 1,615 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, prompting the Government to raise its social distancing measure to "Level 2" for most of the country outside the Seoul Capital Area beginning tomorrow, where gatherings of more than eight people will be banned and bars and restaurants must close by midnight. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 2,924 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 37,343. (VN Express)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 786 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 145,278. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Catalonia imposes a curfew between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. in municipalities with a population of more than 5,000 and with an incidence of more than 400 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants following an "explosion of cases". The curfew will last for one week beginning July 17. (El Periódico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 42,302 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 15. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington
        • Washington reports that the state has vaccinated more than 70% of people over the age of 16 years. (Seattle Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Haiti
      • Haiti receives 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, its first since the start of the pandemic. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a 65-year-old male patient at a hospital in the state of Morelos. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, after reporting 614 deaths in the past 24 hours. (A24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
    • Senegal reports a record 733 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 45,796. (Agence de Presse Sénégalaise)

International relations

• Israel–United Arab Emirates relations, Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement
  • The United Arab Emirates opens its embassy in Israel, marking another milestone in the diplomatic relations between the two countries since signing a normalization agreement. The opening ceremony is attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, UAE Minister for Food and Water Security Mariam Almheiri, and UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja. (Khaleej Times)
• China–United States relations
  • The United States Senate unanimously votes to pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a bill that would ban products from Xinjiang in China, unless they are certified as not from the Xinjiang internment camps. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
    • An Idaho man who was seen hanging on the United States Senate balcony during the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol, pleads guilty to obstruction of Congress, and agrees to help prosecutors. A former Oklahoma City Thunder employee pleads guilty to demonstrating in the Capitol building, and is fined $500. (The Washington Post) (The Hill)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  • The Constitutional Court rules that the general lockdown decreed by the Government in March 2020 is partially unconstitutional because it considers that the restrictions exceeded those covered by the state of alarm. The appeal of unconstitutionality against the decree was filed by the far right party Vox. (El Mundo)
• 2019 Bolivian political crisis
  • Bolivian authorities say that weaponry that were found stored were sent clandestinely by the Government of Argentina led by President Mauricio Macri in November 2019 to support the ousting of Evo Morales and that they were used to repress Morales' supporters. Aside from Macri, his ministers Patricia Bullrich, Oscar Aguad and Jorge Faurie are also accused of aiding the Bolivian interim government of Jeanine Áñez. (TV Pública)
• United States federal prosecutors charge four Iranian intelligence operatives with plotting to kidnap journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad. (NBC)
• Swedish rapper Yasin is sentenced to 10 months in jail for conspiring to kidnap a rival artist. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Cuban protests
  • Cuban President and First Secretary of the Communist Party Miguel Díaz-Canel admits that his administration has failed to handle the shortages and neglected certain sectors. However, he also urges protesters not to be “hateful”. (Global News)
  • Cuba temporarily lifts restrictions on food and medicine imports following the protests. (BBC News)
• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Supporters of Popular Force leader and former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori attempt to reach the Government Palace in Lima to call for an audit of the election. Minister for Health Óscar Ugarte and Minister for Housing, Construction and Sanitation Solangel Fernández were attacked during the protests, and protesters clash with the National Police. (El Mundo) (RPP)

Science and technology

• Discoveries of exoplanets
  • Scientists at the European Southern Observatory announce the discovery of isotopes of carbon-13 on TYC 8998-760-1 b, an exoplanet located 300 light-years away from the Musca constellation. The discovery was made via the Very Large Telescope in Chile. (Phys.org)

July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • The Taliban proposes a three month ceasefire to the Afghan government in exchange for the release of 7,000 captured fighters. Nader Nadery, an Afghan government negotiator, says that it is a "big demand" and that it will be evaluated. This move comes after major territorial gains by the insurgent group. The Taliban also demands that they be removed from a United Nations blacklist. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 European floods
  • Severe floods occur in western Germany, killing 59 people. Eleven more people are also killed in floods in Belgium. (BBC News)
• At least six people are killed during heavy rains in Rize, Turkey. (The Washington Post)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
        • The Food and Drug Authority grants an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (CNN Indonesia)
      • Indonesia reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 56,757 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.72 million. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 13,215 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 880,782. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
        • Sri Lanka reports a new single-day record of 384,763 vaccine doses administered. (Adaderana)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 98 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 3,032. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Vietnam
        • The Ministry of Health issues an emergency use authorization for the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the sixth vaccine to be approved in Vietnam. (The Times of India)
      • Vietnam surpasses 40,000 cases of COVID-19 after a record 3,416 cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (Viet Nam News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 791 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 146,069. (Armenpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 48,553 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 15. (ITV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • A Food and Drug Administration official says that a vaccine for children under the age of 12 years is expected to be approved by midwinter. (NBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • Los Angeles County will restore their indoor mask mandate amid the spread of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (MarketWatch)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana
      • Amidst a rise of cases in Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards reports that 50% of adults in the state have received a dose of the vaccine. (KATC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland
      • Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announces that the state has administered seven million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (WBOC-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
      • The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services issues a hotspot advisory in several counties in southwest Missouri amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state. (WDAF-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritius, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Mauritius reopens its borders to vaccinated tourists after being closed for 16 months as part of a two-phase strategy to attract tourists in order to revive the economy from the impact of the pandemic. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
    • Papua New Guinea reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a 65-year-old Filipino who is the captain of a cargo ship which departed from Indonesia on June 26 and arrived in the country almost two weeks later. (SBS)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
    • The Rwandan government announces a lockdown in its capital Kigali and eight other districts from July 17 in an attempt to curb the increase in cases. (Anadolou Agency)

International relations

• Cuba–United States relations
  • United States involvement in regime change in Latin America
    • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urges the Cuban military to stage a coup in Cuba. He also urges the Biden administration to "restore internet access to Cuba". (Tampa Bay Times)
  • U.S. President Joe Biden calls Cuba a "failed state" and denounces communism as a "failed system". He also said the United States is looking into ways to "restoring internet access in Cuba". (CNN)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Hungary, LGBT rights in Poland
  • The European Commission launches legal challenges against Hungary and parts of Poland due to their anti-LGBT+ laws. The Commission adds that "Europe will never allow parts of our society to be stigmatized". (DW)
• Killing of Peter R. de Vries
  • Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries dies in an Amsterdam hospital from complications of gunshot wounds. De Vries had been shot five times outside of an Amsterdam TV studio nine days earlier. Two of the suspects in the shooting are in custody. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Cuban protests
  • Cuban Americans gather at the Florida State Capitol in solidarity with protesters in Cuba. (WCTV)
• Interim Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri resigns after both failing to form a new government in the past eight months and reaching an impasse with President Michel Aoun on adopting some constitutional amendments. Supporters of Hariri and his party Future Movement subsequently protest in Beirut, where they clashed with riot police, and blocked roads in Tripoli and Tyre. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• Israeli football club Beitar Jerusalem F.C. cancels a planned match with FC Barcelona after the latter refused to hold the match in Jerusalem, following a complaint sent by the Palestinian Football Association earlier this month. The planned location of the match would have been in Malha, which was a Palestinian Arab village prior to the establishment of Israel. (Al Jazeera)

July 16, 2021 (2021-07-16) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • Indian Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui is killed while covering a clash between the Taliban and Afghan government forces on the border with Pakistan. A senior Afghan officer is also killed in the attack. Reuters president Michael Friedenberg and editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni say that they are urgently seeking information with authorities in the region. Reports by the government indicate that Siddiqui was killed in Taliban crossfire. (Reuters)
  • Pakistan rejects accusations by the Afghan first vice-president Amrullah Saleh that the Pakistani Air Force provides air support to the Taliban. Pakistani authorities rebuffed the accusation on Friday, saying that the Air Force limits itself to safeguarding Pakistani territory. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage, COVID-19 pandemic in France
  • The Eiffel Tower reopens to tourists after a nearly nine-month closure due to the second wave of the pandemic and renovations, which is the longest closure since World War II. However, all visitors over 18 years of age will need to show a Health Pass proving that they have been fully vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from COVID-19 beginning July 21. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 European floods
  • The death toll from the severe floods in western Germany increases to 133. Ninety people died in Rhineland-Palatinate and 43 died in North Rhine-Westphalia. The death toll in Belgium also increases to 27. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Madagascar food crisis
  • Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina pleads to world leaders and the international community to help combat climate change amid a situation of food insecurity with some people on the verge of famine in the southern region of Madagascar. Rajoelina highlights the "urgency" in addressing the issue. (Madagascar Tribune)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • The Ministry of Health announces that all travel to Spain and Kyrgyzstan will be banned amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The order will be in effect on July 23. (Trend)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 1,205 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, 345 of them from East Java, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 71,397. (Liputan6)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports its first death and first locally transmitted cases from the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in 11 people that were locally infected with the variant and one person who died at a hospital in Manila on June 28. (Al Jazeera English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka receives its first shipment of 1.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States. (Daily News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 9,692 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 381,907. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam surpasses 40,000 cases of COVID-19. (VN Express)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece imposes new restrictions for access to the hospitality and entertainment sectors to those who have been vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19, particularly for those who want to visit indoor spaces like restaurants, bars and cafés. (Greek Reporter)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 799 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 146,868. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Queen consort Letizia and heir presumptive Leonor, Princess of Asturias receive the first dose of the vaccine. (El Mundo)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 51,870 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the first time that the country has reported more than 50,000 cases since January 15. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia
      • Namibia receives a shipment of 250,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine from China. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports a record 205 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 17,214 deaths. The country also faces shortage of oxygen as hospital struggle with collapse. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 86 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,418. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • The state of Victoria enters a lockdown for the fifth time since the pandemic began, after experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases spreading south from the New South Wales outbreak. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
      • Authorities in Papua New Guinea urge people to get vaccinated as the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant was confirmed yesterday in the Filipino captain of a ship which was docked in Port Moresby. Currently less than 1% of Papuans are vaccinated. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that it has granted priority review for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. A decision on whether to fully approve the vaccine will likely be made within two months. (New York Daily News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina begins a five-day mourning period, decreed yesterday by President Alberto Fernández, to honor the more than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the country. All flags are ordered to fly at half-mast. (MercoPress)
• The U.S. CDC reports the first case of monkeypox in a Texas resident who traveled from Nigeria. (The Washington Post)

International relations

• China–United States relations, 2021 arrests of Hong Kong pro-democracy primaries participants
  • The United States Department of the Treasury sanctions eight Chinese officials over the crackdown on Hong Kong pro-democracy activists amid a trial of 47 of them on charges of "subverting state power". (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Human rights organizations file criminal complaints against 25 Salvadoran soldiers for the killings of four Dutch journalists during the country's civil war in 1982. The journalists worked for the Dutch broadcaster Interkerkelijke Omroep Nederland. (SwissInfo)
• Thai Minister for Justice Somsak Thepsuthin announces that the cultivation and export of kratom will be legalized in the country on August 24, barring any constitutional objections. It was previously declassified as an illegal drug in May. (Bangkok Post)

Science and technology

• The Hubble Space Telescope is successfully brought back online after a hardware failure with its payload computer on June 13, which left it unable to perform scientific operations for more than a month. (Space.com)

July 17, 2021 (2021-07-17) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Mali War
  • Three Chinese nationals and two Mauritanians are abducted at gunpoint from a construction site in Kwala, Mali. (Al Jazeera)
• Protests erupt across Iran as the country is facing its worst drought in 50 years. Two protestors are killed. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 138 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 6,866. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
      • Myanmar reports a record 233 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 4,769. (ANI News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 10,082 new cases and 141 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, prompting the government to impose a nationwide ban on gatherings with a maximum penalty of a two-year jail term, a fine of up to 40,000 baht (US$1,220.15) or both for violators. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 3,718 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 47,904. (Viet Nam News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 54,674 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since mid-January. (Sky News)
      • Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid tests positive for COVID-19, despite having been fully vaccinated, one day after he met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece imposes a night-time curfew from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. and bans all music on the island of Mykonos in an effort to reduce the local spread of COVID-19. These restrictions would last until July 26. (The Hill)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record 1,405 new cases and six deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 16,471 and the national total of deaths to 85. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • The U.S. surpasses 34 million cases of COVID-19. (WFTV)
• Ghana culls more than 4,500 chickens and restricts the movement of poultry after nearly 6,000 birds died from the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu. (Reuters)

International relations

• Japan–South Korea relations
  • South Korea summons the Japanese ambassador following remarks by a Japanese senior official mocking South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Moon had hinted at a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, to which the official responded that it was not a possibility and that Moon was "masturbating". South Korea states that the remarks were highly inappropriate, but the Government of Japan said that the remarks were not directed at Moon. (CNA)
• 2019 Bolivian political crisis
  • At the request of Bolivia, Argentine prosecutors file charges against former president Mauricio Macri, security minister Patricia Bullrich, defense minister Oscar Aguad and former Argentine ambassador to Bolivia Normando Álvarez García for allegedly supporting the removal of Evo Morales from power in November 2019. The Argentine government of that time is also accused of sending ammunition and weaponry to help the government of interim president Jeanine Áñez suppress protests organized by Morales' supporters. (MercoPress)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States civil unrest, Violence against LGBT people in the U.S.
  • Los Angeles Police Department officers fire rubber bullets at close range as LGBT+ activists showed up to counter far-right protesters who called for a boycott of Wi Spa which allows trans women to use women’s facilities. Dozens of activists were arrested following the chaotic and sometimes violent encounter. (Guardian)
• A shooting at a baseball game in Washington, D.C. between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres causes the game's suspension at the bottom of the sixth inning. Four people were shot just outside of the Third Base Exit at Nationals Park. (ESPN)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 pandemic in France
  • Over 100,000 people protest across France against President Emmanuel Macron's plan to require COVID-19 vaccinations for health workers, along with other restrictions on unvaccinated citizens. (Reuters)

Sports

• COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, 2020 Summer Olympics, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • The first case of COVID-19 is reported in the Tokyo Olympic Village by the Tokyo Olympic organizer, in a person who is not an athlete but who is involved in organizing the games. (NBC)

July 18, 2021 (2021-07-18) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada says that he "strenuously favors" a political settlement to the conflict between the group and the Afghan Government despite recent advancement and territorial gains by the Taliban, saying that "in spite of the military gains and advances, the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan]" favors a stable solution to the issue. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• OPEC+ members, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, reach an agreement to increase oil production, ending disputes that caused prices to reach their highest level since 2014. Per the terms of the agreement, Russia will increase its production from 11 million barrels to 11.5 million by May 2022, while the other members will increase their production by 400,000 barrels per day starting in August. (RFE/RL)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 European floods
  • The death toll from flooding in Europe increases to 188, of which 157 died in Germany and 31 more in Belgium. The flooding is also spreading into Bavaria. (Reuters)
  • Heavy floods occur in several cities in Austria and also result in the death of a man in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. (Bayrischer Rundfunk)
• Heavy floods in Mumbai, India, result in the deaths of 20 people. In the first incident, a landslide causes a wall to collapse, killing fourteen people. In the second, six people are killed when landslides damage homes. (Al Jazeera)
• At least 13 people are killed and 24 more are injured when a petrol tanker overturns and catches fire between Kisumu and Busia, Kenya. (BBC News)
• A cargo ship, which was banned from sailing for failing to comply with basic security measures, sinks off the coast of Liberia, leaving at least seven people missing. The ship had departed Liberia's capital Monrovia on Saturday and was heading to a port in the south of the country. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos reports a record 131 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,425. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 153 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,019. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand extends its COVID-19-related restrictions that include a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., closure of shopping malls, and travel restrictions, to Chonburi, Ayutthaya, and Chachoengsao provinces after the country reports a record for the third consecutive day of 11,397 new cases of COVID-19. The restrictions in these provinces will be in effect beginning on Tuesday. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 5,926 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 53,830. (Viet Nam News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • France imposes a mandatory requirement for a negative COVID-19 test result from the previous 24 hours for unvaccinated people travelling from Cyprus, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom due to concerns over the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports three deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the lowest daily death toll since August 2020. (La Repubblica)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
    • Rwanda reports a record 1,997 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 54,549. (Xinhuanet)
• Water crisis in Iran, 2016–2021 Iranian protests
  • People in Khuzestan Province, Iran, take to the streets for the third consecutive day to protest water shortages. (Iran International)

July 19, 2021 (2021-07-19) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• ISIL insurgency in Iraq
  • July 2021 Baghdad bombing
    • A suicide bomber blows himself up at a market in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, killing at least 35 people and wounding 50 others. ISIL claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera English) (Reuters)
• Communal conflicts in Nigeria
  • Bandits in Nigeria's Zamfara State shoot down an Alpha Jet of the Nigerian Air Force. The pilot ejected and survived. (AFP via Yahoo News)

Business and economy

• American ice cream company Ben & Jerry's announces that they will stop selling their products in areas of the Palestinian territories that are controlled by Israel, saying that continuing to do this is "inconsistent with our values". In the same statement, the company said that they will continue to sell within Israel proper. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement applauded the decision, while Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Minister for Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid harshly criticized it. (NPR)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 231 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,125. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 1,338 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 74,920. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea imposes a nationwide ban on private gatherings of more than four people in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases. The ban is in effect until August 1 with some exceptions. (The Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 11,784 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 415,170. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam imposes "Directive 16", the most stringent social distancing measures so far, in 16 provinces for the next two weeks, amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (VNExpress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Ireland begins to implement a EU Digital COVID Certificate and eases non-essential international travel restrictions for those who have been fully vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from COVID-19. (RTÉ)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
        • The number of population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Italy reaches 27.1 million, or 50% of its total population. (The Local Italy)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain announces that half of the population has been fully vaccinated, the third EU nation to do so after Malta and Hungary. (El Mundo)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • Most legal restrictions on social contact are ended in England. Face coverings in indoor public places are no longer required by law, though they are still recommended in some settings. There are no more limits on how many people can attend events, nightclubs can reopen and table service will not be necessary in pubs and restaurants. People working from home as a result of the pandemic are formally encouraged to return to their workplace. (BBC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • Restrictions are also being eased across Scotland to level zero. Unlike in England, face coverings are still mandatory in indoor public places and on public transport. The change also means that four households can meet indoors at home, up to 10 households can meet in a pub or restaurant, up to 15 households can meet outdoors and up to 200 people can attend a wedding or funeral. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
      • Texas reports their first case of the Lambda variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first detected in Peru. (Newsweek)
    • Fox News host Sean Hannity urges viewers to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously, as well as urging viewers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. (People.com)
• The Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation announces the second filling of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is complete. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

• Afghanistan–Pakistan relations
  • Afghanistan withdraws all of its senior diplomats from Pakistan after the abduction and alleged torture of the ambassador's daughter in Islamabad. Pakistan calls Kabul's decision "regrettable" and says that they should reconsider. (The Times)
• Georgia–European Union relations, Moldova–European Union relations, Ukraine–European Union relations
  • Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili announce in a joint statement their intentions to have their respective countries pursue closer relations with the European Union, effectively rebuking Russia. (Politico)

Law and crime

• Two United States citizens are convicted and sentenced in Japan for aiding former CEO of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, in his escape from Japan to Lebanon in December 2019. Former U.S. Special Forces Michael Taylor is sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment while his son receives a 20 months' sentence. (DW)
• Moroccan citizen Abdul Latif Nasir becomes the first prisoner held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to be released by the Biden administration, as part of the process to reduce the camp's population and eventually close it. Nasir was cleared for release by the Periodic Review Board in July 2016, but was blocked by the Trump administration. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Keiko Fujimori of the right-wing Popular Force (FP) concedes defeat to left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo, but accuses him of winning through "illegitimate" means. The accusation comes as the National Jury of Elections says that it will announce the winner later this week, and dismissed five challenges to the results brought last week by the FP party. (U.S. News) (Reuters)
  • The National Jury of Elections confirms Castillo as the winner of the election, thereby making him president-elect. He is expected to be sworn-in as President of Peru on July 28. (Mercopress)

Science and technology

• Project Pegasus revelations
  • A consortium of journalists led by NGOs Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International reveal widespread spying abuses on journalists, political opposition, businesspeople, human rights activists and others by various governments under the guise of fighting crime or terrorism. The NGOs accessed a list of over 50,000 individuals targeted by Israeli security and spying software company NSO Group and its customers within 50 countries. (The Guardian) (ForbiddenStories)
  • According to the leaked data, NSO Group's Pegasus spyware was used to target Saudi-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his family and friends in the months before and after Khashoggi's killing. Khashoggi was assassinated and dismembered in Saudi Arabia's embassy in Istanbul in 2018 by Saudi operatives. NSO previously denied any implication in the killing. (The Guardian)

Sports

• Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop comes out as gay, making him the first player in the NHL to do so. (NPR)

July 20, 2021 (2021-07-20) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • American military intervention in Somalia
    • The United States conducts a drone strike against Al-Shabaab militants near the Somalia town of Galkayo, making it the first military action in the country that was carried by the Biden administration. (VOA)
• Mali War
  • A knifeman wounds Malian President Assimi Goïta in the arm at a mosque in Bamako. The perpetrator is arrested, and the attack is described as an assassination attempt. (Al Jazeera)
• Israel–Lebanon relations
  • The Israeli military bombs southern Lebanon after rockets are fired into Israeli territory from these locations. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett justifies the air strike by stating that "anyone who tries to harm us will pay a painful price in return". (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Henan floods
  • Major floods in Henan, China, caused by 20cm of rain per hour, affect subways and kill at least 12 people in the underground rail system of Zhengzhou. (The New York Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports a record 27,444 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of cases to 3,576,148. (AP)
      • Iran imposes a week-long lockdown in Tehran and the surrounding region in the province of Alborz where all bazaars, public offices, market places, restaurants, gyms, and movie theatres are closed, due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos reports a record 170 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,710. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
      • Nyan Win, a senior advisor to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, dies in hospital after contracting COVID-19 in prison, amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and Minister for National Defnese Suh Wook apologize for the outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great off the coast of Africa. Currently, nearly 250 of the 301 unvaccinated crew aboard the ship have contracted COVID-19. Prime Minister Kim says "I apologize for having failed to take better care of the health of our soldiers who devoted themselves to the country". (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta reports 98 hospitalizations, making it the first time since October 2020 that less than 100 people have been hospitalized. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports that over 8 million people in the province has been fully vaccinated. (CTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • Pasadena becomes the first city in Southern California to require vaccinations for employees. However, the mandate will not be in effect until it receives a full approval by the Food and Drug Administration. (KCBS-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire
        • New Hampshire surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (WMUR-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Lockdown restrictions return in South Australia after an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Three Australian states, and roughly half the national population, are now under strict lockdowns. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia surpasses six million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth country to do so after the United States, India, and Brazil. (AKIPress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwean authorities order compulsory vaccinations for civil servants and also reduce the number of government workers to physically report for duty to 25% in an attempt to reduce the local transmission of COVID-19. (RTÉ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • The Peruvian Ministry of Health announces that the country will purchase 20 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)

International relations

• Lithuania–Taiwan relations
  • Taiwan announces that it will be opening a representative office in Vilnius, Lithuania. This comes amid warming relations between the two nations and the opening of a Lithuanian office in Taipei. The office will be known as the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, making it the first Taiwanese diplomatic mission in Europe to include Taiwan in its name. (Taiwan News)

Law and crime

• A second criminal investigation is opened into the husband of Popular Force leader and former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori over allegations of money laundering. (Radio Havana Cuba)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi fires Minister for Public Health Faouzi Mehdi and appoints Mohamed Trabelsi as caretaker Minister for Public Health amid a collapse of the nation's healthcare system due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
• During a visit to Washington, D.C., Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya asks the Biden administration to impose sanctions on companies in Belarus in order to put pressure on the government of President Alexander Lukashenko. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Blue Origin, Blue Origin NS-16
  • Blue Origin launches its first crew onboard its New Shepard rocket to outer space. The mission was crewed by American billionaire and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, pilot and Mercury 13 candidate Wally Funk and Dutch student Oliver Daemen. Funk and Daemen respectively become the oldest and youngest people ever to travel to space. (BBC News)

Sports

• 2021 NBA Finals
  • In basketball, the Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Phoenix Suns 105-98 in game 6 of the NBA Finals, making it their first NBA championship since 1971. Giannis Antetokounmpo is named NBA Finals MVP. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

July 21, 2021 (2021-07-21) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley says that half of all Afghan districts are under Taliban control as the complete withdrawal of foreign armed forces approaches. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• The Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City site is stripped of its United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage status. In a statement, UNESCO indicates that the "deletion" is "due to the irreversible loss of attributes conveying the outstanding universal value of the property" resulting from the ongoing Liverpool Waters development project. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Henan floods
  • Floods continue in Henan, China, triggering several landslides which result in the deaths of 13 more people, bringing the total death toll to 25. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Oregon wildfires
  • The Bootleg Fire in Oregon, United States, grows to 400,000 acres. (The Oregonian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 1,383 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 77,583. (Kompas)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 199 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,440. (Free Malaysia Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 1,784 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national total of cases to 182,265. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand
        • Thailand will join the COVAX program to receive supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP)
      • Thailand reports a record 13,002 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national total of cases to 439,477. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France begins to require people who want to attend cinemas, museums, sporting events and other cultural venues or events with more than 50 people to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result amid an increase in the number of cases caused by the Delta variant. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports 1,378 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since January 31. (Thejournal.ie)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
        • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that health care workers in the city will be required to get vaccinated or undergo COVID-19 testing amidst fears of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (WNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
      • Governor Mike Parson announces that Missouri will launch a "Be a Mo VIP Winner" campaign to vaccinate individuals amidst a rise of cases in the state. In five rounds, over 180 people will be drawn with each receiving a US$10,000 prize. The announcement comes after 3,031 cases of COVID-19 was reported in the state, the highest since January. (Springfield News-Leader)
    • It is announced that life expectancy in the United States has fallen by 1.5 years in 2020, the largest decrease since World War II. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, COVID-19 was responsible for 74% of the decrease in life expectancy from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77.3 years in 2020. (NPR)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • Chile's Institute of Public Health issues an emergency use authorization for the Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)

International relations

• On September 12, Pope Francis will visit Hungary as he celebrates the concluding Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress. He will then travel to Slovakia and return to Rome on September 15. (Catholic Culture) (Vatican News)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Police in Hong Kong arrest Lam Man-chung, the former executive editor-in-chief of the now closed Apple Daily newspaper. It is the latest arrest surrounding the closure of the paper which has already seen its founder Jimmy Lai convicted and awaiting trial along with many other activists on subversion charges. (Al Jazeera)
• Police in Tanzania arrest opposition leader Freeman Mbowe and dozens of other people within his party amid accusations of authoritarianism by the government of Samia Suluhu Hassan. Mbowe's Chadema party condemns his arrest and labels the government as a "dictatorship". (Reuters)
• Two prison riots in Ecuador leave at least 18 people dead and dozens more injured. (The Rio Times)

Science and technology

• COVID-19 misinformation, COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  • YouTube says that it has pulled videos from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for promoting misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2021 in sumo
  • Mongolian wrestler Terunofuji is officially promoted to yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo, and is the 73rd wrestler to have done so. (The Japan Times)
• 2032 Summer Olympics
  • The International Olympic Committee awards the Australian city of Brisbane the right to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. (ABC Australia)
• 2021–22 NHL season
  • The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft takes place in Gas Works Park where the 32nd NHL team, the Seattle Kraken filled out its first ever roster of players. (NHL)

July 22, 2021 (2021-07-22) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • 2021 Spin Boldak shooting
      • Gunmen shoot and kill at least 100 people in Spin Boldak District, Kandahar Province. (TOLOnews)
  • Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
    • The United States House of Representatives votes 407–16 to pass the Allies Act, a bill that would improve and provide visas for Afghan interpreters who worked for American personnel during the war. (AP)
  • 2021 Taliban offensive
    • Tajikistan holds its largest military exercise, mobilizing 130,000 servicemen in addition to 100,000 active servicemen and parades more than 1,000 military vehicles and many more warfare equipment and military helicopters. President Emomali Rakhmon urged Tajik people to protect the "peace and stability achieved at a high price" amid a Taliban offensive in neighboring Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • Investigations into the origin of COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China rejects the next stage of a World Health Organization (WHO) investigation into COVID-19. Chinese Deputy Minister of Health Zeng Yixin rebuffed the proposal to investigate the origins in Wuhan as "disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards Science". WHO experts said it was very unlikely that the virus escaped from a Chinese lab, but the theory has endured. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 36,370 recoveries and 1,449 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 2.39 million and the nationwide death toll to 79,302. The country also surpasses three million cases of the virus. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, 2020–21 Singapore circuit breaker measures
      • Singapore reverts to "Phase 2 Heightened Alert" which bans dine-in service in all food and beverage establishments and closes all personalised care services that would require patrons to remove their masks. These restrictions will remain in effect until August 18. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record for the second consecutive day of 1,842 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 184,103. (Yonhap News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 13,655 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 453,132. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 6,194 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 74,371. (Viet Nam News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
        • The Government of Italy announces that it will require people in the country to show a proof of vaccination of at least one dose, a negative COVID-19 test, or that they have recovered from COVID-19 in order to participate in social activities such as indoor dining, visiting museums, and attending shows beginning on August 6. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece expands its mandatory regular COVID-19 testing to unvaccinated tourism and restaurant workers nationwide as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 Gamma variant, which was originally detected in Brazil. (Euronews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
          • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that 70% of adults in the city have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Patch.com)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • Chicago Public Schools announces that face masks will be required in all of their public schools this fall, regardless of the vaccination status in the city. (Chicago Sun-Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
        • Missouri officials announce that ambulances and medical staff will be sent to Springfield and Greene County amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (The Kansas City Star)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • Sanford Health announces that all employees will be required to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by November 1. (The Bismark Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuba reports a record 7,745 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 308,599. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports 16,244 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest daily total in the country since January. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
      • Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologises during a press conference for the slow rollout of the vaccination program and appeals for changes to the restrictions on the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • The Chilean government announces that beginning on July 26, fully vaccinated residents will be able to travel internationally by airplane without special permission as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decrease and the number of people who have received a vaccine continues to increase. (Bloomberg)

International relations

• North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
  • North Korea–United States relations, North Korea–South Korea relations
    • U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and South Korea Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong announces that both countries have reached an agreement to convince North Korea to return to nuclear talks. (The Washington Post)
• Haiti–United States relations
  • The Biden administration announces that Daniel Lewis Foote will serve as the U.S. special envoy to Haiti amid political turmoil in the country since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. (CNBC)
• Foreign relations of Equatorial Guinea
  • The United Kingdom imposes sanctions on Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, over his "lavish lifestyle" spending, which includes mansions and private jets. Mangue is also the incumbent vice president. (Euronews)

Law and crime

• Asylum in Australia
  • An Afghan Tajik asylum seeker who has been held in immigration detention by Australia for eight years sues the Australian Government in the Federal Court. A former employee of the Islamic Republican government, the man fled an assassination attempt by the Taliban and argues that his family is still being targeted in Afghanistan and that his indefinite detention prevents him from organising their escape from the violence. The Government has requested the case be dismissed and denied they had any legal obligations towards Afghan citizens. (The Guardian)
• Police in Madagascar arrest six individuals, including a foreign national, after months of investigation into a plot to kill President Andry Rajoelina. The Attorney General accuses those arrested of having "a plan for the elimination of the head of state". (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
• Tanzanian opposition leader Freeman Mbowe and 15 members of his Chadema party, who were arrested yesterday, are charged with terrorism, according to a statement from the party. Amnesty International condemns the charges and the United States said yesterday that Mbowe's arrest was "very concerning". (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Brazilian military crisis, 2022 Brazilian general election
  • It is revealed that Brazilian Minister of Defence Braga Netto communicated to President of the Chamber of Deputies Arthur Lira that the 2022 elections would not be held if a controversial bill that bans electronic voting and reinstates the use of paper ballots does not pass through Congress. This report follows similar threats made by President Jair Bolsonaro, whose approval ratings and chances of re-election are continuing to decrease. (O Estado de S. Paulo)
  • Both Netto and Lira deny that such a threat happened, with the former declaring that the Estadão reported an "invention" and Superior Electoral Court President Luís Roberto Barroso commenting that "the [democratic] institutions are working". Estadão's editor, João Caminoto, reaffirms the veracity of the report in a social media post. (G1)

July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen says that the Islamist group "does not want to monopolize" Afghanistan, pointing to past failed attempts by countries to do so. Shaheen also says that women's rights under the Taliban would now be respected, although women would still need to wear a headscarf or hijab and have a male relative as a companion in order to leave their house. Shaheen also accused President Ashraf Ghani of being a "warmonger" and said that "no one wants a civil war in Afghanistan". (Al Jazeera)
• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency; 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
  • Gunmen open fire on a civilian convoy that was returning from a weekly market in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 16 people. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
  • Azerbaijan reports that one of its soldiers was killed by an Armenian sniper in Kalbajar District near the Armenia–Azerbaijan border. (Reuters)
• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • Gunshots are heard at Jovenel Moïse’s funeral, with U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield cancelling the remainder of her visit to Haiti as a result of the incident. (NBC News)

Business and economy

• Burundian Minister for Mining Ibrahim Uwizeye suspends the operations of several international mining companies, including one running the only rare-earth mine in Africa, saying they were not properly sharing the profits and that the mining contracts signed were "unbalanced". (Africanews) (Xinhua)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 38,988 recoveries and 1,566 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 2.43 million and the nationwide death toll to 80,598. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 15,573 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 980,491. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Business Recorder)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
        • The National Capital Region and the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro revert to the stricter "General Community Quarantine with Heightened Restrictions" due to the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. These restrictions will remain in effect until July 31. (ABS-CBN News)
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • The Philippines announces an entry ban for all travelers from Malaysia and Thailand due to the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. These restrictions will take effect on July 25. (GMA News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the third consecutive day of 14,575 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 467,707. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 7,307 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 81,678. (Vietnam Plus)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • New South Wales declares a "national emergency" of their state COVID-19 outbreak caused by the Delta variant after 136 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji isolates 87 crew and passengers on an inter-islands ship due to COVID-19. The ship's people have been the latest of around 4,000 people infected with COVID-19 who have been turned away from hospitals due to a lack of beds. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuba reports a record for the second consecutive day of 7,784 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 316,383. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • The Biden administration announces that the United States has purchased 200 million extra doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, including doses intended for children under the age of 12 years old. (CBS)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
        • St. Louis and St. Louis County will reimpose their mask mandate for residents in indoor public places and on transportation as part of an attempt to reduce the spread of the Lineage B.1.617 SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. The order will be in effect on July 26. (The Hill)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee
        • Tennessee will resume their COVID-19 vaccine outreach to minors following a suspension of advocacy earlier this month. (The Tennessean)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Germany's Robert Koch Institute declares the Netherlands and Spain as "high-incidence areas", which means that most people arriving from those countries who are unvaccinated will have to go into quarantine beginning on July 27. (ABC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro
      • Montenegro closes all discos and nightclubs as well as bans all indoor gatherings and music festivals due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Nightclubs could be reopened on August 2, but only for those who have been vaccinated, tested negative, or who have recovered from COVID-19. (N1)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Medicines Agency approves the usage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 17, becoming the first time the vaccine has been authorised for people under the age of 18. (Euronews)

International relations

• China–United States relations
  • Following U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong Liaison Office executives, China announces retaliatory sanctions on the Hong Kong Democracy Council and several Americans, including former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities
  • New York COVID-19 nursing home scandal
    • The U.S. Department of Justice announces that it will not open a civil rights investigation into government-run nursing homes in New York. Similar letters were sent to officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania. (ABC News)
• Madagascar officials announce that two French citizens arrested over a plot to kill President Andry Rajoelina are former members of the French Armed Forces. The Government of France says that it is working with its consulate in Madagascar as the French military says that it has no comments on the arrests. (Reuters)
• The Parliament of Sierra Leone unanimously votes to repeal the death penalty. The country had a moratorium on its use since 1998, after the government executed 24 soldiers for allegedly plotting a coup d'état the year prior. (The Guardian)
• Guatemala's Attorney General María Consuelo Porras removed the anti-corruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval. Sandoval collaborated in investigations against former President Otto Pérez Molina and some members of his cabinet. (AP)
• A 32-year-old Florida man is sentenced to life in prison plus 90 years for murdering his girlfriend and daughter in 2018. The sentencing judge describes the 2018 Riverview killings as the "worst case [she's] ever seen". (ABC Action News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
  • The Court of Appeal of Samoa declares Naomi Mataʻafa as the nation's new prime minister, ending a months-long political crisis. (AFP)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2021 NFL season
  • The National Football League says that over 80% of its players have been vaccinated. (AP)
• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Emperor Naruhito officially declares the Summer Olympics open. The inaugural celebration was not hosted publicly due to COVID-19 concerns. (AP)
• Cleveland Indians name and logo controversy, Native American mascot controversy
  • The Cleveland Indians announce that the team's name will be changed to the Cleveland Guardians after the conclusion of the 2021 season. (ESPN)

July 24, 2021 (2021-07-24) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • The government imposes a nighttime curfew between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. in 31 of the country's 34 provinces in an attempt to reduce both the level of violence as well as the surveillance of the Taliban and its movements. (Al Jazeera)
• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Six soldiers are killed and four more are wounded as Boko Haram militants open fire against a military base in Sagme, Cameroon. (France 24)

Arts and culture

• LGBT rights in Hungary
  • Thousands of people join the pride march in Budapest, which was also in protest of the newly passed law that prohibits teachings about homosexuality in schools. Organizers criticized the government and said that the ruling party was making "laws to make members of the LGBTQ community outcasts in their own country". (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Typhoon In-fa
  • In the Philippines, two people are killed and thousands more are evacuated from their homes after monsoon rains compounded by a tropical typhoon cause heavy flooding in Metro Manila. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Henan floods
  • Thirty-three more people are killed during the heavy floods in Henan, China, bringing the death toll to 58. (South China Morning Post)
• Fourteen people are killed and 26 more injured during a warehouse fire in the Jingyue High-tech Industrial Development Zone in Changchun, Jilin province, China. (Xinhua News Agency)
• The death toll from the heavy floods that are affecting India since a week rise to 135 people, the majority of whom in Maharashtra. (Al Jazeera)
• A seaplane incident involving the French power grid causes a blackout affecting more than one million users in 9 regions, mostly in Spain, but also in some regions of Portugal. (El Mundo)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 39,767 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 2.47 million. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos reports a record 278 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,620. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 15,902 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 996,393. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam's strictest social distancing measures are imposed in Hanoi for the next 15 days under "Directive 16" which requires people to stay home except for essential reasons in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19. (Vietnam Net)
      • Vietnam reports a record 7,978 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 90,934. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania, COVID-19 vaccination in Tanzania
      • Tanzania receives its first shipment of 1 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine donated by the U.S. government. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports a record 799 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,369. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
    • Colombia reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in an international traveller who arrived in Cali from the United States. (CNN Español)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • New Zealand suspends its quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia for at least eight weeks amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. However, there will be managed return flights for the next seven days for New Zealand citizens who wish to return home. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • Former Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan says that he tested positive for COVID-19 during the UEFA Euro 2020 Final. (Plymouth Herald)
• Climate change in Australia
  • The World Heritage Committee rejects calls from UNESCO to list the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site "in danger" due to the effects of anthropogenic climate change and ocean acidification, in line with scientific consensus on the Reef's health. Australia lobbied a number of oil-rich countries, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, to reject the proposal. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Protests take place across Europe and Australia in response to COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination requirements for healthcare workers. (The Independent)
• 2021 Iranian protests
  • Protests continue to occur in Iran for the tenth consecutive day as people in Tabriz also take to the streets. (Iran International)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2021 NFL season
  • The National Football League announces that players not adhering to COVID-19 restrictions will be subjected to a fine of $14,650 during the season. (ESPN)
• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Yang Qian of China's women's 10-meter rifle team wins the first gold medal of this year's Olympics. (Reuters)

July 25, 2021 (2021-07-25) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Niger attacks
    • Fourteen people are killed and one more is wounded as gunmen storm the village of Wiye, in Niger. Nine of the victims are killed while working at fields. (Al Jazeera)
• Chikun kidnapping
  • Nigerian authorities confirm that the bandits who kidnapped dozens of children from a school in Chikun, Kaduna State, have released 28 of them and that 81 others remain in captivity. This was the tenth mass kidnapping incident since December 2020. (Reuters)
  • Armed bandits kidnap a negotiator who had been sent to pay the ransom by the parents of the remaining students being held in captivity. The bandits had demanded nearly US$73,000. (Reuters)
• Mali War
  • The man who tried to kill Malian President Assimi Goïta with a knife at a mosque in Bamako six days ago dies in custody. The cause of death is unknown. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
  • Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi reports that the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces are advancing in Cabo Delgado Province and gaining territory previously held by Daesh-affiliated groups. The insurgency has caused thousands of deaths as well as monetary losses Mozambique's economy, primarily in the gas and oil industries. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 wildfire season
  • 2021 California wildfires
    • Dixie Fire
      • The Dixie Fire grows to 190,000 acres in Butte County and Plumas County after merging with the Fly Fire. Approximately 16 structures have been destroyed. (The Washington Post) (KCRA-TV)
      • The Plumas County Sheriff's Office orders mandatory evacuations in the area amid the spread of the Dixie Fire. (KRCR-TV) (KTXL-TV)
  • An uncontrolled fire in the Spanish Catalan counties of Anoia and Conca de Barberà burns more than 1,100 hectares of land. The ashes reach Barcelona, 100 kilometers away from the focus of the fire while a confinement order is issued for two municipalities. (El Periódico) (El Confidencial)
  • Massive fires in the region of Sardinia, Italy, damage buildings, force the evacuation of 1,500 people and destroy 20,000 hectares of land. Italy has asked for help from other European countries to battle the fires. (The Guardian)
• Ten people are killed and 44 are injured in a bus crash near Slavonski Brod, Croatia. The bus, traveling on a regular route from Frankfurt, Germany, to Pristina, Kosovo, swerved off the highway after one of the drivers briefly fell asleep. The driver was arrested after the incident, while the second driver was killed in the crash. (Washington Post)
• Nine people are killed and three more are injured in Himachal Pradesh, India, after being hit by falling boulders. (BBC News)
• Flash flooding in London leaves a number of Underground stations submerged with widespread damage reported. (The Independent)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Jordan
        • Jordan begins to vaccinate children over the age of 12 using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 17,045 new cases of COVID-19 and surpasses one million total cases. (Free Malaysia Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 15,335 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 497,302. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Albania
      • Albania reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, which was originally detected in India, (Euronews Albania)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland
      • Iceland restricts the gatherings to 200 people, requiring bars and nightclubs to stop selling alcohol at 21:00 and close no later than midnight amid an increase of COVID-19 cases. (Iceland Monitor)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
    • Cuba reports a record 8,853 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Presna Latina)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa returns to adjusted alert level 3, which means that inter-provincial travel can resume, alcohol sales bans are lifted, non-essential businesses can reopen, and gatherings of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors are allowed. Additionally, schools can reopen from 26 July 2021. (Businesstech)

Law and crime

• Police in Fiji carry out a crackdown on opposition politicians and human rights activists who are opposed to a newly proposed land bill and who criticized the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Among those arrested are opposition politicians Biman Prasad, Lynda Tabuya and Litia Qionibaravi as well as former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. (RNZ)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Cuban protests
  • A South Florida caravan heads to Washington, D.C., to urge the Biden administration to take more action against Cuba and end the country's communist regime. (WFOR-TV)
  • Cuban dissidents in exile demonstrate in Madrid, Spain, with the leaders of the Spanish opposition political parties. (La Vanguardia)
• 2021 Tunisian political crisis
  • Tunisian President Kais Saied, in a televised speech, announces the dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and the suspension of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, and also assumes executive authority. The opposition calls the actions a coup d'état. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Netherlands at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
    • The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games reports the first post-competition case of COVID-19 after Dutch rower Finn Florijn tested positive on Friday and self-isolated at a separate location. (The Japan Times)
  • Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Skateboarding at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Japanese skateboarder Yuto Horigome wins a gold medal in skateboarding, making him the first athlete to do so. (NPR)

July 26, 2021 (2021-07-26) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • United Nations representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons implores the Afghan government and the Taliban to protect civilians as a UN report shows a sharp increase in civilians being killed. 1,300 civilians, mostly women and children, have been killed so far this year. (DW)
      • Forty-six Afghan National Army soldiers, including five officers, flee into neighbouring Pakistan after abandoning their military posts on the border amid Taliban advances. (The Express Tribune)
• American-led intervention in Iraq
  • Withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq
    • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that U.S. combat forces will leave Iraq by the end of the year, although some troops will remain to "train and advise" the Iraqi military. (BBC News)
• 2021 Tunisian political crisis
  • The army surrounds the parliament and prevents its Speaker Rached Ghannouchi from entering. President Kais Saied earlier dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and froze the activities of the parliament for 30 days. (Reuters)
  • Police storm and raid the headquarters of news outlet Al Jazeera in Tunis, as clashes continue outside the building. (Al Jazeera)
  • The main opposition Islamist Ennahda Movement accuses President Saied of staging a coup as clashes between the President's supporters and Islamist protesters continue in the capital Tunis. An Ennahda office is burned down in the city of Tozeur. (BBC News)
• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Five soldiers and a civilian are killed and four more people are wounded as Boko Haram attack a command post in Zigue, Cameroon. A number of terrorist are killed during a gunfight after the attack. (The Defense Post)
• Insurgency in Northeast India
  • Five policemen are killed and more than 50 people are wounded in the Indian state of Assam during clashes with Mizoram due to a border dispute. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Madagascar food crisis
  • USAID announces a donation of $7.5 million for feeding and treating children and pregnant women in southern Madagascar. The country is experiencing its worst drought in the past 40 years, with more than one million people on the verge of famine. (US embassy Madagascar)
• Thirteen people are killed and 45 others are injured when a long-distance bus rolls over on the G22 Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway in Gansu, China. This is the second major disaster in the province this year after the Gansu ultramarathon disaster. (Xinhua News Agency)
• A dust storm causes a 20-vehicle pileup on Interstate 15 in the U.S. state of Utah, killing eight people and injuring several others, some of whom are in critical condition, according to a statement from the Utah Highway Patrol. (CNN) (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea
        • South Korea begins vaccinations for people between the ages of 55 and 59 as the country experiences a fourth wave of COVID-19. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 15,192 new cases and 247 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.179 million and the nationwide death toll to 19,521. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia eases their community activities restrictions and allows non-essential traditional markets, warungs, street food vendors, and some shopping malls as well as other small businesses to reopen with strict health measures despite warnings that further loosening could contribute to another wave of COVID-19. (The Guardian)
      • Indonesia reports a record 40,374 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 2.54 million. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports a record 31,814 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.72 million. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan
      • Kazakhstan reports a record 6,637 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 535,906. (AKIPress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 207 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,201. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 15,376 new cases of COVID-19, and surpasses 500,000 cases of the virus. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Ho Chi Minh City imposes a strict overnight curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases. (Radio France Internationale)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
      • Croatia restricts the number of gatherings to 50 people for those who are unvaccinated and 1,000 people for those who are vaccinated in five coastal counties in Adriatic Croatia until August 15 in order to prevent the introduction of restrictions for travellers returning from the country. (Croatia Week)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Pubs and restaurants are allowed to resume their indoor service across Ireland for the first time since March 2020, although customers must have official proof that they have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 within the last 180 days. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia approves the clinical trial of the combined AstraZeneca and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. (Yahoo! News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs announces that they will require vaccinations for healthcare workers, becoming the first agency to do so. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • COVID-19 pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area
        • Bars and nightclubs in San Francisco will require COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative COVID-19 test for customers as an effort to combat the spread of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (KPIX-TV)
      • California announces that the state will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. (Los Angeles Daily Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria
    • Algeria closes gyms, cultural and leisure venues, beaches and used car markets, reimposes a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and bans all gatherings in 35 provinces, amid the rapid spread of the Delta variant. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • Venezuela enters a "radical quarantine" for a week in order to reduce the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. (El Confidencial)

International relations

• Foreign relations of Equatorial Guinea
  • The Foreign Minister of Equatorial Guinea announces the closure of the country's embassy in London, United Kingdom after the British government sanctioned Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue over his "lavish lifestyle". The Minister said that Equatorial Guinea "will not allow interference in internal affairs". (Reuters)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in France
  • The French Parliament approves a law that requires all healthcare workers to receive a vaccine by September 15 as well as the adoption of a "Health Pass" that will allow residents to travel on trains and airplanes, and enter restaurants and some public venues. The law can be applied until November 15 depending on the COVID-19 situation and will also apply to children over the age of 12 beginning on September 30. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Iranian protests
  • Protests against water shortages and deteriorating economic condition have spread to capital Tehran, as protesters openly display discontent with the country's leadership. (Radio Farda)
• 2020–21 Malaysian political crisis, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • The Parliament of Malaysia reopens for the first time after a seven-month suspension due to the COVID-19-related state of emergency, which will expire on August 1. (Nikkei Asia)
• Mary Simon is officially sworn in as the 30th governor general of Canada. She is the first Indigenous person to hold the office. (CBC)
• Najib Mikati is designated by the Lebanese parliament to be the new prime minister, succeeding caretaker prime minister Hassan Diab. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, Netherlands at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • The Dutch rowing team self-isolates after rower Finn Florijn and team coach Josy Verdonkschot tested positive for COVID-19. (Barron's)
  • Philippines at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz wins the Women's 55 kg event, receiving the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medal. (Reuters)

July 27, 2021 (2021-07-27) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afar–Somali clashes
  • According to the government of Ethiopia's Somali Region, militants from the Afar Region attack for the fourth day the Somali town of Garbaiisa, killing up to 300 people. In response, protesters set up roadblocks along a highway leading to Djibouti and damaged parts of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, threatening Ethiopia's economy. This comes after multiple days of fighting between Afar and Somali militants in Garbaiisa. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
• The Cuban embassy in Paris, France, is attacked with three molotovs, resulting in a fire outside the building but without causing any injuries. The identities of the perpetrators of the attack are unknown. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York orders American handicraft chain Hobby Lobby to forfeit a 3,600-year-old tablet containing a portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh to the federal government, after the company illegally purchased it in a private auction in 2014. The Justice Department had been looking to claim the tablet since 2013, as it was suspected to have been stolen from an Iraqi archeological site in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, so it could be repatriated back to Iraq. (CNN) (NBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Leverkusen explosion
  • Two people are killed, 31 are injured and five more are missing after an explosion at an industrial park housing several chemical companies in Leverkusen, NRW, Germany. (The Washington Post)
• 2021 California wildfires
  • The Dixie Fire grows to 208,206 acres, which is larger than the size of New York City. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record for the second consecutive day of 258 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 19,779. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 47,128 recoveries and 2,069 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 2.596 million and the nationwide death toll to 86,835. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports a record for the second consecutive day of 34,951 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.758 million. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a record 2,848 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan
      • Kazakhstan reports a record 6,797 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 542,703. (Azerbaijan Press Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Kuwait announces that it will ban unvaccinated people from travelling internationally beginning on August 1. However, the rule exempts children under the age of 16, those with a health ministry certificate saying that they cannot be vaccinated, and pregnant women who have a proof of pregnancy certificate. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia will require COVID-19 vaccinations for people to access workplaces and attend social events. The order will come into effect on August 1. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan reports a record 789 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 125,784. (AKIPress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Cuba
        • Over 8,900,000 people in Cuba have received a dose of the Abdala and Soberana 02 vaccine. (Radio Cadena Agramonte)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • The White House issues an indoor mask mandate for staff amid the spread of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (Axios)
        • U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas cancels in-person events and will self-isolate after coming in contact with an official in the department who later tested positive for COVID-19. (Politico)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas
        • The Arkansas Children's Hospital reports 24 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record. (KTHV-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • The Chicago Department of Public Health adds Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming to their travel advisory amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Newsweek)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
        • Mississippi Department of Corrections commissioner Burl Cain announces that the state will suspend visits to prisons as part of an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Mississippi Today)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
        • Kansas City will reimpose their mask mandate amidst a rise of COVID-19 cases in Missouri. (Kansas City Star)
      • U.S. CDC director Rochelle Walensky announces that residents, including vaccinated Americans, are recommended to wear masks in indoor public spaces amid the spread of the Delta variant. (NPR)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Iceland begins to require international travellers who have been vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19 to present a negative PCR or Antigen test result from the previous 72 hours due to the spread of the Delta variant. (Schengen Visa Info)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, NHS COVID-19
      • The United Kingdom eases its quarantine rules for essential workers in many fields who no longer need to quarantine for 10 days if they are fully vaccinated and only need to receive a COVID-19 test after the previous rules led to a shortage of workers. (The Hill)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • Chile reports 753 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the lowest daily total in the country since April 2020. (China.org)

International relations

• North Korea–South Korea relations
  • North and South Korea restore hotlines between the two countries, more than a year after Pyongyang cut ties in June 2020. The move comes after months of correspondence by letters of negotiations between South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in an attempt to improve relations between the two countries. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • A court in Hong Kong found 24-year-old Tong Ying-kit, the first person to be charged under the national security law, guilty of terrorism and secession after driving his motorcycle into police. (DW) (Bloomberg)
• The trial against Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu and ten others for financial crimes opens in the Holy See. Becciu and a monsignor are the only two to appear in court in person. Becciu denied any wrongdoing and the trial was adjourned. Pope Francis had previously stripped Becciu of his immunity and approved his indictment. Becciu's lawyers asked the court not to order the Cardinal's arrest. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Bermuda at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Triathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Bermudian triathlete Flora Duffy wins the Women's event, giving Bermuda its first Olympic gold metal. (Reuters)
  • Turkmenistan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Turkmen weightlifter Polina Guryeva gets second place in the Women's 59 kg event, winning Turkmenistan its first Olympic medal. (AP News)
  • North Macedonia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Taekwondo at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Macedonian professional Taekwondo practitioner Dejan Georgievski wins second place in the Men's +80 kg, earning North Macedonia its first Olympic silver medal. It is also the first medal the country has won after its renaming in 2018 as well as the country's second medal overall. (Associated Press)

July 28, 2021 (2021-07-28) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that United Nations reports of civilian deaths in Afghanistan are "deeply, deeply troubling" as the Taliban gains vital border crossings and territory. The armed group has said that, if they return to power, they will treat civilians well and will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for international terrorism. (Reuters)
• 2021 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
  • Armenia reports that three of its soldiers were killed in clashes with Azerbaijani forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia says that Azerbaijan "is deliberately escalating the situation as its forces remain illegally on Armenia's sovereign territory" while Azerbaijan rejects the accusation and blames Armenian forces for opening fire first towards Azerbaijani forces in the district of Kelbajar. (DW)

Business and economy

• Argentina announces that they will pay $250 million to the Paris Club and $350 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avoid default. Economy minister Martín Guzmán asks both entities to restructure the debts in order to make payment viable. The IMF has expressed its willingness for the payment after months of negotiations on a $45 billion debt acquired by the previous administration. (Ámbito Financiero)

Disasters and accidents

• Eighteen migrant workers are dead and at least 30 more are injured when their bus is hit by a truck in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India. (BBC News)
• Mount Sinabung in the North Sumatra region of Indonesia begins billowing ash up to 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) into the air. Though not yet erupting, authorities warn of lava flows and an evacuation order is put in place for those living within 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) of the volcano. (Associated Press)
• An 8.2 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Alaska, with at least two strong aftershocks (6.2 and 5.6) and prompting tsunami warnings. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the United States since the 1965 Rat Islands earthquake, which also occurred off the Alaskan coast. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, COVID-19 vaccination in Ghana
      • Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority approves the usage of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, bringing the number of approved vaccines in the country to five. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
      • Rwanda imposes tighter lockdown measures in 50 sectors with high positivity rates in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (KTPress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania
      • Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu receives her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as the vaccination campaign begins in the country. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, COVID-19 vaccination in Zimbabwe
      • The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe approves the emergency use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson after they previously denied approval, making it the first Western-made vaccine to be approved for use in the country. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a record for the second consecutive day of 3,177 new cases of COVID-19. (NBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 17,405 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.06 million. (New Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
      • Philippine business groups support a proposal for a two week "circuit-breaker lockdown" to be imposed in the National Capital Region in order to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 1,896 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 193,427. (The Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 16,533 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 543,361. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The French government announces that beginning on August 9, the parliament-approved "Health Pass" will be compulsory for people who want to visit a café, gym, bar or other public place, as well as travel on an airplane or by inter-city rail. However, the legislation needs to be validated by the Constitutional Council on August 5. (Connexion France)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
      • The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Germany reaches 41.1 million, which is nearly half the country's population. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
      • The Italian Medicines Agency approves the usage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 years old, making it the second vaccine to be approved for use in teenagers in Italy after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports 22,291 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the first the time the country has reported more than 20,000 cases since early May. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta drops their COVID-19 quarantine for close contacts of cases, as well as relaxing health measures. (Reuters)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
        • British Columbia reimposes a mask mandate and declares a COVID-19 outbreak in the Okanagan region following a rise of cases in Kelowna, Peachland, and Lake Country. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuba reports 9,323 cases of COVID-19, a new single-day record. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia
        • Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issues a mask mandate for indoor public spaces to combat the spread of COVID-19. (WAGA-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that the state will require COVID-19 vaccines or negative COVID-19 tests for state workers, making New York the second U.S. state to do so after California. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Lockdown restrictions are eased in Victoria and South Australia after a decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases. New South Wales is now the only state under a strict lockdown. (9 News)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Ghana, 2021 Ghana gay arrests
  • Lawmakers in Ghana propose a bill that would criminalize displays of same-sex affection and the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights with up to ten years in prison. In May, 21 LGBTQ+ activists were arrested under charges of promoting an LGBTQ+ agenda and unlawful assembly. Human rights organizations and local LGBTQ+ groups condemn the proposed bill. (Washington Post)
• Imprisoned Australian publisher Julian Assange is stripped of his Ecuadorian citizenship due to issues with his application forms and outstanding fees. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• Belarus–United States relations
  • U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the White House. Biden reiterates his support for the Belarusian opposition activists for "[their] quest for democracy and universal human rights" as Tsikhanouskaya thanks Biden and says that "Belarus will be a success story". (DW)
• 2021 Tunisian political crisis
  • Tunisian President Kais Saied sacks Mohamed al-Dahach as head of the national television network and installs a temporary replacement, following an incident in the afternoon when al-Dahach forbade a group of journalists and human rights advocates from appearing on a show allegedly on orders from the military. (Reuters)
• Socialist rural teacher Pedro Castillo is sworn-in as President of Peru during its bicentennial. (Andina)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Florida swimmer Robert Bobby Finke wins a gold medal at the 800 metre freestyle event, becoming the first American to do so. (Business Insider)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2021 Major League Baseball season
  • The Washington Nationals postpones their game against the Philadelphia Phillies after 12 people within the organization test positive for COVID-19. (CNN)

July 29, 2021 (2021-07-29) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • 2021 Daraa clashes
    • Eight Syrian soldiers, seven rebel fighters and eight civilians are killed in clashes in Daraa Governorate. (SOHR)
• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • A U.S. government watchdog charged with monitoring events on the ground says that the Afghan government will be "fighting for its life" and could fall under the control of the Taliban once the withdrawal of foreign troops is completed. The report states that Afghan "unprepared forces" are facing an "existential crisis" in response to the increasing Taliban attacks. (Voice of America)
• Tigray War
  • Fighting escalates in Ethiopia's Amhara Region as Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) continue their offensive. Federal forces as well as Amharan militiamen are fighting the TDF on three fronts. Clashes are also reported in the Afar Region, to the east, with Ethiopian officials accusing Tigrayan forces of attempting to seize the N'Djamena–Djibouti Highway. (BBC News)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • The United Nations Security Council extends an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on the Central African Republic for another year. China was the only UNSC member to abstain from the vote. (U.S. News and World Report)

Arts and culture

• The Royal Spanish Academy confirms that Alfonso de Palencia's dictionary dates from 1492, so it predates Antonio de Nebrija's "Latin-Spanish Dictionary" and becomes the earliest known Spanish vocabulary. (El País)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 wildfire season
  • 2021 California wildfires
    • The Dixie Fire grows to 221,504 acres, making it the 13th largest wildfire in California. (San Francisco Chronicle)
  • 2021 Turkish wildfires
    • Three people are killed and 58 more injured during multiple simultaneous wildfires in Manavgat, Antalya. The fires cause mass evacuations in several provinces. (AP)
• Flash flooding kills at least 60 people and leaves several others missing in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, amid torrential rains. (BBC News)
• A huge fire destroys part of the Cinemateca Brasileira, in São Paulo, that have the largest collection of "moving image" in Latin America. (EFE)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala
        • Kerala announces a total weekend lockdown on July 31 and August 1 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announces that a booster shot will be offered for people aged 60, making Israel the first country to do so. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a record for the third consecutive day of 3,865 new cases of COVID-19, while the number of new cases across Japan surpasses 10,000 for the first time. (The Asahi Shimbun)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan announces that they will ban air travel for unvaccinated people, as well as entry to schools for both staff and students over the age of 18 beginning on August 1 and will also require public sector workers, public transport workers and retail staff to get vaccinated beginning on August 31 or risk a ban on entry to shopping malls, restaurants, and government offices. (U.S. News and World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 17,669 new cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 561,030. The country also reports a record 165 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 4,562. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan reports a record 879 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 127,506. (AKIPress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • Northern Ireland announces that it will allow fully-vaccinated travellers from amber list European Union countries as well as the United States to enter without needing to quarantine beginning on August 1. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal announces three phases for lifting its COVID-19-related restrictions, including ending localized curfews and operating hours restrictions for restaurants, stores and cultural venues on August 1 as the number of cases continues to decline. However, bars and discos will only be allowed to reopen in October. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 799 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours for the third time in a month, bringing the nationwide death toll to 156,277. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that federal employees will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or undergo a COVID-19 test. He also urges The Pentagon to approve a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the United States military. (Business Insider)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas
      • Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson declares a public health emergency in Arkansas amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. He also announces a special legislative session to change the law that prevents public schools from issuing mask mandates. (KATV-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont
      • Vermont becomes the first U.S. state to vaccinate 70% of people aged 12 to 17. (NECN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      • Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issues a mask mandate for indoor public spaces as part of an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The mandate will be in effect on July 31. (The Hill)
  • Over 4 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine has been administered worldwide. (Medical Xpress)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Uganda
  • Local human rights activists in Uganda petition President Yoweri Museveni not to sign a controversial bill against gay sex into law as it could increase discrimination and hate crimes and incite violence against gay men. The bill further criminalizes homosexuality by punishing "penetration of another person’s anus" with up to 10 years' imprisonment. Richard Lusimbo, a 34-year-old activist, says that even people suspected of being gay will be attacked if the bill comes into effect. (PML Daily)

Politics and elections

• Peru's President Pedro Castillo names Guido Bellido of the party Free Peru as his prime minister. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks withdraws from the Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19. (The Washington Post)
  • San Marino at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Shooting at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Sammarinese shooter Alessandra Perilli takes third place in the Women's trap event, winning San Marino its first Olympic medal and making it the least populous nation to have won a medal. (CNN)
• 2021 NBA draft
  • The Detroit Pistons select former Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick. (CBS Sports)

July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • The Taliban enters Lashkargah, the provincial capital of Helmand Province, capturing large areas of the city, according to a provincial government spokesman, who reported heavy fighting between government forces and the Islamist group as civilians flee the city. (Reuters)
• 2021 Gulf of Oman incident
  • A Romanian captain and a British bodyguard are killed in a suicide drone attack on a Liberian-flagged Japanese-owned oil tanker, belonging to an Israeli company, near the coast of Oman. (Al Jazeera)
• Two supporters of the Zambian political-leading party Patriotic Front are stabbed to death by supporters of the opposition party National Development in the capital Lusaka, amid an increasing tension over the imminent elections. Four people are arrested. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia imposes a two-week lockdown in eight provinces bordering Thailand as well as a nationwide night curfew in an effort to reduce the resurgence of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
      • Israel begins the world's first third-dose vaccination campaign for people over 60 years old, with president Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal receiving a third dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Haaretz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japanese health minister Norihisa Tamura says that the country has entered an "extremely frightening" stage of the pandemic as the number of cases increases in Tokyo. The government also extends the state of emergency in the capital and expands it to three surrounding prefectures and the city of Osaka from August 2 to August 31. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
      • The National Capital Region will be placed under the strictest Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in an effort to reduce the resurgence of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant. The ECQ will be in effect from August 6 to August 20. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 8,649 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 137,062. (Vietnam Plus)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Angela Merkel's cabinet approves a plan to require travellers over the age of 12 who have not been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 to show a negative COVID-19 test result regardless of whether they are travelling by airplane, car or train. People travelling to Germany from "virus variant areas" will also require a negative test result, even if they have been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. These rules will be in effect beginning on August 1. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Moscow abolishes a widely-flouted requirement for people to wear gloves on public transport and in shops and other public places as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
      • Kenya bans all public gatherings and in-person meetings, as well as extends the nationwide curfe] to from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
      • Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni eases its second nationwide lockdown that allow some business hubs, private and public transport to reopen and operated with restricted capacity limits due to drop of positivity rate of COVID-19 in the country. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The United States surpasses 100,000 daily reported cases for the first time since February 11. (The New York Times)

International relations

• 2021 Cuban protests
  • The United States places sanctions on the Cuban police force and two of its police leaders. (CNBC)
• Philippines–United States relations
  • Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte suspends the termination process of the Visiting Forces Agreement, a military pact between the Philippines and the United States. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Twenty-four-year-old Tong Ying-kit is sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted last week for driving his motorcycle into three riot police last year. (Reuters)
  • Police arrest a 40-year-old man at a mall for booing the Chinese national anthem during the ceremony for Hong Kong's first gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Police added that the man also carried a Hong Kong colonial flag and that he was arrested on grounds of the man's aim to "incite hatred and politicize sports". (Reuters)
• Immigration detention in Australia
  • An Iranian Kurdish asylum seeker living among the community in Australia sues the Commonwealth government in the Federal Court for detaining him in two hotel rooms for over a year. This is the latest in a growing movement of refugees suing Australia for alleged human rights abuses. (The Guardian)
• 2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis
  • The European Court of Justice confirms the lifting of parliamentary immunity of MEPs and Catalan independence leaders Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí, thereby allowing Spanish courts to prosecute and extradite them to Spain. (Euronews)
• Western Togoland
  • Charles Komi Kudzordzi, leader of the Home Study Group Foundation, is arrested by Ghanaian national security officials for declaring parts of the Volta Region independent in 2019. (GhanaWeb)

July 31, 2021 (2021-07-31) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • Government forces and the Taliban clash in Herat, the provincial capital of Herat Province, where the Islamist group has seized many districts. The Taliban also captures adjoining border crossings with Iran and Turkmenistan as the United Nations accuses them of killing a United Nations serviceman yesterday during an attack on a UN compound. (France 24)
      • The Taliban enters Kandahar as intense fighting is reported in three major cities. Kandahar MP spokesman Gul Ahmad Kamin says that the fighting there is the worst that has been seen in 20 years, with the Taliban seeking to establish their temporary capital there. Kamin also says that the situation is worsening "hour by hour" as he warns that if Kandahar falls, five or six other provinces in the region would also be captured by the Taliban. It is also reported that the Taliban made rapid major gains in rural areas. (BBC News)
• Sinai insurgency
  • Eight soldiers are killed by ISIL during anti-terrorism operations in northern Sinai, Egypt. Eighty-nine ISIL militants are also killed. Arms and ammunitions are confiscated, while hundreds of explosive devices, some explosive belts, thirteen tunnel entrances and 200 arms-loaded vehicles are destroyed. (Al Jazeera)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • The deputy governor of Al Bayda Governorate says that Houthi insurgents have taken control of Naman and Nateh districts, displacing many civilians. (The Defense Post)

Disasters and accidents

• Thirty-three people are dead during a collision between a fuel truck and a crowded bus in Kibuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a record 4,058 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, while the number of new cases across Japan reaches a record 12,341. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos reports a record 380 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6,299. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 17,786 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,113,272. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan reports its first five cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Epsilon variant in Lahore, which was originally detected in California. (DAWN)
      • Sindh province imposes a partial lockdown in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi in order to reduce the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. The lockdown is in effect until August 8. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 18,912 new cases and 178 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 597,287 and the nationwide death toll to 4,857. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in El Salvador
      • El Salvador reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant, which was originally detected in India. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
        • Florida reports a record 21,683 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 19,334 cases reported on January 7. (Tampa Bay Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
    • Health minister Carla Vizzotti reports that Argentina has applied nearly 32 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Argentina has so far reported 4.9 million cases and over 105,000 deaths from COVID-19. (CNDigital)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Brisbane and surrounding towns enter a lockdown after an increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases linked to the ongoing cluster in New South Wales. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Réunion
    • Amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the French overseas territory of Réunion enters a two-week partial lockdown which restricts the movement of people to 10 km (6.2 mi) during the day and 5 km (3.1 mi) on Sunday as well as closing all cafés, restaurants and gyms. A curfew is also being imposed between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. when movement is not allowed except for essential reasons. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • As the six-month anniversary of the military coup against civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi approaches, protests occur in Mandalay with university students waving flags and saying that there is "no possibility of dialogue" with the junta. The junta says that former civilian leaders are spreading "biased information". (Reuters)
• Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina calls on the military to take "responsibility for threats to national sovereignty and threats to national security" after a plot to assassinate him was foiled last week. Rajoelina called on the new military graduates to uphold democracy. (Madagascar Tribune)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, Georgia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Judo at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games revokes accreditation for two Georgian judokas for violating COVID-19 protocols by leaving the athletes village for a sightseeing trip to meet "one of their good acquaintances" who lives in Japan. (BBC Sport)
  • Qatar at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics
    • Qatari weightlifter Fares El-Bakh wins the men's 96 kg event, receiving Qatar's first-ever Olympic gold medal. (The Peninsula)

July 2021

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

Disasters

• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• 2021 Western North America heat wave
• Madagascar food crisis
• Water crisis in Iran
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Arab protests
• Belarusian protests
• Brazilian protests
• Colombian tax reform protests
• Cuban protests
• Eswatini protests
• Haitian protests
• Indian farmers' protests
• Iranian protests
• Jersey dispute
• Libyan peace process
• Myanmar protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Peruvian crisis
• South African unrest
• Sudanese protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• Tunisian political crisis
• United States racial unrest
• United States Stop Asian Hate protests
• Venezuelan presidential crisis

Elections and referendums

Recent

• July
  • 18: São Tomé and Príncipe, President (1st)
  • 26: Saint Lucia, House of Assembly

Upcoming

• August
  • 1: Mexico, Referendum
  • 8: São Tomé and Príncipe, President (2nd)
  • 12: Zambia, President, National Assembly

Trials

Recently concluded

• Belarus: Viktar Babaryka
• Brazil: Wilson Witzel
• China: Sun Dawu
• Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai
• Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: 2017 Barcelona attacks
• Switzerland: Alieu Kosiah
• Tonga: ʻAkosita Lavulavu
• United States: Cristhian Bahena Rivera, Stephen Calk, Ed Buck

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Belarus: Sergei Tikhanovsky
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• India: Disha Ravi
• Indonesia: Juliari Batubara, Nurdin Abdullah
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• Spain: Bárcenas affair, Barçagate
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• Vatican City: Giovanni Angelo Becciu
• International: Ali Kushayb, The Gambia v. Myanmar

Upcoming

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

Sport

• Multi-sport events
  • 2020 Summer Olympics
• Association football
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores final stages
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
  • 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • 2021 Major League Soccer season
• Women's association football
  • 2021 NWSL season
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Cricket
  • ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League 2020–2023
  • 2019–2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2
  • ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League 2019–2022
• Golf
  • 2021 European Tour
  • 2021 LPGA Tour
  • 2020 PGA Tour Champions
  • 2021 Ladies European Tour
  • 2020–21 PGA Tour
• Motorsport
  • 2021 Formula One Championship
  • 2021 Rally Championship
  • 2021 MotoGP
  • 2021 Supercars Championship
• Rugby league
  • 2021 NRL season
  • 2021 Super League
• Rugby union
  • 2021 Bunnings NPC
  • 2021 Super Rugby season
• Tennis
  • 2021 ATP Tour
  • 2021 WTA Tour
  • 2020–21 Davis Cup (Finals)
• Other sports seasons
  • 2021 International cricket season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

July

• 31: Paco Cabanes Pastor
• 30: Rachel Oniga
• 29: Richard Lamm
• 29: Carl Levin
• 29: Janet Banana
• 29: Albert Vanhoye
• 28: Ron Popeil
• 28: Giuseppe Giacomini
• 27: Dusty Hill
• 27: Gianni Nazzaro
• 26: Brazo de Plata
• 26: Mike Enzi
• 26: Mike Howe
• 26: Joey Jordison
• 26: Fernando Karadima
• 25: Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho
• 25: Bob Moses
• 24: Rodney Alcala
• 24: Dieter Brummer
• 24: Jackie Mason
• 23: Alfred Biolek
• 23: John Cornell
• 23: Steven Weinberg
• 22: Boris Chochiev
• 22: Greg Knapp
• 20: Françoise Arnoul
• 20: Anita Novinsky
• 19: Arturo Armando Molina
• 19: Tolis Voskopoulos
• 18: Tom O'Connor
• 17: Pilar Bardem
• 16: Biz Markie
• 16: Danish Siddiqui
• 15: Andy Fordham
• 15: Jerry Lewis
• 15: William F. Nolan
• 15: Gloria Richardson
• 15: Peter R. de Vries
• 14: Mamnoon Hussain
• 14: Jeff LaBar
• 14: Kurt Westergaard
• 12: Edwin Edwards
• 12: Paul Orndorff
• 12: Paulose II
• 11: Charlie Robinson
• 11: Renée Simonot
• 10: Esther Béjarano
• 10: Travis Fulton
• 10: Dick Tidrow
• 9: Frank Lui
• 9: Geoff Makhubo
• 9: Jehan Sadat
• 7: Robert Downey Sr.
• 7: Dilip Kumar
• 7: Jovenel Moïse
• 7: Chick Vennera
• 6: Suzzanne Douglas
• 6: Patrick John
• 6: William H. Pauley III
• 5: Raffaella Carrà
• 5: Richard Donner
• 5: Vladimir Menshov
• 5: William Smith
• 4: Sanford Clark
• 4: Harmoko
• 4: Matīss Kivlenieks
• 3: James Kallstrom
• 3: Haunani-Kay Trask
• 2: Bill Ramsey
• 1: Josh Culbreath
• 1: Louis Andriessen

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

• Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
  • Maghreb insurgency
• Cameroon
  • Anglophone Crisis
• Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
  • Boko Haram insurgency
• Central African Republic
  • Civil War
• Chad
  • Insurgency in Northern Chad
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Ituri conflict
  • Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
• Ethiopia
  • Tigray War (spillover)
• Ethiopia and Sudan
  • Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
• Ghana
  • Western Togoland Rebellion
• Mali
  • Mali War
• Mozambique
  • Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
• Nigeria
  • Communal conflicts in Nigeria
• Somalia
  • Civil war
• Sudan
  • War in Darfur
  • South Kordofan conflict
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
• Western Sahara
  • Western Sahara conflict
    • 2020–2021 Western Saharan clashes

Americas

• Colombia
  • Colombian conflict
• Mexico
  • Mexican drug war
• Peru
  • Internal conflict in Peru
• Paraguay
  • Insurgency in Paraguay

Asia-Pacific

• Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan War
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
• India
  • Khalistan movement
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
• India and Pakistan
  • Kashmir conflict
• Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
  • Moro conflict
    • Cross border attacks in Sabah
• Indonesia
  • Papua conflict
• Myanmar
  • Internal conflict in Myanmar
    • Kachin conflict
    • Karen conflict
    • Rohingya conflict
• Pakistan
  • Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Insurgency in Balochistan
• Philippines
  • Communist rebellion
  • Philippine drug war
• Thailand
  • South Thailand insurgency

Europe

• Armenia and Azerbaijan
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
• Ukraine
  • War in Donbass
    • Russo-Ukrainian War
• Ireland and the UK
  • Dissident Irish republican campaign
• 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
• 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

• Animation (Anime)
• Architecture
• Comics
• Film (Horror, Science fiction)
• Literature (Poetry)
• Music (Classical, Country, Hip hop, Jazz, Latin, Metal, Rock, UK, US, Korea)
• Radio
• Television (Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK, Scotland, US)
• Video games

Politics and government

• Elections
• International leaders
• Sovereign states
• Sovereign state leaders
• Territorial governors

Science and technology

• Archaeology
• Biotechnology
• Computing
• Palaeontology
• Quantum computing and communication
• Senescence research
• Space/Astronomy
• Spaceflight
• Sustainable energy research

Environment and environmental sciences

• Climate change
• Weather (Heat waves
• Tornadoes
• Wildfires)

Transportation

• Aviation
• Rail transport
• Transportation technology

Establishments and disestablishments categories

• Establishments
• Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

• Works
• Introductions
• Works entering the public domain