Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Brisbane

• The Australian city of Brisbane (pictured) is announced as the host city of the 2032 Summer Olympics.
• In sumo, Terunofuji Haruo becomes the 73rd yokozuna.
• Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City in England is stripped of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to modern development in the area.
• In basketball, the Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Phoenix Suns to win the NBA Finals.
• Investigative journalists at the Pegasus Project report that multiple governments have used cyberweapons against heads of state, journalists, human rights activists, political opponents and dissidents.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic

Recent deaths:

• John Cornell
• Chuck McMann
• Theo Jubitana
• Elmo Rodrigopulle
• Uttam Nepali
• Dawn Foster

Current events of July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Taliban offensive
  • Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen says that the armed group "does not want to monopolize" Afghanistan, pointing to past failed attempts by countries to monopolize the nation. Shaheen also says that women's rights under the Taliban would now be respected though they would still need to wear a headscarf or hijab and have a male relative as companion to leave the house. Shaheen also accused President Ghani of being a "warmonger" and said that "no one wants a civil war in Afghanistan". (Al Jazeera)
• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Gunmen open fire on a civilian convoy as they were 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 says that one of its soldiers was killed by an Armenian sniper in Kalbajar District near the Armenia–Azerbaijan border. (Reuters)

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, thereby 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 13,655 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby 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 four other provinces including Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro reverts to the stricter "General Community Quarantine with Heightened Restrictions" (GCQ-HR) due to 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 a entry ban of travelers from Malaysia and Thailand due to threat of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. The restrictions will take effect from July 25. (GMA News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record for the third consecutive day of 13,655 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 467,707. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • New South Wales declares a "national emergency" on a the state COVID-19 outbreak caused by the Delta variant after a 136 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji isolates 87 crew and passengers on an inter-islands ship for 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 lack of beds. (RNZ)

International relations

• Haiti–United States relations
  • U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield cuts her visit to Haiti short following gunshots at the funeral of assassinated Haiti President Jovenel Moïse. (NBC News)
• Following U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong Liaison Office executives, China announces retaliatory sanctions on several Americans – including businessman and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross – along with the Hong Kong Democracy Council. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• Madagascar officials announce that two French citizens arrested over a plot into killing President Andry Rajoelina are former members of the French Armed Forces. The French government says it is working with its consulate in Madagascar as the French military say it has no comments. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
  • The Court of Appeal of Samoa declares Naomi Mata'afa as the nation's new Prime Minister. (AFP)

Sports

• Cleveland Indians name and logo controversy
  • Cleveland's Major League Baseball team announces that they will change their name from the Cleveland Indians to the Guardians. The change will take effect after the 2021 season. (CNBC)
• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Emperor Naruhito officially declares the Summer Olympics open. The inaugural celebration was not hosted publicly due to COVID-19 concerns. (AP)

Current events of 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 U.S. 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 health minister 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)
    • 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 Italian government announces that it will require people 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 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 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 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 News 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

• 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. Obiang Mangue is also the current 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 Commonwealth 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 Defence Minister Gen. 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 reelection are continuing to decrease. (O Estado de S. Paulo)
  • Both Braga 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)

Current events of July 21, 2021 (2021-07-21) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Arts and culture

• The Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City site is stripped of its 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 $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 biggest decrease since World War II. According to the CDC'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)

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 Brisbane the right to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. (ABC News 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.com)

Current events of 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 defense minister 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. (Toronto CTV News)
    • 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 FDA. (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 Health Ministry 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 Faouzi Mehdi as its health minister and appoints Mohamed Trabelsi as caretaker health minister amid a collapse of healthcare system due to increase of 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 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)

Current events of 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 Foreign Affairs Minister 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)
      • 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)
  • 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 lead 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 leak 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)

Current events of 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. (RFEL)

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 wounded when a petrol tanker overturns and catches fire between Kisumu and Busia, Kenya. (BBC)
• 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 English)
    • 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)

Current events of 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)
• 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)

Time: 18:57 UTC|Day: 23 July

	July 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

Disasters

• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• 2021 Western North America heat wave
• Madagascar food crisis
• 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
• Persian Gulf crisis
• Peruvian crisis
• Samoan constitutional crisis
• South African unrest
• Sudanese protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• United States racial unrest
• United States Stop Asian Hate protests
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
• Yellow vests protests

Elections and referendums

Recent

• July
  • 11: Bulgaria, Parliament
  • 11: Moldova, Parliament
  • 11: Slovenia, Referendum
  • 18: São Tomé and Príncipe, President (1st)

Upcoming

• July
  • 26: Saint Lucia, House of Assembly
• August
  • 1: Mexico, Referendum

Trials

Recently concluded

• Belarus: Viktar Babaryka
• Brazil: Wilson Witzel
• 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

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
• 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

• 23: John Cornell
• 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
• 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
• 3: James Kallstrom
• 3: Haunani-Kay Trask
• 2: Bill Ramsey
• 1: Josh Culbreath
• 1: Louis Andriessen

June

• 30: Bonfoh Abass
• 30: Del Wilkes
• 29: Stuart Damon
• 29: Donald Rumsfeld
• 28: Menelik Shabazz
• 27: Jack G. Downing
• 27: Hiroaki Nakanishi
• 26: Mike Gravel
• 26: Abdalelah Haroun
• 26: Jon Hassell
• 26: John Langley
• 26: Mir Hazar Khan Khoso
• 26: Frederic Rzewski
• 26: Johnny Solinger
• 25: Jack Ingram
• 24: Sonny Callahan
• 24: Stephen Dunn
• 24: Thomas G. Plaskett
• 24: Trần Thiện Khiêm

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

Architecture – Animation – Anime – Comics – Film (Horror, Science fiction) – Home video – Literature – Music (Classical, Country, Rock, Hip hop, Latin, Metal, Rock, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US, Italy, Scotland) – Video games

Politics and government

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

Science and technology

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

Environment and environmental sciences

Birding/Ornithology – Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain